batman inc 10 coverBATMAN INC. 10
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham
Publisher: DC
Reviewer: Rob Patey (aka Optimous Douche – Ain’t It Cool News)

All right comic fans here’s one where the WTF pays off. How fandom will feel about Bruce’s self-inflicted transformation into literal Bat will no doubt resonate from loathing to loving, but none the less you will be surprised.

Honestly, the cover only portrays 1/3 WTF, Bruce doesn’t just gear up for his final battle with Talia by visiting Dr. Langstrom. There are a few other stops that happen in-between filled with end-game dialog as Morrison once again implodes the Bat-Universe.

This issue actually opens with Bruce visiting his old friend Azrael. We don’t quite know the end-game yet, but this moment resonated for the simple reason Morrison finally calls to light the corporate and logical fallacies of Bruce Wayne officially funding BATMAN. Azrael mentions being part of BATMAN INC. as Bruce explains the liquidation of this Kimono opening entity. I don’t know if this was the end game all along for the concept, or an acknowledgement of fan-boy decrying. Either way, I wasn’t expecting it and I applaud either Morrison or DC for hearing our voices and not playing ostrich. Just so you don’t feel bad for Azrael, he does get deputized.

Next stop, Lucius Fox. Here we see Lucius poorly handle the public embarrassment of BATMAN INC. slush-fund like corporate provisioning and then equip Bruce with some battle tech with s much aggressive torque it has injured every other operator.

Then finally Bruce gets spot o’ Langstrom’s gene splicing juice. I wondered months ago why Langstrom was the Batman second stringer anointed for resurrection and here’s the answer. A final panel of Bat-Bat-Azrael-Mechadroid swooping straight at the mouth of Leviathan. Uhhh…I should mention Burnham’s visual is far more enticing than my description.

Before we get to that scene the rest of the book is all Talia all the time. Talia tormenting her son, her imprisoned Father and herself as Ra’s raises a possible chink in her grand plans’ armor.

Morrison is never afraid to crank things to 11, sometimes it’s wonderful like BATMAN INC. and sometimes it’s not. No matter what though, he takes to the limit. You can’t sustain a supernova forever of course so while I’m sad to see his star go dark, Bruce has already earned a break and we still have a few issues to go.