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Batman (1940-2011) #676-683
Batman: R.I.P.
Tying into his other blockbuster stories of 2008 Final Crisis and Batman: The Ressurection of Ra's Al Ghūl, the legendary Grant Morrison confronts readers with the unthinkable...the death of The Dark Knight.
The troubled life of Bruce Wayne seems to spin out of control when his releationship with the mysterious Jezebel Jet deepens. Soon Bruce Wayne drops out completely, having seemingly become the victim of mental illness and abandoning his Batman identity for a life on the streets of Gotham City. Capitalizing on the fall of their greatest foe, the Club of Villains begin a crime spree through the streets of Gotham that threatens to bring the city to its knees.
Collecting: Batman 676-683
The troubled life of Bruce Wayne seems to spin out of control when his releationship with the mysterious Jezebel Jet deepens. Soon Bruce Wayne drops out completely, having seemingly become the victim of mental illness and abandoning his Batman identity for a life on the streets of Gotham City. Capitalizing on the fall of their greatest foe, the Club of Villains begin a crime spree through the streets of Gotham that threatens to bring the city to its knees.
Collecting: Batman 676-683
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2008
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,814 books4,679 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning his American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then he has 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, he has 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 his secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. He divides his time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In his secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. He divides his time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 758 reviews
August 29, 2016
(B+) 79% | Good
Notes: Conceptual art with a surrealist veneer, it improves upon reflection and provokes disbelief, recognition and outburst.
Notes: Conceptual art with a surrealist veneer, it improves upon reflection and provokes disbelief, recognition and outburst.
October 15, 2013
“Alfred,” he said not long ago. “If anyone ever ask for an obituary, tell them Batman’s big secret was the classic whodunnit? Only it’s not about who killed Batman, but who kept him alive all these years.”
And he stopped there, leaving the rest to me.
Batman: R.I.P. ~~ Grant Morrison
It struck me today that Grant Morrison must love opera. Why? Because he’s constructed Batman R.I.P. as if it were a grand Wagnerian Opera – vast, romantic and filled with legend.
Grant Morrison’s Batman R.I.P. is a masterpiece. To that point there is no doubt. Batman R.I.P. is a challenging read. One of the reasons it’s such a great Batman book is because it has so many layers and interpretations, not to mention ingenious storytelling methods and an enormous amount of imaginative scenes and ideas all thrown in and mixed together by a genius writer at the top of his game. But it’s not a standalone book. You need to have read Batman: The Black Casebook, Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove before coming to Batman R.I.P. to get the most out of it. If you read this as a standalone book – and it’s not really meant to be read as such – then you’re going to be confused, and I think some people read it this way and their confusion manifested in anger. Batman R.I.P. is a demanding read and Morrison’s books have, more than many others, shown how comic books, particularly superhero comic books, can be as intellectual and complex as any contemporary novel. To this end, the stories are unlike other Batman books and tend not to follow a linear plot or an obvious message, and this can bother some people. As I said, I think this book is a masterpiece, but I understand why this book is divisive among comic fans.
To understand Batman RIP you need to know a couple of things about Morrison’s intent with this series. First off, Batman can never be beaten, and that the only way you beat Batman is to get Bruce to stop being Batman. Once he puts on the cowl, he’s invincible – so take away the cowl. Second, he posits that every Batman story that has ever been, counts. It all happened to this one man and the person Batman is today is because of every single one of those experiences. So, Batman 66 or those weird 1950s sci-fi stories about aliens – every single story really happened and they happened to make Batman who he is today. Morrison deals with all of Batman’s history and somehow makes it all fit. Years ago, Batman took part in an isolation experiment in the Himalayas called Thogal which lasted several days in an effort to train him for death – and the possibility of overcoming it! During this ordeal Bruce hallucinates all kinds of Batman adventures he and Robin went on like the Adam West and Burt Ward Batman years and the out-there 1950s stuff. This Thogal sequence is essential to the plot as it’s where Bruce develops the Zur-En-Arrh personality, but it’s also an ingenious way of explaining how all of Batman’s bizarre decades-long history fit into the creation of this one man and have it make sense. It’s such a brilliant idea by Morrison, it needs to be acknowledged.
Right away, Morrison kicks things off with maybe the most defining Batman scene you can have: Batman and Joker in a room talking to one another. You’ll notice the black and red color scheme, alternating with each panel, to make the page look like a checkerboard – this comes into play later and ties into one of the book’s themes – while Joker plays a dead man’s hand with his cards: red 8, black ace, red 8, black ace. This is Joker’s answer to Batman’s question: who is the Black Glove? Take the 8th and 1st letters of the alphabet and spell it out:
H. A. H. A.
And it begins.
Soon we meet a broken Bruce Wayne one who becomes the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and his sidekick, Batmite.
Zur-En-Arrh was a real storyline from the 1950s Batman comics where there was a planet with two Batmen and he was super-strong, invulnerable and immortal. Again to make sense of this you must read The Black Casebook, published alongside Batman R.I.P. that collects the stories that inspired Morrison. Dressed in red, yellow and purple (almost like Robin’s colors), Batman and the impish Batmite – a floating, cartoonish figure whom only Batman, zonked out on drugs, can see – set about figuring out who he is and what’s going on. They see a giant grid on the Gotham skyline – a checkerboard grid – with each grid representing a piece of Batman, an experience, a storyline, all of which make up the whole. (This is a small detail I loved but Bruce carries with him a broken AM/FM radio he calls the Bat-Radia which tells him things – an insane, but amazing touch). This leads to Zur-En-Arrh fighting Joker on a checkerboard floor, Jezebel Jet revealing she is part of the Black Glove, and the “death” of Batman. The checkerboard, the red and black, life and death, Batman and Bruce Wayne, it all ties together.
One of the last images we see is of Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, holding the cowl, setting up Act 2 of Morrison’s operatic Batman run where Dick and Damian will be the new Batman and Robin. The next time we see Bruce is in Final Crisis where he confronts Darkseid.
I want to mention Damian and Talia, both of whom barely feature in this book but when they do are amazing. When Gordon goes to Wayne Manor, he’s saved by Damian who destroys the Black Glove’s traps and is also invited to join Talia and Damian as they investigate the whereabouts of Batman. I love Damian’s character because I know the kind of adventures he and Dick are going to get up to in later books, but I think his brief moments in this book are really funny and add an unexpected humor to this generally doom-laden atmosphere. Talia too has a great scene at the end as she deals with Jezebel Jet by sending her manbat ninjas – from Batman and Son – after her private plane to enact her retribution.
Following the Batman/Joker dead man’s hand prologue is a page where a young Bruce Wayne is shown screaming in the rain and a massive quote announces:
“What We Are About To Do Will Be A Work Of Art”
And Batman R.I.P. is a work of art -- the best kind of art.
And he stopped there, leaving the rest to me.
Batman: R.I.P. ~~ Grant Morrison
It struck me today that Grant Morrison must love opera. Why? Because he’s constructed Batman R.I.P. as if it were a grand Wagnerian Opera – vast, romantic and filled with legend.
