Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus Vol. 2

Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus #2

by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert (Illustrator), Frank Quitely (Illustrator)

Grant Morrison's plunges the Dark Knight into his wildest adventure yet. Batman has proven he can win no matter the odds, but what happens when his opponent is death itself?

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest storytellers of his generation, and his arrival in the world of the Dark Knight changed the character forever.

Now collecting the entirety of this epic saga, this second of three omnibus editions finds Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne donning the mantle of Batman and Robin, and Bruce Wayne embarking on an extraordinary journey through time. These blockbuster stories feature a deconstruction of superhero comics like no other, with a challenging, thought-provoking take on the man behind the cowl.

Collects, in reading order for the first time ever, Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702 and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6, from groundbreaking artists Frank Quitely, Frazer Irving, Philip Tan, Andy Clarke, Tony S. Daniel, Cameron Stewart and more, including a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes content.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Superheroes, Fiction

744 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Grant 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.

Reviews

[Artemy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grant Morrison's spectacular Batman run continues to be collected in the best format it's ever seen with this second omnibus. The book collects the entire Batman and Robin run by Morrison, as well as The Return of Bruce Wayne mini, Time and the Batman (#700) and R.I.P.: The Missing Chapter (##701–702), all in correct reading order, as the back cover claims. "Correct" reading order is a debatable subject in this case (I would much rather put issues 701–702 with Final Crisis, for example, as it has much more to do with that event than with The Return), but you can't deny how much more of an organic experience this book becomes as it's presented in the omnibus compared to my friends' reviews of individual volumes here on Goodreads. The Return informs much of what happens in the latter half of B&R and vice versa, forming one complete and pretty coherent story that you otherwise just wouldn't get by reading only the main title, and you absolutely have to read Omnibus 1 and Final Crisis in the first place to really get a good grip on everything that's going on here. Is the story worth it? For me, absolutely. Morrison's Batman run is my favourite Batman run ever and I am absolutely in love with the rich, complicated mythology Morrison pulled from the past and crafted on their own during their long time on the book(s). For me, it's comics at their best — unashamedly weird, fun and daring, pulpy yet sophisticated, smart and beautiful. Art-wise, just like the first book, the second is an explosion of talent — you get Frank Quitely, Andy Clarke, Tony Daniel, Andy Kubert, Frazer Irving and so many more at their absolute best, making a great use of these oversized pages. Unlike Volume 1, the second book is absolutely packed with extra material in the back, with a ton of notes, commentaries and behind-the-scenes art and notes from Morrison themself as well as Frank Quitely and other artists, and it's a really fascinating read if you enjoyed the book as much as I have. Overall, I couldn't be happier with how these editions are turning out, and I absolutely can't wait for the third and final omnibus which will cover my favourite part of Morrison's run — Batman Incorporated.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as volume one but still quite good. Grant Morrison's mad cap dash through the world of Batman continues.

Batman has died in the Final Crisis. Dick Grayson has donned the mantle of Batman and Damian is Robin. The entire run of this story arc was actually very well done and the art was rather cool as well.
The rest of the story with The Gravedigger, Professor Pyg, and Black Glove, which includes the rebirth of Bruce Wayne was simply ok.

I enjoyed volume two. I noticed it ends with the start of Batman Incorporated, something I am not terribly fond of but I shall still read the 3rd volume and see if I feel different. Grant Morrison's work certainly stands out. There is quite a bit going on here and while not all of it is amazing, the first part of the volume most certainly is.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the events of Final Crisis, Batman is dead. Or is he? No, of course he isn't. While Dick and Damian defend Gotham City as Batman and Robin, Bruce Wayne Quantum Leaps through time...

Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume Two collects stories from Batman #700-702, Batman and Robin #1-16 and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6.

The Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne run of Batman and Robin were some of my favorite comics in years and I unfortunately lost the trades in a purge a few years ago. I nabbed this for a cool $35 solely so I could read the adventures of this fresh dynamic duo again.

As I mentioned in my somewhat sarcastic teaser, the book is split into two threads - one featuring Dick and Damian experiencing growing pains as Batman and Robin as they try to take the place of Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake, and another as Bruce Wayne travels through time toward the present.

