Re: Batman Series Discussion *Spoilers*
I think this isn't particularly good.
I don't get any of what's going on. I assume this is because I've not been reading the rest of Morrison's run but... this says "part 2". And I read "part 1". I assume I'm at the 'beginning', but I'm feeling more like this is the 'middle'.
I'm a avid comic book reader, and I can't jump into the first issue of a BATMAN arc without a primer.
This is why mainstream superhero comics are a niche cult, and not mainstream successes like their movie counterparts.
I think that's the problem with Morrison's Batman. It's supposed to be a "novel in episodic form". I've been reading it since the start, and thought it was good, but not great. Then, right before the first issue of R.I.P. came out, I sat down and read the whole thing from start to finish.
And it's actually pretty damn excellent. Up until R.I.P. the issues were able to stand fairly well on their own, but you could easily shrug them off. But when you read it all together, it all starts to come together. I for one, really like it. Pacing-wise, it seems to have a lot in common with New X-Men, although I can't say that with certainty, because I didn't read New X-Men until well after it came out, in trades. For the record, I liked New X-Men, but I didn't love it, and felt like some parts were very sketchy. This feels like an evolution of that kind of storytelling.
Basically, it's a mystery story, but you're never entirely sure what the mystery is. There's a series of interweaving themes, but if you don't read it all together, you start to miss a lot of them, mostly because it's not linear. Pieces will be picked up, forgotten for an issue or two, and then revised. Even so, the first arc is a pretty hard means to get into the story, because, even with the context of the story as a whole, it's not nearly as good as what follows it. Even if you don't like the story, I think it can be said pretty objectively that Morrison's writing a Batman story that's never been seen, or at least hasn't been seen in years. It's like a dark nightmare, with all sorts of bizarre fringe elements drawn in from the corners.
As for R.I.P. I can definitely see how a new reader couldn't get into it. I haven't read the second issue yet, and won't get the chance until tomorrow, but it depends heavily on an understanding of the mythology Morrison's already built. The pacing was a little off on the first issue, but I liked it for two reasons. One, I really like Grant's take on the evolution of crime in Gotham City - this idea of the organized crime hierarchy being usurped by costumed crime. The mooks, in turn, are forced to adapt by playing into the henchman game. And now that so many of the established big players are locked away, the city's open for a flood of henches and just plain lunatics who now have an opportunity to get a piece of the playing field. A game that was previously dominated by these intensely polarizing psychotics is now equal opportunity for anyone with a mask and the desire. I also really like the potential of the Black Mask's organization. It draws Batman back to the real roots of the character, a very pulpy feel with a new gallery of bizarre rogues that seems straight out of an old Dick Tracy comic. Tony Daniel's art helps, too. The first couple of issues he was on I wasn't much of a fan, but since then, he's really stepped up his game. I think he's an excellent fit.
I can see how people might not like it, but I'm just eating it up. I know I have a reputation for getting on Grant Morrison's bandwagon, but this is actually really, really good. It just takes a steep investment to enjoy.
