New X-Men by Grant Morrison Ultimate Collection - Book 3

New X-Men by Grant Morrison Ultimate Collection - Book 3 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Assault on Weapon Plus: Wolverine, Cyclops, and Fantomex go looking for the Weapon Plus HQ so Wolverine can access their files and find out who he was before he became Weapon X.

Assault on Weapon Plus was an action-fest. The who shot Emma Frost subplot didn't really move forward at all, though. I liked that Marvel finally had the guts to reveal something about Wolverine's past after more than 30 years.

Planet X: Xorn leads a revolt inside Xavier's school and his true identity is revealed. Meanwhile, Wolverine and Jean Grey are on an asteroid that's headed into the sun, Beast and Emma Frost go down in a plane crash, and Cyclops and Fantomex have crashed a space shuttle into the ocean.

All the seeds Morrison planted earlier in his run have bore fruit. The Phoenix is unleashed, Cyclops steps up, and lots of mutants die. That's about all I can say without spoiling too much.

Here Comes Tomorrow: 150 years into the future, Tom Skylark and his Sentinel Rover have the Phoenix egg and the minions of The Beast will do anything to get it.

Here Comes Tomorrow is to Morrison's X-Men run what Batman #666 is to his Batman run. Instead of a glimpse of Damian as Batman, we get a dark future where The Beast is a maniacal super villain. It was okay but ultimately pointless. It was no Days of the Future Past.

Thus concludes Grant Morrison's run on the X-Men. It wasn't perfect but it was damn good. Too bad a pretty big plot twist was revealed on the cover.



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New X-Men by Grant Morrison Ultimate Collection - Book 2

New X-Men by Grant Morrison Ultimate Collection - Book 2 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Living and Dying: Cerebra guides Xorn to a mutant living with his mother. Unfortunately, the mutant looks like a monster and has been accused of eating a dog.

If I hadn't already had the truth behind Xorn spoiled for me, this would have been a touching story for a superhero comic.

New Worlds: Professor X and Jean Grey try to learn the extent of her power boost, Fantomex demands sanctuary from the X-Corporation, and Cyclops asks Emma Frost for help.

I like what Morrison is doing with the X-Men during his run on the book but I can't help feeling a little sad that they're going to start undoing everything the instant his run is over.

Fantomex: Weapon 12 is unleashed and Fantomex enlists the aid of Professor X and Jean to help him.

This one was a bit slow paced but jumpy at the same time, kind of like Final Crisis would be years later.

Weapon 12: Weapon 12 is running amok and Fantomex and the X-Men try to bring him down.

Fantomex's identity is somewhat revealed and a team member dies. Again, slow paced but good.

Some Angels Falling: The X-Men attended Darkstar's funeral and Emma Frost begins "helping" Cyclops with his marriage.

This was mostly setup for future tales. The most memorable part was actually Angel kissing Beak.

Ambient Magnetic Fields: The X-Men go to Genosha and find a deranged Polaris and several mutants building a monument to Magneto.

It was cool to see Quicksilver acknowledged as Magneto's son and Sabra as a mutant. Other than that, not a whole lot happened.

#133: Wolverine meets Phantomex and someone tries to kill Professor X.

Good stuff. It was cool to see old members of X-Force and Sunfire again. I like how Morrison always brings back lesser known characters, like Sunfire, Warpath, and Feral in this issue.

Kid Omega: Mutant fashion designer Jumbo Carnation is murdered. Quentin Quire starts having big ideas. Beast and Cyclops chat.

This was a setup issue. I think Quentin Quire is going to do big things in the future. Also, I haven't said it before but I love the Stepford Cuckoos, Morrison's homage to John Wyndham's Midwich Cuckoos.

Teaching Children about Fractals: Quentin Quire starts organizing the other young mutants and the drug Kick starts appearing in the school for gifted youngsters.

I like what's happening with Quire and his comrades. I think things will come to a head in another issue or two.

When X is not X: Quentin Quire and his gang wander farther from Xavier's dream. The U-Men disrupt Xorn's camping trip with the remedial class. Cyclops and Emma Frost share a telepathic moment.

Yep, things are coming to a head. Emma Frost is one of my favorite mutants these days.

Riot at Xavier's: Quentin Quire and his gang start a riot on open house day.

