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lastxcaress's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
violet_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rhganci's review
3.0
This book doesn't seem to be part of the New 52 in any way, but rather a cross-continuity follow up to all of the work that Grant Morrison did with Batman, the return of Ra's al Ghul, and Damian Wayne in 2008-2010. While it does present Batman with an adequate threat to Gotham City, its big idea plot gets shelved behind a lot of jumping around in time with the respective histories and futures of the characters, and in no way builds towards a conclusion, which is clearly forthcoming in the final volume of BATMAN, INC. due out in TPB in August.
Grant Morrison apparently loves taking a "more is more" approach to Batman and Batman-like figures, and as such, the net idea that this book goes with is that you can't have too much of a good thing, be it hero, villain, or bloody fistfights. In a take on Batman that embraces the excesses of capitalism as a means by which to fight crime, what's here is available by the gross: Morrison goes big out of the gate and gets bigger by the time the pages run out (the story doesn't really conclude with anything), and in contrast to the Snyder and Tomasi books that place Batman, and Batman and Robin together in smaller, more detective types of stories with a central figure, this story contains a lot of characters that, as a mass, target all of Gotham City, as a mass. It lends a sort of overlap with the Anytown, America vibe that the Christopher Nolan's BATMAN movies communicate, with the internal corruption of the city being sort of a precursor to the plot's interests, and placing Talia al Ghul at the center of it--even going so far as to bring new readers up to speed with the lengthy backstory of Batman and Talia and the circumstances the create and dictate their "parenting" of Damian. The scenes are jam-packed with characters, the fights involve dozens of combatants, and if it's a load of Batmen and Things That Look Like Batman you're interested in, this book is for you.
The artwork is passable, but not great, as everybody's head looks too square and everybody's teeth look like they're rotting. For a story about Gotham City as a large-scale target, the scale of the buildings and the navigation of the city seem particularly small, as much of the action and plot development takes place in backrooms and tenement buildings. The heroes are hardly ever outside and as such, the story feels cramped and a little disjointed. The boardroom politics of the global conglomerate have their say in how the story develops (again, it doesn't play out), with dinners, trials, and traps all over the place. Burnham isn't shy about spilling lots and lots and lots of blood in the fights, either, and with a bright red coloring the story gets a samurai flavor to it, not totally at odds with the League of Assassins' role in the tale.
This book, cancelled or concluded after 14 issues, is clearly a mop-up of the vestigial plots that remained un-concluded in August of 2011. I hope that as Snyder, Simone and Tomasi move Batman and his chief companions further into the New 52, they get further separated from the too-big approach to Batman that Morrison takes here in BATMAN, INC., as this arc, while well-written and artfully pencilled, seems utterly disconnected from the other goings-on in the Bat-family.
Grant Morrison apparently loves taking a "more is more" approach to Batman and Batman-like figures, and as such, the net idea that this book goes with is that you can't have too much of a good thing, be it hero, villain, or bloody fistfights. In a take on Batman that embraces the excesses of capitalism as a means by which to fight crime, what's here is available by the gross: Morrison goes big out of the gate and gets bigger by the time the pages run out (the story doesn't really conclude with anything), and in contrast to the Snyder and Tomasi books that place Batman, and Batman and Robin together in smaller, more detective types of stories with a central figure, this story contains a lot of characters that, as a mass, target all of Gotham City, as a mass. It lends a sort of overlap with the Anytown, America vibe that the Christopher Nolan's BATMAN movies communicate, with the internal corruption of the city being sort of a precursor to the plot's interests, and placing Talia al Ghul at the center of it--even going so far as to bring new readers up to speed with the lengthy backstory of Batman and Talia and the circumstances the create and dictate their "parenting" of Damian. The scenes are jam-packed with characters, the fights involve dozens of combatants, and if it's a load of Batmen and Things That Look Like Batman you're interested in, this book is for you.
