Customer Reviews

Batman and Son

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This hardcover collects issues #655-#658 and #663-#666 of Batman's regular DC series, featuring writing by Grant Morrison and artwork by Andy Kubert. "Batman and Son" features the surprisingly uncontroversial introduction of Batman's son, Damian. The interplay between Batman, Robin, Alfred, and Damian is handled excellently by Morrison in the first four-issue arc included here.

The second arc, featuring two Batman doppelgangers, falls flat. Morrison has stated that there's more to come, so I will reserve judgment for now.

If you enjoyed this collection, I would also recommend picking up "Batman Annual: Head of the Demon" (a single issue also featuring Damian Wayne).

Batman's son Damian is where lots of conflict, and central part of the story happens. Batman will have to more or less "babysit" his own child, but its a child that has been taught the exact opposite of everything he (Batman) believes in. Damian is selfish, spoiled, nearly uncontrollable, alpha male which leads to a heated moment or 2 between him, Robin, the rest of the Bat family, and he believes its ok to kill which is a big no no for old Bats.

The biggest flaw besides the annoying character Damian, and the semi stupid (or completely stupid) Ninja-Man-Bats of the story however is the fact that Grant Morrison didn't do his research properly because he didn't read Son of the demon, or at least looked it up on wikipedia. Because of that he comes up with a last minute excuse as to why Damian's origins changed from being a regular child who Talia gave birth to, to being raised in a artificial womb (stupid indeed). His excuse as to why the origins changed was the same way Jason Todd was brought back to life because reality was altered by Superboy Prime , which was a horrible way in itself, and was used again in this case.

Another BIG flaw is how things are put together in this book. You should check out Grant Morrison's entire run on Batman for more details closure, etc, on these, and other stories of Batman. I agree with one of the reviews that says this is only part of the story, and was questioning why DC put out the books the way they did. Grant Morrison said that you should read his entire run to get the best of Batman's stories, as each of his story's connects with each other in more way than one. A bit confusing, but more or less mandatory to get the full effect of Batman and Son, and the other stories he wrote with in the last 2 or so years involving Batman. Trust me... there is a lot more to this story especially with the "3 ghosts of Batman", and "Batman RIP" story lines

On a good note though, while Damian is annoying, it brings out some of the best parts of the story. The heat, and tension between him, Robin, Alfred, and Batman are all somewhat hilarious, and keeps you waiting to see what this little jerk will do next. Also there is a great piece of dark comedy at the beginning of the story with Gordon in the hospital still feeling the effects of Jokers gas (a side story is involved). While the Ninja Bats may be a stupid idea, ironically it also brings out some of the best action in the story with Batman trying to fight them off.

For the final good note this book also contains issues 663-666 which are all great short stories consisting of Damian becoming Batman in the future. Joker returns in a story that reads more like a magazine with some art rather than a comic which may turn comic fans off. Also a story where Batman is confronted by a monster of a person that has a resemblance to himself and Bane. Sounds cool huh?

All in all Batman and Son is ok with a few funny, heated moments, with a little action peppered in, and artwork that isn't great, but gets the job done. The other stories that come along with the book are great if not good, and adds more reading time for your buck. Not saying you should buy it, but its entertaining enough to at least check out before you do or don't spend money on it.

Modern day comic visionary Grant Morrison (The Filth, Animal Man, All Star Superman, JLA, New X-Men; you know the list) takes on the Dark Knight with his highly stylized and constantly entertaining run on Batman. Batman and Son is an interesting take on the Dark Knight as Batman learns he has a young son named Damian with Talia al Ghul; his one time love and daughter of supervillain Ra's al Ghul. As Batman takes the child under his wing, he learns that his son has been raised and trained by the League of Assassins, and he's got a temper to boot. Morrison's new take on Batman is refreshing and incredibly entertaining, beginning with arch nemesis Joker taking a bullet in the face and continuing with demonic undertones and hints towards cataclysmic events. This hardcover collection concludes with the 666th issue, which finds Damian taking the mantle of Batman 15 years into the future. This issue, along with a special issue featuring the art of John Van Fleet in which the Joker rears his ugly head again at Arkham Asylum (that eerily resembles Morrison's own Arkham Asylum graphic novel), are worth the price of admission alone. Andy Kubert (X-Men, 1602) provides the rest of the pencil work throughout this collection, and his work is great as usual. While there is a bit of a cliffhanger conclusion that leaves you begging for more, Batman and Son is a thrilling take on Batman from the visionary Morrison, and here's hoping things get even better.

