Whatever Happened Happened to Battle for the Cowl: An in depth look at Batman and Robin #1 and Batman #687
Batman #687
Writer: Judd Winick
Penciller: Ed Benes
Inker: Rob Hunter
Colorist: Ian Hannin & JD Smith
Publisher: DC Comics
Batman & Robin #1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Frank Quitely
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Publisher: DC Comic
Battle for the Cowl…what Battle for the Cowl? That’s the basic premise of Judd Winick’s first issue as writer of the main Batman series and Grant Morrison’s new Batman & Robin series.
Passively ignoring Tony Daniel’s et al’s work in Battle for the Cowl and the numerous tie-ins, Winick (in one issue!) gives loyal Batman readers exactly what should have been the story after the death of Bruce Wayne. Morrison, in his own way, gives us a completely different take that is just as important.
This post, however, is not a review of Batman 687, or Batman & Robin 1. A review of those books would be a little late – they’ve been out for over two weeks! But, what’s more interesting, and more the point of this post, is a look at the Battle for the Cowl mini-series compared with Batman 687 and the Batman & Robin 1.
Call it shooting for the stars when just getting off the ground would have been good enough; Battle for the Cowl never achieved the narrative intimacy that was needed after Batman’s death in the Final Crisis epic. With its action movie style and clunky, overflowing plot, Battle for the Cowl never had the opportunity to delve into the emotional fallout caused by Bruce Wayne’s passing.
Sticking to the main books of the mini-series, Tony Daniel did make a very nice attempt of subtlety referencing the classic Batman storyline, “Lonely Place of Dying” which introduced us to Tim Drake. So it was very fitting that Tim put on the old light-blue with yellow emblem Bat-suit, saying the world needs Batman. Just as he did all those years ago, putting on the classic Robin tights saying, the world needs Batman and Robin.
But aside from that minor plot point, the whole Battle for the Cowl series (and tie-ins) were nothing more than wallet leeches. The use of Jason Todd as the psychotic anti-thesis of Batman, had a ton of potential, but unfortunately, was clumsily handled and really served no purpose. The art in most of the tie-ins was sub-par. And did we really need three issues of Azrael? Or another Jekyll/Hyde story about Man-Bat? Bad ideas don’t die…they just keep getting regurgitated until they’re seen as good ideas.
So after the Battle for the Cowl nonsense, we come to Batman 687 – but wait, Grant Morrison’s Batman & Robin #1 hit stands before it? In a baffling production/distribution move, DC puts out the new adventures of Batman and Robin, before it was determined who would be the new Batman and Robin. (It was obvious from the get go, but still, a better timeline of events would help my comic vertigo…no pun intended.)
Aside for the strange timing of the books, Winick’s Batman and Morrison’s Batman & Robin are two different, but equally good books.
Clearly aware of the short-comings of Battle for the Cowl, Winick’s Batman 687 takes the opportunity to show us the emotional impact of Bruce Wayne’s death on the immediate Bat-family, particularly Dick Grayson and Alfred. (If you didn’t get a little choked up by Alfred saying, “My son has died,” then you really need counseling.)
The emotional relationships between the people who knew Bruce Wayne best are fertile ground that Morrison steers clear of in Batman & Robin. That type of narrative isn’t what Morrison is after in his pop-art-gone-psychotic series. This means that Winick gets the chance to be the first writer to direct how Batman’s friends and family feel about his death.
Winick’s Batman begins were all good Batman stories begin – with the relationships. While most of us relish the gritty urban detective that The Batman was in the early days, and became again in the 1970s, and is now, it’s the emotional depths of the relationships in the Bat-universe that really gives all the brooding and dark happenings their real punch.
While Batman 687 is a great book story wise, what holds it back from being classic is the art. Ed Benes as penciler on the book starts out strong – the flash-back sequence was very well done – but by the end of the book, the art becomes essentially bland. Strong emotional scenes lacked a certain quality. Teaming artist and writer is very difficult. The two cannot create in separate bubbles. The end of the book has that feeling – Winick and Benes never had coffee and just talked.
In contrast, Morrison’s Batman & Robin goes off in a different narrative direction and has a more stylized feel. In an interview with IGN, Morrison detailed that the tone of the series will be a “reverse” of the normal dynamic between Batman and Robin, with, “a more light-hearted and spontaneous Batman and a scowling, bad ass Robin.” Thus the art by Frank Quitely is also quite distinctive; it has a looser feel and incorporates sound effects into the art work. In today’s comic world, sound-effects in the art can be a little silly, but the stylized effect of Morrison and Quitely’s book pretty much helps you ignore that aspect.
The stark distinctiveness between the two books is the real benefit. If you’re going to have two competing Batman series, then having them be divergent narrative and artistic takes on the characters and mythos is a blessing – a blessing that will have Batman fans buying both books with fervor.
In the end, Battle for the Cowl served its purpose: build anticipation for Dick Grayson taking on the Batman mantle. Ignoring the narrative flaws of the series – and its lack of quality art and writing – Tony Daniel et al’s run was a necessary bridge…if only from a publishing standpoint.
Now the real fun can begin, and DC has put out two books that do justice to the Batman legend. The beautiful thing about Batman is that there can be more than one point of view – each different point of view being relevant and entertaining. Having two very different writers telling Batman stories is an exciting, and so far rewarding, situation. Let’s hope Winick and Morrison keep it up and gives us twin reasons for enjoying this new Batman.
-Mike Stewart
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