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Batman (1940-2011) #667–669, 672–675
Batman: The Black Glove
Mysterious Batman impostors begin to appear on the streets of Gotham. One of these impostors begins to kill cops, working his way towards Police Comissioner Jim Gordon as he tells his tale and waits for his prize: the life of the Dark Knight, in exchange for the lives of the precinct cops. After being capture and subsequently tortured by one of the impostors, Batman falls into a coma and his mind flashes back to a defining adventure in the life of young Bruce Wayne...the hunt for his parents' killer!
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2008
105 people are currently reading
2230 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,784 books4,599 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 427 reviews
April 6, 2024
(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: A Pre-Raphaelite approach to Batman, it’s an unabashed tribute to the adventure and madness of its pop art heyday.
Notes: A Pre-Raphaelite approach to Batman, it’s an unabashed tribute to the adventure and madness of its pop art heyday.
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 30, 2015
On the back cover the word “Visionary” is appended to Grant Morrison’s name.
What’s next? Are miracles going to be attributed to him? Is St. Grant in the offing?
This doesn’t quite measure down to the turds that Morrison has produced for DC, but I think VISIONARY is stretching it just a tad, but it’s too late, Morrison has already taken a big gulp of the lime flavored hubris Koolade.
But, Batman, Anne made her seafood salad and remembered the utensils and everything!
Morrison had some fun with the whole Batman Incorporated concept: let’s create a bunch of Batman wannabes around the globe and somehow unite them into some sort of Bat League. But let’s face it there is an “I” in this team and his name is Batman. So throw ‘em all together on a mysterious island and start knocking them off and everybody finds that the pecking order begins and ends with Batman.
There’s a fat bloated Italian Bat knock off, a French swordsman, a guy from Argentina, a Native American Bat duo, an Australian guy who hates the Bat costume so decides to dress up like Speed Racer, an asshat Batman and the Brit team.
Dude, that’s just harsh!
Guess who gets knocked off by the Black Glove first?
The art is swell, but it’s sadly not “visionary”.
Two other stories cohabitate in this collection. The Gotham PD came up with a couple of auxiliary Batmen, just in case the real one dies and because the PD scientists wanted to re-create what they think makes Batman unique (his trauma), they’ve all become crazy. There’s also an intro to the Batman R.I.P. arc.
Bottom line as per Shelby: Shelby’s had some issues with Batman lately, so even though this one is okay, she’d still punch me in the throat if I recommend it to her.
See how considerate I am, Shelby?
What’s next? Are miracles going to be attributed to him? Is St. Grant in the offing?
This doesn’t quite measure down to the turds that Morrison has produced for DC, but I think VISIONARY is stretching it just a tad, but it’s too late, Morrison has already taken a big gulp of the lime flavored hubris Koolade.
But, Batman, Anne made her seafood salad and remembered the utensils and everything!
Morrison had some fun with the whole Batman Incorporated concept: let’s create a bunch of Batman wannabes around the globe and somehow unite them into some sort of Bat League. But let’s face it there is an “I” in this team and his name is Batman. So throw ‘em all together on a mysterious island and start knocking them off and everybody finds that the pecking order begins and ends with Batman.
There’s a fat bloated Italian Bat knock off, a French swordsman, a guy from Argentina, a Native American Bat duo, an Australian guy who hates the Bat costume so decides to dress up like Speed Racer, an asshat Batman and the Brit team.
Dude, that’s just harsh!
Guess who gets knocked off by the Black Glove first?
The art is swell, but it’s sadly not “visionary”.
Two other stories cohabitate in this collection. The Gotham PD came up with a couple of auxiliary Batmen, just in case the real one dies and because the PD scientists wanted to re-create what they think makes Batman unique (his trauma), they’ve all become crazy. There’s also an intro to the Batman R.I.P. arc.
Bottom line as per Shelby: Shelby’s had some issues with Batman lately, so even though this one is okay, she’d still punch me in the throat if I recommend it to her.
See how considerate I am, Shelby?
August 2, 2016
Loved this volume even more reading it for the second time. I'll write a full review when I can, but for now, all I'll say is that writer Grant Morrison really does Batman... justice!
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.
September 5, 2013
This hardback book collects the first two books in Grant Morrison’s epic Batman run: Batman and Son and The Black Glove. I won’t get into the stories of both as I’ve written extensive reviews of each book separately so if you want to see how much I loved and appreciated those stories, you can read them by clicking on the links below. Suffice it to say, they are excellent books.
Damian Wayne is introduced for the first time, Batman fights an army of manbat ninjas, Bruce starts dating Jezebel Jet, Batman and the Club of Heroes (which will later become Batman Incorporated) meet up on an island full of deathtraps, and the mysterious Black Glove begins plotting behind the scenes.
There’s great art from Andy Kubert, JH Williams III, and Tony Daniel, and Morrison is on top form telling engaging and interesting stories in new, exciting and creative ways.
This hardback is nicely produced with high quality paper used though you don’t get any extras, which is odd for a deluxe edition. No variant covers gallery, no intro from anyone, not even an artist’s sketchbook from anyone. It would’ve been nice to have a couple of extras but fortunately the stories collected here are so good that you won’t mind.
Batman Vs The Black Glove is an excellent book and a great place to start reading Morrison’s transformative run on Batman.
Batman and Son Review
The Black Glove Review
Damian Wayne is introduced for the first time, Batman fights an army of manbat ninjas, Bruce starts dating Jezebel Jet, Batman and the Club of Heroes (which will later become Batman Incorporated) meet up on an island full of deathtraps, and the mysterious Black Glove begins plotting behind the scenes.
There’s great art from Andy Kubert, JH Williams III, and Tony Daniel, and Morrison is on top form telling engaging and interesting stories in new, exciting and creative ways.
This hardback is nicely produced with high quality paper used though you don’t get any extras, which is odd for a deluxe edition. No variant covers gallery, no intro from anyone, not even an artist’s sketchbook from anyone. It would’ve been nice to have a couple of extras but fortunately the stories collected here are so good that you won’t mind.
Batman Vs The Black Glove is an excellent book and a great place to start reading Morrison’s transformative run on Batman.
Batman and Son Review
The Black Glove Review
May 15, 2024
A book that incoherently flip flops all over the place without doing a good job of taking the reader along with it. Morrison really said 'a Batman for you, a Batman for them, a Batman for everybody' and it doesn't work well. Perhaps with a more intelligible plot it would have worked, but it simply serves to bloat this already muddled mess of cobbled together stories. Without the Damian story, this would absolutely be a one star read for me. Too many cooks spoiled the broth, and in this case, too many convoluted stories spoiled Batman.
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!
February 18, 2023
I dalje remek-delo i jedan od najboljih ranova u istoriji americkog stripa. Ovo je toliko pametno i toliko kul i lozacki u isto vreme da to nije normalno.
December 6, 2022
This was my first approach to Grant Morrison's Batman and I have to say I enjoyed it. There is a refreshing mix of slapstick and joking around that runs parallel to the overall narrative. The idea of Batman having a kid and making Robin jealous was well-done. I am interested to see how these characters evolve in Batman: The Black Glove but especially in the apparently epic Batman: R.I.P.
March 5, 2026
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
April 5, 2016
I've read some of Morrison's spectacular Batman run already, specifically Batman & Robin and Batman Incorporated. I am currently on a streak of Batman frustration, what with that awful recent movie and the fact that I purchased Dark Knight Returns after that only to find out that I hate it, too. So, I desperately needed a good Batman book, as soon as possible. And boy, does Morrison deliver.
This book is so full of cool, fresh ideas. I was already fond of Damian Wayne going into this, but it was great to learn how he came about and first ended up with Bruce. It was also nice to see the Club of Heroes, who later become Batman Inc., gathered for the first time (well, in Morrison's run, anyway). And the last several issues, about the Batman replacements and Bruce, while unconscious, having flashbacks and hallucinations, was probably my favourite part of the whole book, which is surprising, because I'm usually not a fan of Morrison getting abstract.
Still, it was a really enjoyable read. Once again Morrison proves that he knows and understands his characters — especially the two biggest heroes out there, Batman and Superman — like they are his own. He basically makes them his own, while staying true to their roots and origins. And he gives you a very fun and exciting story to go with it. I am going to pick up Batman RIP soon, because I really want to know what happens next.
This book is so full of cool, fresh ideas. I was already fond of Damian Wayne going into this, but it was great to learn how he came about and first ended up with Bruce. It was also nice to see the Club of Heroes, who later become Batman Inc., gathered for the first time (well, in Morrison's run, anyway). And the last several issues, about the Batman replacements and Bruce, while unconscious, having flashbacks and hallucinations, was probably my favourite part of the whole book, which is surprising, because I'm usually not a fan of Morrison getting abstract.