Grant Morrison has never been one to stick to formula, and here his vision goes wild. From the Joker being shot to a visually fantastic romp in a modern art museum, Morrison introduces concepts to the Batman mythos that have either not been seen in some time or were deemed too crazy to work. From page one, Morrison's story builds like a massive puzzle, piece by piece, and only when the whole is seen does the image line up. Batman and Son is merely Part One of the puzzle, followed by the recent Batman: The Black Glove trade, and culminates in the upcoming Batman: RIP storyline (currently underway in monthly issues). Batman and Son introduces questions, The Black Glove provides more, and thus far RIP has given vague answers. For those who like long, labyrinthine stories, this trade is an excellent opening to a puzzling narrative.

If you buy this you are about to start reading the greatest Batman run since... let's just say this is the greatest run on Batman. I may be over hyping this, the story arcs collected here are good on their own, but until you read the next volume and return to this one, your not getting the whole story. So it's hard to say how great this story is, and how great it gets. I would only get this if you plan on buying the other 7 Morriosn Batman books that follow this. Black Glove, RIP, Batman Reborn, Batman vs Robin, Time and the Batman, Return of Bruce Wayne, and Batman Must Die!. In that order.

You'll have fun reading this run.

This is in no way a stand-alone volume and anyone reading it as such will most likely be disappointed.

Go ahead and resolve yourself to purchasing the followup volumes, which are Batman: The Black Glove and Batman: RIP. These three trade paperbacks collect Grant Morrison's entire run on this series (barring a couple of issues, which can be found in the Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul) and you really must read all three to fully appreciate the story.

What you will get is a fantastic take on the Dark Knight and the world he inhabits. I suspect many readers become intimidated by Morrison and his reputation of intricate, hard to understand stories filled with indecipherable metaphor and symbolism. I don't know Grant and can't speak to his mindset as he writes, but I can say that these three Batman volumes are straight-up storytelling that should not intimidate or confuse readers. That being said, I got WAY more out of the story on a recent second reading, and look forward to reading them for a third time soon.

This volume has fantastic, moody, jaw-dropping artwork by Andy Kubert. The coloring is also fantastic and in my opinion Gotham has seldom, if ever, looked better.

A final recommendation. When you read this, drop all your expectations. Reading every sentence with the hope that it's going to be just like All-Star Superman or just like New X-men or any of your other favorite Morrison books is only going to cause you to miss the originality and story contained within and you'll be focusing on what it isn't, instead of what it is. Because this is a great beginning to a classic Batman tale.

I just read this Batman collection again and found a much greater appreciation for these stories than I did the first time around (not that they were all that bad to begin with).

Of course, Grant Morrison's run on Batman has gone on another two years since Batman & Son, so reading this now allows you to put some added perspective on what's going on here. First of all, you have the introduction of Batman's son, Damien (this is not a spoiler, isn't it pretty obvious from the title?), who has since already gone on to a larger role in the DC Universe. I think some important take-aways from these initial issues of Grant Morrison's run are Damien's origins and his character/attitude. I believe that Damien's character is going to have a big impact on what happens with Batman (and Dick Grayson) in the near future.

You also get a pretty unique Joker story, primarily told in text form. I really think Morrison shines in this kind of story-telling medium.

Additionally, if you pay attention, there are definitely some clues in Batman & Son that foreshadow the next events in Morrison's saga.

Lastly, there is issue #666. I don't want to give anything away about the story, but I have heard that Grant Morrison considers this to be part of the Batman canon (meaning that it is authentic to the whole Batman universe). If so, then in addition to the story, there are some particular frames that I think are going to be meaningful down the road For example, the one with Damien mourning over a Batman body and also the one from Damien's memory, showing three Bat-folk fighting crime together in the future.

