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glasstatterdemalion's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
So around the midpoint of the run of Batman Incorporated collected here is where I originally dropped off. Not necessarily because of a major drop in quality or anything, but more because I had caught up with the collected editions of the monthly comic that was still coming out, and between the last one I read and the next collection coming out, I dropped out of superhero comics in general.
When I was originally reading this part of the Morrison's run, the first Batman Incorporated run felt rushed and cramped, as if Morrison knew the New 52 reboot was coming and wanted to get as much ground laid as possible. Where Batman and Robin was able to tell a tight narrative in a minimal amount of issues, Incorporated felt confused and at times nonsensical. I don't know if something changed with me, but this time I felt that, while the issues are at a breakneck pace, they're solid, and I can follow what Morrison is doing better.
However, if there is something that has become worse on a reread, its how Morrison writes about Wayne Enterprises, and the capitalist businessman part of the Bruce Wayne character. I get what Morrison is trying to do, Batman has gone public with Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises now being his public financiers. So, similar to how Morrison is trying to push Batman in new directions and redefine the character, now Morrison is trying to push the idea of Wayne Enterprises forward and redefine it's role in the mythos. But so much of it just comes across like a libertarian capitalist fantasy of the "good billionaire", who is able to push the boundaries of what we can conceive of. So he can build us perfect robot police, or Web 3.0.
Obviously the ideas of noblesse oblige have always been a cornerstone of Batman's mythology, the good billionaire who uses their money to deal with societies ills, but focusing so much on it in this way just makes this whole part of the story feel like the same kind of propaganda we've been fed ever since the techbro boom.
(I'm sorry to keep harping on this because it's taking up so much room, but there's a section that haunts me directly of the characters discussing how people are buying Wayne Enterprises stock because they want to be part of the Batman revolution, and it's just so... Stupid, that that's how the comic wants to portray stock trading.)
To move onto something that is actually interesting, and I feel is probably the highlight of the run, is the culmination of two of the running themes of the run. I talked about them a bit in my review for the first volume, but there's the unknown unknown, and the contradiction of Batman as great good while also being a childish worldview, one that drags others into it.
Both of these culminate in the final conflict of the run, embodied by the two loves of Batman's life, Kathy Kane and Talia al Ghul.
Kathy is reintroduced in flashbacks during this segment of the run, and given a revamped backstory as being an agent of an international spy agency called Spyral. She's depicted as a strong woman with a rich life and history independent of Batman, and who its revealed eventually fakes her death and has been leading an independent existence dealing with things that are beyond Batman's scope.
Talia is depicted here as someone who is trying to get through to Batman in the only way that he can see the world, basically becoming the most dangerous villain he has ever faced in her spare time as a way to break the never ending pointless game she sees his vigilantism as. And it's shown that she's not exactly that far off the mark, even if her own goals and actions are horrific. There's a good bit near the end where Batman yells out that "You might think you own the world, but you'll never have Gotham city!" and she calls him out for how childish he sounds.
And then Kathy Kane shoots her in the head. The piece of the puzzle that Talia couldn't account for, who then thanks Bruce for leading Talia into a trap she could never escape from. She then tells him to stick with dealing with what he knows best and vanishes from his life for a second time, basically being one of the few people who has both been part of Batman's life and been able to escape from it.
It's an incredibly pessimistic message to end the series on, but an utterly fascinating one, that both accepts and in some ways argues against the criticisms of the superhero world view. And while a lot of the ending's tone was influenced by Morrison's mood at the time, I can't really see another way that the comic could have ended. Batman's life is a tragedy in many ways, and while there is a lot of triumphs along the way, I can't see the ending escaping this conclusion. One that muses on the absurdity at the heart of the Batman persona.
I think I have to give this volume a 5 or 6 out of 10. While I do think it's conclusions are fascinating, I have issues with other aspects of it.
When I was originally reading this part of the Morrison's run, the first Batman Incorporated run felt rushed and cramped, as if Morrison knew the New 52 reboot was coming and wanted to get as much ground laid as possible. Where Batman and Robin was able to tell a tight narrative in a minimal amount of issues, Incorporated felt confused and at times nonsensical. I don't know if something changed with me, but this time I felt that, while the issues are at a breakneck pace, they're solid, and I can follow what Morrison is doing better.
