Batman RIP???

[mitchedwards]

Can anyone update me on what has happed with this story line? The comic store here is constantly sold out.

[monkey tennis]

Isn't it just D.C. trying to do a Dead Captain America thing...?

I think the big comics are on a bad trip this year....think I'll tune in again next year.

When I can forget that Peter Parker is/was/might have been/wasen't Spider-man.

[The Toyroom]

Can anyone update me on what has happed with this story line? The comic store here is constantly sold out.

Be forewarned Mitch....this may sicken you. I'm not sure where Morrison's going with all of this but it's "out there"

From Wikipedia:

At an unknown location, a group of international supervillains are gathered together under the behest of the Black Glove, led by Dr. Simon Hurt, the man responsible for the isolation chamber experiment that Batman underwent and the creation of the three replacement Batmen. They are planning a danse macabre for Batman and arrange for the sending of an invitation to the villainous Joker.

Back in Gotham City, Batman and his new girlfriend Jezebel Jet receive an invitation to attend a party being held by the Black Glove, of which the theme is that of a danse macabre. This causes Batman to react in fear, as he believes that Jezebel (who has recently learned that Batman is Bruce Wayne) could conceivably be targeted for death by the Black Glove.

Elsewhere, Commissioner Gordon tries valiantly to convince a local newspaper into not running a story on a dossier that the publication has recently came into possession of. The dossier, allegedly compiled by a detective hired by the parents of Martha Wayne (Batman's mother), contains many shocking revelations: that Thomas Wayne was a drunk who got his wife Martha addicted to heroin, as well as photographs of an orgy involving Thomas and Martha Wayne, Alfred, and the stars of a noir film "The Black Glove". The editor also tells Gordon even bigger revelations: that Thomas Wayne may still be alive and that the "murder" of his wife Martha was part of an elaborate scheme to kill his unfaithful wife and fake his own death.

The dossier itself conceivably is part of a larger game being played by the Black Glove and his League of Villains, of which Doctor Simon Hurt is leading in their campaign against Batman. Having drugged Batman with a slashing from a tainted blade, Hurt gives M'Sieur Le Bossu and his henchmen, the gargoyles, the location of the Batcave.

Batman has the Batcomputer analyze all known data he has on the Black Glove and Simon Hurt. The result Batman receives, just before he collapses due to the drug he was exposed to and a trigger phrase implanted by Doctor Hurt; Zur-En-Arrh. Upon returning, Alfred is attacked by Le Bossu and his minions, and is badly beaten and restrained in the Batcave.

Bruce Wayne, meanwhile, has been drugged with crystal meth and heroin and left to wander the streets of Gotham. He is found laying in a pile of garbage by a vagrant named Honor, who takes the amnesiac Bruce under his wing, and adopts him as his bodyguard while Honor is buying street drugs. He gives Bruce a black-and-red plaid piece of cloth containing what appears to be a broken radio, telling him that it was once his greatest treasure.

Honor advises Bruce to speak with "Lone-Eye Lincoln", who reveals that Honor died the previous day of a drugs overdose. The implication is therefore that Bruce has imagined their entire interaction.

In the Batcave, Simon Hurt dons the costume of "The First Batman", which was the costume Thomas Wayne once wore to a costume ball, in mockery of Batman and his allies. He celebrates his victory, and solidifies the Batcave as his new base of operation for crime. Alfred can be seen behind him, badly beaten and covered in blood.

Robin tries to get in contact with Nightwing while being chased by the members of the Club of Villains, but Nightwing has been drugged, beaten, and placed in a straightjacket within Arkham Asylum under another patient's name.

Bruce Wayne, repeating the phrase "Zur En Arrh", takes the cloth he was given, and sews it into a new Batman costume: the red, black, purple, and yellow costume of the Batman of Zur En Arrh. It is implied that his drug-addled mind has made him believe that he is a Batman from this other planet. Above him, Bat-Mite floats by Batman's side.

[mitchedwards]

I saw the wikipedia post, but they have not updated it in a while, is that where the storyline has left off?

[Earth 2 Chris]

The above is the most insane piece of crap I have ever read.

Morrison better have an eject button on this baby, or DC did something I didn't think they could ever do: they handed Batman over to someone even WORSE than Frank Miller (current-"I'm the ***-Damned Batman" Frank Miller, not classic DKR, Year One Miller).

The parts about Thomas, Martha and Alfred are particularly disturbing and just flat-out WRONG.

Man, I hope this is all a ruse somehow.

Morrison has written some of my absolute favorite comic stories, but I can't imagine the conclusion to this, even if he makes it all go away, be worth actually paying $3 a month to ready this pile of poo.

Ugh.

Chris

[The Toyroom]

I saw the wikipedia post, but they have not updated it in a while, is that where the storyline has left off?

Yeah that should have taken it to the end of Part 3.

[The Toyroom]

The above is the most insane piece of crap I have ever read.Morrison has written some of my absolute favorite comic stories, but I can't imagine the conclusion to this, even if he makes it all go away, be worth actually paying $3 a month to ready this pile of poo.

Yeah I've been reading it and sometimes I think I'm just a sucker for punishment...

[Steeler80]

I don't know if I'm just too dense to get this whole thing or what. It seems to jump around so much that I have trouble grasping the story.

Everyone says that Grant Morrison is a great writer but, to be honest, I've never "got" him.

[The Toyroom]

^ It's not just you...on this and "Final Crisis" I feel that Morrison is just throwing story beats at the reader without having a good narrative flow to tie everything together. He's always been a "high concept" writer but as of late he seems like more "high concept" than "writer".

I've always liked his Doom Patrol, Animal Man and JLA runs at DC (not the "One Million" cross-over though) and his New X-Men and Marvel Boy at Marvel weren't bad either. But I wonder if he was the right guy to go with as far as an epic mini-series that crosses-overs and affects the entire DC Universe.

And event though "Infinite Crisis" wasn't all it was cracked up to be..I would've put "Final Crisis" in the hands of Geoff Johns. He seems to "get" this kind of stuff better than Morrison.

[Steeler80]

I agree. Johns seems more suited to this type of comic. "Infinite Crisis" started out epic enough then really didn't go anywhere. I wonder though if that wasn't because there were already ties to 52, Countdown, etc.

[Surfsup]

I've been reading it out of interest and it's far from special. I couldn't believe my eyes when Batmite appeared! I hope he's a part of Batman's drug addled mind. That character is up there with Crappy Doo!

[Godzilla]

What? That makes absolutely no sense at all.

[Airdave817]

Other than what Dini is doing over in Detective I haven't really picked up a Batman comic since before Knightfall. I'm sorry, but The Batman Adventures has been a much better read. At least for me. The only storyline that was okay was Prodigal and even that was just a little too gimmicky. I bailed on All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder when Black Canary made her debut. No looking back.