Super-Sized* Reviews!

*These will just be regular reviews.

Today's WEDNESDAY, and two HUGE books were released this week. Let's get to 'em!

Batman and Robin #16 (SPOILERS!)
Well here we are, at the end of Grant Morrison's long (and confusing) Bat-tale revolving around Dr. Hurt, traveling through time, Dick Grayson as Batman, and the omega beam, and guess what? Mr. Morrison actually has some answers for us fans who have been scratching our heads (or pretending not to) ever since Batman R.I.P.  wrapped two years ago.

Batman and Robin issue 16 is the final part of "Batman and Robin Must Die!", as well as the final story in the series by Mr. Morrison. Bruce Wayne has returned to the present day (somehow, as The Return Of Bruce Wayne STILL hasn't finished) and has joined with Dick Grayson and Damien to fight off Dr. Hurt, the 99 Fiends, and of course, Professor Pyg.  Morrison's knack for crazy out of this world stories is out in full force here, but unlike his other recent work, this story is actually fairly easy to follow, despite the fact that every other Batman book is late.

We finally learn the truth of who Dr. Hurt/"Thomas Wayne" really is, as well as his connections to Darkseid.  Now that it's been revealed, it was the most obvious person all along. His origin was fairly interesting, and this is coming from a Batman fan who prefers the Dark Knight to not meddle with too much hocus pocus. Hurt's "battle" with the Joker was awesome, as was Mr. J's short-lived decision to switch sides before being sucker-punched by Bruce Wayne, but it seemed like Morrison wanted to move on from it before we got anything from it. The Joker working "with" superheroes could have had a lot of potential, and unless Mr. J keeps this new outlook, it will probably be forgotten by his next appearance. We also get more Professor Pyg, which is never a bad thing.

Fraser Irving, Cameron Stewart, and Chris Burnham split up the art duties, and all do a commendable job. Unlike other books that have more than one artist, B&R 16 has each artist tackle a different "act" of the issue, and result is one that is far less jarring than recent books with more than one artist.

While this issue definitely gets my recommendation, I'm still not entirely sold on this upcoming "Batman, Inc" event because to be honest, it seems to me to go entirely AGAINST what Bruce Wayne's personal quest is about. *SPOILER* Bruce revealing in a press conference with Dick and Damien behind him that he has been "financing" the Batman for the past several years is very strange, and you can't honestly tell me that no one can connect the dots that a billionaire whose parents were murdered is actually Batman. At the very least, Grant Morrison has piqued my interest in the first issue of Batman, Inc., so I will try and give him the benefit of the doubt until I read it. Even if no one thinking to themselves "Hey, Bruce Wayne's kid looks like he's the same height as that new Robin that's been running around"  is a bit of a stretch. Then again, no one STILL can connect that Clark Kent and Superman are the same guy......

Invincible #75

Invincible is Robert Kirkman's OTHER awesome comic book. Unlike The Walking Dead, Invincible follows the adventures of Mark Grayson, a twenty-something superhero who protects earth as Invincible. Throughout the series, he has been betrayed by his father, Omni-man,  graduated high school, gone to college, joined the Guardians of the Globe, left the Guardians of the Globe, and got his girlfriend, fellow superhero Atom Eve, pregnant (but he doesn't know that yet). The landmark issue 75 is the latest part in the "Viltrumite War" storyline, in which Mark joins with his redeemed father and younger brother to fight off the evil race that they belong to.

While its cover may lead you to believe that Invincible isn't a particulary gory book, previous issues have out-gored most horror books. This issue is no exception. Kirkman's story pulls no punches, and artist Ryan Ottley gives us the treat of SIX 2-page splash pages. Heads are ripped off, arms dismembered, and like Walking Dead, Kirkman has no problem with messing with seemingly untouchable characters. The space action in this issue rivals many current science-fiction movies, and makes me yearn for the day that we get an Invincible TV show/movie, which may be a reality after the stunning success of the "Walking Dead" premiere last Sunday. 

If you've been missing out on Invincible, I strongly suggest you go back and snag the first trade. Like Kirkman's zombie epic, the tale of Mark Grayson is best experienced from the beginning, and once you start, you won't be able to stop. Trade-waiters of this series are in for a big treat when this bad boy is released as a single bound edition.

Bat-Reviews

This week's comics came out today, thanks to labor day. This week we'll be looking at the two big Batman releases.

Batman #703

 The latest issue of Batman is a textbook example of a "filler issue". It's still too early to "officially" return Bruce Wayne to the DC universe, but they're gotta put out a Batman issue, so here we get a decent, if unmemorable, story from Fabian Nicieza and artist Cliff Richards.
The issue finds Dick Grayson, Damien Wayne, and Tim Drake (or Wayne now) dealing with the recent emergence of someone named "The Getaway Genius", an art thief whom Dick had tangled with way back when he was the original Robin. We also get an appearance from Vicki Vale, although not looking like Kim Basinger like I remember.
Everything about this issue was average. From the story to the art by Richards. While it was nice to get some of Damien's feelings on his relationship with his "dead" father, even the revelation that is revealed to him seemed like something I had read before.  Again, this issue is just "filler". It doesn't move the whole "Return Of Bruce Wayne" story forward nor add any new details or insights. It just exists. Unless you are an absolute die-hard Batfan, save your cash for something that actually contributes to the ongoing Batman saga.


Batman and Robin #14

Remember how I was complaining about Grant Morrison and his plan for Batman a few weeks ago? Well, it's incredible how he can come up with really stupid ideas and be completely maddeningly cryptic in one comic, but be easily accessible and firing on all cylinders in another. This is an example of the latter.
B&R issue 14 is the second part of "Batman Must Die!", in which the new dynamic duo must try and survive the deadly machinations of not only Dr. Hurt and Professor Pyg, but also The Joker. Fraser Irving's art is amazing in this issue, and his Joker is one of the creepiest recent incarnations of the character. I won't spoil the issue, but I actually enjoyed this issue and I'm anticipating the next issue, mainly because I really like the way Morrison writes the clown prince of crime. Plus I find Prof. Pyg to be delightfully disturbing. 
Morrison's pacing is spot on in this issue, and it almost makes up for the last issue of Batman that he wrote. Almost. It's really frustrating having a writer like Morrison sometimes, mainly because of his tendency for epic, potentially ground-breaking ideas. When they work, they are awesome, but when they don't work, they go train-wreck-meets-school-bus-accident horrifyingly wrong. The unfortunate thing is that it's extremely hard to tell what kind of book you're getting until you read it. Batman and Robin is still the safest bet for casual Batman fans, as it appears that Grant Morrison has YET to deliver a bad issue.