Grant Morrison’s Batman R.I.P. is a masterpiece. To that point there is no doubt. Batman R.I.P. is a challenging read. One of the reasons it’s such a great Batman book is because it has so many layers and interpretations, not to mention ingenious storytelling methods and an enormous amount of imaginative scenes and ideas all thrown in and mixed together by a genius writer at the top of his game. But it’s not a standalone book. You need to have read Batman: The Black Casebook, Batman and Son and Batman: The Black Glove before coming to Batman R.I.P. to get the most out of it. If you read this as a standalone book – and it’s not really meant to be read as such – then you’re going to be confused, and I think some people read it this way and their confusion manifested in anger. Batman R.I.P. is a demanding read and Morrison’s books have, more than many others, shown how comic books, particularly superhero comic books, can be as intellectual and complex as any contemporary novel. To this end, the stories are unlike other Batman books and tend not to follow a linear plot or an obvious message, and this can bother some people. As I said, I think this book is a masterpiece, but I understand why this book is divisive among comic fans.
To understand Batman RIP you need to know a couple of things about Morrison’s intent with this series. First off, Batman can never be beaten, and that the only way you beat Batman is to get Bruce to stop being Batman. Once he puts on the cowl, he’s invincible – so take away the cowl. Second, he posits that every Batman story that has ever been, counts. It all happened to this one man and the person Batman is today is because of every single one of those experiences. So, Batman 66 or those weird 1950s sci-fi stories about aliens – every single story really happened and they happened to make Batman who he is today. Morrison deals with all of Batman’s history and somehow makes it all fit. Years ago, Batman took part in an isolation experiment in the Himalayas called Thogal which lasted several days in an effort to train him for death – and the possibility of overcoming it! During this ordeal Bruce hallucinates all kinds of Batman adventures he and Robin went on like the Adam West and Burt Ward Batman years and the out-there 1950s stuff. This Thogal sequence is essential to the plot as it’s where Bruce develops the Zur-En-Arrh personality, but it’s also an ingenious way of explaining how all of Batman’s bizarre decades-long history fit into the creation of this one man and have it make sense. It’s such a brilliant idea by Morrison, it needs to be acknowledged.
Right away, Morrison kicks things off with maybe the most defining Batman scene you can have: Batman and Joker in a room talking to one another. You’ll notice the black and red color scheme, alternating with each panel, to make the page look like a checkerboard – this comes into play later and ties into one of the book’s themes – while Joker plays a dead man’s hand with his cards: red 8, black ace, red 8, black ace. This is Joker’s answer to Batman’s question: who is the Black Glove? Take the 8th and 1st letters of the alphabet and spell it out:
H. A. H. A.
And it begins.
Soon we meet a broken Bruce Wayne one who becomes the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and his sidekick, Batmite.
Zur-En-Arrh was a real storyline from the 1950s Batman comics where there was a planet with two Batmen and he was super-strong, invulnerable and immortal. Again to make sense of this you must read The Black Casebook, published alongside Batman R.I.P. that collects the stories that inspired Morrison. Dressed in red, yellow and purple (almost like Robin’s colors), Batman and the impish Batmite – a floating, cartoonish figure whom only Batman, zonked out on drugs, can see – set about figuring out who he is and what’s going on. They see a giant grid on the Gotham skyline – a checkerboard grid – with each grid representing a piece of Batman, an experience, a storyline, all of which make up the whole. (This is a small detail I loved but Bruce carries with him a broken AM/FM radio he calls the Bat-Radia which tells him things – an insane, but amazing touch). This leads to Zur-En-Arrh fighting Joker on a checkerboard floor, Jezebel Jet revealing she is part of the Black Glove, and the “death” of Batman. The checkerboard, the red and black, life and death, Batman and Bruce Wayne, it all ties together.
One of the last images we see is of Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing, holding the cowl, setting up Act 2 of Morrison’s operatic Batman run where Dick and Damian will be the new Batman and Robin. The next time we see Bruce is in Final Crisis where he confronts Darkseid.
I want to mention Damian and Talia, both of whom barely feature in this book but when they do are amazing. When Gordon goes to Wayne Manor, he’s saved by Damian who destroys the Black Glove’s traps and is also invited to join Talia and Damian as they investigate the whereabouts of Batman. I love Damian’s character because I know the kind of adventures he and Dick are going to get up to in later books, but I think his brief moments in this book are really funny and add an unexpected humor to this generally doom-laden atmosphere. Talia too has a great scene at the end as she deals with Jezebel Jet by sending her manbat ninjas – from Batman and Son – after her private plane to enact her retribution.
Following the Batman/Joker dead man’s hand prologue is a page where a young Bruce Wayne is shown screaming in the rain and a massive quote announces:
“What We Are About To Do Will Be A Work Of Art”
And Batman R.I.P. is a work of art -- the best kind of art.
June 26, 2012
This was one of the most divisive Batman graphic novels in several years. A fair number of purists hate it and others absolutely love it.
[image error]
Batman falls in love so much that he reveals his identity to Jezebel Jet (hmm, does the Biblical reference give anything away?) which worries many of the people around him. But the real story is Batman having his mind invaded and the fact that our oh so paranoid detective predicted something like this and set up safeguards. Will those safeguards work? Appearances by The Club of Villains as well as Bat-Mite and The Joker. Expect a nightmarish landscape as Batman's mind is invaded.
[image error]
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What I found out after reading this graphic novel was that there were three stories before this one that should be read (it doesn't say on this volume about previous volumes). In order they are: “Batman: Batman and Son”, “Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul” and “Batman: Black Glove”. A fifth follow up covers the whole JLA team and was titled “Final Crisis”.
The overall tale was done by Grant Morrison, who loves to do his funky, psychedelic setups and some might argue he overdid it or that it's too confusing. I read Morrison's Batman Arkham Asylum before this one and found it to be overly confusing at times as well.
[image error]
Regardless, this might be a graphic novel you'll need to go through more than once to fully appreciate. I prefer it over “Arkham Asylum” which focused too much on the mad dreams. That said, on a second and even third reading I appreciated the graphic novel more. A bit of Wiki on historical Batman references didn't hurt either.
Tony S Daniel in the main artist. I'd say the artwork is a slight notch up from “Arkham Asylum” which was too psychedelic at times for my tastes.
Morrison mines the little bits of Batman history especially from the Silver Age yet he doesn't follow the true threads of those pieces so purists will be angered. Once more as a warning a lot of the “clever Morrison” moments may be lost to more casual readers or people who don't spend the time doing some research and then reading it again.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B (for those who didn't read the previous graphic novels & Morrison's style can be confusing to some); NIGHTMARISH LANDSCAPING FOCUSES: A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus (higher if you read the previous graphic novels); WHEN READ: end of June to mid July 2012.
[image error]
Batman falls in love so much that he reveals his identity to Jezebel Jet (hmm, does the Biblical reference give anything away?) which worries many of the people around him. But the real story is Batman having his mind invaded and the fact that our oh so paranoid detective predicted something like this and set up safeguards. Will those safeguards work? Appearances by The Club of Villains as well as Bat-Mite and The Joker. Expect a nightmarish landscape as Batman's mind is invaded.
