When a new century dawned and Batman was over sixty years old, it was clear that, well, virtually all kinds of Batman stories had been told. The energy and enthusiasm that spawned upon the release of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns had mostly disappeared by 2000, and the Batman titles were lodged in a tiresome loop from one monolithic title-spanning epic to another. In fact, the whole medium seemed to be having bad luck during the early 2000s, with the comics themselves costing more to print and buy, but the result in sales shrank as the months went by. It’s arguable that the whole medium was on the decline after the late 1980s boom, but to distance myself from a more miserable perspective, enter Grant Morrison. I’d suspect a majority of best-selling comics and runs since 2000 have been penned by Grant Morrison. His unique style of storytelling with a knack for conveying the untold is what makes him, still to this day, so popular. He had revolutionised the medium with his works on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, and even his own Invisibles. When Morrison was announced to become writer on Batman, one of DC’s best-selling books, he was one of the few who wasn’t particularly interested in that post-Dark Knight world of grim Gotham, and its psychotic tumours like the Joker. No. Morrison went back further, back to a time of innocence and bright colours for influence. Remember
Batman of Zur-En-Arrh? No? You will, and you’ll never forget either…
Batman 655-658, and 663-666 were published from September to December 2006, and April to July 2007. The stories are written by Grant Morrison obviously, with art by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delpergang. I’ve read the stories in the Batman and Son trade paperback.
Batman and Son --- Written by Grant Morrison with art by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang
Like all Grant Morrison stories, it begins with something that doesn’t make sense. On what appears to be one normal night in Gotham City, the Joker gets up to one of his usual comically dark plots, before he is shot in the head by not one Batman, but three. This seems to be a common trait in Morrison’s stories as I can think of similar events in Animal Man and Doom Patrol, but with Batman, something far deeper is going on. Why else would the words “Zur-En-Arrh” be graffitied across the walls of rainy Gotham? Anyway, the real Batman meets with Gordon and learns that one of the Batmans is a crazy ex-cop who took it upon himself to cleanse Gotham. Meanwhile, the person known as Bruce Wayne seems to be missing as Alfred notices the constant Batman growl in his voice. It’s recommended that Batman spends more time in the real world. Therefore, he attends an “Action for Africa” charity event, and the playboy image returns. However, it’s only brief. Behind the scenes, Talia Al Ghul blackmails Kirk Langstrom (Manbat) by injecting his wife with a killer virus in exchange for his were-bat serum. She, and her mysterious young helper, get what they want. Already from the start, Morrison’s story may feel different, but it also seems reminiscent of an early bronze age story. The characters aren’t constantly grim. There is humour, but it is still taken seriously. Before much of the second part is taken up by an invasion of Man-Bats, Bruce Wayne meets Jezebel Jet, the party-going celebrity who has a strong interest in him, while Alfred manages to rescue the Langstroms. However, an army of Manbats naturally ruins the event and Batman is captured by the winged beasts, along with the British Prime Minister’s wife. Unsurprisingly, Batman is confronted by Talia, now working on her own after the death of her father. However, the most surprising moment comes when Talia reveals her accomplice to be Damian, her and Bruce Wayne’s son. Put plainly, he is a little bastard. Even compared to Jason Todd, Damian Wayne is something else and far more like his mother than father. For rather cloudy reasons, Batman is lumbered with Damian for a while. By the way, just as a sidenote, its worth mentioning Tim Drake here. In the previous story, Batman: Face the Face (by James Robinson), Batman effectively adopts Tim Drake for good and announces that he has plans for him. That is all scrapped when Damian arrives, as the two seriously don’t get on and Damian, with his outspoken tongue, takes all the limelight. Morrison writes Damian somehow to be both seriously unlikable, and likeable at the same time since he’s something different. Anyway, Damian definitely doesn’t want to be here and his arguments with his father are constant, reminding me of a modernised version of a story like “Batman becomes Bat-Baby”. Morrison writes the father and son as two very different characters with two very different attitudes. This is best displayed when a small-time villain known as the Spook is beheaded by the ten-year-old Damian and the young Al Ghul violently steals the mantle of Robin away from the kind Tim Drake. As Damian presents himself as the new Robin to an angered Dark Knight, the previous occupier of the red and green costume lies in broken glass and blood. Immediately back at Wayne Manor, Batman tends to Tim while Damian is heavily chastised by Batman, who claims that Damian can never ever be Robin with his violent tendencies. Sick of (continued)
