Dave: Yes, ever since the very start of his run on the Batbooks, Morrison has been playing with the idea of alternate Batmen and replacement Batmen, and examining what these characters have to say about the core Batman concept. Not only does this issue probably feature more of these variations than in any other issue of the series so far, but it also tries to come up with a reason why Batman might want to put together an army of similarly themed heroes, sets out how such an organization would work, uses the concept to strengthen the mythical element of the character rather than to dilute it and also functions as a lovely done-in-one story with a neat twist ending.

Dave Wallace: And one final note, on the issue's epilogue featuring the Batman of Africa: whilst it's definitely an intriguing lead into the next chapter of Batman Incorporated -- with yet more ties to Leviathan -- it's also yet another example of Morrison absorbing and recycling old Batman continuity. In this case, it's the costume design for the African Batman, which seems to closely echo the "Batwings" design from Batman #250. I wonder whether there's anything more to the connection, or if it's just a fun nod to that old story: