Broken Frontier

With Batman #702, Grant Morrison ends his short, three-issue return to the series that first launched his innovative exploration of the Dark Knight nearly four years ago. 

Focusing on the days and hours before his final encounter with Darkseid's Omega Beams, Batman #702 is told through Batman's reflections on the events preceding his disappearance into the time stream.  Morrison had joked early on that his Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne would reimagine what most fans of science fiction conceive of as time travel, particularly with the grandfather paradox, and he fleshes that out in this issue admirably with his reconceptualization of time through the mysterious Ancestor Box.  Because the narrative is so layered, part of the pleasure in Batman #702 is reading it alongside Final Crisis and the character's subsequent "death" in the Batman series.   As a result, Batman's perspective in #702 becomes an alternate window into these earlier stories as he wrestles with competing mythologies and a world or realm far beyond the physical realities of the Gotham City streets he is accustomed to.  It's difficult to highlight just one or two truly powerful sequences in Batman #702 because the entire issue is so coherently woven together.

From Batman's fight with Kraken and his awareness of the Lump clones constructed by Darkseid's minions, to the final seconds before the Omega Sanction, events interconnect and time is thrown asunder as moments in Batman's past exist simultaneously with those in the present.  The "life trap" of the Ancestor Box hints at the Starro-esque creature or monstrosity Batman fought in Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2.  Perhaps more than any single issue in any one Batman series Morrison has devised, Batman #702 is the most revealing in terms of the ongoing puzzle that began with the "Batman and Son" story arc.  Part of a myth larger than himself while also constructing a new mythology all his own, Batman is thrust into the past as his memory begins to falter and he begins to leave Bat-themed clues for his fellow Justice Leaguers.  How the Ancestor Box may or may not be related to the coffin in Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne remains to be seen as does Darkseid's intentions of utilizing Batman as his ultimate weapon.  Ending where Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 begins, Batman #702 captures the essence of themes Morrison explored in All Star Superman and most recently in Batman #700 of timeless superhero myths and symbols.

As with the previous issue, however, the major flaw in Batman #702 is in the artwork of Tony Daniel.  This is very surprising, especially when compared to his earlier work with Morrison on this title.  Strong opening images have been at the forefront of Morrison's runs on the various Bat books, but Daniel's portrait of Superman is just bizarre in proportions, muscle tone, body shape, and general anatomy and physique.  Furthermore, it's not consistent.  For example, audiences may notice immediately how "clean" Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl look in the background as compared to Superman, Batman, and even the Flash in terms of dark lines.  It's unclear why this inking style or shading was employed, but unfortunately it will muddle the visual experience for some readers. 

Beyond this setback, Batman #702 is an excellent end to Morrison's time with the series and only a small glimpse of what audiences can expect with Batman Inc. and other rumored, forthcoming Bat projects.