The Quentin Quire storyline comes to a head in this one. Emma Frost and the Stepford Cuckoos take center stage.

The Prime of Miss Emma Frost: The Xavier school mourns the death of Sophie in the aftermath of Quentin Quire's riot, Angel is allegedly pregnant with Beak's child, and Jean Grey catches Cyclops and Emma Frost in the act.

The aftermath of the Quentin Quire story was well done, as was the telepathic affair between Emma Frost and Cyclops.

Murder at the Mansion: Jean confronts Emma Frost about what she and Cyclops have been doing.

The alleged affair between Cyclops and Emma Frost is brought to the forefront. The last panel is a shocker and leads nicely into the next issue.

Whodunnit?: Emma Frost has been killed by an assailant with a diamond bullet and Bishop is on the case.

So who killed Emma Frost? I'm still not completely sure. Morrison did a good job using Bishop as the lead in a murder mystery. Beak and Angel's kids were an odd brood. Esme leaving the school was a nice touch, as was hinting that Cyclops was the murderer on the last page. Looks like I'll be tracking down the next volume after all.

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New X-Men, Volume 1

New X-Men, Volume 1 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

E is for Extinction: Convinced that humanity is doomed to be wiped out in three or four generations and replaced by mutants, telepath Cassandra Nova unleashes the Master Mold sentinels on Genosha. Can the X-Men stop her?

I have a confession to make. The last issue of the X-Men I bought before this had Jim Lee doing the art so I was slightly out of the loop. Never the less, I enjoyed the first arc in this collection. The scope and the dialogue are vintage Grant Morrison, as is the shaking up of the status quo a bit by wiping out most of Genosha. Cassandra Nova was a pretty vile villain and I doubt I've seen the last of her. Professor X showed he has testicles like grapefruits in the conclusion of the story.

The Man From Room X: The X-Men got to China to stop a mutant organ trafficking ring, only to run afoul of the U-Men, humans getting grafts from mutants to take their powers.

The second story in the collection had two things going against it for me. It was sideways and Frank Quitley didn't do the art. Other than that, I enjoyed the interplay between Cyclops and Emma Frost. Xorn seemed more like a Doom Patrol character than an X-Man. On a related note, I always thought it was weird when Marvel wooed Vertigo writers away from DC and stuck them on superhero titles.

The third story in the book is untitled as far as I can tell. A bird-faced mutant called Adrien Brody, I mean The Beak, is introduced, Logan and Jean Grey share a moment, and Xavier leaves to spend some time with Llandra and the Shi'ar. It's an okay issue but has some chilling implications at the end. Damn that Cassandra Nova is sinister!

Germ Free Generation: The conflict with John Sublime and the U-Men comes to a conclusion. Emma and Cyclops are captured, Wolverine recruits a bug-winged girl named Angel, and Sublime's forces storm a certain school for gifted youngsters...

This story was well worth the read. The background plot with Cassandra Nova advanced quite a bit, and the John Sublime plot came to conclusion of sorts.

Silence: Psychic Rescue in Progress: Jean Grey and Emma Frost enter Cassandra Nova's mind. What will they find?

This story was fairly brief. There was very little text but what little there was was powerful. The origin of Cassandra Nova was revealed!

Imperial: In the aftermath of learning what transpired between Cassandra Nova, the X-Men prepare for the Shi'ar's arrival on Earth...

Imperial was mostly setup but I have a feeling the payoff is going to be huge. I'm a little surprised that The Gladiator hasn't made an appearance yet.

Testament: Just as the Beast figures out the origin of the flu that's plaguing the school, the Shi'ar Imperial Guard arrive...

Yep. Gladiator showed up. Meanwhile, Cyclops and Xorn are held captive aboard the Shi'ar flagship. Carnage ensues.

Losers: Cyclops and Xorn escape Shi'ar captivity and Jean Grey prepares for the inevitable...

The thing about Grant Morrison that always sparks my interest is how he uses the powers of characters in new ways. In Batman RIP, he infected a bunch of ninjas with the Man-Bat serum. In this book...

I'm excited for the final issue of this collection. With the combined might of the X-Men and the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, I can't see how Cassandra Nova can survive...

All Hell: The story of Cassandra Nova comes to its conclusion...
Yeah, the ending was worthwhile and the trip getting there was completely worth it.

