Comic Book Review: Batman #702

More than a month after I last touched on Batman, the second and last part of the chapter that explains the gap between Batman R.I.P and Final Crisis is finally here! What lies in store for Bruce Wayne before he finds himself displaced in time? Plenty, and every reason for me to give this short but sweet review of this latest issue of Batman, which is a must read again for fans who have resigned themselves to everything and anything about the Dark Knight under writer Grant Morrison's watch.

Batman #702
Written By: Grant Morrison
Illustrated By: Tony Daniels

The second and final part of "The Missing Chapter" picks up right where things left off - Batman investigating the death of the New God Orion and reporting his findings to Superman and the rest of his Justice League teammates. As I mentioned in the previous issue's review, things won't be immediately accessible to the average reader here. Keep in mind that the narrative follows the flow of the events chronicled in 2008's "Final Crisis", so it may be confusing to anyone jumping in and reading the story as is. Even before touching this book, I'd strongly recommend reading that miniseries first, and/or R.I.P for that matter just to get an inkling of what is going on. Morrison already assumes that the readers here are those who have already familiarized themselves with his run on both books, so this is just the clincher to fill in any other pieces missing in the puzzle. That said, this tale now proceeds with explaining just what happened to Batman before meeting his ultimate fate with destiny at the hands of Darkseid. What could be a fate worse than death? Well, this explains just what that is, and without giving away spoilers, it certainly feels a lot more burdening than the Dark Knight is accustomed to. His thoughts, feelings, and last moments before and after "Omega Day" are conveyed spectacularly by Morrison, and it's already a given the writer knows what he's doing with his material since it's just a matter of laying out the cards and explaining the interim period between his two crossovers.

I'll admit, I was very reserved with how he treated Batman during that time, but the fruits of his labor proved effective in the end when he introduced the new status quo reflected under the Batman: Reborn banner. Fans loved the changes, and so did I, but we all knew Bruce Wayne would return someday, and that's currently happening as we speak. Right now, questions surrounding his disappearance have been answered. The matter of appreciating how it went down, however, is left to the reader entirely, and in my own opinion, things went smoothly alright... at least where the entire event is concerned. Magic, time travel, and all that stuff not really associated with Batman have been the most frustrating things to gradually take in and accept, and Morrison's writing does take time to digest and appreciate. At least he's clear on his intent on the direction he wants to bring Bruce in. All we'll have to see is how that journey ends... and begins again once Batman Inc. comes into play come November. Also, art by Tony Daniels is still top notch as ever. I've come to appreciate the guy's pencils more and more as he chugs out his works for the caped crusader's exploits, and his tenure as writer isn't bad either. He and Morrison make a great pair though, and heavy writing plus inspiring artwork make for an awesome comic book package.

Now that it's gone and done, the two-part tale that brings Bruce Wayne back to the spotlight in the main Bat-book is over. Next month will see Dick Grayson back in the saddle, returning back to the present and preparing for the return of Mr. Wayne himself in a few months time. This issue didn't really blow my mind away after reading it the first time, but it certainly explained and supplemented to me material that compliments "The Return Of Bruce Wayne" storyline, leaving me anticipating his return and the impact that comeback will have on the future of the Bat-family. In all fairness, The Missing Chapter is a must read tale for fans who have followed Morrison's run on Batman, so pick this up if you are of that circle. I certainly am and did just that.

Rating - 9/10

Comic Book Review: Batman #701

The return of the comic book reviews! It has been a while, hasn't it? So much to read and so little time to review can be frustrating at times, but it goes without saying that I'll be here to deliver the bits and pieces of popculture reading whenever I can. Since the last month, the only comic book I was able to review was the mega spectacular Batman #700, and we all know how that turned out if you've been following the trail of The Dark Knight's adventures. It's not so much a milestone as it is a refresher, rather a tribute to all the men who have worn the cowl past, present, future. Regardless of the lineage, we all know there's only one man who is the TRUE Batman, and that's none other than Bruce Wayne, who's tenacity, determination, AND trauma can't be replicated by any of his successors. That being said, Wayne's eventually going to resume his role as The Caped Crusader after he finishes his journey through time. However, Grant Morrison still has a story to tell that involves the original Batman prior to his fate at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis.

Batman #701
Written By: Grant Morrison
Illustrated By: Tony Daniels

How fitting, I'm reviewing the following issue of Batman, and it's the return of the creative duo that brought us the tale that changed the Dark Knight's life almost two years ago - "Batman R.I.P"! Yes, Grant Morrison has paired up once again with artist Tony Daniel, to tell a two-part tale set in between R.I.P and Final Crisis, filling in the gaps and addressing some inconsistency issues fans may have had surrounding Batman's appearance/ disappearance in these stories.

