Batman RIP Question

[civil twilight 33]

Hey all, sorry if this has been asked already, but I was just wondering what Batman stories I need to read in order to be able to read and understand everything that happens in R.I.P. I've read most of the major bat stories (dkr, dksa, arkham asylum, year one, hush, killing joke, long halloween, dark victory.) I've heard it's pretty confusing unless you've read a lot of others.

Thanks in advance!

[bscheur]

I would say to start at the beginning of Morrison's run. As for a lot of the older references, good luck trying to pick up on those. Best bet is to keep track of the forums and find out what the Hell Morrison is talking about. As many comics and TBR's that i have read, there is no way in hell i would have understood what the heck Batman of Zur-en-ahh was if it wasn't for wikipedia and forums like this.

[PatchMadripoor]

I would say to start at the beginning of Morrison's run. As for a lot of the older references, good luck trying to pick up on those. Best bet is to keep track of the forums and find out what the Hell Morrison is talking about. As many comics and TBR's that i have read, there is no way in hell i would have understood what the heck Batman of Zur-en-ahh was if it wasn't for wikipedia and forums like this.

some of the websites that post scans (won't name any... do your own leg work) show the current issue in RIP and also the corresponding reference issues to those issues back from those ker-aaa-ziieeeee days, including analysis and ideas as to how the wacked out ideas could be used today.

[4thHorseman]

Yeah, just read from Morrisons run. It's all supposed to link together.

As for the stories that it's been referencing, DC has talked about releasing a trade collecting those stories since they are worth a pretty penny now and hard to find. So there might be a trade you can look to pick up in the future.

[AlistairCrane]

I didn't read any of Morrison's run up til RIP and I found it very easy to follow. All you need to know is that there's an evil team of villains with an agenda to destroy Batman.

[JoshuaCee]

I didn't read any of Morrison's run up til RIP and I found it very easy to follow. All you need to know is that there's an evil team of villains with an agenda to destroy Batman.

You also need to understand that at some point in the past, Batman participated in a sensory deprivation experiment and created mental fail safe in the event that his mind is compromised.

[AlistairCrane]

You also need to understand that at some point in the past, Batman participated in a sensory deprivation experiment and created mental fail safe in the event that his mind is compromised.

Which is mentioned early on in RIP.

[JoshuaCee]

Which is mentioned early on in RIP.

Is it? I'm confused with some of the stuff going on in RIP, myself, and I've been reading Morrison's run from the start. I'm sure everything will come together when the time comes, but I'm sure the original poster isn't going to begrudge any infor regarding the story. :smile:

[civil twilight 33]

Is it? I'm confused with some of the stuff going on in RIP, myself, and I've been reading Morrison's run from the start. I'm sure everything will come together when the time comes, but I'm sure the original poster isn't going to begrudge any infor regarding the story. :smile:

yeah seriously, thanks! It just sounds so damn complicated to me. I just finished Hush today and I was totally wowed. I can't believe some people don't like Jeph Loeb. And Jim Lee's artwork was AWESOME.

[Captain Jim]

I agree that, ideally, you should read all of the Morrison Batman stories to date. That doesn't mean you can't follow the general storyline if you begin with RIP proper, but there's a lot of build-up in those earlier issues that give you a larger picture than you'd have otherwise.

A good alternative to finding all the back issues would be picking up the Batman & Son HC or TPb and the Black Glove HC.

[nepenthes]

what everyone else said - you've read alot of comics already all you need now is Batman & Son and Black Glove which will add ALOT to your enjoyment of RIP. You don't need to read the Siver Age issues, just do a google search see what blogs and things come up - it'll take you like 10 minutes, I don't know why people complain about Morrison linking to these issues, maybe they're just morons or something

actually, Son of the Demon might be interesting to you. but it's hardly necersarry. Also Gothic to compare how Morrison has approached Batman previously, it's different to how he wrote Arkham Asylum. Both are expectional Batman trades you should read eventually regardless :smile: . and Blind Justice and Ego both deal with the question of "is batman sane?"..."is he doing the right thing?" in a similar manner to RIP, and they do it very well.

[Jack-In-The-Box]

I know I'm missing almost everything when I read Batman. Some people might hate me for saying this, but I'm looking forward to the end of Grant Morrison's run.

[civil twilight 33]

I know I'm missing almost everything when I read Batman. Some people might hate me for saying this, but I'm looking forward to the end of Grant Morrison's run.

from the sound of it, you're not totally alone. I didn't particularly like arkham asylum. I think i'm pretty much alone on that accord.