Conclusion: I was eager to see what Grant Morrison would do with the X-Men and I wasn't disappointed. Despite my last exposure to the X-Men being sometime in the mid-90's, I had no trouble following the story. Morrison brought his sense of scope to the title and elevated a bit in my estimation. How many other writers have had a run that included the destruction of Genosha, Xavier's unborn twin, and attempted mutant genocide by the Shi'ar? I give this an easy four and urge fans of both the X-Men and Grant Morrison to seek it out. It's damn good.


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Animal Man, Vol. 1

Animal Man, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Buddy Baker, aka Animal, is a semi-retired super hero and movie stuntman. One day, he decides to return to super hero-ing full time. How will his wife and kids deal with that?

Animal Man isn't one of Grant Morrison's weirder or well-known runs on a title but it's probably the most enjoyable to read. It's a fun book. Buddy struggles with people mistaking him for other super heroes and laments the quality of the super villains he fights. His son thinks his powers are lame. While Buddy is a super hero, his wife is clearly in charge. She asks him why he didn't ask Superman home for dinner. Funny stuff. I think my favorite part of the book is when The Mirror Master invades the Baker home and Ellen kicks him in the balls.

I recommend Animal Man to fans of fun super hero comics, like Madman and early Spider-Man.

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Marvel Boy

Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Kree ship is shot down and Noh-Varr is the only surivor... and is quite pissed! Midas, the man who shot Noh-Varr down, pursues him for the Kree technology in his possession with all of his resources, including his daughter...

Back in the day, I read Wizard magazine (RIP) religiously, even when I wasn't reading comics anymore. Marvel Boy briefly dragged me out of one of my comic hiatuses. Was it worth it? Meh.

The Noh-Varr character was created as a throwback to the days when Namor the Sub-Mariner was wreaking havoc one minute and saving lives the next. Morrison was clearly having fun with his Marvel Boy, gouging swear words into New York by knocking down buildings, etc. Noh-Varr was a fairly original character for a mainstream super-hero comic. He could eat garbage to help hasten his healing process, run up walls, enhanced physical attributes, and had access to cool Kree weaponry.

But didn't you say "Meh?" Yes, I did. While I liked the Noh-Varr character, most of the other characters were pretty bland. Midas had an old set of Iron Man armor but was pretty much your stereotypical villain. Oubliette was okay but not very original. I did like the Bannermen but I don't think they made another appearance.

The ending was okay but I wish Morrison would have done another Marvel Boy miniseries. From what I understand, the character has been nerfed a bit in his subsequent appearances. Like most Morrison comics, he throws a lot of big ideas at you but doesnt' develope most of them. It's a 3 but that's all I could justify giving it.

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Doom Patrol, Vol. 3: Down Paradise Way

Doom Patrol, Vol. 3: Down Paradise Way by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Men from N.O.W.H.E.R.E., a sort of normalcy police, are guided by the most normal man in the world on a quest to destroy Danny the Street, a travelling sentient piece of road who is also a transvestite. Can the Doom Patrol stop them? Where does Flex Mentallo fit into things and where has he been since 1958? And in the second half, Rhea finally wakes from her coma and the Doom Patrol goes to another world to end a war between two alien races. Robotman gets ripped in half and ends up with a spidery lower half. Can the Doom Patrol get the job done and get back home?

In my review for volume two, I said the weirdness knob must have broken off and rolled under the fridge. Well, the broken stem of the knob must still be able to be turned because volume three is even stranger. Rebis has more lines in this one and actually provides a lot of the humor. Robotman continues to feel out of his comfort zone where the weirdness is concerned and provides a little normalcy. Comparatively speaking, of course.

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Doom Patrol, Vol. 2: The Painting That Ate Paris

Doom Patrol, Vol. 2: The Painting That Ate Paris by Grant Morrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second volume of Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run is when the weirdness gets dialed up to eleven and then the knob breaks off and rolls under the fridge. First up are Mr. Nobody and the Brotherhood of Dada on their mad quest for the Painting that Ate Paris, a recursive structure that traps people within. After that, Robotman goes on a journey into Crazy Jane's psyche. The Cult of the unread book are next and finally, Robotman gets a new body, only to have the body gain a consciousness of its own before being attacked by The Brain and Mallah.

