Comic Book Review: Batman: The Return #1

It's a great week for Bat fans, and I say this without any exaggeration in mind. A new beginning has dawned over the saga of The Dark Knight, and it involves escalating his war against crime by taking it to a new level. As witnessed at the end of Batman and Robin #16, Batman will take his fight worldwide, and he's going to expand his reach by recruiting some of the best and brightest to become Batmen of their respective countries.

If that concept doesn't sound enticing enough, then blame writer Grant Morrison for it. He's the brains behind the Caped Crusader's adventures ever since he introduced his biological son, Damian Wayne, into mainstream DC continuity, and so far that idea has been embraced and accepted by fans worldwide. As I've said many times before, if there's one thing to be said about the Scotsman, it's his tenacity to make the unexpected WORK and inevitably PAYOFF by the end, and he's pretty much accomplished what he set forth to do when he wrangled Bruce Wayne through time and brought him back to the present day. Now that the original Dark Knight is back, the focus can now shift to his spotlight, which now has room for more than his lone shadow apparently.


Batman : The Return #1
Written By: Grant Morrison
Illustrated By: David Finch
Cover By: David Finch

Batman: The Return and A New Batsuit!

This November, Bruce Wayne officially makes his return to the regular DCU timeline, once again donning the cape and cowl to battle crime and the superstitious lot. To commemorate his return, however, DC has given him a "new" costume, and by new I mean something very familiar and old school.

No Bat-Fans, your eyes do not deceive you. As seen in The Source, The yellow oval bat symbol has returned, and it's the cover to BATMAN: THE RETURN #1, by writer Grant Morrison and artist David Finch. The look that defined the Dark Knight during the pivotal Silver Age has made a comeback, but this batsuit looks a bit darker, and does have a few cosmetic changes to make it stand out from its predecessor. UPDATE: The suit also features in the cover to "BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT" as seen below, also drawn by David Finch, who also happens to be double timing as the writer of the series!

The suit is actually reminiscent of the Tim Burton Bat-flicks, and the one Bruce wore when he reclaimed the mantle from Dick Grayson the first time his young ward stepped in to fill his shoes after the events of Knightsend.

Notice that the belt is still the old school "capsule batbelt", and the boots actually have scallops. The new "Return" Batsuit shares the same color scheme, but the belt is like that of "Batman Forever", which saw actor Val Kilmer don the batsuit (with nipples).

Truth be told, the return of the yellow oval is going to take some time getting used to again. After embracing Jim Lee's artwork during the "Hush" storyline, Batman is now returning to the look that I grew up with.

Even Dick Grayson paid homage to his mentor when he was thought "dead", by assuming the mantle of the Bat and wearing the "retro look", with a slightly modified suit that is equipped with a new utility belt design, new gauntlets with two scallops, and a lighter cape to accomodate the young man's acrobatic fighting style, which also doubles as a para-cape reminiscent of what Chritopher Nolan introduced in "Batman Begins". Now with Bruce returning, what does that mean for Dick's tenure as Batman? Will he return to being Nightwing, or become something more?

No matter what he wears, Batman will always be BATMAN, and I can't wait to see where Grant Morrison and crew take him and his proteges when The Dark Knight returns, along with new books - namely BATMAN INC. and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT! Watch out for Bat season this November!

Oh, before his return, Bruce Wayne will have to contend with the changes made during his absence, notably with his extended Bat family! Also seen in The Source, Check out the first look to the covers of the titles that make up "BRUCE WAYNE: THE ROAD HOME", by artist Shane Davis!