Comic Books

> > 683
BATMAN #683


Price: $2.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 24.8%

Reviews

UserAddedSpoilers
TheNextChampion01/03/09YesRead Review
Hawkeye12/27/08NoRead Review
Rofo12/27/08YesRead Review
TheDude00712/25/08NoRead Review
akamuu12/25/08NoRead Review
Templar12/25/08YesRead Review
kwisdumb12/24/08YesRead Review
614
Pulls
Avg Rating: 4.2
 
Users who pulled this comic:
 

Comments

  1. flapjaxx says:
    December 22, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    The following websites will almost certainly post annotations to this issue in the near future, because they had annotations for the previous issue(s):

    http://www.funnybookbabylon.com
    http://mindlessones.com
    http://finalcrisisannotations.blogspot.com
    http://geniusboyfiremelon.blogspot.com/

    So if something in this issue doesn’t make sense to you, then rather than get enraged at Grant Morrison, you could go to those pages and learn about what you’re looking at. Or instead you can just take the time to complain that you don’t understand it and, through some bizarre reverse snobbism, feel superior by loudly proclaiming that you don’t understand what you’re looking at. Either way, for those of us who (kinda) know what we’re looking at, damn this is probably going to be a pretty great conclusion to a pretty good (not anywhere near perfect) run. (Personally, I think it would’ve been nice if DC editorial included some brief annotations of their own in the back of every issue of this run. I’d’ve rather have had those than the DC Nation advertisement-notes from Dan Didio.)

    And no you won’t need drugs to understand this comic, either. But I’m not saying they wouldn’t add to the experience. 😉

  2. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 22, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    Agreed.  Lets get ready to enjoy this and then, sadly, have to defend this to the extreme haters.  I understand not understanding this, but lets hope people don’t get too pissy about this.  I mean, it comes out Christmas Eve!!  How mad can you get?  We’ll find out 🙂

  3. Avatar photo SamMorgan says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:11 pm

    This is still the highest picked issue (currently at least) so most people do enjoy the brilliance of the Morrison.

    His stories reward multiple readings and make others seem shallow.

    If only it had a good artist…

  4. Avatar photo Garrett says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:17 pm

    I didn’t totally understand all of the RIP books, but that issue 682 was one of the best comic books I’ve read in a long time. I don’t always ‘get’ where Morrison is heading with all this stuff, but I sure as hell enjoy the ride.

  5. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:17 pm

    Once again, people will hate Morrison but yet his books are always ranked near the top every single week.

    Cannot wait to see how Morrison ends this year for Batman. If the last three pages are any indication, this is gonna get heavy.

  6. Avatar photo miyamotofreak says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:24 pm

    I’m just happy I don’t have to wait so long for new issues of Batman.

  7. Avatar photo Kory says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    I like how no one is allowed to criticize Morrison.  And the fact that I would have to visit 4 different websites to "get it" is kind of the reason a lot of folks are down on this story.

    But because I’m not in the "cool club" of Morrison lovers I’m doing the sensible thing and dropping it, not because I’m not smart enough to "get it", but because I don’t enjoy the story and Morrison’s writing style.

  8. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:32 pm

    @Kory: You’ll come back….You’ll all come back!!!

  9. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    @Kory-Who said your not smart enough?  No one here is saying anything negative about you not digging Morrisons work on Batman.  You are the one who is being condesending about the fact that we are enjoying this.  Like I said earlier; you don’t like it thats fine.  But don’t get all butt hurt and try to be all sly with your insults because we are in the opposite camp.

  10. Avatar photo Kory says:
    December 22, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    @drakedangerz: There are few people that post on this site that have the opinion that you’re too lazy or not intellectual enough if you don’t enjoy what Morrison is doing.  I’m not being condenscending , if you like it, more power to ya, but don’t say I’m lazy for not liking it, that’s the part that irks me.  I really wasn’t referring to you in my first post, so please don’t take offense.  I just don’t like the insinuation that people like me are the stereotypical comic reader that likes dumb action and big boobs.

  11. Avatar photo miyamotofreak says:
    December 22, 2008 at 7:14 pm

    I forgot to say, amazing cover.

  12. Avatar photo TommyBrownell says:
    December 22, 2008 at 9:14 pm

    I have actually like Morrison’s Batman more than I have anything else of his I’ve read…hm.

  13. Avatar photo JedeyeSniv says:
    December 23, 2008 at 11:14 am

    Well, Christmas has come early, becuase here in the UK we got this weeks’ comics today! All I’ll say about this is that it does tie RIP neatly into FC, and all in one page. Beautiful work, making us fret with continuity-addict twitches right up till the last issue!

    Batman is the best character in comics for me.

    MOAR!!!

