Two very different but special Batman titles come our way this week as Grant Morrison scratches a seven year itch with the Dark Knight and the New 52 celebrates two years of Scott Snyder’s Batman in Batman Annual #2. Over at Image, from the pages of Madman, It Girl and the Atomics ends a 12 issue run.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #13

WRITER: Grant Morrison

ART: Chris Burnham

Publication Date: July 31, 2013

Price: $3.99

Publisher: DC Comics

UPC: 76194130642101341

Buy it HERE

It is the epic conclusion of Grant Morrison’s run on Batman! He gave us Damian Wayne and took him away. He put a mirror up to all versions of The Dark Knight including the disturbed Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, brought Bruce Wayne back to life after being killed by Darkseid in Final Crisis and here had assembled pre-New 52 a globe spanning army of Batman associates called Batman, Inc.

Those who have been enjoying the book from Morrison’s polarizing run may also have read his treatise on superheroes and Batman in Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero. The book explores why Morrison has such a natural feel for the history of the DCU and our relationship to superheroes as modern gods.

A sword fight between Talia and Batman comments on the medium and the series conclusion by reading the Talia’s dialogue at least one of three ways. “Your son lies dead and buried! The line! Of Wayne! Cancelled!” or “Batman! Is! Dead!” versus “Batman! Is! Cancelled!”

All of which Batman replies “No. Not Yet.” — implying through flashbacks that the icon will never die. “It never ends”, “It probably never will.”

This issue surpasses his final Superman comic (for the time being, at least), Action Comics #17. Batman deals with the loss of his Robin and son by way of Talia Al Ghul, Damian Wayne in a final confrontation in the Batcave co-starring a Batwoman, Jason Todd (in Knight armor), Jim Gordon and Alfred.

Chris Burnham’s art is amazing once again, and hope to see him on more DC books.

Batman Inc., spanning both timelines will be missed in my nearly monthly rotation, all of the trade paperbacks in both timelines are highly recommended. Morrison gets the evergreen qualities of Batman and his family. All are worth a re-read for bizarre call outs to Silver Age easter eggs and comments on comic books themselves.

BATMAN ANNUAL #2

WRITERS: Scott Snyder and Marguerite Bennett

ART: Wed Craig

Publication Date: July 31, 2013

Price: $4.99

Publisher: DC Comics

UPC: 76194131045900211

Buy it HERE

The second Annual for Batman throws our hero into Arkham as an orderly starts his first day.

The Asylum hires Batman to test all of the new security protocols and locks up The Dark Knight to see if he can escape.

Sure enough he does, but not without having a run-in with a new villian, the incarcerated by will Anchoress. The wall phasing spinster killed her parents and checked herself in to what was a sanitarium at the time of Batman’s Zero Year.

A pre-cowl Batman snuck in to Arkham to find info about his future rogues and Anchoress was forever put out that he would disturb her self-imposed exile. The resentment carried with her years later, and when she encounters Batman this time, she is able to turn Bruce onto his own dark thoughts!

Snyder has story credit, with Marguerite Bennett as the writer. This was a great return to Arkham and a cool introduction to Anchoress. The tie in to Zero Year was smart and necessary.

No complaints about the $4.99 price tag here—this fits right into my favorite Batman run in comics since, well, Morrison.

IT GIRL AND THE ATOMICS #12

WRITER: Jamie S. Rich

ART: Mike Norton, Natalie Nourigat, Chynna Clugston Flores

Publication Date: July 31, 2013

Price: $2.99

Publisher: Image Comics

UPC: 70985301213901211

Buy it HERE

Maybe its my fault for only picking up this last issue of It Girl and the Atomics and not all twelve issues of this Madman spin off.

This last issue of the Mike Norton (Battlepug, Young Avengers, Revival) drawn comic based on Mike Allred’s creations — starring a female superhero, It Girl is being retired. The good news is that the trade paperback including this issue will be available as soon as September for us to gently touch and shed a tear about the cancellation years from now.

“That was a good series” we’ll say…choking back a tear.

This issue is a four-chapter wrap up to the book! Each chapter in classic comic style, 8 pages of pop-filled comic book action. They put superstar Mike Norton at the front of the book for the egg-heist story. Night Runner is put to bed in the second chapter. The third chapter stars It Girl fighting reanimated mummies. “That’s a wrap!”. The final chapter is a Star Wars parade sendoff to a job well done.

Everyone slept on this book. Don’t be afraid to pick this up this weekend, if only for the Mike Norton story in the beginning with Skunk vs. Otter. You will be glad you did!