Batman got me into comics.

As a child I watched Adam West punch Ceaser Romero’s stunt double in the face, followed by George Reeves as Superman, and Bruce Lee as Kato. Every day after school I watched endless reruns of Batman.

Same Bat time, same bat stations. I loved it. I got magazines featuring stories about those 40’s movie serials. And I wondered if I could get my hands on some copies, years later thanks to DVD’s yes. I also at one time owned a complete run of every Batman title from the mid 70’s to 2005, plus some scattered issues from the 60’s too. 

As much as I have a fondness for Adam West I prefer Nolan’s Dark Knight as the ideal Batman. I think that Bruce Wayne also died with his parents so that Batman could be born, there really is no Bruce Wayne. He’s a tool for Batman to use.

In the past others took the mantle, most notably Azrael with the Knightfall storyline, then Dick Grayson had a short stint after that. They could say they were Batman, but they really couldn’t be him. To me this current run on Batman, Streets of Gotham, and Detective have that feel, you can say you’re Batman but they are not Batman. Just a guy pretending.

On Morrison’s Batman and Robin it works, why? Because it feels like component to a much larger story. It is Morrison’s ultimate Batman story, when he’s done I’m sure we’ll get the sense that is it with him. From the beginning with Batman and Son, to Final Crisis, to the Return of Bruce (Batman) Wayne it is all one big story. A novel. The biggest Batman Novel ever written.

And it might not all work at times, but I’m willing to see how this ends. This mini (chapter) is  solid, though this issue was a spinning its wheels a bit but the promise of Jonah Hex next time gives me a nostalgic feeling for those Jim Aparo Brave and Bolds.

Can’t wait.