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Batman (1940-2011) #667–669, 672–675
Batman: The Black Glove
When an international groups of heroes is summoned to a mysterious island to meet with Batman, they soon realized they are being stalked by a killer, and later, Batman relives a defining adventure in the life of young Bruce Wayne as he hunts for his parents' killer.
Collects BATMAN #667-669 and #672-675.
Collects BATMAN #667-669 and #672-675.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2008
14 people are currently reading
1593 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,510 books4,565 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
February 5, 2013
The reason most people grow out of reading superhero comics is that nothing ever changes for long. Inevitably, everything eventually returns to the status quo. Enter Grant Morrison.
I've been a fan of Grant Morrison's work for quite some time. From Animal Man to The Doom Patrol to the Invisibles to Marvel Boy. His appeal for me is the same as Roger Zelazny's: he has so many ideas flying off the page at the same time. I started picking up Batman because I had a hunch Morrison would shake things up. In his first few issues, he had Batman's illegitimate son turn up and had an army of ninjas injected with the Man-Bat serum. That's what led me to continue reading, which brings us to The Black Glove.
The Black Glove starts with Batman meeting a group called the International League of Hero on a reclusive billionaire's private island. From what I gather, the League first made its appearance in a Batman story in 50's. Anyway, one member of the League isn't what he appears to be and starts killing the other members in a pretty good story.
The second story involves someone Batman trained as possible replacement going haywire and nearly killing Batman. Batman hallucinates/has flashbacks of an ritual he went through in the Himalayas as well as an isolation experiment he took part in. Eventually Batman recovers and things get settled.
The third story does little more than set up the next arc, Batman RIP. Bruce Wayne and his love interest, Jezebel Jet, are attacked by terrorists and Jet discovers Bruce is Batman in the process.
The common thread of these three stories is the Black Glove, a secret organization that has its sights set on taking down Batman. I won't go into how they are involved so as not to spoil the story. Needless to say, they are a foe unlike any Batman has faced.
To sum up, if you're a fan of Batman movies, you'll like this. Morrison's Batman is the most like the movie Batman than any other writer's depiction.
I've been a fan of Grant Morrison's work for quite some time. From Animal Man to The Doom Patrol to the Invisibles to Marvel Boy. His appeal for me is the same as Roger Zelazny's: he has so many ideas flying off the page at the same time. I started picking up Batman because I had a hunch Morrison would shake things up. In his first few issues, he had Batman's illegitimate son turn up and had an army of ninjas injected with the Man-Bat serum. That's what led me to continue reading, which brings us to The Black Glove.
The Black Glove starts with Batman meeting a group called the International League of Hero on a reclusive billionaire's private island. From what I gather, the League first made its appearance in a Batman story in 50's. Anyway, one member of the League isn't what he appears to be and starts killing the other members in a pretty good story.
The second story involves someone Batman trained as possible replacement going haywire and nearly killing Batman. Batman hallucinates/has flashbacks of an ritual he went through in the Himalayas as well as an isolation experiment he took part in. Eventually Batman recovers and things get settled.
The third story does little more than set up the next arc, Batman RIP. Bruce Wayne and his love interest, Jezebel Jet, are attacked by terrorists and Jet discovers Bruce is Batman in the process.
The common thread of these three stories is the Black Glove, a secret organization that has its sights set on taking down Batman. I won't go into how they are involved so as not to spoil the story. Needless to say, they are a foe unlike any Batman has faced.
To sum up, if you're a fan of Batman movies, you'll like this. Morrison's Batman is the most like the movie Batman than any other writer's depiction.
September 5, 2013
If Batman and Son was Revolver, The Black Glove is Sgt Pepper’s – Grant Morrison goes a bit off-reservation with his stories here, something his critics hate, but his fans love. Fortunately I’m a fan and I enjoyed this re-reading it as much as I did the first time around.
The first half of the book is Morrison rewriting Agatha Christie’s AMAZING novel …And Then There Were None, where a group of strangers go to an island to meet with a wealthy host and stay the weekend at his mansion – only to find the host missing. And then they start dying, one by one. If you haven’t read it, go check it out immediately, it is such a good read even though it’s 80+ years old at this point.
In The Island of Mister Mayhew we first see (most of) the members who would become Batman Incorporated: Knight and Squire, Gaucho, Wingman, Man of Bats and his son Raven Red, and who, in the 1950s, along with Batman and Robin, were part of the Club of Heroes. Morrison’s thesis in his Batman run is that everything counts – every story from Detective Comics #27 to the present day, including the 60s TV show, the movies, the Bat nipples, everything. It all counts, it all happened to one man: it all happened to Batman. So stuff like the 1950s Club of Heroes gets referenced and even zanier stuff gets pulled later on in the run. Bear that in mind when reading this – Morrison’s creating new stuff for the character, most notably Damian, but he’s also bringing back obscure Batman characters and referencing stuff even the most hardcore Batman fans will have trouble placing. This is basically the Batmaniest Batman series you’ll ever read!
