Oh my god! This was such an incredible book. Grant Morrison is a true genius. The hype ahead of time . . about how everything that Grant has done on this book for the last 27 issues would all be tied together . . was definitely not exaggeration. Actually, this issue, the story starts out from the end of the 52 series. Remember? Batman had disappeared for most of that series and then, at the end, we find out that Batman had put himself through a death ritual, Thogal, at Nada Parbat. Since then we've seen every other aspect of that decision, and time, except for Bruce's. We even saw what Tim and Dick were up to while they were waiting for Bruce to come out. They were supposed to be on vacation, but . . they still participated in some extra-curricular activity throughout Europe. I wonder if they've ever told Batman about that. Anyways, in the beginning of the issue Bruce is talking to a monk explaining to him what his goals were and what he was trying to accomplish by subjugating himself to this. But the monk isn't the one who helped Bruce set all of this up. I believe that would be Master Lo. Luckily Bruce, training himself for every eventuality, sees through this ruse rather quickly. This appears to be about the time that he's decided to set himself up an alternate personality. "I found a hole in my mind, waiting to open up and swallow me whole. I've read how traumatized children sometimes develop cover personalities to protect themselves from painful repressed memories . . and something occurred to me. If my mind came under attack, let's just say . . . if it already has come under attack . . . would it be possible to create an emergency personality as a defense? A back-up human operating system?" That's where the Batman from Zurenarrh came from. But, on the last page of this issue, we see a flashback of a young Bruce leaving the theatre with his parents. Overhead is the marquee with the title Mask of Zorro. I'm not sure how it's connected . . an anagram, or maybe just how a young child would've perceived it . . but somehow Zurenarrh is connected to that title. Anyways, we also find out that the Club of Heroes has come to town. Way back on John Mayhew's island, where we first saw this band of ultra-rich adventurers, we kind of got the feeling that they had banded together out of boredom . . adventure . . a way to spend some more of their vast monies. Come to find out . . they're actually legitimate. Apparently the Band of Heroes came together to battle their nemesis, the Band of Villains . . the Black Hand. An equally rich band of adventures but . . without the altruistic goals. Between them, and the Joker, I'm thinking it was just enough to upset the intricate plans of Doctor Hurt. Unfortunately, I think the Joker put it best, as he's talking to Doctor Hurt, " . . every single time I try to think outside his toybox . . he builds a new box around me . . apophenia . . I've been driven literally insane . . trying to get him to loosen up. Well, now . . now it's your turn . . the Black Glove quivering in an insane asylum . . exactly where he wants you. Now you're in his box too. You can never prepare for the unexpected, the well-timed punch line . . the wild card . . devil is double is deuce, my dear Doctor . . and Joker trumps deuce . . . I'm saying adieu . . pleased to meet you . . admire your work but don't . . don't call me servant. I'll collect my winnings from all of you, in due course. hehehehehehe....." I think that Batman would also admit that there are always unexpected variables. However, as witnessed when the Black Glove buries him alive . . after the Joker poisoned him last issue . . that you can however, if disciplined enough, prepare yourself to deal with every eventuality. Which is also why he modified the old transistor radio, fitting it with a transceiver, to send a signal that would over-ride the security codes at Arkham. Thereby locking the Black Glove in a cage of Batman's choosing. That's when Dick gets back into the picture . . Robin's been helped out by the Band of Heroes, so now he's freed up . . and even Damian helps out inadvertantly. The Joker's got to love the irony of that one. The Joker was going on and on about the black & red that he used to mess with Batman's head before he poisoned him. He also had that eloquent speech about preparing for the unexpected. Well, after he leaves the Black Glove behind . . to deal with Batman, whom he knows will come after them . . he's rushing away from the Asylum in an ambulance. At the same time Damian and Alfred are rushing towards the Asylum and Batman's aid. They meet, most unexpectedly, on the bridge . . black and red . . in his exhilaration Damian simply plows through the ambulance tossing it over the bridge. "That was an ambulance, Master Damian . . .", notes