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Batman by Morrison #10
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Grant Morrison’s best-selling multi-part Batman epic continues with Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham city.
A time-spanning graphic novel featuring Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City to take back the mantle of Batman, written by award-winning writer Grant Morrison and illustrated by a stable of today’s hottest artists including Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving and Yannick Paquette. This is the final chapter of the epic storyline that began in the bestselling graphic novels Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis in which the original Batman was lost in time.
Collecting: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne 1-6
A time-spanning graphic novel featuring Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham City to take back the mantle of Batman, written by award-winning writer Grant Morrison and illustrated by a stable of today’s hottest artists including Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving and Yannick Paquette. This is the final chapter of the epic storyline that began in the bestselling graphic novels Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis in which the original Batman was lost in time.
Collecting: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne 1-6
232 pages, Hardcover
First published February 8, 2011
45 people are currently reading
1516 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,563 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 391 reviews
September 16, 2020
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: It feels non-canonical in an Elseworlds sort of way and leans too hard on conceit and attire at the cost of plot cohesion.
Notes: It feels non-canonical in an Elseworlds sort of way and leans too hard on conceit and attire at the cost of plot cohesion.
October 30, 2021
2012 review: The pretty banal tales of Bruce Wayne's return (The Return) and his travel through time (Time Masters), are completely overshadowed by The Road Home one-shots with Vicki Vale uncovering some of the Bat identities! 6 out of 12.
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I read the comic books Bruce Wayne The Return #'1-6, The Road Home one-shots, Batman: The Return and Time Masters: Vanishing Point #1-6. I'd rather just cover them all with this entry than have to create a load of additional reviews for each series and one-shot!
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I read the comic books Bruce Wayne The Return #'1-6, The Road Home one-shots, Batman: The Return and Time Masters: Vanishing Point #1-6. I'd rather just cover them all with this entry than have to create a load of additional reviews for each series and one-shot!
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August 27, 2021
The term "Full Morrison" means absolute, balls-to-the-wall, avante garde Morrison insanity. This is "Full Morrison." If you dislike that, if that makes you experience unpleasant emotions, if you only enjoy Morrison's accessible books, if you have trouble with alinear narratives, this is not the book for you. That being said, this is the wildest, most unique, ambitious, and entertaining Batman comic I've ever read. And the artwork, starring Yanick Paquette, Cameron Stewart, Frazer Irving, and Andy Kubert, is fantastic. So for that it gets 5 stars.
If you haven't read any of Morrison's Batman run, do not start here. You will bang your head against the wall trying to make sense. Go back to Batman and Son and start there. This comes between Batman Versus Robin and Batman Must Die in the Batman and Robin series and generally explains what happens to Bruce after Final Crisis. Again, if you haven't read Final Crisis and don't know Bruce's fate, stop reading right here.
So following Final Crisis, Bruce bounces around time like Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap. Although the places in time are essentially random, they're fascinating times for a masked vigilante, and events of importance take place which drive the plot. These events also resurface constantly throughout the book because this is a story where time travel goes wrong (although aren't they all?). Each chapter adds layers of mythology which slowly reveal the central mystery and its various details. What's in the Bat Box? Where or when is Bruce going? Will he ever get home? Why was he sent back in the first place? And then we learn how various characters fit into the Batman run through the time travel narrative, such as: The Black Glove, Doctor Hurt, John Mayhew, Thomas and Martha Wayne, Professor Carter Nichols, Darkseid, The Justice League, Red Robin, Batman and Robin, and Blackbeard, to name a few. If you have questions from Morrison's Batman run or Final Crisis, this book is like the Key of Solomon, telling you how to read his Batman run and conjure up its grim and fantastic magic.
Although I didn't understand all of the avante garde moments, and honestly I don't think we're supposed to, this is simply an entertaining read. Batman is not a man who often travels from Gotham, let alone time travels. And that's pretty risky on Morrison's part. But it pays off if you're willing to keep an open mind. Really open! Because most Bat books take place in Gotham on solid ground with familiar villains, and we're generally happy to read those books. But here we really have no idea and it’s the unfamiliarity and alienness that makes this so great.
If you haven't read any of Morrison's Batman run, do not start here. You will bang your head against the wall trying to make sense. Go back to Batman and Son and start there. This comes between Batman Versus Robin and Batman Must Die in the Batman and Robin series and generally explains what happens to Bruce after Final Crisis. Again, if you haven't read Final Crisis and don't know Bruce's fate, stop reading right here.