The artwork is passable, but not great, as everybody's head looks too square and everybody's teeth look like they're rotting. For a story about Gotham City as a large-scale target, the scale of the buildings and the navigation of the city seem particularly small, as much of the action and plot development takes place in backrooms and tenement buildings. The heroes are hardly ever outside and as such, the story feels cramped and a little disjointed. The boardroom politics of the global conglomerate have their say in how the story develops (again, it doesn't play out), with dinners, trials, and traps all over the place. Burnham isn't shy about spilling lots and lots and lots of blood in the fights, either, and with a bright red coloring the story gets a samurai flavor to it, not totally at odds with the League of Assassins' role in the tale.
This book, cancelled or concluded after 14 issues, is clearly a mop-up of the vestigial plots that remained un-concluded in August of 2011. I hope that as Snyder, Simone and Tomasi move Batman and his chief companions further into the New 52, they get further separated from the too-big approach to Batman that Morrison takes here in BATMAN, INC., as this arc, while well-written and artfully pencilled, seems utterly disconnected from the other goings-on in the Bat-family.
geewhizabbygee's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lindakat's review
2.0
I felt this whole edition was messy and nonsensical. I am not a fan of Tahlia focussed storylines, anything to do with Leviathan and the whole Batman Inc thing. Clearly this one was not for for me. But what synched it was Batman having visions of the future??? He's just a man under all the mask and the trauma for goodness sake.
the_bard's review
4.0
Not the best work Grant's done, but still really solid. Twisty plots, apocalyptic visions, psychedelic scenes, weird and grotesque characters, and snappy dialogue. All the things Grant does well, all the things I like to see in superhero comics. I haven't liked a lot of the New 52 stuff, but I like this a lot.
tabman678's review
4.0
Batman: Incorporated vol 1 (New52) is really fun and well realized. It jumps all over the place but the basic idea is Batman came back from his time travel vacation to defeat John Hurt and become a bigger better Batman. He's franchising Batman as a symbol. Lot's of other stuff happened because it's very involved continuity wise and for some it's too much and I get it. Not for everyone. But every-time I come back to it, to Morrison's run as a whole I have a giant blast and it provides relief and excitement from these pages.
The meta commentary of Batman always coming back big and better is fun, makes it easier to read a second time, or in my case my fourth.
The art is by large mostly consistent this time which I always love because it doesn't make the action feel disjointed. The art is helmed by Chris Burnham and his style looks like a Manhatten projects and gives this semi cartoony pulp feel which works with where the story is being all hidden society as Talia takes on Batman.
Really this is a worthy part of Morrison's run, buckets of fun, and very clearly influenced by wacky silver age and bronze age comics.
4 stars.
The meta commentary of Batman always coming back big and better is fun, makes it easier to read a second time, or in my case my fourth.
The art is by large mostly consistent this time which I always love because it doesn't make the action feel disjointed. The art is helmed by Chris Burnham and his style looks like a Manhatten projects and gives this semi cartoony pulp feel which works with where the story is being all hidden society as Talia takes on Batman.
Really this is a worthy part of Morrison's run, buckets of fun, and very clearly influenced by wacky silver age and bronze age comics.
4 stars.
thisisjon's review
4.0
I went in hesitant based on just a small knowledge of the concept, and finished really enjoying this and excited for volume 2.
quinnster's review
2.0
Kind of jumbled and all over the place. It seemed like Morrison was trying to pack a bunch of info in a few panels. And to be honest, it feels more like a Batman & Robin story, not a Batman Incorporated. The art is.....ugly. I mean, yes, it's drawn way better than I can draw anything, but everyone is just really, really ugly. It reminds me of Beavis & Butthead. Not good.
I read something somewhere in which someone said Grant Morrison is more of a concept guy than an execution guy and it makes complete sense to me now. It makes me a little hesitant to pick up anything else he's written although I have the next volume here because I have to seeing as it ties in with everything else across the board. Grrrrrr
I read something somewhere in which someone said Grant Morrison is more of a concept guy than an execution guy and it makes complete sense to me now. It makes me a little hesitant to pick up anything else he's written although I have the next volume here because I have to seeing as it ties in with everything else across the board. Grrrrrr