Customer Reviews

Batman: R.I.P.

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Grant Morrison is well known for his trippy stories, and this arc is definitely trippy. It rarely fails to entertain and that is the most important things about comics. I'm not going to spoil anything, but let's just say that Morrison draws back to Batman's Silver Age roots for quite a number of plot threads.

The art is quite good, with Tony Daniel doing a good job and Lee Garbett doing a commendable job trying to mimic other artists as a homage to past storylines.

A word of warning though. This story is NOT stand alone (especially the "Last Rites" segments which directly tie into Final Crisis). In fact, one of the common complaints against this particular arc is that it doesn't answer everything. However, when you read this, you need to take into account that Morrison planned a five book story for his Batman run. Batman R.I.P. is only the fourth book (the previous three Morrison books Batman and Son, Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul, and The Black Glove are highly recommended reading prior to reading this book)and the story isn't wrapped up yet! In fact Morrison will come back to Batman this June to finish out his arc.

This is highly recommended, though remember to take my warning in mind before deciding to purchase.

Grant Morrison may be the most polarizing of comic book writers out there today. Depending on who you ask, he's can be either revered as the savior of X-Men comics (with his early 00s New X-Men run), or demonized as the destroyer of quality X-Men comics. His stories are always deep, complex, psychedelic, and sometimes too smart for their own good. And that was before Grant admittedly totally changed the way he writes his comics' narratives.

While Final Crisis is probably the prime example of this new, uber-compressed narrative style, Batman: RIP certainly exhibits it in many, many ways. The premise of RIP is, rather than the death of Batman, it is the reconstruction and redefinition of the character. It takes Batman on a journey through his mind and his history and really attempts to show what Batman is, and why Batman is who he is.

Does it succeed? Well, Morrison certainly does do a good job of making the reader feel as though they're apart of this long, disoriented journey with Batman. You go through the pieces never quite sure exactly what's going on, and we certainly don't have a clue what's going to happen next. And for you guys and girls who like that type of writing? Batman: RIP might be considered a great piece of Batman fiction. It really does embody exactly what Morrison strives for in his work. It's every other Grant Morrison story you've read times a thousand.

But personally, I don't that type of writing. I can't handle some mystery in a story, I can handle some confusing and psychedelic happenings, but I found that Morrison went way, way beyond simply telling an "out there" story about Batman, and quickly deteriorated into the realm of nonsensical. As RIP progresses Morrison presents ideas and depictions of Batman and his universe that aren't just innovative, but are nearly offensive to anyone who holds Batman's long-lasting status-quo close to their hearts. I won't reveal anything specific, but, when you get to certain scenes featuring Batman in a purple and red costume calling himself Zur-En-Arrh, the Joker with a split, reptilian tongue, and Alfred harboring a secret that could forever tarnish his immaculate reputation as the world's best butler and surrogate father, you might begin to realize Morrison is doing things with Batman that maybe shouldn't be done at all.

Outside of the inherent flaws of the premise of the story, definitely my largest complaint is the narrative itself. It's just plain confusing, I think. As I said a few paragraphs above, Morrison paints an extremely disorienting, scattered picture throughout the entire piece. Nothing is explained, nothing is presented, everything is just thrown at you, and you're expected to figure it out yourself, or wait for it to be explained several issues later. I'm not a fan of this style of writing at all. I feel that this style of writing almost guarantees a poor experience the first time reading it, and while subsequent readings improve the story dramatically, it still exposes a very real flaw; why read a story that you have to read multiple times to understand? Doesn't a good story make sense the first time? I understand what Morrison was going for, he tried to weave an intricate and original story that would reveal secrets and nuances every time you read it. But in doing so, I'll argue, Morrison became to heavy handed, and ended up destroying any chance of the book succeeding as a story that needs only to be read once.

The one unarguably great thing about RIP is the art. Tony Daniel is quickly proving to be one of the best fits for Batman art-wise since maybe Jim Aparo. No disrespect to Andy Kubert, Jim Lee, or the dozens of truly fantastic artists that have drawn Batman in the past few years, but Tony Daniel's interpretation of Batman is one that immediately rings true as a classic, timeless vision of the character. Not just a shiny, polished artist's interpretation of Batman, but Batman in his very essence. For me, it visually tied into everyone from Neal Adams, to Aparo, to current day Batman artists. I, for one, hope Daniel remains on Batman for a good long while, and continues to carve out his place in Batman comic history.

Overall, Batman RIP will probably become known as one of those Batman stories everyone has to read once. Either to see just how great an experiment it was, or just how big of an utter failure it proved to be. Much like Frank Miller's All Star Batman & Robin, I think it's a polarizing vision of the character that you either instinctively "get", or automatically dislike. Whichever it may prove to be for you, it will certainly prove to be a Batman story you won't soon forget.