Batman and Robin (Tim Drake) head to Mayhew’s island – the wealthy benefactor who wasn’t Bruce Wayne who funded the Club – to meet up with the other heroes for what they think is a fun get-together after years apart only to find Mayhew not there. And then they start dying, one by one.
It’s a great story with fantastic art from the JH Williams III who really knows how to lay out an interesting page, let alone draw a splash page like no other. Plus if you’re a big fan of Batman Incorporated like me, you’ll enjoy spending time once again with members like Knight and Squire and the mysterious Wingman.
The second part of the book is where things get a little psychedelic. Continuing the story from Batman and Son, the Batman replacements who’ve suddenly emerged in Gotham, show up again, this time holding the GCPD hostage and temporarily defeating Batman. Here we find out their dark origins and purpose just as Bruce descends into a coma-like state where he flashes back to a time when he took part in an isolation experiment in the Himalayas: a hallucination within a hallucination! Joe Chill in Hell is the storyline where things get really weird, heralded by the arrival of Batmite and the mysterious phrase: Zurr-En-Arrh.
Reading this second part the first time, I know I was damn confused. Returning to it now, I know it links with Batman RIP and later stories so it’s less confusing, but it’s still a very trippy read. Also, the book is called The Black Glove but this book only barely scratches the surface of that shadowy group so you finish the book still not knowing who the hell or what the hell the Black Glove is which is a little unsatisfying. And Jezebel Jet? She hasn’t really stood out much as an interesting character. Sure, she’s sexy as hell, but aren’t they all?
These are minor complaints though, if you’re a Batman fan, you’ll love this, especially if you enjoy being challenged and don’t mind a non-linear read. Which, by the way, in the biggest mainstream comic of them all? That’s pretty damn cool! Morrison continues his excellent Batman run in The Black Glove, telling new and exciting stories with one of the oldest characters of them all, and finding new things to say about him.
The first half of the book is Morrison rewriting Agatha Christie’s AMAZING novel …And Then There Were None, where a group of strangers go to an island to meet with a wealthy host and stay the weekend at his mansion – only to find the host missing. And then they start dying, one by one. If you haven’t read it, go check it out immediately, it is such a good read even though it’s 80+ years old at this point.
In The Island of Mister Mayhew we first see (most of) the members who would become Batman Incorporated: Knight and Squire, Gaucho, Wingman, Man of Bats and his son Raven Red, and who, in the 1950s, along with Batman and Robin, were part of the Club of Heroes. Morrison’s thesis in his Batman run is that everything counts – every story from Detective Comics #27 to the present day, including the 60s TV show, the movies, the Bat nipples, everything. It all counts, it all happened to one man: it all happened to Batman. So stuff like the 1950s Club of Heroes gets referenced and even zanier stuff gets pulled later on in the run. Bear that in mind when reading this – Morrison’s creating new stuff for the character, most notably Damian, but he’s also bringing back obscure Batman characters and referencing stuff even the most hardcore Batman fans will have trouble placing. This is basically the Batmaniest Batman series you’ll ever read!
Batman and Robin (Tim Drake) head to Mayhew’s island – the wealthy benefactor who wasn’t Bruce Wayne who funded the Club – to meet up with the other heroes for what they think is a fun get-together after years apart only to find Mayhew not there. And then they start dying, one by one.
It’s a great story with fantastic art from the JH Williams III who really knows how to lay out an interesting page, let alone draw a splash page like no other. Plus if you’re a big fan of Batman Incorporated like me, you’ll enjoy spending time once again with members like Knight and Squire and the mysterious Wingman.
The second part of the book is where things get a little psychedelic. Continuing the story from Batman and Son, the Batman replacements who’ve suddenly emerged in Gotham, show up again, this time holding the GCPD hostage and temporarily defeating Batman. Here we find out their dark origins and purpose just as Bruce descends into a coma-like state where he flashes back to a time when he took part in an isolation experiment in the Himalayas: a hallucination within a hallucination! Joe Chill in Hell is the storyline where things get really weird, heralded by the arrival of Batmite and the mysterious phrase: Zurr-En-Arrh.
Reading this second part the first time, I know I was damn confused. Returning to it now, I know it links with Batman RIP and later stories so it’s less confusing, but it’s still a very trippy read. Also, the book is called The Black Glove but this book only barely scratches the surface of that shadowy group so you finish the book still not knowing who the hell or what the hell the Black Glove is which is a little unsatisfying. And Jezebel Jet? She hasn’t really stood out much as an interesting character. Sure, she’s sexy as hell, but aren’t they all?
These are minor complaints though, if you’re a Batman fan, you’ll love this, especially if you enjoy being challenged and don’t mind a non-linear read. Which, by the way, in the biggest mainstream comic of them all? That’s pretty damn cool! Morrison continues his excellent Batman run in The Black Glove, telling new and exciting stories with one of the oldest characters of them all, and finding new things to say about him.