The Dick and Damian thread was my favorite. The flying Batmobile and battling Red Hood, Professor Pyg, and Dr. Hurt was great, my favorite part by far was the interplay between Dick and Damian and the evolution of their relationship. I enjoyed this more the second read through since my first time was colored with the spectre of Bruce Wayne returning as Batman looming over the proceedings.

The Return of Bruce Wayne portion was new to me and much better than I was anticipating. It was far easier to understand than I imagined and Bruce Wayne doing the Quantum Leap thing toward the future was a lot of fun.

As much as I rag on modern Batman, it was a huge moment when Batman showed up at the end to help Dick and Damian against Dr. Hurt and the assembled underworld of Gotham. I wasn't really planning on ever reading Batman Incorporated but I intend on grabbing the next omnibus if I can find it on the cheap.

Batman by Grant Morrison Omnibus: Volume Two is some of the best modern Batman material out there and just a shade behind the first volume. 4.25 out of 5 Batarangs.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman and robin team up with Knight and Beryl (squire) to fight Red hood and scarlet, Gothams new enforcers and also some crazy story where they have to fight flamingo and some other Professor Pyg villains and all that. The return of bruce wayne in blackest night as zombie and how dick handles that plus Damian and Dick team up to fight some Professor Nichols. Then we have Dick and Damian team up with the Gravedigger to fight Deathstroke and Talia and its an interesting story with Talia which will come back in a big way later on and a big story with Bruce as he time travels through different eras like a caveman then pirate then as a gunslinger while Dick and Damian deal with Pyg, Hurt and also Joker involved? Insanely good till then. After that it becomes wonky as Batman makes his way to the 40s time and well Marsha comes in and asks him to investigate something but its an insane plan by her and Hurt to smear the wayne legacy name and then in the future he goes, comes to the present merged with the hyper-adapter until the JL rescue their friend bruce and knocks this virus down. Its a cool story although a weird confusing mess.. was it Barbatos all along who wanted to destroy that timeline. Umm confusing stuff. In present Bruce comes in to help Dick and Damian fight off Hurt, Pyg and also something with Joker.

Yeah it sort of became messy in the end but maybe that was the intent showing this Dr Hurt who was a worshipper of Barbatos and his ancestor and how he has been manipulating this whole thing and going after Batman and making his life hell and in that regards, Batman RIP makes sense until he got what was coming to him from the Joker.

Yeah idk I have mixed feelings about this volume, I loved the first half of it and even the return of Bruce which is a weird wonky time travelling story but how Morrison tries to incorporate Hurt confuses me but maybe others will like it and that ending with the Joker was fun lol, also welcome back Bruce and a massive change to the status quo of Batman with Inc and yeah so theres that.

The art was all over the place from good to mediocre to downright trash but then again Morrison's wonky writing makes it better.

In short you might like it for its wonkiness and the way Morrison incorporates everything and uses the massive DC continuity to tell one heck of a Batman story unlike anything else and making you feel like you are losing your mind is maybe how Batman must be feeling dealing with Barbatos, Dr Hurt and what-not so in that way he succeeds. Either way its very different Batman tale from what I have read so try it out for that.

[Ali Haji · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I am the hole in things, Bruce. The enemy, the piece that can never fit, there since the beginning. Would I bring you all this way and not deliver the killing blow?”

Let me start by saying I’m glad I read Final Crisis before diving into this—it definitely helped provide some much-needed context.

This volume nearly earned a 5-star rating from me, but a few issues didn’t quite hit the mark. As expected with any Grant Morrison story, there were plenty of moments where I had no idea what was going on... but somehow, it was still immensely enjoyable.

Grayson taking the mantle of Batman and Damian likewise with Robin was an enjoyable experience, especially as you watch their dynamic, respect, and understanding for each other grow throughout the issues.

That flamingo guy was goofy as hell but ngl that page was spectacular with all the that pink of all colors.

Most importantly, I finally know about BARBATOS

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The center of Morrison's Batman run is probably its height, as this is a nicely coherent (ha!) volume of stories circling around the mysteries of Bruce's absence and Hurt's identity. This volume is also the best-ever presentation of it, as it correctly interweaves the stories of Batman & Robin and The Return of Bruce Wayne, so that we can see the back and forth of ideas and plots between them.

