Let me begin by saying that I have been reading comic books intermittently for the last 10 years, and I have noticed that some people, for some reason think that comics as a medium is inferior to regular novels, films and even tv shows. The fact that people perceive comic books as a medium solely for kids are wrong, if not for the fact that many of the latest comic books I have read contain stories that are sometimes far more complex and deeper than those contained in other media.
Having said that, one of the best examples is the work of Scottish writer Grant Morrison, who has been crafting some of the best stories in recent memory, if you are at all familiar with Morrison’s work, it becomes clearly apparent that he always tries his best to insert new life into characters that are sometimes considered old, stagnant or too well defined in the collective memory of pop culture.
Morrison’s stories tend to be epic, surreal and metatextual and when you combine his talent with a property as rich as Batman, with more than 70 years of stories since his creation, you may as well have a recipe for creating some of the most entertaining, intellectually satisfying comic Books ever written.
Having said that, this year saw the release of the collection named Time and The Batman, which collects issues 700-703 of the first volume of the Batman comic series, containing 3 different story arcs in which Batman is seen not as a common super hero but as a force for good that has really transcended both his time and comics as a medium; considering him the modern equivalent of myths and legends of gods and heroes from the past.
It is fair to say that those coming into this book without any prior knowledge of the storylines could be a bit lost, but it isn’t that big a problem that a quick trip to google or wikipedia can’t solve.
The book is interesting and challenging, presenting the reader with a mystery story that spans at least two decades and that brings the reader both to a time close to the beginning of the legend of Batman and to the far future while also trying to make the reader understand Batman’s psyche, modus operandi and crime as a continuum.
Art is also pretty good, considering more than 3 different artists worked in the project, going well beyond general expectations and helping the writer take us into the flamboyant comic’s world, making you feel personally invested in the story and contributing to the overall enjoyment of the book. All in all this is one of the best books I have read and certainly the best i read during 2011.