Alfred. "What was an ambulance? Just be grateful I didn't leave you to burn back in the Bat-cave Pennyworth. Will my father let me keep this car?" At the Asylum, basically, everyone splits up and goes their own way. Batman decides to chase Hurt, who has a helicopter waiting on the roof. Of course Batman continues to pursue him . . finds himself hanging from the helicopter . . and, in their attempt to shake off the Batman, it causes Hurt the helicopter and himself to go down in a ball of flames into the river. You get the feeling though that none of these . . ultra-rich, beyond justice, Band of Villains . . none of them are going to escape somebodies wrath. The Joker has already said how he'd collect his winnings later. After the crash Talia comes upon the scene and sees Dick holding the Batman's cowl. "Stand aside. I am the daughter of the world's greatest criminal mastermind and the mother of Batman's son. We'll take care of retribution." The picture of Nightwing standing by the edge of the burning river, as he holds Batman's cowl and it's blowing in the wind . . was epic. That should be a poster. We also see, as Jezebel attempts to retreat to her own country in her private jet, that 'someone' sends a horde of bats into her oncoming flight path. We then go 6 months later, and the criminals are talking about how nobodies seen the Batman since. However, the smile on the cops face, that they're torturing, when they're all startled by the appearance of the Bat-signal, begs the question . . . does the cop know something? Or is Bruce laying low and hiding out doing some 'civil service'? I love all the subtle irony and clues that Grant puts into his stories. The irony, especially, abounded throughout this issue. Remember that scene I talked about at the end of the book, as Bruce is walking away from the movie theatre with his parents? Well, in their conversation, Bruce imagines the justice of Zorro swooping down upon the streets of Gotham. His father responds, "I'm not so sure Gotham city would welcome a masked man taking the law into his own hands, Bruce. The sad thing is they'd probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham." I think this is a repressed memory that Bruce has thought of. It has something to do with Hurt's accusation that he is actually Thomas Wayne. But I do have a question about that. In the struggle before the crash, Batman dismiss' Hurt's notion and instead submits that Hurt is actually Mangrove Pierce, his father's double, and his. He supposedly had an affair with Mayhew's wife, and then Mayhew framed him for her murder. But that doesn't really explain how he became associated with these ultra-rich people. Unless . . Thomas was involved with one side or the other, heroes or villains, and after his death Mangrove assumed his identity in one of the Bands. This is pure speculation on my part. I don't think he's actually Thomas because when he threatens Batman, he tells him, "The Black Glove, at great expense, has made certain shocking documents and photographs available to Gotham City's media! Your mother, your father, your faithful butler, Alfred . . all will stand revealed as drug addicts, perverts, criminals. Unless, of course . . unless Batman agrees to serve the Black Glove." I don't think he would've referred to himself as "your father" if in fact that's who he actually was. That would just be insane. But then . . . anyways, why wouldn't he just reveal to the press who Batman actually was? Why would he frame and pervert the memories of the rest and then hold the winning hand that close to his chest? I'm thinking that the Batman's disappearance has something to do with so many of these adversaries knowing his identity. Hell, even the Joker saw his face during this one. At the end, I think the real question is . . . with the Batman gone for 6 months now, a time in which I'm sure Gotham has degraded and it can't be allowed to continue, we see hope in the form of the Bat-signal. Does that mean that someone has stepped up? And who would that be . . Bruce, Dick, Tim, someone else entirely? Personally, I think that Grant and Tony Daniel have created a masterpiece here. It's both mentally and visually challenging . . . while being perfection at the same time. But the story isn't done. Where do we go from here? If Batman is the sensei, and everyone else his students . . . then how do the students handle his questionable departure? The questions abound. But . . . the slates been wiped clean. I think they're all going to have to find their own answers. Sorry for the length of this blog. With the complexity and beauty of this issue . . and story-arc . . it was impossible to sum up as concisely as usual. If I had to, I'd say it was fan-frikkin-tastic!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Batman #681 - DC
