Batman #679: Batman RIP Review

The Revolution has completely enjoyed Morrison’s bizarre Batman RIP story arc. This has been one rather strange trip and I am excited to see what Morrison has in store for us yet. I know that Batman RIP has been a “love it or hate it” story and I fully expect many readers to be less than pleased with this latest installment. Let’s go ahead and do this review for Batman #679.

Creative Team
Writer: Grant Morrison
Pencils: Tony Daniel
Inks: Sandu Florea

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with our Technicolor clad Batman busting into a secret hideout of a tailor who sewed the outfits for Le Bossu’s gargoyle henchmen. Batman beats up the tailor’s thugs and then demands that the tailor tell him who hired the tailor to make the gargoyle outfits. The tailor stammers that it was Le Bossu.

We cut to Batman standing atop a building watching Le Bossu’s thugs. The building’s stone gargoyles next to where Batman is standing suddenly begin talking to Batman. The gargoyles comments about how the gargoyle thugs are giving real gargoyles a bad name. Batman asks Bat-Mite if the gargoyles just talked. Batman asks Bat-Mite if he is going nuts. Bat-Mite replies that Batman is sane and for Batman to ignore the gargoyles because Le Bossu’s thugs are onto Batman.

The gargoyles crack that Batman can go ahead and ignore them, but that they have been here for eighty-years and know things about Gotham that no one else does. The gargoyles ask Batman if he sees the “grids” and that it takes slow-vision to see the grids.

Suddenly, Batman sees grids surrounding Gotham. The gargoyles state that the people make the city and the city makes the people. That lives grow around the grid like vines on a trellis.

Bat-Mite interrupts and warns Batman to find his most recent scar where the Black Glove inserted a tracking device. Bat-Mite says that hopefully it is not in one of Batman’s teeth. Batman finds the tracking device in one of his teeth. Batman whips out a knife and cuts his tooth out.

We see the gargoyle thugs up on the roof of the building. They arrive where a pigeon is standing with Batman’s tooth with the tracking device in it tied around its neck. Batman attacks the thugs from behind. Batman brutally beats the hell out of the thugs.

We cut to Bruce pushing a shopping cart with his Technicolor costume in it. Bruce is standing outside the theater where his parents were killed. We see Bruce in one of the bathrooms at the old theater. Bruce washes his face while asking Bat-Mite if something happened to his mind. Bruce states that his mind seems so much faster, clearer and simpler.

Bat-Mite answers that Zur-en-arrh was a place Bruce once saw in a flashback hallucination induced by Professor Milo’s gas weapon. On that planet there was a Batman who was super strong, invulnerable and immortal with a technologically and mentally advance “double” called Tiano for a buddy. Bat-Mite exclaims “Paging Doctor Freud!” We see a panel of red with a young Bruce in the rain screaming next to his parents’ headstones.

Bat-Mite continues that all of this stuff came out during the trauma of the space isolation experiment that Bruce took part in for the Army. That is when Doc Hurt got the idea to use “Zur-en-arrh” as a hypnotic trigger phrase that would give him the power to switch off Batman any time he wanted. We see a panel with the killer shooting Bruce’s parents.

Bat-Mite adds that it never pays to underestimate Batman. Bat-Mite says that a miracle happened here a long time ago. From the sad graveyard, ashes of a little boy’s worst nightmare, something unforeseen arose. We see a panel with Bruce and his parents in the theater watching Zorro.

Bat-Mite comments that Batman thinks of everything and prepared himself for a psychological attack with a backup identity. Batman made a secret self to save him: The Batman of Zur-en-arrh.

We cut to Robin calling someone and telling them that Nightwing has disappeared and the Bat-cave is not safe. That is why Robin thought to call. Robin suddenly hangs up and locks horns with the bucket headed villain. Robin buries the villain under some rubble and then steals the villain’s motorcycle and exits the scene.

We slide over to Squire getting Robin’s voicemail. She tells Cyril, the Knight, about it and how Robin says that Batman is in trouble and that a Club of Villains is attacking them. Cyril responds that it is time to call the lads and go help Robin.

We shift to a warehouse where Caligula and Kraken questioning one of Le Bossu’s gargoyle thugs about the location of the “others.” Caligula adds that he has heard about the gargoyle thugs trying to muscle into Caligula’s turf. Kraken losses his patience and kills the thug. Caligula is unhappy with that move since now they have no one to move all the crates of artillery in the warehouse.

