CREDITS: Written by Kelley Puckett; art by Mike Parobeck and Rick Burchett.
REVIEW: The comics series turns the Night of the Ninja/Day of the Samurai with the disappointingly-titled Grave Obligations, with Kyodai's sister trying to kill Batman, her boyfriend sworn to kill her if she does, and their master, owing Batman his life from an unchronicled tale, standing in the way of their love and lives. It's an interesting sort of Mexican stand-off, if only we knew who the master was. It's a problem and a solution (Batman cancels his debt so the two ninjas may live) that come out of nowhere. I certainly appreciate that Batman knows what it's like to want to avenge a loved one, though Puckett also mixes Talia into this, inferring that he sees that romance on par with the ninja lovers. I'm not sure what he's getting at; it's not particularly well rendered.
But the art in this issue is certainly a highlight. From the interesting POV of the splash page, to some of the most atmospherically lit Batman Adventures yet, I feel like Parobeck and Burchett are really spreading their wings on this book. There's a lot - a LOT - of silent action, and the art can really breathe.
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