Batman Incorporated #10

(w) Grant Morrison     (a) Chris Burnham, Jason Masters, and Andrei Bressan


** SPOILERS AHEAD! **

** BUT IF YOU'RE READING A COMIC BOOK REVIEW, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY EXPECT THAT, HUH? **


Holy Batman, Batman!

Grant Morrison seems insistent on seeing Batman's world -- literally and figuratively -- burned to the ground. After offing Damian Wayne and Batman, Inc. agent, the Knight, he's basically given up all pretense about Leviathan and the nature of Talia al Ghul's evil machinations.

Also, something that's been bugging me is the timeline of events. I know, I know. don't worry about the continuity -- enjoy the story for what it is. Unfortunately, DC made it a point to release a slew of "Requiem" issues mourning the death of Robin. Well, where do those other Bat-book issues fall? How much time has passed since Damian died and has Batman been doing other things (like stuff in his other titles), or does all of that "Requiem" business happen after the final issue of Batman, Incorporated?

Whatever.

So, Azrael makes his 'New 52' debut this month when Bruce goes to him for his armor. It's the kind of deus ex machina element Morrison utilizes from time to time that seems to work for him, while coming off as cheap under lesser hands.

Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood are all off dealing with their own situations, illustrated over two pages by Andrei Bressan, who manages to botch all the character faces. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake look duck-faced, and Jason Todd doesn't resemble his generic, black-haired, handsome look at all. In fact, Todd looks like he's been punched in the nose a half-dozen times. I normally wouldn't point out details like this with such scrutiny, but with the rest of the issue looking so good, Bressan's rushed-looking work really hits the brakes on the narrative momentum.

It's unfortunate, but Batman Incorporated #10 feels very much like the filler issue it is instead of being a stepping stone toward Morrison's endgame. It is, technically, but there's a lot of exposition, a lot of waxing poetic about the idea of crime and the concept of justice. In a way, it almost feels derivative of Morrison himself. These are ideals and themes he's used in Batman stories in the past, and instead of feeling conclusive by nature, it seems repetitive. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the issue, because I seriously enjoy Morrison's work. It's just not the strongest issue of the series.

GRADE

7/10

REVIEW: BATMAN, INCORPORATED #4

(w) Grant Morrison
(p) Chris Burnham

FINALLY -- an issue of Batman Incorporated that's not layered in 50,000 levels of misdirection, metaphorical symbolism, intricate backstory, or mind-bending espionage. And it's the best issue yet. Seriously. Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham's road has been a bit bumpy so far, with the third issue of Batman Incorporated being the first 'New 52' title delayed more than a few weeks, then an "Issue Zero" that took us out of the main story for another month. Batman Incorporated #4 feels like the series is gaining momentum for the first time, and it's incredible reading. Not to mention that most of Batman, Inc. shows up (including Nightwing and Red Robin) for a massive raid on the League of Assassins.

Grant Morrison announced a while back that he'll be leaving Batman Inc. after issue 12; an fact that doesn't bode well for the title, which has been Morrison's vehicle to bring a conclusion to his years-long, multi-title arc concerning Batman, Talia al Ghul, and Damian Wayne. I honestly thought we'd have to wait until at least issue seven or eight to get deep into plot advancement, but Morrison brings the thunder early this month. Chris Burnham beautifully illustrates Morrison's epic battle between Batman and his army and the waves upon waves of the deadliest killers in the entire world.

Batman Incorporated has been a victim of circumstance since it began, and though that was partly Morrison's own fault, it's now growing into it's own as a solid title in the 'New 52' lineup. I'm skeptical it'll continue after Morrison steps down, as that would open up a spot for a new title in the roster while also trimming down the already massive number of Batman-related titles. That being said, if DC were to get someone like China Mieville to take over, the series might just stand a chance of continuing.

GRADE
9/10

BATMAN INCORPORATED #0

STORY: Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham
ART: Frazer Irving

I've been pretty on-the-fence with Batman Incorporated since it started back in May. Before the 'New 52', the idea of soliciting out the Batman name seemed absolutely ridiculous - even Grant Morrison's name attached to it couldn't persuade me to believe that a character as dark, brooding, and shadowy as Batman would ever think about turning himself into a brand. The concept, to me, seemed like an idea that came from a lack of ideas. What else is there to do with Batman now except make him go global? I felt like it conveyed a lack of creativity and inability to make new stories for a character that literally died and came back to life just a year or two prior. Batman Incorporated - as I mentioned earlier, to me - represents the epitome of what DC was trying to change with the 'New 52' - overly complex stories, convoluted continuity, and a lack of direction. Sure, Grant Morrison is one of the industry's biggest and best writers, but even he is prone to slipping up every once in a while.

