Batman Incorporated seems to be getting better and better. The last two issues had dozens of batmen from around the world working together in one giant fight scene, followed by several major plot reveals and a nasty trap. This issue is about Talia Al Ghul giving Batman a brutal ultimatum – he must choose their son, Damien, or Gotham City. Whichever he chooses, the other faces death.
The core of this issue is Batman’s confrontation with Talia, although not directly in person. This issue showcases Talia’s depth of preparation and the severity of her threats. Her willingness to kill anyone right in front of Batman proves that Gotham City is in danger. This central scene is balanced with glances at every past and present robin in the bat cave, and the aftermath of an explosion that injured some of Batman’s allies. The robin scenes only serve to enhance this issue’s central drama, while the others add a necessary distraction from the dark storytelling – even if they’re still kind of dark.
Even with all the exposition and Talia’s mind games, there’s still plenty of room for action. Batman is also being showcased here, easily plowing through Talia’s minions on his own. The art takes care of that well, with sequential art that’s easy to follow and environmental details that supplement the exposition well. Damien’s facial expressions perfectly portray his fear as he listens to his parents’ conversation via. radio.
If you’re even remotely interested in Batman, this series is worth reading. While it’s a little late to jump in (seven issues when you include issue 0), it’s still easy to follow as everything you need to know is explained in this issue. It’s an awesome series about a global network of batmen working together, while Batman’s literal family remains at its core. This is easily my favourite comic this week.
Pingback: Comics of January 2, 2013 | healed1337
Pingback: Wordpress » Blog Archive » Comic reviews for January 2, 2013