Stephanie Kay
Oct 13, 2007, 10:29 pm
<a href=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/1006/BatmanCv658.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/dc/1006/BatmanCv658t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Batman #658"></a>Reviewer: Mike Sangregorio
The century’s greatest crimefighter, the daughter of its greatest crimelord…We’ll found a dynasty that will rule this planet for a thousand years.
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Andy Kubert
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Asst. Editor: Michael Siglain
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Published by: DC Comics (http://www.dccomics.com/)
I don’t know about the rest of you but “Batman and Son” works for me. No “wards” or “sidekicks” or some such issues of avoidance are going to keep Batman from acknowledging that this is his biological son, courtesy of one of the few moments of mask-wearing-passion that Bruce Wayne has allowed himself since he became Batman.
Or at least, that’s what I would have been lead to believe when I was first exposed to Batman, and the League’s most well-known patriarch Ra’s Al Ghul (that’s “raish” not “razz” for those of you a little smarter than Liam Neeson…), way back during the definitive animated series of the 90s. By the way, if you didn’t know, I’m the guy (and so far I’m alone) that did not actually enjoy Batman Begins. At all (well, except the last scene with the Joker card, but really who didn’t).
I only mention this because Damian, the would-be prodigal son that makes his first in-continuity appearance since Son of the Demon in this story of which this issue is the fourth part, seems to have more in common with the Christian Bale-all-ninja version of the Dark Knight than he has with Batman or Batman has with said version. I’m sure there is something deeper from which to draw a conclusion but I’ll leave that to you. Bat-Ninjas are all the rage anyhow as we have an army of ninja Man-Bats attacking the fortress at Gibraltar while the British Prime Minister’s wife watches on as a hostage!
It’s more than likely that between Grant Morrison’s bombastic far-reaching imagination being focused through the lens of pure silver age ridiculousness and Adam Kubert’s deft art skills this book may be review proof. This is not to say that it is perfect, but it hits the mark that it is going for. This is not Worldstorm: Authority Morrison, it’s All-Star Superman Morrison. For my money, this is All-Star Batman. Morrison’s All-Star Superman continues to reintroduce the Superman archetype to a fanbase that had all but forgotten what the Man of Tomorrow could really do, and while Batman has never been more media friendly, it’s nice to see him acting a little less grim and gritty (I think).
This isn’t the world outside your window, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make for a damn entertaining story. Since the focus of late has been to take our superheroes as seriously as possible it’s nice to see a nod to where they came from. Before the first wave of Ultimizations and even before the first Crisis, there was the idea that Batman and his compatriots were meant only to entertain kids. As those kids grew older they brought Batman with them and ever since Frank Miller “gave Batman his balls back” (all of you need to go read Miller/Eisner) the world has been working harder and harder to forget those pesky kids. You know, the base of what have made comics last this long.
I don’t know that this title is exactly Johnny DC material, but neither were the comics of the 1940s. The sterilization of superheroics is not the answer to Punisher or the Ultimates or whatever big name book carries the Mature Readers label this week. Kids aren’t stupid, and as much as I am enjoying Agents of Atlas I can’t read any of Jeff Parker’s Marvel Adventures Avengers without wanting to burn my copy.
Anyway, enough of me pulling a Wes Mendell (…anyone?), I like this kid. Whether you call him Ibn al Xu'ffasch (Kingdom Come) or Tallant Wayne (Brotherhood of the Bat) the idea of the Batman love child has always held sway over anyone who takes a long look at Bruce and his crew, first in Elseworlds and now back at home. As much as Batman has labeled himself a loner, the title really never stuck has it? As popular as the Dark Knight Detective has become his family has grown just as prosperous.Robin has been around longer than the Joker and there have been more female Gotham Knights then there have been unrelated and successful DC female superheroes (I truly believe that it is Selina Kyle and not Wonder Woman who is the thematic matriarch of the DCU).
Rather than having to teach his son how to be the world’s foremost something or other, Batman must work with the fact that Damian was raised by the very antithesis of what he has come to stand for, in the League of Assassins. And really isn’t this the only time that Ra’s al Ghul has proven his worth against Batman, albeit post-mortem? In most stories, Ra’s is rarely a well used character in his own right but rather as a dark overly inclined version of what Bruce Wayne could have become. He’s more like the Batman without the Bruce Wayne.
Back to the matter at hand, Damian’s violent disposal of low-rent rouge the Spook involved a beheading and both Tim Drake and Alfred were on the receiving end of brutal, yet efficient, attempts to curry favor with Bruce. When push comes to shove this kid is in awe of his father. He wants to be Batman’s partner. There is no guilt or family death to drive him, but instead there is admiration. He genuinely wants to further his father’s cause. That and his dad has a Bat-Rocket (page 15, a classic).
As for Adam Kubert, not to make it seem like an afterthought I’m just not an artiste myself, but this guy keeps getting better. All those glorious character poses he and his brother Adam gleaned from their time on the X-Men and watching poppa Joe have really paid off for the Distinguished Competition. Reading Talia tell Batman that what she wants to be reformed and work alongside her loving Detective feels like you’re watching a well made cartoon, but Andy never seems to forget where these characters come from and never dials down the over-the-top love fest the Morrison serves up.
If nothing else, the image of Tim Drake unconscious and lying underneath the discarded green panties of Jason Todd’s display case is worth flipping through this or the prior issue alone. And really doesn’t that say more about the Robins than most stories? Maybe Tim never had as embarrassing a costume as Dick or Jason (though disco collars and Red Hoods aren’t much of a trade up), what other sidekick is going to get beat up by an 8 year old boy? Here is my vote for making Damian the new Boy Wonder.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcnone.jpg
Buy Batman online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=20829)
The century’s greatest crimefighter, the daughter of its greatest crimelord…We’ll found a dynasty that will rule this planet for a thousand years.
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciller: Andy Kubert
Inker: Jesse Delperdang
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Asst. Editor: Michael Siglain
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Published by: DC Comics (http://www.dccomics.com/)
I don’t know about the rest of you but “Batman and Son” works for me. No “wards” or “sidekicks” or some such issues of avoidance are going to keep Batman from acknowledging that this is his biological son, courtesy of one of the few moments of mask-wearing-passion that Bruce Wayne has allowed himself since he became Batman.
Or at least, that’s what I would have been lead to believe when I was first exposed to Batman, and the League’s most well-known patriarch Ra’s Al Ghul (that’s “raish” not “razz” for those of you a little smarter than Liam Neeson…), way back during the definitive animated series of the 90s. By the way, if you didn’t know, I’m the guy (and so far I’m alone) that did not actually enjoy Batman Begins. At all (well, except the last scene with the Joker card, but really who didn’t).
I only mention this because Damian, the would-be prodigal son that makes his first in-continuity appearance since Son of the Demon in this story of which this issue is the fourth part, seems to have more in common with the Christian Bale-all-ninja version of the Dark Knight than he has with Batman or Batman has with said version. I’m sure there is something deeper from which to draw a conclusion but I’ll leave that to you. Bat-Ninjas are all the rage anyhow as we have an army of ninja Man-Bats attacking the fortress at Gibraltar while the British Prime Minister’s wife watches on as a hostage!
It’s more than likely that between Grant Morrison’s bombastic far-reaching imagination being focused through the lens of pure silver age ridiculousness and Adam Kubert’s deft art skills this book may be review proof. This is not to say that it is perfect, but it hits the mark that it is going for. This is not Worldstorm: Authority Morrison, it’s All-Star Superman Morrison. For my money, this is All-Star Batman. Morrison’s All-Star Superman continues to reintroduce the Superman archetype to a fanbase that had all but forgotten what the Man of Tomorrow could really do, and while Batman has never been more media friendly, it’s nice to see him acting a little less grim and gritty (I think).
This isn’t the world outside your window, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make for a damn entertaining story. Since the focus of late has been to take our superheroes as seriously as possible it’s nice to see a nod to where they came from. Before the first wave of Ultimizations and even before the first Crisis, there was the idea that Batman and his compatriots were meant only to entertain kids. As those kids grew older they brought Batman with them and ever since Frank Miller “gave Batman his balls back” (all of you need to go read Miller/Eisner) the world has been working harder and harder to forget those pesky kids. You know, the base of what have made comics last this long.
I don’t know that this title is exactly Johnny DC material, but neither were the comics of the 1940s. The sterilization of superheroics is not the answer to Punisher or the Ultimates or whatever big name book carries the Mature Readers label this week. Kids aren’t stupid, and as much as I am enjoying Agents of Atlas I can’t read any of Jeff Parker’s Marvel Adventures Avengers without wanting to burn my copy.
Anyway, enough of me pulling a Wes Mendell (…anyone?), I like this kid. Whether you call him Ibn al Xu'ffasch (Kingdom Come) or Tallant Wayne (Brotherhood of the Bat) the idea of the Batman love child has always held sway over anyone who takes a long look at Bruce and his crew, first in Elseworlds and now back at home. As much as Batman has labeled himself a loner, the title really never stuck has it? As popular as the Dark Knight Detective has become his family has grown just as prosperous.Robin has been around longer than the Joker and there have been more female Gotham Knights then there have been unrelated and successful DC female superheroes (I truly believe that it is Selina Kyle and not Wonder Woman who is the thematic matriarch of the DCU).
Rather than having to teach his son how to be the world’s foremost something or other, Batman must work with the fact that Damian was raised by the very antithesis of what he has come to stand for, in the League of Assassins. And really isn’t this the only time that Ra’s al Ghul has proven his worth against Batman, albeit post-mortem? In most stories, Ra’s is rarely a well used character in his own right but rather as a dark overly inclined version of what Bruce Wayne could have become. He’s more like the Batman without the Bruce Wayne.
Back to the matter at hand, Damian’s violent disposal of low-rent rouge the Spook involved a beheading and both Tim Drake and Alfred were on the receiving end of brutal, yet efficient, attempts to curry favor with Bruce. When push comes to shove this kid is in awe of his father. He wants to be Batman’s partner. There is no guilt or family death to drive him, but instead there is admiration. He genuinely wants to further his father’s cause. That and his dad has a Bat-Rocket (page 15, a classic).
As for Adam Kubert, not to make it seem like an afterthought I’m just not an artiste myself, but this guy keeps getting better. All those glorious character poses he and his brother Adam gleaned from their time on the X-Men and watching poppa Joe have really paid off for the Distinguished Competition. Reading Talia tell Batman that what she wants to be reformed and work alongside her loving Detective feels like you’re watching a well made cartoon, but Andy never seems to forget where these characters come from and never dials down the over-the-top love fest the Morrison serves up.
If nothing else, the image of Tim Drake unconscious and lying underneath the discarded green panties of Jason Todd’s display case is worth flipping through this or the prior issue alone. And really doesn’t that say more about the Robins than most stories? Maybe Tim never had as embarrassing a costume as Dick or Jason (though disco collars and Red Hoods aren’t much of a trade up), what other sidekick is going to get beat up by an 8 year old boy? Here is my vote for making Damian the new Boy Wonder.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dcnone.jpg
Buy Batman online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=20829)