So following Final Crisis, Bruce bounces around time like Scott Bakula in Quantum Leap. Although the places in time are essentially random, they're fascinating times for a masked vigilante, and events of importance take place which drive the plot. These events also resurface constantly throughout the book because this is a story where time travel goes wrong (although aren't they all?). Each chapter adds layers of mythology which slowly reveal the central mystery and its various details. What's in the Bat Box? Where or when is Bruce going? Will he ever get home? Why was he sent back in the first place? And then we learn how various characters fit into the Batman run through the time travel narrative, such as: The Black Glove, Doctor Hurt, John Mayhew, Thomas and Martha Wayne, Professor Carter Nichols, Darkseid, The Justice League, Red Robin, Batman and Robin, and Blackbeard, to name a few. If you have questions from Morrison's Batman run or Final Crisis, this book is like the Key of Solomon, telling you how to read his Batman run and conjure up its grim and fantastic magic.
Although I didn't understand all of the avante garde moments, and honestly I don't think we're supposed to, this is simply an entertaining read. Batman is not a man who often travels from Gotham, let alone time travels. And that's pretty risky on Morrison's part. But it pays off if you're willing to keep an open mind. Really open! Because most Bat books take place in Gotham on solid ground with familiar villains, and we're generally happy to read those books. But here we really have no idea and it’s the unfamiliarity and alienness that makes this so great.
January 26, 2025
Grant Morrison doing cosmic, time-traveling Batman. Turns out that makes for some great stories!
In this solid standalone miniseries in graphic novel format, Bruce Wayne is lost in time. Each issue gets to play around with different genres, starting with an Anthro prehistoric tale and then going from pilgrim times to a pirate story, Western, and 40s noir. All tied together with some zany Justice League time mindf*ckery. My favorite was the pirate chapter, how about yours?
Only Grant could write this successfully, no one else. Works fine on its own but also a necessary read post-Final Crisis and leads into Batman Inc... and if that wasn't enough, turns out it was more important for DC mythos with the recent Death Metal saga(s).
Mostly recommended for Grant Morrison fans, followed by DC completists, but least recommended to Batman novices who don't like to be challenged.
In this solid standalone miniseries in graphic novel format, Bruce Wayne is lost in time. Each issue gets to play around with different genres, starting with an Anthro prehistoric tale and then going from pilgrim times to a pirate story, Western, and 40s noir. All tied together with some zany Justice League time mindf*ckery. My favorite was the pirate chapter, how about yours?
Only Grant could write this successfully, no one else. Works fine on its own but also a necessary read post-Final Crisis and leads into Batman Inc... and if that wasn't enough, turns out it was more important for DC mythos with the recent Death Metal saga(s).
Mostly recommended for Grant Morrison fans, followed by DC completists, but least recommended to Batman novices who don't like to be challenged.
June 5, 2011
So, Bruce is back. Well, I guess that alone is worth at least 3 stars, right?
The actual story behind his triumphant return, though? Hmmmm. It's a little convoluted and confusing to say the least. It felt like (to me, anyway) that there were too many different little extra plots that were crammed into this. I just wanted to see how Bruce fought his way back. I mean, Blackbeard? Really? And what was the deal with Annie? Is she the reason for the dark turn his life took or something? A Wayne curse? M'kaaaaay.
Anyhoo, the pseudo-science was a bit confusing, but he's back. Yay! Maybe now Tim can drop the dorky Red Robin persona?
The actual story behind his triumphant return, though? Hmmmm. It's a little convoluted and confusing to say the least. It felt like (to me, anyway) that there were too many different little extra plots that were crammed into this. I just wanted to see how Bruce fought his way back. I mean, Blackbeard? Really? And what was the deal with Annie? Is she the reason for the dark turn his life took or something? A Wayne curse? M'kaaaaay.
Anyhoo, the pseudo-science was a bit confusing, but he's back. Yay! Maybe now Tim can drop the dorky Red Robin persona?
November 5, 2013
Bruce Wayne was zapped with Darkseid’s Omega beams at the end of Final Crisis, sending him hurtling back through time while making it seem to others that he died. Now Bruce is travelling forwards, jumping from one era to another, building up omega energy – and if Bruce makes it back to the present, he’s going to destroy the entire world!
