If you want a super-condensed version of this review and are just looking for confirmation of whether or not you should buy this book, here it is: its amazing, go buy and devour it immediately. If you want to know why this is such an incredible Batman book, read on and, together, let us revel in the glory that is Batman Incorporated, Volume 1: Demon Star by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham. This is the New 52 Batman Incorporated which follows on from the non-New 52 Batman Incorporated book where Bruce Wayne revealed that he was the funding source behind Batman and had been financing his war on crime for years - but now he wants to go global, putting a Batman in every country to create a worldwide Batman network: Batman Inc. Whereas in that first book Batman was globetrotting, having adventures in countries like Japan, Australia, and Argentina, this book (part of DCs second wave of New 52 titles) takes place solely in Gotham and all of Batman Inc. have converged upon the city to aid Batman in battling Talia Al-Ghuls Leviathan organisation. To reduce this story to a nutshell - to be totally reductive about it (but also kind of accurate) - this is a lovers spat between Bruce and Talia (albeit on a grand superhero scale). Effectively, thats what this series boils down to - Talia is pissed at Bruce for taking Damian and is going to teach him a lesson, by putting a hit out on her son!
Whether or not youve been paying attention to the news (especially back in February) or youre coming to this book completely fresh, there is a truly ominous air about Damians fate from the outset. Not only have Leviathan placed a half billion dollar bounty on Damians head and all the worlds finest assassins have come to Gotham to claim it, but the first page of issue #1 is set one month in the future and shows Bruce and Alfred standing in a graveyard in the pouring rain with Bruce telling Alfred that Batman is done - so what could cause Bruce to say such a thing? But thats just page 1 - we jump back a month and the book opens with a hugely bloody fight in an abattoir! Grant Morrison has been writing Batman continuously now since 2006. Batman Inc is his last hurrah, his last arc before he leaves the character for the last time in July this summer. This series feels like a summation of Morrisons 7-year run on the title and if youve been keeping up with his Batman books and have loved them as much as me, there are easter eggs galore throughout for you. But this also feels like a run through Batmans history and even Damians short history - the character Morrison created specially when he began his run back in 2006. In short, this is the Batmaniest, Morrison-esque book fans could hope for - and its a stunning read. But even though this is the final Batman story hes writing, Morrison doesnt let up with the creation, adding new characters like Goatboy and some brilliant new members to the growing Wayne menagerie. At the same time, he begins riffing on classic Batman books like The Dark Knight Returns (the Mutants make a funny cameo) and we see the manbats too who first appeared in the second issue of Morrisons run. Morrison doesnt forget the villain of the piece and we get a full history of Talia Al-Ghul in issue #2 that catches up any readers unfamiliar (and refreshes long-time readers) with the character so were reminded of how deadly she is and where shes coming from in this book. But also crucially it doesnt feel dull or plodding - Morrison manages to fit this complex characters rich history into a single issue that flies by. Talking of referencing his run, issue #5 of this book is the second part of a story Morrison started in Batman #666 in 2007 - 6 years hes been sitting on it! If youre unfamiliar with Batman #666, that is the storyline where Damian Wayne is the Batman of the future and Gotham is literally on fire the entire time. Jokers parting gift to the world was to infect the entire citys population with his toxin and turned them into murderous zombies while Damian Batman and Commissioner Barbara Gordon make their final stand inside Arkham Asylum in a last ditch effort to save Gotham before the President orders its destruction with nukes. It also contains a reversal of the Killing Joke and one of the panels looks like one of the Dark Knight Returns covers. This issue is the highlight of the book for me - it is a master-class in comics writing from Morrison and Burnham.
Speaking of Burnham, lets mention how damn good-looking this book is! Chris Burnham enters the ranks of the greatest Batman artists of all time with his work on this series. Every panel he draws is beautiful to behold. From the opening scene to the last, it never feels like hes giving anything less than his all, hes emptying every barrel into this comic and it really shows. From the amazing action sequences in the Killbox scene, to Redbirds shenanigans, to Matches Malones nightclub antics - I could list every single thing that happens in this book and it would be an amazing example of the sheer talent that Burnham possesses and brings to this book. Morrison is on top form here but his work is elevated by the efforts of Chris Burnham who matches him for invention, vision and passion. Demon Star is packed with wall-to-wall amazing action. Just one of these action sequences would be amazing for a single Batman book but Morrison throws in one breath-taking scene after another from the opening abattoir fight to the Killbox scene, to the dystopian Batman future to the gut-punch death-trap-laden finale - this book takes no prisoners. If you kind-of-like Morrison and arent a huge fan like me, I assure you that this is a very straightforward book - not just by Morrisons standards, but by anyones. Its very easy to follow. It jumps around a bit but its perfectly understandable and accessible, telling a very linear, and extremely exciting, story thats different from the last Batman Inc. book as well as Morrisons more experimental comics. And even though its got the New 52 label on the cover, all of the old continuity still counts - Morrison (god bless the guy for this) has all but ignored the reboot and has written this series as if it never happened. The one concession is the New 52 Batman outfit (boo!). This book feels really urgent in every issue and it reads like a desperate sprint that makes you feel like the end of the world is about to happen. Then, towards the end, Morrison throws a curveball grenade and the entire book changes direction, the stakes are raised, and everything goes black for the Dark Knight. Demon Star is without doubt the book of the year. Its an amazing final act for Grant Morrison whose run on Batman has been superb throughout - and yet his last story arc turns out to be among the best Batman stories ever told, let alone one of the best books Morrisons ever written. If youre at all a fan of Batman, you need to read this book, right now. And then you need to pick up the comics afterwards because when you reach the end of this book? Youre going to need to find out what happens next and if you wait for Volume 2, itll be 2014 before you find out. (If youre looking for the issue featuring the death of a certain someone, it isnt in this book that will be collected in the next volume)
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are doing fantastic work with their Batman title, and John Layman is doing a fine job of turning around Detective Comics into the series it should be, but above them all stands Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham with Batman Incorporated, the best series DC are publishing right now. Morrison and Burnham have raised the standard for Batman even higher and Demon Star is pure comics gold. Dont miss out on this glorious gift to all Batman fans!
Batman Incorporated Volume 1: Demon Star by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham is out now in hardback at your local comics shop