Damian’s presence, Batman, with his son’s help, works out that Talia kidnapped the Prime Minister’s wife in an attempt to gain Gibraltar as a paradise for the League of Assassins. A completely bizarre plot idea by Morrison, but somehow characteristically told sensibility. Anyway, with the help of the weary Langstroms again, Batman and Damian head to Gibraltar via space (for some reason) just as the British army is overwhelmed by Manbats. Batman rescues the Prime Minister’s wife just as Kirk Langstrom is helping the government develop anti-Manbat weaponry. But Talia’s plan isn’t over yet. With Damian present, she tries to accomplish her father’s primary goal. She asks Batman to join her and Damian as a family to inherit the Al Ghul throne. Batman’s answer is obvious, even with his son present. But, as ever, Talia escapes just as the British Navy bombard her ship with missiles. With Damian gone too, Batman is alone on the coast of Gibraltar. Throughout, it becomes clear that Talia is simply playing a game and showing just a fraction of the power of the League of Assassins, obviously setting up a future story. However, this is what Batman and Son is full of. Morrison is hinting at the future and all the stories to come. On the topic of Batman having a son, this isn’t a new idea. Batman: Son of the Demon is the first story which does not suggest, but outright conveys that Talia carries Batman’s son and, chronologically, that was ten years before Batman and Son. Here, Damian is ten so technically, Mike Barr created Damian as an idea, but it was Morrison who added everything to him. Regardless, Morrison introduces us to his story in an action-packed way that never feels dull, and that is mainly down to Damian Wayne. Although incredibly unlikable, Damian is an entertaining character and from the moment he enters to the second he leaves, it’s like a powerful and unstoppable tornado hits us readers. When it finally ends, it’s an emotionally draining and bizarre, yet extremely entertaining story with few flaws.
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 9/10
DISHONOURABLE MENTION – The Clown at Midnight
It’s worth mentioning that between the previous story and the next, there’s a strange one-off issue that’s mostly written in prose with some desperate art by some rather forgettable Dave McKean-wannabes. This takes up all of Batman 663. It primarily focuses on the Joker and the aftermath of his getting shot in Batman 655. Unlike Dennis O’Neil or several other comic writers who wrote prose occasionally, it isn’t Morrison’s strongest point and I honestly found it very dull and disinteresting. I think it could have been told better in the usual way just because Morrison tells better stories that way, but the overall plot wasn’t anything memorable or even really worth mentioning. Not a fan.
Three Ghosts of Batman/The Black Casebook --- Written by Grant Morrison with art by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang
In the aftermath of the Gibraltar event, Bruce Wayne is contacted by Jezebel Jet and the two of them meet at La Flegere Ski resort. What should be a regularly skiing holiday turns into a death trap as Jezebel’s security guards try to assassinate Bruce, but somehow this causes she and Bruce to get on romantically. Don’t get really get that, but whatever. Later, Bruce arrives back in Gotham and strikes new fear into the hearts of criminals due to what happened to the Joker. Speaking of which, Batman never really does anything to prove his innocence. It might be because everyone thought the Joker finally got what he deserved, but Batman isn’t too concerned that there are a group of angry policemen out there using his mask for their own needs. Well, Batman does soon become concerned as when he saves destitute prostitutes from the slums of Gotham and a corrupt police force, Batman runs into none other than himself. Or, more specifically, Bat-Bane. This is one of the new Batmen and, as you’d expect, he looks like Bane. And just like in Knightfall, Batman gets badly beaten.
The end. Well, it would be if Batman didn’t trade in his old costume for new Kevlar armour after the last time Bane broke his back. You may have noticed that Morrison explores virtually all of the Batman mythos, regardless of its age or tone. For example, he includes references to Knightfall in the same story which introduces us to The Black Casebook. See, this is where that review, I did was relevant. With Batman bloody and bruised, he is rescued by those prostitutes he helped, and he makes his way to his penthouse (which, I might be wrong, is the first time it come back since the 1970s). Anyway, he’s haunted by Bat-Bane, the other Batmen, and Damian in his nightmares and he begins rambling about the Black Casebook, which he described as documenting the unexplainable. Bat-Bane reminds him of odd cases from the distant past involving other Batmen. Meanwhile, Robin (Tim Drake) goes after Bat-Bane, but he proves to be too match. Luckily, Batman arrives in time to save his friend, telling him that he doesn’t have to prove himself anymore. Nice to see the Tim Drake storytelling continuing again… until the next story anyway. This time, Batman takes out his large pretender, but a corrupt police force doesn’t report their colleague. With Bat-Bane gone again, the mystery continues. It’s never really explained how the police force becomes corrupt again, but it may have something to do with Commissioner Gordon not being in charge for a year during that One Year Later storyline. Regardless, after their escape from Gibraltar, Talia and Damian arrive home, with the latter injured and forced to recover to undergo full organ replacement. Elsewhere, after knowing each other for no time at all, Bruce Wayne and Jezebel Jet fall in love. This has to be one of the most badly written aspects of Morrison’s run. I don’t mind the idea, but the quick execution of it just proves that Jezebel is up to something sneaky. It isn’t very subtle. Overall, this two-parter isn’t hugely important in terms of the overall story but begins to build on the mysterious Black Casebook and adds more to the Batmen saga. Most of this, however, isn’t in the first part. It may have a slow start, but it gets better as it goes on.