Oh my god! This was such an incredible book. Grant Morrison is a true genius. The hype ahead of time . . about how everything that Grant has done on this book for the last 27 issues would all be tied together . . was definitely not exaggeration. Actually, this issue, the story starts out from the end of the 52 series. Remember? Batman had disappeared for most of that series and then, at the end, we find out that Batman had put himself through a death ritual, Thogal, at Nada Parbat. Since then we've seen every other aspect of that decision, and time, except for Bruce's. We even saw what Tim and Dick were up to while they were waiting for Bruce to come out. They were supposed to be on vacation, but . . they still participated in some extra-curricular activity throughout Europe. I wonder if they've ever told Batman about that. Anyways, in the beginning of the issue Bruce is talking to a monk explaining to him what his goals were and what he was trying to accomplish by subjugating himself to this. But the monk isn't the one who helped Bruce set all of this up. I believe that would be Master Lo. Luckily Bruce, training himself for every eventuality, sees through this ruse rather quickly. This appears to be about the time that he's decided to set himself up an alternate personality. "I found a hole in my mind, waiting to open up and swallow me whole. I've read how traumatized children sometimes develop cover personalities to protect themselves from painful repressed memories . . and something occurred to me. If my mind came under attack, let's just say . . . if it already has come under attack . . . would it be possible to create an emergency personality as a defense? A back-up human operating system?" That's where the Batman from Zurenarrh came from. But, on the last page of this issue, we see a flashback of a young Bruce leaving the theatre with his parents. Overhead is the marquee with the title Mask of Zorro. I'm not sure how it's connected . . an anagram, or maybe just how a young child would've perceived it . . but somehow Zurenarrh is connected to that title. Anyways, we also find out that the Club of Heroes has come to town. Way back on John Mayhew's island, where we first saw this band of ultra-rich adventurers, we kind of got the feeling that they had banded together out of boredom . . adventure . . a way to spend some more of their vast monies. Come to find out . . they're actually legitimate. Apparently the Band of Heroes came together to battle their nemesis, the Band of Villains . . the Black Hand. An equally rich band of adventures but . . without the altruistic goals. Between them, and the Joker, I'm thinking it was just enough to upset the intricate plans of Doctor Hurt. Unfortunately, I think the Joker put it best, as he's talking to Doctor Hurt, " . . every single time I try to think outside his toybox . . he builds a new box around me . . apophenia . . I've been driven literally insane . . trying to get him to loosen up. Well, now . . now it's your turn . . the Black Glove quivering in an insane asylum . . exactly where he wants you. Now you're in his box too. You can never prepare for the unexpected, the well-timed punch line . . the wild card . . devil is double is deuce, my dear Doctor . . and Joker trumps deuce . . . I'm saying adieu . . pleased to meet you . . admire your work but don't . . don't call me servant. I'll collect my winnings from all of you, in due course. hehehehehehe....." I think that Batman would also admit that there are always unexpected variables. However, as witnessed when the Black Glove buries him alive . . after the Joker poisoned him last issue . . that you can however, if disciplined enough, prepare yourself to deal with every eventuality. Which is also why he modified the old transistor radio, fitting it with a transceiver, to send a signal that would over-ride the security codes at Arkham. Thereby locking the Black Glove in a cage of Batman's choosing. That's when Dick gets back into the picture . . Robin's been helped out by the Band of Heroes, so now he's freed up . . and even Damian helps out inadvertantly. The Joker's got to love the irony of that one. The Joker was going on and on about the black & red that he used to mess with Batman's head before he poisoned him. He also had that eloquent speech about preparing for the unexpected. Well, after he leaves the Black Glove behind . . to deal with Batman, whom he knows will come after them . . he's rushing away from the Asylum in an ambulance. At the same time Damian and Alfred are rushing towards the Asylum and Batman's aid. They meet, most unexpectedly, on the bridge . . black and red . . in his exhilaration Damian simply plows through the ambulance tossing it over the bridge. "That was an ambulance, Master