BATMAN #675
© DC Comics
Mania Grade: B
Issue: 675
Authors: Grant Morrison, Ryan Benjamin, Saleem Crawford
Publisher: DC
Price: $2.99
Issue: 675
Authors: Grant Morrison, Ryan Benjamin, Saleem Crawford
Publisher: DC
Price: $2.99
BATMAN #675
By: Kurt AmackerDate: Monday, May 12, 2008
Grant Morrison continues his run on Batman with an issue that serves as a transition from the last hallucinatory arc into the much-hyped Batman R.I.P. After excusing his disappearance at the hands of the Third Man—one of a series of Batman clones designed to one day replace him—Bruce Wayne takes his current girlfriend, Jezebel Jet, to dinner. After she pointedly questions him about his long disappearances, a terrorist with eyes on his fingers interrupts. Though Jet began her career as a supermodel, she also presides over a small African nation, which the Fiend with Nine Eyes wants brought to its knees. Needless to say, Wayne won’t stand for the possibility. Fisticuffs ensue. Meanwhile, Talia al Ghul and her son with Wayne, Damian—still in hiding—speculate that dark forces are conspiring against Batman, and resolve to come to his aid. Of course, Nightwing and Robin will arrive long before they do to deal with the more immediate problem at the restaurant.
Though it’s likely been done before, Morrison addresses the issue of Batman’s identity with an obvious and justified route. Anyone romantically involved with Bruce Wayne would realize his secret quickly enough. In this 675th issue, Jezebel Jet witnesses a scene so striking that even she can’t ignore the obvious. This has certainly been done before, but Morrison writes his arcs as extended, self-contained graphic novels with their own selective relationship to continuity. Some Maniacs may see that as disrespectful, but precise observation of past stories proves well nigh impossible in light of the DC Multiverse’s twisted, layered history. This issue takes a well-worn premise—a confrontation over a secret identity—and uses it to transition into Batman R.I.P. In that regard, it could serve as a good starting point for anyone looking to pick up the series. However, Morrison’s run began 20 issues ago and the events of those first stories still resonate in this one. Starting here is inadvisable. But, this issue feels like more of a plot device than a solid standalone story. It looks as if the writer needed to order the house before moving into the next arc—by reintroducing Talia and Damian, by showing Wayne recovered from the Third Man’s torture, and by possibly revealing his identity to Jezebel Jet. Morrison is capable of great things, but the setup is familiar. Hopefully, the arc that follows will make this brief interlude worth the while.
Ryan Benjamin’s pencils invoke the exaggeration of Marc Sylvestri and a more Top Cow style of art. Granted, the breasts aren’t as big, but detail lines coat the characters and everything looks just a little too sleek. This art style has never served Batman’s macabre world in any of its incarnations, and it distracts from the story in this issue. It’s certainly functional, and the last three pages are, frankly, stunning. But, the art could look less like an ad for Witchblade and more evocative of the character’s bleak circumstances.
Overall, Batman #675 serves as something of a calm before the storm. It transitions from the conspiracy fiction of the past few issues to the events of Batman R.I.P., which culminates Morrison’s run on the title. While that story will surely justify this one, anyone looking to pick up the series here has a few trades to read.