Suddenly, the crates fall over on top of Kraken. Batman appears on top of the pile of crates that collapsed on Kraken. Caligula is terrified and screams “No! You’re dead. Batman is dead!”

We hop over to Commissioner Gordon and a patrolman arriving at Wayne Manor. They enter the mansion and are surprised that Alfred is not around since Alfred had just talked to Gordon and had buzzed them onto the estate. Suddenly, several arrows shoot out of nowhere and kill the patrolman. A voice over the speakers in the mansion states that Wayne Manor has been booby trapped by El Sombrero and the Black Glove.

We slide down to the Bat-Cave where Dr. Hurt and El Sombrero are located. Dr. Hurt states that Kraken has informed him that Bruce Wayne is running around in a ragged Batman suit and it apparently insane. Also, Batman captured Caligula and then left the scene. Dr. Hurt says that Caligula’s capture is unimportant since he only needs a few hours to prepare Arkham Asylum for the final act.

Dr. Hurt says that Caligula will squeal and will tell Batman everything. Then Batman will come charging right into their trap. Dr. Hurt then wakes up Alfred who is tied to a chair. Dr. Hurt screams that Bruce was never his child. That Bruce was the child of Alfred and Martha Wayne.

Alfred replies that Dr. Hurt is not Thomas Wayne. Alfred states that Master Bruce will make Hurt regret this grotesque charade. Dr. Hurt replies that they are not done with Bruce. That they are allowing him one last hope before they take it all away for good. That they intend to ruin Bruce in every way imaginable. Body and soul.

Pierrot and the bucket headed villain enter the Bat-cave and report that they lost Robin. Dr. Hurt orders them to go back out and find the Boy Wonder. That they promised Robin to the Joker. Dr. Hurt tells them to hurry because they are breaking the Batman at midnight tonight.

We cut back to the Batman interrogating Caligula. Batman states that he is unimpressed with Caligula’s act. Batman says that Caligula is no Joker. That Caligula is just a set of uninspired tics, a played out act that Caligula cannot escape even if he wanted to. Batman states that his Bat-Radia allows him to see through Caligula’s self-deception. That the Bat-Radia sees a faded old fool hungry for one last shot at the big time.

Caligula screams that the Bat-Radia is just a cheap transistor radio. Caligula yells that Batman is nuts. That Batman is crazier than all of them. Batman then tells Caligula “Tell your boss he may have laid all of his taps for Bruce. But not for me.” Batman says that he is the Batman of Zur-en-arrh. That he is what you get when you take Bruce out of the equation.

Batman tells Caligula to tell him more about the Black Glove and where they took Jezebel Jet. Caligula exclaims “No! What’s that thing behind you! Where am I?” Batman picks up a baseball bat and begins to bludgeon Caligula. Caligula begins screaming as we pan to the outside of the old theater.

We hop over to Arkham Asylum where Dr. Arkham is confronting Bossu about his plans to perform a lobotomy on the new patient (Nightwing.) Dr. Arkham calls the procedure unacceptable. Bossu responds that Arkham’s methods have ailed to reform the Joker, Two-Face, Mad Hatter or any of the other infamous inmates. Bossu states that Arkham is no longer in control of this building. That Arkham Asylum now belongs to the Black Glove. We see a bunch of Gargoyle thugs appear on the scene and beat up Dr. Arkham.

We see El Sombrero and a bunch of thugs arriving at Arkham Asylum. El Sombrero instructs the thugs to not let the red roses touch the black roses or else everyone will die. The thugs also carry in cans of black paint and red paint. The thugs also carry in Jezebel Jet.

We see Bossu outside of Joker’s cell saying that all is prepared for the Dance of Death. Bossu states that he brought the Joker’s weapons and the Batman is on his way. Joker replies that he does not want the Batman here yet. The Joker exclaims that his nails are still drying and holds up his fingers that have black and red finger nail polish on them.

We cut to Batman of Zur-en-arrh wielding a baseball bat and charging across Gotham toward Arkham Asylum. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Batman #679 was another wild installment of Morrison’s bizarre and unpredictable Batman RIP story arc. Morrison turned in another well paced issue as the story moves along with an enjoyable flow. The story continues to move with a purpose and a direction even if the reader has no idea where exactly Morrison is heading with this story.

