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Batman: Batman and Son. The Black Glove. Deluxe edition
An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here.
From the inspired minds of comics guru Grant Morrison (ACTION COMICS, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN) and artists Andy Kubert (FLASHPOINT), J.H. Williams III (BATWOMAN) and Tony S. Daniel (DETECTIVE COMICS) comes an astonishing tale of Batman's darkest hours.
Collects BATMAN #655-658, #663-669, #672-675, which includes issue #666 - a futuristic glimpse of Damian Wayne as the new Dark Knight!
From the inspired minds of comics guru Grant Morrison (ACTION COMICS, ALL-STAR SUPERMAN) and artists Andy Kubert (FLASHPOINT), J.H. Williams III (BATWOMAN) and Tony S. Daniel (DETECTIVE COMICS) comes an astonishing tale of Batman's darkest hours.
Collects BATMAN #655-658, #663-669, #672-675, which includes issue #666 - a futuristic glimpse of Damian Wayne as the new Dark Knight!
384 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2014
87 people are currently reading
713 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,795Ìýbooks4,423ÌýfollowersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
April 6, 2024
(A-) 80% | Very Good
Notes: A Pre-Raphaelite approach to Batman, it’s an unabashed tribute to the adventure and madness of its pop art heyday.
Notes: A Pre-Raphaelite approach to Batman, it’s an unabashed tribute to the adventure and madness of its pop art heyday.
September 30, 2015
On the back cover the word “Visionary� is appended to Grant Morrison’s name.
What’s next? Are miracles going to be attributed to him? Is St. Grant in the offing?
This doesn’t quite measure down to the turds that Morrison has produced for DC, but I think VISIONARY is stretching it just a tad, but it’s too late, Morrison has already taken a big gulp of the lime flavored hubris Koolade.
But, Batman, Anne made her seafood salad and remembered the utensils and everything!
Morrison had some fun with the whole Batman Incorporated concept: let’s create a bunch of Batman wannabes around the globe and somehow unite them into some sort of Bat League. But let’s face it there is an “I� in this team and his name is Batman. So throw ‘em all together on a mysterious island and start knocking them off and everybody finds that the pecking order begins and ends with Batman.
There’s a fat bloated Italian Bat knock off, a French swordsman, a guy from Argentina, a Native American Bat duo, an Australian guy who hates the Bat costume so decides to dress up like Speed Racer, an asshat Batman and the Brit team.
Dude, that’s just harsh!
Guess who gets knocked off by the Black Glove first?
The art is swell, but it’s sadly not “visionary�.
Two other stories cohabitate in this collection. The Gotham PD came up with a couple of auxiliary Batmen, just in case the real one dies and because the PD scientists wanted to re-create what they think makes Batman unique (his trauma), they’ve all become crazy. There’s also an intro to the Batman R.I.P. arc.
Bottom line as per Shelby: Shelby’s had some issues with Batman lately, so even though this one is okay, she’d still punch me in the throat if I recommend it to her.
See how considerate I am, Shelby?
What’s next? Are miracles going to be attributed to him? Is St. Grant in the offing?
This doesn’t quite measure down to the turds that Morrison has produced for DC, but I think VISIONARY is stretching it just a tad, but it’s too late, Morrison has already taken a big gulp of the lime flavored hubris Koolade.
But, Batman, Anne made her seafood salad and remembered the utensils and everything!
Morrison had some fun with the whole Batman Incorporated concept: let’s create a bunch of Batman wannabes around the globe and somehow unite them into some sort of Bat League. But let’s face it there is an “I� in this team and his name is Batman. So throw ‘em all together on a mysterious island and start knocking them off and everybody finds that the pecking order begins and ends with Batman.
There’s a fat bloated Italian Bat knock off, a French swordsman, a guy from Argentina, a Native American Bat duo, an Australian guy who hates the Bat costume so decides to dress up like Speed Racer, an asshat Batman and the Brit team.
Dude, that’s just harsh!
Guess who gets knocked off by the Black Glove first?
The art is swell, but it’s sadly not “visionary�.
Two other stories cohabitate in this collection. The Gotham PD came up with a couple of auxiliary Batmen, just in case the real one dies and because the PD scientists wanted to re-create what they think makes Batman unique (his trauma), they’ve all become crazy. There’s also an intro to the Batman R.I.P. arc.
Bottom line as per Shelby: Shelby’s had some issues with Batman lately, so even though this one is okay, she’d still punch me in the throat if I recommend it to her.
See how considerate I am, Shelby?
August 2, 2016
Loved this volume even more reading it for the second time. I'll write a full review when I can, but for now, all I'll say is that writer Grant Morrison really does Batman... justice!
May 15, 2024
A book that incoherently flip flops all over the place without doing a good job of taking the reader along with it. Morrison really said 'a Batman for you, a Batman for them, a Batman for everybody' and it doesn't work well. Perhaps with a more intelligible plot it would have worked, but it simply serves to bloat this already muddled mess of cobbled together stories. Without the Damian story, this would absolutely be a one star read for me. Too many cooks spoiled the broth, and in this case, too many convoluted stories spoiled Batman.
September 5, 2013
This hardback book collects the first two books in Grant Morrison’s epic Batman run: Batman and Son and The Black Glove. I won’t get into the stories of both as I’ve written extensive reviews of each book separately so if you want to see how much I loved and appreciated those stories, you can read them by clicking on the links below. Suffice it to say, they are excellent books.
Damian Wayne is introduced for the first time, Batman fights an army of manbat ninjas, Bruce starts dating Jezebel Jet, Batman and the Club of Heroes (which will later become Batman Incorporated) meet up on an island full of deathtraps, and the mysterious Black Glove begins plotting behind the scenes.
There’s great art from Andy Kubert, JH Williams III, and Tony Daniel, and Morrison is on top form telling engaging and interesting stories in new, exciting and creative ways.
This hardback is nicely produced with high quality paper used though you don’t get any extras, which is odd for a deluxe edition. No variant covers gallery, no intro from anyone, not even an artist’s sketchbook from anyone. It would’ve been nice to have a couple of extras but fortunately the stories collected here are so good that you won’t mind.
Batman Vs The Black Glove is an excellent book and a great place to start reading Morrison’s transformative run on Batman.
Damian Wayne is introduced for the first time, Batman fights an army of manbat ninjas, Bruce starts dating Jezebel Jet, Batman and the Club of Heroes (which will later become Batman Incorporated) meet up on an island full of deathtraps, and the mysterious Black Glove begins plotting behind the scenes.
There’s great art from Andy Kubert, JH Williams III, and Tony Daniel, and Morrison is on top form telling engaging and interesting stories in new, exciting and creative ways.
This hardback is nicely produced with high quality paper used though you don’t get any extras, which is odd for a deluxe edition. No variant covers gallery, no intro from anyone, not even an artist’s sketchbook from anyone. It would’ve been nice to have a couple of extras but fortunately the stories collected here are so good that you won’t mind.
Batman Vs The Black Glove is an excellent book and a great place to start reading Morrison’s transformative run on Batman.
February 18, 2023
I dalje remek-delo i jedan od najboljih ranova u istoriji americkog stripa. Ovo je toliko pametno i toliko kul i lozacki u isto vreme da to nije normalno.
