I’d warn you about spoilers for the latest “Batman Incorporated,” but if nerds on Twitter didn’t already ruin that for you, that cover certainly did. There are also some minor thematic spoilers for the issue itself, but it’s so by-the-books it doesn’t really matter.
As you can see, I’m very enthusiastic about this comic.
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Andy Kubert and Alex Maleev• Welcome guest-artist Andy Kubert!
• In the wake of unspeakable tragedy, Batman is in danger of losing his humanity!
• And in the backup story, fan-favorite character Harper Row returns—but will she be able to pull Batman back from the brink! Walt Note: That isn’t the backup story, that is the story. Get your ducks in a row, DC.
Primarily, this issue is centered on new character Harper Row, much like the previous post-arc one-off, but this issue is one of the ridiculous amount of issues that serves as a sort of follow-up to the latest issue of “Batman Incorporated.” The worst crime this issue commits is that between those two facts, anyone could come up with the general plot: Bruce is getting aggressive and sloppy due to the loss of his son, and it takes the grounding influence of Gotham’s newest supporting character to help him take it easy. Yawn. This wouldn’t be so bad if the issue was particularly well-written, but nothing Scott Snyder does in this issue really helps it stand apart from, say, ‘A Lonely Place of Dying,’ the arc that introduced Tim Drake. Snyder’s debut in the Bat-books, with his “Detective Comics” run, was characterized in how he was able to keep the book fresh in turning it into a thrilling ride of psychological thriller, and even ‘The Court of Owls’ started out pretty fresh. While the issue is hardly poorly written — though Snyder does take a massive risk in the on-the-nose “Batman is a symbol!” diatribe — it fails to stand out in any way, shape, or form beyond its connection to current events. Touches such as the Gotham dog-fighting underground — which would have made for a much better subject to tackle in a one-off — show that Snyder has not at all lost that unique angle at looking at things that made him a big name in the first place, but it seems that he has already fallen to that curse that claimed Geoff Johns years ago: that itch for continuity that requires all stories to either have “major ramifications” or to tie into current in-continuity tales.
Like the previous issue starring Harper, the issue is divided into two “chapters,” the second of which is co-written with Snyder’s new frequent collaborator, James Tynion IV. Again like the previous Harper one-shot, this is less backup material, a la Tynion’s shorts during ‘Death of the Family,’ and more a direct continuation of the first two thirds of the issue. It is a very strange way to structure an issue; while it probably has something to do with contracts and perhaps page rates, it almost looks like Snyder just got tired of writing the story and let Tynion finish it off (obviously, it is very unlikely that this is the case, but it does seem odd). Thankfully, though, it doesn’t read that way; while we will get to the art later, there is no specific clue that someone else is writing the script. Tynion does a fine job of matching the gloomy mood that Snyder establishes in the first “chapter” — in fact, he both gets the tone and shows a bit more tasteful restraint — and generally adheres to the style of dialogue and general pacing that Snyder uses. This comes as no surprise, seeing as Tynion is a former student of Snyder’s, but it is still refreshing considering how carelessly both DC and Marvel editorial often pair tonally different writers and artists together… as happens in another department of this book.
Andy Kubert and Alex Maleev are two of the finest artists in this medium, almost to the degree that it is not a subjective opinion but an objective fact. Both of these titans bring different things to the table with this issue: Kubert, on the one hand, rounds off his edges a little bit more than usual in order to preserve a visual continuity with what series regular Greg Capullo brings to the book. It’s still identifiable Kubert (well, that Kubert), with all the qualities of clear storytelling and dynamic action that you expect from the name, and yet fits with the visual tone Capullo has set from issue one. On the other hand, you have Maleev, a gritty semi-realist who doesn’t make any modifications. It works, though, for the story — personally, I love seeing highly stylized work like Kubert’s in the more super-heroic Batman comics, but I think it is incredibly effective to have a more “grounded” look when the stories deal primarily with normal people, so to speak. In this case, with the inquisitive Harper, it’s a hole in one. Or, at least, it should be.
Continued belowThe problem is that these two highly talented and incredibly different artists were put side by side in the same story — again, like Batman #12. It’s jarring, distracting, and makes both of these geniuses look bad. There’s a major difference between this and, to use another Snyder story, ‘The Black Mirror’ — whenever Francavilla would take the reins from Jock, a shift just as or perhaps even more startling, it was in time with a major tonal shift in the writing. Again, in this case, the shift from one “chapter” — notice how I’m abusing the quotes — to another is barely a shift in tone at all. The same reason to praise Tynion for consistency is a reason to shame DC editorial for poorly pairing two excellent artists so badly that it brings both of them down. Maybe instead of enforcing unimportant matters such as the five year rule, DC’s editors should focus more on quality control.
Put simply, this is an average story that is told in an only slightly above average way, where the art is poorly executed not in composition by the artists, but by the pairing of editorial. Snyder’s “Batman” started as one of the best books of the New 52, and while it is still near the top of the list, that’s only because the rest of them are no longer that great, either. People who are reading the comic because it’s Batman and they always read Batman will probably find this to be a fine issue, with little to complain about, but those who were looking for the precise touch Snyder brought to “Detective Comics” will probably use this as a chance to jump ship before the next little bout of continuity porn — ‘Year Zero.’
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Nothing special.
