Batman: R.I.P.
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Tony S. Daniel
The Black Glove deals its hand of death…
Rating: 4 Stars
Grant Morrison is not a writer that can catch the attention of all comic book fans, as his work can be confusing beyond repair. Never less, he is still quite capable of creating extremely complex, and psychologically innovating stories, and Batman R.I.P. is a good case in point.
I had already read Morrison's BATMAN AND SON and BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN story arcs, but I had yet to dive deep into his take on the dark knight. His ARKHAM ASYLUM: A SERIOUS HOUSE ON SERIOUS EARTH novel has always sparked my interest, but its dark and brooding nature has given me concerns. The BATMAN REBORN arc had left me confused as it seemed to be plagued by plot hole’s, but as most of the previous events took place in R.I.P., I thought it would be a great place to start a serious quest into his works. I made right on my decision, as R.I.P. left me wanting more of Morrison’s run on the dark knight.
The story begins after the BATMAN AND SON and BLACK GLOVE story arcs, where the mysterious organization known as the Black Glove, led by Doctor Hurt, has finally begun to enact their plan on Batman’s execution. The dark knight has become aware that he is being hunted from the shadows, but has found no connections that might lead him towards his pursuers. Batman is also starting to take his relationship with the beautiful Jezebel Jet, as he begins to reveal his greatest secrets to her. But the Black Glove soon unleashes a psychic and hypnotic attack against the caped crusader, leaving him in an amnesic, and crazed state. With the Joker as a pawn for the Black Glove, and Jezebel Jet taken hostage at Arkham Asylum, one question remains: Will Batman be able to regain his sanity, and stop the Black Glove once and for all, or will the Black Glove bring the dark knight and everything he stands for to extinction.
Grant Morrison’s work on R.I.P. is psychologically heart pounding, and masterfully executed. He successfully brings the dark knight past his limits of mental endurance, and displays how far Batman is willing to prepare for the unexpected to occur. The Black Glove is probably the second most intriguing criminal organization Batman has ever faced, right behind the Court of Owls. Each member possesses a symbol that represents the darkness and lunacy that Batman fights against, and the method of their portrayal gives them a sense of dominance that is to be reckoned with. One thing I should warn readers about, is that Morrison brought back some of the controversial sci-fi elements from the 1950s (post Fredric Wertham) into Batman’s mythos. However, Morrison reinvents these elements into psychological illusions and weapons that the Black Glove uses in their crusade against Batman. While I myself find these elements somewhat weird, I highly praise Morrison’s psychological interpreting of the sci-fi elements as representations of Batman’s mental willpower, reason, and above all vulnerability.
Tony S. Daniel provides great artwork for the story, particularly his interpretation of the Joker, which represents his further deteriorating mind. The bullet that struck the Joker’s face in BATMAN AND SON has caused all traces of his sanity to completely snap, as he has begun to inflict more scars onto his own body. Tony’s version of the clown prince of crime is one of the most innovating and horrifying interpretations of the Joker that I’ve ever seen.
Although Morrison doesn’t reach the levels of Jeph Loeb (THE LONG HALLOWEEN, DARK VICTORY) or Frank Miller (THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, YEAR ONE), he is still a master of creating psychologically thrilling and astonishing stories that expand the limits of the dark knight’s character. Morrison’s work on Batman may be divided among fans due to his confusing style, but he has gained my respect as a writer of sensational Batman stories.
