We’re coming up on the end of “Batman Incorporated,” and let me tell you: the shit is hitting the fan, folks. But, like, in the good way — not that the issue is shit. Just stuff is happening and — … oh, come on, just read the review.
Written by Grant Morrison
Illustrated by Chris BurnhamWhen only one can survive, which will it be: the man or the bat?
If you’re wondering what the general summation of this review is, then lets get that out of the way first: “Batman Inc” is the only DC Comic you need to be reading. Period.
Why? Because where other books fail, dragged down for any number of reasons, “Batman Inc” continues to succeed simply by being different from its peers. For all intents and purposes, Batman is a relatively dull character, watered down by years of tales and writers that never really stray that far from the formula that has come before. Even though it’s hard to tell a good Batman story, it’s not hard to tell a Batman story any longer, since there are enough tropes that revolve only around the Dark Knight that self-perpetuate its own twisted and relatively dull culture. Yet, “Batman Inc” takes these overused tropes and narcissistic qualities and finds new ways to exploit them in a tale rife with metatext and tongue-in-cheek moments that nod to the world that Batman has come to live in, and it’s the only book in the entire DC line that really feels like it’s trying anymore. It’s a story about Batman but also a story about stories about Batman all in one, and it’s a decidedly more interesting read than other options available.
This issue is perhaps one of the best issues of the series since it began. Given that we’re only three issues left (not including this one) until the series is over, there’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done here in order to get Batman to a place where he can “win” (since, after all, Batman has to win). Therefore, the main purpose of this issue seems to be to show how the dots are beginning to connect, and boy do these dots connect. It’s similar to how ‘RIP’ ramped up heavily near the end and showed how the pieces had been placed on the checkerboard since issue #655 before actually killing Bruce; many threads that had supposedly been lost return in this issue to aid Batman in his quest and decision making, and all of the metaphors and subtext are brought to the front of the discussion while we’re given a rather big “Ohhhh” moment of universal knowledge. This is the kind of issue that makes you love getting in with Morrison stories for the long haul — he has an unbelievable way of stringing readers along with a carrot on a stick all while leaving the sweetest bits right under our noses, yet never so obviously as to beat us over the head with the greater details until its just the right time.
So what’s ultimately most impressive about the issue is just how clear Morrison’s arc has become. Not only does this issue tie things back to the first issue of Morrison’s run (way back in “Batman” #655, which came out in 2006), but to the early days of the grandiose mythology of the Bat Man and his origin. Using Batman’s entire history has been a recurring element of Morrison’s entire run so far, but it never ceases to impress how Morrison comes up with new ways to dig in and exploit these aspects from Batman’s history in new ways, creating a very apropos ouroboros out of the whole endeavor: everything quite literally comes full circle. With familiar lines and made up prophecies, this has become the Thinking Batfan’s Book, for those who want to explore the mythological aspect of Bruce Wayne and the legend he has become. It’s all rather clever and entertaining to watch unfold, and it’s what lets “Batman Inc” stand above and beyond within both DC’s Batman family titles and their general arsenal of comics, the last remnant of a distant past that was fueled by limitless creativity and focus on the creator’s endeavors as opposed to company-wide edicts.
Continued belowEven with a major story beat laid out on the cover thanks to DC’s silly WTF initiative, it’s important to note that Morrison and Burnham still manage to nail the landing of the issue. This is the second time that DC has felt the need to give away the ending to this book to draw in readers, and while it’s a foolish endeavor Morrison and Burnham continue to make the best of it within the actual pages of the comic. That’s perhaps the issue’s most positive aspect as well; what could’ve been an incredibly silly moment is played out with just the right amount of different qualities it needs to maintain the level of severity that comes with it. Yes, it’s silly to a point, but it’s wrapped up in an emotional and fast-paced sequence that it’s also horrifying and a touch bad-ass, all of which — again — ties back to “Batman” #655. Morrison and Burnham’s collaboration has hit a few road bumps thanks to outside forces from DC, but when it comes time to sit down and read the issue, it’s clear that the duo work in perfect sync with one another.
Suffice it to say, this is perhaps one of the best stories Morrison has ever told at this point. Bringing the same craft and layered care that he displays in his creator-owned work, Morrison has really redefined what should be done with superhero comics in general. It feels jaded to say, but so many mainstream comics play it so safe with what they attempt to do; that is, rather, to simply tell a story and leave. It’s not often that a creator gets to pull such an epic long con on the readers, and with so many writers fearing cancellation or shortened runs the amount of risks taken are noticeably limited. Thanks to being Morrison, though, Morrison is able to give this book the epic treatment it deserves, and the pay-off is incredibly triumphant.
A large part of that is of course due to Chris Burnham. While Burnham unfortunately does not illustrate the whole issue (Jason Masters and Andrei Bressan fill in in a few spots, which is a bit disappointing), what he does is some of the best of his career. Burnham uses this issue to pay homage to a lot of the ideas that had been percolating or seen in the past, such as the return of the checkered board from ‘RIP,’ but then takes all of it and pushes it past into a new place, one of his own. Burnham’s “Batman” art has been some of the most enjoyable, full of vibrant motion and visceral characters, all of which truly brings you into the world of Gotham and the shadows in which Batman is forced to navigate. You can not only see but truly feel the complex emotions Batman is forced to undertake, both as a broken father and a defeated protector, and it brings forth Morrison’s Bat-ideas tenfold. There’s such a clear and great synergy between the complexity of the tale Morrison is attempting to weave and Burnham’s related composition that makes this book stand above and beyond the call of duty, and really sufficing to blur the line between this Batman book and every other one.
And while this has been harped on a million times in this review so far, it’s incredible to note that one of the best parts of this issue is the one that has gone the most unrecognized: that the cover to this issue is a very light homage to “Batman” #655. See? It all ties back around.
Don’t get me wrong, by the way – the fill-in work by Masters and Bressan isn’t bad. In fact, their work meshes with Burnham’s quite well, with Masters doing a clear Burnham impersonation in one scene, and the split here is even done in a fashion that helps the story (those sequences feature characters in self-contained scenes). Yet, even with that in mind, the switch in art is admittedly a bit disorienting at first glance, and while this is perhaps the result of being a selfish modern reader, I’d very much rather wait for however long it takes for Burnham to do every page rather than have a few mildly rushed pages to get the book out “on time.”
While DC’s output as a whole has suffered in the wake of the New 52, including but obviously not limited to Morrison’s own work on “Action Comics,” the epic Batman run that Morrison embarked on six years ago is truly one of the most impressive works in DC history. It not only solidifies why Batman is their number one character, but justifies it as well for an epic journey into Gotham’s heart of darkness. That we get to see it all tied together in such an immersible way and to have Chris Burnham on art for the grand finale is just icing on a rather delicious cake.
Final Verdict: 9.0 – Buy
