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The weekly series 52 span out of the Infinite Crisis comic/event,
following which the holy trinity of DC Comics - Batman, Wonder Woman,
and Superman - look a year-long leave of absence (hence the title, it
covered 52 weeks in the DC universe in 'real time'). At the conclusion
of Infinite Crisis Bruce tells the other two-thirds of that trinity that he intends to 'retrace
the steps I first took when I left Gotham. I'll be rebuilding Batman.
But this time it's going to be different....I'm not going alone.'
Accompanied by (at that time the only) Robins (Dick Grayson and Tim
Drake), this sets up the premise of Morrison's mission for Batman - to
turn him from the dark violent soldier-vigilante character he had become
into a brighter better-adjusted superhero.
52 #30
This issue catches up with the Batman family and what they're up to during this period, but also clarifying where they stand in the New 52 continuity. Much of the story concentrates on Batwoman - later with Nightwing - and her attempts to tackle Intergang and their leader Mannheim. However, we also get Morrison's pages featuring Batman, Nightwing, and Robin. The latter two are on the trail of Batman, who has disappeared into the desert, whilst also discussing whether Bruce has "cracked". We then find Bruce wandering the desert, when he is set upon by the Ten-Eyed Men of the Empty Quarter, who he allows to attack him in order to kill his 'demon'.
The Cover
Based on 14th and 15th century altar pieces and paintings of the Archangel Michael fighting Satan (see below), it here represents Bruce Wayne slaying his demon - the dark Batman personality that he had become. There is also the clear foreshadowing of the conflict to come when Batman will fight Dr Hurt who may, or may not, be the Devil himself. Furthermore, the biblical account of the Archangel Michael fighting Satan occurs during the War in Heaven, when Lucifer rebelled against God and was cast down to Earth. This is essentially the start of Final Crisis, where the New Gods fight their own war and 'fall' to Earth, and is a key part of Morrison's Batman story.
Page 1
It's so appropriate for Morrison's Batman saga to start right back at the beginning. Here we have early Batman in his original costume (as seen below in Detective Comics #27, his first appearance). "Things started out so well" goes the Dick Grayson narration. This doesn't quite fit the story Morrison is telling, because early Batman was pretty dark and violent, before becoming more light-hearted with the introduction of Grayson himself as the first Robin.
Page 2
Here we go on a quick tour through the history of Batman. Grayson's narration continues, "when you think about everything that happened - it's too much for any man. Even the strongest". So on just the second page of Morrison's Batman project the basis of Batman R.I.P. is laid out - all the crazy and traumatic events from Batman's continuity all happened, which begs the question, what would that do to a man?
Panel 3 - Dick Grayson moving out and going to college (Batman #217 - 1969), leaving Batman without the key anchor to his humanity. Robin's introduction had forced him to become a father figure and a role model with responsibilities.
Panel 4 - The first appearance of Jason Todd in the new Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity (Batman #408 - 1987). Batman discovers the street orphan stealing the Batmobile's wheels, and recruits him as his new Robin.
Panel 5 - Jason Todd's tenure as Robin does not go well. Here we see Batman carrying Jason's lifeless body after he was beaten to death by the Joker. In reality, this was the result of a phone-in stunt by DC Comics, where readers voted whether the character should live or die. The fans, who never took to the surly and angry Robin, narrowly voted to kill him off 5,343 votes to 5,271.
Page 3
The Batman history tour continues.
Panel 1 - Joker shooting, and crippling, Barbara Gordon (Batman: The Killing Joke - 1988). In the post-Crisis continuity, Barbara had never been Batgirl, and was the niece/adopted daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon. Following her paralysis, she would go on to adopt the Oracle moniker and become a provider of intelligence support for various super-heroes.
Panel 2 - Bane breaking Batman's back (Batman #497 - July 1993) which would put him out of action for some time. Batman anointed Jean-Paul Valley (aka Azrael) to take his place. He turns out to be dangerous and murderous, and is taken down by Batman once his physical recovery is complete. Interestingly, despite the obvious parallels with Morrison's story, it is barely referenced by them.
Panel 3 - The panel isn't particularly clear, but it appears to be representing the Cataclysm and No Man's Land storylines (various Batman titles - 1999), in which Gotham City is struck by a massive earthquake. Following the evacuation and abandonment of the city by the federal government, Batman must try and reclaim a lawless city overrun by gangs and super-villains.
