Batman #104: Memories are Just Films About Ghosts

I’ve mentioned before how one of the most noteworthy trends of Tynion’s tenure thus far on Batman has been the focus on Bruce’s humanity– not only his morality and mortality but his human need for connection. The void left by Thomas and Martha Wayne (MAARRRTHHHAAA!) has been filled over the years by Alfred, Dick, Babs, Gordon, Jason, Tim, Dame, Steph, Cass, Kate, Leslie, and more. For a solitary hero, he’s rarely solo. And with the flashback sequence relayed by Dick to Babs as to what Dick knows of Ghost-Maker, we see that trait as inherent in Bruce from the very beginning of his journey. This issue did an incredible job of cementing the simple likeability of Tynion’s Batman.

There were some jarring artistic breaks in this issue as we wove between three art teams, each with dinstictive styles. Bengal was the new-comer to the team with this issue, illustrating the Oracle/Nightwing/Batgirls (we will need to talk about that at some point) sequences. My initial reaction, simply because the transition from March and Benjamin was so rough because the styles are so different, was initial shock and confusion. After recovery, however, Bengal’s style has a definite charm to it and I would be perfectly happy to see them on a full Bat-book. There is a keen eye for a detail in spite of a style that appears rather simply rendered that gives a very nice depth to each panel. Welcome to Batman!