GothamGal takes on Batman and Son

Batman. Ripped from his parents before getting the opportunity for a Father-Son story during his formative years, it is up to Bruce Wayne, himself, to forge a bond with a son of his own. And now, there's officially a blood-related Bat Family.

Talia lures and captures Batman, letting them know of their son and effectively dropping him in Batman's care while she runs off with a hostage–the British Prime Minister's wife. Leaving her son, then her reclaimation of him later makes Batman, and Bruce Wayne, re-examine his own concept of self and of being a parent.

Writer Grant Morrison and penciler Andy Kubert team up with other great talent in the large, 300 + page graphic novel. Those looking for a story that has all of the classic thematic action of a regular (cliched) Batman story will like the multifaceted approach to the Dark Knight.

I really enjoyed the idea of Batman and Son but I can honestly say that there were portions of the story that seemed to be out of place, or just slow things down. I was not too interested in the Joker story–normally I love the back and forth between the two, the 3d graphics seemed a bit off-putting and I felt like I was reading something taht was meant for a video game that was not yet out of beta testing. I did, however, love the idea of more text that breaks away from the regular story in a traditional sense and tells its own story in a masterful way.

While this was not my favorite graphic novel set within the Batman universe, I am happy to have read this one–it gave insight into the upbringing of Damien and allows readers to sympathize and hate him at the same time. I also enjoyed the Future Damian storyine. I always love it when there is a strong, ancilliary female, and reading the Talia line really fit the bill.

While this is not the strongest or the most definitive work in the Batman lexicon, Batman and Son has an essential component to the life and times of Bruce Wayne, aka Batman. And Grant Morrison does it justice. I purchased this from Comixology for under $3–and was happy to snap it up. I almost picked up the physical copy from a local retailer until I remembered I had purchased the ecopy.