Batman Reborn (B&R #1-3). Morrison does an amazing job of recreating Batman, with his depiction of Grayson as Batman and Damian as Robin being pitch-perfect for both of the characters (and an entirely intriguing dynamic). Meanwhile, Morrison also manages the rare feat of introducing great new Batman villains in the Circus of the Strange and especially Professor Pyg. The result is a great new start for this new era of Batman [5/5].

Revenge of the Red Hood (B&R #4-6). It's great to have Jason back, and Morrison does a great job of setting the Hood and Scarlet up as a dark(er) Batman and Robin. The characterization of Scarlet is particularly strong, and sorta steals the show from Jason (which is fair enough as Robin steals the show from Dick). Meanwhile his intro of Scarlet as another new Batman villain doesn't work as he's a bit too ... clichéd [4/5].

Blackest Knight (B&R #7-9). Morrison's take on English adventuring is rather delightful, and his use of a Lazarus Pit to resurrect Batman is a perfect plot point of the sort that's too often ignored in superhero comics. The fact that he uses it to jumpstart the next stage of the missing Batman saga makes it even more clever [4+/5].

Time and the Batman (DC #700). A nice anniversary issue that touches upon one of Morrison's main plot elements, of the weirdzo Maybe Machine, while still offering up a great view of the Batman legacy [4/5].

Batman vs. Robin (B&R #10-12). Another terrific story. The mystery about the missing Batman is wonderfully laid out, but Damian's coming of age in this story is at least as meaningful, and a terrific milestone in Morrison's run [5/5].

RIP: The Missing Chapter (DC #701-702). This is a very shallow story, but a beautifully written one that does a good job of bridging RIP and Final Crisis. Without those end points, it'd be a bit of nothing. [4/5]

The Return of Bruce Wayne.A bizarre, imaginative, and evocative story of the Batman. This nicely dovetails with the weird backstory that Morrison has been suggesting for Wayne Manor in Batman & Robin, explaining things while not doing so at all. Issue #5 and the material on Thomas Wayne seems to be the most important element ... but it took me at least three reads to get sort of an understanding on what's going on. In any case, beautiful, wacky, and nicely touching upon lots of DC continuity (back when they had continuity), if a bit slow at times [4+/5].

Batman & Robin Must Die (B&R #13-16). Things really come together in this volume that makes me want to reread a lot of the older Morrison books. The mysterious of Oberon Sexton and Dr. Hurt have nice resolutions (if you squint) and of course Bruce gets to make his grand return. It's a bit of a shame to see this short-lived era of Batman and Robin end, but onward ... [5/5]

[Highland G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been so much better if mapped differently. The batman traveling through history stuff really ruins the pace of the main Batman and Robin story. I enjoyed the main B&R story, mostly the early stuff. I wish we had a much more sizeable run before they brought batman back, it feels like they barely got started going.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere between a 3 and 4. Depending which art. It starts off extremely strong, one of the best Batman and Robin stories IMO. The middle suffers some but still it's a lot of fun to get into the heart of a team like Damien and Dick. Basically two brothers, even if not blood related, trying to fill the roles they were given and chosen. The ending is also great and Joker becomes something different but just as special. I will say the Bruce Wayne returns stuff though is still extremely weak and fucking stupid TBH. But everything else is worth a read!

[Peter Looles · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Batman by Grant Morrison omnibus volume two"

