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BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1 (OF 6)

The most anticipated series of 2010 is here! Superstar writer Grant Morrison tackles his most ambitious project to date with THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE, a special six-part series that chronicles the return of the original man behind Batman’s cape and cowl! Each issue spans a different era of time and features the dynamic artwork of one of today’s artistic juggernauts, starting with Chris Sprouse (TOM STRONG) on the extra-sized issue #1 and Frazer Irving (SEVEN SOLDIERS: KLARION) on the 40-page issue #2!

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by CHRIS SPROUSE
Covers by ANDY KUBERT
Variant cover by CHRIS SPROUSE
Sketch Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT

Price: $3.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 4.0%
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Comments

  1. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:13 pm

    Heck Yes.

  2. Avatar photo oldmanlogan88 says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    I am so ready for this

  3. MisterJ says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    Wasn’t aware that this was supersized as well.  Good stuff.

  4. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:18 pm

    It’s gonna be crazy, and fun and…..and super cool!

    48 pages!? Fuck yes I am ready for this.

  5. Avatar photo mikeandzod21 says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    I want Batman back. Bruce Wayne that is. I’ve liked Dick Grayson as Batman but the only book where he FEELS like a different person is Batman and Robin. The Batman in Streets of Gotham has been undistinguishable from Bruce and the less said about the awful Tony Daniel run on Batman the better.

  6. Avatar photo JesseG says:
    May 10, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    Do I have to be fully immersed in the Batman universe to get anything out of this book? I have only been reading Batman and Robin and I have almost dropped it a few times because I have felt like there were things going on from all the other Bat-titles and I was having a hard time keeping track of what was going on?

     

    I probably should wait till Wednesday to ask this question. 

  7. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    May 10, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    @JesseG I think if you’ve read all of Batman and Robin you should be fine, I haven’t kept up with anything but that title and Red Robin and i’m psyched for this

  8. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 10, 2010 at 3:26 pm

    If you have been reading Batman & Robin, you should be OK. Morrison’s work is pretty much all you have to follow if you want the key beats for Bruce’s return.

  9. Avatar photo JesseG says:
    May 10, 2010 at 3:44 pm

    cool. Thanks guys.

  10. Avatar photo JimBilly4 says:
    May 10, 2010 at 3:54 pm

    What’s up with the strange cover dressing (the white goop at the top?) If I put all the books together do I get a special secret message from Morrison?

  11. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:07 pm

    I am so ready for this. Give it to me. Now.

    AND it’s oversized?! Boneriffic!

  12. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    @jimbilly – its a bat symbol

  13. Avatar photo Fvckstick says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    UUUGGGHHH!!! damn you DCBS! i have to wait till the end of the month!

  14. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    Very excited for this!

  15. Avatar photo misterckent says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:41 pm

    I’m definitely along for the ride.  It’s like Elseworlds, but contained in continuity.  I’m all about that.

  16. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 10, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Quick, someone post a link to the variant cover!

  17. Avatar photo KickAss says:
    May 10, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    But the Batman RIP paperback hasn’t come out yet, nor is it even listed on Amazon yet. 🙁

  18. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 10, 2010 at 5:14 pm

    🙁

  19. Avatar photo NawidA says:
    May 10, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    The RIP paperback is out. Dunno, what you’re talking about. 

  20. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    May 10, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    @KickAss & @NawidA – I don’t think the paperback is out yet. Only hardcover.

  21. Avatar photo NawidA says:
    May 10, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    Damn, I have to eat crow. It’s out next month. Though for waiting, you get it pretty cheap.

     

  22. edward says:
    May 10, 2010 at 6:55 pm

    So, just so i’m on the same page. we’re getting over-excited about a book where batman fights cavemen, right?

  23. Avatar photo JimBilly4 says:
    May 10, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    @cutty Obvious as soon as you said. I just kept seeing the negative image, which looked like danging… something. Something I would not have expected on the cover of a comic. Anyway, I now do recall seeing an image of all six covers and I believe they form some sort of giant bat symbol, yes?

  24. Avatar photo Reform says:
    May 10, 2010 at 7:49 pm

    This story will be an adventure coming from Grant, anyone else on this would be LAME but the way Grant puts things together it should be mind blowing.

  25. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 10, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    @edward – any other writer and I’d agree with you

  26. MisterJ says:
    May 10, 2010 at 11:39 pm

    I wouldn’t even care about the writer, Batman fighting cave men sounds awesome.  The only thing better would be if he was helping the cavemen fight against the evil monkey-people primitive hybrids.

