Batman and Son

Batman and Son was my first foray into the writing of Grant Morrison, either on Batman or anything else. This paperback was given to me as a birthday present from a very dear friend, a Batman aficionado who not only shares my interest in the Dark Knight, but also has refined it to such a level that he has become my mentor in all things Gotham (and comics in general, to be quite honest).

First and foremost, I loved the book (as can be seen by the 5-star rating). It did, though, take some time to catch up to the flow of Morrison's writing. I am not sure if this was a function of the writing itself, or more to my growing knowledge of the graphic novel. I am still a bit of a newbie to the genre. After realizing the need to infer parts of the narrative through the art as well as “common sense”, the story unfolded for me quite naturally and proved to be very exciting, even as an obvious set-up for more on each of the characters.

In terms of characters, Talia remains mysterious, which is as it should be. Damian, Batman's son, is as socially maladjusted as any character I've encountered, which I am sure is by design. The Bethlehem chapter - which I think is Damian filling the Batman role - is (if I am correct) a disturbing look into what Damian's objectives may be.

Themes throughout the book show Batman/Bruce Wayne's sense of duty, but also his capability for love and connection. Most depictions show Bruce as a playboy, only really feeling love for Alfred and his parents. It is nice to see the seeds of a deeper connection for both Bruce and Batman. For Batman, the journeys may become about more than redemption, revenge, and protecting the innocent (just for the sake of it). In a vacuum, with a son with altruistic intentions, how would the Dark Knight reconcile (or re-think) his actions knowing the potential ramifications on a protege? With Damian's seemingly questionable objectives...who knows?

The book's art is more than adequate to convey the story. I have grown to expect the very dark look and feel of the Batman story, so at times, the art in Batman and Son felt more to me like traditional cartoon-y comic art versus the darker, more angular version. It was certainly not to the point of distraction. Perhaps a subtle change in the art as the story evolves (e.g., a little darker art when Damian's plans are hatched with brighter art as his relationship with Bruce/Batman grows) would be helpful. But...I fully admit that I am not in a position to make such a comic on a graphic novel...I have so much more to learn!

Batman and Son most certainly lived up to my expectations and didn't disappoint. I look forward to continuing the story with The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul.