Barbelith Underground > Comic Books > Grant Morrison's Batman

Comic Book Queers are positing that it's Satan, (possibly as that lame knock-off from Underworld Unleashed that no-one cares about)

So, because I'm Slow McSlow From Saint Agatha's School for Sl... (so slow that they haven't got to the end of it's name yet), I just want to check my understanding is correct.

In his early years Batman conducted lots of thought experiments and underwent exercises to put himself in altered states of consciousness to try and prepare for fighting against any possible kind of crazy shit that could happen to him in his war on crime. This is basically all his Silver Age adventures. At one point, in order to deal with "What happens if someone were to destroy the Bruce Wayne part of myself?" he 'created' a 'back-up personality' which was just Batman, with nothing of Bruce Wayne in it, but crossed it with what he knew of his friend Superman, in order that it have a moral code. Which is where we are at now, Hurt believes Bruce Wayne to be the true being and has for the moment, destroyed that, which is why Bruce Wayne shuffles round like an amnesiac zombie but Zur-en-Ah Batman is putting HIM on like an identity.

Some time before or after (but I think after), during mind-control experiments he undertakes to help the US Government (but for his own ends) he comes across Dr. Hurt, who either with his permission or perhaps when he's too brainfucked to really know, does some more experiments on him. Now, if any of what I've said so far has any relationship to what happened in the story this is what I'm doubly unsure about here. What does Hurt know about Zur-En-Ah Batman? Does Hurt know it's Batman's back-up personality? Does everything he's done to Batman so far just to keep him busy while the Black Glove prepares it's final 'crushing' move? Or did he just think that was a cool and not-commonly used phrase he'd use to program Batman's off-switch? Because what we might have here is a battle between Zur-En-Ar as Bruce's switch-off program AND as his 'what do I do if someone takes out the Bruce Wayne part of me'.

Some people have thought that the Joker wouldn't go along with the Black Glove's plot. Rereading the text issue as I was, I think the Glove has actually managed to use the Joker in the best way that is unlikely to backfire, they don't want the Joker to kill Batman and the Joker doesn't want to kill Batman, just make him like the Joker. Of course, if Batman doesn't incapacitate the Joker before moving on to the final challenge the Black Glove might have a problem with the Joker running loose afterwards, as they will presumably be trying to kill Batman after their final games.

But while Alfred may have made it easier for Hurt's games to work by making Bruce be more himself than the Batman I'm thinking it's less likely that Alfred is the Black Glove. Why stage that scene for the benefit of the few of the League of Villains that happen to be standing around at that moment. Especially as none of them seem to be that good.

Is there any significance that the Black Glove and the League are only going for Robin and Nightwing and not the wider Bat-family of Oracle, Huntress and Batgirl?

So explain to me all the ways in which I'm missing the point.