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BATMAN, INCORPORATED #9

• The fallout from last month’s shocking turn of events has Batman on the run!

• Is The Dark Knight a murderer?

Story by Grant Morrison
Art by Chris Burnham & Jason Masters
Colors by Nathan Fairbairn
Letters by Dave Sharpe
Cover by Chris Burnham & Nathan Fairbairn

Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 14.1%

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Comments

  1. Avatar photo GaviinNansoong says:
    March 25, 2013 at 4:26 pm

    So much expectation on these final four issues, this is a great cover

  2. Avatar photo markavo says:
    March 25, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    The Dark Knight has to be a murderer according to our (USA) current legal system. There have been many times where an individual was beaten in a fight and then later died from trauma related to the injury – brain swelling, hypertension, blood clot, undiagnosed heart condition, clogged arteries etc. The person that hit that individual is usually charged with at least involuntary manslaughter. There is no way Batman hasn’t “accidentally” killed someone.

    • Avatar photo manwithoutbeer says:
      March 25, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      Good point. He’s also killed on purpose. In the early issues of Detective Comics (1939) he kills all over the place. The only other times I can think of are in Batman: The Cult, where he chops someone up with an axe AND machine guns someone to death (under hallucinogens), and in All-Star Batman blowing up cop cars with cops inside them (gotta be dead).

    • Avatar photo WheelHands says:
      March 26, 2013 at 5:00 pm

      Who cares.

      What’s important is that he’s never made a conscious decision to murder anyone in cold blood. Try to imagine how difficult that would be for someone with his abilities going toe-to-toe with the worst kind of people this world has to offer.

      In any war, there will always be collateral damage.

    • Avatar photo Scarlet-Batman says:
      March 28, 2013 at 12:22 am

      Well, if the Tax Payers actually gave a decent salary to their police officers, and the federal government stepped in to help out and there was a concerted effort to root out corruption, then there wouldn’t be a need for Batman.

      Can you imagine the crime rate in a city that would justify the existence of not one but a whole family of vigilantes?

  3. Avatar photo MrWilson says:
    March 25, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    The solutions easy: Its comics not real life.

  4. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    March 25, 2013 at 4:50 pm

    Fuck it, lets have some more death & kill everyone. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

  5. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    March 25, 2013 at 10:07 pm

    If Morrison is going to take the direction of, ‘Well Robin was a kid and you did let him die so we gotta arrest you’ sort of route with Gordon….That would make the story much more interesting. Don’t think that has been covered in a Bat book yet.

    • Avatar photo manwithoutbeer says:
      March 25, 2013 at 11:04 pm

      Exactly how Batman Inc. #1 starts out.

    • Avatar photo Monocyte says:
      March 26, 2013 at 10:56 am

      ^ “That’s interesting, man. That’s interesting.” -my best Dude impression

    • Avatar photo APoetSomeday says:
      March 27, 2013 at 10:18 am

      That makes a lot of sense. In fact, if you go back and read ‘Robin: Year One’ and ‘Batman’ 408 – 409 (which I’ll assume is at least PARTLY canon for now since it deals with the introduction of ‘Post Crisis’ Jason Todd), the Gordon character has always been extremely concerned for Robin’s safety. In fact, in the Robin book, he actually threatens Batman with reprisals should anything happen to Robin.

      Now, I guess we get to see how that plays out.

    • Avatar photo manwithoutbeer says:
      March 27, 2013 at 4:52 pm

      I read Robin: Year One recently, and I LOVE how the mind-controlled “Alice’s” correlate with Professor Pyg’s dolls in Batman and Robin. Funny how Morrison gives that story so much more impact, which I predict he’s gonna do to Dark Knight Returns when this is finished…

    • Avatar photo APoetSomeday says:
      March 27, 2013 at 8:34 pm

      Robin: Year One is BOSS! Chuck Dixon doesn’t get nearly enough respect, but that guy is a real pro.

  6. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    March 26, 2013 at 2:17 am

    One question: Closed casket or cremation?

    • Avatar photo WheelHands says:
      March 26, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      Neither.

      Lazarus Pit.

      Or more test tubes full of Batsperm.

    • Avatar photo AmirCat says:
      March 26, 2013 at 6:48 pm

      He has already been in the pit right?

      I guess it’s nature vs. nurture. I wonder when he comes back, will it be like Angel from Uncanny X-men where his memory is wiped.

    • Avatar photo WheelHands says:
      March 26, 2013 at 8:19 pm

      I don’t remember him being in the pit. I think Kate’s the only one who’s been in a pit during Morrison’s run. I haven’t re-read Inc. yet, and I dropped off B&R some time ago. So it’s possible that Damien’s been in a pit and I either forgot or didn’t read it.

      I just meant sometime in the future. Even if Morrison seals it as tight as he can, somewhere down the line they’ll squeeze in a loophole for Damien’s eventual return. Even Grant Morrison isn’t immune to the inevitability of superhero comics.

      *cough* Xorn *cough*

    • Avatar photo manwithoutbeer says:
      March 27, 2013 at 4:56 pm

      And even if that happens, we’re gifted with the ability to choose our own continuity.

      Xorn was always the real Magneto. Magneto is still dead. It’s this good-guy Magneto who’s the imposter!

  7. Avatar photo poopyfacetomatonose says:
    March 26, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    I’m gonna be so bummed when Morrison is done with his Batman run. It’s been great and it’s the run that got me into comics.

  8. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    March 26, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    Looking forward to this.

    I’m actually more excited to see how the story wraps up than to see more ramifications of Damien’s death.

  9. Avatar photo JRock says:
    March 26, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    To be honest I think the death of Robin should have been covered across all Bat titles. I don’t read Batman Incorp. and seriously thought I missed something on my previous books.

    I am not a fan of how DC is handling this. In my opinion this could have been much much cooler, now it feels like a sales ploy or after thought.

    • Avatar photo WheelHands says:
      March 27, 2013 at 2:06 am

      The death was covered, or at least addressed, in all the bat titles. Are you saying that you wish it HAPPENED in all the bat titles? Because, if so, that’s a little silly. That’s not really how this works.

      It’s one thing to be disappointed if a big event occurred outside of your pull list, but the fact that you weren’t reading the book in which it occurred doesn’t make it a sales ploy or an afterthought. This particular death was done by the writer who created the character, in the book that wraps up his seven year run on the character. It could not have happened in a more appropriate place.

    • Avatar photo APoetSomeday says:
      March 27, 2013 at 10:26 am

      Agreed.

      Every Bat-title with ‘Requiem’ on the cover features a story that somehow ties in to Damian’s death.

      ‘Batman & Robin’ 18 was a silent issue that dealt with Bruce’s grief spectacularly. The idea that the pain of losing a child was literally ‘beyond words’ made this issue incredibly momentous and moving to read.

      ‘Batman’ 18 had Batman driving himself to the very limits of endurance until Harper Row reappeared and, very movingly, talked some sense into him.

      ‘Nightwing’ 18 had Dick grieving at Damian’s grave for several pages.

      I think ‘Detective’ had one too, but that’s not on my pull list. I only read it occasionally. ‘Batgirl’ 18 features the titualr heroine crying next to a little robin, but again, I didn’t read that one. The only Bat-book I can think of off the top of my head that didn’t deal with the death is Gregg Hurwitz’ ‘Dark Knight’ book, which is in the middle of a Mad Hatter story that presumably takes place sometime before ‘Batman Inc’ Issue 8.

      If you feel that the death hasn’t been handled strongly or broadly enough, I respectfully suggest you check out some of those issues. They were all very poignant and moving.

  10. Avatar photo APoetSomeday says:
    March 27, 2013 at 10:38 am

    Here are some of my thoughts on this issue:

    That cover blew me away. Absolutely incredible. It reminded me of a similar ‘Hitman’ cover from years ago that I was lucky enough to get signed by artist John McCrea and remains one of my favorite comics ever. Burnham gets better every issue.

    Squire as the new Knight, eh? It could only end that way. I was damned happy to see that.

    Tim Drake driving a tank? Off the funking chain!

    Nice to see that Ellie girl again (the one who used to be a hooker back in ‘Batman & Son’ and reappeared in ‘Batman R.I.P – The Missing Chapter’).

    Holy sh!t – Did Bruce just sack Alfred’s ass!?

    I really, really wanted Dick to kill that Bat-Bitch, the Fatherless.