This is the first Batman book in Morrison’s recent run that I wasn’t totally immersed in. Reason being is that it’s mostly an excuse to see Bruce dress as Batman in different times repeatedly before getting to anything resembling a story in the final chapter. So we get to see Batman as a caveman, a Puritan witch-hunter, a pirate, a cowboy, a detective and as some weird futuristic cybernetic thing. Visually it’s interesting but it’s pretty tedious to read – Morrison is essentially just waiting until the end of each chapter when Bruce jumps to the next era. Occasionally the more interesting story makes an appearance as Superman and co. try to locate Bruce somewhere in time and alert him of Darkseid’s plan, but those moments are few and far between.
The final chapter is really great and lifts the book up at the last minute. Here Morrison revisits his idea of Bruce Wayne as the ultimate survivor, the only man who could be Batman, and the greatest detective of all time who somehow manages to reach back from the end of time, save Superman and the rest of the Justice League, save the world and himself, and defeat Darkseid all at once. It’s a scene that’s a direct slap to the face of Geoff Johns’ dim-witted remarks in his New 52 Justice League books that Batman’s lame because he doesn’t have superpowers.
Unexpectedly, Red Robin aka Tim Drake plays a central role in this story, knowing the key to reminding Bruce of who he is at the crucial moment – in a book full of god-like beings, two humans play the most important roles. There are lots of moments like this in the book that I loved and made reading it worthwhile, but considering the genius of the previous Morrison Batman books RIP, Son, and Black Glove, The Return of Bruce Wayne feels remarkably superficial and stretched out. Obviously if you’re reading (or re-reading like me) the series, you shouldn’t skip this one but it’s definitely the low point in an otherwise incredible run.
This is the first Batman book in Morrison’s recent run that I wasn’t totally immersed in. Reason being is that it’s mostly an excuse to see Bruce dress as Batman in different times repeatedly before getting to anything resembling a story in the final chapter. So we get to see Batman as a caveman, a Puritan witch-hunter, a pirate, a cowboy, a detective and as some weird futuristic cybernetic thing. Visually it’s interesting but it’s pretty tedious to read – Morrison is essentially just waiting until the end of each chapter when Bruce jumps to the next era. Occasionally the more interesting story makes an appearance as Superman and co. try to locate Bruce somewhere in time and alert him of Darkseid’s plan, but those moments are few and far between.
The final chapter is really great and lifts the book up at the last minute. Here Morrison revisits his idea of Bruce Wayne as the ultimate survivor, the only man who could be Batman, and the greatest detective of all time who somehow manages to reach back from the end of time, save Superman and the rest of the Justice League, save the world and himself, and defeat Darkseid all at once. It’s a scene that’s a direct slap to the face of Geoff Johns’ dim-witted remarks in his New 52 Justice League books that Batman’s lame because he doesn’t have superpowers.
Unexpectedly, Red Robin aka Tim Drake plays a central role in this story, knowing the key to reminding Bruce of who he is at the crucial moment – in a book full of god-like beings, two humans play the most important roles. There are lots of moments like this in the book that I loved and made reading it worthwhile, but considering the genius of the previous Morrison Batman books RIP, Son, and Black Glove, The Return of Bruce Wayne feels remarkably superficial and stretched out. Obviously if you’re reading (or re-reading like me) the series, you shouldn’t skip this one but it’s definitely the low point in an otherwise incredible run.
August 4, 2022
This was so epic omg!
The return of Batman is here and wow what a time travel story it is!
We see Bruce travel to the ancient past as a cave man and then to different eras like the age of pirates which was cool seeing him fight Black beard and then to western era where he fights Jonah hex and the cowboy Bruce is kinda cool and the Salem witch trials, the very beginning of Gotham and the bat-people and the start of the waynes and all that and in the end basically becoming a time bomb with only the JL there to stop him and an epic return unlike anything and I love the way it also references other things Morrison did in his run!
Its so fun and epic and yeah I use that word a lot but this story is its definition. Just wonderful stuff and the tribute is amazing here and every issue being done by a different artist was awesome and I freaking loved it! One of the best Batman stories easily!
The return of Batman is here and wow what a time travel story it is!
We see Bruce travel to the ancient past as a cave man and then to different eras like the age of pirates which was cool seeing him fight Black beard and then to western era where he fights Jonah hex and the cowboy Bruce is kinda cool and the Salem witch trials, the very beginning of Gotham and the bat-people and the start of the waynes and all that and in the end basically becoming a time bomb with only the JL there to stop him and an epic return unlike anything and I love the way it also references other things Morrison did in his run!
