This isn’t a proper review, rather just a quick sketch of what I thought of my most anticipated book of 2012.
I plan on doing full annotations on the whole run, so that will come soon, but for now this is all I have time for before I leave town for a week and wander around the wilderness without computers or cell phones.
Spoilers ahead!
I’ll make no bones about it; I’m a huge Morrison fanboy when it comes to his Batman writing. I’ll take his worst Bat story any day over Scott Snyder’s best (ohh, that’s right, I said it!). To say my expectations were met on the return of this series would be an understatement.
The story we get in this single issue is just packed full of ideas and it all flies by at a break neck pace, yet I was never lost of disoriented by the narrative’s bombasity… nor did I feel cheated on how quickly the book read, due solely to the fact that there was so much information and plot contained within its pages. Morrison writes with such verve that frankly, it’s invigorating. After reading the other big Bat book all I could think of was how much decompression is used by Snyder as opposed to Morrison’s balls out narrative insanity. What Morrison gives us in this one issue would have taken Snyder seven. Bravo to Mr. Morrison then for giving us a book full of not only pretty pictures, but pretty words and a great story that still somehow manages to work perfectly as a ‘one and done’ adventure. Even though the book is part of a MUCH larger story and ends and starts with cliffhangers, I still felt like we received a great, self-contained adventure here. This is something Morrison is very good at.
Chris Burnham’s art is dynamic and alive, very Quitely-esque actually (that’s a good thing in my opinion). Things are sharp, distinct and relay convincing weight and movement – you can’t ask for much more.
A few highlights:
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Bat-Cow. Seriously, fucking bat-cow!
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Burnham drawing a Polybius cabinet into the background of one of the panels. Nice touch. This is definitely a game Leviathan would appreciate!
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The Bill Hicks’ “Horny Goat Boy” reference.
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Tricking someone into eating their own brother.
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Batcave west underneath an S&M shop.
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The return of El Gaucho and the “Mutants”
I loved this issue and I defy anyone to not read this thing and at least crack a few smiles. It is good to have you back, Grant.There is brilliance in this insanity.
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