Batman #671: The Ressurection of Ra's Al Ghul Pt. 4 *SPOILERS*

[Choppa]

The issue starts with the Sensei interrogating some priests on how to get into the temple with the Fountain of Life. Then it cuts to Ra's asking Batman to choose which body he should use for his resurrection, Tim or Damian's. Batman tells him to let them go and he'll take them to the fountain.

He agrees and they set off for Nanda Parbat. Ra's remarks how Batman knows his way around and Batman says it's cause he was there recently for a purification ritual (I'm guessing a reference to 52?). Ra's says that he does seem different.

They arrive and are attacked by the Sensei's men who Batman quickly defeats. Ra's goes to the fountain and Batman says to be careful of the Sensei. The Sensei is there and says that he is dissapointed in his Son's failures. Batman is surprised to learn that the Sensei is Ra's' father. The Sensei says he doesn't deserve another chance and somehow injures him from the distance. As he falls down he tells Batman to avenge him. Batman and the Sensei fight, and the Sensei breaks his arm, throws his staff through him, blinds him, pauses to say that he can only fight for two minutes but only needs one, and continues to thrash him.

Batman fights back and the sensei asks what he's doing. Batman says, lasting longer than a minute, and then the sensei lunges at Batman, who moves out of the way and causes him to fall into the fountain and start burning because of the water. Batman passes out.

Meanwhile one of the priests examines Ra's and says he is dead. Suddenly the priest freezes for a second and then walks away as though nothing happened. Batman then gets up and yells out "RA'S!"

[IamtheRock3]

I am guessing Ra's in the priest

Seem rather easy, and he went to a LOT o trouble when he could just grab the nearest priest anyway

[Harding Prime]

Well that was the best issue in the story arc so far, by far. The ending where Ra's walks away as the monk does leave something to ask that will hopefully be answered in the next 3 issues, obviously it seemed to easy. But i did really enjoy the action and the story all coming together. Just wonder what the next 3 issues has left, besides just the answer to my question.

[ultramandingo]

.........im only reading the morrison book - so i have no idea whats going on . ninjas and crap

[Omega Alpha]

Excellent. Morrison should have written all the issues of the crossover.

[Harding Prime]

Excellent. Morrison should have written all the issues of the crossover.

Totally agree. And I'm sure he might have wanted to as well.

[IQ!]

I am guessing Ra's in the priest

Seem rather easy, and he went to a LOT o trouble when he could just grab the nearest priest anyway

Yeah I was a little confused by the last two pages but I guess I was right in thinking what everyone else was thinking. The sequence was kind of odd.

So is The Sensei ...dead?

[lonewolf23k]

I am guessing Ra's in the priest

Seem rather easy, and he went to a LOT o trouble when he could just grab the nearest priest anyway

Just because he could transfer his mind into any available body doesn't mean Ra's can't be picky. He clearly held out from doing so until he had absolutely no choice, and then went for the closest available form.

[Damo]

Oy, after a fantastic Nightwing issue and a so-so Detective issue, I had high hopes. But this was pretty awful. I have a real fondness for the Birth of the Demon origin story, and coming out of nowhere with the revelation that Sensei is Ra's al Ghul's father, who raised him to be a conquerer... I've got to say, I do not like it. It seemed almost disrespectful to Denny O'Neil. The defeat of Sensei's men seemed terribly anticlimactic, even with Batman's hand "guided". I'll stick around and see the rest, hoping it'll turn around, and it might all be worth it for that excellent Nightwing issue, but on the whole this arc has been a big let-down so far.

[Fatguy]

I thought this issue was ok, which is a HUGE upgrade from how I've felt about the previous installments. The fight with the Sensei at the end was great.

[spidervenom]

This was the best issue in the crossover.

[Harding Prime]

So is The Sensei ...dead?

Thats the question....dum dum dummmm!

[Captain Jim]

And I'm sure he might have wanted to as well.

Oh, I don't know. They brought in new writers for Robin and Nightwing, so it's not like Morrison couldn't have done it if he'd really wanted to. Unless you mean he would have liked to, but knew he wouldn't have time.

[Sizzle]

I just read parts 1 to 4 today, as my comics came. For the most part, I really liked everything. However, I think Tim is very mischaracterized in the early part of the story.

I also had a hard time believing Alfred could get the drop on an Ubu, but it did not bother me too much.

Nice reveal on Ra's dad, I'm interested in seeing how this folds out.

[HotRod_Tim]

Morrison, Dini, and crew are really telling one helluva story here. Ra's Al Ghul has ALWAYS been my favorite Bat-villain, and this arc is showing why. All the characters are intriguing and much is being revealed, and we still have the second half of the story to go. Hopefully I-Ching will be sticking around the Bat books, I'm loving that character right now. As for the Sensei being Ra's father, while not too clever or original, it does add more father-son aspects than just Bruce/Damian and Tim. As for Talia, she's really got me wondering, what is she gonna do? She's been taking a back seat in this story what with helping Bruce find her father and everything, I really hope she steps up in the end and does something crazy out of the blue.

[Harding Prime]

Oh, I don't know. They brought in new writers for Robin and Nightwing, so it's not like Morrison couldn't have done it if he'd really wanted to. Unless you mean he would have liked to, but knew he wouldn't have time.

Time constraints is what I was talking about, I think that DC wanted it done in 8 weeks and they didn't want to turn it into something coming out as slow as an all-star title. It would have been better, but the wait sometimes isn't work it.

[Pyro]

I'm a little late to the game, but I have a lingering question. Batman was healed by the Fountain of Life in this issue, right? I mean, it looks like he's in the water and he's fine later on, it's just that no one specifically mentions it at all in the storyline. I feel like it should have been a bigger deal than it turned out to be.