Batman #679 was a well plotted issue as Morrison continues to deftly maneuver and manipulate several complex plotlines. This is the issue where some of these seemingly unrelated plotlines are beginning to slide together in order to form one cohesive story.

After peppering with reader with various questions and mysteries over the past couple of issues, Morrison finally begins to deliver some answers and fill the reader in on what exactly is going on with this story arc. What was so enjoyable is that the information that Morrison gives to the reader was actually nothing new as the industrious reader already figured most of this out due to the cryptic clues that Morrison had planted in the previous issues.

I appreciate the fact that Morrison has done an impressive job weaving the previous story arcs into the fabric of Batman RIP. It has been pleasant to watch how Morrison has taken the three Batmen story arc and the Club of Heroes story arc and pull them together in order to serve as the foundation for Batman RIP.

We see Cyril and Beryl from the Club of Heroes story arc making an appearance in this issue. It appears that Morrison will be bringing all the other members of the old Club of Heroes into the mix with the next issue. I look forward to seeing these characters making an appearance.

Morrison finally gives the reader a bit more information with this issue. I love the twist that Batman’s Silver Age adventure to the planet Zur-en-arrh was actually a hallucination as the result of Professor Milo’s gas weapon. Professor Milo is an old school Batman villain who first appeared back in Detective Comics #247 in 1957.

But, what was so brilliant is that in Batman #112, there is a story entitled “Am I Really Batman?” in which Professor Milo exposes Batman to a gas that robs Batman of his memory. The following issue, Batman #113, is the first and only appearance of Zur-en-arrh. I am a continuity buff and I find it a blast how Morrison is playing with these old Silver Age stories which were completely scrapped and ignored by DC in the wake of the original Crisis in 1986.

The reader also learns that Batman anticipated a possible psychological attack similar to the one that Dr. Hurt pulled off. And as a failsafe, Batman created a back-up identity to take over in case Bruce Wayne and the Batman were ever neutralized: The Batman of Zur-en-arrh. This was a surprise twist and it continues Morrison’s view of Batman as a person who is always in control and has created a contingency plan for just about anything imaginable.

I liked the use of Bat-Mite as the embodiment of Bruce’s last remaining shred of sanity that tethers him to reality. Bat-Mite alerts Bruce to the tracking device placed inside of him. Bat-Mite also explains to Bruce what is currently going on with him and exactly who is the Batman of Zur-en-arrh.

Morrison continues to pull in every possible supporting cast member as Commissioner Gordon finally makes an appearance in this story arc. Morrison certainly placed Gordon in an incredibly dire situation. This was a suspenseful scene and I am curious to see how Gordon gets out of this deadly trap.

I enjoyed the scene in the Bat-cave with Alfred and Dr. Hurt. Without a doubt, Dr. Hurt is a thoroughly despicable villain. I loved Alfred’s supreme confidence in Bruce no matter how dire the situation may be. Bruce has just suffered an attack like he has never weathered before, but Alfred remains confident that Bruce will pull through some how.

Even though Batman RIP is a plot heavy character piece, Morrison still knows that you always have to give the goddamn Batman some action scenes. Morrison sprinkles in just enough action into Batman #679 in order to keep this issue lively. Morrison delivers a balls-out Batman as we see Bruce ripping out one of his own teeth with a large knife. Then we get to see Batman as a baseball bat wielding maniac as he brutally bashes away at Caligula.

Morrison hammers out some quality dialogue. Each character has a well developed voice. Morrison continues to pull off plenty of strong character work. The reader gets treated to nicely fleshed out characters who are all rather intriguing.

The most interesting character work is what Morrison does with Batman in this issue. Morrison dives into the madness that has shaped Bruce’s life and exposes Batman as probably even more insane and twisted then even the mentally sick villains that he battles. Morrison proceeds to one-up Frank Miller by delivering the Batman of Zur-en-arrh who is totally insane.

Batman has always been the personification of controlled anger. However, Bruce’s Batman of Zur-en-arrh persona is totally unfettered by the normal constraints that Batman imposes on himself. Batman of Zur-en-arrh is the personification of unbridled rage and violence.