Its so fun and epic and yeah I use that word a lot but this story is its definition. Just wonderful stuff and the tribute is amazing here and every issue being done by a different artist was awesome and I freaking loved it! One of the best Batman stories easily!
March 18, 2012
Not so much a cohesive story chronicling how Batman returned to life, or at least his own time, so much as it is an excuse for Grant Morrison to write Batman as a caveman, a pirate, etc. The individual stories are entertaining enough that I'd like to see Morrison on an anthology series like this. (Grant Morrison's History! I'd buy it.) But as a Batman story, and as a single story in general, it never quite comes together, nor is it a satisfactory return for Bruce. But read it as an anthology of stand alone stories of the Wayne clan, and you'll have a much better time.
September 24, 2016
Well that was...weird. More a collection of Batman through time stories without a strong payoff.
December 9, 2023
I don't always love Grant Morrison's Batman. He's got a good feel for the characters, but sometimes he goes way too far down the “Batman has a contingency plan for *everything*” rabbit hole. Having a plan in case someone is ever controlling his mind isn't much different from happening to have a tube of Bat Shark Repellent in one's utility belt.
This book, however, is quite good. Yes, we've got time travel and the multiverse, and the idea of Batman being turned into an unwitting suicide bomber by no less than Darkseid himself. But it never feels out of control. The Batman elements never feel like they're being swamped by all the mind-blowing SF concepts being thrown about. It's a wild ride through DC history with some nice Easter eggs for long-time fans: Vandal Savage, Professor Nichols, the Black Pirate, etc. But it's still a solid story even without knowing any of those characters. Heck, I've never even read the story in which Batman shot Darkseid–a tale that leads directly to this one–but I didn't feel like I was lacking any crucial information. I still enjoyed the book immensely.
This has to be one of the better Morrison-penned Bat tales that I've read. Recommended!
This book, however, is quite good. Yes, we've got time travel and the multiverse, and the idea of Batman being turned into an unwitting suicide bomber by no less than Darkseid himself. But it never feels out of control. The Batman elements never feel like they're being swamped by all the mind-blowing SF concepts being thrown about. It's a wild ride through DC history with some nice Easter eggs for long-time fans: Vandal Savage, Professor Nichols, the Black Pirate, etc. But it's still a solid story even without knowing any of those characters. Heck, I've never even read the story in which Batman shot Darkseid–a tale that leads directly to this one–but I didn't feel like I was lacking any crucial information. I still enjoyed the book immensely.
This has to be one of the better Morrison-penned Bat tales that I've read. Recommended!
February 2, 2024
New Review: Batman in silly costumes going around different time periods. Mehs X 2.
Original Review: Batman in silly costumes going around different time periods. Mehs.
Original Review: Batman in silly costumes going around different time periods. Mehs.
January 31, 2018
I thought I'd struggle through this given some of the other reviews on here, but I quite enjoyed it. It was a little confusing, given that he's literally falling through time. And it's Morrison at his most Morrison, which I don't always like. But seeing the different eras by different artists was cool.
January 16, 2022
5 🌟
Enjoyed this comic. Cool to see Bruce travel through time and have many different Batman costumes. Nice to see the other members of the Justice League as well. Glad they were able to stop Darkseid's bomb.
Enjoyed this comic. Cool to see Bruce travel through time and have many different Batman costumes. Nice to see the other members of the Justice League as well. Glad they were able to stop Darkseid's bomb.
August 5, 2021
Pretty trippy and absolute bonkers at times it was pretty fun seeing Bruce in all the different time eras.
May 12, 2011
I frankly struggled while reading this book. When I'm expecting something in the main timeline of the hero, I find it jarring/upsetting to try to immerse myself in an alternate timeline (or in the case of Return, timeline*s*).
That said, I *did* enjoy the new-ish ways that Morrison put Batman in unusual settings and forced him to get his balance back each time. I wasn't so happy with the early appearances of the Justice League - it seemed an unnecessary intrusion of exposition (to tell the reader *why* Batman keeps jumping through the timeline - but doesn't make it a satisfactory explanation - instead it's just some more "make up hyper-physics ideas" hand-waving, ho-hum).
But then a funny thing happened: it actually got suspenseful for a while, and I found myself racing to find out what happens next. Unusual in my experience for Morrison to try that little writer's trick.
The underlying threat that ties all these stories together seemed just as ridiculous to me as any Morrison "fantastic drug trip idea", but somehow he still manages to treat Batman with respect.
