2.5 Razors

• Title: Batman: The Return (One-shot)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Grant Morrison
• Artist: David Finch

Leave it to Grant Morrison to give us the worst opening and one of the worst final panels of the Dark Knight’s career both together in a single issue for the extra-special price of $5.

This Batman: The Return one-shot further sets up Grant Morrison’s latest pet project Batman Incorporated by defining roles for the rest of the Bat-crew. Or that’s what it should do. For some reason almost all of those conversations take place off the printed page. The glimpses we get, such as the dialogue between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson is actually pretty good, but sadly it’s drowned out by mutated killers, terrorists, and a secret organization operating around the world known as Leviathan.

And then there’s the mindbogglingly bad opening which gives us Frank Miller‘s iconic bat through the window scene from Batman: Year One…from the bat’s point of view. That’s right – FROM THE BAT’S POINT OF VIEW! Wow, just…wow.

There are short sequences here that work between the bookends of sheer crapola, but without a doubt everything could be handled better. For the increased price we’re given several pages of concept design for a comic that’s better off forgotten.

Joy.

At least the cover is kinda cool.

[DC $4.99]

• Title: Batman Beyond #4 (of 6)
• Comic Vine: link

Final panel aside, this one’s a pretty good read. McGuiness learns why Nightwing hung up the tights years ago (and why he hasn’t talked to Bruce since). That said, there are some problems. The Catwoman (or is it Catwomen?) angle seems to be get unnecessarily complicated, and for a comic with Batman in the title there’s very little of Batman in action (unless you count Bruce’s robot) in this issue.

And then there’s the final panel… Yeah. Um, yeah. I won’t ruin for it for in case you plan to pick this one up, but lets just say the final panel flushes the promise of the previous pages right down the toilet. Sigh. I doesn’t work, whether it’s real or simply yet another twist (this comic has more than a Shyamalan marathon). We’ll have to see if the series can rebound, but I have my doubts.

[DC $2.99]

• Title: Batman #703
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Fabian Nicieza
• Artist: Cliff Richards

There’s nothing really bad about this issue (with the possible exception of a wind surfing baddie), but there’s really nothing all that special about it either.

The story focuses on the return of the Getaway Genius, a villain Dick Grayson’s past as Robin, and the further snooping of Vicki Vale.

There are some nice moments between Dick and Damian (especially towards the end of the story), but nothing that would make anyone other than hardcore Bat-fans pick this issue up. Nice cover, though. For fans.

[DC, ]