[nepenthes]

from the sound of it, you're not totally alone. I didn't particularly like arkham asylum. I think i'm pretty much alone on that accord.

really? from my travels Arkham Asylum has its fair share of detractors. anything that pretentious and high falutin will. I like aspects of it but Morrison was clearly yanking his own chain a little more than necerssary and it could have been SO much better had he not. I don't like the art either, the mood is great but it's overdone in places and the layouts are horrendous. McKean made a big stink about hero comics being too low brow for him but then the guy can barely illustrate a sequence of events. get it right before you say you're too good for it. He refused to draw Robin! riiiight buddy

[theNighteye]

it is pretty confusing. and you do have to read alot of the other comics but it you do it makes RIP interesting. but yes be aware that there are RIP tie ins.


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[civil twilight 33]

it is pretty confusing. and you do have to read alot of the other comics but it you do it makes RIP interesting. but yes be aware that there are RIP tie ins.


will these tie-ins be a part of the upcoming rip TPB? What other comics would I have to read besides batman and son, the black glove, and resurrection of ra's?

[Mat001]

will these tie-ins be a part of the upcoming rip TPB?

I'm thinking that this, "Last Days Of Gotham" and "Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader" will all be collected together. Not in "R.I.P." though.

What other comics would I have to read besides batman and son, the black glove, and resurrection of ra's?

If you want to know the "R.I.P." storyline? That's really it. Beyond that, the other books are more about the other characters.

[carabas]

And that includes the so-caleld tie-ins. The current Nightwing and robin stories, Dini's Hush story, the only thing that ties them to R.I.P. is the logo on the cover.

If you just read all of Morrison's Batman run (an mayhaps 52 #30, although it isn't really required reading) you've got all of the R.I.P. story.

[nepenthes]

also it's easy too forget them but there are two more single issues that are kind of relevent. DC Universe 0 features three pretty cool pages of Batman and Joker talking about the Black Glove and the black and red, and 52 #32 (?) has Batyman in his year off in Nanda Parbat, the rituals and Ten Eyed Men etc. Not critical to understanding RIP, but they tie in. i'll look for scans later maybe that's all you need

The Robin Nightwing Tec tie-ins so far don't tie in at all

[JoshuaCee]

yeah seriously, thanks! It just sounds so damn complicated to me. I just finished Hush today and I was totally wowed. I can't believe some people don't like Jeph Loeb. And Jim Lee's artwork was AWESOME.

No problem. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Hush at all. Jim Lee's art was phenomenal, but Loeb's story bored me to no end. The whole story seemed like an excuse for the two of them to play with Batman's rogues gallery without actually having to tell a decent story.

I like most of Loeb's other stuff, though.

[civil twilight 33]

No problem. Personally, I wasn't a fan of Hush at all. Jim Lee's art was phenomenal, but Loeb's story bored me to no end. The whole story seemed like an excuse for the two of them to play with Batman's rogues gallery without actually having to tell a decent story.

I like most of Loeb's other stuff, though.

don't hate me, but that to me is what long halloween felt like most of the time. :frown:

what ever happened...is the neil gaiman story correct?

[flapjaxx]

The relevant issues of 52 are #30 and #47. Bruce actually DOES more in #30, but I think that what happens off-panel in #47 is more significant (the issue shows Tim worrying about how Bruce has isolated himself in a cave). And, yeah, you're going to want to check out the three-page Batman/Joker interlude in DC Universe #0. Really neat stuff (and hopefully they'll throw those three pages into the RIP collected edition).

Other than that, all you need is Morrison's run, which is Batman 655-658, 663-present. (And in my opinion the Ra's crossover issues are almost completely irrelevant.)

Of course, sigh, in a few of those Morrison issues are allusions to things that happened in obscure Batman comics 40-60 years ago. You, uh, don't need to buy those. Finding out what happened in what issue 50 years ago is not really necessary to enjoy the Morrison's story; just accept the fact that he will reference things that BATMAN HIMSELF has basically forgotten. That's part of the story. And imo it's a story definitely worth telling, reading, and studying.

don't hate me, but that to me is what long halloween felt like most of the time. :frown:

Long Halloween is incredibly overrated, imo. It's very good but nowhere near excellent, especially because of the writing--the dialogues seemed very repetitive. I don't worship at the altar of Tim Sale either--he's good, but his style gets boring after looking at it for hundreds of pages. It's a good little introductory Batman story, though. I stopped collecting comics around the time that Long Halloween was concluding, then I came back a few years ago and was shocked at how some people are acting like this story is just one or two notches below DKR or Year One. Puh-lease. When this was coming out people weren't going on about it that way. It's not really much better than any 13-issue sample from anything Dixon or Moench ever did. In my opinion, of course. And that's not a put-down; I like Dixon and Moench.

what ever happened...is the neil gaiman story correct?

