Saturday, December 27, 2008

Batman #683

The wrap-up to the Batman "R.I.P." storyline left readers with lots of questions, and the two issues since have been awfully stingy with the answers.

Last issue was a confusing series of images, dreams and memories, and it was difficult to tell what was true and what was false.

The final panel in issue #682 threw some light on the events - Batman was under a mental assault after being kidnapped by the forces of Apokolips. This issue continues along those lines, as we see how Batman can fight back against almost any foe, and escape from any trap.

Writer Grant Morrison is playing with some big concepts here, as he (apparently) tries to find a way to explain the many incarnations of Batman over the six-plus decades he's been around.

That's probably a futile attempt, but he makes a good fight of it, and comes up with some clever bits of business along the way.

I suspect most readers may be disappointed by the final explanation of what happened in between "R.I.P." and Final Crisis, which this issue leads directly into.

The good news is that Morrison has made Batman once again The World's Most Dangerous Man, a concept he started in his run on the Justice League - and it's great to see it back again.

This comic features strong art from Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott, but I wouldn't recommend it for new readers - they'd be lost in this complex and confusing story.

But long-time Bat-fans will probably enjoy it - depending on what happens next in Final Crisis.

Grade: B+

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