Batman Incorporated #6
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Chris Burnham and Nathan Fairbairn
Lettering by Pat Brosseau
Published by DC Comics
It was ironic that recent installments of Batman Incorporated made mention of the concept of Ouroboros (a snake that eats its own tail, forming a never-ending loop), because with the past couple of issues the book was similarly close to disappearing into itself. However, with this issue, things seem to be getting back on track and returning the title to the "short, punchy stories" that writer Grant Morrison promised when the title was first announced.
From cover to gloriously intricate final double-page, Batman Incorporated #6 is a perfect illustration of the concept of Bruce Wayne's war-on-crime going global, and is long overdue, possibly to the point where it should have been the opening issue. Using a meeting in Gotham's underworld as a framing device, we're given a rollicking, globetrotting tour of the current set-up of Batman's army in an issue so densely packed that it's hard to pick out the highlights. I'll give it my best shot though: highlights include Batman trolling on the internet, Cassandra Cain making a re-appearance in a new guise, and more overtly sinister clues to what global terror organization Leviathan's plans are.
To counter this, the reader is shown that as always Batman has a fair idea of the enemy he faces, and this information is shared off-panel with his closest allies in no less than three occasions in this book. Keeping the readers one step behind the characters in this manner is a smart narrative trick that teases us to the point where we're dying to know what's actually going on, and so demands that we keep up. Tellingly, characters that seemed one-note and disposable from last year's Batman: The Return make an appearance, if only to underscore a point: both Grant Morrison and Batman are preparing for something huge, and they will need everyone they can get.
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