Book of the Week 10/31/07 Batman #670

Written by Grant Morrison
Pencilled by Tony Daniel
Inks by Jonathan Glapion

This week kicked off two big events from the big two companies. While I thought Messiah Complex was very good, with it being Halloween, I've gotta go with the guy in the bat costume. I've been awfully critical of Morrison's work on Batman thus far but I'll admit I'm really excited for the resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul. This issue mainly serves as setup for the main drama which kicks off soon. We do get treated to some great scenes between Talia, the "new" Ra's, and the original plan for Damian. To Morrison's credit, Damian isn't completely irritating in this book and his need for approval from his father is clearly shown. The dynamic between Damian and Ra's will be an interesting thing to watch as this story unfolds. Talia seems to be a third wheel in this story so far so I'm hoping that she will take on a larger role as time goes on. With Ra's back in the picture, I think she's going back to second string status.

This has the feel of the large, off-beat story that Morrison is known for, as did his previous arcs. I think the difference with this story is that it's a subject that fans have been wanting to see happen since the end of "Batman and Son". There is a slight worry that I've had (and this issue only reinforces it) that DC may be grooming a new Robin. That drama alone will keep me coming back for more.

This Tony Daniel guy can draw! Working somewhere between Andy Kubert and Jim Lee, Daniel's Batman is a stylistic masterpiece. Together with Glapion's inks, the shadows in this book come alive. I know this is all expected in the world of Batman but it's not everyday that the finished product looks so good.