Story: 7.5/10
Art: 9/10
Batman in Bethlehem --- Written by Grant Morrison with art by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang
Batman 666 is probably one of the most famous issues of the title since 2000. It isn’t
just that the number is related to the devil, but also because who the star character is. In a bloody future where Bruce Wayne’s death as Batman causes Damian’s rage to grow fiercer, he becomes Batman. The relationship between Damian’s Dark Knight and the GCPD, now led by Commissioner Barbara Gordon, is hostile, especially after they find a villain named Professor Pyg crucified upside-down. We’ll be seeing more of him (albeit alive) later). Anyway, Batman is now working on his own in a future bleak and almost apocalyptic. Nearly all of the original Batman’s foes are long-dead, but there are new evils to conquer. The Third Batman, a representation of the Anti-Christ with the aim of bringing about the Armageddon, is a renowned killer of crime bosses and criminals. In the battle between Damian and the Anti-Christ, we see two different Batman from Bruce Wayne fighting against one another. It’s more violent, bloody, and relentless. Damian plays dirty and breaks the Anti-Christ’s neck, before telling Gotham that the Armageddon is over. Bruce Wayne’s Batman pledged to serve Gotham. Damian rules over it. Like many other Grant Morrison stories, it’s a story that may or may not happen. More accurately, it’s an Elseworlds story of an alternate future. It feeds into Morrison’s goal of creating more than just one Batman Really, Batman in Bethlehem is a novelty. It’s not something I’ll ever be likely to re-read because, in terms of Morrison’s whole run, it isn’t hugely important. It fills in a gap more than anything. It falls somewhere in the middle for me. It’s not bad, nor really that good. That said, it’s certainly an interesting idea and overall, it’s effective as an Elseworlds tale.
Story: 6/10
Art: 9/10
THE ART BY ANDY KUBERT AND JESSE DELPERDANG
Many modern artists, particularly those who work on visually grim titles like Batman, seem to all possess a style which looks similar or not very unique. Some are better than others. Tony Daniel and David Finch are two examples of above-par art. But none of them have a memorable style. Andy Kubert is different. Although he’s been around for a while, Kubert has an art style which you can quickly recognise as his. Not only that, but his storytelling reminds me of artists like Neal Adams in that it looks imaginative, creative, and dramatic, but it’s still a comic book. Delperdang’s inks do the job well enough, but its Kubert’s energetic appearance he gives to his characters that makes Morrison’s stories look interesting and instant classics.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman and Son sets up Grant Morrison’s lengthy run very nicely indeed. The core story that introduces Damian Wayne is unforgettable and action-packed. The Clown at Midnight you can ignore as something else entirely, while the Bat-Bane story is a solid, if often a bit lacklustre, tale that deepens the mystery further. Batman in Bethlehem isn’t entirely to my tastes, but I like the concept of it and how Morrison is attempting to revive the concept of Elseworlds, which were first thought up in comic books way back in the late 1940s and 1950s. Overall, it’s a strong start to what is, undeniably, one of the most memorable runs in Batman’s 21st century history.
Stories: 8/10
Art: 9/10
Next Week: Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul (Batman 670-671, Annual 26, Robin 168-169, Annual 7, Nightwing 138-139, Detective Comics 838-839). Written by Paul Dini, Grant Morrison, Peter Milligan, Fabian Nicieza, and Keith Champagne, with art by David Lopez, Jason Pearson, Tony S. Daniel, Freddie E. Williams II, Don Kramer, Carlos Rodriguez, Ryan Benjamin, David Baldeon, Alvaro Lopez, Jonathan Glapion, Wayne Faucher, Javier Bergatino, Saleem Crawford, and Steve Bird.
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