Monday, July 8, 2013

Review: Batman, Incorporated #12


DC Comics/$2.99

Grant Morrison sure knows how to write page-turners. His run on Batman and Robin was dark and twisted, giving us tales of the Dark Knight like none before it, while his All-Star Superman limited series broke boundaries and redefined the Man of Steel, all the time reminding us of the virtues that make both iconic heroes great. Morrison’s Batman, Incorporated is a mixed bag for me, while being consistently solid, it teeters back and forth between merely good and truly great. This newest issue, though, is a must-read for anyone who’s been following the Death of the Family and Requiem story arcs that have been carrying over into the entire Bat-Family of titles from The New 52.

Damian Wayne is dead, Batman is on the edge of sanity (more so than usual), and war is being waged on Gotham and the Bat-Family. Talia Al Ghul has unleashed an army of genetically created warriors upon Gotham, with plans on killing the entire city and utterly destroying Bruce Wayne and his legacy. This issue has some great cinematic storytelling, with plenty of Bat-action and some truly disturbing moments. There is a lot of violence and bloodshed in this single issue, showcasing Talia’s brutality and coldness, with an ending that promises the battle to end all battles. This tale is not for the meek of heart.  As good as Batman, Incorporated #12 was, I foresee #13 being even better!
As usual, Grant Morrison’s writing is great, and it’s illustrated very nicely by Chris Burnham, whose pencils tend to remind me of Frank Quitely at times (not a bad thing). They make a great creative team, and this issue’s colorist, Nathan Fairbairn, does a wonderful job in setting the tone for this violent story. It was also nice to see the use of a traditional letterer, Dave Sharpe, as that adds an old-school, if subtle, touch to the overall experience. All in all, a great job by everyone involved, and well worth a few bucks of your hard-earned money. Once you read this issue, I’m sure you’ll be back next month for more. I know I will be.

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