Yes.

[civil twilight 33]

^^^ very informative thank you. I think i'll pick up batman and son today..or should I start with batman:gothic?

[JoshuaCee]

don't hate me, but that to me is what long halloween felt like most of the time. :frown:

Haha. The Long Halloween is one of my favorites. :smile:

[flapjaxx]

^^^ very informative thank you. I think i'll pick up batman and son today..or should I start with batman:gothic?

My advice would be to start with those two single issues of 52 (#30 and #47) IF you can locate them easily. If not, no big deal.

Otherwise, I'd start with "Batman & Son" over "Gothic". "Batman & Son" is the real proper start of Morrison's current run (the 52 stuff could be considered "prologue"). Be prepared to feel a bit underwhelmed, though. "Batman & Son" doesn't read that well on first reading, imo. And even now, after we're able to see so many of the clues that Morrison dropped in those first 4-7 issues, they're honestly still my least favorite issues of the whole run. They're not "bad"--especially not 664 and 665--but the first truly "great" issue of the run, imo, is #666, which is the last issue collected in "Batman & Son".

About "Gothic": I wouldn't even bother with it. It is Batman as written by Morrison, but if you're going to read that, you may as well start by reading "Arkham Asylum", and then read Morrison's whole JLA run too (you'd be surprised how many thematic parallels to the current Batman there are in those JLA issues--but they're not important). So... just start with "Batman & Son". There are some people who think that the villain of "Gothic" (Mr Whisper, who did a deal with the Devil) will turn out to be the Black Glove behind "RIP". But there's only a real slim chance of that. There's very, very, very little in "Gothic" (or in "Arkham Asylum", I'd say) that would help you enjoy or understand the current run more.

[civil twilight 33]

^^yeah i've read arkham asylum. it was good, except for the art and the joker's speech bubbles. i even had glasses on and i had to mega-squint. even then i couldn't read what the heck he was saying. the writing was great though. I'll pick up batman and son as soon as i can though.

what exactly is "52"?

[nepenthes]

defintly start with Batmanand Son. Gothic has nothing to do with RIP, it's just a cool Morrison story you should get it soon after anyways.

52 focused on a different DC hero every week, something about counting down to some cosmic event, Crisis or something, i don't follow all that stuff it's pretty lame. don't worry about it unless you really love DC universe. wikipedia should sort you out I'd assume though

[JoshuaCee]

^^yeah i've read arkham asylum. it was good, except for the art and the joker's speech bubbles. i even had glasses on and i had to mega-squint. even then i couldn't read what the heck he was saying. the writing was great though. I'll pick up batman and son as soon as i can though.

what exactly is "52"?

It is something you should stay very, very far away from. Exposure to 52 could lead to a curiosity about Countdown, and that, good sir, is fatal.

[civil twilight 33]

It is something you should stay very, very far away from. Exposure to 52 could lead to a curiosity about Countdown, and that, good sir, is fatal.

eek. maybe i'll just wiki it. and for the record...i'm a girl. :smile:

[TuPeT]

Who read Batman and the Outsiders #10? I read some people saying that the end of RIP is practily given in that issue. Is that true?

[JoshuaCee]

eek. maybe i'll just wiki it. and for the record...i'm a girl. :smile:

Oops. :wink:

[carabas]

eek. maybe i'll just wiki it. and for the record...i'm a girl. :smile:52 is written by some of the best writers ever to work for DC, and is one the best DC events (if you can call a self-contained maxi-series an event) ever.

Just take care that you remember that notall year-long weekly series are created equally.

[Chiroptera]

52 is written by some of the best writers ever to work for DC, and is one the best DC events (if you can call a self-contained maxi-series an event) ever.

Just take care that you remember that notall year-long weekly series are created equally.

QFT. I loved 52.
It is a good series but do NOT let it suck you into Countdown, or any other weekly series unless it sounds like something YOU will like. These weekly comics come down heavilly upon personal taste. Some people live one weekly and hate the one that follows it. Some like the one that follows, but don't like it's predecessor.