[image error]
[image error]
What I found out after reading this graphic novel was that there were three stories before this one that should be read (it doesn't say on this volume about previous volumes). In order they are: “Batman: Batman and Son”, “Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul” and “Batman: Black Glove”. A fifth follow up covers the whole JLA team and was titled “Final Crisis”.
The overall tale was done by Grant Morrison, who loves to do his funky, psychedelic setups and some might argue he overdid it or that it's too confusing. I read Morrison's Batman Arkham Asylum before this one and found it to be overly confusing at times as well.
[image error]
Regardless, this might be a graphic novel you'll need to go through more than once to fully appreciate. I prefer it over “Arkham Asylum” which focused too much on the mad dreams. That said, on a second and even third reading I appreciated the graphic novel more. A bit of Wiki on historical Batman references didn't hurt either.
Tony S Daniel in the main artist. I'd say the artwork is a slight notch up from “Arkham Asylum” which was too psychedelic at times for my tastes.
Morrison mines the little bits of Batman history especially from the Silver Age yet he doesn't follow the true threads of those pieces so purists will be angered. Once more as a warning a lot of the “clever Morrison” moments may be lost to more casual readers or people who don't spend the time doing some research and then reading it again.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B (for those who didn't read the previous graphic novels & Morrison's style can be confusing to some); NIGHTMARISH LANDSCAPING FOCUSES: A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus (higher if you read the previous graphic novels); WHEN READ: end of June to mid July 2012.
August 30, 2015
Morrison makes you work and that's not a bad thing. He says comics have become too linear and mainstream and I generally agree. I've found that on my second read his books make almost total sense, on the first read almost indecipherable. So let me just say that if you're interested in Morrison's Batman run, do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with Batman and Son, read slowly, and read his books consecutively if you can.
I don't want to play the summary game too much so I'll give a quick once over. Following the previous book The Black Glove and its introduction of Doctor Simon Hurt, Batman is back in Gotham and The Black Glove will attempt to destroy Batman's mind. Just remember that Bruce is highly intelligent, superhumanly intelligent as Morrison says, and that he is prepared for this attack. End summary.
What Morrison has done here is created a fascinating, sometimes funny, sometimes wacky as fuck, sometimes heart wrenching and dark and psychological, and always brightly and boldly illustrated by Tony S. Daniel masterpiece. And I don't use that word lightly. Batman is not indestructible: he cares, loves, broods, breaks, suffers, spirals into madness. But his will, his spirit...ah, now that is indestructible.
Let me say that you should not concern yourself with unlocking "the puzzle" of this book. That was my fault on the first read. There is no puzzle. There's depth and reader interpretation, but don't overdo it. Like Joker's Dead Man Hand. It's Joker, okay? He's nuts. There's no rhyme or reason. Doctor Simon Hurt is evil and maybe who he says he is, but he's not everyone he says he is. And if you still have questions, read the next book, or go back and reread sections like I did. Morrison says the answers are there and he's right, he's fucking right! I did have questions about the final chapters, however, The Butler Did It and What the Butler Saw, but I realized they're answered in Final Crisis, another masterpiece I'm not quite ready to dive into again so soon.
The brilliance of R.I.P. is its reinvention and homage to Batman history. I haven't yet read The Black Casebook, but Morrison is like an archivist meets mad scientist meets fanboy in his acknowledgement of the lesser known and sometimes ethereal or campy 50s and 60s Batman comics. Most of the characters here have been, to stay in theme with this book, resurrected all shiny and new. The Club of Villains, the Club of Heroes, Doctor Simon Hurt, The Black Glove. It's a gentlemanly nod to Batman's own history. And Morrison would say no it's not "meta" you asshole, it's real, he's addressing real Batman history in a real Batman comic. And it's astounding. Look at Joker, look at what he's done for the quintessential Villain, who no longer resembles the silly bow tie wearing gangster, but rather a skeleton who wields razors and facial scars and wishes to carve people up. I could go on and on but I'll stop. You should discover Batman R.I.P. for yourself.
September 18, 2008
Batman gets cut by one of the Black Glove's minions on the first page, drugging him in the process. A little later, Jezebel Jet (who wouldn't have spotted a girl named Jezebel as being linked with the villains?) utters a code word Dr. Hurt implanted in Batmans' subconscious during an isolation experiment years ago (see Batman: The Black Glove) and the shit hits the fan. The Bruce Wayne part of Batman's psyche is completely eclipsed by the Batman portion. Batman goes on a rampage in a patchwork costume and finally catches up to the Black Glove at Arkham Asylum. He's consequently defeated and buried alive. But even being buried alive isn't enough to stop Batman...
I didn't like this one as much as the The Black Glove and here's why. First of all, you knew the vague ending was letting the door open for Bruce Wayne to return, even though Nightwing looked pretty impressive in the final shot holding Batman's cowl. Secondly, the two stories that followed, also in this volume, showed Batman surviving the helicopter crash. God forbid the fanboys think Batman might be dead for longer than ten minutes. THEN, Batman is "killed" by Darkseid in Final Crisis. It seems like they would have been better off leaving him "dead" at the end of RIP. The ending was vague enough that a return would have been believeable. However they end up bringing him back after Final Crisis (and they will) is going to be hokey as hell.
I'd highly recommend skipping the last two stories in this book. If you do and never read another Batman comic again, you can pretend something actually happened. Otherwise, it's just another example of why comics will never rise above their pro-wrestling type status with the general public. Nothing ever really happens that won't be undone later.
I didn't like this one as much as the The Black Glove and here's why. First of all, you knew the vague ending was letting the door open for Bruce Wayne to return, even though Nightwing looked pretty impressive in the final shot holding Batman's cowl. Secondly, the two stories that followed, also in this volume, showed Batman surviving the helicopter crash. God forbid the fanboys think Batman might be dead for longer than ten minutes. THEN, Batman is "killed" by Darkseid in Final Crisis. It seems like they would have been better off leaving him "dead" at the end of RIP. The ending was vague enough that a return would have been believeable. However they end up bringing him back after Final Crisis (and they will) is going to be hokey as hell.
I'd highly recommend skipping the last two stories in this book. If you do and never read another Batman comic again, you can pretend something actually happened. Otherwise, it's just another example of why comics will never rise above their pro-wrestling type status with the general public. Nothing ever really happens that won't be undone later.
July 14, 2009
Reading the three volumes of Batman and Robin gave me a hankering for Batman by Morrison stories, and I was fortunate to have a copy of this book.
I remember reading this before and it was a dense book, deliberate with its panel layouts and dripping with lore, the first part of this collection referenced several Silver Age stories, including "Robin Dies at Dawn" and "Batman—The Superman of Planet-X!", and the latter two chapters, a recap of Batman's history, and succinct recounting of Batman's participation in Morrison's "Final Crisis".
This graphic novel lived up to its title. Doctor Hurt attempted to destroy Batman's mind and Bruce Wayne's reputation, only to awaken the failsafe persona of Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Batman literally rose from the grave to thwart Hurt.
