Batman #653 - DC

Batman and Two-Face. It's a classic struggle. Somehow during the previous year, that we've all missed and now have to get caught back up on, Harvey Dent was rehabilited and given plastic surgery so he looks normal. So much so, that Batman, being gone for a year, decided to put him in charge of keeping Gotham safe. Where did Batman go? I think that's a different story. Anyways, now Batman has come back. Harvey, already balancing on a very thin precipice, now feels that Batman has returned to take back the responsibility from him, and he's questioning whether he ever really deserved it or not. All of this internal conflict is turning Harvey back into a man of 2 faces. As if we didn't know that was gonna happen. The story is actually very good though. It's on, I think, like part 5 or 6 now, and basically what it's doing is every chapter is another person's response to Batman's return. Batman, Bruce Wayne, Robin, Jason Todd, Harvey Dent & now Two-face. Batman's return is a good thing, right? Well, for some it is, and for others it's puts them back in their old familiar role. The artwork by Don Kramer, is actually very good. I mainly follow the Batman & Detective books because, first, I really like the character. And second because I have every one for about 20 years. Which is sad sometimes, because the story before this, "City of Crime" I think, was a dozer. But I bought it because I had 'em all. I hate it when I do that. But because I'm obsessive, I do it anyways. They've been doing these longer story arcs, in both books, 6 or 8 issues, which I like, as long as the story is good. Batman can generally keep my interest, but Detective goes up and down big time. Right now I'm happy with it. I really like the cast of characters they've developed around Batman. The other 2 books, Gotham Knights & Shadow of the Bat, deal more with the people around him, and just kind of use Batman as kind of a motivating figure. He's always there, you just don't always see him. But anyways, I wouldn't rate this book as a must have, but if you like the Batman mythos, you'll dig it. James Robinson is a pretty good author, and the covers have been awesome.