It's time for the return of Grant Morrison on Batman. With the way BATMAN INCORPORATED left off, things weren't looking too good for Damian. How much of that will carry over into the "New 52"?
The Good
A lot of people have been having mixed feelings over the notion of Batman, Inc. It's a strange concept but makes sense in many ways. That's a completely different discussion. When it comes to Grant Morrison, rarely does he write something that wasn't meant to have a big impact later. To prepare for this return of BATMAN INCORPORATED, I re-read all the previous issues over the last few days. As with many of Grant's arcs, you pick up many more bits and pieces versus when they are stretched over months. Tiny seeds have been planted since the beginning and now it's time to see how they all will bloom.
LEVIATHAN STRIKES ended with the revelation of who Leviathan actually was (click on the name if you still don't know). We also saw a half a billion dollar bounty being placed on Damian's head. That can't be a good thing. With the tension between Damian and Bruce in BATMAN AND ROBIN, I've long suspected that something was going to happen. But perhaps all that was for the purpose of the Nobody story arc.
What you need to do is buy this issue and read it right away. Don't flip through the pages. The very first page is a bit of a shocker. In the first few panels, Chris Burnham's art will blow you away. The way the scene is drawn and the expression that can be seen is remarkable.
There is plenty of Batman and Robin action as well. Burnham's art combined with Nathan Fairbairn's colors are so incredible. The action is intense and the amount of detail in the first scene is both fascinating and a little gross. The use of the sound fx's are great and the variety in which they're placed is clever and creative. We don't see enough sound fx in comics these days.
The Bad
Not a lot of bad. I still question the motive of "Leviathan." Of course we have to assume that Grant has it all perfectly laid out. The return of the bickering between Damian and Bruce felt a little out of place since the conclusion of the Nobody story in BATMAN AND ROBIN felt like it finally brought the closer together. For Damian to question why Bruce 'bothered to return from the dead' seemed a little much.
The last page. It's a heckuva cliffhanger.
The Verdict
Prepare yourself for the return of Grant Morrison writing Batman. Re-reading the previous issues gives a new perspective on what Morrison is setting out to do. It's hard to say what exactly he has in mind with the way he's setting up. As you read the first page, you know Grant is preparing to blow your socks off. The action drawn by Chris Burnham with Nathan Fairbairn's colors will make your eyes weep with joy. There's so much gritty and colorful action that I found myself re-reading pages just to take it all in again. We seem to have different vibes for the different Batman books. I was excited for this title's return before reading and now I can't wait for the next issue. Crazy things are happening. The beauty of Batman, INC is the wide range of characters available. Grant has been molding the different minor characters into ones you'll want to continue to see more of. The last page is something you won't believe. Bravo to Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham for giving me a second Batman title I can love each month. There's no playing around here. This comic will blow you away.
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