Review - Batman Incorporated #1-4 by Grant Morrison (writer), Yanick Paquette, and Chris Burnham (pencils/art)

Morrison's run on Batman is now moving into epic proportions. He started on Batman #655 back in September 2006. The continuing story takes the following path -

• Batman and Son (Batman #655-658 and 663-666)
• The Black Glove (Batman #667-669 and 672-675
• Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul (Batman Annual #26, Batman #670-671, Robin #168-169, Robin Annual #7, Nightwing #138-139, and Detective Comics #838-839, note: Morrison only wrote Batman) 
• Batman R.I.P. (Batman #676-683) 
• Final Crisis (Final Crisis #1-7) 
• Batman and Robin (#1-16) 
• Batman: Time and the Batman (Batman #700-702)
• Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (#1-6) 
• Batman: The Return (One-shot) 
• Batman, Inc. (#1-4 ongoing) 

I had followed the story early on in 'Batman and Son' and 'The Black Glove' before losing touch only to come back during Final Crisis, which while confusing was still immensely enjoyable. I've been looking to jump back on properly since and Batman Inc. gave me the chance. So, you don't have to have read any of the others to enjoy Batman Inc. but it may help.

In Batman Inc. Bruce Wayne is back and spreading his Batman "brand" to other countries.Following on from events in Batman: The Return, issues one and two of Batman Inc. is Morrison slowly getting into the story idea. The story opens with Batman enlisting Catwoman's help to steal a superweapon from Dr Sivana's stronghold for safekeeping. With that all done, before you know it they're off to Japan. Batman is looking to enlist Tokyo's great crimefighter, Mr. Unknown, into the Batman Inc. strategy. Mr. Unknown however has been killed by Lord Death Man. Who will take his place? That role looks likely to be taken up by Jiro. But Lord Death Man wants all Japanese crimefighters dead! Batman has other ideas. The story is a wonderful two issues of high-stakes action, multiple henchmen, and subtle characterisation. It doesn't appear to have any connection to, or influence on, the rest of Morrison's overarching Batman storyline, but who knows? In another year it may be pivotal.

Interestingly, I'd never known (like many people no doubt) that Batman had been licensed to Japan in the 1960s until I came across Chip Kidd's Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan which reproduces a few Batman comics that feature Lord Death Man. Then I see Lord Death Man on Bat-Mite's episode of the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold - 'Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases'. Then he turns up in Batman Inc.! It just shows further Morrison's in-depth knowledge and use of Batman's long and complicated history.

Issues three sees Batman travel to Argentina to meet with the hero El Gaucho, one of the Club of Heroes whom he wants to recruit into his Batman Inc. project, but foes from the Club of Villains, El Sombrero and Scorpiana have plans of their own for them. El Sombrero?! But wasn't he killed by The Joker? Apparently not...

But something else is also happening. Issue three opens with a group of heroes taking on someone known as Dedalus and while they emerge victorious, it's not without loss. They have some connection with Spyral, a secret spy organisation.

Issue four also sees Batwoman make an appearance which recaps how the first Batwoman, (Kathy Kane) came to become Batwoman; her romantic involvement with Batman and eventual break-up; and her recruitment by Spyral by none other than El Gaucho. Kane was apparently murdered and the current Batwoman is about to re-open the case, and looks like she'll be hooking up with Batman in Argentina. And then there's an old fellow who looks to be the former head of Spyral - Agent Zero - who ominously keeps popping up. Plus there's an ultimate weapon and an international incident that could start a war brewing. It's all a bit complex (and difficult to review) but completely intriguing nevertheless. It may not make sense now, but I'm sure it will.

Wait a minute... ultimate weapon... anything to do with the superweapon from issue one? Morrison, you could be a beautiful maniac.

Morrison produces so many ideas and lays so many seeds of storylines that it's a joy to re-read issues. He makes great use of symbolism and turns situations into lyrical metaphors .Another thing I love about Morrison writing Batman is that Bruce Wayne plays just as an important role as Batman making him so much more rounded and personable as a character.

Going back to the events in 'The Black Glove' we can see that what Morrison is doing in Batman Inc. is what he had in mind all along - a continuing of the story of 'The Bat-Men of All Nations' first seen in Batman comics of the 1950s. Morrison doesn't so much just write characters, but renews them. His is a unique take on superheroes.

I can't say I'm a fan of Paquette's pencils (issues 1-3), but that may have something to do with the inking, which is particularly thick, so it may be covering Paquette's finer work. It's only personal preference but I found Chris Burnham's work in issue four more pleasing, his finer work at times reminding me of Frank Quitely.

Morrison is doing something completely different with Batman. I suppose only someone with Morrison's credibility would be allowed to undertake such a task.

I'll be following Batman Inc. right to the end (of Morrison's run on it at least).

This (all four): Somehow just seems like a taste of what's to come.
Forthcoming: Serve it up. I'm hungry.