Batman’s dead? Give me a break already

16Jan09

Okay, so if you haven’t heard the news yet for some reason, Grant Morrison “killed off” Batman in Wednesday’s issue of FINAL CRISIS #6 (of 7). So he’s dead, and DC Comics barely flinches? Uhm, I don’t think so. I tracked down the issue and read it, just so I could figure this out for myself. And here are six reasons why I think this whole thing is bullshit.

1. Are there two Grant Morrisons? Grant Morrison just finished up BATMAN: RIP, and earlier he said that what he planned to do to Batman “is a fate worse than death.” In fact, when asked about FINAL CRISIS and whether it inevitably meant certain death for characters like Batman, Morrison said, “I’d rather not kill characters. I like to give fates worse than death.” He explained things even more:

CMix: And how does Batman R.I.P. fit into the timeline of Final Crisis?

GM: It takes place before [Final Crisis]. R.I.P. will lead into Final Crisis. Whether the Batman in Final Crisis is actually Bruce Wayne, you’ve got to see for yourself. It could be Nightwing, it could be Tim. Tim deserves it, you know, he chose the life and he’s worked hard. Nightwing would be fun, but a very different Batman, more smart-ass.

2. It just doesn’t make any sense. Killing off Batman (up there as one of DC’s top superheroes) is pretty close to publisher dismemberment. Whatever DC is doing—not to mention in the chaotic midst of all these cancellations—they’re not doing it very well, especially considering the recent success of The Dark Knight. That movie has been getting people interested in Batman comics, but there’s no way I would recommend any of them right now for either new or returning readers. “RIP” was choppy and an overall disappointment, and it left a huge mess in its wake for other writers to clean up. Then Morrison gets to come back and do more damage later on when he finishes his “RIP” plans.

3. Darkseid? Darkseid?! Oh, come on! I have to agree with Ra’s Al Ghul on this one. In the latest issue of NIGHTWING (issue #152), Ra’s told Dick Grayson that Batman deserved to die by the hands of one of his worthiest opponents—not only someone who could match him but someone who respected him, as well. Of course, Ra’s thinks that person should have been him … And Nightwing told him to suck it by basically saying, “Dude, Batman has always kicked your butt. It’s never gonna happen.”

4. With the last few reasons in mind … since when does Batman use a gun? Morrison has mentioned that the FINAL CRISIS Batman might not be Bruce Wayne, so could Morrison be throwing a hint our way? Of course, the Dark Knight says he’s willing to make an exception this one time, but I still don’t buy it. It’s way too uncharacteristic—and Batman definitely would not be smug about it. If you ask me, something’s off.

5. Comic book characters come back all the time. It’s nothing new. If DC brought Superman back to life after they allowed Doomsday to beat him to a bloody pulp (“Death of Superman”), then it’s not surprising they figured something like that happening to Batman would be pretty neat. Except it’s not, DC. Because Grant Morrison running the show.

6. Will the real Batman please stand up? Pretty much every fan will advocate that Bruce Wayne is the one and only Batman, and DC friggin’ knows it. “Battle of the Cowl” might be approaching, but this isn’t the first time someone has clambored for the title. Remember Azrael? If you lose Bruce Wayne, you lose a huge chunk of the fanbase. Batman just wouldn’t be the same.

Discuss: What do you think? Dead or alive—or forget Grant Morrison, and he can take the Son of Batman with him?

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Tags: batman rip, final crisis, grant morrison