August 19, 2017
First part with Morrison's version of Ten Little Indian was a blast and second one explained a lot what whas going on in the previous volume.
Sadly last issue artworks were not as good as the others.
December 22, 2011
2.5 stars
The book felt pretty choppy to me. I kind of get it, because I've already read the stories that came after it, but I can't imagine what I would have thought of it otherwise. Between the abrupt changes in the story and the multitude of loose ends just left dangling.... Eh. It's Morrison.
I think Mike's review summed it up pretty nicely. Too bad I'm too retarded to figure out how to put a link in here to it.
The book felt pretty choppy to me. I kind of get it, because I've already read the stories that came after it, but I can't imagine what I would have thought of it otherwise. Between the abrupt changes in the story and the multitude of loose ends just left dangling.... Eh. It's Morrison.
I think Mike's review summed it up pretty nicely. Too bad I'm too retarded to figure out how to put a link in here to it.
November 2, 2018
Two distinct stories in this volume and they go together about as well as peanut butter on egg rolls. The initial outing is a costumed vigilante version of Ten Little Indians a.k.a. And Then There Were None (including the 'stuck on an island' bit, and featuring Batman's international 'offspring') that was okay but derivative. The latter story - back on the miserably mean streets of Gotham - noticeably / violently shifts gears and was of more interest. A similarly-dressed character, who is revealed to be a failed crime-fighting experiment by the city, unexpectedly appears and immediately causes trouble. It ends with cliff-hanger, so of course I now want to get a copy of the follow-up Batman R.I.P.
July 8, 2022
So this was a crazy read!
Here Batman reunites with the club of heroes and well he teams up with them to solve the murder of John mayhew on his island and its crazy. Suspense and everything plus hints of Batman Inc here and then who the murderer turns out to be aka Wingman and "the black glove" was awesome. Its psychedelic and full of thrills and one of the zaniest stories you can read and feels like a throwback to those classic stories and I just love it!
And then seeing how after that he is confronted by some 3 Batmen as he is trying to find this mysterious Black glove organisation and we see who these 3 monstrosities are aka the police officers who were training to be Batman but were later discarded cuz experiments gone wrong all and I just love it and it will make you weird out there for a bit but its okay and a new experience reading it lol and I like the romance element with Jezebel Jet and really loving the focus on Bruce wayne and I love the way the writer captures the duality of life there!
Its awesome and zany for sure but leads super well into Batman RIP, which is one of the best stories ever easily! Plus the art here by JH williams and daniel was amazing, one of the best looking Batman books for sure!
Here Batman reunites with the club of heroes and well he teams up with them to solve the murder of John mayhew on his island and its crazy. Suspense and everything plus hints of Batman Inc here and then who the murderer turns out to be aka Wingman and "the black glove" was awesome. Its psychedelic and full of thrills and one of the zaniest stories you can read and feels like a throwback to those classic stories and I just love it!
And then seeing how after that he is confronted by some 3 Batmen as he is trying to find this mysterious Black glove organisation and we see who these 3 monstrosities are aka the police officers who were training to be Batman but were later discarded cuz experiments gone wrong all and I just love it and it will make you weird out there for a bit but its okay and a new experience reading it lol and I like the romance element with Jezebel Jet and really loving the focus on Bruce wayne and I love the way the writer captures the duality of life there!
Its awesome and zany for sure but leads super well into Batman RIP, which is one of the best stories ever easily! Plus the art here by JH williams and daniel was amazing, one of the best looking Batman books for sure!
November 23, 2022
4⭐️ This book is goofy. One of the mush plot threads is a murder mystery with a bunch of people dressed as Batman. This had to of been one of my most enjoyable read too. It is fairy short but I tend to take a long time to read but I still finished this in a day because I was just so hooked. Very good comic and is continuing to show me how good Grant Morrison is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2018
Welp. I have this volume in my collection even though it's all in my Batman and Son Deluxe Edition. I went through this to see how it plays out without the first story arc that mentions Jezebel Jet in Batman and Son.
This volume clearly has two distinct stories in one. The first story arc revolves around The Black Glove and the whole costume party in a lone mansion where a person gets killed, one by one. The artwork for this story arc is splendid and unique. The difference with the second half of the volume is very obvious, but they have one thing in common. They convey Morrison's singular style with ease. While The Black Glove story arc can be quite confusing, it still manages to deliver a rather entertaining plotline for readers to enjoy.
The second story arc continues the whole mess around surrogate Batmen by now showing one of them using Gordon as a bait. In all honesty, this story was quite interesting. I liked the whole idea where they revisit Batman's past, where he once tried an experiment to... see what it's like to be in a certain person's mindset. A lot happens in this story arc, but the ending will keep you hooked and conjure you to get your hands on Batman R.I.P. ... A.S.A.P.