Panel 4 - Of course in comics N.E.R.D. (No-one Ever Really Dies), so here we have Batman fighting with the new violent Gotham vigilante The Red Hood, only to discover it is his former Robin, Jason Todd, who has returned from the dead (Batman #641 - 2005).
Panel 5 - Tim Drake (the third Robin) and Batman arrive at Tim's father's house too late, and find his body following his murder by Captain Boomerang (Identity Crisis #6 - 2004)
Panel 6 - I'm not sure what this panel is depicting. It potentially looks like Batman holding a gun to the head of Joe Chill (sometimes identified as the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents), though I'm not aware of any specific comic that occurs in. Any suggestions welcome!
Page 4
Panel 2 - Tim Drake suspects Bruce wants him and Dick to become the new Batman and Robin, foreshadowing the new dynamic duo in Batman and Robin - though it won't be Tim in the Robin role.
Page 14
Panel 1. "My soul is black and I feel sick. I've lost my resolve." This is the in story explanation for Morrison's revision of the charatcter. Bruce himself has had enough of the dark and moody Batman. It's hampering him.
Page 16
Panel 5 - Bruce is making clear his agenda. He considers the person Batman had become a 'demon' that needed to be killed, and he had been corrupted by "dark, fearful, paranoid urges".
Panel 6 - "Batman is gone". Of course, he isn't, but Morrison is saying that version of Batman is gone, and a new version is coming. It also anticipates Bruce's death/disappearance in Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis.
52 #47
Most of this issue is given over to the ongoing efforts of Batwoman, Nightwing, and The Question, to battle Intergang/the Crime Bible. We also get updates on Animanl Man, and what's going down in Metropolis - all part of the ongoing 52 storyline. However, we do get a few pages from Morrison continuing the set-up for their Batman run by undergoing the The Thörgal ritual.
Page 1
Panel 1 - Nanda Parbat - 'the mountain of delight' in Hindi, is a fictional city high in the mountains near Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is home to an order of monks and watched over by Rama Kushna - a godlike being. It is clearly influenced by Shangri-La, the famous fictional secret Tibetan valley that also influenced Marvel's Kunlun (as seen in Iron Fist). Nanda Parbat is featured again in The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul storyline early in Morrison's run.
Panel 2 - "Bruce isn't my Dad." The timeline is a bit confusing here as Bruce had actually adopted Tim about a year earlier in publication time, however that occurred in the One Year Later storyline which actually took place after the events of 52. It also reminds us that Tim's real father was murdered, another dark chapter in Batman's history.
The monk explains to Tim - and the reader - that Batman is undergoing the Thörgal ordeal (often later referred to as a ritual) that will cause him to become changed. It is explained that Bruce will spend seven days in darkness. But it's worthwhile looking at the Thörgal ritual in more detail, as it is key to Batman R.I.P.
Thörgal, or Tögal, is a Buddhist ritual, and according to The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying the aim of is to 'enable a person to actualize all the different aspects of enlightenment within themselves in one lifetime'. This is Morrison's mission statement for the first third of their Batman run; every Batman story happened, so all these different aspects of Batman over the years are real and reflections of the same man. Morrison intends to make a new, better, Batman, and that can only be achieved by reconciling these differing aspects of Bruce Wayne. It is said that the ritual requires enormous discipline - and who has more discipline than Batman? The ritual is practiced in a completely dark setting - in this case a cave, which of course echoes the place most readily associated with Batman.
Page 3
Panel 3 - "It's like an ordeal...of spiritual purification" - Bruce is purifying himself of the Batman he had become, he's using the ritual to shed the darkness that's increasingly dominated his life and personality.
Panel 6 - In the Thörgal ritual one experiences multiple visions - given the horrors that Bruce is trying to move past, it's not surprising he might see such things that would cause a reaction like this. Note the shadows forming a Batman logo over his face.
Page 19
Panel 5 - The ritual is over and Bruce is reappearing from the cave, by moving the boulder blocking the entrance. There are obvious links here to the resurrection of Jesus, signifying the resurrection of Batman from the dark 80s/90s character to someone more rounded. Religious allusions are used throughout Morrison's Batman run.
Page 20
Bruce emerges into the daylight, purified of his demons. By putting a confident happy looking Bruce wayne at the front and the shadow of Batman behind him, we can now see that Bruce is in control of Batman now.