December 6, 2022
This was my first approach to Grant Morrison's Batman and I have to say I enjoyed it. There is a refreshing mix of slapstick and joking around that runs parallel to the overall narrative. The idea of Batman having a kid and making Robin jealous was well-done. I am interested to see how these characters evolve in but especially in the apparently epic
April 5, 2016
I've read some of Morrison's spectacular Batman run already, specifically Batman & Robin and Batman Incorporated. I am currently on a streak of Batman frustration, what with that awful recent movie and the fact that I purchased Dark Knight Returns after that only to find out that I hate it, too. So, I desperately needed a good Batman book, as soon as possible. And boy, does Morrison deliver.
This book is so full of cool, fresh ideas. I was already fond of Damian Wayne going into this, but it was great to learn how he came about and first ended up with Bruce. It was also nice to see the Club of Heroes, who later become Batman Inc., gathered for the first time (well, in Morrison's run, anyway). And the last several issues, about the Batman replacements and Bruce, while unconscious, having flashbacks and hallucinations, was probably my favourite part of the whole book, which is surprising, because I'm usually not a fan of Morrison getting abstract.
Still, it was a really enjoyable read. Once again Morrison proves that he knows and understands his characters � especially the two biggest heroes out there, Batman and Superman � like they are his own. He basically makes them his own, while staying true to their roots and origins. And he gives you a very fun and exciting story to go with it. I am going to pick up Batman RIP soon, because I really want to know what happens next.
This book is so full of cool, fresh ideas. I was already fond of Damian Wayne going into this, but it was great to learn how he came about and first ended up with Bruce. It was also nice to see the Club of Heroes, who later become Batman Inc., gathered for the first time (well, in Morrison's run, anyway). And the last several issues, about the Batman replacements and Bruce, while unconscious, having flashbacks and hallucinations, was probably my favourite part of the whole book, which is surprising, because I'm usually not a fan of Morrison getting abstract.
Still, it was a really enjoyable read. Once again Morrison proves that he knows and understands his characters � especially the two biggest heroes out there, Batman and Superman � like they are his own. He basically makes them his own, while staying true to their roots and origins. And he gives you a very fun and exciting story to go with it. I am going to pick up Batman RIP soon, because I really want to know what happens next.
July 28, 2015
Well this was something. I enjoyed parts a lot. The Damien storyline was short, but fun, and went quickly. The introduction of crazed police dressed in bat suits was cool. Batman sure got his shit rocked plenty of times. Always loved to see that. The biggest story that failed was the scooby doo storyline in the middle. What the hell was that? Did anyone like it? I was finding myself struggling to get through that part. Either way, for the price, get ton of content, and it's not horrible. So that's something.
January 17, 2018
I've seen people say they gave up on Morrisons Batman pretty early on, but I quite like this. Damien is far from the loveable character he becomes later on, and the Cluedo who-dun-it story in the house is a bit basic (though it's dressed up very nicely with the JH Williams art), but I like how things payoff by the time you're at the end, while overs are left hanging. The prose issue during Batman and Son is a bit trying too but a really good read if you don't approach it as a comic.
March 28, 2025
In 2006, Grant Morrison began what ended up becoming a legendary Batman run over the course of seven years and throughout this run, which was published through numerous titles, the whole thesis that Morrison presents is that Batman is not just the Dark Knight, or the Caped Crusader, or the World’s Greatest Detective. Batman is all of those things, whilst every aspect of his comics history, whether it is campy or moody, is canon.
Starting with the main Batman title, from their first story arc “Batman and Son�, Morrison acknowledges the out-of-continuity storyline Batman: Son of the Demon, by introducing Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul. Whilst Talia has sinister plans for Europe with the use of Dr Kirk Langstrom’s Man-Bat serum, she distracts her former lover by sending their son to him, so Damian can learn the ways of the Batman, even if he was previously trained by the League of Assassins.
Considering that he was originally conceived for just this arc that was told in four issues, Damian Wayne does leave an impression, which was he had a petulant attitude and is immediately hostile towards Tim Drake (the current Robin at that time), as he believes he alone is truly Batman's son and rightful heir. He’s a fun foil for Batman and even Morrison originally planned to kill off the character at that point, they ended up planting the seeds for where Damian will go, including rocking a Robin outfit to team up with the Dark Knight.
As for Batman himself, Morrison has had prior history with the character from Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, to their run on JLA, which gave us the modern kick-ass idea of Batman that we know today. The term “Bat-God� has been coined by fans and Morrison embraces that here, but also deconstructs that idea. At the start of Morrison’s run, Batman has been so focused on his war on crime that he has started to lose touch with his Bruce Wayne identity, and so with super crime no longer in Gotham, Bruce spends time rejuvenating the playboy identity and that’s where he develops a relationship with millionaire Jezebel Jet. Stepping out of Gotham, Morrison has fun in exploring other sides to Batman, from playing up the James Bond element of the character by placing him into exotic locations where one can revel in the glitz and glamour.
However, Morrison still has to deliver the action that requires the cape and cowl, which is where artist Andy Kubert comes in, who does his best work, at least when it comes to Batman. As the League of Assassins sends out their army of ninja Man-Bats to invade a charity event at the London Pop Art Museum, Batman fights them whilst classic comic art is in the background, saying things like “BLAM!�. This action sequence is a clever nod to the 1960s Batman TV show and with ninja Man-Bats thrown in, Morrison and Kubert embrace the ridiculousness of our hero’s adventures.
With much of the story about Bruce attempting to divorce himself from Batman, it sets up this recurring theme of what happens when someone else attempts to take over the mantle of the Caped Crusader. “The Three Ghosts of Batman� are about three cops who wear variants of Batman's costume and take his crime fighting to the extreme, each with their own method, from one wielding a handgun, to another who uses Venom to look like the muscular Bane. These evil versions of the Bat may once again evoke aspects of the character’s history, including his own debut where he did carry a gun, it shows what happens when Bruce is no longer Batman and how his sense of justice can be misinterpreted.
This is definitely the case with issue #666, where we see a dark future where Damian has grown up to become the new Batman following the death of his father. Although most fans were referred to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as the definitive dark future Batman story, which the writer makes reference here, it also shows that Morrison can break away from fans� expectations and shows that Batman’s future can interpreted in many different ways, no matter who is taking over the mantle; even if the future they present is a horrific one that dishonours Bruce Wayne’s legacy.
Obviously, the idea of characters being inspired by Batman’s brand of heroism has been interpreted over the decades, including the Club of Heroes, a group of superheroes that were inspired by Batman to fight crime in their respective countries, such as the Knight and the Squire who are the Batman and Robin of England. Conceived in the fifties, Morrison reunites Batman with this group on an island resort in the Caribbean, where they become players in an Agatha Christe-styled murder mystery, orchestrated by the Black Glove organisation. This is my favourite arc of this volume for a number of reasons, from Batman being the badass detective, to the numerous interactions of the Club members, some of which have grown out of the idea of heroism for fame and fortune. And there’s J.H. Williams III, a truly exceptional artist, who is always experimenting with page layouts and even changing his art-style a number of times over the course of three issues, going from a retro aesthetic to oddly-panelled painterly illustrations that you would never associate with superhero comics.
No doubt that Morrison has a reputation of disorienting his readers and in the later issues where Batman confronts the third and final Ghost, this is where Morrison goes weird by placing his hero into a dreamscape that evokes the Golden and the Silver Ages of the character, including the sudden appearance of Bat-Mite. No doubt this will confuse the casual comic book reader, it teases the next stage where Morrison will take Batman, who is reliving Bruce Wayne’s past tragedies in an attempt to psychologically break him, even if it raises of what Batman is when you when take Bruce out of the equation. Drawing these latter issues, Tony S. Daniel is one of the great artists in presenting the murky side of Gotham, whilst showing the variety of all the various Batmen throughout.
There are some false steps, most notably the prose story "The Clown at Midnight", which was published after Morrison’s initial arc. I get what Morrison was going with, which is exploring the Joker's evolution of psychosis and is the only time when they wrote Harley Quinn, but the prose style can be long-winded, especially when you are reading a twenty-two paged single issue. It also doesn’t help that John Van Fleet’s 3D art looks so ugly and embodies that period of that type of artistry in comics, which I’m glad is over. One final downer is that the last issue of the volume, which has a revelation that sets up where the story is going, Ryan Benjamin’s art looks rough and unfinished, compared to Tony Daniel’s polished work.
Getting back into reading Morrison’s seven-year Batman run is off to a great start with a variety of stories that evoke aspects of Batman’s history that most people would tend to ignore, whilst setting up new dilemmas for the Dark Knight himself.
Starting with the main Batman title, from their first story arc “Batman and Son�, Morrison acknowledges the out-of-continuity storyline Batman: Son of the Demon, by introducing Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce and Talia al Ghul. Whilst Talia has sinister plans for Europe with the use of Dr Kirk Langstrom’s Man-Bat serum, she distracts her former lover by sending their son to him, so Damian can learn the ways of the Batman, even if he was previously trained by the League of Assassins.
Considering that he was originally conceived for just this arc that was told in four issues, Damian Wayne does leave an impression, which was he had a petulant attitude and is immediately hostile towards Tim Drake (the current Robin at that time), as he believes he alone is truly Batman's son and rightful heir. He’s a fun foil for Batman and even Morrison originally planned to kill off the character at that point, they ended up planting the seeds for where Damian will go, including rocking a Robin outfit to team up with the Dark Knight.
As for Batman himself, Morrison has had prior history with the character from Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, to their run on JLA, which gave us the modern kick-ass idea of Batman that we know today. The term “Bat-God� has been coined by fans and Morrison embraces that here, but also deconstructs that idea. At the start of Morrison’s run, Batman has been so focused on his war on crime that he has started to lose touch with his Bruce Wayne identity, and so with super crime no longer in Gotham, Bruce spends time rejuvenating the playboy identity and that’s where he develops a relationship with millionaire Jezebel Jet. Stepping out of Gotham, Morrison has fun in exploring other sides to Batman, from playing up the James Bond element of the character by placing him into exotic locations where one can revel in the glitz and glamour.
However, Morrison still has to deliver the action that requires the cape and cowl, which is where artist Andy Kubert comes in, who does his best work, at least when it comes to Batman. As the League of Assassins sends out their army of ninja Man-Bats to invade a charity event at the London Pop Art Museum, Batman fights them whilst classic comic art is in the background, saying things like “BLAM!�. This action sequence is a clever nod to the 1960s Batman TV show and with ninja Man-Bats thrown in, Morrison and Kubert embrace the ridiculousness of our hero’s adventures.
With much of the story about Bruce attempting to divorce himself from Batman, it sets up this recurring theme of what happens when someone else attempts to take over the mantle of the Caped Crusader. “The Three Ghosts of Batman� are about three cops who wear variants of Batman's costume and take his crime fighting to the extreme, each with their own method, from one wielding a handgun, to another who uses Venom to look like the muscular Bane. These evil versions of the Bat may once again evoke aspects of the character’s history, including his own debut where he did carry a gun, it shows what happens when Bruce is no longer Batman and how his sense of justice can be misinterpreted.
This is definitely the case with issue #666, where we see a dark future where Damian has grown up to become the new Batman following the death of his father. Although most fans were referred to Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns as the definitive dark future Batman story, which the writer makes reference here, it also shows that Morrison can break away from fans� expectations and shows that Batman’s future can interpreted in many different ways, no matter who is taking over the mantle; even if the future they present is a horrific one that dishonours Bruce Wayne’s legacy.
Obviously, the idea of characters being inspired by Batman’s brand of heroism has been interpreted over the decades, including the Club of Heroes, a group of superheroes that were inspired by Batman to fight crime in their respective countries, such as the Knight and the Squire who are the Batman and Robin of England. Conceived in the fifties, Morrison reunites Batman with this group on an island resort in the Caribbean, where they become players in an Agatha Christe-styled murder mystery, orchestrated by the Black Glove organisation. This is my favourite arc of this volume for a number of reasons, from Batman being the badass detective, to the numerous interactions of the Club members, some of which have grown out of the idea of heroism for fame and fortune. And there’s J.H. Williams III, a truly exceptional artist, who is always experimenting with page layouts and even changing his art-style a number of times over the course of three issues, going from a retro aesthetic to oddly-panelled painterly illustrations that you would never associate with superhero comics.
No doubt that Morrison has a reputation of disorienting his readers and in the later issues where Batman confronts the third and final Ghost, this is where Morrison goes weird by placing his hero into a dreamscape that evokes the Golden and the Silver Ages of the character, including the sudden appearance of Bat-Mite. No doubt this will confuse the casual comic book reader, it teases the next stage where Morrison will take Batman, who is reliving Bruce Wayne’s past tragedies in an attempt to psychologically break him, even if it raises of what Batman is when you when take Bruce out of the equation. Drawing these latter issues, Tony S. Daniel is one of the great artists in presenting the murky side of Gotham, whilst showing the variety of all the various Batmen throughout.
There are some false steps, most notably the prose story "The Clown at Midnight", which was published after Morrison’s initial arc. I get what Morrison was going with, which is exploring the Joker's evolution of psychosis and is the only time when they wrote Harley Quinn, but the prose style can be long-winded, especially when you are reading a twenty-two paged single issue. It also doesn’t help that John Van Fleet’s 3D art looks so ugly and embodies that period of that type of artistry in comics, which I’m glad is over. One final downer is that the last issue of the volume, which has a revelation that sets up where the story is going, Ryan Benjamin’s art looks rough and unfinished, compared to Tony Daniel’s polished work.
Getting back into reading Morrison’s seven-year Batman run is off to a great start with a variety of stories that evoke aspects of Batman’s history that most people would tend to ignore, whilst setting up new dilemmas for the Dark Knight himself.
May 5, 2016
Grant Morrison is a crazy genius, keyword "crazy." I read Batman R.I.P., The Black Glove, and Final Crisis before this and that was very stupid on my part. Morrison is highly self-referential, so you should start with Batman and Son and go from there. That's what I'm doing now and it's making way more sense.
So there's a lot going on in this particular edition, which collects Batman and Son, The Black Glove, and Issue 666 which is a great What If with Damian as Batman (among other extras). Before I get into the particulars, I really enjoyed Batman and Son. While Damian is a little shit and almost irredeemable as a character, he and Bruce probably have the most complex relationship of all Batman and Robins, and being the only Robin that breaks the cardinal rule of no killing, that's a major x factor.