Still, it was a really enjoyable read. Once again Morrison proves that he knows and understands his characters — especially the two biggest heroes out there, Batman and Superman — like they are his own. He basically makes them his own, while staying true to their roots and origins. And he gives you a very fun and exciting story to go with it. I am going to pick up Batman RIP soon, because I really want to know what happens next.
July 28, 2015
Well this was something. I enjoyed parts a lot. The Damien storyline was short, but fun, and went quickly. The introduction of crazed police dressed in bat suits was cool. Batman sure got his shit rocked plenty of times. Always loved to see that. The biggest story that failed was the scooby doo storyline in the middle. What the hell was that? Did anyone like it? I was finding myself struggling to get through that part. Either way, for the price, get ton of content, and it's not horrible. So that's something.
January 17, 2018
I've seen people say they gave up on Morrisons Batman pretty early on, but I quite like this. Damien is far from the loveable character he becomes later on, and the Cluedo who-dun-it story in the house is a bit basic (though it's dressed up very nicely with the JH Williams art), but I like how things payoff by the time you're at the end, while overs are left hanging. The prose issue during Batman and Son is a bit trying too but a really good read if you don't approach it as a comic.
March 28, 2025
In 2006, Grant Morrison began what ended up becoming a legendary Batman run over the course of seven years and throughout this run, which was published through numerous titles, the whole thesis that Morrison presents is that Batman is not just the Dark Knight, or the Caped Crusader, or the World’s Greatest Detective. Batman is all of those things, whilst every aspect of his comics history, whether it is campy or moody, is canon.
Starting with the main Batman title, from their first story arc “Batman and Son”, Morrison acknowledges the out-of-continuity storyline Batman: Son of the Demon, by introducing Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul. Whilst Talia has sinister plans for Europe with the use of Dr Kirk Langstrom’s Man-Bat serum, she distracts her former lover by sending their son to him, so Damian can learn the ways of the Batman, even if he was previously trained by the League of Assassins.
Considering that he was originally conceived for just this arc that was told in four issues, Damian Wayne does leave an impression, which was he had a petulant attitude and is immediately hostile towards Tim Drake (the current Robin at that time), as he believes he alone is truly Batman's son and rightful heir. He’s a fun foil for Batman and even Morrison originally planned to kill off the character at that point, they ended up planting the seeds for where Damian will go, including rocking a Robin outfit to team up with the Dark Knight.
As for Batman himself, Morrison has had prior history with the character from Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, to their run on JLA, which gave us the modern kick-ass idea of Batman that we know today. The term “Bat-God” has been coined by fans and Morrison embraces that here, but also deconstructs that idea. At the start of Morrison’s run, Batman has been so focused on his war on crime that he has started to lose touch with his Bruce Wayne identity, and so with super crime no longer in Gotham, Bruce spends time rejuvenating the playboy identity and that’s where he develops a relationship with millionaire Jezebel Jet. Stepping out of Gotham, Morrison has fun in exploring other sides to Batman, from playing up the James Bond element of the character by placing him into exotic locations where one can revel in the glitz and glamour.
However, Morrison still has to deliver the action that requires the cape and cowl, which is where artist Andy Kubert comes in, who does his best work, at least when it comes to Batman. As the League of Assassins sends out their army of ninja Man-Bats to invade a charity event at the London Pop Art Museum, Batman fights them whilst classic comic art is in the background, saying things like “BLAM!”. This action sequence is a clever nod to the 1960s Batman TV show and with ninja Man-Bats thrown in, Morrison and Kubert embrace the ridiculousness of our hero’s adventures.
With much of the story about Bruce attempting to divorce himself from Batman, it sets up this recurring theme of what happens when someone else attempts to take over the mantle of the Caped Crusader. “The Three Ghosts of Batman” are about three cops who wear variants of Batman's costume and take his crime fighting to the extreme, each with their own method, from one wielding a handgun, to another who uses Venom to look like the muscular Bane. These evil versions of the Bat may once again evoke aspects of the character’s history, including his own debut where he did carry a gun, it shows what happens when Bruce is no longer Batman and how his sense of justice can be misinterpreted.
This is definitely the case with issue #666, where we see a dark future where Damian has grown up to become the new Batman following the death of his father. Although most fans were referred to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as the definitive dark future Batman story, which the writer makes reference here, it also shows that Morrison can break away from fans’ expectations and shows that Batman’s future can interpreted in many different ways, no matter who is taking over the mantle; even if the future they present is a horrific one that dishonours Bruce Wayne’s legacy.