As to the art: I kinda wish they'd been able to stick with one artist, but OTOH the wildly different styles *did* help to differentiate each "era" he got dropped in. Not a fan of all the artists, but at least I didn't have to live with the bad ones too long.
That said, I *did* enjoy the new-ish ways that Morrison put Batman in unusual settings and forced him to get his balance back each time. I wasn't so happy with the early appearances of the Justice League - it seemed an unnecessary intrusion of exposition (to tell the reader *why* Batman keeps jumping through the timeline - but doesn't make it a satisfactory explanation - instead it's just some more "make up hyper-physics ideas" hand-waving, ho-hum).
But then a funny thing happened: it actually got suspenseful for a while, and I found myself racing to find out what happens next. Unusual in my experience for Morrison to try that little writer's trick.
The underlying threat that ties all these stories together seemed just as ridiculous to me as any Morrison "fantastic drug trip idea", but somehow he still manages to treat Batman with respect.
As to the art: I kinda wish they'd been able to stick with one artist, but OTOH the wildly different styles *did* help to differentiate each "era" he got dropped in. Not a fan of all the artists, but at least I didn't have to live with the bad ones too long.
February 28, 2018
There was a knowing line from The Return of Bruce Wayne that I'll throw out here -- "When you think about it, life is like a detective story . . . it's all shadows and clues, mysteries and secrets. And it always starts with a dame." It just sounds like something from and/or describing a Chandler, Hammett or Spillane paperback from their storied pulp fiction bibliographies.
Sadly, that quote was pretty much the highlight of this convoluted book, featuring Bruce Wayne in various roles (caveman, pirate, Old West desperado, film noir thug) during some sort of time-travel nonsense. The one I found most interesting was the 'part two' story set in witch hunt / trial-era Gotham village of the late 1600's.
Sadly, that quote was pretty much the highlight of this convoluted book, featuring Bruce Wayne in various roles (caveman, pirate, Old West desperado, film noir thug) during some sort of time-travel nonsense. The one I found most interesting was the 'part two' story set in witch hunt / trial-era Gotham village of the late 1600's.
September 30, 2022
I recall being pretty frustrated and disappointed with this one! It didn't make any sense and seemed to me utterly incoherent.
January 17, 2011
The hero of your youth has died. As a man, you mourn the loss because it is a great one. You can cry, its alright. Your emotional investment in it was enormous. Because you identified with the Bat. You loved him for the calculating logic, the perfection of mind and body in an Aristotelian embodiment. And for his Confucian understanding that duty and justice are not rigid structures but able to bend depending on the situation. But now he's dead and you're scared about what happens to the universe in his absence. But never fear. This is comic books. Bringing him back to life is the only reason they off him in the first place.
Superman. Captain America. Magneto. Flash. And on and on an on.
Ressurection politics. That's what I consider these gimmicks anymore. The death of an iconic character generates enough buzz to sell the books to those who have become disinterested with the storylines and stopped buying them. For a fee months at least. And then, the resurrection of the character in a prolonged miniseries of 6 issues in order to keep the formerly disenfranchised collectors on the hook for 8-12 months give or take. What it is is sleight of hand, parlor tricks, so much rhetoric without meaning anything. It's a damn shame. In an age where books have more literary worth than ever, resorting to cheap ploys was supposed to be a thing of the 90s. But still it not only lingers, but grows exponentially festering like a moldering wound.
And with the last few big story arcs, Grant Morrison has become the DC version of Brian Michael Bendis. And that ain't no compliment in my book.
What is this really all about, Grant? Selling books because of a call the editors had to make. From RIP to this, trying to just sell sell sell. You've done nothing for the book... yet. I hope what happens, I pray what happens is what happened when the Dark Knight Returns hit stands. I hope it revitalizes and revamps Batman. I hope this was all done to bring the character back into a more focused role as the Dark Knight, not the Grey-area Knight. We'll have to wait and see.
But if you're doing it the way Bendis fucked around with allege Marvel titles for no reason and to no specific end or purpose, well, then I'm sorry but you're a whore. Flat out. I don't care if you wrote We3 or The Invisibles or had a stellar run on X-Men. From here on out you'll be a slave to the editor an to the money in my eyes.
And one last thing- did you have to take the idea from Alan Moore's novel? Did you really? Jesus.
Superman. Captain America. Magneto. Flash. And on and on an on.