P.S. A full review to come.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
This volume clearly has two distinct stories in one. The first story arc revolves around The Black Glove and the whole costume party in a lone mansion where a person gets killed, one by one. The artwork for this story arc is splendid and unique. The difference with the second half of the volume is very obvious, but they have one thing in common. They convey Morrison's singular style with ease. While The Black Glove story arc can be quite confusing, it still manages to deliver a rather entertaining plotline for readers to enjoy.
The second story arc continues the whole mess around surrogate Batmen by now showing one of them using Gordon as a bait. In all honesty, this story was quite interesting. I liked the whole idea where they revisit Batman's past, where he once tried an experiment to... see what it's like to be in a certain person's mindset. A lot happens in this story arc, but the ending will keep you hooked and conjure you to get your hands on Batman R.I.P. ... A.S.A.P.
P.S. A full review to come.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
June 19, 2022
2.75⭐️
October 27, 2013
WOW --
Batman: The Black Glove
blew me away. It contains some masterful writing. I will warn you ahead of time, that in order to make sense of
Batman: The Black Glove
you must read
Batman: The Black Casebook
. Without this you will be lost. I think
Batman: The Black Glove
is perhaps the most underrated chapter of Grant Morrison’s Batman run based on reviews I have seen on Goodreads. Make no mistake; this is an indispensable piece of the R.I.P. Series.
The book is separated by two stories; the first being a murder mystery where Batman and Robin, along with the Batman of All Nations, are led to an island where a supposed reunion is being held, only to find out they will be hunted down one-by-one. Consider it like Clue, but for a Batman comic and on speed. Grant Morrison again calls upon the Detective Comic’s stories from the 1950′s and ties it in nicely with today’s continuity. But the real treat is the coming together of two great storytellers; Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III. At the risk of sounding crazy this may be one of the most beautifully looking Batman stories I’ve ever read. J.H. Williams goes to great care and detail to separate this story from anything you’ve ever seen in a Batman Comic. From the way Batman appears slightly different than anyone else to the flashback pages that are done in the 50′s comic book style, even including coloring that extends just slightly past the panels, watermarks, and dot-art. This is anything but your throw-away story; John Mayhew plays a significant role and if you read closely many clues are thrown out as to the identity of the Black Glove.
The second story picks up right where Batman and Son left off, with Jezebel Jet and the 3 Batman Ghosts. The events that unfold in the second half are some of the best of Morrison’s run so far. We get to the core of how the 3 Ghost Batmans came to be and 1 in particular takes Bruce to the edge of death where we get some awesome flashback and delusional scenes which switch back and forth without any exposition on where you are, leaving the reader at times confused, but a good confused. Again, reading Batman: The Black Casebook will really enhance your understanding of what’s going on. This is Morrison showing just how broken Bruce’s mind is becoming as we follow him in and out of reality. And this is the first real introduction we get to Doctor Hurt, who as you can imagine is playing a role in Bruce losing his grip. Morrison’s run has frequently extracted elements from DC’s past and contemporized them in engaging ways – indeed, the main villain of the first two thirds of his run, Doctor Hurt, is based on a character that briefly appears in the 1963 story Robin Dies At Dawn . Not only is the Tony Daniel artwork beautiful but if you pay close attention to Morrison’s story and try and keep up with the mind tricks that are going on with Bruce it really does start to come together.
The final chapter of this title has little to do with the continuing Dr. Hurt and Ghost Batman storyline, is a masterpiece. It may throw you, but this is the lead-in to Batman R.I.P. & it’s the icing on the cake as to where Bruce’s mental state of being is in. We begin to see the early stages of Doctor Hurt’s attacks on Bruce’s mind. I admire how specific these references are, and I’ve enjoyed researching the background of them. We’ve all had stories throughout our lives that mean little to anyone but ourselves -- whatever Morrison saw in these Fifties & Sixties Batman Comics created a very contentious and intriguing Bat Universe
On its own I could see how Batman: The Black Glove could fail; you absolutely have to read Batman and Son & Batman: The Black Casebook beforehand. But, as a sequel it is brilliant.
The book is separated by two stories; the first being a murder mystery where Batman and Robin, along with the Batman of All Nations, are led to an island where a supposed reunion is being held, only to find out they will be hunted down one-by-one. Consider it like Clue, but for a Batman comic and on speed. Grant Morrison again calls upon the Detective Comic’s stories from the 1950′s and ties it in nicely with today’s continuity. But the real treat is the coming together of two great storytellers; Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III. At the risk of sounding crazy this may be one of the most beautifully looking Batman stories I’ve ever read. J.H. Williams goes to great care and detail to separate this story from anything you’ve ever seen in a Batman Comic. From the way Batman appears slightly different than anyone else to the flashback pages that are done in the 50′s comic book style, even including coloring that extends just slightly past the panels, watermarks, and dot-art. This is anything but your throw-away story; John Mayhew plays a significant role and if you read closely many clues are thrown out as to the identity of the Black Glove.
The second story picks up right where Batman and Son left off, with Jezebel Jet and the 3 Batman Ghosts. The events that unfold in the second half are some of the best of Morrison’s run so far. We get to the core of how the 3 Ghost Batmans came to be and 1 in particular takes Bruce to the edge of death where we get some awesome flashback and delusional scenes which switch back and forth without any exposition on where you are, leaving the reader at times confused, but a good confused. Again, reading Batman: The Black Casebook will really enhance your understanding of what’s going on. This is Morrison showing just how broken Bruce’s mind is becoming as we follow him in and out of reality. And this is the first real introduction we get to Doctor Hurt, who as you can imagine is playing a role in Bruce losing his grip. Morrison’s run has frequently extracted elements from DC’s past and contemporized them in engaging ways – indeed, the main villain of the first two thirds of his run, Doctor Hurt, is based on a character that briefly appears in the 1963 story Robin Dies At Dawn . Not only is the Tony Daniel artwork beautiful but if you pay close attention to Morrison’s story and try and keep up with the mind tricks that are going on with Bruce it really does start to come together.
The final chapter of this title has little to do with the continuing Dr. Hurt and Ghost Batman storyline, is a masterpiece. It may throw you, but this is the lead-in to Batman R.I.P. & it’s the icing on the cake as to where Bruce’s mental state of being is in. We begin to see the early stages of Doctor Hurt’s attacks on Bruce’s mind. I admire how specific these references are, and I’ve enjoyed researching the background of them. We’ve all had stories throughout our lives that mean little to anyone but ourselves -- whatever Morrison saw in these Fifties & Sixties Batman Comics created a very contentious and intriguing Bat Universe
On its own I could see how Batman: The Black Glove could fail; you absolutely have to read Batman and Son & Batman: The Black Casebook beforehand. But, as a sequel it is brilliant.
June 19, 2014
I understand the desire of some comic book readers to skip the monthlies and move to these sort of collected trades so that they can have a larger chunk of the story at one time.
That mentality helps this collection get a second star, otherwise it would have gotten just the one. The opening story (not sure how many parts it was, this is one jumbled mess of a collection) attempts to bring some of the goofier Batman stories of the 50s and 60s and bring them into modern day Batman continuity. It works to a degree and provides a decent mystery.
However, Grant Morrison is out of his mind and the narrative is difficult to follow and the remaining stories are just a jumbled mess.
Some comic book fans laud Morrison and his story telling. I admit I liked his X-Men run and it was that run that had me buying some comics again after an 8 year absence, but man oh man is this collection just not my cup of tea.
While pretty to look at, some of the "chapters" seem to be odd just for the sake of being odd. And unless you are a comic book "historian" (which I often read that Morrison is, hence his use of bizarre and random older issues of Batman as launching points for some of these stories) and "hepped up on the goofballs", good luck following this mess.
That mentality helps this collection get a second star, otherwise it would have gotten just the one. The opening story (not sure how many parts it was, this is one jumbled mess of a collection) attempts to bring some of the goofier Batman stories of the 50s and 60s and bring them into modern day Batman continuity. It works to a degree and provides a decent mystery.
However, Grant Morrison is out of his mind and the narrative is difficult to follow and the remaining stories are just a jumbled mess.
Some comic book fans laud Morrison and his story telling. I admit I liked his X-Men run and it was that run that had me buying some comics again after an 8 year absence, but man oh man is this collection just not my cup of tea.
While pretty to look at, some of the "chapters" seem to be odd just for the sake of being odd. And unless you are a comic book "historian" (which I often read that Morrison is, hence his use of bizarre and random older issues of Batman as launching points for some of these stories) and "hepped up on the goofballs", good luck following this mess.
December 13, 2008
This is kind of all over the place. Not my favorite Batman collection, but parts of it are good.
May 30, 2023
I had a ton of fun with this!
So if I had to pitch this book to someone, I'd say imagine if Agatha Christie wrote Batman. It's about these low-level clubs of superheroes that Batman like founded back in the day. When Batman arrives, multiple murders start happening inside this mansion, and it's up to Batman to find out!
I really enjoyed this, honestly. I liked seeing low-end superheroes that never get spotlight actually treated with some respect. That also becomes a main plot point of how everyone is kind of jealous of Batman.
The second part of this book revolves around a secret experiment that was held under the basements of the GCPD. While Gordon was demoted, the GCPD went behind his back and started trying to come up with the solution of making more Batmen if Batman were to die. This went extraordinarily horrible. With this, one of the Batmen sought revenge on Batman for "causing it" even though the procedure was under a scientist named Dr. Hurt
3.8/5 I really enjoyed this one!