Damian . . .", notes Alfred. "What was an ambulance? Just be grateful I didn't leave you to burn back in the Bat-cave Pennyworth. Will my father let me keep this car?" At the Asylum, basically, everyone splits up and goes their own way. Batman decides to chase Hurt, who has a helicopter waiting on the roof. Of course Batman continues to pursue him . . finds himself hanging from the helicopter . . and, in their attempt to shake off the Batman, it causes Hurt the helicopter and himself to go down in a ball of flames into the river. You get the feeling though that none of these . . ultra-rich, beyond justice, Band of Villains . . none of them are going to escape somebodies wrath. The Joker has already said how he'd collect his winnings later. After the crash Talia comes upon the scene and sees Dick holding the Batman's cowl. "Stand aside. I am the daughter of the world's greatest criminal mastermind and the mother of Batman's son. We'll take care of retribution." The picture of Nightwing standing by the edge of the burning river, as he holds Batman's cowl and it's blowing in the wind . . was epic. That should be a poster. We also see, as Jezebel attempts to retreat to her own country in her private jet, that 'someone' sends a horde of bats into her oncoming flight path. We then go 6 months later, and the criminals are talking about how nobodies seen the Batman since. However, the smile on the cops face, that they're torturing, when they're all startled by the appearance of the Bat-signal, begs the question . . . does the cop know something? Or is Bruce laying low and hiding out doing some 'civil service'? I love all the subtle irony and clues that Grant puts into his stories. The irony, especially, abounded throughout this issue. Remember that scene I talked about at the end of the book, as Bruce is walking away from the movie theatre with his parents? Well, in their conversation, Bruce imagines the justice of Zorro swooping down upon the streets of Gotham. His father responds, "I'm not so sure Gotham city would welcome a masked man taking the law into his own hands, Bruce. The sad thing is they'd probably throw someone like Zorro in Arkham." I think this is a repressed memory that Bruce has thought of. It has something to do with Hurt's accusation that he is actually Thomas Wayne. But I do have a question about that. In the struggle before the crash, Batman dismiss' Hurt's notion and instead submits that Hurt is actually Mangrove Pierce, his father's double, and his. He supposedly had an affair with Mayhew's wife, and then Mayhew framed him for her murder. But that doesn't really explain how he became associated with these ultra-rich people. Unless . . Thomas was involved with one side or the other, heroes or villains, and after his death Mangrove assumed his identity in one of the Bands. This is pure speculation on my part. I don't think he's actually Thomas because when he threatens Batman, he tells him, "The Black Glove, at great expense, has made certain shocking documents and photographs available to Gotham City's media! Your mother, your father, your faithful butler, Alfred . . all will stand revealed as drug addicts, perverts, criminals. Unless, of course . . unless Batman agrees to serve the Black Glove." I don't think he would've referred to himself as "your father" if in fact that's who he actually was. That would just be insane. But then . . . anyways, why wouldn't he just reveal to the press who Batman actually was? Why would he frame and pervert the memories of the rest and then hold the winning hand that close to his chest? I'm thinking that the Batman's disappearance has something to do with so many of these adversaries knowing his identity. Hell, even the Joker saw his face during this one. At the end, I think the real question is . . . with the Batman gone for 6 months now, a time in which I'm sure Gotham has degraded and it can't be allowed to continue, we see hope in the form of the Bat-signal. Does that mean that someone has stepped up? And who would that be . . Bruce, Dick, Tim, someone else entirely? Personally, I think that Grant and Tony Daniel have created a masterpiece here. It's both mentally and visually challenging . . . while being perfection at the same time. But the story isn't done. Where do we go from here? If Batman is the sensei, and everyone else his students . . . then how do the students handle his questionable departure? The questions abound. But . . . the slates been wiped clean. I think they're all going to have to find their own answers. Sorry for the length of this blog. With the complexity and beauty of this issue . . and story-arc . . it was impossible to sum up as concisely as usual. If I had to, I'd say it was fan-frikkin-tastic!
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