Best of 2010. The Bat that Grant Built

From Batman and Robin #16. Art by Frazer Irving.

As far as my 2010 reading pleasure goes, much can be attributed to Grant Morrison and his masterful handling and closure of his epic Batman tale.

From Batman and Robin #13. Art by Frazer Irving.

Since 2006, Morrison began a grand scale Batman storyline and the editors at DC Comics seemed to say “Have at it.” Morrison began with some bold moves and just kept on going. Bruce’s deadly offspring Damian was introduced.  As was the villainous Dr. Hurt, a man who has claimed to be Bruce’s long dead father Thomas Wayne. Both of these additions to the bat-lore had the hardcores screaming heresy.

Hurt succeeded in driving Batman mad temporarily (in the “Batman R.I.P” storyline) and the villain escaped before being brought to justice. In fact, before the story could be resolved, Darkseid used his omega beams to transport Bruce far back in time at the conclusion of Morrison’s polarizing Final Crisis. In the summer of 2009, Morrison introduced the world to Batman & Robin, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne had claimed the roles of Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder respectively.

This could be the point where one might say that Morrison had completely disassembled the Batman universe. Not that it needed a complete overhaul, but these drastic punches were good for the brand.



From Batman: The Return of Bruce
Wayne #1. Art by Chris Sprouse.



By mid-2010, Morrison began Bruce’s trip back to present day Gotham City, where he belongs, via his six-part Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. Along the way, readers learn that Dr. Hurt is not really Thomas Wayne (gasp!) and Morrison had not sullied the Wayne family’s philanthropic legacy.  Bruce returns and jumps immediately into action is issue #16 of Batman and Robin, an issue that serves as Morrison’s final on the series and acts as a precursor to the next chapter of Batman’s story: Batman Incorporated.

And so here we are. A brand new era for the (not so) Dark Knight as he takes his fight global under the guise of Bruce Wayne’s altruistic efforts. Bruce is a globe trotting Batman while Dick and Damian are protecting Gotham as the local Batman and Robin.

The culmination of Morrison’s Batman stories in 2010 and the introduction of Batman Incorporated have seemed to bring about a renaissance for Batman and the comic book franchise. I cannot recall ever having enjoyed Batman titles as thoroughly as I have this year. In the first arc of Batman Incorporated, Batman and Catwoman travel to Japan to find their first international Batman. There are giant robot mice, an monster octopus, a Batman TV series-inspired cliffhanger, a great villain, and a sexy international take on the Caped Crusader.

From Batman: The Return (One-Shot).
Art by David Finch.

In Detective Comics Annual #12 and Batman Annual #28, Bruce and Dick solve a mystery in Paris where they sign up the new Parisian Batman. I was glad to see that Morrison had not claimed sole ownership of the Bat-franchising idea. Additionally, Detective Comics has found a new creative team with Scott Snyder and artists Jock and Francesco Francavilla; their inaugural issue sold out and DC has gone back to press with a second printing.

Morrison has taken Bruce Wayne and broken the character down in ways that I’ve never read. In 2010 Bruce was returned to the DCU to triumphantly resolve Morrison’s years-long epic. The writer illustrated the resilience of this classic character more definitively than many of his predecessors.

If you’ve never bothered to pick up any of Batman’s books, 2011 is the perfect time to resolve to do so.