  14. Avatar photo Simon says:
    December 23, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    Yesterday I reread Batman R.I.P in one sitting and maaaan, Is it good! I think I really get it now!

  15. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    December 23, 2008 at 9:33 pm

    Good job shutting down the critics right off the bat. That’s always a good thing.

  16. Avatar photo Chris Rohling says:
    December 24, 2008 at 1:19 am

    Kory makes a good point.  There was a review for the last issue that got me up in arms.  It insulted pretty much everyone who didn’t "get it."  I’m personally enjoying the story, but it is a perfectly valid criticism in my mind to say that this story is anything but penetratable.  Had the guy at my LCS not let me know about "Robin Dies at Dawn," I probably would have dropped after the third issue.  I don’t fault anyone for not sticking around.  Yes, its amazing that there are references to every era of continuity, but I doubt anyone here can say that they’ve read all 682 previous issues/ every other issue the big Bat has appeared in. 

     I’m very excited to read this.  I can’t wait to go back and read the whole arc in one shot, to make sure to fill in the many gaps that still need filling in my head.

  17. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 24, 2008 at 1:30 am

    *looks around*

    I’m guessing I’m the guy who insulted the ifanbase. Score one for me!

  18. Avatar photo Chris Rohling says:
    December 24, 2008 at 1:33 am

    No, it was some dude who I’d never heard of before who wrote the dumbass review.  It was like 2 lines long, insulted "younger readers"

  19. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 24, 2008 at 1:52 am

    @TNC-Don’t be silly.  No one even reads your reviews, let along cares what they say.

  20. Avatar photo dusman7 says:
    December 24, 2008 at 2:56 am

    Before last issue I was pretty darn confused, but I think that’s where Morrison wanted us, to feel the confusion being felt by the characters in the comic.  The last issue though cleared a lot up for me and it raised my enjoyment of the series.  Sometimes it’s dangerous to judge too harshly until you reach the end of the story.

    I understand both points of view and just wish everyone would let each other have an opinion without getting defensive.  A little give and take in the discussion can be enjoyable but let’s keep it civil.  No one on either side is stupid.  its just stupid to get so upset because someone sees things differently than you do.  

    Despite what any of us think of this run, I think most of us can agree that,  Morisson has set up a very interesting future to enjoy.  And how long has it been since we’ve been able to say that about the batman universe.  Maybe back when Gotham Central existed.  May that great series live long in our memories.

     

    ‘ 

  21. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    December 24, 2008 at 3:45 am

    "Sometimes it’s dangerous to judge too harshly until you reach the end of the story."

    The marketing was severely misleading to that end.

  22. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 24, 2008 at 9:01 am

    @drake: Well…..I guess I’ll go…:(

    *goes on a long stretch of road and waves to oncoming cars. A soft piano melody is heard*

  23. Indycwf says:
    December 24, 2008 at 10:04 am

    I just read this book and it is OUTSTANDING!! Morrison has either had a great plan along to tie Final Crisis and RIP together or is lucking out with a late rewrite. For those of you confused this book will do a nice job clearing things up a bit. Final Crisis #6 can not come soon enough so we can see the true ending to a Great batman story. 5 stars and my pick of the week- easily.

  24. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    December 24, 2008 at 10:47 am

    @TNC – I read your reviews.  I don’t always agree with them, but at least you take the time to contribute.

  25. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 24, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    @TNC-haha, you’re like the red-headed step-brother I love to hate 😛

  26. Avatar photo Chris Rohling says:
    December 24, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    @dusman.  I definitely agree with you there.  I’ve liked RIP for the most part, but the main reason I’m sticking with it is because of the interesting future it sets up.  Its probably my most looked forward to story to come.  (That last sentence is ugly, just couldn’t think of a better way to say it.)

  27. kthx says:
    December 24, 2008 at 3:09 pm

    This is the the Grant Morrison book that makes sense. It seems pretty clear that Darkseid’s crew is probing Bats’ mind, and he’s trying to put up a resistance by thinking up totally nonsense alternate realities such as what happens if his father disarmed Joe Chill and life went on, much of the 60s yellow shield, stuff, etc.

    What will probably be explained in time is how the holes in space-time that are going on in FC is going to re-order Batman’s history and origin a little.

    That  said, the most annoying thing right now is comics fans who "get" all the references and nods to things from 30 years ago, and get mad at others for not being big enough fanboys to navigate what’s going on. Batman is one of DC’s most popular franchises and Final Crisis has a lot of investment riding on it. If people who have only been reading and discussing comics for five years can’t understand what’s going on (and remember that in our information age a 5-year reader knows a lot more than he did in the 80s) then that’s a legitimate complaint, and shouldn’t be met with sneers and derision from those who follow comics so closely that they can understand the work a bit more than the rest of us.