After the events of Final Crisis, Batman is thought to be dead. The first Robin, Dick Grayson (who later became Nightwing) is now Batman and Batman's son, Damian is now Robin. Together they encounter threats like the terrifying Professor Pyg, Red Hood and Scarlett and Damian's mother, Talia Al Ghul. Also they try to resurrect Batman and bring him back to life. At the same time, in "Bruce Wayne the return", we follow Batman who had actually been misplaced in time due to the consequences of the Omega Effect. I didn't really love this series. My favorite issue was the sixth one. In this issue Batman is in Gotham City (like in every issue of the series) a few months after his parents died. He finds himself in a hospital bed and a woman named Marsha wants him to pretend to be a detective investigating the death of the Waynes, in an attempt to expose Thomas Wayne, who supposedly hired an assassin to kill his wife and then faked his own death.
I had read the "Batman and Robin" series before without knowing anything else about Grant Morrison's run and I enjoyed it a lot, but now I liked it even more. I believe that Damian and Dick are the best Batman and Robin duo. The dynamics are totally changed. Dick is a very fun person with a sense of responsibility, but very care free when compared to Bruce. Damian is dangerous and angry. Together they form a great partnership, a great friendship and they fight a lot of horrific villains. My favorite one from the villains they fight is Professor Pyg. He's extremely creepy but he also has a very interesting character. It's never 100% explained how he became Professor Pyg, but it has something to do with becoming overweight and I find that very interesting. In this second part of Morrison's run on Batman, the concept of Batman being not just a person, but an idea, is explored. This concept was furthermore explored in the third part of Morrison's run as well, but I think it was done perfectly in here, as the first Robin becomes Batman and Batman's son becomes Robin, everything continues, even if Bruce Wayne is dead, Batman and Robin can never die. The writing is fantastic. Grant Morrison does a great job at world building, the plots are captivating, the characters are well rounded, the action scenes are very fun and the characters grow a lot. Damian Wayne grows from a spoiled, annoying little kid, to a very lovable and relatable character. The artwork is also fantastic. There are a lot of different artists in this volume. My personal favorite is Frank Quitely. His style can be a bit weird at times, but I love it.

[Jens Deprez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storytelling and great matching artwork.
Can't wait to read the third and last volume of Morrison's Batman run.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Bat Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bad one. I died

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS IT!!!

This is everything Morrison has been building up too. All his weird parts that didn't make sense in the first omnibus come to fruition here. And its soooooo damn good!

I have read most of these stories before individually, except Batman and Robin 1-16. I had no idea Thomas Wanye and The Black Glove story keot going to this epic conclusion. I'm still reeling. I didn't think much of these stories on their own, but Grant Morrison plays the long game, and holy Jesus did it pay off. It's surreal and I'm left reeling in this mix of emotions I can't explain.

First off Dick and Damian combo is top notch. Great development from Damian that I thought was lacking in the last omnibus. Secondly after reading both omnibuses consecutively Batman RIP now makes all the sense!! 🤯

Words can't describe the way this just blew my tits off. Seriously if your not even into Morrison's work, read this whole lot in one run and you will get something you will never get again out of a Batman run. It's unuiqe and unlike any other Batman take you've read.