So if I had to pitch this book to someone, I'd say imagine if Agatha Christie wrote Batman. It's about these low-level clubs of superheroes that Batman like founded back in the day. When Batman arrives, multiple murders start happening inside this mansion, and it's up to Batman to find out!
I really enjoyed this, honestly. I liked seeing low-end superheroes that never get spotlight actually treated with some respect. That also becomes a main plot point of how everyone is kind of jealous of Batman.
The second part of this book revolves around a secret experiment that was held under the basements of the GCPD. While Gordon was demoted, the GCPD went behind his back and started trying to come up with the solution of making more Batmen if Batman were to die. This went extraordinarily horrible. With this, one of the Batmen sought revenge on Batman for "causing it" even though the procedure was under a scientist named Dr. Hurt
3.8/5 I really enjoyed this one!
October 4, 2025
4.0 (biblio)
June 29, 2017
I think The Black Glove is always where my comprehension of Morrison's run starts to break apart. The main problem, as I see it, is that this is where the series becomes deeply intertwined with The Black Casebook, a collection of Silver Age stories that Morrison is heavily reliant on as inspiration--so heavily reliant, in fact, that the flashbacks he incorporates here are given no real context, so you sort of have to have a couple books open side by side to absorb everything, further challenging an already challenging reading experience. The other half of this problem is that he is drawing on storylines from 52, the series that was published simultaneous to his own run, and that documented a year of Batman's life prior to the beginning of Morrison's series. It's all! So! Cool!, but it's also just a bit much, to be honest.
What follows is my spoiler-ridden account of the goings-on in this book, because it is a lot.
What follows is my spoiler-ridden account of the goings-on in this book, because it is a lot.
July 17, 2021
The story in the beginning was a bit confusing to me but I liked the rest of this the devil Batman is scary as hell props to Morrison for making him terrifying.
February 9, 2019
The League of Heroes (667-669). The conceit of a League of Batman Heroes is terrific, and another touchback to the Silver Age. This is also an enthralling thriller full of great characters and it offers a great new foe that we want to learn more about. The awesome Williams art is just the cherry on top [5/5].
The Third Batman (672-674). A confusing story, but one that rather magnificently links the story of the Three Batmen to date with the story of Dr. Hurt to come. The question of whether Bruce is awake or hallucinating is also a fun one (and yet another Silver Age connection) [4+/5].
The Fiend with Nine Eyes (675). Our plot is mainly advancing the idea of a secret-overlord stalking Batman, but the subplot with Jet offers a great advancement of their young relationship, setting it apart from almost anything else in Batman [4/5].
December 20, 2022
I was expecting a lot more of the second Grant Morrison Batman series. The art here was good, but the story jumps all over the place. Also, I never felt that The Black Glove was all that formidable an adversary to the Batman. Maybe I'll have to read it again, but I was a little disappointed. It felt like Damien just disappears completely from the story whereas he was so important in the previous volume Batman and Son
February 9, 2024
Grant Morrison you have done it again! Batman: The Black Glove is a strange and trippy read, but well worth your time. The book is a collection of two somewhat distinct stories, both pointing to various aspects and actions of the Black Glove.
The Black Glove is a shadowy criminal organization hell bent on manipulating and destroying Batman. As the book progresses we learn some small fragments of the Black Glove’s motivation and intentions. It’s an unraveling narrative that, if you pay attention, is easy to get lost in. Who is the Black Glove? How do they have all these resources?
The first half of the novel is a reinterpretation of Agatha Christie’s famous mystery “And Then There Were None.” Plenty of a eccentric and dysfunctional characters play a part in this retelling. The tale also puts Batman in the unique situation of having to work with others outside his immediate circle.
The second is a rather trippy and psychedelic story involving the three evil batmen introduced in Morrison’s previous collection, batman and son. Batman is defeated and tested multiple times, leading him to his breaking point as he suffers cardiac arrest. Batman is stuck in a coma and has to reckon with the mysterious “Zur-En-Arrh,” and even more brooding and angry version of himself.
Batman: The Black Glove is another wonderful collection by Grant Morrison, who through their extensive knowledge of early Batman mythos, has created a well-written, deep, and self referential story.
4/5
The Black Glove is a shadowy criminal organization hell bent on manipulating and destroying Batman. As the book progresses we learn some small fragments of the Black Glove’s motivation and intentions. It’s an unraveling narrative that, if you pay attention, is easy to get lost in. Who is the Black Glove? How do they have all these resources?
The first half of the novel is a reinterpretation of Agatha Christie’s famous mystery “And Then There Were None.” Plenty of a eccentric and dysfunctional characters play a part in this retelling. The tale also puts Batman in the unique situation of having to work with others outside his immediate circle.
The second is a rather trippy and psychedelic story involving the three evil batmen introduced in Morrison’s previous collection, batman and son. Batman is defeated and tested multiple times, leading him to his breaking point as he suffers cardiac arrest. Batman is stuck in a coma and has to reckon with the mysterious “Zur-En-Arrh,” and even more brooding and angry version of himself.
