BATMAN #681
What did the
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community think?
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Size: pages
Price: 3.99
This review contains spoilers, click here to read
I’ve now read this comic 3 times since picking it up. ….and I’m still confused. I’m not confused in a bad way, but more in the way that I know that some things have been wrapped up, but am I still missing something?
This issue reads like the last 15 minutes of a big budget action film, there is tons of action and guest appearances and revelations. We do get closure on some of the plot threads…sort of.
One big plus to this issue is the way the Joker comes out of the whole situation. The way he is written is just brilliant, and redeems himself from a few issues back where Dr. Hurt was referring to him as a servant. I hope they keep this incarnation of the Joker around for a while because I really like him. Although the way he gets taken out of the issue is very funny, and probably one of the only redeeming moments for BatBrat Damien.
Another shining moment is when Talia steps up to basically say, “No-one messes with my baby-daddy”, and unleashes her ninja man-bats on one of the Black Glove members.
Morrison does a great job of telling us what we all knew. Batman is ready for ANYTHING. He is prepared to an insane level. Where someone like Superman doesn’t need preparation because of his abilities, Batman appears to be super-human due to his levels of prep work. He created a backup personality like I create a backup CD for my computer in case it crashes!!!!! Come on, who thinks of that?
A few quick questions I’m left with after this issue :
1. Just who the hell is Dr. Hurt???? I’ll keep re-reading this but I’m confused.
2. Does everyone now know that Bruce is (was) Batman? It seems for a while he was running around in his costume without the cowl.
3. Is it just me or does Zur En Arrh sound a lot like Zorro in Arkham? When Bruce’s father says this at the end it seems to tie in all too well.
All in all, I liked this issue and I enjoyed the R.I.P. story as a whole. Will I need to re-read Morrison’s entire run to understand this more? Probably. Do I think that Morrison left a lot of questions unanswered? Absolutely, but you can’t answer every question and tie everything up neatly. We’ll see what happens in the next month or two and then apparently Final Crisis #6 will give us the final answer as to Batman’s fate, because I’m VERY confused about the timeline now. Although Hurt does mention Bruce will don the cowl one more time which will be his last, which we're assuming will be what we see in Final Crisis.
Art: 4 - Very Good
Yea, I think Zorro In Arkham is supposed to be where the phrase Zur En Arrh comes from. I was puzzled about the last panel where Bruce says "what?". After thinking about it is I think the implication is that Bruce didn’t quite hear what his father said, only the first syllables. Naturally, its one of the last things he hears before the trauma of his parents death, so its imprinted forever on his subconscious.
I don’t think anyone of consequence saw him without his cowl. He took it off right before he jumped onto the helicopter.
Also, I’m of the inclination that Dr. Hurt is Joe Chill seeking to finish the job. Batman and Hurt rebutt each others claims about his identity, so I think both Thomas Wayne and Mangrove are out. What IS claimed, though, that doesn’t receive any rebuttal is that Hurt was there from the very begining. And the last page reminds exactly who all was there in begining.
Either way, I’m kinda glad Morrison didn’t take the easy route. Big reveals with shocking statements on big splash panels are kinda overplayed.
This is an excellent review DemonBoy. Many of these reponses to this story remind me of an unfortunate thing about the times we live in. We want instant gratification on most things. Why not have a story with room for thought, interpretation, and debate. Does everything have to be in your face "blow it up" and "shoot it" Punisher style?
This is a story we can look forward to having it pave the way for lots of follow up arcs for years to come. My opinion is that young Bruce never understood the last words uttered by his parents which has haunted him since. What better way to have the phrase Zur En Arrh come from. Dr Hurt was there from the beginning = Joe Chill to me. REST in Peace is the reference for Bruce Wanye not Batman.
Thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, according to Dan DiDio in his latest 20 Questions interview, it seems that Morrison will not be doing Batman in the foreseeable future or he’s making a choice to stay or leave right now.
I think Hurt is Mangrove Pierce, but after he was framed for murder, he took up the persona of Joe Chill. Sort of like how Rorschach was actually Walter Kovacs but he always thought that Rorschach was his actual self.
Nah, man. Didio didn’t say anything that suggests Morrison isn’t coming back. Morrison has said that Morrison is coming back. Didio was just dodging the question cause he didn’t want to talk anything after Battle for the Cowl.