Superheroes > DC Comics > Batman > L - S
Batman: R.I.P. s/c back
Grant Morrison & Tony Daniel
Page 45 Review by Stephen
"Imagination is the 5th dimension. Some world's greatest detective you are."
Having read this as a monthly, I took another flip through this, and it's clear how much work Morrison has done to set up the finale: death, lineage, the multiple Batmen, the Nanda Parbat experience, and of course his new love Jezebel Jet. And certainly this starts off chillingly enough, with The Joker teasing Batman about The Black Glove (the organisation that has taken it upon themselves to destroy him because they think he deserves it) largely by keeping schtum. Batman, of course, infers as much as he can, but maybe the joke's on him. He's certainly become somewhat... focussed.
It's also thematically appropriate that it kicks off in Arkham Asylum, given that it's about undermining a man's sanity far enough to render him defunct. They certainly hit him on all sides and they succeed, allowing Morrison to bring back Bat-Mite is a very funny cliff-hanger halfway through. Don't think of "R.I.P." in a literal sense or you'll be disappointed - it's figurative. It's in FINAL CRISIS that Bruce is 'incapacitated'.
Morrison running order at the time of typing, then:
BATMAN & SON
BATMAN: RESURRECTION OF RA'S AL GHUL
BATMAN BLACK GLOVE
BATMAN R.I.P.
FINAL CRISIS
BATMAN & ROBIN vol 1
Although it's not Morrison, you may enjoy (but do not need) BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL in between those last two.