I'll say this, Morrison can ladle out the weirdness. I love that Robotman is the most normal member of the Doom Patrol. The villains introduced in this volume are very surreal but would still be right at home in the Doom Patrol's silver age run. While lots of interesting things happened, my favorite would have to be the kiss between Monsieur Mallah and The Brain. Out of curiousity, is it gay if a talking male gorilla kisses a robot that houses a man's brain?

Great stuff from Morrison. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

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Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage

Doom Patrol, Vol. 1: Crawling from the Wreckage by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I've reviewed Showcase

Presents Doom Patrol Volume 1 and Umbrella Academy Volume 1 recently, I thought I'd give the series that fills the gap (of sorts) between them a try, Grant Morrison's renowned Doom Patrol run.

The book starts with Robotman in a mental institution after the Patrol's recent hardships. Robotman meets Crazy Jane, a woman with 64 personalities, each with a different super power. Meanwhile, Negative Man undergoes a bizarre transformation when the Negative Spirit merges with his body and with that of his doctor, an African American female doctor, to form Rebis. As Caulder rebuilds the Doom Patrol, chaos ensues when a fictional reality encroaches on ours and the Scissormen invade. The second story is much stranger than the first. The Doom Patrol encounters Red Jack, a psychotic butterfly torturer that lives in an unescapable house with no windows. He proceeds to hand the Doom Patrol's asses to them.

The weirdness starts as a trickle and quickly becomes a torrent. While this first volume certainly isn't the weirdest of Morrison's run, it's definitly up there with the silver age series. Rebis is one of the more original characters in comics, though I do miss Negative Man a bit. The thing I like most is that while it's a strange book, it's not that much different than the first series. The Doom Patrol are fairly dysfunctional but still act as a family. It's odd that Robotman is the Patrol's most normal member. And why does Robotman wear clothes anyway?

I'd recommend this to fans of odd comics and also fans of the new weird. The Doom Patrol's surreal enemies and the bizarre locales they inhabit should appeal to them.


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The Filth

The Filth by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who is Greg Feely? Is he a loser whose entire life consists of taking care of his cat and masturbating? Or is he Ned Slade, agent of a secret society called The Hand that safeguards the world against anti-people?

Writing the X-Men must have made Grant Morrison suppress his weird urges because The Fifth is one of the more bizarre comics I've ever read and is in my top three Morrison reads. It's like a cross between Morrison's The Invisibles and Preacher by Garth Ennis, possibly with a bit of Warren Ellis' The Authority thrown in. The Filth started out as a proposal for a Nick Fury comic Grant Morrison wanted to do for Marvel. It's a good thing he didn't because none of this stuff would have been allowed in the Marvel Universe.

I don't even know where to start with this. Agent Nil shows up at Greg Feely's house and tells him he's an agent of The Hand, a secret organization that protects the world. Something happened on Slade's last mission and he doesn't remember his past as Slade at all, only his pathetic life as Greg Feely, a life that isn't his but he can't seem to put behind him as he chases bad guys like Max Thunderstone and Spartacus Hughes.

The level of strangeness in The Filth is off the charts, even for the man who's known for strangeness in The Invisibles and The Doom Patrol. There's a Russian chimp named Dmitri who acquired super intelligence when launched into space and became a KGB assassin, the same assassin who shot JFK. There's Richard Nixon, still alive and suspended in a bubble of fluid. There's a gargantuan severed hand at the bottom ocean clutching a pen whose ink has mutating properties. And those are all the good guys.

Don't get me started on Tex Porneau, the Pornomancer who sends an army of gigantic sperm out to impregnate the women of the world, or The World's Wealthiest Pervert, or the Greg Feely who steps into Ned's life when he's out saving the world. Seriously, there's so many weird concepts flying around in this thing it's unbelievable; dolphins driving cars, city size cruise ships, carnivorous vehicles, you name it.

That's about all I can say. My brain's a bit jammed at the moment. Oh, the art is pretty good. If you like your comics weird, this one is for you.

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JLA: Earth 2

JLA: Earth 2 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A rocket crashes in the countryside and out climbs... Lex Luthor? Alexander Luthor hails from the anti-matter universe and implores the Justice League to help him overthrow their evil selves. Can the JLA stop their most powerful foes to date?

