Review: Batman: R.I.P.

Batman: R.I.P. by Grant Morrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Preceded by: Batman- The Black Glove
Succeeded by: Final Crisis

Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade: A; I’m the Gorram Batman (of Zur-en-aarh)

Grant Morrison clearly subscribes to the Alan Moore school of storytelling. Which is psychedelics, dreams, bizarre mindscapes, non-linear storytelling, and a pinch of WTF did I just read.

Following the events of Batman: The Black Glove, the torment in which he had to endure some serious psychological trauma (which seeing as this is Batman, is just another Tuesday for him), plus some hypnotic manipulation from Dr. Hurt, leader of the Black Glove, causes Batman’s psyche to become shattered after hearing the trigger phrase ‘Zur-en-arrh’.



This causes him to fall back to an emergency psyche which he had created just for the eventuality of someone messing with his mind. Because, why wouldn’t he, this is the goddamn Batman, the guy who prepares for every possibility. Thus emerges the Batman of Zur-en-arrh, who, along with Bat-mite, his trusted sidekick/ figment of his imagination, goes on autopilot, doing what Batman does best. Being the world’s best detective, sniffing out those who did this to him, and making them pay to hell & high water.




One thing that I really liked about this story is how far you can take the whole ‘Batman is always prepared’ meme. In the story, the villains hypnotize Batman so that his psyche crumbles upon hearing a trigger phase. Little did they know, good ol Bats had already anticipated this outcome, rather one where some super villain was trying to mind control him (hmm, I wonder if the thought came to him, after seeing the same being done to Superman, over & over & over. Seriously, if anyone needs protection against mental incursion, it’s the big blue scout, who also happens to be a walking nuke)



So, this resulted in the birth of ‘The Batman of Zur-en-arrh’, who is a completely amnesiatic Bruce Wayne, guided by a figmental hallucinatory Batmite (or is he), who retraces his steps, all the way back to the perpetrators of his current state. And they, the Black glove, despite recruiting the services of the Joker, might soon find themselves inadequate to the task of bearing his fury.





For Batman R.I.P, Grant Morrison borrows heavily from the golden age of Batman comics. From the aforementioned ‘Batman of Zur-en-aagh’, to Batmite, to several characters in Batman. Inc. Similar to his reinterpretation of Animal Man, he is able to take the various iterations and aspects of the fictional character’s biography, and weave them into a mind mending Freudian tapestry, exploring the all too complex and fragile psyche of someone, who is often referred to as being the peak in human conditioning.

The one shortcomings which I identified is how the climax felt a bit too forced and rushed; and an ambiguous ending to make way for the events of ‘Final Crisis’ in which Batman again plays a crucial role.

Also, Spoilers, if you don’t want that series to get ruined, I suggest you stay away from the oneshots which appear after the conclusion of the main story.

Artstyle:

The artwork in this book is quite gorgeous, with the panels making great use of the gothic shadowy aesthetic of Gotham & the Batman mythos. Plus, having an entire coterie of artists, also shows, as the pages vary in style and coloring. Different portions of the story are colored and styled in varying interesting ways.

Panels featuring Batman & the Joker are illuminated in contrasting light and dark, with shadows covering whatever is out of focus.



As Batman falls deeper and deeper into his state of induced psychosis, the world around him starts to become more and more muddled, with the shadows & colors almost seeming to bleed out from the environment. This is further accentuated by the DIY, colorful and at the same time disturbing ensemble that the Batman of Zur-en-aagh scrounges up for his crime fighting journey.



Panels featuring the Joker are drawn in crisp monochrome, with a healthy sprinkling of red, of blood and irises shooting you like a bullet in its contrast.



Each drop of rain, each contour, each wrinkle in Batman’s cowl are drawn with such painstaking detail, you are transfixed at how organic they come across as.



This, plus several covers & panels where Batman is treated with an almost mythic reverence, and he might as well be John Wick-esque Baba Yaga striking fear into the hearts of criminals, minus the guns & killing.



Grant Morrison as a writer and reader, is immensely invested in the mythos of the character of Batman. And that passion & love for the character is clearly transferred onto the page. Batman R.I.P will be a great read for hardcore Batman fans, as well as the casual readers of the series. Enjoy.




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