Ressurection politics. That's what I consider these gimmicks anymore. The death of an iconic character generates enough buzz to sell the books to those who have become disinterested with the storylines and stopped buying them. For a fee months at least. And then, the resurrection of the character in a prolonged miniseries of 6 issues in order to keep the formerly disenfranchised collectors on the hook for 8-12 months give or take. What it is is sleight of hand, parlor tricks, so much rhetoric without meaning anything. It's a damn shame. In an age where books have more literary worth than ever, resorting to cheap ploys was supposed to be a thing of the 90s. But still it not only lingers, but grows exponentially festering like a moldering wound.
And with the last few big story arcs, Grant Morrison has become the DC version of Brian Michael Bendis. And that ain't no compliment in my book.
What is this really all about, Grant? Selling books because of a call the editors had to make. From RIP to this, trying to just sell sell sell. You've done nothing for the book... yet. I hope what happens, I pray what happens is what happened when the Dark Knight Returns hit stands. I hope it revitalizes and revamps Batman. I hope this was all done to bring the character back into a more focused role as the Dark Knight, not the Grey-area Knight. We'll have to wait and see.
But if you're doing it the way Bendis fucked around with allege Marvel titles for no reason and to no specific end or purpose, well, then I'm sorry but you're a whore. Flat out. I don't care if you wrote We3 or The Invisibles or had a stellar run on X-Men. From here on out you'll be a slave to the editor an to the money in my eyes.
And one last thing- did you have to take the idea from Alan Moore's novel? Did you really? Jesus.
February 11, 2018
The ending was like the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey (the movie, at least, if not the book) in terms of incomprehensibility.
Grant Morrison really does not care if the reader is smart enough to keep up or not. I know this drives many, many comic book fans up the wall, and they do have a point.
I don't think familiarity with Final Crisis helps much with this story. This is the set-up:
My newbie impression was that Batman was sent back in time by the recoil from the 'god-bullet' that was shot into the future, but apparently Darkseid planned for Batman to build up "omega energy" as he traveled from caveman days to the endpoint of the universe, at which point...
aggh, no, I didn't get it. My point is, ignore Final Crisis, but do bone up on the Dr. Hurt, "evil Thomas Wayne" storyline, which was apparently Darkseid's attempt to incarnate himself (once again?) in (major spoiler)- Batman's own body.
I.. think...
Still pretty confused.
Grant Morrison really does not care if the reader is smart enough to keep up or not. I know this drives many, many comic book fans up the wall, and they do have a point.
I don't think familiarity with Final Crisis helps much with this story. This is the set-up:
My newbie impression was that Batman was sent back in time by the recoil from the 'god-bullet' that was shot into the future, but apparently Darkseid planned for Batman to build up "omega energy" as he traveled from caveman days to the endpoint of the universe, at which point...
aggh, no, I didn't get it. My point is, ignore Final Crisis, but do bone up on the Dr. Hurt, "evil Thomas Wayne" storyline, which was apparently Darkseid's attempt to incarnate himself (once again?) in (major spoiler)- Batman's own body.
I.. think...
Still pretty confused.
November 3, 2017
Caveman Batman. Witch hunter Batman. Pirate Batman. Cowboy Batman. Gangster Batman. It’s Batman vs time itself as Bruce is trying to fight against Darkseid’s omega effect. This is pretty much required reading for Dark Nights Metal as this is the first time Barbatos is mentioned having been stalking Batman for centuries.
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July 1, 2012I have read and enjoyed many comics written by Grant Morrison, and then I have read others that struck me as a kind of low-grade metaphysical action writing: a spew of cultural information thrown at the rough grid that is the basic foundation of comics, with the expectation that readers would make sense of it, and credit him with the ability to construct disparate connections between far-flung subjects.
This book fits fully into the latter group. For all the strengths of such Morrison books as We3, his Animal Man writing, his run on the X-Men, his excellent Superman -- well, this collection of stories about Bruce Wayne's return from the depths of time is perhaps the strongest evidence of what could be called the "deceitful claptrap" thread running through other of his work.
On the surface, the idea is strong: Batman is the least super-powered, the least supernatural, of superheroes in the DC pantheon. To have him barrel through time, from prehistoric mythology through sea-faring pirates and Salem-era witchcraft, is to have a study in contrasts. Morrison knows what he's doing. He knows that Batman is a myth of a man, and that no myth as strong as his could grow to the fore without slowly tossing seeds back in the timeline -- all myths build on pre-existing myths, and the stronger the new myth the more likely the older ones are to come to appear less as precedent and more as prefiguring.