  27. Avatar photo ScorpionMasada says:
    May 10, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    Chris Sprouse is one of my favorite artists.

    Too bad he isn’t doing the whole mini.

  28. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    May 10, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    On one level, I really hope this book flops, only because i hate the convention of killing off major characters with the intention of bringing them back later on in an "event" mini series. Its such a cliche and symptom of the story well running dry. I hope they stop doing it (even though i know they won’t).

    That being said, the different eras thing has me intrigued though. Bruce Wayne is the one and only Batman. And its Batman, not Dick in a costume. ARRRGH….i’ll prob buy it and prob like it. =p 

  29. Notsoevilsteve says:
    May 11, 2010 at 12:22 am

    @edward: I don’t have any faith in Morrison, so yes, the only reason I’m excited is Batman hitting a caveman in the face.  On the bright side, it’s going to be hard for me to be let down by this issue.

  30. Avatar photo robbydzwonar says:
    May 11, 2010 at 12:43 am

    The preview didn’t do much for me but anything with Morrison and Batman together is a must have for me.

  31. Avatar photo WadeWilson says:
    May 11, 2010 at 4:33 am

    I’m more than ready for Batman to be back in Batman comics (what a wacky idea!) , but I can’t say I’m super-confident about enjoying this series. But, as a Bat-addict – I gotta buy it.

  32. Avatar photo ProjectX2 says:
    May 11, 2010 at 6:32 am

    Grant Morrison. Chris Sprouse. Batman vs. cavemen.

    I expect this to be the greatest thing ever.

  33. Avatar photo JesTr says:
    May 11, 2010 at 9:27 am

    @mikeandzod21: I see what you’re saying but think of it this way.  B & R has a lot of behind the scenes and Wayne Manor, Batcave, Bat Tower, were Dick is unmasked and not acting as Batman.  In Streets of Gotham and the other books, he is out on patrol and to the criminals and reader acts just as Batman would. That is , after all, why he took on the mantle.

    I’d like to keep Dick and Damian as Batman a Robin for awhile with Bruce in some other role.

  34. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 11, 2010 at 12:56 pm

    @wally – To be fair, bruce wayne never died.  They didn’t even allude to his death, not if you read the last page of Final Crisis (and of course listened to Conor’s explanation of how the Omega Sanction works)

  35. Avatar photo WinTheWonderboy says:
    May 11, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Can’t wait!!!!!

  36. Avatar photo Jack239 says:
    May 11, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    so do people want him to be bruce wayne for awhile and let dick be batman?

  37. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 11, 2010 at 4:53 pm

    @jack239 – ideally yes.  Like a lot of people, I’m really enjoying the Dick/Damian dynamic and want to see it through a little more.  Especially now that Damian is finally turning into more of a good guy

  38. Avatar photo NOK says:
    May 11, 2010 at 6:25 pm

    Bruce Wayne needs a vacation from Batman. He should just comtinue being a Detective but let the outsiders, batman and robin and the outsiders in on the action. All the action he needs should come from wonder woman :X

  39. Avatar photo RoiVampire says:
    May 11, 2010 at 7:20 pm

    I’m hoping Bruce will take the same route as Steve Rogers. Still fighting the good fight somehow but letting Dick keep being Batman

  40. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    May 12, 2010 at 1:20 am

    @ cutty

    i never fully understood the resolution to final crisis. I read through the series and was left confused at the end especially that last page.

    My deep frustrations with this overused cliche stems from feeling cheated as a kid by the whole "Death of Superman" story, which i took incredibly seriously. "You mean he’s really…ddddd-ead? NOOOOOO!" says the young boy at the comic shop who later felt cheated. 

  41. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    May 12, 2010 at 9:22 am

    @wallythegreenmonster: You should give Final Crisis another shot. Like most Morrison, it’s pretty trippy and doesn’t go down smooth the first time, but truly benefits from a revisitation. Plus, that final panel will most likely prove important in the near future (or past).

    As for feeling cheated, unfortunately that’s something I think we all have to try to live with. Personally, my inner child was murdered by George Lucas, but I like to think that comics have matured along with me. No one can take the memory of Superman’s death away from you. We all have to cherish that stuff and move on. I try give Morrison credit for putting a creative spin on an "overused cliche". Also, the entire point of Blackest Night (aside from making money) was to make an attempt at death being a permanent thing in DC. Granted, that will most likely last for a few years at most, but your inner child oughtta take comfort in that at least.