Batman: The Black Glove is another wonderful collection by Grant Morrison, who through their extensive knowledge of early Batman mythos, has created a well-written, deep, and self referential story.
4/5
January 17, 2019
Basic Plot: Batman imposters are crowding Gotham and Bats is on the case.
I collect the Batman comic (just the main title), and as a result, was more than a little confused by the storytelling. I don't know how much is told in the other books, so this story was a bit confusing for me. Good- with lots of interesting layers to the story that made it much more of a mystery than a traditional "superhero" story- but a tad confusing for a person who doesn't know the entirely of the history and doesn't read/collect every single book.
I collect the Batman comic (just the main title), and as a result, was more than a little confused by the storytelling. I don't know how much is told in the other books, so this story was a bit confusing for me. Good- with lots of interesting layers to the story that made it much more of a mystery than a traditional "superhero" story- but a tad confusing for a person who doesn't know the entirely of the history and doesn't read/collect every single book.
November 6, 2022
Tudom, hogy sokan nincsenek kibékülve Grant Morrisonnal és nagyon megosztó a munkássága, de én azért örülök, hogy azok közé tartozom, akiknek tetszik, amit csinál. Itt az elején azért én is bizonytalan voltam, pedig olvastam a Black Casebookot is, szóval tudom honnan jött az ötlet, de ezzel nem voltam beljebb, mert nem értettem, miért olyan fontos ez a krimiszál. Aztán persze később megértettem. A történet második fele meg teljesen lenyűgözött, hiszen végre megkaptam a Batman és fia folytatását és szerintem elég epic lett. A rajzolás a krimis részt leszámítva megint csak nagyon tetszett.
Annyit azért szeretnék még megemlíteni, hogy Morrisonnál nagyon fontos a sorrend. Nem lehet csak úgy csemegézni az általa írt Batman-runból, mert úgy jó eséllyel egy értelmezhetetlen nagy katyvasz lesz az egész. Persze az sem segít, hogy Morrison nem rág mindent az olvasó szájába. Nyilván ez valakinek vagy bejön vagy nem, én azok közé tartozom, akik szeretik ezt a fajta történetmesélést, de elfogadom, ha valaki nem ezt várja egy szuperhős képregénytől.
Annyit azért szeretnék még megemlíteni, hogy Morrisonnál nagyon fontos a sorrend. Nem lehet csak úgy csemegézni az általa írt Batman-runból, mert úgy jó eséllyel egy értelmezhetetlen nagy katyvasz lesz az egész. Persze az sem segít, hogy Morrison nem rág mindent az olvasó szájába. Nyilván ez valakinek vagy bejön vagy nem, én azok közé tartozom, akik szeretik ezt a fajta történetmesélést, de elfogadom, ha valaki nem ezt várja egy szuperhős képregénytől.
April 5, 2021
I wanted to love this so much, but it was so messy/disjointed. There were so many things going on. Although it made sense in the end, getting there was tough. The art was absolutely beautiful and iconic, but I expected so much more, considering everyone loves Grant Morrison's Batman stories. The second half, and the storyline of the Batman replacements was really interesting and great, but the first half was just a mess. It's BATMAN, come on. There could've been more prominent villains or character in that first half. I like Jezebel Jet in this too, but I just wanted more.
October 27, 2017
I loved the introductory story. I have no idea where Damien is, but Tim Drake and Batman go to an isolated island owned by a reclusive billionaire for a reunion of sorts. Batman once teamed up with a set of international superheroes to form a league, under the aegis of this billionaire. They fell apart, but they care enough to show up for the reunion. Only, when they get there, the host is missing. And eerily, they start getting picked off. This is Grant Morrison's And Then There Were None, and it's quite brilliant.
The rest of the book doesn't quite match up, but anyway, there's a super conspiracy going on with all these fake Batmen, and things slowly come together. We never actually see Black Glove, if Black Glove is even one person. (Which Black Glove is not, but we don't know that yet). But I like this book. It's not coherent, because yes I need to read everything Morrison wrote for anything to make sense. But it's still worth reading for that first story. And I know whatever doesn't make sense, will, eventually. It helps to like Morrison's work. (But Final Crisis can go fuck itself.)
The rest of the book doesn't quite match up, but anyway, there's a super conspiracy going on with all these fake Batmen, and things slowly come together. We never actually see Black Glove, if Black Glove is even one person. (Which Black Glove is not, but we don't know that yet). But I like this book. It's not coherent, because yes I need to read everything Morrison wrote for anything to make sense. But it's still worth reading for that first story. And I know whatever doesn't make sense, will, eventually. It helps to like Morrison's work. (But Final Crisis can go fuck itself.)