Contrary to what some folks will tell you, there are plenty of differences between what draws a reader to a good Batman story (or any Batman comics, for that matter) versus some of the other costumed hero tales out there, but most fans can agree on one central premise: what keeps the reader coming back to Batman stories is the fact that, at the core, lies a character who is driven by his own private psychology -- the desire to face evil at his own peril -- over and over and over again. Batman is the real character in this world, and Bruce Wayne is the facade, and the costumed freaks he faces venture into equally treacherous territory with each subsequent outing ... but, in the end, one can't help but ask "at what cost?"

Grant Morrison has finally provided an answer to that central theme that's equally supported and plagued Batman since his inception seven decades ago, and, like any good story, it's been delivered with measured portions of greatness, silliness (these are comic books, after all), pity, and pathos in BATMAN R.I.P., the tale that many media outlets have openly advertised as the final death of Batman, aka Bruce Wayne. I'll save discussing the ending -- a troubling choice, I know, but I'm trying to respect the reader's right to privacy without spoiling anything earth-shaking -- but I will say that it wasn't quite what industry mags and professional reviewers said it would be, not far off the mark, but more than a few feet shy of a fieldgoal, too.

Confused? You should be, because this is Grant Morrison's story -- not Batman's or Bruce Wayne's -- as one writer who's had a pretty solid career delivering the kinds of characters and situations one would expect from a veteran of comic book prose. In short, Batman's crossed a few lines here: much like the events depicted in the first third of KNIGHTFALL (the last massive coordinated multi-arc event to promise 'the breaking of the Bat'), he's pushed himself to his physical and psychological limits. He's made some choices -- bringing a new love into his life and, even, the BatCave -- that are a bit out-of-character, but he's done so because of 'where' and 'who' he is in the life of Bruce Wayne as much as he is Batman. Those around him -- Alfred, Nightwing, Robin, etc. -- show open concern (if not mild contempt) for some of these choices, but they've always had to tide themselves over with knowing that Batman was going to do what Batman was going to do, despite their protestations, and get on with their lives. However, Bruce's choices do come back to haunt himself, and once's he deprived the psychological facade of 'Bruce Wayne' he can hide behind, Batman is left to roam the streets of Gotham City -- compliments of a drug-induced haze administered by the Black Glove's gang -- trying to put not so much his life back together as he does his psyche.

Now, telling this kind of story -- a mental lapse and possible recovery -- is never an easy thing to do, so hats off to Morrison for giving it the bard's attempt, but there are parts of R.I.P. that make little sense. While under the influence, did Batman actually see these things he believes he sees -- did he actually do some of these things he believes he did -- or is it all in his imagination? The reader's led to believe that one or two of the elements may not have happened the way Bruce/Batman recalls them, so what can be made of them? Did they occur as they were drawn, or are they manifestations of the hero's subconscious? There's no definitive line drawn here -- most like a deliberate device of the writer -- and, in the end, some muddying of the waters serves the story here. It's to be expected. However, I found it hard to accept Batman's broken psyche given the fact that, once the pieces start coming together, they come together relatively quickly. If that's the case, then how far did he truly fall? Wouldn't that uphill climb be a little more difficult? Also, the supporting players here (namely Nightwing and Robin) spend a panel or two talking about how exhausted Batman looks, but the man's actions don't seem quite true, if that's the case. One would expect more of a struggle through that recovery process, and, without spoiling the conclusion (and some pretty nifty character twists regarding the past of Bruce Wayne and his family), I found it hard to accept much of the events of the last third. Plus, come to postscript (a little two-part story that presents an encapsulated history of the Batman up until these events), it's hard to know if Morrison truly told a tale about R.I.P. ... or being R.I.P.P.E.D. off.

Controversy aside, R.I.P. isn't exactly a great jumping on point for new Bat-readers. There are a handful of characters and situations here given very little backstory (one of my chief complaints against graphic novel collections). As a long-time Bat-reader (cripes, is it going on 30 years already?), I can think of many other arcs I've enjoyed much more than this one, but R.I.P. does serve what it set out to do: it presents a solid mystery/adventure of everyone's favorite hero-on-the-edge choosing what he does so well -- to serve justice -- when his best interest may be to hang up that suit for good.

Of course, the Batman can never die. Even if Bruce Wayne did hang it up, someone else would rise up to wear the mantle of the Bat. Everyone knows that going in. Despite that shortcoming, R.I.P. is a solid yarn, if not a bit incomplete ... much like Batman's psyche.

I like Grant Morrison just fine. I've read a majority of his mainstream work, and some of his creator owned stuff. I love Batman and have read virtually everything since Year One. As beautiful as this book was drawn, and is published here in "deluxe" format with thick glossy oversized pages this just isn't a complete book. If you don't first read the rest of Grant's Batman run you'll find yourself HOPELESSLY lost. If you have (as I have) you're still going to be confused about just what the heck is happening at any given time. And when the book is over you having nothing but questions. And I don't mean in a good way either like "this book makes you think", more like this book makes you wonder why they put two hard covers on either side of it. If this book wasn't essential to the modern Batman universe I'd have no use for it at all.

I honestly don't know how to weight in. What we have here is a very complex story, told mostly from the point of view of the Dark Knight.The story is long-winded, scatter-shot tale of fighting for one's sanity. The artwork and colouring both are a few short steps away from brilliant, and Alex Ross's pages are amazing. The story... where does one start?