The scene with Batman and Caligula was excellent. Morrison uses this scene to emphasize just how crazy Batman has become. I love how Morrison has Caligula point out that the Bat-Radia is just a cheap transistor radio. Morrison also effectively uses this scene to eviscerate criminals like Caligula who are paper thin frauds who are more caricatures than they are actual people.

In the scene at the old theater with Bat-Mite and Batman, Morrison delves into Bruce’s mind and deconstructs him down to his core being: a hurt and angry child. Morrison Bruce Wayne’s mind stripped back to its very essence as the Batman of Zur-en-arrh. Bruce even comments how much clearer and faster his mind is running. That all the extraneous information and aspects of his life have been peeled back and he is allowed to simply focus at the task at hand.

Morrison even gives Gotham City its own soul as the gargoyles speak to Bruce and tell him about the “grids” that surround Gotham. Morrison plays with the belief that the city is as alive as her population. Batman has always strongly associated himself with Gotham City in a nature that has always bordered on spiritual. Batman seeing the “grids” surrounding Gotham was Bruce connecting with his city in a more metaphysical manner than he has ever before.

Morrison whips up an interesting scene at Arkham Asylum as we see Bossu taking control of Arkham Asylum and reporting back to the Joker. Is Joker working jointly with the Black Glove and Dr. Hurt or is the Joker the mysterious mastermind behind this entire elaborate attack on Bruce Wayne? I am curious to learn just how far up the food chain the Joker is in this story.

I like the black and red theme that the Joker has working with the roses, the cans of paint and his fingernail polish. Morrison writes a good Joker and completely understands that no other criminal in the DCU has the same extravagant sense of style that the Joker possesses.

The reader sees Jet Jezebel at the end of this issue for the first time since Bruce was attacked. The fact that Jet is still tied up and being treated like a hostage leads me to believe that she is not a part of the Black Glove. Of course, with Morrison you can never be too sure of anything.

Morrison ends Batman #679 with a great hook ending as we get the appearance of the Joker ready to spring his trap on Batman and a dramatic panel shot of an insane Batman of Zur-en-arrh charging through the city with a baseball bat in hand. It is always fun when the Batman clashes with the Joker and it appears that Morrison is ready to take this age old conflict to an all new level.

I absolutely adored Tony Daniel’s artwork in Batman #679. Daniel crafts a wonderful looking issue. Daniel’s art is extremely powerful and effectively conveys the madness of Morrison’s story. Morrison writes in a difficult and complex style and it is a credit to Daniel that he is able to effectively interpret Morrison’s story in such an impressive manner.

The scene in the old theater between Bat-Mite and Bruce is a good example of this. I dig how Daniel splices the past panels of Bruce at the graveyard, then his parents being killed and then them all sitting in the theater together. I like that it moves in reverse order. Daniel truly brings so much emotion to Morrison’s story.

Daniel draws one seriously intense Batman. Daniel’s art is what gets the reader to have no doubts that Batman has gone completely insane. I also like the artistic touch of having Batman of Zur-en-arrh’s voice bubbles in dark blue.

Daniel also draws a delightfully wicked looking Joker who has scars on his face that is slightly reminiscent of the Heath Ledger Joker from The Dark Knight movie. Daniel manages to blend the movie version with the traditional comic book version of the Joker in a pleasant fashion.

The Bad: Batman #679 is another complex and bizarre read. There is no doubt that Batman RIP is not going to appeal to many readers. Morrison continues to push and pull at the reader’s mind requiring the reader to put for some effort in examining and processing this story arc.

Morrison’s version of the Batman in this story arc is so far from the traditional version of Batman that many long time readers will probably dislike the direction that Morrison is taking Batman’s character. Readers who prefer a more straight-forward “detective” style Batman like what Dini gives us on Detective Comics will probably dislike what Morrison delivers in Batman #679.

Overall: I completely enjoyed Batman #679. The Byzantine and intricate story arc that Morrison is weaving has completely captured my attention. I am having fun sifting through the various layers of this story and trying to piece together the puzzle that Morrison presents to the reader.

If you enjoy twisted stories that are plot heavy and truly engage the reader’s mind then Batman RIP is definitely the story for you. However, if you prefer more linear stories told in a more conventional manner than I would recommend avoiding Batman RIP at all costs.

Of course, if you have not jumped onto this train this late in the story arc, then you might as well wait for the trade paperback for this story arc. And given the denseness of the story, Batman RIP will probably read better in trade format.