The clear exception to this trend is Batman Incorporated #0, an issue that lightly and interestingly gives readers the early days of Batman's quest to expand his brand across the entire planet. With the threat of the vague and seemingly omni-evil Leviathan  constantly looming, Batman is actually getting paranoid. In true Morrison style, the narrative flow for this issue is pretty frantic, jumping back and forth between locales, setting up multiple characters while giving more insight to Bruce Wayne's thought processes. We get to follow Squire and Knight, El Gaucho, Nightrunner, and others as they all vie for a spot on the most exclusive and prestigious club on the planet. And while I recognize how fun of an issue Morrison has crafted, Batman Incorporated #0 still feels a bit empty.

Morrison's grand plan for Batman has been nearly six years in the making. Starting with "Batman & Son", which introduced Damian Wayne into the fold, Morrison then moved on to launching Batman and Robin, which explored the father/son relationship between Batman and his new Robin. Eventually, Morrison moved on to the first (pre-'New 52') volume of Batman Incorporated, the third act whose name had a double meaning: 'Incorporated' because of the literal business venture's namesake, and also because the series begins to incorporate all the previous elements of story Morrison had spent years laying out. That's why the premise of BI is a bit flimsy, and that's why crafting an effective "Issue Zero" would have been damn near impossible. Had Morrison given up any more information than he did this month, major events would have been spoiled. Obviously, the threat of Leviathan is going to come directly to Batman, and maybe not so much to the Batman Inc members. If you need proof, Morrison is stepping off Batman Incorporated after issue 12, which means he'll have to wrap up the current arc with Leviathan, or DC will just cancel the title altogether.

It's becoming more and more clear that Batman's international army may not be essential to the story, acting more as lieutenants in this 'behind the scenes' war against the very essence of evil. In this sense, Batman Incorporated #0 is a letdown and a success. It let me down by offering very little in the way of story advancement - or even really any information about it at all - and with the staccato nature of the narrative. It was a success because Morrison does an amazing job focusing on the characters he's presenting, giving them developed, clear-cut personalities even if they only get a few panels of page time. So even though they probably aren't all that important in the grand scheme of Morrison's plans, the origins of Batman's soliders around the world is captivating, nuanced, and drawn incredibly well.

GRADE

B-

(COMIC) BATMAN INCORPORATED #1

STORY: Grant Morrison
ART: Chris Burnham


Just like any Grant Morrison-penned title, Batman Incorporated is weird as hell. Remember Seven Soldiers of Victory back in 2004? How about All-Star Superman? On these - and countless other occasions - Morrison has captivated audiences not with direct plot narratives, but with twists, turns and confusion that can best many casual readers. It takes a lot to read Morrison's work, but it pays off.

The opening pages of Batman Incorporated are totally incomprehensible. Batman and Robin are chasing after a goat-headed individual into a slaughterhouse where they are met by some group of criminals in animals masks. Let it be said that these few pages in the slaughterhouse itself are some of the most bloody and explicit images I've seen in a comic in quite some time. I'm sure something worse has come along in recent history, but there's just something about seeing these innocent cows caught in the crossfire of this criminal activity is somewhat nauseating. It's a poignant move to make Robin give up meat in light of this episode.

Moving forward - because that's honestly the only way I know how to review Morrison's concept work - Bats and Robin go after some upside-down star symbol that had a connection to the slaughterhouse. Turns out the symbol, the "Demon Star" translates to 'al ghul' somehow, which means all this kerfuffle has to do with Talia and Damien. Again, this is issue one of a Grant Morrison story, so there's not much more than anticipation being created, which also comes in abundance.

There's a small vignette focusing on some other members of Batman Incorporated, but they're barely named and are given no real plot, in the most technical of terms. It seems like Morrison simply needed to introduce the character without going to far into their story, which kind of seems like a cop-out.

The final pages are dedicated to the assassin who's been hunting Damien the entire issue. He's been brought in by the mysterious Leviathan and made to explain how he shot Batman and killed Robin! And that's where the issue ends! It's a very satisfying cliffhanger.

GRADE:

B