Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes

Surprisingly, this blog post is my first chance to really delve into Grant Morrison. Now I have a certain fondness for Grant Morrison - Batman and Robin Vol. 1 is what really got me into comics. But sometimes he can get overly convoluted with his writing and create complicated stories for complexity's sake, not for the benefit of the actual story.

That being said, that's what Batman, Inc. was. Overly convoluted story that created confusion just sot eh reader thought harder, not that it benefited the actual comic. While it had some good moments, it was mostly forgettable. Instead of focusing on making fun adventures and being subtle about many minute details and key phrases/ideas Morrison wanted to use, he made it all about his mystery and "clues" and making a mystery no one was truly interested in. Luckily for the readers, despite these frustrations, Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes is still very enjoyable.

 

Can I go to school here?

Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes is half what I think it should have been, and half what it was. The first half is a story based on Stephanie Brown, in what is her last adventure as Batgirl. And for what it is worth it is a great last appearance, with a story of triumph. As it turns out, the school Bruce enrolls her in is a training ground for girls to become assassins, thieves, and masterful fighters, all eventually brainwashed to be a part of Leviathan. This story shows her successfully infiltrating and taking down this school, with a little bit of help from Bruce.

A fitting finale as Batgirl

This story is a lot of fun, and a great sendoff for Steph into comic book-limbo with Barbara taking over as Batgirl in the DCnU. Bryan Q. Miller wrote a fantastic series with Steph as Batgirl, and one can't ask for a better last hurrah than this. Steph is as she ended up at the end of her run by Miller, a confident, smart, brave crime-fighter worthy of the Bat-mantle.

The second half of the book returns to the norm of the Inc. series -- confusion and complexity for the sake of trying to be "intellectual" and "mature." After the first read-through I got the gist of it, but again, the whole thing wasn't clear. Dr. Dealus makes this crazy mindtrap for Bruce who is accompanied by Dick, Tim, and Damian into this fortress of Leviathan.

What really makes this issue is the ending. If Grant Morrison is virtually infallible in one thing, it's how to end a comic. This extra-large sized issue is no different -- the last couple pages are awesome, with the reveal that Jezebel Jet is in fact not the head of Leviathan as had previously been hinted at, and who is the head of this demonic army is equally surprising and suspected if you've been following the clues and use logic.

Well I guess she isn't the head of Leviathan....

Batman, Inc. vet Chris Burnham and Grant Morrison favorite Cameron Stewart share the art duties here, and both do a great job. Stewart's art is perfect for the great superhero tale of Steph Brown, and Chris Burnham's art is the perfect mix of realistic and unsettling for a tale where Bruce is very much on his toes and for once, one-step-behind. He perfectly draws the worry, desperation, and dare I say it, fear in Bruce's eyes as he realizes he is now in the fight of his life.

What I liked: Great twists and turns make all the frustration of reading a Grant Morrison story totally worth it. The art is also grade-A, and perfectly epic for a story that really is the greatest fight of Batman's life.

What I didn't: The beginning of the second half of this book was the classic Grant Morrison that drives readers crazy, and was really unnecessary in it's difficulty.

Conclusion: Overall, a great book, and a great lead-in to the second part of this story. However, the next part is teased to be coming out sometime in 2012, and knowing Grant Morrison, it could be very late into 2012 before we see the next chapter. 8.8/10 (B+).