Okay, so what's going on? A lot, let me tell you. I'll try to hit the major points... Commissioner Jim Gordon has been poisoned by Joker, Batman impersonators are running rampant, and everyone is telling the jaded Batman he needs to be Bruce Wayne for a while. Enter Damian, the Man Bat army, and various kidnapping plots by Talia Al Ghul. Damian trains and lives with Bats for a while but it's clearly a poor fit. Tim Drake especially feels out of place. Alfred can't deal with it. Meanwhile seeds of The Black Glove are being sown and Bats really seems to suffer a crisis of identity with a son showing up out of nowhere. And the book ends with Talia and Damian disappearing, Bats digging deeper into the Bat impersonator mystery (which is continued in The Black Glove, and this is where Bat Mite shows up and shit begins to go full Morrison), and Bats is becoming more involved with Jezabel Jet (I don't love her but it is what it is). The artwork is great from Andy Kubert, J.H. Williams III, and Tony S. Daniel (depending on the book), and is downright astounding in some splash pages. That was the hard and fast summary. There's a ton of story vacuum sealed into each chapter, and that gives you an idea of just what's showing on the surface.
Morrison is like a flaming torch juggler in this book, balancing several plot lines at once with flashbacks and future hints of what's to come. Notice the Zur En Arrh graffiti sprayed throughout. I can see, having started at the beginning, just how masterful these story arcs can be if read slowly and carefully. I skimmed The Black Glove, so next up is Batman R.I.P. (again). Let's do this.
March 8, 2018
Damn Morrison. Back at it again. The volume I have contains Batman & Son, a special what-if issue and The Black Glove story arcs. Andy Kubert, J.H. Williams and Tony S. Daniel's artwork are certainly impeccable. Their respective works are visually satisfying and manages to capture the ideas of Grant Morrison with ease. There's no doubt that you'll feel the Morrison vibe through the stories, especially The Black Glove, if you ask me. While reading Batman and Son before The Black Glove, and even having both stories in one volume, seemed to be a great decision for this Batman run, it seems like reading The Black Casebook that is referenced in one of the stories, before jumping into this would be a great thing to do.
Batman & Son was definitely a well executed storyline to introduce Damian Wayne. His character and his relationship to Batman is absolutely uncanny and never-before-seen. It's something that is quite enjoyable to watch unfold since they both have two completely contrasting ways of life. I was also really pleased by the use of the comic medium for story-telling in this one. The setting played an additional role in delivering fun and creativity. The Black Glove story arc had an unusual plot, one that also references to the famous And Then There Were None story. While confusing at first, the madness of Morrison was strongly felt throughout that story arc. I definitely enjoyed the plot nonetheless.
I believe the most fun is in the substitute Batmen storyline. I was pretty interested in the whole plot. The effect of Damian Wayne's arrival, the mental breakdown, the mention of Nanda Parbat, the relationship with Jezebel Jet and that big plot twist regarding those two.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog:
Batman & Son was definitely a well executed storyline to introduce Damian Wayne. His character and his relationship to Batman is absolutely uncanny and never-before-seen. It's something that is quite enjoyable to watch unfold since they both have two completely contrasting ways of life. I was also really pleased by the use of the comic medium for story-telling in this one. The setting played an additional role in delivering fun and creativity. The Black Glove story arc had an unusual plot, one that also references to the famous And Then There Were None story. While confusing at first, the madness of Morrison was strongly felt throughout that story arc. I definitely enjoyed the plot nonetheless.
I believe the most fun is in the substitute Batmen storyline. I was pretty interested in the whole plot. The effect of Damian Wayne's arrival, the mental breakdown, the mention of Nanda Parbat, the relationship with Jezebel Jet and that big plot twist regarding those two.
P.S. A full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog:
January 6, 2021
Batman by Morrison
THE BLACK GLOVE
Collecting Batman 667-669 and 672-675
*spoilers*
I give this collection an 8.5/10
A much stronger effort, this book is divided into 2 arcs with an epilogue chapter.
The first arc has the world class talents of JH Williams III bringing it to life. The story is an instant classic that harkens back to stories of old. A private island, no modes of transportation available, a group of men stuck on it with one killer among them. It just oozes fun! While the arc does refer to things that happened in issues collected in the Black Casebook, you have enough flashbacks to fill the blanks without feeling like you’re missing out.
The next arc tackles that third Batman imposter and introduces us to Doctor Hurt. There’s a ton of world building happening here has Morrison adds cool stuff to Batman’s already rich past. Mostly he’s working towards RIP from what I can remember but it great. The art by Tony S Daniel is so much better that the shit he does now!
The world building in this book really gives it a leg up over the previous volume. It end with a good issue drawn by Ryan Benjamin where Jezebel Jet guesses his secret identity and the last panel here is one of Morrison’s funniest.
THE BLACK GLOVE
Collecting Batman 667-669 and 672-675
*spoilers*
I give this collection an 8.5/10
A much stronger effort, this book is divided into 2 arcs with an epilogue chapter.
The first arc has the world class talents of JH Williams III bringing it to life. The story is an instant classic that harkens back to stories of old. A private island, no modes of transportation available, a group of men stuck on it with one killer among them. It just oozes fun! While the arc does refer to things that happened in issues collected in the Black Casebook, you have enough flashbacks to fill the blanks without feeling like you’re missing out.
The next arc tackles that third Batman imposter and introduces us to Doctor Hurt. There’s a ton of world building happening here has Morrison adds cool stuff to Batman’s already rich past. Mostly he’s working towards RIP from what I can remember but it great. The art by Tony S Daniel is so much better that the shit he does now!
The world building in this book really gives it a leg up over the previous volume. It end with a good issue drawn by Ryan Benjamin where Jezebel Jet guesses his secret identity and the last panel here is one of Morrison’s funniest.
July 17, 2021
This was very good, there’s a lot going on so it can get hard to to keep track sometimes. I really like how Morrison is pulling from the silver age and making it fit into a modern story it’s something only they could pull off.
July 25, 2014
This graphic collects Batman #655-658, 663-669, and 672-675. So there is a lot of content included, but just don't expect it all, or even most, to be about Batman's son. There is also the prose story about the Joker. The largest part is the beginning of the Black Glove story arc.
I have to admit that I got out of comic book reading for a long time after having reading them for another long while. So I am playing catch up with a lot of characters and still need to do a lot more to fully grasp everything that has changed. Also, I have never been that big of a fan of the whole Ra's al Ghul nah Talia storylines.
It amazed me that Batman was so accepting of Talia's story. He didn't even do a paternity test on the kid. As for Damien, I couldn't get a good feel for his motivations. One second he seems to hate and resent Batman and the next he can't do enough to try and please Batman.
The prose story with the Joker had promise. But the author seemed to ignore a basic rule of writing. You have to use moderation in setting the mood. Too much and the reader becomes numb. This story was unrelenting. It couldn't just say it was raining, it would have to compare it to the blood of a thousand slaughtered innocents dripping upon the floor of a tomb. Give the reader a break every once in a while. That is why it would just be the cat making the spooky noise occasionally in those old horror movies, so the next big thing would be even more shocking.
