FROM DC COMICS: "The creative team of writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake bring the thrilling 4-part tale of Grotesk to a shocking end!"

The “GROTESK” storyline comes to an end in BATMAN #662 by John Ostrander (writer) and Tom Mandrake (artist).

Part 4 was the least interesting of this particular story arch. “GROTESK” started out with a bang and then tapered off over the last two issues. I’m not saying that “GROTESK” wasn’t good, it’s simply that it ran out of steam at the end which made it merely “OK” in the final analysis.

Part 4 was just too predictable. Most of the story came to a conclusion in the previous issue, and all that was left in the finale was for The Batman to bring in Grotesk. We did find out the secret that Dr. Amina Franklin held -- with the help of Bruce Wayne, not The Batman. In fact, Bruce’s appearance was the best part of the story for me -- especially his interaction with Jim Gordon at the beginning of the issue.

Grotesk was an interesting villain -- burned beyond recognition, he put pieces of his victims together to create a new body and face for himself. But in the end, there was nothing special enough about him to make him a permanent addition to The Batman’s famous rogues gallery. And from the look of things at the end, we probably won’t see him again anyway.

Next month, Grant Morrison returns as does The Joker. Many people were disappointed with his first story-arch, “BATMAN AND SON.” Although I am not one of them, I am anxious to see what Morrison does with The Joker and whether or not he provides us with a more “traditional” Batman story.

You know, one actually set in Gotham.