Grayson #12. Script- Tom King, Plot by Tim Seeley & Tom King, Pencils & Greytones- Mikel Janin, Inks- Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus & Juan Castro, Colorist- Jeromy Cox.
There are times when you read a comic and it starts to turn away from you. You think, “hey, I was enjoying this, but something seems really off,” and you begin to wonder if you’ve missed an issue or missed the news story that explains how the writer suddenly went crazy. Of course most Grant Morrison stories are like this at some point. But as it turns out you come to a point when you realize that you’re not understanding the language in the issue and suddenly- BAM! Like Adam West and Burt Ward, it hits you in the face with Technicolor onomatopoeia and it all makes sense. Grayson #12 is like this.
Dick is back in Gotham at Wayne Manor visiting his amnesiac mentor. Now despite the fact that he’s in disguise he’s found by the mythic Agent Zero- this book is still about Spyral after all. And she’s there to pull Dick back in. She doesn’t seem all bad as she allow Grayson the opportunity to say goodbye to the Bat-Family. Of course, she holds Bruce Wayne’s identity as a bargaining tool to make sure he comes back inside the web.
What follow is an effective series of goodbyes to Jason, Tim, Barbara and Damian. And during the scenes it becomes apparent that the reader is missing something. Luckily, the members of the Bat-Family are pretty fair detectives and they all figure out what’s going on. And man is the resolution a hard hitter when Dick returns to Sypral. I mean, Agent Zero is revealed and Dick is not alone in Spyral anymore. Yeah, just go read the comic, it’s really too good to spoil any further.
The Positives
The issue fits right in with the current status quo in the Batbooks with Bruce not remembering who he is. The full page interactions with the members of the Bat-Family are effective and innovative. The use of the memories in the word balloons is time consuming, yet worth while. See how many quotes you remember or at least think you remember. Seeing Barbara seem more like Barbara was a treat as well, connecting the past to the present, so to speak. If the current Batgirl is not really for you, this issue feels like the Barbara of old. The storytelling method is extremely enjoyable and Seeley and King prove that not only have they got a plan for this book, but that each issue stands alone and is an event in itself.
The Negatives
Yeah, not gonna find it here…
The Verdict
Ends are not ends, they are new beginnings and this next chapter in Dick’s life has begun. Grayson #12 is once again a great bit of character driven story that is unique and a neat twisty turny episode in the life of Dick Grayson. Go buy this comic. It’s that simple.
