Welcome to our annotations of Grant Morrison’s Batman – starting with Batman #655 in 2006 and ending with Batman Inc Vol 2 #13 in 2013. This project was inspired by my quest to better understand the story, by closely analysing the text, researching what I could, and using secondary sources to add to my own analysis. In doing so the story has been illuminated in surprising and exciting new ways, but has also raised new questions that require further thought. These annotations are intended for those who have already read the comics and will be replete with spoilers – something almost impossible to avoid given the large amount of foreshadowing and cross referencing in the work.
Most of the annotations are my own views and research, however I have been ably aided in this by two other incredible pieces of analysis into this Batman run; the book The Anatomy of Zur-En-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrinson’s Batman by Cody Walker, and the podcast series Batman in Quarantine by Comics Place. These annotations are not intended to simply copy or replace those sources, as they just scratch the surface of the analysis and theories they provide, and I recommend both to anyone who wants to go even deeper into Morrison’s work. The Batman in Quarantine podcast also does a very good job of providing criticism of the varied art throughout the series – something that, other than addressing what is depicted and its relation to the plot or themes of the story – is beyond the scope of these annotations. The annotations also include comments by Morrison from interviews and additional material in the collected editions. Rather than cite these individually I will provide a bibliography, including multiple Morrison interviews, at the end of the project.
An important point to stress is that these annotations, and the additional material referred to throughout them, are not necessary to read and enjoy Grant Morrison’s Batman saga. I read, and loved, the comics at the time on a more surface level. However, it is a work that rewards close and repeated reading, as well as the reader’s own enquiries. Indeed, this was Morrison’s intention from the start; “It’s an approach which rewards deeper and more engrossing engagement from readers. It’s proven very popular and will probably become commonplace. TV shows like Lost and movies like Donnie Darko generated the same kind of extra-narrative participation, if I dare call it that!”
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Whilst I have a reasonable knowledge of Batman and DC
Comics, and have used various reference material to cover my gaps, I am sure
there will be some errors here and there, particularly with DC’s repeated
continuity resets over the years. Therefore,
any corrections or additions are warmly welcomed via the comments or our social
media channels. Equally many of my
comments regarding the themes of the story and Morrison’s use of metaphor are
my own interpretation, and its likely you will have come to a different interpretation
– again, any input regarding this is very much welcome. I also expect that upon conclusion of the
project there will be issues I have identified that change or correct earlier
annotations. Any amendments or additions
to the original post will be noted in red text.
Different points in this Batman story have different depths of textual information and references. Some pages require detailed annotations, then some complete issues are more action focused and have few annotations. Therefore, each blog will vary in length depending on the particular issue. The page numbers used are based on the story pages only, skipping any advert pages in the original printed comics. However, I intend to use artwork as much as possible to make clear what is being discussed. The annotations will include some degree of repetition of information – so people can just dip into find a particular page or panel they have queries about, without having to read the whole project from beginning to end. However, general biographical and metatextual information about a character will be addressed on their first appearance in the story.
Themes, Motifs and Plot
I’m sure you either have your own ideas and impressions of themes, recurring patterns, and story lines in this epic, or maybe my annotations will get you thinking about these issues. However, these are the main factors that I’ve identified and will be focusing on – many of which overlap:
1. Bat-History
One of the central conceits to the first third of Morrison’s Batman – and still a recurring theme throughout – is that all Batman stories happened (in some form) and matter. Morrison takes that idea and asks what would happen to someone who experienced all that, and how could someone take advantage of it? Morrison describes his original idea as “I thought, “What if all the stories from 1939 until now were true, and they were part of this guy’s biography? If he’s had 15 years, and he was 19 when he started, and he’s maybe 34 now, heading for 35, you could fit this stuff in.” And then, the floodgates opened to me.”
2. The duality of Batman and the Joker
That Batman and the Joker are opposites and intrinsically linked as characters is an idea that has been around for a long time, but it is one Morrison explores in depth during their run – “As my Batman mega-story attempted to reconcile the various portrayals of Batman through the decades, so I was compelled to account for the radical transformations of the Joker…….My Joker, bent and whipped like a sapling in a breeze, was a damaged human being reacting to every shift in the zeitgeist, every change in the weather, by constructing a new personality in response”. As we will see, this is also demonstrated through the art with the use of a black and red colour scheme – particularly during the R.I.P. storyline.
3. The evolution of Batman and the Joker (and Robin)
Tied in with the first two are the changes both Batman and the Joker have undergone throughout the years – there are identifiable differences between these characters in the 30s, 60s, and 80s for example. Morrison proposes in universe explanations for these metamorphoses, that in reality were driven by wider changes in popular culture and external issues such as the Comic Code Authority.
4. The nature of the Black Glove
The who, what, why, and how of the Black Glove – the antagonist behind Batman’s travails for most of the run – is a mystery that Morrison lays clues for throughout, without ultimately giving a conclusive answer. Morrison initially laid it out as an unresolved binary answer; “we wanted to set up the big idea that maybe – maybe – the ultimate diabolical mastermind is Thomas Wayne. So the readers were kind of left with two choices: maybe it was Thomas Wayne pretending to be the devil, and maybe it was the devil pretending to be Thomas Wayne”. Yet the text is more complex than that; the Black Glove, which confusingly can refer to the individual or the group he assembles to take on Batman, is ‘the ultimate evil’, and may or may not be; Dr Hurt (a mysterious doctor from Batman’s past), Thomas Wayne (Bruce’s presumed murdered father), Thomas Wayne (a devil worshipping ancestor of the Wayne family), the devil himself, or an aspect of the New God Darkseid (the cosmic embodiment of evil) – or some combination of some or all of the above. It’s down to the reader to decide for themselves.