But the thesis is where the book stops being enjoyable. Beyond that, it is a series of pastiche renderings of various period cliches, each garbled just enough to appear mysterious, but in truth the mystery is really just sloppiness benefiting from a very strong brain and some accomplished illustrating partners.
I always thought Morrison's best work was his work-for-hire, when he had to limit his fathomless penchant for mythmaking to the contours of a pre-existing character. It was true of his X-Men, and of his Superman, and quite recently of his Batman, but this time around his worst inclinations got the better of him.
This book fits fully into the latter group. For all the strengths of such Morrison books as We3, his Animal Man writing, his run on the X-Men, his excellent Superman -- well, this collection of stories about Bruce Wayne's return from the depths of time is perhaps the strongest evidence of what could be called the "deceitful claptrap" thread running through other of his work.
On the surface, the idea is strong: Batman is the least super-powered, the least supernatural, of superheroes in the DC pantheon. To have him barrel through time, from prehistoric mythology through sea-faring pirates and Salem-era witchcraft, is to have a study in contrasts. Morrison knows what he's doing. He knows that Batman is a myth of a man, and that no myth as strong as his could grow to the fore without slowly tossing seeds back in the timeline -- all myths build on pre-existing myths, and the stronger the new myth the more likely the older ones are to come to appear less as precedent and more as prefiguring.
But the thesis is where the book stops being enjoyable. Beyond that, it is a series of pastiche renderings of various period cliches, each garbled just enough to appear mysterious, but in truth the mystery is really just sloppiness benefiting from a very strong brain and some accomplished illustrating partners.
I always thought Morrison's best work was his work-for-hire, when he had to limit his fathomless penchant for mythmaking to the contours of a pre-existing character. It was true of his X-Men, and of his Superman, and quite recently of his Batman, but this time around his worst inclinations got the better of him.
May 27, 2011
Grant Morrison - writer
Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving, Ryan Sook, Yanick Paquette, Lee Garbett, Georges Jeanty & Karl Story - artists
4.5/5 stars
Batman was cast backward into time by the death throes of the cosmic god Darkseid; as a consequence the dark knight lost his memory and became a living battery for some kind of evil, negative energy that builds up through time. The confused superhero wakes thousands of years in the past and is forced to battle his way through successive time periods, building up massive amounts of evil, negative energy until he explodes, destroying the world somehow. Superman and pals are busting through time, trying to save their bat-pal and prevent a world-destroying batsplosion.
It sounds silly, but Grant Morrison is a really great writer of comic books. He pays homage to the Batman canon (which has as silly a past as any superhero comic book) with equal parts reverence and invention. The artists' styles are varied but overall the art is quite good. Highly recommended.
Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving, Ryan Sook, Yanick Paquette, Lee Garbett, Georges Jeanty & Karl Story - artists
4.5/5 stars
Batman was cast backward into time by the death throes of the cosmic god Darkseid; as a consequence the dark knight lost his memory and became a living battery for some kind of evil, negative energy that builds up through time. The confused superhero wakes thousands of years in the past and is forced to battle his way through successive time periods, building up massive amounts of evil, negative energy until he explodes, destroying the world somehow. Superman and pals are busting through time, trying to save their bat-pal and prevent a world-destroying batsplosion.
It sounds silly, but Grant Morrison is a really great writer of comic books. He pays homage to the Batman canon (which has as silly a past as any superhero comic book) with equal parts reverence and invention. The artists' styles are varied but overall the art is quite good. Highly recommended.
April 2, 2014
There are those, like with many of the books of Grant Morrison's Batman run, that think this book is pretty good. There are those who hate what he's done with the character.
I think the high concept for this book was brilliant.
I'm not gonna comment too much on what it actually was because it ties heavily into "Batman: R.I.P." and "Final Crisis", but I really feel like this one was the last piece of the puzzle with that particular bit of the Morrison Batman story and one that excited and really entertained me.
Not only did Morrison's story wow the little kid in all of us by bringing cavemen, Lovecraftian beasts, pirates, cowboys, mobsters, and time travel into the mix, it wowed the more high-minded sci-fi nerd in us, too.
Again, on the art side of things, we've got pretty much an all-star jam (as we've sometimes had in the past as we've journeyed with Morrison's Batman). Frazer Irving, Yanick Pacquette, and Cameron Stewart put forth stellar work, just to name a few.
Recommended for Morrison fans, Bat-fans, and fans of great genre-hopping, centuries-spanning comics.
