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Grant Morrison's Batman

 
  

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Hallo, Paper Spaceboy
16:36 / 01.07.08
Looks good. Bizarre.

When's the next trade again? Because I swear, they should be churning the things out -- bang bang bang!
 
 
The Natural Way
16:54 / 01.07.08
Yes, and it's probably going to turn out that the alien beings will ultimately transform his head in some way.

Oh, Morrigruce, you love to tell the same story again and again....
 
 
Hallo, Paper Spaceboy
16:59 / 01.07.08
I can't decide if that's valid criticism or not, because it's often the case with many writers. Someone -- I can't remember who -- said we spend most of our careers trying to articulate one single, specific, utterly personal story or idea -- never quite hitting the mark.

Which isn't to say it's not a worthy concern when you start to be able to predict his works. Might be why I like A*S so much more, as it feels something entirely other is going on underneath...
 
 
Triplets
19:47 / 01.07.08
ASS, where Superman encounters a spherical, life-giving object in space which leads him to evaluating his life and existence? The Invisibles! 42!

I don't care what people have said about Tone Daniels, the guy's work in those first five pages is fucking aces. It's not going to innovate anything about visual storytelling but it does the job and it does it incredibly well. Lots of octane pictures there.

None of the Black Glove have still spoken, apart from Le Bossu. Curious. I know one's a mime and one's a bucket-wearing mother-intercourser but still...
 
 
The Natural Way
22:01 / 01.07.08
It wasn't really meant as a criticism.
 
 
ONLY NICE THINGS
22:37 / 01.07.08
IT STILL ISN'T VALID.
 
 
H3ct0r L1m4
14:11 / 02.07.08
Giorgio Moroder, the king of Death Disco
 
 
The Natural Way
11:07 / 03.07.08
That was totally bonkers!

What the flying fuck is the bat-radia?

Amazing!
 
 
Evil Scientist
11:25 / 03.07.08
Morrison never thought he'd be 'ingesting hallucinogens' as research and having 'encounters with alien beings...'

I thought that's all he ever did for "research".
 
 
Automatic
11:39 / 03.07.08
I think I'm going to need some kind of Batman scholar to talk me through this one.

What is the significance of the Batman of Zur-En-Arhh?

What is a Bat-Radia and why is it glowing red?

What's up with the small graffitied bat signals all over the place?

Another outstandingly weird and fascinating issue of Batman - these months are too long!
 
 
Mario
11:43 / 03.07.08
This will help
 
 
Automatic
12:05 / 03.07.08
Ah it's all so clear now! The electronic molecules - OF COURSE!
 
 
Neon Snake
12:27 / 03.07.08
Well, on the face of it, Bruce has had all possessions stripped from him and has been dumped on the streets by a group of colourful characters.
He has then met a homeless fellow who is functioning as a guide; we expect him to undergo some form of enlightening experience which will change his entire worldview and make him a different and very much more 'together' person.

I dunno, I'm not seeing the similarities with Morrison's previous work in any way whatsoever.
 
 
FinderWolf
13:24 / 03.07.08
My take it on is:

"Zur-en-Arrh" was the post-hypnotic trigger phrase that Dr. Hurt or Black Glove or whatever used to take Bruce down. Through his journey with wise spirit of homeless man, Bruce learns to not only be able to say/hear that phrase without losing consciousness and foaming at the mouth, he takes the phrase and makes it his own, rechristening himself as Batman a la John a'Dreams, I mean Batman Zur-en-Arrh - a Batman of shreds and patches, the interim step in his rise back to being the full, complete, non-ramshackle Batman.
 
 
Automatic
13:58 / 03.07.08
The thing is, the Batman of Zur-En-Arhh on the final page doesn't appear to be particularly shredded or patchwork. Maybe it's an artistic error, showing Bruce sewing the costume together in the street earlier makes me feel the costume should look a little cruder.

I mean, his utility belt hardly seems like something constructed in the gutter! Apart from the bat-symbol and the cape, if it was coloured differently it would be difficult to tell apart from any other Batman costume over the years.
 
 
FinderWolf
14:17 / 03.07.08
well, I just mean that given the coloring and design of the costume, I feel like it's *meant* to look he like sewed it himself while living on the streets, even if the art doesn't convey that sufficiently.
 
 
Mario
14:28 / 03.07.08
I'm still spinning thoughts on Wise Homeless Guy, as he reminds me in some ways of Tom O' bedlam.
 