The Black Glove stories had a chaotic feel to them. I kept feeling like I had skipped a page or missed something. At other times, I wasn't sure if what I was reading was supposed to be real, a flashback, or a hallucination. It read like it had been written by a kid with ADHD that had eaten too much sugar the way it jumped around. I am not sure if including the skipped issues would have helped or not.
The Batman has always been a great character. The problem is that he also seems to be a dual character. You have the lighter, at times campy, character earlier in his history. This is where the stories revolved more around detective work and villains more interested in sticking to their theme than just killing people. The second version of Batman is the darker, brooding vigilante that will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Naturally the villains in these types of stories are extremely violent and act like they are going for the high score in a video game when killing people. Is one better than the other? That can be argued forever. Personally, I would like to see more of a middle ground Batman. Let him brood, but let him have some light in his life as well.
The same thing goes for the city of Gotham. Who in their right mind would live there? From the way it is described, I would drag myself with two broken legs out of that city. It isn't just the masked loonies either. There is crime everywhere, corrupt city officials, and the odds are you will get mugged or killed in your own home on any given day.
Overall, I would have to say this collection left me feeling lost, unfulfilled,and incomplete. It also made me realize how dark and hard to believe in the setting of the series. I still enjoyed it but I feel it could have been better. This should be a 2.5 rating.
I have to admit that I got out of comic book reading for a long time after having reading them for another long while. So I am playing catch up with a lot of characters and still need to do a lot more to fully grasp everything that has changed. Also, I have never been that big of a fan of the whole Ra's al Ghul nah Talia storylines.
It amazed me that Batman was so accepting of Talia's story. He didn't even do a paternity test on the kid. As for Damien, I couldn't get a good feel for his motivations. One second he seems to hate and resent Batman and the next he can't do enough to try and please Batman.
The prose story with the Joker had promise. But the author seemed to ignore a basic rule of writing. You have to use moderation in setting the mood. Too much and the reader becomes numb. This story was unrelenting. It couldn't just say it was raining, it would have to compare it to the blood of a thousand slaughtered innocents dripping upon the floor of a tomb. Give the reader a break every once in a while. That is why it would just be the cat making the spooky noise occasionally in those old horror movies, so the next big thing would be even more shocking.
The Black Glove stories had a chaotic feel to them. I kept feeling like I had skipped a page or missed something. At other times, I wasn't sure if what I was reading was supposed to be real, a flashback, or a hallucination. It read like it had been written by a kid with ADHD that had eaten too much sugar the way it jumped around. I am not sure if including the skipped issues would have helped or not.
The Batman has always been a great character. The problem is that he also seems to be a dual character. You have the lighter, at times campy, character earlier in his history. This is where the stories revolved more around detective work and villains more interested in sticking to their theme than just killing people. The second version of Batman is the darker, brooding vigilante that will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Naturally the villains in these types of stories are extremely violent and act like they are going for the high score in a video game when killing people. Is one better than the other? That can be argued forever. Personally, I would like to see more of a middle ground Batman. Let him brood, but let him have some light in his life as well.
The same thing goes for the city of Gotham. Who in their right mind would live there? From the way it is described, I would drag myself with two broken legs out of that city. It isn't just the masked loonies either. There is crime everywhere, corrupt city officials, and the odds are you will get mugged or killed in your own home on any given day.
Overall, I would have to say this collection left me feeling lost, unfulfilled,and incomplete. It also made me realize how dark and hard to believe in the setting of the series. I still enjoyed it but I feel it could have been better. This should be a 2.5 rating.
May 10, 2016
...
I really wish that Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ allowed for partial stars because this is definitely more of a 3.5 for me than a 3....
The writing is good and the artwork is amazing (specifically the portion done by J.H. Williams III). I really dislike it when collections like this one don't come together to make a cohesive story. When I pick up a volume entitled "Batman: Batman and Son", I expect the majority of the story to be about just that. Instead, you get a collection of Grant Morrison's writings only a small portion of which is actually about Damian....
The majority of the book actually deals with Bruce's relationship with Jezebel Jet, a storyline dealing with the "Three Ghosts of Batman", and another dealing with Batman imposters. I really couldn't have cared less about Bruce's budding romance because it just seemed so out of place in this book with humanoid ninja bats, several different Batmans (one of which looks a whole heck of a lot like Bane), and the introduction of Batman's frigging child. A small spoiler (since Damian apparently wasn't the main focus of this book); the book goes almost directly from Batman watching Damien and Talia apparently die in an explosion to him skiing with Jezebel at some fancy resort. Later on, there was a story about Damian as Batman, but it really did not fit in with a large majority of the story and confused me more than anything....
Also included in this collection is a Joker story entitled "The Clown at Midnight". It was an interesting story, but the artwork was not my favorite and the whole placement seemed rather random....
My absolute favorite part of this whole collection was the story "The Island of Mister Mayhew". This was the portion with artwork done by J.H. Williams III. The story was great and felt very classic, and the artwork is outstanding. I loved the way that Williams handled flashbacks by switching artstyles to the classic Ben-Day dots....
Overall, I recommend it if you enjoy Batman and especially if you enjoy Morrison, but it is not a graphic novel that I would count as a "must-read".This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
Wow! The art exhibit illustrates, or exhibits, flat out how clever comics can be. It’s a unique medium.
I like the art, I like the panel work, I like a lot of the visuals and aesthetic. It’s unique, diverse and has an essential comic feel. The story follows the same path, although to a lesser degree. We’re introduced to Damian where ludicrous things happen. Then the latter half of the comic pops off with ludicrous, dream-like happenings. It’s trippy.
I didn’t read the Killer Clown story. Not in the mood.
All in all, I enjoyed the comic. About 2/3 (maybe half) through I started skimming when I lost a bit of interest. So, it is what it is. I see where a lot of people picked this up for the Damian introduction. Makes sense.
I like the art, I like the panel work, I like a lot of the visuals and aesthetic. It’s unique, diverse and has an essential comic feel. The story follows the same path, although to a lesser degree. We’re introduced to Damian where ludicrous things happen. Then the latter half of the comic pops off with ludicrous, dream-like happenings. It’s trippy.
I didn’t read the Killer Clown story. Not in the mood.
All in all, I enjoyed the comic. About 2/3 (maybe half) through I started skimming when I lost a bit of interest. So, it is what it is. I see where a lot of people picked this up for the Damian introduction. Makes sense.
January 5, 2016
Error de Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ: este tomo se titula "Batman and Son", contiene el arco del mismo nombre y el arco del tpb "The Black Glove". No nos confundamos.
Ok. Hace unos años, cuando volvà a leer comics, tenÃa ganas de empezar con algo de Batman. Cometà el terrible error de comprarme "Batman RIP", pensando que serÃa divertido ver como morÃa el susodicho. No lo disfruté, no entendà nada y pensé que era lo peor del personaje que habÃa leÃdo en mi vida. Pero...no.
Para leer al Batman regular de Morrison, después de leer Arkham Asylum y Gothic, hay que empezar por este tomo, seguir con RIP, seguir con Final Crisis, seguir con Batman y Robin, meter en el medio The Return Of Bruce Wayne y terminar con Batman Inc (serie que no me gustó pero que voy a tener que terminar para cerrar el ciclo batmaniano de este tremendo autor escocés).