Jesus take me home, I'm dead ☠️🧟‍♂️

[Rolando Marono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitivamente el run de Morrison se tiene que leer completo. Las dudas que quedaron de Batman R.I.P. específicamente sobre la identidad de Simon Hurt, por ejemplo, son respondidas aquí. Este tomo contiene los volúmenes más ambiciosos de Morrison sin duda: viajes en el tiempo, control mental, resurrección, legados, etc. Esta es la última pieza de su historia y me atrevería a decir que es la más compleja.
Este tomo contiene los tres volúmenes de Batman y Robin que sustituye a la serie principal de Batman y que veía a Batman con Tim Drake como Robin, también contiene el volumen del retorno de Bruce Wayne, esta historia deriva de Crisis Final y se tiene que leer intercalada con el segundo y tercer volumen de Batman y Robin, así viene en este volumen. Además contiene el número 700 y dos números perdidos de Batman R.I.P. los cuáles conectan el final de Batman R.I.P. con Crisis Final.
Mi parte favorita de los tres tomos de Batman y Robin es la química entre Dick y Damian. De primera instancia es como si los papeles se hubieran invertido, el serio y sin emociones es el Robin y Batman es emotivo y platicador, pero también el cambio es mucho más profundo que eso. En varios momentos podemos ver el peso que implica cargar el manto de Batman, vemos a Dick tener muchas dudas sobre si es digno de portar el traje, y varias veces se arrepiente. A su vez vemos a Damian asumir el rol de Robin; está orgulloso de eso aunque su mamá no piense lo mismo. Lo amenazan con desterrarlo de la Liga de las Sombras y el lo asume.
La relación de estos dos personajes es muy buena y me hizo reír en varios momentos. Leeré Batman Incorporated para terminar la saga de Morrison como debe de ser.
La trama en general es de diez. Morrison se destaca por tener tramas fuera de lo normal, y aquí introduce varios personajes muy extravagantes como el Dr. Pig y Flamingo. Pero creo que lo más interesante de su propuesta es como esta historia se sigue conectando con lo que contó en Batman and Son. Seguimos viendo al Black Glove y Morrison inclusive añade otra capa de complejidad al ir intercalando la historia del presente con las señales del pasado que está enviando Bruce Wayne y que podemos explorar en el retorno de Bruce Wayne.
Este tomo incluye el Retorno de Bruce Wayne, esa historia la leí hace 5 años y estaba emocionada por leerla por ver a Bruce en distintas representaciones temporales. Yo esperaba una historia de fan service pero lo que tiene ese tomo dista mucho de ser eso. Es una historia bastante compleja sobre los ante pasados de Bruce Wayne que curiosamente, son Bruce Wayne. Cuando leí esa historia me pareció muy confusa y no entendí el final, pero ahora que la leo como debería de ser, con el resto de Batman y Robin intercalándose, me pareció una historia bastante interesante que busca profundizar la mitología del murciélago. Morrison le añade un significado místico que ningún otro autor había añadido. Al introducir a Barbatos y la tribú de hombres murciélago de las cavernas, da posibilidades a muchas historias, por ejemplo Batman Metal de Snyder varios años después.
El único defecto de estas historias es que Morrison no escribe tan bien a Bruce Wayne. Nos da un increíble Alfred y excelentes Dick y Damian, pero cuando toca escribir a Bruce, las cosas se vuelve genéricas. Por suerte, este tomo tiene muy poco Bruce Wayne, incluso en la serie del Retorno de Bruce Wayne, le ayuda al personaje estar amnésico y Morrison lo escribe decentemente así.
Si eres fan del personaje, todo el run de Morrison es algo que deberías de leer al menos una vez. Sin duda este autor le hizo mucho bien al personaje y revitalizó las historias que se estaban contando. Disfruté mucho las páginas de atrás donde Morrison nos explica su inspiración para las distintas portadas de la serie y cómo hasta en la elección de los colores de fondo, se imprime el mensaje de su historia y su moraleja.
No creo volver a leer esta historia pronto, pero mientras fue una experiencia muy disfrutable y me alegra haberlo hecho ahora que estoy de vacaciones porque las interrupciones fueron muy pocas. Esta historia tiene que leerse de corrido y lo más rápido posible, si la reflexiona mucho, comienzas a confundirte porque si algo es verdad con Morrison es: mientras más lo piensas, menos lo entiendes.

[Jacob A. Mirallegro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morrison's Batman and Robin is so good and such a fun idea. Switching the light and fun vs dark and gloomy dynamics works so well and these stories, especially the earlier ones, are just super fun. I loved seeing them grow as a team together and I really hope that bond between Dick and Damian gets more attention.
Return of Bruce Wayne was weird and interesting but that last issue was a bit too much of a mind fuck. I know what to expect from Morrison by now but still, yeesh. This is such a dense story and I feel like I'll like it more on reread but for the first time it was a lot to handle especially with all the other chaos going on in Batman and Robin. I really appreciate the reading order in this omnibus and I'd definitely recommend following it but I'm looking forward to rereading Return of Bruce Wayne on its own.
Issue 700 worked really well as a thematic connection between these series'. The RIP Missing Chapters kind of disrupted the flow but they did smoothly fill some gaps.
I also really liked the cover formats that these series had with main covers being by one consistent artist and then the variants being done by the people who did the interior art. Idk its juat a small detail that really helps keep a sense of focus and containment in each series.

[Jake Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would have been so easy for a Bruce-less Batman run to be a disaster, especially after Morrison had spent more than a year explicitly building up Bruce as an impossible-to-replicate figure who could only ever have become Batman based on the conditions of his youth. But the pairing of Dick and Damian kicks an already great run into a new stratosphere, introducing better art, a more assured balance of Silver Age whimsy and modern menace, and even an ongoing firm grasp of overarching Big Bads. The dynamic of a kind, quick-witted Batman and a Robin who is forever teetering right on the edge of going too far is a simple but wonderful reversal, and as much as Dick doesn't need to be Batman to be a great character, it's nice how Morrison preserves his voice while having him step into Bruce's shoes, and how the rest of the world reacts to a guy who gives off an immediately different vibe. The art is consistently spectacular, from Quitely's opening salvo of perverted Silver Age colorfulness that contrasts with the nightmare of new villain Professor Pyg, to the smudged, unnerving quality of Frazer Irving's pencils. The interspersed issues of Bruce's return to the present add a great hook to an already terrific series, and his culminating epiphany that this most famous of grim loner heroes has never been a solo operator is not the first nor last time he's learned this lesson, but it's never felt more elated a revelation than it is in Morrison's hands.

