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Posted by Kris Bather
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10:05 AM Wednesday, 07 November 2007 |
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 This issue is the beginning of a new Batman x-over. The title tells you all you need to know-The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul. The Dark Knight and family haven't had a x-over in some time, but he has had some great ones over the years. Contagion, No Man's Land and best of all the entire KnightsEnd saga when Bruce Wayne had his back broken by Bane and was temporarily replaced by the zealot Azrael. Ah, good times. There has been a lot of focus lately on the latest X-Men x-over, Messiah CompleX, but for my money Bats is the x-over king. KnightsEnd is the perfect example. It took 2 years to tell and is the longest x-over in comics history. This arc won't be as long, but hopefully just as exciting and action packed. Grant Morrison is a great writer and to see him on Batman's adventures is almost as fun as seeing Jim Lee's pencils during the Hush storyline that put Bats back on the top of the sales charts. This tale is a welcome change of pace from Morrison's last 3 issue arc with the Batmen of many nations. Here we have a more standard Batman adventure. But standard in the Dark Knight's world is anything but boring.
Guest stars abound, including Talia (al Ghul's daughter and mother of Damian, Batman's newly discovered son) and I-Ching (from the glory days of Wonder Woman's re-invention decades ago). I must say the addition of Damian to the ever growing Batman family is a surprising, but welcome one. He's a brat to be sure, but he just wants to please his Dad and let everyone know how tough he is at the same time. But beating up Robin (Tim Drake) in order to take his place, a few issues ago is not the way to his father's heart. This is a good set up for the arc, as Ra's returns from the dead looking like a mummy and wanting to inhabit Damian's body and coming in to conflict with Talia because of it. Batman talks to I-Ching about spiritual matters concerning resurrection and a monk looking fellow called Sensei hangs out in Nanda Parbat which is made to look like the opening scenes in Batman Begins, complete with similarly garbed assassins. I hate it when DC do that. It's evident in the Superman titles too, with attempts to make their books reflect appearances in the movies. It's really not necessary. Comics don't need to ride the coat tails of films that are in the public eye for an opening weekend. Come on DC! Wake up! These characters can stand on their own, and have for decades. Anyway, back to the book. I'm looking forward to where this story goes in Morrison's hands, but Tony Daniel's art in this prelude is a disappointment. The Bat books have had way too many average artists on them over the years. With the quality of stories the Dark Knight invades, he deserves better. I'm sure with a classic villain done right this will be a story worth following. Al Ghul deserves the spotlight and any story centred on him will surely be an epic. So if you only know Ra's from his disappointing and off-the-mark cameo in Batman Begins, grab this series and discover the Demon's Head in all his glory.
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