“No More Teachers” – Part Three
Writer: Ed Brisson
Artist: John Timms
Color Artist: Rex Lokus
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by James Attias
Batman Incorporated #3 is a fast-paced, global adventure, set in both the past and present, that has several members of the team asking, who’s the real villain here?
Phantom-One
What a bombshell we were hit with last issue! Ghost-Maker had a sidekick. It looks like, no matter who you are as a dark “I work alone” vigilante, at one point or another you’ll have had a sidekick. Or an entire corporation wearing your symbol and working under your name…
In this issue, we’re treated to some much-needed backstory on Ghost-Maker’s young ward. Everything except his real name is revealed., which felt deliberately redacted for my taste. They didn’t even write the story to avoid saying it, they just blacked out the name in the speech bubble. That felt slightly lazy, but I won’t let it drag me down.
We see this new deadly dynamic duo fighting and having adventures. Not many of the villains we see are that recognizable, which is good because, until last year, Ghost-Maker was a ghost story, so seeing him fight one quite memorable Flash foe, did feel slightly out of place on the splash page.
The writing in this issue had a lot of potential, but it felt like it was too afraid to affect the main Batman canon. This was upsetting. Obviously, Phantom-One has yet to be popular enough to become a mainstay but these days comics make it too easy for people to have the same training, give or take, as Batman has. This is a man who devoted his life to becoming as skilled as he is, not just throwing people at the same teachers. This all felt too easy, and a bit lazy. Maybe it will be explained further., but only time will tell.
The art was good, and it’s interesting to see how Ghost-Maker drinks with his mask on. Otherwise, I’d love to see some more distinction with the characters, skin tones, expressions, etc. At the moment I find myself wanting more.
Good Bad Guy or A Bad Good Guy
The most prominent themes in this issue were all Ghost-Maker related. In his early days, he was a killer and he killed without ever thinking about the consequences of his actions. In this issue, we see what appears to be the first time he feels bad for something he did, even if, at its core, it was yet another attempt to outdo Batman. Also, seeing the other members of the team contemplating contacting the Dark Knight to tell him about Ghost-Maker’s alleged killing spree was nice. This shows that he hasn’t been completely forgotten about by the team that carries his name.
Conclusion
Batman Incorporated #3 brought a welcome change from the first two issues of the series. Don’t get me wrong, in no way were those issues bad, it’s just that I’m just glad that this one brought a fresh perspective. Read it and find out for yourselves!
Review Written In Loving Memory of Kevin Conroy. Always Our Batman.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