Graphic Novel Review - Green Lantern: No Fear and FINAL CRISIS

The Road to Blackest Night is finally over. The darkness is upon us, and as we reach the final destination, evil will literally engulf the DC Universe and all of its inhabitants.



With just a few more hours to go before issue #1 graces our comic shops with Zombie Lantern goodness, I couldn't resist the temptation to read up on more DC Goodness. Following this evening's trip to the bookstore, I just had to go and grab a couple of books to pacify my cravings before the big one happens. Without hesitation, I found my reads in the form of Green Lantern: No Fear and the humongous FINAL CRISIS hardcover, the latter of which was the big event for DC prior to Blackest Night. While I can easily vouch for these books as sure wins without a moment's notice, I'll give a little background description and review on both to call it fair game and warning to you guys before ponying up the cash for them.

Green Lantern: No Fear



This is the one that started it all again.

Green Lantern: Rebirth accomplished many things back when it was released in 2005. It drew new readers into the emotional spectrum, and celebrated a new direction with the emerald warriors who defend our universe against the forces of evil. Let us not forget of course that it cemented the return of the Silver Age Green Lantern himself - Hal "Flyboy" Jordan. After a successful resurrection, the man most recognizable by fans as the "original" GL of space sector 2814 returns to begin a new solo career free from fear and full of redemption. How he goes about that is chronicled in this book - reprinting the first six issues of the new ongoing series and the Secret File And Origins 2005 Annual.

Hal Jordan is back as Green Lantern, and he's pretty damn happy about it. Returning to his duties as a superhero isn't easy, but the adventure and thrill of it is what keeps him going. Settling down in the newly rebuilt Coast City, he resumes his old life as an Air Force pilot, practically picking up where he left off after he vanished many years ago. However, his past catches up to him, as old enemies resurface and take the fight to Jordan once again with deadlier results in store for him and those he cares for.

What you see before you is a grand achievement by writer Geoff Johns - he succeeded in bringing Hal Jordan back and relaunching a title that converts more people into readers as the series progresses. Without a doubt, this is the book that should get you to appreciate Green Lantern again. Right off the bat, it has excellent writing and features a ton of artists who could get you drooling for more panels of action and adventure as you turn the page of each issue. Johns is even reunited with his Rebirth teammate Ethan Van Sciver for two issues here, and that should give you a glimpse of how great that miniseries was if you haven't picked it up yet. I won't spoil the tales inside, but it's all about humble beginnings and reunions for Jordan, as well as an encounter with an old foe that foreshadows the coming of the Blackest Night. Curious? Let this light your way through the series. It's a sure win.

Score - 10/10

FINAL CRISIS



To be honest, I'd be hard pressed to review Final Crisis properly.

One of the many reasons why I bought this was to finally sit down and take time reading this book as a whole now that its been compiled and pressed into one massive hardcover. I wasn't too thrilled about the various tie-ins and companions DC released when this was a big event, but now that it's gone and past, my mind can be at ease already. Another reason that propelled me to make the decision was because I got Batman R.I.P - which left Bruce Wayne's fate ambiguous. Only by reading FC could you learn what truly happened to the Dark Knight... and if the cover to the book didn't clue you in yet, then you really must be in denial. I don't blame you - I can relate.

Written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by a plethora of artists, Final Crisis tells the tale of the DC Universe under siege by the most evil presence known to them all - Darkseid. In a nutshell, chaos ensues and several multiverses are affected as a result. Evil has apparently gotten the upper hand, and as the heroes struggle to fight back, the destinies of several characters are forever altered. People live, casualties rise, and when this is over, nothing will ever be the same again.

I've heard it all before and I've followed all the Crisis' miniseries DC has to offer, but this is one event that had me less interested and more confused every time I came across it. Probably it was due to "Crisis Burn" as I'd like to call it. Countless weekly series and revelations killed things for me, and I sure wasn't going to collect every single title and tie-in to find out what the heck was happening. It was only upon hearing the news of "Batman's death" that I started to get curious, and I ended up buying the issue to find out the final fate of Bruce Wayne. In the end, I was slightly disappointed - It wasn't how I expected The Dark Knight to go, but Morrison put it that way, and left things conveniently open-ended in the final issue (which rendered things meaningless and more confusing than ever). However, FC seemed to have gotten people talking and interested in DC again at least. As a result, it seems to have become a bestseller in the shops and bookstores. How I really don't know why... but probably it's because of the guys who died and those that have returned to the land of the living again... like Barry Allen/ The Flash.

Would I recommend this? Hard to say... Only if you're prepared for a convoluted superhero tale of epic proportions. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Score - 6/10