(the only downside of this run is that he didn't do more issues)

[Bryson Grenfell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single greatest lightning in a bottle period in Batman and Robin history is contained in this omnibus volume. Dick and Damian are easily the most interesting and engaging iteration of the dynamic duo.
The intrigue and journey surrounding the inevitable return of Bruce Wayne is also brilliant and every artist brings their A-game

P.S. I freakin’ love Professor Pyg, and wish to see him in more things because he is great.

[ArabellaGray271 · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the first volume, I found it a bit predictable with good, but uninteresting artwork. This volume however fires on all cylinders and tells a Batman story that's so original and interesting at all times. It's a bit confusing but in a good way imo. I'm glad this childhood favorite held up.

[Ross Warburton · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first book. Actually pretty dang good. There were still parts I had no clue as to what was happening but this was overall a good read. Starting the third one now!

[Adam Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the best superhero comics my tiny eyes have ever perceived.

[Aidan]

An all time high point for Batman, Grant Morrison, and every artist involved. Frazer Irving was a favorite, his versions of the Joker and Dr Hurt were creepy as all heck!

This feels like the culmination of years of work by Grant Morrison wrangling an uncountable number of disparate DC Universe tendrils into one story, before setting the world of Batman up for a bold new era, all thematically tied around one of the core themes of Batman being that he's always had help from others, and he's always better for it.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had my problems with the first volume that is was in large parts overly complicated and contrived BUT it was pulled together and executed relatively well.

This collection one can only assume Morrison thought going off the dead end wasn't enough, he also had to fix lead weights to his feet. This is horribly contrived, needlessly complicated, sacrifices plot and detail for vague meanderings and comments to make it seem mystical... It's taken all the bad of volume 1 and hyped it up to the max, whilst letting the good fall away.

By the end I was mostly skimming it, the "plot" such as it was, was so contrived by this stage that I had given up it making sense. Perhaps if I read it again it would make sense but I have zero desire to do so, Hurt is.... I really don't know or care if I'm honest, I'm just glad it's over and wished Jomer had finished the job a volume earlier.

I'm more aggrieved as the idea of seeing Dick as Bats and Damien as Robin was brilliant, I love both characters... but their relationship and stories are sacrificed on the altar of Morrisons awful overall vision and they are essentially side characters in the stupid tike travelling nonsense story for Bats. Such a disservice to those characters as the few times they get the odd few pages they are good and it's an interesting dynamic.

The one good point was Pyg. I always thought he was an awful villain but actually in this collection he was excellently executed and would love to see a newer run with him as the bad without him also being sidetracked to the main arcs gimmick. He's creepy, disturbing and surprisingly menacing when given page time.

Final point, the art for about 80% of the book was awful, it just didn't work for me. I'll pick up the next volume but it makes me glad when I started back with Bats that I started at New 52 as if I had started with Morrison I doubt I would ever have kept reading it much more.

[Timothy Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Batman by Grant Morrison is amazing. For the last idk 30 or so years Batman has been mostly grim and gritty, which is...tiring. Thanks Frank Miller. Grant Morrison breaks away from that & makes Batman more adventurous and fun with a focus on his detective skills rather than super heroics. I love that we get a Batman whose greatest weapon isn't his stamina or fighting skill or theatricality but his mind, his ability to work through complex problem and find a solution no matter how unusual.


Highly recommend this book and the previous omnibus. Both are wonderful.

[Robbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5/5]
I liked Dick Grayson as Batman. Which was a pretty decent portion of the book. The parts of the book which I didn't like was actually Batman traveling through time. I just didn't care for those stories and it felt like a drag to get through them. I like what Morrison did with Dick and Damien and I feel like they just work so well together.

[A Cask of Troutwine · Rating 3 out of 5]

So following up from the last volume (which I reviewed here), Morrison shifts gears in this volume to play with different themes.

