However, you'll have to wait til Aug. 22 to pick up the new issue, which was delayed due to the tragedy of the Aurora shooting and what artist Chris Burnham called, "a specific scene that made DC and the whole bat-team say 'Yikes,' too close for comfort."
Grant Morrison is, of course, an A-list comic book writer, though Batman Incorporated is unabashedly pulpy and nostalgic for past eras of The Batman. Yet, for me, this is one of the greatest attributes the comic has going for it, not to mention Burnham's great artwork, which is reminiscent of Frank Quitely's work with Morrison on Batman & Robin. That is by no means a bad thing, and Burnham sets himself apart from Quitely, reminding me on occasion of a toned-down Geoff Darrow. The story starts out focusing on Bruce Wayne's project of corporatizing the idea of the Batman as a world-wide security force, but the more recent issues have narrowed the plot from its large cast of every former-Robin, sidekick, and Batman spin-off character, down to Bruce's immediate family. And it's a blast.
Speaking of pulpiness, I really enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises. Enough to see it twice, though the second viewing suffered from some diminishing returns. Alex Vo over at Rotten Tomatoes gives a review which more or less sums up my own feelings about the movie:
"This is one pulpy movie. Not campy, mind you. The Dark Knight aimed to button the superhero down to reality, but TDKR functions on a grander physical scale. It embraces the outsized comic elements, things like a nuclear bomb plot, a gassy masked villain, and a man who is snapped in two, spending months in the desert to discover his power again. These things are believable, but not particularly realistic (in contrast to TDK being both at the same time). In doing so, the film exits our world and begins to operate on a mythical level. It's really quite easy to escape into this movie. "
Despite my enjoyment of the film, it's badly flawed in a number of ways. This has been clearly pointed out to me by many friends and reviewers over the last week since the film was released. It can be downright dumb, full of plot-holes, and pandering - to the detriment of its very message. This is why I would slightly amend Neil Gaiman's assessment that, "I preferred the last movie, but this is a better Batman movie, and, I suspect, a better film." It seems more accurate to say that The Dark Knight was a better film overall, but The Dark Knight Rises is indeed the better BATMAN film. Whereas Nolan previously made the Batman universe his own, this time around he makes concessions to the mythic quality of the Batman stories. The movie ultimately succeeds for a number of reasons in addition to this. The film's opening sequence (much like The Dark Knight's opening heist scene) is flawless and riveting, while the movie improves upon the comic version of Bane to create a character who is more intriguing and menacing. Also, interestingly enough, the film's big twist/reveal relates quite nicely to the events occurring in Batman Incorporated. The shooting at the midnight premiere of the film in Aurora makes the film's questioning of the necessary evil of violence in the quest for justice resonate all the more. Though not one of the best films released this year, it is bound to be remembered as the most culturally significant.
Next Time, Maybe:
Steed & Mrs. Peel (another helping of Grant Morrison)
and/or
Some sort of home-cooked meal
and/or
The end of RASL (in stores August 1st)
Despite my enjoyment of the film, it's badly flawed in a number of ways. This has been clearly pointed out to me by many friends and reviewers over the last week since the film was released. It can be downright dumb, full of plot-holes, and pandering - to the detriment of its very message. This is why I would slightly amend Neil Gaiman's assessment that, "I preferred the last movie, but this is a better Batman movie, and, I suspect, a better film." It seems more accurate to say that The Dark Knight was a better film overall, but The Dark Knight Rises is indeed the better BATMAN film. Whereas Nolan previously made the Batman universe his own, this time around he makes concessions to the mythic quality of the Batman stories. The movie ultimately succeeds for a number of reasons in addition to this. The film's opening sequence (much like The Dark Knight's opening heist scene) is flawless and riveting, while the movie improves upon the comic version of Bane to create a character who is more intriguing and menacing. Also, interestingly enough, the film's big twist/reveal relates quite nicely to the events occurring in Batman Incorporated. The shooting at the midnight premiere of the film in Aurora makes the film's questioning of the necessary evil of violence in the quest for justice resonate all the more. Though not one of the best films released this year, it is bound to be remembered as the most culturally significant.
Next Time, Maybe:
Steed & Mrs. Peel (another helping of Grant Morrison)
and/or
Some sort of home-cooked meal
and/or
The end of RASL (in stores August 1st)
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