Overall, I have become very pleased with Grant Morrison's work on this title. Of the comics that I currently follow, he is surpassing them all in excellence, even beyond what Ed Brubaker is doing with Captain America. Once you read this collection, you will certainly want to go on to the next one.. Batman: The Black Glove.

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Andy Kubert have placed Batman in a real predicament; after battling ninja Man-Bats to the point of losing consciousness, the iconic superhero is then informed by Talia al Ghul that he's the father of her son, Damian. Just another Manic Monday, I guess.

With the plot bouncing from London to Gotham City and ending on Gibraltar, it is a psychological exploration into the relationship between Batman, Robin and Damian, which yields at different points some heartfelt, powerful and unbelievably destructive displays that may ultimately doom the Dark Knight.

This is Morrison's debut with the Batman title and the key elements are ambitious, but the story line when it suddenly retreats to a formulaic ending. This is a father and child reunion that could have blazed through the nighttime sky, if given a full opportunity.

The Batman has always been a study on how to interpret a superhero. Bound by his own moral code (which is really the DC comics code of "Thou Shall Not Kill"), this book sees Batman busting out and moving more into the moral ambiguity / no-man's land first seen with Frank Miller's take on the character.

Grant Morrison infuses a bit of Judge Dredd into Batman - ie. he allows a frustrated Batman to exercise his own (desperate) brand of justice, and by doing so, successfully evolves the character beyond the usual limits. But where the book needs to go is even further into the core character and his hidden feelings. Batman never really allows himself to drop too far, and maintains that macho facade - but for how long?

Andy Kubert's art is brilliant as always but the colours veer towards making the story glossy rather than dark. So the punches still feel pulled somewhat. A love triangle looms and Batman's twisted affair with Talia from the League of Assassins never quite goes where we would like it to go and really needs to be built on more. In short, BATMAN & SON provides the perfect conundrum for the ultra cool detective - but only if the authors turn on the heat.

Batman's son is quite a piece of work - and there's room for more. Not for kiddies. A promising chapter indeed.

This Batman hardcover (HC) collects the monthly Batman books #655-#658 and #663-#666 published by DC Comics from 2006 to 2007. The bulk of this graphic novel's plot takes hints off the Batman: Son of the Demon graphic novel by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham published in 1987, where Batman builds a surprising consortium with one of his arc nemesis, Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter Talia. The surprising part is not how Batman defeated the usual antagonists, but WHAT happened between the Dark Knight and the Daughter of the Demon, and the ramifications of their short-lived union. The Son of the Demon graphic novel is often considered as an `elseworld' tale but has now been integrated in the Batman canon with the Batman and Son HC.

This graphic novel collection is a satisfying, rip-roarin' romp in the world of the Dark Knight and how with the addition of his biological son, Damian Wayne, the status quo of the Bat Family turned upside down. But before we delve in the story details, let's first get into the book features. The book in itself is impressive with a striking dust jacket cover that highlight's Andy Kubert's astounding artwork along with a gorgeous binding that is already expected from any DC Comics HC.

Grant Morrison provides the mortar and pestle of the story and his lines are top-notch. Andy Kubert's artwork is just too good for words, and his take on the jaw-cracking, no-holds barred brawl between the Dark Knight and the Ninja Man-Bats inside the London Pop Art Museum can make even the casual reader breathless.

Although I feel the entire run is only intended to lay the groundwork for the Dark Knight's son and his (possible) role in the upcoming Bat Mythos, the creative team's vision of Damian Wayne taming a post-apocalyptic future Gotham City that reeks of despondence in the last chapter of this book is quite remarkable. I'm sure this segment of the book will be a hot topic of discussion among die-hard Bat fans for years to come.

Overall, buy this book if you're willing to indulge yourself in some intelligent and fierce tale of the Dark Knight (and his son). Otherwise, just get it `cause it's a handsome addition to any shelf of Batman fans out there.