Morrison nos hace entender que se leyó toda la bibliografÃa del personaje, hace válidas décadas de historias y las trae a pleno siglo XXI. Damian no salió de la nada, la relación entre Thalia y Bruce tampoco (leer Batman: Son of the demon), por poner un ejemplo. Morrison llena las viñetas de referencias que a la primera leÃda no son advertidas y deja atrás los años millerianos de Batman (guarda, me encanta el Batman noventoso, pero Morrison cambio de rumbo para bien, no hay que negarlo), presentándonos a un Batman mucho menos "gritty" y un poco más preocupado por su faceta de playboy cuando no está vistiendo la capa.
Y después, presentando a The Black Glove, hace descender al personaje en un sinfÃn de alucinaciones y torturas mentales que son increÃbles y vertiginosas al mirar las viñetas. Capaz esta organización esté a la altura de esos villanos que tanto mal le hicieron al pobre Batman (Bane, el Joker, etc) porque le arruinan la vida a más no poder. Y por otro lado, la presentación de la "Legión internacional de Superhéroes" (en la que se incluye a un héroe argentino, "El Gaucho") le da el toque "campy" necesario que no afloja por un buen rato.
Los dibujantes están todos a la altura de los guiones, sobre todo J.H Williams, el cual no creo que haya dibujado en su vida ni una sola viñeta fea.
En fin, esta etapa comienza siendo particular y muy original. Morrison puede llegar a asustar por sus planteos y sus propias debilidades hacia lo excéntrico, pero todo amante del personaje y los buenos comics no se puede perder estas historias. Una etapa larga, de varios años, que empezó allá por el 2006 y terminó recién en el 2013.
Ya comentaré próximos tomos. Salud.
Ok. Hace unos años, cuando volvà a leer comics, tenÃa ganas de empezar con algo de Batman. Cometà el terrible error de comprarme "Batman RIP", pensando que serÃa divertido ver como morÃa el susodicho. No lo disfruté, no entendà nada y pensé que era lo peor del personaje que habÃa leÃdo en mi vida. Pero...no.
Para leer al Batman regular de Morrison, después de leer Arkham Asylum y Gothic, hay que empezar por este tomo, seguir con RIP, seguir con Final Crisis, seguir con Batman y Robin, meter en el medio The Return Of Bruce Wayne y terminar con Batman Inc (serie que no me gustó pero que voy a tener que terminar para cerrar el ciclo batmaniano de este tremendo autor escocés).
Morrison nos hace entender que se leyó toda la bibliografÃa del personaje, hace válidas décadas de historias y las trae a pleno siglo XXI. Damian no salió de la nada, la relación entre Thalia y Bruce tampoco (leer Batman: Son of the demon), por poner un ejemplo. Morrison llena las viñetas de referencias que a la primera leÃda no son advertidas y deja atrás los años millerianos de Batman (guarda, me encanta el Batman noventoso, pero Morrison cambio de rumbo para bien, no hay que negarlo), presentándonos a un Batman mucho menos "gritty" y un poco más preocupado por su faceta de playboy cuando no está vistiendo la capa.
Y después, presentando a The Black Glove, hace descender al personaje en un sinfÃn de alucinaciones y torturas mentales que son increÃbles y vertiginosas al mirar las viñetas. Capaz esta organización esté a la altura de esos villanos que tanto mal le hicieron al pobre Batman (Bane, el Joker, etc) porque le arruinan la vida a más no poder. Y por otro lado, la presentación de la "Legión internacional de Superhéroes" (en la que se incluye a un héroe argentino, "El Gaucho") le da el toque "campy" necesario que no afloja por un buen rato.
Los dibujantes están todos a la altura de los guiones, sobre todo J.H Williams, el cual no creo que haya dibujado en su vida ni una sola viñeta fea.
En fin, esta etapa comienza siendo particular y muy original. Morrison puede llegar a asustar por sus planteos y sus propias debilidades hacia lo excéntrico, pero todo amante del personaje y los buenos comics no se puede perder estas historias. Una etapa larga, de varios años, que empezó allá por el 2006 y terminó recién en el 2013.
Ya comentaré próximos tomos. Salud.
July 3, 2012
A First Reads Giveaway Review
I really enjoyed what Morrison did with some of his other titles, especially New X-Men, but I must admit that with this Batman edition I was a bit lost during most of my time reading. Basically Batman goes up against some sort of conspiracy in the form of three Batmans (Batmen?) who seem to have been created as part of some elaborate plot to destroy Batman. Given that this leads to hallucinations and death and rebirth and things of that nature, it all gets a little confusing, especially for one who hasn't read a lot of Batman. But I'll break it down.
The volume starts with the worst part, a very bad story where Batman learns he has a son. So this was a bad plot device when Star Trek TNG did it to Worf and it's even worse here, because the idea that Batman, as "the world's greatest detective" would let this happen and then not know about it for over a decade is just wrong. And, go figure, the son is annoying and homicidal. Just bad stuff. After that there is a short story featuring the Joker, which is better, and other than one part where part of me believes a few paragraphs weren't printed it was easy enough to follow and interesting enough. Next came more battles with the fake Batmans, during which Batman is badly injured. Really I was surprised how often Batman got beat the crap out of in this book, and yet not killed. I doesn't make a lot of sense that these Batmen are out of punish Batman but not to kill him, as they squander the opportunity twice.
The best section of the volume comes with a murder mystery on a stormy island with the international league of heroes, who are basically the batmen of many countries. That part of the story I really enjoyed, and the art there was especially fitting and contrasted the golden age roots of the story with very modern, very realistic panels, playing with page layout and the like. Really, the volume is quite well drawn (with the strange exception of the short story). But yes, then the story returns to the imposter Batmen, kills Batman, brings him back to life, and gets its big reveals out of the way. Not the worst bunch of stories, and I can see the motif of the multiple Batmen, that there is something there, but really this is more setup to another story, to Batman RIP that follows. So while the volume staggers along, it has its moments and merits a 2/5.
I really enjoyed what Morrison did with some of his other titles, especially New X-Men, but I must admit that with this Batman edition I was a bit lost during most of my time reading. Basically Batman goes up against some sort of conspiracy in the form of three Batmans (Batmen?) who seem to have been created as part of some elaborate plot to destroy Batman. Given that this leads to hallucinations and death and rebirth and things of that nature, it all gets a little confusing, especially for one who hasn't read a lot of Batman. But I'll break it down.
The volume starts with the worst part, a very bad story where Batman learns he has a son. So this was a bad plot device when Star Trek TNG did it to Worf and it's even worse here, because the idea that Batman, as "the world's greatest detective" would let this happen and then not know about it for over a decade is just wrong. And, go figure, the son is annoying and homicidal. Just bad stuff. After that there is a short story featuring the Joker, which is better, and other than one part where part of me believes a few paragraphs weren't printed it was easy enough to follow and interesting enough. Next came more battles with the fake Batmans, during which Batman is badly injured. Really I was surprised how often Batman got beat the crap out of in this book, and yet not killed. I doesn't make a lot of sense that these Batmen are out of punish Batman but not to kill him, as they squander the opportunity twice.
