AND WE'RE BACK WITH A VENGEANCE!After the slightly dragging and confounding three-issued storyline Scorpion Tango set in Argentina, I can finally go back to enjoying the Batman Incorporated series as the dynamic and thrilling visual adventure that it is. This issue was definitely the most action-packed and cinematic yet, and was once again magnificently illustrated by Chris Burnham. There are also more vital information and backstory revealed in this issue which has finally helped me in finding a more stable emotional investment with the scope of its story which is getting more complicated (yet more fascinating as well) by each issue.
First of all, the cinematic style of the panels and sequences present in this story managed to capture my attention readily and there was not a moment that I ever disengaged from what was before me from the very beginning to the last. That is an impressive feat that needs to be acknowledged. In the last three months, I reviewed a great deal of issues for three New 52 Batman titles and all of them have been amazing, but Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated has an unmatched tonality when it comes to the delivery of its plot and action scenes. I don't think a Batman story could be written with such spirited narrative while still being lighthearted and insightful in all the right places. This isn't one of those dark and brooding stories that I've come to expect from my Batman material. This one is something that could even become a summer blockbuster superhero film with heart and guts. Sure, I was slightly disheartened when I arrived at a standstill in previous issues #3 and #4, but that seemed like a distant memory now, given the adrenaline and excitement that this issue had brought out from me.
There are so many things going on here but none of them will confuse you for long. The trick is to stay focused (which, if you'r me, will prove to be the easiest task in the world, seeing as how completely engrossed I was the entire time) and fully aware of the new characters who will make their appearance here and there (both heroes and villains). The pacing is just superb, enabling readers to gasp for breath with the suspense but also take a huge gulp of it in between. As for the story, I wouldn't say this has any kind of emotional resonance that I latched into (that belonged to the issue that came after this) but the thrill of the chase and the discovery page after page definitely deserved the high rating that I'm giving this issue with.
I wouldn't discuss the story in detail anymore but I will say this: I think Grant Morrison knows how to utilize his premise (what if Batman decides to recruit vigilantes globally) and turn it over in its own hemisphere faster and more energized than any of us would expect. You can certainly feel that Morrison is playing the long game; his Bruce Wayne has a crusade that doesn't exclusively belong to Gotham City anymore. After the events in the Final Crisis where he witnessed a bleak future, Bruce is determined to do whatever it takes to stop that from taking shape while it's still early, and the first sign of a formidable threat known only as a collective mysterious organization known as the Leviathan has surely shown that the world needs Batman more than ever--and he's going to require an army behind him to take the fight to the evil monstrosity spreading across countries.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment