Batman # 656 Review
This Review Was Submitted by Knightwingbk:
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artists: Andy Kubert & Jesse Delperdang
Damn. Count me interested and loving it. Morrison's last issue on Batman was a little confusing, and left a lot of readers wanting. This issue, however, does deliver! Remember my complaints about Andy Kuberts art last month? Forget what I said, he shines in this issue. Did I get bored last month by Morrison's writing? Yes, but not THIS month!
Morrison continues his "Batman and Son" arc where it left off. With a sky full of Man-Bats. With Swords. I guess that makes them Ninja Man-Bats. Bruce Wayne, making a triumphant return to the DCU as THE master-pimp. I missed Bruce Wayne in the last couple years of Batman. Both Morrison and Dini are really taking Bruce and making him fun and interesting to read. Bruce is still at the same party and meets some colorful ladies. Alfred is outside reading, when he sees Kirk Langstrom and his wife thrown out of the back of a van. Langstrom is frantic, pointing to the sky. Alfred rushes into the party and throws Bruce a black briefcase. Faster than you can say "Holy Man-Bats Batman," Batman emerges from the shadows to take on the menace. Morrison gives Batman an inner dialogue as he fights, thinking, scheming, and remembering random things. This makes Batman a real person. There is no "I hear the sound of bones crunch like burnt toast" Miller-Batman narration. Another thing I loved, Batman counts down the Man-Bats as being taken down before he does it! Confident not cocky, as Batman should be.
The art is great in this issue. Andy Kubert draws the action at breakneck speed, and it never loses its excitement. Andy does not let us down here. He's found his footing and knocks this issue out of the park. The fight takes place in an art gallery, showing comic book art! All of the art has the old dot-matrix placed over it, to differentiate it from the art telling the story. Also, like any art gallery there are a few notables in the gallery. Anybody else see Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, and Leonard Nimoy on page 2 panel 3? Great little touch to add to the party.
LOVE this issue. I give it an A, without a doubt. Now I'm a believer.
I'm glad I bought this issue. I wasn't a big fan of the first one, but this one made up for it.
I've always been curious about the brothers kubert, seeing as how they're both talented when it comes to drawing, inheriting the genes of the famous joe kubert.
when i started buying their stuff, both andy and adam were already working for marvel. though i'm a bigger fan of adam than andy, i think their styles are very,very similar. i especially enjoyed adam's run on wolverine with inker mark farmer, compared to the latter issues of wolvy with dan green's inks, while andy was working on X-Men Vol.2 when jim lee left, i think there was a mess of inkers who didn't work that well with his pencils. i've seen andy's pencils being inked by adam and it rocks! (batman vs. predator) and when their dad inks them on both Ghost Rider and Spirits of Vengeance.
so i'm very curious in seeing their work for dc, since they did get their start working for dc.