Batman R.I.P.

Template:Infobox future comics "Batman R.I.P." is an in-progress comic book story arc involving the character Batman written by Grant Morrison, with art by Tony Daniel, Sandu Florea, and covers by Alex Ross.

Outline

In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Grant Morrison explained that what's going to happen to Batman 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."

At the 2008 NY Comic Con "Spotlight on Grant Morrison" panel, Morrison talked about Batman R.I.P. "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."

DC Universe #0 offered some light on the potential plot of the series, with a scene between Batman and the Joker designed as a prelude to the upcoming storyline. In the sequence, Batman confronts the Joker about the mysterious "Black Glove", a villain who was behind the attempt to kill Batman during Morrison's "League of Heroes" arc in Batman #667-669. Joker, who has a deck of playing cards with him, responds by nonchalantly dealing out a "dead man's hand" on the table in front of him.

Plot

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.

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.

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

Also appearing in all comics across the DC universe is a checklist of the related issues alongside a picture featuring Batman's empty cowl hanging on a cross-shaped tombstone.

Tie-ins

Batman R.I.P. Checklist

• Batman #676-681
• Detective Comics #846-850
• Nightwing #147-150
• Robin #175-176
• Batman and the Outsiders #11-13

Collected editions

The story will be collected into at least one volume:

• Batman: R.I.P. (192 pages, hardcover, January 2009, ISBN 1401220908)

References

• Batman R.I.P. at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)

External links

• Sunday Slugfest: Batman #676, Comics Bulletin
• Review of Batman #676, Comic Book Resources