Here we have very small amounts of interior monologue, and no secondary commentary. What we have is pretty pictures are dialogue. The story itself flip-flops around between numerous plot elements, never really resolving anything. There was one very powerful scene in the TPB, resolved in two pages. These two pages (you'll know them when you see them; I'm trying to avoid spoilers, so forgive me on that conceit please) invoke what we really should expect the Batman's tales.

At the end of the day, I am a Batman fan. Correction, he's probably my favourite fictional character ever. This is certainly not up to par with Year One, the Long Halloween, the Gauntlet, No Man's Land, Catalysism, Knightfall, Hush, Death in the Family, Dark Knight Returns... I could go on forever. The story's pace is hard to track without some sort of editorial ('Three days later, at the Batcave' and so on). I can't say it should be avoided, but it isn't one that brings anything new to the Batman character. You can flip a coin as to determine whether or not you should read this. And if you lose the coin toss, go back and read the Long Halloween, Again.

This volume doesn't chronicle the actual death of Batman, but it comes pretty close. He actually dies in a big DC crossover that happens just after this collection. Regardless, it does tell the story of the planned death of Batman by the Black glove that comes close to ending our hero.

The Highlights: Great writing by Grant Morrison, although it does get a little weird as the Black Glove tries to destroy Batman's mind. Morrison also modernizes two obscure bat characters: Bat Mite, and the Batman of Zur En Arrh. The art by Tony S. Daniel is brilliant--not too out of the ordinary, but very polished and beautiful. The Joker and his creepy new look are also a big part of this story, and I really like what they have done with him visually. There's also a small art gallery at the end of the paperback version, that showcases some fantastic pencil and ink work.

Things to Consider: Warning to the squeamish--this volume does contain some blood and disturbing images. And the Joker is really creepy. The story is great, but a little complicated. If you want a simple super hero story, don't start here.

This was an exciting read, and I recommend it to any who want to know some recent Batman history.

The Devil has come to Gotham to torment and tempt the Batman. For all the twists and turns this Doctor Hurt, as the Devil is calling himself, has arranged to manipulate Batman, good old Bruce Wayne, the man who plans for anything, charges arrow-straight and unwavering even as his history, his lifestyle, his very identity seem stripped away for good! How to deal with the revelation his beloved, dead parents were drug-addled perverts, as recently leaked to the press? Or, the weight of mysteries, criminal and psychological, that he may never be able to solve? Being shot up with militarized meth and dumped, amnesiac on the streets, now homeless and hallucinating? A party thrown to celebrate his corruption and impending death?

Included, as well, is a two-part memorial and dissection of the life and mind of Batman, with only his amazing coping skills and his instincts as a self-aware detective to keep evil from winning everything. Last Rites is a wonderfully poetic fugue through the entire publication history of Batman, not chronologically, but emotionally, helping solve the ultimate riddle of how Batman can be who and what he is, and how he has done so for so long.

I do not read the Batman comics as they are released, and while I do enjoy comic books/graphic novels, I'm far from steeped in their lore. I read RIP according to a program that a more knowledgeable friend of mine prescribed. First I read Batman: The Black Casebook, then I read the Batman comics that precede RIP and only then did I read RIP.

I doubt anyone could enjoy the book as much as I did without going through the same program or knowing a lot about Batman. The key to a work as good as RIP is that it is deeply textured, by which I mean that it uses the history and depth of the characters created in other works and past works as a known background on which to create a new story. It is akin to using Romeo or Hamlet as a character in a new book. If you aren't familiar with the original plays, you simply won't get as much out of the new book. You may not even understand it.

The other thing to know about this book concerns the ending. There are a couple of stories in this hardcover that are actually after the official RIP storyline (they merge into Final Crisis), but I consider them essential to finishing off the character arc started in RIP. The final note is that the ending is purposefully unsatisfying (indeed, Morrison intends to develop on the ending in future Batman issues). It works on a more theoretical level as a discussion of the interaction of order (Batman), chaos (Joker) and simple evil (villain in this piece), but it is not satisfying on a narrative level.

Nice art, but nothing amazing. The story is just trying WAY to hard to be complex and intricate and simply comes off as pretentious and next to impossible to follow. I can barely tell you what the heck happened in this book or what was real vs what was imagined. It plays out like a movie trailer... like it's simply jumping from one clip to another. Very disappointed.

To be brief, check this one out at your library, but I probably wouldn't buy it.

I found myself reading it quickly to try and make sense of any of it. At times, it feels like a re-invention of the character; at other times, a loopy dream sequence. It felt like Mr. Morrison outlined a bunch of "What if?" stories and married them together. The writing was well-done, but I was looking forward to a storyline that would give Batman a more complete send-off than FINAL CRISIS did.

The story is well worth reading, but most especially for the last three or so issues of story in the collection. It's a beautiful montage to the major moments of Batman history and, as others have said, it's very well illustrated.

Again, a great read with good moments, but nothing that would make me want it on my shelf.