The best section of the volume comes with a murder mystery on a stormy island with the international league of heroes, who are basically the batmen of many countries. That part of the story I really enjoyed, and the art there was especially fitting and contrasted the golden age roots of the story with very modern, very realistic panels, playing with page layout and the like. Really, the volume is quite well drawn (with the strange exception of the short story). But yes, then the story returns to the imposter Batmen, kills Batman, brings him back to life, and gets its big reveals out of the way. Not the worst bunch of stories, and I can see the motif of the multiple Batmen, that there is something there, but really this is more setup to another story, to Batman RIP that follows. So while the volume staggers along, it has its moments and merits a 2/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2014
I would rather about this story than to read it. What a mess. It's like it's intentionally trying to be confusing, and there's no resolution. Reading this reminds me of why I lost interest in superhero comics years ago. I have no interest in reading any more of this series, although I did remember enjoying the first few issues of Batman & Robin when Robin was Damian and Batman was Dick Grayson. Maybe the combination of Morrison and Quitely is required to keep my interest.
July 29, 2020
This book is a strange mix of Batman stories, there was too much going on and it left me confused. A lot of the stories didn’t go together, and the writing wasn’t good enough to tie the threads, if there were any, between stories. I wasn’t a fan of this book; I remember reading some of these comics when they came out years ago and not being particularly impressed then.
September 4, 2023
So this book contains the Batman and Son story as well as The Black Glove story. Really enjoyed both of these stories and is definitely a promising start to Grant Morrisons run. Enjoyed Batman and Son more as it had an interesting premise and was a very entertaining story arc with The Black Glove feeling like a set up than a story in itself. Overall a good collection of Batman stories here!
February 4, 2018
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September 14, 2022how did they make the goodreads UI even worse
"What's the one thing an alpha male is programmed to respect? Alpha male plus." Greatest Batman quote of all-time.
"What's the one thing an alpha male is programmed to respect? Alpha male plus." Greatest Batman quote of all-time.
September 15, 2021
This was the start of Morrison's famed Batman run - and it's phenomenal!
There's a lot of content in this 384 pages long paperback, and i wasn't bored once - actually, i was
through this book in about 2 hours, that's how exciting it was!
Two things in this book stand out to me the most: how effortlessly Morrison switches between
themes and genres (keeping the story interesting and exciting), and his development of a character
i always refused to like or even acknowledge: Robin.
Making this new Robin, Damian, Bruce' son and giving him a background with the League of Assassins, was a great idea. it not only made him a that much more interesting and complex character, it also gave Bruce a reason to keep him around as his new partner: not only because
Damian is already a deadly fighter thanks to the training he received in the League, but also
to teach him morality and compassion, something he never experienced while he was still with Thalia/Ra's.
But the Damian/Bruce relationship is only one part of this book: the "Black Glove"-organisation is planning Batmans downfall, a trio of demonic Bat-imposters roams the city, we see a nightmarish Gotham of the future (with Damian as Batman), a new love interest is introduced for Bruce (the laughably named Jezebel Jet), and there's even a murder mystery on a remote island thrown in (featuring the members of Batman Inc.).
Like i said, i had a blast reading this, and catch myself re-reading certain passages (that whole Batman of the future-issue was just so damn cool, as was Bruce' monologue while escaping the torture chamber). Morrison writes this straight, and even though there are elements of the story
that may only be understood on a second read, i never felt confused - most of it made sense.
The art in this book is as superb als Morrison's writing: Tony Daniel (my favourite Batman artist, along with Jason Fabok and Francesco Francavilla), Andy Kubert and J. H. Williams make this a great looking comic. Especially the surreal, horror-themed "Black Glove"-issue drawn by Williams, is a sight to behold.
I recommend this book to every Batman fan out there - comics rarely get better than this! 🦇
There's a lot of content in this 384 pages long paperback, and i wasn't bored once - actually, i was
through this book in about 2 hours, that's how exciting it was!
Two things in this book stand out to me the most: how effortlessly Morrison switches between
themes and genres (keeping the story interesting and exciting), and his development of a character
i always refused to like or even acknowledge: Robin.
Making this new Robin, Damian, Bruce' son and giving him a background with the League of Assassins, was a great idea. it not only made him a that much more interesting and complex character, it also gave Bruce a reason to keep him around as his new partner: not only because
Damian is already a deadly fighter thanks to the training he received in the League, but also
to teach him morality and compassion, something he never experienced while he was still with Thalia/Ra's.
But the Damian/Bruce relationship is only one part of this book: the "Black Glove"-organisation is planning Batmans downfall, a trio of demonic Bat-imposters roams the city, we see a nightmarish Gotham of the future (with Damian as Batman), a new love interest is introduced for Bruce (the laughably named Jezebel Jet), and there's even a murder mystery on a remote island thrown in (featuring the members of Batman Inc.).
Like i said, i had a blast reading this, and catch myself re-reading certain passages (that whole Batman of the future-issue was just so damn cool, as was Bruce' monologue while escaping the torture chamber). Morrison writes this straight, and even though there are elements of the story
that may only be understood on a second read, i never felt confused - most of it made sense.
The art in this book is as superb als Morrison's writing: Tony Daniel (my favourite Batman artist, along with Jason Fabok and Francesco Francavilla), Andy Kubert and J. H. Williams make this a great looking comic. Especially the surreal, horror-themed "Black Glove"-issue drawn by Williams, is a sight to behold.
I recommend this book to every Batman fan out there - comics rarely get better than this! 🦇
December 31, 2015
I know that this is only the beginning of Morrison's run, but I was still expecting a much more complete story than what this delivered, especially with the title of The Black Glove and it being a deluxe edition. While extremely entertaining and gripping, it often comes off (to me at least) as a batch of subplots thrown together in one book without an overarching plot. What is especially confusing is the layout of the book. The beginning is Batman & Son, which has been released as its own title in the past, and then, halfway through, we're introduced to the kind of "Black Glove" story. It eventually... kind of connects, but the ending didn't give me the payoff I was hoping for. The art throughout (besides the miserable Clown at Midnight chapter) is spectacular, especially when it goes back to the golden age style for the island mystery portion of the book. I've been told that R.I.P. clears up a lot of what happens in this book, but to me, if that's the case, then it should be included with this book, as the story is far from being over, and not in a sequel sense. It just ends with no answers whatsoever.
So it's not a bad book, it's just very confusing and doesn't give the reader much to work with. I will be reading R.I.P. next, so that may change my opinion on it, but as of right now, I'm not too thrilled. Certain aspects of the book deserve 4.5 stars and some of it really is amazing, but the whole delivery of it left a bad taste in my mouth after finishing it up. I'm hoping for the best with the next book, because I really really want this story to work out in the end.
Edit: Just finished R.I.P. More is left unanswered by the end, but it fixes a lot of the issues I had with this book. I guess someone should have explained to me that these books all work together. And not just like sequels. These are all the same book. It'd be nice if these were sold as a single book of Morrison's run with Batman. It'd make it all feel a bit more complete and it would hold together better, in my opinion.
