Brace yourselves! Welcome back to Final Crisis! Yeah, I know that turd of a tale left a pretty sour number on my system, but sadly, we’ve got to go back to it if we are ever going to find out if, and how, Bruce Wayne will return. RIP: The Missing Chapters really haven’t got much to do with the main Batman RIP story, since Simon Hurt has seemingly been taken care of it. If anything, it’s an aftermath and a brief summary of the important events of Final Crisis that affect the Dark Knight. That section of Time and the Batman is supplementary to Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, but Morrison also goes for a full-on celebration of the Dark Knight’s history with Batman 700. It’s a milestone that reinforces the message of Morrison’s monolithic run: Batman never dies…
Batman 700-702 was published from August to October 2010. The stories were written by Grant Morrison with art by Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert, David Finch, and Richard Friend. I’ve read the issues in the Time and The Batman trade paperback. Also, I’ve missed out Batman 703 (reprinted in the paperback)
simply because it’s not by Morrison or particularly relevant to anything really. Anything by Fabian Nicieza rarely is…
Time and the Batman --- Written by Grant Morrison with art by Tony Daniel, Frank Quitely, Scott Kolins, Andy Kubert, David Finch, and Richard Friend
Throughout Morrison’s tenure on Batman, many have occupied the Dark Knight’s cowl and Batman 700 is a celebration of just that. It mainly consists of three different sections in the extra-long special and it basically explains how the main three Batmen, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne, all do the job very differently and, in the end, it tells the story of the Caped Crusader. It’s certainly a difference from the usual anniversary stories we’re used to these days (which usually entertain faithful fans with, guess what, another Joker story). Anyway, Morrison throws us right into the action of yesterday. Years ago, Batman and Robin are captured by the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter. Oh yeah, Catwoman is just hanging around in the middle as usual. The heroes are forced into a mental torture device created by Professor Carter Nichols, who’s held captive by the villains. The whole point of the moment is that this is where the Caped Crusader becomes the Dark Knight. He breaks out of Nichols’s machine and seriously refuses to be called the Caped Crusader ever again. With the heroes slightly more serious than they were before, they head off into the night. It’s a nice opener that introduces us to a new Dynamic Duo, even if it is slightly unbelievable that the transformation in Batman's career began in one foul swoop. Anyhow, for the present, we find Dick’s Batman investigating Nichols’s death. Aside from some interesting scenes with Batman speaking casually to some police officers (further showing the difference between himself and Bruce Wayne), it’s a character story. The relationship between Batman and Robin is at its best here as they go about Gotham doing the norm. For the future, the grim smoke-filled streets are patrolled by Damian Wayne, the Batman from issue 666. The mystery of Nichols’s death is brought up yet again as deep down in the sewers, 2-Face-2, a futuristic foe with a new take on Two Face (three faces!) has been synthesising poisonous gas into Gotham’s climate change initiative. He’s also kidnapped a baby and injected him with a serum of Joker-juice. In the end, Batman rescues the baby after Nichols, who has the power of time travel from that device used to torture Batman and Robin, appears as a remnant of the past to tell Batman that he’s basically sorted out everything and will die in the past (as he did in the present). It’s a totally confusing ending and honestly, not one of Morrison’s finest. However, it’s interesting to note that that baby Damian saved was no ordinary baby. His name is Terry McGinnis. Two decades on, it’s that same baby fighting crime in neo-Gotham. 1000 years on from that, there’s a Batman in (continued)
a dystopian world, followed by another more colourful hero five decades on. The future is littered with Batman, at least until the year 85298 with the One Million Batman. Obviously, the message of the story is that no matter what time, world, or place it is, Batman will always be present. Morrison provides an exciting and unique take on an anniversary story, one which, by another writer, could have been your usual modern tripe. But no. The mixture in the narrative makes the story unique and while the link with Professor Nichols may be somewhat silly, it’s still an enjoyable story that celebrates not just Batman’s 700th issue, but the character’s past, present, and future.