On the one side, we have the idea of legacy. Dick Grayson and Damian become the new dynamic duo in Batman and Robin, tying into a phrase/idea Morrison has been toying with all the way back in their JLA run in the 90's, that 'Batman and Robin will never die!' But more than just a simple changing of the guard, Morrison toys with the idea of what that really means. Each of the 4 issue arcs shows us different ways that the legacy of Batman has effected people, and how it could be co-opted, and also the possibility it could be outdated.

And on the other side, Morrison asks us to look to the past. The Return of Bruce Wayne flings Bruce through history as part of an epilogue to Morrison's Final Crisis event. The Return of Bruce Wayne drags an amnesiac Batman and the reader not just through the history of Gotham and the DC Universe, but also through the different pulp genre's that eventually coalesced in the modern superhero archetype. Similar to how they reconstructed a Batman by combing through his entire history, they reconstruct Bruce Wayne in-universe with the genre through-lines of superhero fiction.

On re-reading these comics, I do think that this in some ways was the highpoint of the run. I love the dynamics of Dick and Damian as partners, flipping the personality archetypes of Batman and Robin and basically watching the two of them have to get used to their new roles. The 4 issue arcs in Batman and Robin are fast paced and tight, constantly introducing new ideas and tying everything together for a great finale.

However, much of my problem with the first volume also exists here. Mainly, because they have to include The Return of Bruce Wayne in a way that lets the two stories play off of each other, both including information important to the other one and both foreshadowing the conclusion of this part of Morrison's run, they intersperse the issues of The Return throughout the issues of Batman and Robin, which breaks the flow of those issues in a way that doesn't feel natural. There's no real other way to include the issues together though, unless to bunch up both comics between completed arcs, which would also introduce problems.

Also, just a minor issue because a recap is included at the end of the last volume, but I do feel like a recap of the events of Final Crisis at the beginning of this volume would have been nice. Obviously no one is going to pick up the second volume of a series of omnibi and start there, but I just thought it was weird.

All things considered, probably a 7 or 8 out of 10.

[Tomás Sendarrubias García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si la primera etapa de Grant Morrison al frente de Batman había estado dedicada a deconstruir al personaje, esta segunda etapa sería la de la reconstrucción. Tras lo ocurrido en La Batalla por la Capucha, Dick Grayson y Damian Wayne se convertían en Batman y Robin, y para darles la bienvenida, Morrison había preparado nuevos villanos y el regreso de algunos de los antiguos para continuar con una compleja trama que iba dirigida a un objetivo muy concreto: el regreso de Bruce Wayne.

Y es que no debemos olvidar que al final de Crisis Final, todos éramos ya conscientes de que Batman no había muerto, ya que le veíamos aparecer en una cueva donde coincidía con un héroe prehistórico de DC, Anthro. Así que Morrison trabajó sus historia en dos niveles: con sus personajes que pensaban que Bruce Wayne había muerto y con nosotros, los lectores, sabiendo que no era así. El nuevo Batman y el nuevo Robin tendrían que hacer frente al siniestro Doctor Pyg o al psicópata asesino conocido como el Flamenco, pero el grueso de la historia recaería en el descubrimiento de que Bruce Wayne había viajado al pasado, y en cómo estaba implicado en ello el Doctor Hurt, que continúa siendo el gran villano de esta trama de Morrison. Y mientras Morrison nos contaba estos encuentros en Batman y Robin, escribía una miniserie de seis números llamada El Regreso de Bruce Wayne en la que veíamos a este viajar en el tiempo, pasando a través de seis momentos de la historia en los que Bruce Wayne es testigo (y forma parte) de siniestros eventos que darán forma a la historia de los Wayne y de Gotham durante siglo. Junto a seis dibujantes diferentes, veríamos a Bruce Wayne en la prehistoria, en la época de los colonos americanos, haciendo frente al propio Barbanegra, en los tiempos del Far West, en los años Cincuenta y en la actualidad, en una trama perfectamente construida encajando las dos colecciones,y que serviría para una nueva etapa de la historia del hombre murciélago: el retorno de Bruce Wayne y la aparición de Batman INC...

[Gabriel Calderón · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok

For a while it seems like I have done nothing but glaze Grant Morrison's writing and every new book I read has become an instant classic in my mind but with this one here my experience was very mixed...

firstly after the death/disappearance of Bruce I really loved having Dick grayson take up the mantle of batman and his dynamic with Damien as the new robin was the highlight for me. Their duo and how their friendship develops was top tier here.