Remember the mirror universe episode of Star Trek where Spock had the goatee? Earth 2 is the super hero version of that, after a fashion. It reads a little like Squadron Supreme in that the evil versions of the JLA have set themselves up as the rules of the anti-matter Earth.

Superman becomes Ultraman, a tyrant empowered by Kryptonite
Batman becomes Owlman, Thomas Wayne Junior who starts a life of crime after seeing his mother and brother gunned down.
Wonder Woman becomes Superwoman, a sadistic sexy Amazon.
Flash becomes Johnny Quick, who gets his super powers from an addictive drug.
Green Lantern becomes Power Ring, a coward with a ring that controls him.

Aquaman and Martian Manhunter stay behind on Earth so they conveniently don't have counterparts.

The story is pretty standard super hero fare, although Morrison turns the dial up a few notches. While Green Lantern extraordinaire Kyle Rayner holds the Syndicate hostage, the rest of the JLA work to undo the evil the Syndicate has wrought. When the Syndicate escapes and makes its way to the JLA's Earth, the carnage goes off the chart.

For the most part, it's a lot of mindless superhero fun on a grand scale. While I thought the logic went off the rails at times, I loved when the main villain was revealed. The contrast between the Crime Syndicate and the Justice League was nicely done. I'd read an Owlman/Superwoman book.

While the logic of the story falls apart at the end, it was still entertaining for what it was. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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Superman: Action Comics, Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel

Superman: Action Comics, Vol. 1: Superman and the Men of Steel by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

General Lane and Lex Luthor team up to capture the new super hero calling himself Superman. But is the deal Luthor has made with an alien intelligence worth the price?

I know this is the comic book equivalent of blasphemy but I've never much cared for Superman. In fact, his death and/or replacement is about the only thing that's ever made me buy his books i n the monthly format. When the New 52 hit, I thought Superman might have suddenly become interesting. Did he?

Yes. Grant Morrison returned Superman to his roots in this volume. Gone is the near omnipotence that I've found boring for decades. He's much more like one of his inspirations, Hugo Danner of Philip Wylie's Gladiator. He can be hurt. Not only that, he actually has a personality for a change. Grant Morrison has taken Superman and made him a crusader and activist of sorts.

The stories in this volume are okay to pretty good. They suffer from a bit of Morrison-itis. A ton of things going on, not a lot of focus. Still, Morrison reintroduces a ton of classic Superman characters and concepts in this volume and actually makes Superman a fairly fresh and interesting character for the first time since John Byrne's reboot in 1986. I like what he's done to freshen up Lois, Jimmy, and the Daily Planet. Not too sure about the adult Legion of Superheroes yet but we'll see.

The artwork is very good, the best Superman's had in years. I actually like the t-shirt and jeans costume quite a bit. The costume minus the red underroos seems incomplete. Maybe it needs some black or something.

Like I said, this is probably as interested in a Superman comic as I'm ever going to get. Maybe dying won't wind up being the best thing to ever happen to the Superman character by the time Morrison's run has finished. At the end of the day, though, it's still Superman. 3.5 stars.

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Batman R.I.P.

Batman R.I.P. by Grant Morrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Batman gets cut by one of the Black Glove's minions on the first page, drugging him in the process. A little later, Jezebel Jet (who wouldn't have spotted a girl named Jezebel as being linked with the villains?) utters a code word Dr. Hurt implanted in Batmans' subconscious during an isolation experiment years ago (see Batman: The Black Glove) and the shit hits the fan. The Bruce Wayne part of Batman's psyche is completely eclipsed by the Batman portion. Batman goes on a rampage in a patchwork costume and finally catches up to the Black Glove at Arkham Asylum. He's consequently defeated and buried alive. But even being buried alive isn't enough to stop Batman...

I didn't like this one as much as the The Black Glove and here's why. First of all, you knew the vague ending was letting the door open for Bruce Wayne to return, even though Nightwing looked pretty impressive in the final shot holding Batman's cowl. Secondly, the two stories that followed, also in this volume, showed Batman surviving the helicopter crash. God forbid the fanboys think Batman might be dead for longer than ten minutes. THEN, Batman is "killed" by Darkseid in Final Crisis. It seems like they would have been better off leaving him "dead" at the end of RIP. The ending was vague enough that a return would have been believeable. However they end up bringing him back after Final Crisis (and they will) is going to be hokey as hell.