Obviously, the idea of characters being inspired by Batman’s brand of heroism has been interpreted over the decades, including the Club of Heroes, a group of superheroes that were inspired by Batman to fight crime in their respective countries, such as the Knight and the Squire who are the Batman and Robin of England. Conceived in the fifties, Morrison reunites Batman with this group on an island resort in the Caribbean, where they become players in an Agatha Christe-styled murder mystery, orchestrated by the Black Glove organisation. This is my favourite arc of this volume for a number of reasons, from Batman being the badass detective, to the numerous interactions of the Club members, some of which have grown out of the idea of heroism for fame and fortune. And there’s J.H. Williams III, a truly exceptional artist, who is always experimenting with page layouts and even changing his art-style a number of times over the course of three issues, going from a retro aesthetic to oddly-panelled painterly illustrations that you would never associate with superhero comics.
No doubt that Morrison has a reputation of disorienting his readers and in the later issues where Batman confronts the third and final Ghost, this is where Morrison goes weird by placing his hero into a dreamscape that evokes the Golden and the Silver Ages of the character, including the sudden appearance of Bat-Mite. No doubt this will confuse the casual comic book reader, it teases the next stage where Morrison will take Batman, who is reliving Bruce Wayne’s past tragedies in an attempt to psychologically break him, even if it raises of what Batman is when you when take Bruce out of the equation. Drawing these latter issues, Tony S. Daniel is one of the great artists in presenting the murky side of Gotham, whilst showing the variety of all the various Batmen throughout.
There are some false steps, most notably the prose story "The Clown at Midnight", which was published after Morrison’s initial arc. I get what Morrison was going with, which is exploring the Joker's evolution of psychosis and is the only time when they wrote Harley Quinn, but the prose style can be long-winded, especially when you are reading a twenty-two paged single issue. It also doesn’t help that John Van Fleet’s 3D art looks so ugly and embodies that period of that type of artistry in comics, which I’m glad is over. One final downer is that the last issue of the volume, which has a revelation that sets up where the story is going, Ryan Benjamin’s art looks rough and unfinished, compared to Tony Daniel’s polished work.
Getting back into reading Morrison’s seven-year Batman run is off to a great start with a variety of stories that evoke aspects of Batman’s history that most people would tend to ignore, whilst setting up new dilemmas for the Dark Knight himself.
Starting with the main Batman title, from their first story arc “Batman and Son”, Morrison acknowledges the out-of-continuity storyline Batman: Son of the Demon, by introducing Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul. Whilst Talia has sinister plans for Europe with the use of Dr Kirk Langstrom’s Man-Bat serum, she distracts her former lover by sending their son to him, so Damian can learn the ways of the Batman, even if he was previously trained by the League of Assassins.
Considering that he was originally conceived for just this arc that was told in four issues, Damian Wayne does leave an impression, which was he had a petulant attitude and is immediately hostile towards Tim Drake (the current Robin at that time), as he believes he alone is truly Batman's son and rightful heir. He’s a fun foil for Batman and even Morrison originally planned to kill off the character at that point, they ended up planting the seeds for where Damian will go, including rocking a Robin outfit to team up with the Dark Knight.
As for Batman himself, Morrison has had prior history with the character from Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, to their run on JLA, which gave us the modern kick-ass idea of Batman that we know today. The term “Bat-God” has been coined by fans and Morrison embraces that here, but also deconstructs that idea. At the start of Morrison’s run, Batman has been so focused on his war on crime that he has started to lose touch with his Bruce Wayne identity, and so with super crime no longer in Gotham, Bruce spends time rejuvenating the playboy identity and that’s where he develops a relationship with millionaire Jezebel Jet. Stepping out of Gotham, Morrison has fun in exploring other sides to Batman, from playing up the James Bond element of the character by placing him into exotic locations where one can revel in the glitz and glamour.
However, Morrison still has to deliver the action that requires the cape and cowl, which is where artist Andy Kubert comes in, who does his best work, at least when it comes to Batman. As the League of Assassins sends out their army of ninja Man-Bats to invade a charity event at the London Pop Art Museum, Batman fights them whilst classic comic art is in the background, saying things like “BLAM!”. This action sequence is a clever nod to the 1960s Batman TV show and with ninja Man-Bats thrown in, Morrison and Kubert embrace the ridiculousness of our hero’s adventures.
With much of the story about Bruce attempting to divorce himself from Batman, it sets up this recurring theme of what happens when someone else attempts to take over the mantle of the Caped Crusader. “The Three Ghosts of Batman” are about three cops who wear variants of Batman's costume and take his crime fighting to the extreme, each with their own method, from one wielding a handgun, to another who uses Venom to look like the muscular Bane. These evil versions of the Bat may once again evoke aspects of the character’s history, including his own debut where he did carry a gun, it shows what happens when Bruce is no longer Batman and how his sense of justice can be misinterpreted.
This is definitely the case with issue #666, where we see a dark future where Damian has grown up to become the new Batman following the death of his father. Although most fans were referred to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as the definitive dark future Batman story, which the writer makes reference here, it also shows that Morrison can break away from fans’ expectations and shows that Batman’s future can interpreted in many different ways, no matter who is taking over the mantle; even if the future they present is a horrific one that dishonours Bruce Wayne’s legacy.
Obviously, the idea of characters being inspired by Batman’s brand of heroism has been interpreted over the decades, including the Club of Heroes, a group of superheroes that were inspired by Batman to fight crime in their respective countries, such as the Knight and the Squire who are the Batman and Robin of England. Conceived in the fifties, Morrison reunites Batman with this group on an island resort in the Caribbean, where they become players in an Agatha Christe-styled murder mystery, orchestrated by the Black Glove organisation. This is my favourite arc of this volume for a number of reasons, from Batman being the badass detective, to the numerous interactions of the Club members, some of which have grown out of the idea of heroism for fame and fortune. And there’s J.H. Williams III, a truly exceptional artist, who is always experimenting with page layouts and even changing his art-style a number of times over the course of three issues, going from a retro aesthetic to oddly-panelled painterly illustrations that you would never associate with superhero comics.
No doubt that Morrison has a reputation of disorienting his readers and in the later issues where Batman confronts the third and final Ghost, this is where Morrison goes weird by placing his hero into a dreamscape that evokes the Golden and the Silver Ages of the character, including the sudden appearance of Bat-Mite. No doubt this will confuse the casual comic book reader, it teases the next stage where Morrison will take Batman, who is reliving Bruce Wayne’s past tragedies in an attempt to psychologically break him, even if it raises of what Batman is when you when take Bruce out of the equation. Drawing these latter issues, Tony S. Daniel is one of the great artists in presenting the murky side of Gotham, whilst showing the variety of all the various Batmen throughout.
There are some false steps, most notably the prose story "The Clown at Midnight", which was published after Morrison’s initial arc. I get what Morrison was going with, which is exploring the Joker's evolution of psychosis and is the only time when they wrote Harley Quinn, but the prose style can be long-winded, especially when you are reading a twenty-two paged single issue. It also doesn’t help that John Van Fleet’s 3D art looks so ugly and embodies that period of that type of artistry in comics, which I’m glad is over. One final downer is that the last issue of the volume, which has a revelation that sets up where the story is going, Ryan Benjamin’s art looks rough and unfinished, compared to Tony Daniel’s polished work.
Getting back into reading Morrison’s seven-year Batman run is off to a great start with a variety of stories that evoke aspects of Batman’s history that most people would tend to ignore, whilst setting up new dilemmas for the Dark Knight himself.
March 8, 2026
DNI
I only managed to read through issues #655-658 and issue #665… I’ve had enough. The racism irks my bones; my lovely Talia being written as a rapist and a caricature one-dimensional villain, when originally she and Bruce had a consensual relationship, pmo. There’s also lots of “alpha male” vibes, I’m not joking, Batman literally called himself ALPHA MALE PLUS so cringe, and the plot sucks ass. I only read this for Damian’s introduction (he’s a character I really like), otherwise I wouldn’t have touched this comic with a ten foot pole.
I only managed to read through issues #655-658 and issue #665… I’ve had enough. The racism irks my bones; my lovely Talia being written as a rapist and a caricature one-dimensional villain, when originally she and Bruce had a consensual relationship, pmo. There’s also lots of “alpha male” vibes, I’m not joking, Batman literally called himself ALPHA MALE PLUS so cringe, and the plot sucks ass. I only read this for Damian’s introduction (he’s a character I really like), otherwise I wouldn’t have touched this comic with a ten foot pole.
