Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Lee Garbett; Trevor Scott; Guy Major; & Jared K. Fletcher
Cover Art by Alex Ross
SUMMARY:
Published by DC Comics for January 2009, it’s entitled “The Butler Did It.” As the second-to-last installment of the Last Rites storyline, an abducted Batman’s torture includes being mind-searched by his mysterious captors attempting to unlock his most privately guarded secrets. This issue serves as one of the final lead-ins for Batman’s entry into Morrison’s muddled epic known as Final Crisis.
Depicting Batman’s evolution from the day Bruce Wayne first conceived his alter ego, there are glimpses of the Dark Knight’s original storylines. After Bruce’s relationship with Julie Madison ends, Dick Grayson becomes his surrogate son. It’s revealed that Batman’s captors have secretly plugged a Clayface-like parasite, the Lump, into his mind to trigger certain memories. Their sinister game plan is to collate a drugged Batman’s memories and biological data to serve as the basis for an army of cloned Batmen. Yet, a defenseless Batman’s psyche must defy the gruesome planned fate awaiting him.
Note: Though an image isn’t included with this comic, a variant cover by artists Tony S. Daniel and Guy Major features the Joker.
REVIEW:
Writer Grant Morrison delivers an intriguing overview of Batman’s career (dating back to the Golden Age), as seen through a stream-of-consciousness dream/nightmare. Supported by artist Lee Garbett’s capable visuals, Morrison coherently delivers the goods without relying too heavily on graphic depictions of Batman’s torture. As long as readers have some prior knowledge of this storyline, Batman # 682 is certainly worth the read. The Alex Ross cover is a major plus!
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
A thumbnail cover for Batman # 683 is revealed in the single-page DC Nation column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE
