Batman is dead.. Long Live Batman!

There was a time when british comics were largely derided against their american counterparts. How amusing I find it now, looking at DC and Marvel comics productions today how they are so dominated by the writers and artists of those same british comics.

One such writer is Grant Morrison, a truly fantastic writer responsible for DC’s Animal Man & Doom Patrol and possibly one of the best X-Men runs in comics history. Over a year ago Grant Morrison took over writing Batman. He introduced us to young Damien Wayne, son of Batman and Talia Al Ghul (Daughter of Ra’s) and, eventually to the events of Batman RIP, shaking Bruce Wayne’s resolve to the core and lining him up for his demise at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis.

The death of Bruce Wayne left a gap and, following Tony Daniel’s Battle of the Cowl series, the new Batman was revealed as Dick Grayson, the first Robin. Dick took Damien Wayne as his Robin, with Tim Drake (the previous Robin) heading off elsewhere. The first book in the series, Reborn, is actually split into two stories. The first story introduces us to a new villain, Professor Pyg, a highly disturbed individual, in true Morrison style, who converts people into mind controlled dolls using chemical masks. One of these attempts fails, which leads to the creation of Scarlet, who appears as a major character in the second story; becoming the new sidekick of Jason Todd, The Red Hood.

Both of these stories are superbly well written, drawn and executed - The first drawn with care by Frank Quitely and the second by Phillip Tan. Frank Quitely’s work is always a joy and he seems to give expression to Morrisons fantasy like no other artist. Tan’s style reminds me of Jim Lee’s work, but far more grounded. The book’s central theme explores the dynamic between the new dynamic duo and Dick Grayson’s feelings on inadequacy as the new Batman.

The teaser at the end seems to lead nicely into Blackest Night, the next big DC crossover (I’m a massive Green Lantern fan, so I’m really looking forward to this one!). I’ll leave you with some words from the teaser...

“Zur-En-Arrh”