I think the high concept for this book was brilliant.
I'm not gonna comment too much on what it actually was because it ties heavily into "Batman: R.I.P." and "Final Crisis", but I really feel like this one was the last piece of the puzzle with that particular bit of the Morrison Batman story and one that excited and really entertained me.
Not only did Morrison's story wow the little kid in all of us by bringing cavemen, Lovecraftian beasts, pirates, cowboys, mobsters, and time travel into the mix, it wowed the more high-minded sci-fi nerd in us, too.
Again, on the art side of things, we've got pretty much an all-star jam (as we've sometimes had in the past as we've journeyed with Morrison's Batman). Frazer Irving, Yanick Pacquette, and Cameron Stewart put forth stellar work, just to name a few.
Recommended for Morrison fans, Bat-fans, and fans of great genre-hopping, centuries-spanning comics.
February 12, 2023
Despite my initial scepticism, each volume presents a new and thrilling adventure, steeped in myths and events specific to the periods Batman traverses.
‘The Bones of Bristol Bay’ is my favourite. It follows a high-stakes pirate adventure. ‘Until the End of Time’ is equally captivating as it delves into Puritan life in seventeenth-century America, and explores the fear of witchcraft that fuelled widespread witch hunts.
In order to follow the narrative as a whole, it’s useful having some understanding of events leading up to this story, namely Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis.
‘The Bones of Bristol Bay’ is my favourite. It follows a high-stakes pirate adventure. ‘Until the End of Time’ is equally captivating as it delves into Puritan life in seventeenth-century America, and explores the fear of witchcraft that fuelled widespread witch hunts.
In order to follow the narrative as a whole, it’s useful having some understanding of events leading up to this story, namely Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis.
August 31, 2018
Reading a Morrison book is like solving a puzzle. It involves a lot of turning pages back and forth. I had to keep checking Batman & Robin: Batman vs. Robin, Batman: R.I.P. and Batman: The Black Glove, Deluxe Edition, the previous books on his acclaimed Batman run, and it was a treat. This is what I love about Morrison. He expects the readers to make some effort on their part instead of spoonfeeding them.
October 31, 2023
Moram odmah da dam disclamer da mene Batman koji putuje kroz vreme, leti u svemir, bori se sa vanzemaljcima i slično ne zanima preterano.
Ova epizoda sadrži sve ove elemente i sama po sebi mi se verovartno ne bi dopala. Utešno je da sam je čitao zajedno sa "Batman i Robin" knjigom onako kako bi trebao da se čita Omnibus 2 i samim tim je lakša za čitanje i prihvatljivija i priča ipak onda dobija neki kontekst.
Crtež je fenomenalan kao i neke reference i kad se čitao zajedno sa "Batman i Robin" pričom, ima neku poentu.
Kažu da za dublje razumevanje ove knjige treba da se pročita i neka od onih kriza, čini mi se Final Crisis, koji ja nisam pročitao.
Ova epizoda sadrži sve ove elemente i sama po sebi mi se verovartno ne bi dopala. Utešno je da sam je čitao zajedno sa "Batman i Robin" knjigom onako kako bi trebao da se čita Omnibus 2 i samim tim je lakša za čitanje i prihvatljivija i priča ipak onda dobija neki kontekst.
Crtež je fenomenalan kao i neke reference i kad se čitao zajedno sa "Batman i Robin" pričom, ima neku poentu.
Kažu da za dublje razumevanje ove knjige treba da se pročita i neka od onih kriza, čini mi se Final Crisis, koji ja nisam pročitao.
June 13, 2017
This is very Grant Morrison. I mean that as a compliment and a dig. Super weird and occasionally even dumb, but with a high-brow concept and philosophy. Gotta read it in context, though, after Final Crisis.
January 3, 2012
An absolutely horrible end to an absolutely horrible story.
November 10, 2020
Super weird, barely coherent, and to make matters worse, you have to read Morrison’s Batman run AND Final Crisis (which has it’s own exhaustive reading requirements) in order to make sense of this.
But, I still kind of liked it.
No, I don’t recommend this... but it is kinda cool if you’re willing to have no life and read all the other shit that got you to this point (like me.)
But, I still kind of liked it.
No, I don’t recommend this... but it is kinda cool if you’re willing to have no life and read all the other shit that got you to this point (like me.)
February 21, 2023
Morison po strani ima vise ludackih SF koncepata nego svi pisci ikada neke male drzave
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