Batman R.I.P.

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"Batman R.I.P."

Cover art to Batman #676, the first issue of the arc.
Art by Alex Ross
Publisher DC Comics
Publication date May  – November 2008
Genre Superhero
Main character(s) Batman
Batman Family
The Joker
Club of Villains
Creative team
Writer(s) Grant Morrison
Artist(s) Tony Daniel
Collected editions
Hardcover ISBN 1-4012-2090-8

"Batman R.I.P." is a comic book story arc published in Batman #676-681 by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Tony Daniel, and with covers by Alex Ross, the story pits the superhero Batman against the Black Glove organization as they attempt to destroy everything he stands for. It has a number of tie-ins in other DC Comics titles that are not to be confused with the main story running in Batman.

Contents

[edit] Outline

Discussing the genesis of the storyline and its linkage to the rest of his run, Morrison notes that:

“ I can tell you this much – this is the first story I had planned when Peter Tomasi, the editor at the time, asked me to do Batman, which must have been two years ago now… longer. And the very first story title I noted down was “Batman RIP”. I had a particular image for the cover, which Alex Ross has done a bang-zoom- thousand-times-better version of for the second part of the story.

So it came from there…and out of that notion came the idea for the big overarching story I’ve been telling since I first came on the book. Everything…the “Zur-En-Arrh” graffiti, the Joker prose story, the Club of Heroes…every detail that’s been in the book for the last couple of years is significant, everything is a clue to the grand design that’s unfolding.[1]

 ”

In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Grant Morrison explained that Batman's fate in the story is "so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story! I like to keep the story twisting and turning. So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all. This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."[2]

Morrison talked about "Batman R.I.P." at the April 2008 New York Comic Con "Spotlight on Grant Morrison" panel. "When we begin to suspect the identity of the villain, I think it's the most, like I said the other day, it's possibly the most shocking Batman revelation in 70 years."[3]

DC Universe #0 shed some light on the potential plot of the series, with a scene between Batman and the Joker written as a prelude to the upcoming storyline. In the sequence, Batman confronts the Joker about the mysterious "Black Glove", villain(s) who were behind the attempt to kill Batman during Morrison's "International Club of Heroes" arc in Batman #667-669. The Joker, nonchalantly dealing out a "dead man's hand" from a deck of cards, taunts Batman regarding his fear of the mystery villain and how the Black Glove intends on destroying him.

[edit] Plot

Bringing together a number of concepts and characters explored by Morrison during his run as writer on Batman, the story details the attempts of the mysterious Dr. Simon Hurt and the "Black Glove," a criminal organization dedicated to corrupting virtue, as they attempt to destroy Batman and everything he stands for. Using a mixture of physical and psychological attacks, the Black Glove tests Batman's resolve, forcing him to temporarily adopt the crazed persona of the "Batman of Zur-En-Arrh." He is then led to Arkham Asylum to face The Joker. Seemingly defeated, Batman is buried alive by the Black Glove, a group that includes Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Jezebel Jet, who has betrayed him. With the assistance of Robin, Nightwing, and the Club of Heroes, he turns the tables on his foes. In a final confrontation with Dr. Hurt, Batman is caught in a helicopter crash and feared dead. Six months later, a villain named Le Bossu tortures a Gotham City policeman, enjoying the freedom villains have now that Batman is gone. Suddenly, the Bat-Signal shines into his lair.

[edit] Publication

[edit] Main storyline

Pre-R.I.P.

Batman RIP. storyline, is the Aftermath of "The Black Glove" storyline told in the following comics:

  • Batman #667-669 "The Black Glove" (1st Mention & solo appr.of a Black Glove member)
  • Batman #672-675 "Space Medicine" Concludes "The 3 Ghosts of Batman" storyline. (Mentioned earlier on in Batman #664-666 (The Last chapter of the "BatMan & Son" Graphic novel)
R.I.P.
Last Rites
  • Batman #682-683
  • Final Crisis #5-6 (Is where Grant Morrison's Batman RIP. storyline reaches its FINAL Conclusion).