I remember reading this before and it was a dense book, deliberate with its panel layouts and dripping with lore, the first part of this collection referenced several Silver Age stories, including "Robin Dies at Dawn" and "Batman—The Superman of Planet-X!", and the latter two chapters, a recap of Batman's history, and succinct recounting of Batman's participation in Morrison's "Final Crisis".
This graphic novel lived up to its title. Doctor Hurt attempted to destroy Batman's mind and Bruce Wayne's reputation, only to awaken the failsafe persona of Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Batman literally rose from the grave to thwart Hurt.
July 13, 2022
This has gotta be one of the craziest Batman stories I have read and its amazing like in a good way!
So we have Batman dating Jezebel who knows his secret and well Black glove invites them and slowly we see them trying to investigate it but then comes Dr Simon Hurt and then we ultimately see their big plan and the coming of Black Glove plus Joker and how they break Batman and you actually feel it, going drowsy and crazy yourself and seeing how he is being broken down but how he fights against it and the truth of Jezebel and is Dr simon hurt really who he claims to be and a mind trap and the coming of Batman of ZUR-EN-ERRAH! This is the one which has it and its crazy and epic and you have to read it for yourself and it also has one of the best jokers easily!
Its just too good a volume and then we see a part where he fights some Lump which is just showing how much trauma Bruce had to take and then also seeing his whole history upto this volume and its so freaking good, I just love it! One of the best ones easily and then the art here is just so good, really makes the whole experience worth it and then tying it into Final crisis which is something.
So yeah a must recommend from me!
So we have Batman dating Jezebel who knows his secret and well Black glove invites them and slowly we see them trying to investigate it but then comes Dr Simon Hurt and then we ultimately see their big plan and the coming of Black Glove plus Joker and how they break Batman and you actually feel it, going drowsy and crazy yourself and seeing how he is being broken down but how he fights against it and the truth of Jezebel and is Dr simon hurt really who he claims to be and a mind trap and the coming of Batman of ZUR-EN-ERRAH! This is the one which has it and its crazy and epic and you have to read it for yourself and it also has one of the best jokers easily!
Its just too good a volume and then we see a part where he fights some Lump which is just showing how much trauma Bruce had to take and then also seeing his whole history upto this volume and its so freaking good, I just love it! One of the best ones easily and then the art here is just so good, really makes the whole experience worth it and then tying it into Final crisis which is something.
So yeah a must recommend from me!
October 16, 2011
Batman RIP may be the greatest Batman book ever. The Dark Knight goes up against the Black Glove in a tense final confrontation with their leader Dr Hurt. You can read my article on the 9 Reasons Why Batman RIP is a Masterpiece here!
November 21, 2016
I like the artwork and the dialogues a lot, the story is quite okay too, I enjoy reading Batman's struggle very step of the way (Sorry! But I seem to have a kink for Batman's suffering!).
Yet, I still have a few problems:
(1) The villains: aside from the Joker (who is totally awesome, as usual), the gang of villains is made up by a bunch of B-rate or C-rate villains who I had never heard of before (but I haven't read so many Batman comics to know enough about the villains in the series, so don't kill me!). Don't get me wrong, many of those villains seem to be interesting characters with cool settings, but Dr. Hurt as the evil mastermind!? Who the hell is Dr. Hurt? No, I'm not buying it.
(2) I have difficulty telling Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Damian Wayne (the later Robin) and Tim Drake (the current Robin) apart: Why must all these guys be so alike with one another? It makes no sense.
(3) Batman in his underwear: Does anyone really want to see this? I know I don't.
(4) Some plot points of the story aren't well explained and the storytelling can be rather choppy: Maybe it is just me, but I had to re-read some parts of the story for the second time just to understand what is going on.
Still, I enjoy this volume.
Review: Batman: A Death in the Family https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Yet, I still have a few problems:
(1) The villains: aside from the Joker (who is totally awesome, as usual), the gang of villains is made up by a bunch of B-rate or C-rate villains who I had never heard of before (but I haven't read so many Batman comics to know enough about the villains in the series, so don't kill me!). Don't get me wrong, many of those villains seem to be interesting characters with cool settings, but Dr. Hurt as the evil mastermind!? Who the hell is Dr. Hurt? No, I'm not buying it.
(2) I have difficulty telling Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Damian Wayne (the later Robin) and Tim Drake (the current Robin) apart: Why must all these guys be so alike with one another? It makes no sense.
(3) Batman in his underwear: Does anyone really want to see this? I know I don't.
(4) Some plot points of the story aren't well explained and the storytelling can be rather choppy: Maybe it is just me, but I had to re-read some parts of the story for the second time just to understand what is going on.
Still, I enjoy this volume.
Review: Batman: A Death in the Family https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 29, 2011
The truth of the matter is that I ultimately don't know what to make of this. Morrison is talented, but he's more of a concept guy than an execution guy. The idea of Batman going off the deep end and completely losing himself in the persona is fascinating, but the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh (with Batmite!) is just wacky. I just can't really take it seriously. That's not to say that there aren't any highlights here. I personally like this version of the Joker, and especially the explanation for the changes in his personality (a form of MPD that has him cycling through personalities). I loved seeing the International Club of Heroes again. I did like the art, though the panels could sometimes be confusing. Like the writing, come to that. But the title is misleading, and the last two issues included are unnecessary and even detract from the overall story. Probably more like 2.5 stars, but I'm grading up today.
January 12, 2014
Casual Batman fans can learn from my experience: this was impossible to follow, so much so I almost gave up halfway. I needed one of those "Previously, on Batman..." bits at the beginning to bring me up to speed. Instead it was like being dropped into Harry Potter 7 with little to no understanding of who people were ("I know Harry and Dumbledore, but who the heck is Bellatrix Lestrange?"), how they got there ("Why aren't they at Hogwart's fighting He Who Shall Not Be Named?") or what was going on ("What in the heck is a horcrux?"). The parts that I did understand, quite frankly, seemed cheesy, but I'll be the first to admit I'm no authority to listen to. Again, this review is just for the casual reader...
Having just read StoryTellerShannon's review, I see that "there were three stories before this one that should be read (it doesn't say on this volume about previous volumes). In order they are: “Batman: Batman and Son”, “Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul” and “Batman: Black Glove”. A fifth follow up covers the whole JLA team and was titled “Final Crisis”." Thanks, StoryTellerShannon! Still, it would have been nice if this volume had any indication whatsoever that there were other volumes.
Alternatively, Brian's review says: "This is the third part of Morrison's Batman epic which in order is as follows "Batman and Son" "Batman: The Black Glove" "Batman: RIP" "Final Crisis" "Batman and Robin vol 1,2,3." "The Return of Bruce Wayne" and finally "Batman INC. vol 1, 2", In between there is "The Battle for the Cowl" but it was not written by Morrison."
Others explain that Morrison's goal here was to incorporate all parts of decades of Batman storytelling, even those things many would rather forget. I imagine this could make the book quite rewarding for Batman scholars.