I'd highly recommend skipping the last two stories in this book. If you do and never read another Batman comic again, you can pretend something actually happened. Otherwise, it's just another example of why comics will never rise above their pro-wrestling type status with the general public. Nothing ever really happens that won't be undone later.

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Batman: The Black Glove

Batman: The Black Glove by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The reason most people grow out of reading superhero comics is that nothing ever changes for long. Inevitably, everything eventually returns to the status quo. Enter Grant Morrison.

I've been a fan of Grant Morrison's work for quite some time. From Animal Man to The Doom Patrol to the Invisibles to Marvel Boy. His appeal for me is the same as Roger Zelazny's: he has so many ideas flying off the page at the same time. I started picking up Batman because I had a hunch Morrison would shake things up. In his first few issues, he had Batman's illegitimate son turn up and had an army of ninjas injected with the Man-Bat serum. That's what led me to continue reading, which brings us to The Black Glove.

The Black Glove starts with Batman meeting a group called the International League of Hero on a reclusive billionaire's private island. From what I gather, the League first made its appearance in a Batman story in 50's. Anyway, one member of the League isn't what he appears to be and starts killing the other members in a pretty good story.

The second story involves someone Batman trained as possible replacement going haywire and nearly killing Batman. Batman hallucinates/has flashbacks of an ritual he went through in the Himalayas as well as an isolation experiment he took part in. Eventually Batman recovers and things get settled.

The third story does little more than set up the next arc, Batman RIP. Bruce Wayne and his love interest, Jezebel Jet, are attacked by terrorists and Jet discovers Bruce is Batman in the process.

The common thread of these three stories is the Black Glove, a secret organization that has its sights set on taking down Batman. I won't go into how they are involved so as not to spoil the story. Needless to say, they are a foe unlike any Batman has faced.

To sum up, if you're a fan of Batman movies, you'll like this. Morrison's Batman is the most like the movie Batman than any other writer's depiction.

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Batman and Son

Batman and Son by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the middle of a story involving man-bat ninjas, among other things, Ra's Al Ghul's daughter dumps a ten year old brat off at the Batcave, saying he's Batman's son. Damian, raised by the League of Assassins, shakes things up immediately and raises the ire of Robin. Who will emerge as Batman's heir?

I swore I reviewed this when I read it but apparently I didn't. Morrison picks up a plot thread left over from the twenty year old Son of the Demon story and runs with it. Damian, Batman's alleged offspring, is a colossal prick and provides a nice contrast to the usual Batman and Robin relationship. Overall, I liked the story but it wasn't a masterpiece. The most memorable part for me was the Man-Bat ninja's and Damian decapitating the main villain. The future story where Damian is Batman was kind of pointless being that it will immediately be invalidated when Morrison stops writing Batman. In all likelihood, so will Damian's place as Batman's son, for that matter.

Not a bad read but pretty pricey in hardcover. It's a must read for people that are fans of Morrison's run with Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin.

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Batman & Robin, Vol 3: Batman & Robin Must Die!

Batman & Robin, Vol 3: Batman & Robin Must Die! by Grant Morrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Joker and Dr. Hurt wage an all out war against each other as Gotham burns. Can they make Dick and Damian look sufficiently like chumps in time for Bruce Wayne to return and save the day?

As you can tell by my brief and sarcastic synopsis, I didn't think much of this Batman collection. It showcases the entire problem with Morrison's run on Batman and Robin: when no attempt is made to make the readers accept Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin, does it really matter much when they bring Bruce back? Not to me.

Sure, the plot had a lot of potential, just like Dick and Damian's run as Batman and Robin. I love the idea of Batman and Robin teaming up with the Joker in order to take down Dr. Hurt and the Black Glove. Too bad it sucked for the most part. As with a lot of Grant Morrison's stuff, too much is going on and not enough of it is a good story.

The word "genius" gets thrown around almost as easily as comparisons to Hitler. Leonardo DaVinci was a genius. Einstein was a genius. Grant Morrison is not. He's just a little more willing to take risks than many of today's comic book writers. Sometimes, his risks pay off and a memorable story results, like Batman and Son or even the first Batman and Robin volume. In this book, the risks did not and wound up seeming like a confusing waste of time.