  28. Avatar photo InfectiousFunk says:
    December 24, 2008 at 10:07 pm

    I really enjoyed this issue, at first I was a little pissed that thre was a scene that had Batman telling Alfred what happened to Hurt and that he was needed at the hall of justice. But then again if you think about it no one has said that Batman hasn’t been seen since the crash. All in all I think that this was an excellent issue, I really enjoy Morrison’s writing of Batman and the other characters of the "Bat-Universe." All in all, I’m going to have to say Morrison is the man handling the RIP and Final crisis, and then linking them so that you really can’t complain, very impressive. For the record, my man also writes an awesome Green Lantern in the last Final Crisis.

  29. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 24, 2008 at 10:23 pm

    @drake: I’m like the Cousin Oliver for Ifanboy.

    I’m cute and interesting at first; then we all go ‘when the hell is he gonna go?’

  30. Avatar photo robbydzwonar says:
    December 24, 2008 at 10:41 pm

    Alright, so I didn’t understand R.I.P. the first time I read it but when I went back and reread the Son of Batman story and the Black Glove story all over again, and then read R.I.P. again, it made since this time.  And I get all As in college.  So does that mean I am only mildly retarded since I didn’t understand if the FIRST time because I was to busy doing homework so I could pass all my classes with high marks?  I’m lost here, guys…

    If you nerds bitch and moan at each other over some comics, then I hate to see what happens when you bring video games into the equation.  So what’s better? PS3 or X-Box 360…?  LOL READY?! SET?!: Start bitchin!!!!!

  31. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    December 25, 2008 at 1:34 am

    360!!!

    I don’t even play video games.

  32. Avatar photo eagle6002 says:
    December 25, 2008 at 1:35 am

    Sega game gear!

  33. Avatar photo dusman7 says:
    December 25, 2008 at 2:38 am

    I just saw the new Previews today.   "Batman Battle for the Cowl" on the cover.  had a major nerdgasm right there.  Can’t wait till March when it comes out.  Let the salivating and speculating begin!

     

  34. Avatar photo akamuu says:
    December 25, 2008 at 4:17 am

    After Grant crossed swords with Quesada, his great X-Men run became, not difficult to understand, but annoying to read.  The story went from groundbreaking (within the confines of the X-Universe) to stale X-Men cliche.  The villain became Magneto, Jean Grey was killed, and suddenly we found ourselves in a dystopian future.  It was frustrating to read, until I realized it was a giant middle finger to Quesada and Marvel.

     

    The start of Morrison’s most recent Batman run were so engrossing, and straight forward, and fun to read.  Clearly he had an end target in sight.  Then, he had a much publicized back and forth with Dan Didio who’s editing completely fucked up the contiuity of Countdown, and Final Crisis, among other titles.  Didio asked him to change the end of Batman RIP.  The title became much more confusing almost overnight (or…uhhh…over month?).  And while I’ve no doubt the original intention was to be slightly confusing.  I firmly believe that his RIP story was made much more complicated to write by Didio’s overediting, and, so, he made it much more complicated to read.

     

    Is this story going to become a giant middle finger to Didio and DC?  Will Darkseid, realizing he won’t be able to put his essence into Batman’s body, and seek out the body of Bane, who will break ruce Wayne’s back, thus making Azrael the new Batman?  

     

    I can’t decide whether that would be horrible or awesome.

     

     

    Oh, and Intellivision is totally the best console of all time.

  35. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    December 25, 2008 at 4:34 am

    interesting hypothesis akamuu.

  36. Avatar photo Kimbo says:
    December 25, 2008 at 8:29 am

    I really enjoyed these last two issues but I kind of wish the art had been a little more punched up in this particular issue. 

  37. Avatar photo rwpos says:
    December 26, 2008 at 11:35 am

    I don’t think that Alfred actually appeared in the last two issues of Batman – the Alfred in Batman’s "memories" is actually a proxy for the Lump and represents the Lump’s interactions with Batman’s subconscious.  It also wasn’t clear to me that Batman ever returned to the Batcave and had that  conversation with Alfred; that could have been Batman’s mind closing the case of Dr. Hurt.  The actual "story" in this issue appears to end about three pages before the comic itself, when we see Batman’s eyes open while he’s still locked in the machine.  It seems very strange that Batman could go missing publically then simply reappear with the JLA in Final Crisis #1, and I’m wondering if we’ll have that gap explained either in Final Crisis or back in a Bat-book.  Overall, I found the art to be very solid and it supported the narrative clearly, and the writing was a little more straightforward than last issue, which I felt used too many pages being confusing (to set the tone?) than was necessary.  I enjoyed the issue.