  42. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    May 12, 2010 at 11:56 am

    @wheel

    death and rebirth is one of those things that make comics what they are. You know its coming, there is never any doubt the dead hero will come back, but you’re still annoyed they did it. Its the nature of the beast, and as an adult i understand its a way to shake things up and bring some drama to stagnant sales numbers. 

    Morrison is always a tough read for me. Final Crisis and Batman R.I.P. always start off really strong and then at some point in the middle start to loose me with its complexity or WTF-ness and I totally get thrown off enthusiasm wise. I think Final Crisis just wore me down to the point where i just wanted it to be over.  

     BTW….and i know what you mean about being murdered by Lucas. LOL.  

  43. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    May 12, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    Fun and Crazy. Confusing as hell…..But then again what are you suppose to expect for a #1 issue by Morrison?

    A lot of fun with Wayne in cavemen time and nice parallels to Bruce’s regular life. I did love the caveman version of Robin, and the ‘new’ Batsuit was cool as hell. Art was also pretty damn gorgeous, and Sprouse makes it so.

    I guess this mini-series with Sups/Hal/Booster Gold is more important then I originally thought considering this issue. 

  44. Avatar photo cutty says:
    May 12, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    Can’t say I enjoyed this.

  45. Avatar photo dneufeld says:
    May 12, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    The art is beautiful in this book.  I was wondering throughout how Bruce was going to jump to the next time period, and I gotta say I’m intrigued to see what the fuck that is on the last page.  I’m glad the cave people were able to speak to each other and not just grunt to one another.

  46. Avatar photo rift1128 says:
    May 12, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    No matter what the story was, i was confused as hell, sprouse was amazing. 

  47. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    May 12, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    This was EXACTLY what I expected (and wanted) this to be.  An interesting underlying plot with a heap of crazy on top and some nice artwork.  How could anyone expect Batman as a caveman to be anything but crazy?  Keep it coming.

  48. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    May 12, 2010 at 6:52 pm

    @TNC – Which mini series is that from?

  49. Avatar photo dneufeld says:
    May 12, 2010 at 7:01 pm

    @stu – I believe he was refering to Time Masters: Vanishing Point coming out in July.  Superman, GL Hal Jordan, Booster Gold and Rip Hunter.  I’m looking forward to that.

  50. Avatar photo comicBOOKchris says:
    May 12, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    This was cool, pretty much what I was expecting from Caveman Batman. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to this issue as much as I am looking forward to Puritan Batman or Film Noir Batman, but I had fun here nonetheless.

  51. Avatar photo stuclach says:
    May 12, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    @dneufeld – Thank you, sir.  That does sound like fun.

  52. Avatar photo PraxJarvin says:
    May 12, 2010 at 8:12 pm

    This was quite enjoyable. A solid read with some fantastic art. I liked the little nods to the standard Batman formula. And I liked Batman fighting Vandal Savage, too. I have to say, I’m confused by the posters saying they were confused. This was pretty straightforward. There was a bit of a learning curve on the Caveman-speech, but it’s not as bad as the Thangarian-English used in that one issue of Superman WoNK. I’m excited to see where this mini goes. Glad to see it’s picking up right where Final Crisis left off, too. 4/5 for me.

  53. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    May 12, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    @stuclach: Dneufeld beat me too it.

    @Prax: I guess I say confused as in ‘I have no idea where the hell this series is going’ comment. Morrison confusing me never hinders my thoughts on his work; I’m used to it by now.

  54. Avatar photo wallythegreenmonster says:
    May 12, 2010 at 8:54 pm

    I didn’t really appreciate paying an extra dollar for a 6 page preview. Not quite the 48 page *extra-sized* book i was expecting. 

  55. Avatar photo drakedangerz says:
    May 12, 2010 at 10:26 pm

    This was about as straightforward as you could expect from a story with caveman speak to it. I had no problem following it and enjoyed this book quite a bit. Great artwork, cool concepts, and a caveman Robin. POTW for me.

  56. Avatar photo balsalm says:
    May 13, 2010 at 2:08 am

    So…is this a Back To the Future situation we’re facing if Man of Bats makes it back to his own time?

