Post by Timothy on Jul 30, 2008 18:59:39 GMT -5
I did not mean that metaphorically; will Batman literally go to Hell?
This would make sense and keep in line with a comment made by "Batman: R.I.P." writer Grant Morrison,
Grant Morrison explained that what's going to happen to Batman is "so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story! I like to keep the story twisting and turning. So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all. This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."
To that end, here are two excellent posts from the Comic Book Resources forum regarding the possibility of the identity of "the Black Glove" from the "Batman: R.I.P." storyline.
I just had a re-read of Batman #666, and after reading Morrison's comments at CCI's Batman panel, the only logical conclusion i can come to is that the Black Glove is...
Satan?
Apologies if this has been mentioned before in another thread, but i don't remember seeing it and it's only after this weekend's comments that it seems to make sense. Morrison says he's the ultimate bad guy that everybody knows, and his run has been full of religious references throughout, not to mention the constant red and black colour motifs. And in #666, Damian - now Batman - explains:
"I know the Devil exists, or at least something exists that might as well be the Devil. I've met him."
He later explains that he made a pact with the Devil at fourteen years old - he sold his soul in return for Gotham's survival, which is presumably why he is flame-proof and bullet-proof.
And we know Dick Grayson will become Batman soon - i don't think that the line, "I knew I'd never be as good as my Dad or Dick Grayson" is intended to be ambiguous. And that's Dick lying dead on page 3 too, in the costume that now sits on display in the new Batcave / penthouse... and that's definitely Damian in the Robin suit beside him. So we know Dick and Damian will be Batman and Robin at some point, but not necessarily at the end of R.I.P... although it would make sense.
I know it's nuts, but i think the answers are all in this issue (there's more than i've mentioned above but i don't want to be here all day), and you can't put anything past Grant Morrison...
So i think i've just convinced myself that the Black Glove is Satan himself... or something that might as well be.
Today, it's been pretty much confirmed that the new Batman will be Dick Grayson, which is explicitly mentioned in Batman #666. Also in that issue is Damian, the future Batman, telling us he's met the Devil "or at least something that might as well be." He even goes on to say he traded his soul with this Devil for Gotham's future. What this establishes is that at least some form of Satanic character exists in Morrison's grand plans for Batman, how this manifests itself in the story has yet to be revealed. But you cannot deny that the character has already been referred to, he's all over Batman issue 666:
Page 8 - Professor Pyg has been crucified upside down, as in Satanist ritual, by the last of the Three Batmen.
Page 9 - We discover that the last of the Three Batmen purports to be the Anti-Christ and Damian refers to "the Devil in blazing June."
Page 10 - "I know the Devil exists, or at least something exists that might as well be the Devil. I've met him. But I wonder if his Royal Highness, the Anti-Christ [i.e. the last of the Three Batmen] knows anything about the bargain I made at the crossroads on the the night The Batman died."
Page 11 - Last of the Three Batmen's map of crime scenes form the "Satan Signal." Plus reference to the "Dragon of Revelations."
Page 12 - References to Hell, "a kingdom of rape and murder." (Also, an interesting reference to John Lennon's Imagine, which is explicitly Atheist in tone)
Page 16 - Last of the Three Batmen: "I have another father, our father in Hell!"
Page 18 - Last of the Three Batmen: "And i prayed and i prayed until he came... the old man, the dragon... He came with wings of black skin like a bat and anointed me his messiah."
Page 19 - Damian: "And i guess the old dragon forgot to mention the bargain he made with me when i was fourteen -- Gotham's survival..."
Page 20 - "...IN RETURN FOR MY SOUL!"
Page 22 - Damian: "The apocalypse is canceled. Until I say so."
Whatever you believe, the fact is that Morrison has already established a Satan character in his Batman run, it's all there in this issue. What / who he might be or look like is a mystery, but i think it's a secret that will be revealed at the end of Batman R.I.P., paving the way for the Battle Of The Cowl event that we know Dick Grayson will win, and effectively rebooting Batman with Bruce Wayne gone.
There's also a rumour that both Detective and Batman will skip a couple of months... could DC begin anew with Batman #1? It's the character's 70th birthday next year, so they're obviously planning something big...
All I know is that I would definitely be pissed off at DC if they restarted Batman or Detective Comics... God, I hate it when a writer like Morrison plays the "I'm smarter than you" game.