  38. Avatar photo JumpingJupiter says:
    December 26, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    So G-Mo’s upset at a re-write. I can see that. In the same breath: "If you join the circus don’t complain about the clowns"

    😛

  39. Avatar photo Muady says:
    December 26, 2008 at 10:01 pm

    For anyone who maybe considered me a Morrison-apologist: This issue was pretty weak. Quite a let down after last issue’s awesome. I did get the feeling that he rushed this. Although I do wish people would drop the Morrison-rewrite-feud junk. Its just rumor.  (I know some of you only joke, thats alright). If rumors like that are to be believed then every artist and writer working at DC is upset with the EIC and sabotaging their books in revenge.

  40. Avatar photo Simon says:
    December 26, 2008 at 11:25 pm

    Batman is the best! and akammu has a very interesting theory going on…let´s hope is not the same case.

  41. Avatar photo TommyBrownell says:
    December 27, 2008 at 12:18 am

    On the flipside, I thought last issue was very "okay", and this one was very good.  Almost enough to make me buy Final Crisis #6.  Almost.

  42. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 27, 2008 at 2:32 am

    They are called "rumors" for a reason, don’t buy into them or take them too seriously.  And I seriously doubt any of this was a middle finger to anyone.  That includes the talk about New X-Men.  Many many people will argue otherwise.

    I loved this issue.  I think if Lee Garbett was doing the art for RIP then more people would have dug it.  Pretty satisfying way to bridge the gap between the two stories.  As someone else already said, it was never stated that Batman wasn’t around between RIP and FC.  I think this could have been told in three issues, but that might have weakened the story too much.  Anyone know for sure who was the dead body that Bruce found in the cave?  I thought it was a Robin costume, but wasn’t sure.

    P.S.  Light week for me, so I picked up Superman Beyond #1…shit, that was one wierd ass story!  Not particularly good.  The art was sort of bland as well.  If thats half of the team that is drawing FC #7 then I don’t look forward to that issue at all!

  43. Avatar photo WadeWilson says:
    December 27, 2008 at 11:01 am

    Once again I am totally lost. Not only by the issue of Batman, but by the high praise it receives. Average rating of 4.4 outta 5 & 42% of the Pick of the Week votes. At this point I am just dumb founded at how opposite my comic tastes can be to everyone else’s.

    To me this issue was like, recent Batman history through the twisted lens of G-Mo’s brain. I can honestly see & appreciate his love for the character, but my beef with the writing is the same as usual — the vagueness, the guess work involved, the fractured narrative ("fractured" is putting it lightly, it’s obliterated) & the overall "trippyness" of the tone. But, I guess these things that I hate, are the same reasons that people love it.

    It’s just not a satisfying reading experience on any level. It’s frustrating as hell. 

  44. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 27, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    @Wade: ‘I am totally lost….I am just dumn founded at how opposite my comic tastes can be to everyone else’s’.

    Eh, welcome to my world.

  45. Avatar photo Chris Rohling says:
    December 27, 2008 at 11:40 pm

    @ Wade.  I complained about the fractured narrative during last month’s issue.  I usually love that style, but there was no indication when a scene had changed.  It would have been more clear if the artist made Dick and Bruce look different when their masks were off.

  46. drtiehead says:
    December 27, 2008 at 11:44 pm

     

    SO I started buying comics again after a l0ong break.  I consider myself well versed in Batman lore.  I started reading the issue right before RIP.  Even the most die hard Batman fans were confused as hell.  After issue 2 of RIP I was down right mad and I was convinced I had missed an issue.

     Grant, unlike Frank Miller, really loves this character.  I am still a little lost, but it is starting to make sense.  I think on New Years day I am going to re-read RIP and what is out of Final Crisis and I think it will make a lot more sense.

     

    I thought this issue was great, but I have no idea why.  Batman is just that cool I guess. I think after Final Crisis and Last Rites wraps p it will all make prefect sense(which is what Grant fans said from the beginning)

     I am a DC zombie, so let me just say this, RIP, FC, and New Krypton are setting-up for a very interesting 2009 in the DC universe, much more then Secret Invasion.  Time will tell if it’s any good.

  47. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    December 28, 2008 at 1:06 am

    I saw a 5 year old kid pick this up in my LCS and loving it.

    Obviously he had no idea what the hell was going on with the issue, but he couldnt take his eyes off the comic….So at least Morrison has the age group of 4-10 year olds down. 🙂

  48. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    December 28, 2008 at 1:06 am

    @drtiehead-It seems to me that you haven’t read any of G-Mo’s Batman run.  If you read the Batman & Son and the Black Glove trades, you would have a better understanding on what RIP was all about and many of the references that are made. 

  49. Avatar photo Crippler says:
    January 3, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    Can’t wait for the next issue of Final Crisis to wrap up this magnum opus.  The last two pages of this issue absolutely gave me chills. 

Leave a Comment