December 12, 2010
Strange - Grant Morrison is usually so creative and challenging, that anything like this that's merely a decent story is horribly disappointing.
I usually walk away from reading a Grant Morrison story feeling somewhat confused and disoriented, but also terribly entertained and usually in pain from laughing so hard. This one seemed like not only was he sleepwalking through the writing, but also that he didn't really have a good reason to bother writing these stories. Hell, when you've been doing it this long, and your heart isn't into it, then why bother?
However on second reading, and now knowing that Morrison was working on a much larger story arc, I feel better about the push-pull between conventional dialogue and the whacked-out stuff of Bruce Wayne's hallucinations. It feels more sinister to see the threat played out over this book an the previous one, and even more foreboding now that I know R.I.P. follows this one. Bravo.
I usually walk away from reading a Grant Morrison story feeling somewhat confused and disoriented, but also terribly entertained and usually in pain from laughing so hard. This one seemed like not only was he sleepwalking through the writing, but also that he didn't really have a good reason to bother writing these stories. Hell, when you've been doing it this long, and your heart isn't into it, then why bother?
However on second reading, and now knowing that Morrison was working on a much larger story arc, I feel better about the push-pull between conventional dialogue and the whacked-out stuff of Bruce Wayne's hallucinations. It feels more sinister to see the threat played out over this book an the previous one, and even more foreboding now that I know R.I.P. follows this one. Bravo.
September 17, 2020
Super weird, but pretty good.
First off, killer grim and vivid pencils from JH Williams and Tony S. Daniel. Their style’s blend well and I rarely noticed an art change. It was visually stunning with cool layouts, and neat tricks such as entire page layouts being formed around the bat symbol. I dug it.
The story started in a weird place that was a bit difficult to immerse in at first. I thought the Bat Society (or whatever they were called) was a little too silly to take seriously. However, once we arrived in Gotham, shit got very cool and exciting (while remaining weird.) Batman is being hunted by forces far beyond his knowledge. The story ends on a pretty neat cliffhanger, and I look forward to seeing how it goes down in RIP.
Definitely quality Bat content overall.
First off, killer grim and vivid pencils from JH Williams and Tony S. Daniel. Their style’s blend well and I rarely noticed an art change. It was visually stunning with cool layouts, and neat tricks such as entire page layouts being formed around the bat symbol. I dug it.
The story started in a weird place that was a bit difficult to immerse in at first. I thought the Bat Society (or whatever they were called) was a little too silly to take seriously. However, once we arrived in Gotham, shit got very cool and exciting (while remaining weird.) Batman is being hunted by forces far beyond his knowledge. The story ends on a pretty neat cliffhanger, and I look forward to seeing how it goes down in RIP.
Definitely quality Bat content overall.
December 12, 2013
Ummmmmm.... what? The order of this book is so disjointed there were a few times that I had to go back and double check which plotlines were real and which ones were flashbacks or hallucinations.
I think I am getting the gist of the whole overarching storyline (Batman and Son, Black Glove, and RIP) but I'm not 100% set on Grant Morrison as a whole. I've heard that his Batman stories were trippy and weird, and they're totally right.
If I didn't know that SPOILER Batman's death was in Final Crisis, which is the book after RIP, I might stop this story completely. Maybe I will fully get it once I finish RIP. Here's hoping!
I think I am getting the gist of the whole overarching storyline (Batman and Son, Black Glove, and RIP) but I'm not 100% set on Grant Morrison as a whole. I've heard that his Batman stories were trippy and weird, and they're totally right.
If I didn't know that SPOILER Batman's death was in Final Crisis, which is the book after RIP, I might stop this story completely. Maybe I will fully get it once I finish RIP. Here's hoping!
September 26, 2010
I enjoyed the first arc in this collection with its 10 Little Indians set up on a mysterious island, gathering the global Batman style heroes from yesteryear. There is also a pleasing Watchman style nostalgia vibe going. I love Watchmen but usually hate the imitators but this one is quite enjoyable without breaking too much new ground. Unfortunately the rest of the book is pretty impenetrable which nearly turned my brain to sludge trying to follow it. Not enjoyable at all.
December 23, 2021
If the main story had focused mainly on the Black Glove murder mystery, with everyone stuck on the island, I might have given this 5 stars. But that was unfortunately a short lived and rushed side story. The other plot point focused on the Third Batman, and I really just didn't like how it had now development. It just happened without any build up.
That's my problem with Morrison. He just does the main plot without cohesive development or even a timeline that actually makes sense.
That's my problem with Morrison. He just does the main plot without cohesive development or even a timeline that actually makes sense.
September 30, 2022
I loved everything about this arc! I'm a sucker for Silver Age characters, revisited plot threads, and tropey gimmicks in contemporary comics. These issues really blew me away the first time I read them!!
July 27, 2010
Morrison's use of long-forgotten silver age characters adds some wonderful nostalgia to an already fantastic story.
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