Having just read StoryTellerShannon's review, I see that "there were three stories before this one that should be read (it doesn't say on this volume about previous volumes). In order they are: “Batman: Batman and Son”, “Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul” and “Batman: Black Glove”. A fifth follow up covers the whole JLA team and was titled “Final Crisis”." Thanks, StoryTellerShannon! Still, it would have been nice if this volume had any indication whatsoever that there were other volumes.
Alternatively, Brian's review says: "This is the third part of Morrison's Batman epic which in order is as follows "Batman and Son" "Batman: The Black Glove" "Batman: RIP" "Final Crisis" "Batman and Robin vol 1,2,3." "The Return of Bruce Wayne" and finally "Batman INC. vol 1, 2", In between there is "The Battle for the Cowl" but it was not written by Morrison."
Others explain that Morrison's goal here was to incorporate all parts of decades of Batman storytelling, even those things many would rather forget. I imagine this could make the book quite rewarding for Batman scholars.
January 4, 2013
New 2023 Review: Obviously my 2023 brain disagrees with my 2015 brain LOL. But I really enjoyed this, while not perfect, fun end to Morrison's first 3 part epic on Batman.
Basically we have Doctor Hurt, the leader of the Black Glove, unleashing his full on plan against Batman. This starts with Batman losing himself to himself, and releasing Zur-En-Arrh. A much more vicious, more pedal to the metal type batman. He comes in with a Bat most of the times and swings away. This stuff is actually really intriguing and helps make this Batman alot more fierce.
At the same time we do have some good moments with Damien, Nightwing, and Tim and even the crew from the Black Glove mystery story. And the Joker is creepy as all hell here.
But I do feel Doctor Hurt's plan is too big and convoluted half the time. And he's not as interesting as all the other players in this game, letting me down with his weak ending overall.
But RIP remains entertaining throughout with some great moments and art. A 3.5 out of 5.
Original 2015 Review: This is by far the worst bat man story I've read. Chopping pacing, confusing, bad fights, stupid metaphors, a boring finale, and a horrible twist. So glad I read new 52 first otherwise I'd never pick up another bat man comic.
Basically we have Doctor Hurt, the leader of the Black Glove, unleashing his full on plan against Batman. This starts with Batman losing himself to himself, and releasing Zur-En-Arrh. A much more vicious, more pedal to the metal type batman. He comes in with a Bat most of the times and swings away. This stuff is actually really intriguing and helps make this Batman alot more fierce.
At the same time we do have some good moments with Damien, Nightwing, and Tim and even the crew from the Black Glove mystery story. And the Joker is creepy as all hell here.
But I do feel Doctor Hurt's plan is too big and convoluted half the time. And he's not as interesting as all the other players in this game, letting me down with his weak ending overall.
But RIP remains entertaining throughout with some great moments and art. A 3.5 out of 5.
Original 2015 Review: This is by far the worst bat man story I've read. Chopping pacing, confusing, bad fights, stupid metaphors, a boring finale, and a horrible twist. So glad I read new 52 first otherwise I'd never pick up another bat man comic.
November 30, 2018
I knew (thanks, Goodreads) going into it that Batman: R.I.P. was a divisive volume in the series. But, having reasonably liked the precursors Batman and Son and The Black Glove I decided to give it a go. The gist is that the Black Glove villains put Batman through a psychological nightmare ( . . . I think). There are moments - like the opening pursuit, featuring a two-page spread of the new Batmobile in action - that work, but that was before the main plot kicks into motion. Then the crazy train jumps the tracks, though, and never returns to the station. Things get weird - too odd that it will certainly be off-putting, or even just annoying, for some readers - for too long, and it lacks a good finale.
September 21, 2010
Really 3.5 stars, but only because of the art. The story was wacky.
February 27, 2012
Far better then I remembered. And at last re-reading again this descent into madness after years, I finally understood what the f@%% was going on.
A tale not for anyone indeed... maybe I was reading too many Marvel/Disney Channel comics when I not enjoyed much this gem first time (still a Marvel Zombie, but almost all House of Ideas comics post Secret Wars are so terrible for me, but for a few exceptions, that I'm reading or re-reading more often something else in these times).
And Tony Daniel's artworks (that I love since his high-testosterone X-Force/Spawn 90s debuts) were just perfect for this story: like razor slashes painting red all the violence, trauma, madness and abuse inside this crazy comic book.
Morrison is crazy for good, but you can only admire his deconstruction of a pop culture icon like Batman, pushing backinto the Dark Knight continuity all previous stories since 30s "deleted" after Miller's Year One.
ZUR-EN-ARRH
August 22, 2014
Easily one of the worst Batman arcs ever written, Batman R.I.P. is a bullshit jambalaya that showcases infamous tool Grant Morrison trying to prove he has even a toddler's grasp of characterization and the English language.
From start to finish, this arc is a rollercoaster; but not the emotional kind. No. Batman R.I.P. is a rollercoaster that someone else straps you into, blindfolded, and at no point do its dimensions, intentions, or thematic arcs become any clearer than in the moment you realize that some asshole blindfolded you and put you on a rollercoaster. From the very beginning, it's never really clear what the fuck is going on, or why. Events and characters seem to be summoned out of the abyss for no reason. The central antagonists seem to be conjured out of thin fucking air and never do anything to distinguish themselves. The plot seems to carry on with no rhyme or reason, jerking drunkenly from present to future to not-so-distant past without any warning or notification that it's done so.
It's a mess. Batman R.I.P. is a fucking mess. It's barely worth seriously reviewing, that's what a fucking mess it is. So instead of dignifying this pile of trash with real, in-depth commentary, let me just share with you my posts as I live-blogged my reading it:
And, in summation:
That this has a rating as high as it does on Goodreads is a serious insult to the entire Batman franchise. I mean it. This arc is trash. If I could rate it lower than one star, I would. The Halle Barry Catwoman movie is more worth your time and emotional investment, and better written to boot. Do not read this.
From start to finish, this arc is a rollercoaster; but not the emotional kind. No. Batman R.I.P. is a rollercoaster that someone else straps you into, blindfolded, and at no point do its dimensions, intentions, or thematic arcs become any clearer than in the moment you realize that some asshole blindfolded you and put you on a rollercoaster. From the very beginning, it's never really clear what the fuck is going on, or why. Events and characters seem to be summoned out of the abyss for no reason. The central antagonists seem to be conjured out of thin fucking air and never do anything to distinguish themselves. The plot seems to carry on with no rhyme or reason, jerking drunkenly from present to future to not-so-distant past without any warning or notification that it's done so.
It's a mess. Batman R.I.P. is a fucking mess. It's barely worth seriously reviewing, that's what a fucking mess it is. So instead of dignifying this pile of trash with real, in-depth commentary, let me just share with you my posts as I live-blogged my reading it:
I've been reading Batman R.I.P. for all of ten minutes and I already hate it
Jesus Christ I hate it so much what is this
This is the biggest bullshit casserole I've ever been presented with, I'm serious
Tim is literally the only person in character how is this possible. How do you even fuck up this badly
I'm just flabbergasted. How did this even make it to print? How did anyone look at this and say "yeah. Okay. This seems representative of the Batman franchise. Go for it"
On a scale of 1 to Batman R.I.P. how conceptually misguided and out of character is your fan fiction
So do editors even exist in the comic book industry or is it all just neckbearded manchildren masturbating onto expensive paper and congratulating one another on it
I mean it's one thing to just throw character consistency out the window but like…
Do you people even like Batman
Because no one who likes Batman would be seen within 10 miles of Batman R.I.P.
