Serialized beginning in 2006, this three volume and-counting story in
which Grant Morrison (best known as the author of the groundbreaking,
outre', anarchistic “Invisibles” & "Doom Patrol" titles in the 80's & 90's)
reinvents Batman for the 21st Century as a ‘psychedelic noir’ tale drawing
on the entirety of the written history of the character, as though it were
the chronicle of the extraordinary (and bizarre!) life of one man:
Link to DC Comics: "Batman & Son" - Grant Morrison's Batman Vol.1
Link to DC Comics: "Batman: The Black Glove" - Grant Morrison's Batman Vol.2
Link to DC Comics: "Batman R.I.P." - Grant Morrison's Batman Vol.3
Volume one begins with three maniac cops masquerading as Batman
'haunting' Bruce Wayne as his potential replacements, coinciding
with these events the epiphany of Bruce Wayne's son, Damian, is
revealed by/with the daughter of his arch-nemesis Ras Al-Ghul of the
League of Assassins. All of this spun as a James Bond-esque world
-trotting adventure. Volume two entangles the 'Caped Crusader' in a
series of ominous mysteries as the ultimate villain; ‘The Black Glove’,
who orchestrated both the recruitment of the Batman 'replacements'
from within Gotham Police Department as well as a scheme from
decades past, in which the they employed one Dr. Simon Hurt in
a series of sensory deprivation experiments that Wayne underwent.
Unbeknownst to Wayne, now years later, these were designed to implant
the subconscious seeds of the Black Glove's plan to exploit the deepest
secrets of his personal history, make him doubt his mission, question
his sanity and ultimately in volume three… bring about his demise.
We also find in volume three, that possibly in anticipation of the
Black Glove's threat, Wayne has sensed that his own mortality is in
question and begun a deeper psychological/spiritual pursuit of his
understanding of "Death, After-death and Reincarnation" through the
49 day meditational ritual of Thogal in the isolated Tibetan monastery
known as Nanda Parbat. What we the reader don't see forthcoming at
this point in the tale, is that this threat to his existence doesn't come
in the form of mortal men, or even the material plane, but instead the
New God of anti-life, submission, dominance and despair by the name
of Darkseid. Batman's confrontation with this cosmic force is told in
Morrison's simultaneously released, time traveling, theoretical cosmology
spanning, DC Universe-encompassing meta-narrative title; "Final Crisis":
Link to DC Comics: "Final Crisis" - Deluxe Edition
Link to DC Comics: "Jack Kirby's 4th World Omnibus - Vol.1"
Link to DC Comics: "Jack Kirby's 4th World Omnibus - Vol.2"
Link to DC Comics: "Jack Kirby's 4th World Omnibus - Vol.3"
Link to DC Comics: "Jack Kirby's 4th World Omnibus - Vol.4"
Catch all of that? As if all of that wasn't enough densely layered
detective mystery, crime thriller, existential horror and consciousness
riddling cosmic space-epic for 24 issues of a monthly comic, there's
also Morrison's penchant for random surrealism, oblique, strictly
visual references and seeming (at the time) confounding non-sequitur.
Which more often than not, are later revealed to be foreshadowing of
the larger overarching narrative concerns of mortality, consciousness,
memory and identity. So now we're up to speed?? And just in time!
Link to DC Comics: "Batman & Robin" - Grant Morrison's Batman Vol.4
This coming June sees the beginnings of volume four, serialized as
the new ongoing monthly "Batman & Robin". Right-off continuing the
various threads of the previous books, retroactively giving perspective
not only to the Black Glove and Damian Wayne stories, but through
"Final Crisis" also entwining the mythos of Batman into the legendary
creations of Jack Kirby's "4th World" hierarchy of comic deities and
cosmic folklore. What has become of Bruce Wayne? In his awareness
of mortality has he prepared himself for disembodiment ...and eventual
reincarnation? Possibly to return as a different man altogether? Leading
finally, to that ultimate of questions; what becomes of the mind after
the death of the body? As the delirium induced hallucination(?) of 5th
Dimensional entity Bat-Mite informs Bruce Wayne midway into issue
#674 of the second volume: "These are the secrets of death we teach.
We came all the way from Space B at the Fivefold Expansion of Zrfff to
prepare your Passage." ...But considering the extra-dimensional nature of
his guide, passage to where? And when? And what? Indeed! Mysteries abound!
Link to Publishers Weekly Grant Morrison "Batman R.I.P." launch interview
Link to Village Voice "Batman R.I.P" article
Link to Newsarama Grant Morrison "Batman & Robin" launch interview
Link to IGN's Grant Morrison "Batman & Robin" interview
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