However, if there is something that has become worse on a reread, its how Morrison writes about Wayne Enterprises, and the capitalist businessman part of the Bruce Wayne character. I get what Morrison is trying to do, Batman has gone public with Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises now being his public financiers. So, similar to how Morrison is trying to push Batman in new directions and redefine the character, now Morrison is trying to push the idea of Wayne Enterprises forward and redefine it's role in the mythos. But so much of it just comes across like a libertarian capitalist fantasy of the "good billionaire", who is able to push the boundaries of what we can conceive of. So he can build us perfect robot police, or Web 3.0.
Obviously the ideas of noblesse oblige have always been a cornerstone of Batman's mythology, the good billionaire who uses their money to deal with societies ills, but focusing so much on it in this way just makes this whole part of the story feel like the same kind of propaganda we've been fed ever since the techbro boom.
(I'm sorry to keep harping on this because it's taking up so much room, but there's a section that haunts me directly of the characters discussing how people are buying Wayne Enterprises stock because they want to be part of the Batman revolution, and it's just so... Stupid, that that's how the comic wants to portray stock trading.)
To move onto something that is actually interesting, and I feel is probably the highlight of the run, is the culmination of two of the running themes of the run. I talked about them a bit in my review for the first volume, but there's the unknown unknown, and the contradiction of Batman as great good while also being a childish worldview, one that drags others into it.
Both of these culminate in the final conflict of the run, embodied by the two loves of Batman's life, Kathy Kane and Talia al Ghul.
Kathy is reintroduced in flashbacks during this segment of the run, and given a revamped backstory as being an agent of an international spy agency called Spyral. She's depicted as a strong woman with a rich life and history independent of Batman, and who its revealed eventually fakes her death and has been leading an independent existence dealing with things that are beyond Batman's scope.
Talia is depicted here as someone who is trying to get through to Batman in the only way that he can see the world, basically becoming the most dangerous villain he has ever faced in her spare time as a way to break the never ending pointless game she sees his vigilantism as. And it's shown that she's not exactly that far off the mark, even if her own goals and actions are horrific. There's a good bit near the end where Batman yells out that "You might think you own the world, but you'll never have Gotham city!" and she calls him out for how childish he sounds.
And then Kathy Kane shoots her in the head. The piece of the puzzle that Talia couldn't account for, who then thanks Bruce for leading Talia into a trap she could never escape from. She then tells him to stick with dealing with what he knows best and vanishes from his life for a second time, basically being one of the few people who has both been part of Batman's life and been able to escape from it.
It's an incredibly pessimistic message to end the series on, but an utterly fascinating one, that both accepts and in some ways argues against the criticisms of the superhero world view. And while a lot of the ending's tone was influenced by Morrison's mood at the time, I can't really see another way that the comic could have ended. Batman's life is a tragedy in many ways, and while there is a lot of triumphs along the way, I can't see the ending escaping this conclusion. One that muses on the absurdity at the heart of the Batman persona.
I think I have to give this volume a 5 or 6 out of 10. While I do think it's conclusions are fascinating, I have issues with other aspects of it.
avscarlett's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
themanwithoutdogears's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Much more varied and a bit faster-paced and easier to read than earlier books in Morrison’s run.
This omnibus benefits from being somewhat less focused on Batman himself and more on the surrounding cast, while giving some closure to the diverse group featured within Morrison’s run.
The art in this volume is amongst the most consistent, featuring fewer artists and a more cohesive style throughout, and it works well.
Overall, a very satisfying conclusion to a lengthy and complex run.
This omnibus benefits from being somewhat less focused on Batman himself and more on the surrounding cast, while giving some closure to the diverse group featured within Morrison’s run.
The art in this volume is amongst the most consistent, featuring fewer artists and a more cohesive style throughout, and it works well.
Overall, a very satisfying conclusion to a lengthy and complex run.
groblinthegoblin624's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.75
And thus concludes Grant Morrison’s run on Batman. I ended up mostly enjoying it, for even though I found a lot of it to feel meandering in the moment, I understand that they were really building to something, and the reveals over the course of Batman: Incorporated about how it was all a big conspiracy was pretty satisfying. Good series
indeedithappens's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
chuckycheezus's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely stellar conclusion to Morrison’s grand Batman epic. A series of fun fast paced adventures akin to the 70s era of comics quickly turns into a dark tragedy about how Batman is ultimately trapped within The Hole in Things. He will Never Die, but man that kinda sucks for him.
smallguppy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
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