Batman Inc #2 Review

A full review of Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham's Batman Incorporated #2!

From day one of the New 52, those of us that have been through relaunches and revamps in the past knew that there would be at least two warring factions within DC Comics. Despite all of the talk of streamlined continuity and iconic versions of characters, the company tried desperately to walk the thin line between a complete reboot and nuanced revision. Less than a year into the enterprise, the Bat-books remain the chief battlegrounds for the tension between newly constructed continuity barriers and the desire for the continuance of the pre-DCnU status quo. The absurdity of this balancing act can be seen in the fact that Batman has been operating in Gotham for half a decade but has already had four different Robins—all while also having his back broken for a while and dying for a period of time. With Batman Inc. #2, Grant Morrison enters this already somewhat absurd Bat-history leaving destructive narrative in his wake. By employing the same “everything that happened in the comics, happened to Batman in some way” techniques that he has been using since 2006, Morrison's second issue is a compelling story that uses old continuity to continue his Bat-run's foray into the New 52. In one issue, Morrison shifts the front lines of Batman continuity struggle to Batman Inc.

Issue two weaves decades of Talia Al Ghul-centric stories into a single book. In doing so, Morrison gives context to not only his pre-relaunch Batman run but also the current New 52 series Batman and Robin and the building conflict with Leviathan in Batman Inc—all while stretching the possible boundaries of the newly established canon. Batman Inc #2 is the kind of book that few comic book writers could pull off. The issue could have been a series of somewhat related scenes with little atmosphere but, instead, feels like Leviathan's manifesto. Here, after years of storytelling, Morrison reveals to us why Talia's gone to so much trouble to take down Batman.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Batman Inc #2 is it's deft use of continuity. If anything, the series has shown that engaging comics can be written that are steeped character history at a time when DC's editorial seems to believe that comics bereft of continuity are more new reader friendly. It's almost hard to believe that a book like Batman Inc was allowed to be produced in the current DC regime. The fact that it exists at all may be proof of just how much sway Morrison has as one of the biggest names currently working in mainstream comics. Even though Scott Snyder's Batman and Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray's All Star Western have dealt heavily with Gotham City's past, they've mostly established new retroactive continuity. The stories they've told have expanded the DC Universe rather than building on already established stories. Batman Inc draws it's inspiration directly from Pre-New 52 continuity—making it unique in the company's current line up of books. The only other franchise of books that are so closely connected to the old canon is set of Green Lantern-centric series, but even they only really connect back to the last half decade or so of Geoff Johns penned work.

The art by Chris Burnham fits the tone of the issue perfectly. As the story jumps through time, Burnham does a masterful job of capturing the essence of the actual panels of past stories. As someone who read through a collected edition of Batman: Tales of the Demon a thousand times as a child, there were tons of panels in Batman Inc #2 that I recognized immediately. Somehow Burnham is able to walk the line between crisp and scratchy, creating art that is stylish and fun.

All told, issue #2 of Batman Inc is a masterful one. Morrison and Burnham are an impressive pair of talents that support and build upon each other. Just two issues in, the series is already one of the best books being published by DC. Morrison has never had a problem building a story and this issue shows why he is one of best in the business.