So it's not a bad book, it's just very confusing and doesn't give the reader much to work with. I will be reading R.I.P. next, so that may change my opinion on it, but as of right now, I'm not too thrilled. Certain aspects of the book deserve 4.5 stars and some of it really is amazing, but the whole delivery of it left a bad taste in my mouth after finishing it up. I'm hoping for the best with the next book, because I really really want this story to work out in the end.
Edit: Just finished R.I.P. More is left unanswered by the end, but it fixes a lot of the issues I had with this book. I guess someone should have explained to me that these books all work together. And not just like sequels. These are all the same book. It'd be nice if these were sold as a single book of Morrison's run with Batman. It'd make it all feel a bit more complete and it would hold together better, in my opinion.
September 6, 2023
I've tried to re-read this comic after watching (and being disappointed by its finale) Kamen Rider Ryuki, from which it seems its artist (the uberoverrated J.H.Williams III, shitty Promethea by Alan Moore killed any interest I had for the guy TBH) and nope, it's still vomit on the paper that I cannot possibly fathom how in the friggin' hell it guaranteed its writer (the same of one of the worst comic books ever written in history, the indeciphrable for the sake of indeciphrability All-Star Superman) the fame and glory he has acquired during the years. Imagine the american equivalent of later Hideaki Anno from the second part of Evangelion on just without the Otaku stuff (the girls, the mechas, the singer and music, the voice actresses) that made Evangelion interesting and with the same shitty writing/pretentions of trying to pass himself as some sort of intellectual he isn't by spouting nonsensical words that means absolutely nothing while in the background uberviolent and bloody things happen with no resonance, no connection between the panels, no plot, nothing. And, of course, there is NOTHING of Silver Age in here, except the fact that this guys wants to show his knowledge of the Silver Age by putting Silver Age characters in here without one inch of the spirit of the Silver Age, which TOTALLY wasn't this thing as this is, in reality, 1000% post-Watchmen and post-TDKR (meaning it's another copy of those two books) barf with no connection whatsoever to the pre-crisis period of DC comics. I'm always crapping on mangas and the manga industry because of the general very low quality of the mangas from which influential anime series have been adapted, but for f**k's sake if a person like Grant Morrison alone - a person, like I said in the All-Star Superman review, in SEVERE NEED of writing classes - doesn't show you how, in facts, the standards of the current american superhero industry are very very low in comparison to the past, I don't know who or what should. Absolute trash worth of being destroyed and forgotten and not much else.
April 4, 2015
This book is filled with awesome action, great art, suspenseful stories. Just everything you're looking for in a Batman story. The first issue is a great start. Gordon is in danger, Batman fights the Joker, we get a glimpse of Batman's daily routine, Tim Drake aka Robin literally drops into the Batcave.
Grant Morrison uses every event that ever happend to Bruce Wayne/Batman and sees it as parts of his past. If you've read the Black Casebook before reading this like I have, you'll appreciate this concept even more. The Black Casebook contains some of the stories that inspired Grant Morrison. You also get an introduction by the man himself, explaining why each issue has inspired him and how (I have written a review for the Black Casebook too if you're interested). Everything you'll read in the Black Casebook is used in this book. It really pays off reading it.
Batman #666 is very interesting, I really enjoyed it. Damian Wayne in the future as Batman.
The last issue in this book is great aswel. Bruce Wayne revealing his alter ego to someone. The splash page where this happens is just fantastic. Bruce Wayne is acting like Batman in the dark and finally on the splash page we see Bruce Wayne in a Batman stance with a huge window in the back which shows the Bat-Signal.
In this issue we also get to see Nightwing and Robin "flying" around Gotham, kicking some butt. And at the end of this issue we get to see the Batmobile Batman has been working on ever since the first issue.
I'm excited to find out where the story goes from here. The Black Glove is an interesting foe. After reading this, you don't know a lot about the Black Glove. But I'm sure we'll find out in the next Morrison Batman book.
I'm going to read The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul now, continuing Grant Morrison's Batman.
Grant Morrison uses every event that ever happend to Bruce Wayne/Batman and sees it as parts of his past. If you've read the Black Casebook before reading this like I have, you'll appreciate this concept even more. The Black Casebook contains some of the stories that inspired Grant Morrison. You also get an introduction by the man himself, explaining why each issue has inspired him and how (I have written a review for the Black Casebook too if you're interested). Everything you'll read in the Black Casebook is used in this book. It really pays off reading it.
Batman #666 is very interesting, I really enjoyed it. Damian Wayne in the future as Batman.
The last issue in this book is great aswel. Bruce Wayne revealing his alter ego to someone. The splash page where this happens is just fantastic. Bruce Wayne is acting like Batman in the dark and finally on the splash page we see Bruce Wayne in a Batman stance with a huge window in the back which shows the Bat-Signal.
In this issue we also get to see Nightwing and Robin "flying" around Gotham, kicking some butt. And at the end of this issue we get to see the Batmobile Batman has been working on ever since the first issue.
I'm excited to find out where the story goes from here. The Black Glove is an interesting foe. After reading this, you don't know a lot about the Black Glove. But I'm sure we'll find out in the next Morrison Batman book.
I'm going to read The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul now, continuing Grant Morrison's Batman.
July 10, 2012
This book grabbed me from the beginning, then lost me in the middle, then got me back at the end. When I picked this book up I thought it was going to be one continuous story, and that is where I got lost.
Although I have been reading a ton since I was 10 years old, I never really got into comics, that is until I was about 27. I always loved Batman and Superman, just on TV and in the movies. I decided to give them a try and have fallen in love since then. The only problem is that they are decade old characters and I was way behind.
I enjoyed reading the Blackest Night books, but wanted to see the before and afters of the characters, which drew me to this. I was excited to learn about the history of Damian Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. The book started off great with the back story. Then all of a sudden I felt like I was reading a novel with really big words about the Joker. The bad part was I didn't know how I got there.
The next part of the book picked up what seemed a whole new story about the Black Glove. I was on an island with a whole bunch of what seemed like Batmen from around the globe.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. I was a bit confused in parts, but when it comes right down to it, I struggled to put it down. I enjoy the characters and the writing was very good. One of the biggest praises I can give it is the art. There are some comics that try to hard to be different and this book separated its self by sticking to the basics. The characters were well drawn and I did not have to spend half my time trying to figure out what the artist was trying portray.
I suggest this book for any modern day Batman fan.
Although I have been reading a ton since I was 10 years old, I never really got into comics, that is until I was about 27. I always loved Batman and Superman, just on TV and in the movies. I decided to give them a try and have fallen in love since then. The only problem is that they are decade old characters and I was way behind.
I enjoyed reading the Blackest Night books, but wanted to see the before and afters of the characters, which drew me to this. I was excited to learn about the history of Damian Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. The book started off great with the back story. Then all of a sudden I felt like I was reading a novel with really big words about the Joker. The bad part was I didn't know how I got there.
The next part of the book picked up what seemed a whole new story about the Black Glove. I was on an island with a whole bunch of what seemed like Batmen from around the globe.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. I was a bit confused in parts, but when it comes right down to it, I struggled to put it down. I enjoy the characters and the writing was very good. One of the biggest praises I can give it is the art. There are some comics that try to hard to be different and this book separated its self by sticking to the basics. The characters were well drawn and I did not have to spend half my time trying to figure out what the artist was trying portray.
I suggest this book for any modern day Batman fan.
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