While I'm griping, I'm just going to say that the whole Batman Incorporated concept would work if Bruce Wayne wasn't publicly funding it. Way to conceal your identity, world's greatest detective!

Still, this volume has a few good moments. The Joker is in fine form and Damian managed to entertain me. Dick even had his moments when he wasn't being made to look like a chump. Bruce Wayne's return would have been more enjoyable had it not come at the expense of the rest of the story (and not been so hokey, as I've been told The Return of Bruce Wayen was).

That's that. I'm pretty much done with Grant Morrison on Batman. Save your money for Scott Snyder's run.

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Batman & Robin, Vol 2: Batman vs. Robin

Batman & Robin, Vol 2: Batman vs. Robin by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Batman takes Bruce Wayne's corpse to a Lazarus pit. Damian returns and he and Batman investigate clues to Bruce Wayne's whereabouts. But who is Oberon Sexton and why is Damian acting so strangely?

Dick Grayson's run as Batman continues. He and Damian seem less like chumps in this one but Bruce Wayne, even "dead," still has them playing second fiddle.

The stories are pretty good. The Domino Killer case continues, Talia Al Ghul gets some screen time, and an old enemy of Dick's has a fairly prominent role. Still, it feels like it's mostly setting the stage for Bruce Wayne's inevitable return more than anything else.

It still has its moments, though, like the revelation of Oberon Sexton's identity and Damian's body getting usurped. It could have used a consistent artist, though. I'm not a huge fan of Frank Quitly but his art gave the first one a unified feel. This one feels really disjointed by comparison.

Three stars but definitely on the low end of the threes.

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Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Batman Reborn

Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Batman Reborn by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Batman Reborn: In their first case as Batman & Robin, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne take on Professor Pyg and the Circus of the Strange.

I'll be honest, despite reading comics off and on for the last 30-ish years, I haven't read all that many Batman comics. When I heard Grant Morrison was doing the Batman monthly, that's when I got on board. Batman and Robin is Morrison at his best.

Remember when Bane broke Batman's back and they replaced him with someone who wasn't Dick Grayson? Well, Morrison didn't make that mistake. I love the dynamic between Dick and Damian. Damian saying "That will be all, Pennyworth" made me laugh when I read it, even the second time. For once, Batman is the lighthearted member of the dynamic duo. Professor Pyg is pretty creepy and made a good first foe for Batman and Robin. Other things I liked: the flying Batmobile and the paracapes.

Revenge of the Red Hood: While looking for the man behind Professor Pyg, Batman & Robin run up against a different dynamic duo, The Red Hood and Scarlet.

I didn't like this one as much as the first story. Batman and Robin were made to look like chumps, which is no way to get the fan boys behind them this early in their run. On the plus side, Flamingo seemed like a very credible threat in his first outing. Jason Todd chewed the scenery as always but he and Scarlet contrasted well with Dick and Damian.

The sketches in the back provided an interesting look behind the scenes.

So what gripes did I have? Only that I know all of this will be nullified when whomever follows Morrison on the title hits the reset button on everything so no one will ever have to read interesting Batman stories again.

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Fantastic Four: 1234

Fantastic Four: 1234 by Grant Morrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As Dr. Doom picks off the members of the Fantastic Four one at a time with help from Namor and the Mole Man, Reed Richards is cooped up in his lab. Can he find a way to stop Doom? And will he stop him if he can?

For a Grant Morrison story, 1234 is pretty straight forward. Dr. Doom is manipulating reality and trying to destroy the Fantastic Four. The Thing ends up human minus an arm, Sue gets entangled with Namor, and Johnny falls victim to the Mole Man.

Despite being pretty well written, I didn't find the story to have much substance. Grant Morrison's known for throwing a lot of big ideas around and that's what I expected from this one. Besides hints that Dr. Doom is part of Reed Richards' subconscious, there was very little of that here. Reed's role in the story reminded me of a condensed version of what Blackbolt did in the Inhumans miniseries by Jae Lee and Paul Jenkins.

The artwork was pretty good but I've seen better from Jae Lee both before and since. I guess my main gripe with 1234 is that neither creator really lived up to my expectations. It was still enjoyable but really nothing special.

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