Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2

Plot & Action: From the Man of Bats to Puritan Bruce Wayne. We get a pretty decent story set in puritan time as well as another piece to the Wayne/Gotham puzzle. We also get more explanation on why Superman's team is hunting down Bruce. That part was well-received as I'm glad to get some explanation. On all fronts, there is definite storyline progression.

Character Work: The detective is back in action. I know Bruce isn't Bruce fully, but his characterization here is really good. He plays the detective who looks for real answers. He's still the survivor, and that plays a big role here. The puritans fit into what I know of them historically. I rather enjoyed this more than the grunting cavemen.

The Art Team: Frazer Irving handles the pencils, inks, and colors in this issue (and will soon join Morrison on "Batman and Robin," I believe). I felt like the pencils were pretty good. I didn't have any issues with proportion or faces. The background work wasn't anything special, but the colors did have an interesting effect of shifting between flat 2-D and the normal 3-D. I felt like the muted, monochromatic colors did match the Puritan era. I don't like the skimping on the background, but this was still pretty good art.

Generally Speaking: It wasn't as confusing as the first book, but Morrison is definitely weaving a complex tale. You have to read, re-read, and digest carefully. If you put in the time then you'll get the pay-off although I completely understand why some people will be frustrated by this issue. Thankfully (for me), Morrison builds on the explanation of what Darkseid did and why heroes are looking for Bruce. Giving these actions more importance gives relevance to this series and the time hunters tie-in which satisfies me a bit more about this whole saga.

I'm giving it the same 4.5 as issue one, but I definitely liked this issue more and feel like each issue in this mini-series will continue to build on itself as issue two did on the first. I definitely continue to recommend this series to those who've been following this grand Morrison saga.