by Brian LeTendre
The Batman Incorporated Special offers up some real gems and is a solid collection of stories overall. One story in particular stands out for me though, and it alone makes this $5 book worth a purchase for me.
I absolutely loved the 2010-2011 Knight and Squire series by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton. It’s one of my favorites of the past several years. I actually didn’t realize that Knight and Squire were a big part of the New 52 version of Batman Incorporated, as i never picked up the series after the first volume ended.
Anyway, Joe Keatinge and Emanuel Simeoni teamed up for a wonderful short story in this anthology that takes place right after the death of Knight. (Squire) Beryl Hutchinson is devastated over the loss of partner and mentor, and is directionless in the wake of Batman Incorporated disbanding. The short story follows her through the grieving process as she eventually decides to take the mantle of Knight and carry on his legacy. It’s a fantastic and touching story that really does justice to the characters and really makes me want to see a Knight series featuring Beryl.
The other stories include Jiro Osamu, El Gaucho and even Bat Cow, and all of them are entertaining. But the Squire story was the one that really got me.
The Batman Incorporated Special is a fantastic one-shot that offers a bittersweet reminder of what the series could have been--a great anthology of tales involving superheroes across the globe. I will definitely be hunting down the 13 issues that comprised the latest volume, and I hope there will be a future for the characters.
4 out of 5 I Love Beryls
The Batman Incorporated Special offers up some real gems and is a solid collection of stories overall. One story in particular stands out for me though, and it alone makes this $5 book worth a purchase for me.
I absolutely loved the 2010-2011 Knight and Squire series by Paul Cornell and Jimmy Broxton. It’s one of my favorites of the past several years. I actually didn’t realize that Knight and Squire were a big part of the New 52 version of Batman Incorporated, as i never picked up the series after the first volume ended.
Anyway, Joe Keatinge and Emanuel Simeoni teamed up for a wonderful short story in this anthology that takes place right after the death of Knight. (Squire) Beryl Hutchinson is devastated over the loss of partner and mentor, and is directionless in the wake of Batman Incorporated disbanding. The short story follows her through the grieving process as she eventually decides to take the mantle of Knight and carry on his legacy. It’s a fantastic and touching story that really does justice to the characters and really makes me want to see a Knight series featuring Beryl.
The other stories include Jiro Osamu, El Gaucho and even Bat Cow, and all of them are entertaining. But the Squire story was the one that really got me.
The Batman Incorporated Special is a fantastic one-shot that offers a bittersweet reminder of what the series could have been--a great anthology of tales involving superheroes across the globe. I will definitely be hunting down the 13 issues that comprised the latest volume, and I hope there will be a future for the characters.
4 out of 5 I Love Beryls
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