Week in comics: Nov. 24-28

November 30, 7:56 PMOrlando Comic Books ExaminerBen Strasser

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Batman #681 cover art by Alex Ross

A good batch of books for commentary with the exception of the issue getting everyone's attention this week.

• Batman #681 is the grimly hyped death of Batman comic out this week also known as the conclusion to the RIP story arc.  The temporary killing off of an A-list character is tired at this point, but the (no pun intended) execution of the story could still have made for something worth reading.  Unfortunately, we get a confusing finale that doesn't even really wrap the story complete with a cliche method of death that nobody buys into anymore.  It's also shades of Amazing Spider-Man: One More Day with a villain that doesn't belong in the book.  Maybe writer Grant Morrison and DC know we've already seen Dick Grayson as Batman years ago, and they have something else in mind for Bruce Wayne other than a traditional kill-him-off and bring-him-back.  If not, I may take a break from the title till Wayne is Batman again.  Never been one for the legacy system.

• The Umbrella Academy: Dallas #1 is my first issue of the Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba series of miniseries and was a lot of fun.  "I am a gazelle and the jungle is my home!"  That's a moment of the week and sold me on the book during a flip-through while still making me laugh as I read the issue.  For new readers such as myself, Dallas #1 served as a nice introduction to the cast and for returning fans, you'll be brought up to speed with where the characters are following the first mini's events.

• Ultimate Spider-Man #128 is the best issue of the symbiote arc and has an unexpected but welcome return from the dead.  Writer Brian Michael Bendis has fun playing with all your raised-on-Amazing-Spider-Man expectations by including scenes of Peter and May's violent reaction to Eddie Brock, the changed dynamic between Carnage and Venom, and toying with Bendis' own Brock-on-the-park-bench scenes from earlier in the arc.  The Carnage as Gwen Stacy concept turns into a daring moment for Bendis in #128 that could be one of the most significant points in the series' history.