  57. Avatar photo HuntresSThompson says:
    May 13, 2010 at 11:31 am

    How is this confusing? Batman + Cavemen= Cool Man of Bats. I enjoyed it as a single story, it is part of a bigger story but I predict each issue will stand alone. There are even different artist to emphasize this, save the confusion for the final issue.

  58. Avatar photo gnanniv says:
    May 13, 2010 at 7:01 pm

    Lots of fun.

  59. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    May 13, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    Awesome.

    Question: didn’t read FC, what’s the deal with the cave painting there?

    Question 2: what was with the rocket, and what was that stuff he pulled out of it?

  60. Avatar photo Jim Mroczkowski (@jimski) says:
    May 14, 2010 at 1:08 am

    This book has as much to do with Batman as I do with professional lacrosse, but it’s compelling as hell so far. And I say that as someone who has no idea how Batman got in that cave in the first place.

  61. Avatar photo Howl4Me says:
    May 14, 2010 at 4:37 am

    Loved this. Just lots of fun. Next issue can’t come fast enough type-of-fun.

  62. Avatar photo johnthrax says:
    May 14, 2010 at 6:11 am

    I guess I’m being a bit of a typical "I don’t like change" comic fan, but I really don’t want him back unless he goes back to being Batman.  I don’t want to see them do the same thing they’re doing with Steve Rogers. 

  63. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    May 14, 2010 at 11:27 am

    I enjoyed this. I was surprised by my own child-like glee at seeing Bruce again, considering how long we’ve seen this coming. It was like planning a trip to see an old friend months in advance, but still getting that bolt of excitement when you first lay eyes on them at the airport.

    I’m curious about Clark’s statement that Bruce doesn’t know who he is or what happened to him. I assume the fact that Clark knows that will be explained in Time Masters, but Bruce seemed to be quite aware of who he was, if not where or when. It’s all still kind of deliciously vague at this point, but I got the vibe that he was pretty self-aware. Perhaps I’m wrong and it’s all part of Morrison’s idea that Bruce Wayne is Batman even throughout insanity or amnesia. We’ll see.

    My other nitpick is regarding what Superman said about everyone dying if Bruce makes it back on his own. Again, the reason will undoubtedly be explained in Time Masters. That’s not my concern. Going all the way back to Batman and Son, Morrison’s repeatedly said that the theme of his run on Batman is to prove that Bruce Wayne is the ultimate human, the peak of human potential. Part of what got me so excited about Return of BW was the idea that Bruce comes back from the beyond using nothing but his self-made resourcefulness. I’m willing to embrace the idea of the Batboys helping him find his way. In fact I love that. I just don’t want Hal, Booster, and Clark solely responsible for bringing Bruce back. If they are, doesn’t that defeat the purpose? I’m excited to read Time Masters, but if at the end I find it was all just another editorial mandate in an effort to capitalize on the success of Return of BW, and not part of The Mad Scotsman’s original master plan, I will feel a little jipped.

  64. Avatar photo NOK says:
    May 14, 2010 at 11:34 am

    @JaqueNargg Final Crisis got really confusing towards the end because the time had been ripped apart and everything was technically happening at the same time. So Anthro the dead man in the Cave is in present time and Metron had given him a symbol to protect himself from the Anti-Life equation which is on his face, he had also been given fire and becomes the first hero of the DC universe. I think he might have drawn the symbols from what he had seen in the Final Crisis or Batman did, I am not sure…

    The Heroes in a last ditch effort decided to send a rocket with important items of the Justice League into the crazy red sky to leave a Legacy to another world? I don’t know either. Somehow the rocket and Batman ended up in this "holy place"

  65. Avatar photo NOK says:
    May 14, 2010 at 11:36 am

    I also like your profile picture, cool shit.

  66. Avatar photo JaqueNargg says:
    May 14, 2010 at 9:19 pm

    @NOK. I knew Anthro had something to do with it, makes sense that he’s the old guy too, who i was also wondering about.

    Thanks for the props on the picture, that’s an original by me.

  67. Avatar photo GloriousGodfrey says:
    May 15, 2010 at 9:02 am

    really enjoyable first issue. one thing…why would cavemen speak english? that aside, this was great fun, and i look forward to the next issue.

  68. Avatar photo thescimitar says:
    May 17, 2010 at 12:46 pm

    Does anyone else think there is some kind of secret message in the bottom panel of the page opposite Bruce getting nailed down?  The lightning strikes on the bat seem to form some letters and numbers, I can’t make anything out, but they don’t seem to be completely random.

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