And, in summation:
Batman R.I.P. is literally a marathon of insanity. I don’t know what’s happening and I don’t know why and I really don’t even care anymore. Everything is Grant Morrison using big words to obscure the glaringly obvious fact that he couldn’t write a fucking fortune cookie if his life depended on it, very less string together a coherent narrative starring one of the most iconic characters in Western fiction
That this has a rating as high as it does on Goodreads is a serious insult to the entire Batman franchise. I mean it. This arc is trash. If I could rate it lower than one star, I would. The Halle Barry Catwoman movie is more worth your time and emotional investment, and better written to boot. Do not read this.
May 28, 2013
Introduction:
At this point, I have been reading many “Batman” comics and so far, I had been enjoying every single one I had read…until I came upon this comic. I mean, “Batman R.I.P” had a pretty interesting premise written by Grant Morrison and gorgeous artwork by Tony S. Daniel, who slightly rivals Jim Lee’s artwork, but the story itself was a bit too slow and confusing for me to really get interested in.
What is this story about?
Batman has always trained himself to withstand any threat that comes his way, but there is one organization that will try to defeat him mentally and that is the Black Glove. The Black Glove’s plan is that they will try to find a way to make Batman go insane, so that way Gotham City’s criminals will unleash unbearable mayhem on the city itself while Batman is losing his sanity. Will the Black Glove succeed in their plans or will Batman find a way keep his sanity?
What I loved about this story:
The premise: The premise for this story, which was the Black Glove trying to make Batman go insane, was pretty interesting. I did like the way that Grant Morrison wrote the scenes of Batman going insane and how the story just starts becoming cluttered because of the insanity that Batman was suffering. It really brought a chaotic feel to the story, which I usually associate chaos with insanity, so the story really fit that feeling extremely well. I also loved the way that Grant Morrison wrote the Joker as being insane as well as being calculating in his schemes against Batman since the Joker is honestly one of my most favorite “Batman” villains to date!
Tony S. Daniel’s artwork: Tony S. Daniel’s artwork was fantastic as the characters are drawn realistically and the colors are so vibrant. I really loved the way that Tony S. Daniel drew Batman himself as Batman looks extremely muscular and threatening at the same time.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
Okay...where was this story going?
While I like the premise of this story and the artwork, the story itself was average for me because it was both too confusing and slow for me to follow. I understand that the story was basically the Black Glove manipulating Batman, but the plot just got so cluttered up once the Black Glove’s plan was announced that I just got so confused about what was really going on, especially when the plot was jumping all over the place. Also, there were moments where the story started slowing down and my interest in the story started to go down, the more I read this comic. There were various conversations that the characters had in this book that I was wondering to myself about what do they have to do with the story at hand?
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “Batman R.I.P” may have an interesting premise about Batman going insane and gorgeous artwork, but the story is average at best since the plot is too confusing and the pacing seems to slow down in many places that it was difficult to read through.
April 4, 2022
At the start of Batman R.I.P., Grant Morrison makes a reference to The Killing Joke, which is surprising considering the feud between Morrison and Alan Moore, as the opening sequence features the Dark Knight visiting the Joker at his cell in Arkham, while the Clown Prince of Crime plays a dead man's hand with his cards. As Batman questions him about what the Black Glove is, the Joker taunts him, saying how scary feeling about not knowing what’s coming. As Alfred says later in the story that Bruce Wayne has pursued physical and psychological perfection, shaping himself to the hero that Gotham needs, but is that enough to take down the Black Glove?
As Dr. Simon Hurt announces the Black Glove's next venture, which is the destruction of Batman, Bruce has to cope with the fact that his new romantic partner, Jezebel Jet, knows about his crime-fighting persona. While Jezebel tries to convince Batman that he is simply living a life he has fabricated in his own head as a child to cope with the death of his parents, Bruce is suddenly vulnerable, which is the perfect time for the Black Glove to strike as they drug Batman, beat Alfred, and wreak havoc upon the cave.
I have said this somewhere else that although Morrison didn’t coin the phrase “Bat-God”, they certainly have acknowledged it, whilst somewhat deconstructing it, specifically what happens to Batman when you take Bruce Wayne out of the equation. Morrison’s thesis on his entire Bat-run is to embrace every aspect of Batman’s comics history, including the stuff that most creators and readers would tend to ignore, such as the Silver Age comics where there was a lot of sci-fi going on as Batman interacted with aliens. How Morrison explains all of Batman's diverse history makes sense, is that Batman took part in an isolation experiment called Thogal which lasted in an effort to train himself to death and through this, he hallucinated all kinds of different Batman adventures.
As we see these flashbacks of Bruce taking part in the Thogal experiment, this is where Bruce develops the personality that will be a major part in the story, “The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh", and begins taking advice from Bat-Mite, who functions as the voice of reason. Right away, Morrison seems to be cutting loose and embrace the ridiculousness from Bat-Mite acknowledging that the 5th Dimension is imagination, to Batman has a conversation with two gargoyle statues. As trippy as the story goes, it can get even nasty, not least with the presence of the Joker as Tony S. Daniel giving several costume changes, whilst cutting open his tongue with a razor blade; certainly not for kids.
Although Nightwing and Tim Drake/Robin get their share of action as they battle the fun, eccentric members of the Black Glove, this is Batman’s story and how he has to think of EVERYTHING in order to win, as he states through the captions that are presented as passages from his Black Casebook. Going back to Tony S. Daniel, who proves to be one of the best artists for the grimness of Gotham, there is striking imagery throughout this book from a double page spread of the Batmobile, to two splash pages of Batman rising out of the grave.
Following the conclusion of Batman R.I.P., the remaining two issues are a change of pace as they tie in with Morrison’s crossover event that was happening around the same time: Final Crisis. Trapped in a machine that is used to create lumps that will become clones of the Dark Knight, Batman relives his history and even alternate directions where tragedy never struck and Batman was not conceived. Drawn by Lee Garbett, he’s having a blast illustrating fragments of the character’s history, in which Batman and his world have changed over the years, including how the Joker went from scary to ridiculous.
Despite its title, this is not the end of Batman, not even Grant Morrison’s time with the character, but arguably Batman R.I.P. – which does require multiple readings to get a full grasp of what’s going on – might be the finest work to come out of the writer's seven-year run.
As Dr. Simon Hurt announces the Black Glove's next venture, which is the destruction of Batman, Bruce has to cope with the fact that his new romantic partner, Jezebel Jet, knows about his crime-fighting persona. While Jezebel tries to convince Batman that he is simply living a life he has fabricated in his own head as a child to cope with the death of his parents, Bruce is suddenly vulnerable, which is the perfect time for the Black Glove to strike as they drug Batman, beat Alfred, and wreak havoc upon the cave.