So, everything started great and the chapters reintroducing Jason Todd as this slightly different version of Red Hood were super cool.

Here is where shit got bad for me: I did not enjoy the Return of Bruce Wayne stuff at all. And that felt like half of this book.

Even though I tried to dig it, all that storyline did for me was make me feel confused and frustrated. Also, clearly if you haven't read Final Crisis like me you are going to have 0 context for this shit. Like seriously when darkseid appeared out of nowhere I was like ???

even though it was exciting when bruce came back and you had the 2 batmen and robin saving the day, I just feel like bruce's journey to get to that point was waaay too messy and made 0 sense.

This book also made the justice league feel super boring to me, I seriously did not give a fuck about seeing Superman, wonder woman or green lantern at all and these are supposed to be the top tier DC heroes.

Flamingo was a pretty cool villain for the short time he lasted, I didn't enjoy professor Pyg at all though and kinda disappointing since he was really intriguing to me in the arkham videogame he showed up in.

Overall, I would not recommend this to someone who wants to start reading batman comics but I'm glad I powered through it. It is ambitious and different and super out there so at least you are going to get something creative and new but not the best out of the batman stories I have read.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

62%

Stalled on reading this for a couple weeks or so, which is why it took me like a month to read this, but finally finished!

I’m beginning to realise that I don’t think Morrison’s writing is for me. I don’t think his writing is bad, it’s just that he leaves a lot of stuff for the reader to figure out for themselves, which makes a lot of the issues in this omni quite hard to follow. Maybe my reading experience would have been better if I’d started this right after I finished the first omni, and read Final Crisis too (I skipped on reading that event, might read it at some point though). Possibly because of this, or maybe just due to Morrison’s writing style, a lot of the plot threads in this were kinda hard to follow, for me personally. A few things eventually clicked for me a bit, like the Doctor Hurt stuff, but I think the time travel stuff mostly flew over my head.

Also, Dick Grayson as Batman just isn’t as interesting for me as Bruce. I know a lot of people love Nightwing, so if you do you’ll probably like this more than I did, but… I’m kinda indifferent to his character, so he mostly didn’t do much for me in this.

Damien was probably my favourite character in this whole omni. He gets some much needed character development, and some cool scenes fighting with Dick.

Professor Pyg’s introduction in this was also cool, but not quite as interesting as I was hoping it’d be, to be honest.

Overall, I think maybe the multiple intertwined plotlines going on in these issues just made it a bit too convoluted and confusing for my tastes. It wasn’t a bad read per-say, but I don’t think Morrison’s writing is for everyone - and it’s not really for me, I think. Welp, at least I know now. And maybe I’ll give this a re-read eventually and it’ll click more for me, like the first omnibus did. And then maybe I’ll pick up the 3rd omni of Morrison’s Batman run… Idk.

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
Upon reviewing the first volume, I felt I was being a little too generous. Handing it four stars when it really was a lower 3 book, all things considered. Upon finishing this monumental disappointment, it has further cemented those aforementioned thoughts. Of all the Batman omnibus' in my collection, Morrison's run is the last one I would ever want to re-read. And even if I could pick out bits of volume one to revisit, I'm god damn sure I'll never be returning to this one.
Tying in in parts to Blackest Night, the majority of this collection deals is one big convoluted, disjointed mess of a story, rendered near indecipherable with the utterly ridiculous narrative, and the fact that every other issue featured a different artist. It doesn't even matter to me all that much that most of said carousel of artists were actually quite good, there was nothing that came within shouting distance of consistency here. A shambling, stuttering narrative that never came close to drawing me in. A revolving door of artists. A thoroughly underwhelming journey and a limp conclusion that couldn't come quick enough. I just wanted this to be over. Actually, I just wanted it to be good, but that wasn't about to happen, so I'd settle for being done with it. And now that I am, I'll be sticking this back on the shelf (because selling a volume two of a three book series isn't something I could bring myself to do. But if I could, believe me, this would be out the door quicker than my dog when she see's me with the lead in my hands. Morrison's misses far, FAR outweigh his hits. Even some great artists weren't saving this one. Some weak sauce right here. 2.75/5


OmniBen.