[edit] Tie-ins

R.I.P.
  • Detective Comics #846-850 "Heart of Hush" (Takes place Immediately before G.Morrison's officially titled Main Batman RIP. storyline)
  • Nightwing #147-150 "The Great Leap" (Epilogued in NightWing #151 labeld "Last Rites")
  • Robin #175-176
  • Batman and the Outsiders #11-13 (Takes place in accordance with Batman RIP #680 & #681)
Last Rites
  • Batman #682-683 (Bridge the gap between Batman RIP. & Final Crisis #5)
  • Batman #684-"The Last Days of Gotham" pt.2 of 2 (The Gotham Fire/Johnny Stiches)
  • Batman #685- "Faces of Evil" (CatWoman) pt.2 of 2 ("Heart of HUSH" Epilogue)
  • Detective Comics #851-"The Last Days of Gotham" pt.1 of 2 (The Gotham Fire/Johnny Stiches)
  • Detective Comics #852- "Faces of Evil" (HUSH) pt.1 of 2 (Aftermath of "Heart of HUSH")
  • NightWing #151- Although labeld "Last Rites" is the Epilogue to the NightWing RIP. storyline
  • NightWing #152- "Faces of Evil" pt.1 of 1 (Ra's Al'Ghul) Ra's reflects on Bruce's Death
  • NightWing #153- The Final "NightWing" issue (NightWing aka. Dick Grayson The 1st Robin)
  • Robin #183- The Final "Robin" issue before its Re-volumized as "Red Robin" Where the search for Bruce Wayne begans, As Tim Drake (Robin #3) takes flight in an ALL-NEW costume & title

[edit] References

Batman RIP storyline makes make references to earlier comics involving "The Black Casebook" and the "Club of Heroes." These reference the following comics.

[edit] Related titles

Each title has its own story, which relates to the other titles, especially the main one of Batman, but the timelines of each do not coincide with the order in which they are published. For instance, the Detective Comics story occurs a few nights prior to the main one in the flagship Batman.[4]

Likely part of the R.I.P. aftermath, DC Comics announced that the ongoing Nightwing, Robin, and Birds of Prey titles will all end in February, 2009. No specific reason was given.[5]

[edit] Batman #682-683 and Final Crisis

The Batman appearing in Final Crisis is Bruce Wayne. Writer Grant Morrison stated, "First it's R.I.P., and we'll see how that winds up for Batman. Then the two-parter (#682-683) goes through Batman's whole career, in a big summing up of everything that also ties & leads directly into Final Crisis.(Final Crisis #5 is were RIP. resumes) And also where we see the final fate of Batman Final Crisis #6)."[6]

After escaping an attempt to create an army of warriors based on him, Batman uses the same bullet that killed the New God Orion to shoot Darkseid. At the same time, Darkseid strikes him with the Omega Sanction, "the death that is life." Superman is later seen holding Batman's charred body[7]. In the end of Final Crisis #7, Anthro dies of old age and someone wearing Batman's spandex put a utility belt over the dead body and then draws the Batman logo in a wall of the cave[8].

[edit] "Heart of Hush" (Detective Comics #846-850)

Parallel to the main story in Batman, but actually a prologue to it, Paul Dini's Heart of Hush deals with the return of Thomas Elliot to Gotham City and his plan to kill Batman before the Black Glove. Also explored in this arc is his connection to the Gotham underworld, and how his family history helped transform Elliot into Hush. This story "Heart of Hush" continues into Detective comics #852 & Batman #685 A 2-part "Faces of Evil" storyline that is also labeled as "Last Rites". An comes Highly recomended by Die-Hard Batman fans!

[edit] "The Great Leap" (Nightwing #147-150)

Two-Face tasks Nightwing to protect an old flame of Harvey Dent's, Carol Bermingham, a witness in a high profile mob trial. Nightwing is in fact protecting Carol from Two-Face himself.

[edit] "Scattered Pieces" (Robin #175-176)

Parallel to the main story, Batman is missing and rampaging through the city in a delusional state. Nightwing is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum and Robin, fearing that Batman could have lost his sanity and gone rogue, tasks himself with finding his mentor and stopping him if necessary.

[edit] "Outsiders No More" (Batman and the Outsiders #11-13)

With a reduced roster and a missing Batman, Batgirl takes command and comes to the conclusion that no one can replace the Caped Crusader. She starts seeking out for a group of new Outsiders whose combined skills could match Batman's.

[edit] Collected editions

The story is planned to be collected into multiple volumes:

[edit] Aftermath

The main Batman title is expected to feature several months of retrospective stories that "showcase the legacy of the Batman".[10] Those will be followed by a two-part story by Neil Gaiman called "Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?", a play on the Superman story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" by Alan Moore, which was also the last story before major changes in the character.[11][12][13] According to DC Senior Vice President and executive editor Dan DiDio, Bruce Wayne does not really die in the storyline, although it leads to his absence.[14][15] Part of the aftermath later plays out in Blackest Night: Batman.