I have said this somewhere else that although Morrison didn’t coin the phrase “Bat-God”, they certainly have acknowledged it, whilst somewhat deconstructing it, specifically what happens to Batman when you take Bruce Wayne out of the equation. Morrison’s thesis on his entire Bat-run is to embrace every aspect of Batman’s comics history, including the stuff that most creators and readers would tend to ignore, such as the Silver Age comics where there was a lot of sci-fi going on as Batman interacted with aliens. How Morrison explains all of Batman's diverse history makes sense, is that Batman took part in an isolation experiment called Thogal which lasted in an effort to train himself to death and through this, he hallucinated all kinds of different Batman adventures.
As we see these flashbacks of Bruce taking part in the Thogal experiment, this is where Bruce develops the personality that will be a major part in the story, “The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh", and begins taking advice from Bat-Mite, who functions as the voice of reason. Right away, Morrison seems to be cutting loose and embrace the ridiculousness from Bat-Mite acknowledging that the 5th Dimension is imagination, to Batman has a conversation with two gargoyle statues. As trippy as the story goes, it can get even nasty, not least with the presence of the Joker as Tony S. Daniel giving several costume changes, whilst cutting open his tongue with a razor blade; certainly not for kids.
Although Nightwing and Tim Drake/Robin get their share of action as they battle the fun, eccentric members of the Black Glove, this is Batman’s story and how he has to think of EVERYTHING in order to win, as he states through the captions that are presented as passages from his Black Casebook. Going back to Tony S. Daniel, who proves to be one of the best artists for the grimness of Gotham, there is striking imagery throughout this book from a double page spread of the Batmobile, to two splash pages of Batman rising out of the grave.
Following the conclusion of Batman R.I.P., the remaining two issues are a change of pace as they tie in with Morrison’s crossover event that was happening around the same time: Final Crisis. Trapped in a machine that is used to create lumps that will become clones of the Dark Knight, Batman relives his history and even alternate directions where tragedy never struck and Batman was not conceived. Drawn by Lee Garbett, he’s having a blast illustrating fragments of the character’s history, in which Batman and his world have changed over the years, including how the Joker went from scary to ridiculous.
Despite its title, this is not the end of Batman, not even Grant Morrison’s time with the character, but arguably Batman R.I.P. – which does require multiple readings to get a full grasp of what’s going on – might be the finest work to come out of the writer's seven-year run.
March 22, 2011
I do really like this. It messes with your head a bit, I’ve read it three times now and I’m still not sure I fully get it, but it’s mostly resolved by the end. Even with having read The Black Glove before, it still feels like there’s bits I’ve missed, mostly the meditative state (the Thogal it’s called?) that batman goes through. Is this what happened during 52 or is just something that happened off panel?
Love the DC Universe short with the Joker as well. Almost feels like a homage to the opening of the killing joke but with Morrisons own twist to it
Love the DC Universe short with the Joker as well. Almost feels like a homage to the opening of the killing joke but with Morrisons own twist to it
October 28, 2022
5⭐️ This was amazing. While I was reading Grant Morrison run I though it was a bit overrated because I did not enjoy Batman and Son and Batman Black Glove as much as I expected. But after I read this it deserves the hype. It’s just so awesome. Easily my favourite part is how not matter what people throw at him he always has a plan. For example that Ninja that poisoned him but in reality he switched the drinks. That’s the most Batman thing ever. Also the other two comics were pretty short but this one was just the amount of length.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
This is filled with brilliant ideas. Grant Morrison does an absolutely unique job in delivering a compelling and strong story arc. To truly devour this monster of a volume and savour its every little moment, you have to go through Morrison's previous runs (The Black Casebook, Batman And Son, The Black Glove). A lot of references are made to the previous issues and make Batman R.I.P. a much more fun ride.
The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and Batmite are probably the most funkiest thing that has ever been integrated into the Batman universe so seamlessly. The way that they were introduced however was completely believable and definitely compliments the story that was conveyed. Having the Black Glove, a villain that is presented as being far more superior than Batman, intellectually at least, does give some great freedom for Morrison to present the Club of Villains and their overall plan into breaking Batman. I definitely enjoyed how he went on to explore the identity side of Batman's character. Playing along those lines made Batman R.I.P. an absolute classic.
The last two issues were also brilliant. Grant Morrison does an impeccable job at summarizing the life of Batman and showcasing what kind of burden Batman lives with to this date. The weight of such a thing would normally kill any man, and that very idea was conveyed beautifully. Speaking of beautiful, the artwork in Grant Morrison's Batman run continues to deliver stunning panels. We are talking about Grant Morrison though. Expect yourself to be brought into a confusing world of comics.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh and Batmite are probably the most funkiest thing that has ever been integrated into the Batman universe so seamlessly. The way that they were introduced however was completely believable and definitely compliments the story that was conveyed. Having the Black Glove, a villain that is presented as being far more superior than Batman, intellectually at least, does give some great freedom for Morrison to present the Club of Villains and their overall plan into breaking Batman. I definitely enjoyed how he went on to explore the identity side of Batman's character. Playing along those lines made Batman R.I.P. an absolute classic.
The last two issues were also brilliant. Grant Morrison does an impeccable job at summarizing the life of Batman and showcasing what kind of burden Batman lives with to this date. The weight of such a thing would normally kill any man, and that very idea was conveyed beautifully. Speaking of beautiful, the artwork in Grant Morrison's Batman run continues to deliver stunning panels. We are talking about Grant Morrison though. Expect yourself to be brought into a confusing world of comics.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
February 22, 2012
Morrison continues to alienate by exploring the most obscure aspects of Batman history in "Batman: R.I.P." A major plot point requires knowledge of "The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh," a character that appeared once in a comic from 1958. Bat-Mite, who to my knowledge also hasn't appeared since the '50s, also plays a prominent role. It feels as if Morrison is writing for himself and not his readers.
The book makes even less sense if you haven't read all the Morrison-penned Batman comics preceding this, including "Batman and Son" and "The Black Glove." I read those, and Batman R.I.P. still barely makes sense. Oh, and if you want a real conclusion to this book, you actually also have to read Final Crisis.
The apparent "death" of Batman here is not nearly as satisfying as two previous Batman stories in which a villain manages to break the Dark Knight: Namely, "Batman: Knightfall" and "Batman: The Cult."
Unless you are really into spiritual philosophy and get a kick out of references to weird sci-fi comics from the 1950s, skip ahead to Scott Snyder's excellent work on Batman.
The book makes even less sense if you haven't read all the Morrison-penned Batman comics preceding this, including "Batman and Son" and "The Black Glove." I read those, and Batman R.I.P. still barely makes sense. Oh, and if you want a real conclusion to this book, you actually also have to read Final Crisis.
The apparent "death" of Batman here is not nearly as satisfying as two previous Batman stories in which a villain manages to break the Dark Knight: Namely, "Batman: Knightfall" and "Batman: The Cult."
Unless you are really into spiritual philosophy and get a kick out of references to weird sci-fi comics from the 1950s, skip ahead to Scott Snyder's excellent work on Batman.