    The Funeral (Fight Club style) “I think this is about where we came in.

    All told, another great issue, but I’m still really upset that Damian is dead. I don’t want to read about the death of an 11-year-old. In any setting. I just don’t.

  11. jsa1036 says:
    March 27, 2013 at 2:07 pm

    I feel like Damian’s personality (at least the early Batman and Son version of Damian) is starting to come out in the Heretic a little more. What with constantly him calling Talia “mother” and everything. Maybe he becomes the 666 Batman?

  12. Avatar photo GaviinNansoong says:
    March 27, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    Another great great issue, I’m so invested in this story now.

  13. Avatar photo manwithoutbeer says:
    March 27, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    Stunning issue. On the same plane of excellence as issues 1, 2, and 5. I’m sure that the last 3 will be nothing short of amazing.

  14. Avatar photo J-Nel says:
    March 27, 2013 at 5:25 pm

    Wow! I’m still loving this and loving myself for rereading the original “Incorporated” series recently. It’s all coming together…

  15. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    March 27, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    This was fantastic.

    It was like the issue started off with a dull roar that was deafening by the end. I cannot wait to watch this all come to a close.

    Grant, I hate to see ya go but I love to watch ya leave.

  16. Avatar photo Xajoshua says:
    March 27, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Moo!

  17. Avatar photo seanxxo says:
    March 27, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    The bat-cow page broke my heart a lil’ bit.

  18. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    March 27, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    Apart from the Bat-Cow moment there isn’t much that made me think this was a great issue.

    This felt rushed in both the art and story. We quickly had to get Bruce and the others away from Wayne tower without much of an explanation. (Yes, Tim helped with the tank but it felt like a Dues Ex to run away) The art by Burnham looked pretty rushed in a lot of places and that Jason Masters art….Yeesh that was bad. It seems like as this series builds to something it is something to be desired. But when the story FINALLY gets to the climax? It’s amazing! Whatever Morrison is building to the end it will probably be better than this issue.

    2.5/5

  19. Avatar photo mrmarky says:
    March 27, 2013 at 11:34 pm

    This was a great issue. All though I think it would have been great if Bruce was yelling Moooooooooooo! on the last page.

  20. Avatar photo adrianrigter says:
    March 28, 2013 at 1:22 am

    “TAKE A VACATION” daaaamn.

    “Moo” motivational bat-cow.

    “that may not STRICTLY be true” the brits know where a lazarus pit is.

    “I’ve had an idea, mum” Knight ongoing anyone?:)

    Also a thought, is Batman Inc being set up to become the new/old Outsiders? That, i would read.

  21. Avatar photo chrisgiff says:
    March 28, 2013 at 11:53 am

    Well, Burnham knocked it out of the goddamn fucking park again. Dude is a beast. Great issue.

  22. Avatar photo thehangman says:
    March 28, 2013 at 2:22 pm

    damn sweet.
    hard to believe this is the same guy that wrote that abortion of a story action comics arc.

  23. Avatar photo BradLWoods3 says:
    March 28, 2013 at 11:07 pm

    I was just thinking of how I felt when this current incarnation of Batman Inc started. It felt like it was happening outside the rest of the new 52. It seemed more lighthearted, almost inconsequential. How things have changed! This has become one of the most relevant and grim titles out there. This issue was up to the challenge of addressing the many layers of the aftermath of Damian’s death, including its effect on not just Batman, but his Bruce Wayne persona as well.

  24. Avatar photo smo5000 says:
    March 29, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    Good stuff, I enjoyed flipping through the pages. I feel the last scene could’ve been a bit more impactful if there were some sound effects going on.

    It just seems kinda cool that Batman’s scream wakes up all these screeching bats that just drown him out. It’s like he can’t escape what’s happened or who he is.

    Also, if those bats are vampiric then bat-cow must be a pile of bones :p

  25. Avatar photo stasisbal says:
    March 29, 2013 at 9:55 pm

    This was the perfect follow up to the last issue. Loved the structure of this one. The fill-in art didn’t bother me this time because it was used on more distant scenes. The decision to make Beryl the new Knight was spot on. There’s a lot cooking here and I’m feeling that we’re heading towards a compelling end to Morrison’s run.

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