This would make sense and keep in line with a comment made by "Batman: R.I.P." writer Grant Morrison,
Grant Morrison explained that what's going to happen to Batman is "so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story! I like to keep the story twisting and turning. So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all. This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."
To that end, here are two excellent posts from the Comic Book Resources forum regarding the possibility of the identity of "the Black Glove" from the "Batman: R.I.P." storyline.
I just had a re-read of Batman #666, and after reading Morrison's comments at CCI's Batman panel, the only logical conclusion i can come to is that the Black Glove is...
Satan?
Apologies if this has been mentioned before in another thread, but i don't remember seeing it and it's only after this weekend's comments that it seems to make sense. Morrison says he's the ultimate bad guy that everybody knows, and his run has been full of religious references throughout, not to mention the constant red and black colour motifs. And in #666, Damian - now Batman - explains:
"I know the Devil exists, or at least something exists that might as well be the Devil. I've met him."
He later explains that he made a pact with the Devil at fourteen years old - he sold his soul in return for Gotham's survival, which is presumably why he is flame-proof and bullet-proof.
And we know Dick Grayson will become Batman soon - i don't think that the line, "I knew I'd never be as good as my Dad or Dick Grayson" is intended to be ambiguous. And that's Dick lying dead on page 3 too, in the costume that now sits on display in the new Batcave / penthouse... and that's definitely Damian in the Robin suit beside him. So we know Dick and Damian will be Batman and Robin at some point, but not necessarily at the end of R.I.P... although it would make sense.
I know it's nuts, but i think the answers are all in this issue (there's more than i've mentioned above but i don't want to be here all day), and you can't put anything past Grant Morrison...
So i think i've just convinced myself that the Black Glove is Satan himself... or something that might as well be.
Today, it's been pretty much confirmed that the new Batman will be Dick Grayson, which is explicitly mentioned in Batman #666. Also in that issue is Damian, the future Batman, telling us he's met the Devil "or at least something that might as well be." He even goes on to say he traded his soul with this Devil for Gotham's future. What this establishes is that at least some form of Satanic character exists in Morrison's grand plans for Batman, how this manifests itself in the story has yet to be revealed. But you cannot deny that the character has already been referred to, he's all over Batman issue 666:
Page 8 - Professor Pyg has been crucified upside down, as in Satanist ritual, by the last of the Three Batmen.
Page 9 - We discover that the last of the Three Batmen purports to be the Anti-Christ and Damian refers to "the Devil in blazing June."
Page 10 - "I know the Devil exists, or at least something exists that might as well be the Devil. I've met him. But I wonder if his Royal Highness, the Anti-Christ [i.e. the last of the Three Batmen] knows anything about the bargain I made at the crossroads on the the night The Batman died."
Page 11 - Last of the Three Batmen's map of crime scenes form the "Satan Signal." Plus reference to the "Dragon of Revelations."
Page 12 - References to Hell, "a kingdom of rape and murder." (Also, an interesting reference to John Lennon's Imagine, which is explicitly Atheist in tone)
Page 16 - Last of the Three Batmen: "I have another father, our father in Hell!"
Page 18 - Last of the Three Batmen: "And i prayed and i prayed until he came... the old man, the dragon... He came with wings of black skin like a bat and anointed me his messiah."
Page 19 - Damian: "And i guess the old dragon forgot to mention the bargain he made with me when i was fourteen -- Gotham's survival..."
Page 20 - "...IN RETURN FOR MY SOUL!"
Page 22 - Damian: "The apocalypse is canceled. Until I say so."
Whatever you believe, the fact is that Morrison has already established a Satan character in his Batman run, it's all there in this issue. What / who he might be or look like is a mystery, but i think it's a secret that will be revealed at the end of Batman R.I.P., paving the way for the Battle Of The Cowl event that we know Dick Grayson will win, and effectively rebooting Batman with Bruce Wayne gone.
There's also a rumour that both Detective and Batman will skip a couple of months... could DC begin anew with Batman #1? It's the character's 70th birthday next year, so they're obviously planning something big...
All I know is that I would definitely be pissed off at DC if they restarted Batman or Detective Comics... God, I hate it when a writer like Morrison plays the "I'm smarter than you" game.
My favorite anti-Democrat joke is from the fifth season Simpsons episode "Bart Gets An Elephant," where a sign at the Democratic headquarters reads "We Hate Life And Ourselves" ;D
