Status Updates From Batman: R.I.P.

The story ends with a final psychological examination of Batman. It ends on an honorable note, concluding not that Batman is crazy or psychologically out of touch, but that he is a psychological giant, who has gone through incredibly difficult experiences, and allowed them to make him better, rather than ruin him.

The black glove isn’t only trying to kill him, they could’ve done that without the elaborate scheme with Jezebel. They want to break the bat on a mental level.

We learn later that Bruce suspected that Jezebel was in on it. The fact that he allows himself to still try to save her reveals just how “not in control” he is, despite his insistence on the alternative.

Batman’s confrontation with the joker examines Batman’s total philosophy. Batman strives on order and always being in control, no matter what evil he faces.

So much so that he even tries to rationalize the joker and treat him as someone that he could understand. Joker himself knows that there is no rhyme or reason to his actions. He is just an agent of chaos.

That is what truly makes him so deadly to Batman.

The twist that Jezebel jet was part of the black glove was pretty clever and executed at the right time. However, they haven’t done a good job of helping the reader understand why. Hopefully they will soon. At the moment the character just feels like a totally different character than before she betrayed him.

I was just starting to think that it was getting boring and/or predictable when the Al Ghul’s show up to save Gordon. I’m interested again.

Maybe I'm just not a Grant Morrison guy

Engineering a mental breakdown for Batman is such a good idea. Batman has been turned almost Rorschach-esque in terms of his conspiratorial thinking, and he clearly isn’t doing well. I still can’t tell how much of his mental failing is due to his own choices, versus the work of the black glove.

The writing in this already feels head and shoulders above Batman and Son and the Black Glove. The attention being drawn to Batman’s mental health after what he’s done to himself, in addition to Robin going through so many life changes in a short period of time is interesting. Good job making complex characters.