May 5, 2016
Grant Morrison is a crazy genius, keyword "crazy." I read Batman R.I.P., The Black Glove, and Final Crisis before this and that was very stupid on my part. Morrison is highly self-referential, so you should start with Batman and Son and go from there. That's what I'm doing now and it's making way more sense.
So there's a lot going on in this particular edition, which collects Batman and Son, The Black Glove, and Issue 666 which is a great What If with Damian as Batman (among other extras). Before I get into the particulars, I really enjoyed Batman and Son. While Damian is a little shit and almost irredeemable as a character, he and Bruce probably have the most complex relationship of all Batman and Robins, and being the only Robin that breaks the cardinal rule of no killing, that's a major x factor.
Okay, so what's going on? A lot, let me tell you. I'll try to hit the major points... Commissioner Jim Gordon has been poisoned by Joker, Batman impersonators are running rampant, and everyone is telling the jaded Batman he needs to be Bruce Wayne for a while. Enter Damian, the Man Bat army, and various kidnapping plots by Talia Al Ghul. Damian trains and lives with Bats for a while but it's clearly a poor fit. Tim Drake especially feels out of place. Alfred can't deal with it. Meanwhile seeds of The Black Glove are being sown and Bats really seems to suffer a crisis of identity with a son showing up out of nowhere. And the book ends with Talia and Damian disappearing, Bats digging deeper into the Bat impersonator mystery (which is continued in The Black Glove, and this is where Bat Mite shows up and shit begins to go full Morrison), and Bats is becoming more involved with Jezabel Jet (I don't love her but it is what it is). The artwork is great from Andy Kubert, J.H. Williams III, and Tony S. Daniel (depending on the book), and is downright astounding in some splash pages. That was the hard and fast summary. There's a ton of story vacuum sealed into each chapter, and that gives you an idea of just what's showing on the surface.
Morrison is like a flaming torch juggler in this book, balancing several plot lines at once with flashbacks and future hints of what's to come. Notice the Zur En Arrh graffiti sprayed throughout. I can see, having started at the beginning, just how masterful these story arcs can be if read slowly and carefully. I skimmed The Black Glove, so next up is Batman R.I.P. (again). Let's do this.
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.
March 8, 2018
Damn Morrison. Back at it again. The volume I have contains Batman & Son, a special what-if issue and The Black Glove story arcs. Andy Kubert, J.H. Williams and Tony S. Daniel's artwork are certainly impeccable. Their respective works are visually satisfying and manages to capture the ideas of Grant Morrison with ease. There's no doubt that you'll feel the Morrison vibe through the stories, especially The Black Glove, if you ask me. While reading Batman and Son before The Black Glove, and even having both stories in one volume, seemed to be a great decision for this Batman run, it seems like reading The Black Casebook that is referenced in one of the stories, before jumping into this would be a great thing to do.
Batman & Son was definitely a well executed storyline to introduce Damian Wayne. His character and his relationship to Batman is absolutely uncanny and never-before-seen. It's something that is quite enjoyable to watch unfold since they both have two completely contrasting ways of life. I was also really pleased by the use of the comic medium for story-telling in this one. The setting played an additional role in delivering fun and creativity. The Black Glove story arc had an unusual plot, one that also references to the famous And Then There Were None story. While confusing at first, the madness of Morrison was strongly felt throughout that story arc. I definitely enjoyed the plot nonetheless.
I believe the most fun is in the substitute Batmen storyline. I was pretty interested in the whole plot. The effect of Damian Wayne's arrival, the mental breakdown, the mention of Nanda Parbat, the relationship with Jezebel Jet and that big plot twist regarding those two.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
Batman & Son was definitely a well executed storyline to introduce Damian Wayne. His character and his relationship to Batman is absolutely uncanny and never-before-seen. It's something that is quite enjoyable to watch unfold since they both have two completely contrasting ways of life. I was also really pleased by the use of the comic medium for story-telling in this one. The setting played an additional role in delivering fun and creativity. The Black Glove story arc had an unusual plot, one that also references to the famous And Then There Were None story. While confusing at first, the madness of Morrison was strongly felt throughout that story arc. I definitely enjoyed the plot nonetheless.
I believe the most fun is in the substitute Batmen storyline. I was pretty interested in the whole plot. The effect of Damian Wayne's arrival, the mental breakdown, the mention of Nanda Parbat, the relationship with Jezebel Jet and that big plot twist regarding those two.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
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