Review: Absolute Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn

Absolute Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn by Grant Morrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Absolute Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn is the middle third of Morrison's Batman run (following the already reviewed "Black Glove" arc, and followed by the "Batman, Inc." arc). With Bruce Wayne presumed dead, Dick Grayson and Damian have taken up the mantel of Batman and Robin and work together to solve a number of related cases starting with the latest edition to Batman's eclectic ensemble of enemies, Professor Pyg.

As I've been working my way through Morrison's run, the main complaint I've had with the previous collections is how poorly organized and chopped up they've been. I'm happy to say that the Absolute Edition of Batman and Robin does not suffer the same fate. This arc picks up sometime shortly after Dick and Damian have begun working together and follows through the return of Bruce Wayne. There are several smaller arcs that tie into each other here, and there aren't any strange jumps or missing sections that I noticed. You're basically getting everything that leads into "Batman Inc." in one magnificent volume. Seeing how well this collection presents the middle act of Morrison's run just makes the "Black Glove" collections seem even worse; I can only hope that DC gets around to producing a nice Absolute edition for that part of Morrison's work, too.

As to the work collected here: As much as I enjoyed Morrison's introduction of the Black Glove and the careful dismantling of Bruce/Batman, there's no doubt that this part of the run is a lot more accessible. While Morrison is still working on multiple levels and layering meaning here, the story relies a lot less on a willingness to dig through decades of Batman lore to figure out what is happening or what is being alluded to. The story is a little more straightforward.

The book starts off with a bang with the introduction of new villain, Mr. Toad (in the middle of a very wild ride) and the Circus of Strange. The circus themed villains are a great foil for Dick (a former circus performer, himself). The capture of Mr. Toad also starts our heroes down the path to discovering the demented Professor Pyg, a serial killer who leaves behind dominoes, and a murderer tracking down the heads of the Gotham crime families.

There is so much to love about this series. Morrison has seeded his Batman run with little clues and hints about the larger themes and plots, and this collection is no exception. Almost from the start there are clues about Hurt's and Joker's machinations at work. Hurt continues to plot against Batman and Gotham, continuing his schemes from the last arc, while Joker plots against Hurt and the Black Glove society in response to their wager about Batman escaping death.

I particularly like the hints that Joker is involved that are spread throughout. Taken alone, many of them sneak unnoticed or could hint at other players, but, taken as a whole, they practically scream Joker. The use of the dominoes, for example. Joker has a long history of using game pieces as props (usually cards, but other games and toys as well). Then there's the use of the fairground (complete with giant Joker smiles on the walls) as Pyg's hideout. Later, Jason Todd reemerges in his Red Hood identity. Joker's importance is felt everywhere, even before he finally shows up.

The artwork throughout is very strong (Quitely's clever, sometimes subtle, use of visual sound effects is particularly fun. See, for example, a panel where Batman leaps through a window, and the breaking glass spells out "crash") and compliments Morrison's writing quite well. The weakest section for me is Frazer Irving's. There's something about his style that doesn't quite work for me, and it's a shocking change from the rest of the volume.

This is a great collection, and highly recommended for fans of Morrison/Batman. This is a story that rewards careful reading and rereading.






View all my reviews