As with all anniversary specials, the variations of artists often make the story more interesting and identifiable. Justice League of America 200 for example is a celebration crafted with love and care, one with brilliant artists like Perez, Aparo, and Bolland. Batman 700 is similar, but perhaps not in the same league. I’m not too sure that Tony Daniel’s art is suited-enough for a past-event, particularly one during the early bronze age. The texture of his art may be suitable, but not so much his storytelling. It’s not bad though. Frank Quitely is as great as ever, while Scott Kollins’s art, also during the present, looks very airbrushed and often cartoony. Andy Kubert was probably the best man for the job when it came to the dark days of Batman 666’s world, and we’re left with a good first impression from David Finch’s detailed visuals delivering the final pages of the story. He’ll go onto good things…
Story: 9/10
Art: 8/10
Batman RIP: The Missing Chapters --- Written by Grant Morrison with art by Tony Daniel
Despite its name, this story probably has one of the most misleading titles. This isn’t so much about Batman RIP, but more of a summary of how Bruce Wayne got from there, to Final Crisis, and then to his return in a six-issue miniseries. After the explosion of Dr Simon Hurt’s helicopter at the end of Batman 681, just as everyone thinks Batman is dead, the hero escapes through the docks and makes his way to the slums of Gotham. He eventually makes it home and after some much-needed rest, he investigates the scene of the crime. Surprise, surprise, Simon Hurt is gone. For much of the first part, it literally is Bruce Wayne having a nap. Oh yeah, that plot-point of the false Bruce Wayne story about his drugged-up parents and how Alfred is a simple actor does come back, which is good. But it doesn’t get much coverage since the world is ending and that seems to take up much of Batman’s time. Simply put, the first part ties up some loose ends from the Black Glove saga, although why this story had to be released in Batman 701, twenty issues after the conclusion of Batman RIP, is completely beyond me. Regardless, the second part begins with Batman investigating Orion’s murder from Final Crisis 1. Thankfully, Morrison relieves any worry that we have to go-over the events of Final Crisis once more. It only retells the important scenes featuring Batman, his investigation, and his discovery of the time-bullet that he later uses to bury in Darkseid’s shoulder. Yes, that moment is represented once again, this time with Tony Daniel’s artwork without a complete double-page. There is a bit to do with Batman 682-683, but much of the remainder reveals Batman’s real plan. It turns out that he left an audio recording with the Justice League to tell them that he is alive and trapped in some time-trapped puzzle left behind by Darkseid. The main point is that he is alive alright, but millions of years in the past watching the first human die. This begins one of my least favourite aspects of Morrison’s run, but while
The Missing Chapters acts undeniably as a prequel into that story, it does well in setting up the scene and bridging the gap. I do think that leaving behind the audio recording, although convenient, doesn’t make much sense since I thought Darkseid’s rays were meant to be unpredictable and entirely random. How did he know he’d be sent back in time, as opposed to being killed outright (like everybody else)? It just doesn’t add up. The Missing Chapters certainly isn’t an important aspect or moment in Morrison’s run, but it provides some much-needed context and overall, makes for a nice, if flawed, supplementary piece.
With Tony Daniel’s art on Batman RIP, he was obviously a suitable choice for its Missing Chapters. As ever, Daniel provides pages which are action-packed. It’s never anything revolutionary or entirely outstanding, but it’s reliable and safe. I have to say that some of his own inks are a bit dodgy and often clumsy, but apart from that, it works well.
Story: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
VERDICT
Overall, Time and the Batman, although not essential Dark Knight reading, acts as good supplementary stories which deepen the lore of Morrison’s run and generally provides some good stories. Batman 700 serves as a unique and interesting anniversary special, while The Missing Chapters, despite a misleading title, bridges a gap. It’s only a shame that the bridge leads to one of Morrison’s worst stories ever written, but we’ll get through it…
Stories: 8.5/10
Art: 7.5/10
Next Week: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne 1-6). Written by Grant Morrison with art by Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe, Georges Jeanty, Walden Wong, Ryan Sook, Pere Perez, Mick Gray, Lee Garbett, and Alejandro Sicat.
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