[edit] "Battle for the Cowl"

Main article: Batman: Battle for the Cowl

The titles Nightwing, Robin, and Birds of Prey will be cancelled, and Batman and Detective Comics will go on hiatus for three months beginning in March 2009. In March, April and May a three-part series titled Battle for the Cowl, written and illustrated by Tony Daniel will focus on the aftermath of the series and the battle for Gotham.[16][17][18] Tied to this will be a three-part Oracle mini-series[19] and a three-part Azrael mini-series[20][21] and two bookends titled Gotham City Gazette that encompasses the changes in all of those series. In addition, five one-shots will be published focusing on key characters in upcoming storylines.[22] These will feature Man-Bat, Commissioner Gordon, the Network, the Underground and Arkham Asylum.[23]

[edit] Promotion

At the New York Comic Con 2008, DC Comics gave away pins featuring Nightwing, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Hush with the words "I Am Batman" beneath them.

The pins were also being given away at the Newsarama booth by DC's executive editor Dan DiDio during HeroesCon 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina and again by DiDio at Emerald City Comic-Con in Seattle.

Comics across the DC Universe also feature a checklist of the related issues, alongside a picture featuring Batman's empty cowl hanging on a cross-shaped tombstone.

[edit] Critical reception

Popcultureshock wrote that the story was "a creative and intriguing Batman tale" but that elements of the story were repetitive of earlier ones and that "some readers will likely feel cheated that the real conclusion to what happens to Batman will occur in Final Crisis and not RIP." [24]

The Hard Cover Deluxe edition that suplements the comics from the macrbre storyline. Which originally appeared in the main flagship 'Batman' series made the New York Times Graphic Books Best Seller List in May 2009.[25]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Smith, Zack (2008-02-22). "Talking Batman With Grant Morrison". Newsarama. http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=147734. Retrieved on 2008-12-06. 
  2. ^ ALL STAR GRANT MORRISON II: Batman, Comic Book Resources, April 16, 2008
  3. ^ NY COMIC CON Day 2 - 2 yaD NOC CIMOC YN, TheNerdyBird.com, April 22, 2008
  4. ^ titleiFanboy Mini - Episode #97 - Paul Dini at the San Diego Comic Con, iFanboy Video, July 2008
  5. ^ Gotham Cancellations - Newsarama
  6. ^ Phillips, Dan (2008-08-26). "Killing Batman And The DC Universe". IGN. 6. http://comics.ign.com/articles/902/902992p6.html. Retrieved on 2009-01-19. 
  7. ^ Final Crisis #6
  8. ^ Final Crisis #7
  9. ^ Batman R.I.P. hardcover details, at DC
  10. ^ Phillips, Dan (2008-12-03). "Beyond Batman R.I.P.". IGN. 3. http://comics.ign.com/articles/935/935393p2.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-05. 
  11. ^ CCI: DC One Weekend Later - Gaiman on "Batman", Comic Book Resources, July 27, 2008
  12. ^ SDCC '08 - More on Gaiman-Batman with Dan DiDio, Newsarama, 27 July, 2008
  13. ^ DC at Comic-Con ’08 Mike Marts, Newsarama Video, July 27 2008
  14. ^ "Batman not killed off in comic", United Press International, November 27, 2008
  15. ^ Sacks, Ethan. "Fans prematurely mourn Batman - though the super hero's not actually dead", New York Daily News, November 26, 2008
  16. ^ Brady, Matt (2008-11-12). "Dan DiDio: 20 Answers, 1 Question". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/110812-Didio2.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-06. 
  17. ^ Creating Batman: Battle for the Cowl, IGN, December 19, 2008
  18. ^ Tony Daniel - Batman: Battle for the Cowl's Field Marshall, Newsarama, December 22, 2008
  19. ^ VanHook Talks "Oracle" Miniseries, Comic Book Resources, December 22, 2008
  20. ^ Batman: Battle for the Cowl - Enter Azrael, IGN, December 18, 2008
  21. ^ Fabian Nicieza Unleashes Azrael, Comic Book Resources, December 29, 2008
  22. ^ Brady, Matt (2008-12-10). "Dan DiDio: 20 Answers, 1 Question - Batman and More". Newsarama. http://www.newsarama.com/comics/120810-DiDio-20.html. Retrieved on 2008-12-13. 
  23. ^ NYCC '09 - Batman Panel - Six New Series in June, Newsarama, February 7, 2009
  24. ^ Haehnle, Jon (2008-11-28). "Batman #681 (RIP Finale) Review". Popcultureshock. http://www.popcultureshock.com/reviews/batman-681-rip-finale-review/. Retrieved on 2008-12-03. 
  25. ^ "Graphic Books Best Seller List: May 16" New York Times; George Gene Gustines. May 22, 2009

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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