5. The identity of the Domino Killer and Oberon Sexton
The pop art adventures of Dick Grayson and Damian as Batman and Robin respectively revolve around a couple of mysteries; who is the Domino Killer, what is their agenda, and what is the real identity of supposed British crime writer Oberon Sexton?The answer ties this middle third of Morrison’s run back to Batman R.I.P.
6. The death and return of Bruce Wayne
Despite the hype around the ‘death’ of Batman, his resurrection-of-sorts came pretty quickly. The back end of the Batman and Robin third of the run features the most complex and confusing part of the story, as we switch between the contemporaneous storyline of Batman and Robin trying to solve the conundrum of Bruce’s death and return, and then to Bruce himself as he fights his way through time back to the present. This story also plays with the creation of Batman as an idea, both in a broader historical sense, and specifically the infamous bat breaking through the window scene which transformed vigilante Bruce into the Batman.
7. The hole in things
Tying into Grant Morrison’s seminal Final Crisis storyline that takes place between the first two thirds of their Batman story, the phrase and concept of ‘the hole in things’ is ever present. It ties the idea of the hole in each if use that can never be filled - the tragedies that help define our personalities - to the notion of the god of evil Darkseid falling through reality and creating such holes. As we will see there are repeated physical manifestations of this idea in the story, not least in the bullet holes in Bruce’s parents without which there would be no Batman.
8. The Batman logo as a sigil
The sigil, or even hyper-sigil, is an idea often addressed by Morrison. A sigil has religious and chaos magic connections, but for Batman, we should consider it a logo or symbol that that transmits specific ideas or feelings. In the latter third of Morrison’s run, Batman Inc, they explore the use of the Bat-symbol as a corporate logo that disseminates the idea of Batman (the anthesis of crime) around the world.
9. The number 3
Morrison’s Batman run is littered with trios. What this may mean is the one big symbolism of the story I’ve so far struggled with, so I’m hoping doing these annotations may help me crack the code. The most obvious connection with the number 3 is the holy trinity of the Christian religion – which given the overt religious nature of some of the story and characters feels like a natural fit, if not a bit on the nose for Morrison. It would also tie the 3 Batmen of the story into the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Though which characters would fulfil which role is not necessarily clear cut; Dick Grayson could be the Son, but so could Damian, Bruce may be the Father but so could Thomas Wayne, but then Bruce’s actions in The Return of Bruce Wayne feel very Holy Ghost-like. However, the number 3 is also very important in many other religions, magic, and numerology.
10. The identity of Leviathan
The main plot of Batman Inc is the conflict between Batman and his allies, and the mysterious terrorist organisation Leviathan. Who they are, what their motives are, and what their connection to Batman is, drive the last part of Morrison’s run. Like the Black Glove/RIP storyline, clues are sprinkled throughout – and ties into a broader theme of generational change (See below).
11. Ouroboros
The Ouroboros is an image of a snake or dragon eating its own tail. It symbolises life, death, and rebirth, and the cyclical nature of things. Morrison’s run has several examples of this; the immortality of Batman as an idea and character beyond just Bruce Wayne, the ideas of the Leviathan organisation (who use it as a symbol), and on a meta level the propensity of super-hero stories to ultimately return to their previous status quo. The latter plays into Morrison’s reason for his Batman run, originally intended to drag the character out of the dark and gritty 80s/90s tone, and out of Gotham City, to make him a more positive global super-hero – only to see DC’s relaunched universe revert him back to where he found him. Linked to this is Morrison’s idea that death – and the tragedy, grief, and psychological impact of death – are a key part of Batman’s personality and the Batman mythos as a whole. Almost everyone close to Bruce Wayne has died at some point; his parents, Alfred, Jason Todd (the second Robin), Damian (his son), and many others. Obviously in this storyline Bruce himself is considered dead by those left behind. For Morrison without death there is no Batman.
12. Generations
The broadest and deepest theme across Morrison’s Batman is generational relationships and change, and the one theme easily identifiable from beginning to end. There is the most obvious connection in the introduction of Damian, as Batman’s biological son, and their relationship, which spreads out into Bruce’s relationships with his adopted sons Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake. The roles are then reversed in the dynamics of Bruce with his father figure Alfred, and his allegedly-back-from-the-dead father Thomas Wayne – and of course the absence of his parents (the hole in things) is a constant background hum to Bruce’s life. In the Return of Bruce Wayne, the idea of generations is pushed further, with the Wayne ancestry back through the centuries a key plot point. The whole epic culminates with Tali al Ghul’s plan to use the children of the new generation to overthrow the world of their parents, whilst also delving into her generational relationships of her father, Ra’s, and her son, Damian.
There are of course many more themes, ideas, and story lines
amongst this epic saga – both incredibly broad, and sometime very small and
specific – but the above are the more obvious ones to have in mind when reading
the comics. Again, I would suggest The
Anatomy of Zur-En-Arrh book for some of the bigger ideas (in the sense that
they encompass more than the comics under consideration) or more speculative
(such as Dr Hurt and the Joker representing Alan Moore and Grant Morrison
respectively). Additionally, I’m hoping
re-reading and annotating Morrison’s Batman will increase my own understanding
of the work and thus may change my thoughts on, or add to, the list above.
The next couple of instalments will focus on related reading, i.e. other comics that you could read before (re)reading this storyline to better inform your understanding of it.
So, buckle up for this adventure because I’ve just finished a re-read of the whole shebang and it’s a hell of a wild ride!