July 8, 2015
This is difficult to rate. It started really well. Batman gets completed FUBAR'd! He gets mind F****d and then when it starts to get interesting Morrison has a brain fart and the whole story goes to sh*t!
The more I read Morrison's work the less I like it. Animal Man for example, what the hell was he thinking at the end??? "Oh I know what I'll do, I'll put myself in the comic and make Animal Man realise he is a comic book character. That will be really good, nobody will ever think of that! It's so original!" No! It was sh*t Grant, drugs are bad mmkay!
It's the same with this, what was he thinking. It just spoilt the whole book for me. It was heading for 4 stars, it's now lucky to get 3.
Great artwork, some great story for the first half of the book and some great characters, but the second half, I've no idea what was going on, complete garbage.
The more I read Morrison's work the less I like it. Animal Man for example, what the hell was he thinking at the end??? "Oh I know what I'll do, I'll put myself in the comic and make Animal Man realise he is a comic book character. That will be really good, nobody will ever think of that! It's so original!" No! It was sh*t Grant, drugs are bad mmkay!
It's the same with this, what was he thinking. It just spoilt the whole book for me. It was heading for 4 stars, it's now lucky to get 3.
Great artwork, some great story for the first half of the book and some great characters, but the second half, I've no idea what was going on, complete garbage.
September 20, 2026
Batman: R.I.P. by Grant Morrison
Batman: R.I.P. is the centerpiece of Grant Morrison's long run on the character. It collects Batman #676-681 (2008) and sets out to break Bruce Wayne down before rebuilding what a Batman can be. It is dense, unsettling, and deliberately disorienting, and it is one of the most polarizing Batman stories of its era.
A secret organization called the Black Glove, led by the sinister Dr. Simon Hurt, sets out to destroy Batman. It attacks his allies, his sanity, and his sense of self rather than his body, and it draws on his most closely guarded secrets. Alongside this campaign are Bruce's relationship with the alluring Jezebel Jet, the reappearance of the international Club of Heroes, and a growing sense that reality around him is coming apart. The story doubles as a psychological horror piece and a meditation on what makes a man the Batman.
Morrison writes in a fragmented, nonlinear style, and he leans hard on Batman's whole publication history, from the silliest Silver Age oddities to the grimmest modern portrayals. He treats them all as one continuous life, and the result is a Batman who feels both mythic and haunted. Tony Daniel's art is sharp and kinetic, with dramatic layouts and a polished superhero look that keeps the more abstract sequences readable. The artwork is more conventional than the script, and that contrast helps ground the story.
Strengths
Ambition. Few Batman stories try to do this much. It examines his psychology, his mortality, and the price of being the Batman, all while telling a tense, high-stakes thriller.
Atmosphere. The paranoia is well sustained. The reader is never sure what is real, and that instability mirrors what Bruce himself is experiencing.
Villains. Dr. Hurt is a chilling antagonist because he works through insinuation rather than brute force. The Joker also appears and is well used.
Rewards for the invested. Readers who know Batman's history will find layers of references and callbacks that deepen the story.
Weaknesses
Accessibility. This is not a good starting point. It builds directly on earlier issues of Morrison's run, and newcomers may struggle to follow the plot and characters.
Confusing structure. The narrative is deliberately cryptic and jumps around, and some readers will find it obscure rather than clever. Several plot points and the ending are open to interpretation.
An unresolved conclusion. The story leaves major questions hanging and hands off to other titles, so it does not stand entirely on its own.
Plot Notes
Verdict
A challenging, atmospheric, and often brilliant Batman story that rewards patience and prior knowledge. It is demanding and occasionally opaque, but it is memorable for how boldly it rethinks the character.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
April 17, 2015
Difficult to review and rate. Morrison needs someone to focus him. Great concept, great art, so all over the place.
April 2, 2026
My expectations were low but FUCK this was BAD! Grant Morrison doesn't know how to write a good Batman comic, every time I see their name on the cover I sigh and hit my head against a wall.
This was a cluster of nonsense! Confusing plot, boring villains, embarrassing dialogues from all characters. The comic tries to be "edgy" and "different", to show a "new side of Batman never seen before", and it's utter garbage. The whole thing feels so forced, I cringed the whole time.
Update: I had forgotten to read the last two issues, now the rating is 2 stars bc I enjoyed issues #682-683 more (bc it ties to Final Crisis, whose plot is definitely better than the Black Glove stuff).
This was a cluster of nonsense! Confusing plot, boring villains, embarrassing dialogues from all characters. The comic tries to be "edgy" and "different", to show a "new side of Batman never seen before", and it's utter garbage. The whole thing feels so forced, I cringed the whole time.
Update: I had forgotten to read the last two issues, now the rating is 2 stars bc I enjoyed issues #682-683 more (bc it ties to Final Crisis, whose plot is definitely better than the Black Glove stuff).
December 26, 2025
Una pequeña satisfacción personal terminar de leer esta colección de 70 tomos.
September 21, 2009
Rubbish. Except for the pretty Tony Daniel artwork, this book was a complete waste of time. Nonsensical tale that was ultimately pointless.
February 3, 2010
An excellent story told perfectly within its medium, this is one of the best superhero comics I've ever read. The art integrates seamlessly with the language, contributing immeasurably to the whole. I found the red and black theme to be aesthetically, intellectually, and viscerally pleasing. The fact that the Black Glove is playing the game six moves ahead, but it takes everyone but the Joker that long to realize that Batman is already reasoning his end game. That he has, in advance of this, already taken revenge.
I know that I harp a little bit on the Robins, but clearly Grant Morrison also understands the importance of doing so. Tim evades and defeats the team of super-villains sent to capture him, protects Gotham, and calls in help before proceeding to assist Batman. Dick gets captured, but escapes and is there for Bruce when he's needed. Damian is the wild card used as a plot point and clever literary trick even though he's self absorbed and annoying. There are angst ridden references to the fact that Jason died and no one mentions Stephanie at all. If anyone wants to see the entirety of the Robin Saga laid out in snapshot, I highly recommend just reading this.
I know that I harp a little bit on the Robins, but clearly Grant Morrison also understands the importance of doing so. Tim evades and defeats the team of super-villains sent to capture him, protects Gotham, and calls in help before proceeding to assist Batman. Dick gets captured, but escapes and is there for Bruce when he's needed. Damian is the wild card used as a plot point and clever literary trick even though he's self absorbed and annoying. There are angst ridden references to the fact that Jason died and no one mentions Stephanie at all. If anyone wants to see the entirety of the Robin Saga laid out in snapshot, I highly recommend just reading this.
May 9, 2018
I've had mixed dealings with Grant Morrison but the one thing he never gives his fans is an easy story. This is one diverse Batman story that takes the heroic figure and basically reshuffles him within Morrisons mind. The book is a complete mind melt, you never know what to expect and that portrayal of The Joker is one of a kind. If you don't like your Batman comics simple than this is the book for you, it's weird and unpredictable at every turn. It might not be the best Batman storyline but it is from boring, think an indie director taking on a studio film.
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