 
Automatic
14:46 / 03.07.08
Hey, Batman of Zur-En-Arhh's Batplane is on the front cover just below Batman's head! Looks like his atomic Batmobile might be on there too, obscured by his left arm.
 
 
FinderWolf
15:04 / 03.07.08
I think you're right about that, Mr. - good catch!
 
 
Never or Now!
15:16 / 03.07.08
Tom O'Bedlam, sure, except here he's working for the Outer Church.
 
 
The Natural Way
15:32 / 03.07.08
Tom spent some time with TEH DARQUE MAGICXCE!!!1123! too.

That guy was helping Bats out. It all leads to the same place in Morrison's cosmology.
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
15:43 / 03.07.08
Exactly. Helping him find some smack so he could take some more smack and have a cosmic revelation. Smack is best!

Anyway... Dr Hurt dresses up in Thomas Wayne's fancy dress Bat costume. Morrison mentions on his website that the identity of the Black Glove seems obvious to him. Is this case open and shut?
 
 
Mario
15:49 / 03.07.08
Which website is that? Grant-Morrison.com hasn't been updated in years....
 
 
vajramukti
15:58 / 03.07.08
"weapons grade crystal meth" uh huh... batman goes on a meth binge and hangs out with junkies in the gutter! aint the fifties no more, ma!

if one reads carefully you can see that Wise Homeless Guy uses the $$$ batman gave him two issues ago to execute a major heroin overdose. bruce is his guardian on the journey to the far shore, and in return he helps guide bruce back to 'saner' if not 'sanity'.

I presume by integrating the identity of the alien batman of zurr enn arhh, he's overcoming the effect of the post hypnotic keyword.

and bat mite: "uh oh..." priceless. one gets the feeling bruce might have been better off staying in the alley. I really don't think he's hit bottom yet. Dr Hurt and the club of villains still have the revisionist history card to play. especially when he's wearing daddy's costume.
 
 
Uatu.is.watching
16:07 / 03.07.08
Look again, Mario. (Although I didn't see the quote referenced on HIS site...)
 
 
Uatu.is.watching
16:25 / 03.07.08
Oh, there it is.
 
 
FinderWolf
16:41 / 03.07.08
>> if one reads carefully you can see that Wise Homeless Guy uses the $$$ batman gave him two issues ago to execute a major heroin overdose.

Right, because "Honor" (homeless guy) says he recognizes Bruce and that Bruce did him 'a good turn' recently.
 
 
Mario
16:58 / 03.07.08
It would help if I knew that he'd changed from www.grant-morrison.com to www.grantmorrison.com, no?
 
 
Uatu.is.watching
17:23 / 03.07.08
Yeah, perhaps. I just had it bookmarked, myself.
 
 
Neon Snake
19:35 / 03.07.08
Tom O'Bedlam, sure, except here he's working for the Outer Church.

I don't follow how he's working for the bad guys.

Batmite brought him back to life for a day in order to help Batman out and get him back into shape before sending him to Crime Alley for his revelation, yes? Do we think Batmite is a badguy?

I wonder if Batmite knew that Jackman had the BatRadia...
 
 
This Sunday
19:50 / 03.07.08
Do we think Batmite is a badguy?

Questions like that make it all worthwhile.

But, really, it has to be a bit Down and Out in Gotham and Zur-En-Arhh, doesn't it? That's how these things work.

And it's working pretty well. Firing on all cylinders. Building a better Batmobile.
 
 
Imaginary Mongoose Solutions
02:40 / 04.07.08
Word on the street is that there will be bits of... superconsistency... with Final Crisis in Batman RIP. Given how heavily rumors about Bruce and the New Gods were running about when this storyline was leaked, I'm wondering if perhaps what Bruce is currently seeing as the Bat-Radia is actually a Mother Box. All the Falling talk and the description of the Bat-Radia sure seem consistent with the touch of the fallen New Gods to me.
 
 
Mario
02:44 / 04.07.08
That may explain Honor Jackson, if he's actually a New God (probably Metron) in disguise.
 
 
H3ct0r L1m4
02:48 / 04.07.08
i'm enjoying the trip.

maaaannnn, what a trip.

fucked up
 
 
Regrettable Juvenilia
03:37 / 04.07.08
If Final Crisis is involved then I may just blow up a hospital.

A hospital full of kiddies.
 
  

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