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    Batman

    Character » Batman appears in 23535 issues.

    Bruce Wayne, who witnessed the murder of his billionaire parents as a child, swore to avenge their deaths. He trained extensively to achieve mental and physical perfection, mastering martial arts, detective skills, and criminal psychology. Costumed as a bat to prey on the fears of criminals, and utilizing a high-tech arsenal, he became the legendary Batman.

    The Secrets of Grant Morrison’s Batman, Part 2

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    erik_norris

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    Edited By erik_norris

    Welcome back to our second, and final, installment of “The Secrets of Grant Morrison’s Batman.” In Part 1 of our Morrison Batman analysis we talked about “the hole in things” that has plagued Batman’s life and mind since the birth of the Batman mythos. For round two we plan to cover the important themes running through Morrison’s Batman work post R.I.P., while also finally defining what exactly is the true hole in things.

    No Caption Provided
    Part 2 of our analysis covers Final Crisis #1-7, Superman Beyond #1-2, Final Crisis: Submit, Batman #682-683, Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702 and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6. As was the case before, spoilers await below .
     == TEASER ==

    Defining The Hole 

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    Immediately following the events of Batman R.I.P. are the events of Final Crisis. While this DC Universe event series is not considered a Batman-centric story, per se, the events that transpire are instrumental in setting the stage for the next phase of Morrison’s Batman epic. Thematically--and most definitely purposefully--Final Crisis plays right into the idea of “the hole in things.” In fact, the plot of Final Crisis takes that concept quite literally with Darkseid ’s fall from a war in heaven creating a black hole singularity in the center of existence which is tearing down the walls of reality. It’s the ultimate hole for our heroes to fall into. Or as Batman puts it in the lost chapter of R.I.P. (Batman #702), “The hole in things is Darkseid-shaped.”
    No Caption Provided
     
    Now if Darkseid’s fall in Final Crisis is considered the ultimate unexplainable hole in things, where does that leave Doctor Hurt -- the self-proclaimed definition of unexplainable? Well, by the end of The Return of Bruce Wayne we finally learn the truth behind Doctor Hurt’s mysterious prolonged existence: Dr. Hurt is Darkseid. Or more specifically, Dr. Hurt is a flesh and blood vessel for Darkseid to reincarnate into. Therefore, technically, Doctor Hurt is still the epicenter hole in things, as he describes himself.

    But the hole in things expands outward beyond just an evil god who has fallen from heaven, a conclusion Batman reaches as he makes his escape from Darkseid’s Command D bunker with a god-killing Radion bullet in hand. As Batman says, “The hole is everywhere. It was there in every best laid plan.” There is always something that can’t be accounted for, no matter how well thought out the plan is. And after his climactic confrontation with the god of all evil, the latest hole Bruce Wayne falls into and has to work his way out from is how he plans to escape the Omega Sanction, “the death that is life.”

    So with Bruce Wayne temporarily out of the picture, the torch is passed to a new Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne’s original ward and first Robin, Dick Grayson; an era that acts as a palette cleanser and fresh start, as well as shows us the true gravity of Batman’s legacy. This new era was officially ushered in on the final page of Final Crisis #7, where we see Bruce Wayne still alive -- already hard at work on a plan home -- complimented by the quote, “ But the fire burns forever,” perfectly summing up the fact that...

    Batman & Robin Will Never Die! 

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    The first major theme of Morrison’s Batman run post R.I.P. and Final Crisis is “rebirth.” The most obvious example of this is the new man behind the cape & cowl, Dick Grayson. This is a Batman we’ve never seen before, one that doesn’t sulk in the shadows and actually fights crime with a smile. There is also a new Robin in town, Bruce Wayne’s biological son, Damian. This new dynamic duo is far removed from what we’ve been accustomed to in the past. Instead of Batman being the overly serious and brooding ringmaster of the partnership, it is instead Robin carrying a grave demeanor into every scenario, while Dick Grayson’s Batman remains the more lighthearted, optimistic of the two.

    But Batman & Robin aren’t the only characters with fresh beginnings. The Joker is also reborn in the pages of Batman & Robin. Ever since Grant Morrison wrote Arkham Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth, he’s portrayed the Joker as a man with a severe case of multiple personality disorder, constantly shedding personas as if they were snakeskin. His latest identity is the British crime writer, Oberon Sexton. For most, the mystery of Sexton’s identity stayed hidden until his reveal at the end of Batman & Robin #12. However, the clues were laid out from the very beginning that Sexton was indeed the Clown Prince of Crime.

    No Caption Provided
    For starters, the red and black visual motif of Sexton’s clothing echoes back to the Joker’s red and black gag he played on Batman’s mind up through R.I.P.. Furthermore, we have a killer murdering the remaining members of The Black Glove and leaving behind dominoes as his calling card. We knew the Joker was pissed, to say the least, about his involvement as a pawn in Hurt’s game to kill Batman. So why not return the favor, turning Hurt’s own men into the pieces of a new game designed and moderated by the Joker? Dominoes are also known as “bones” is some circles, and Oberton Sexton is called “The Gravedigger.” It seems so obvious now. What’s that saying about hindsight...

    Finally, not only are Batman, Robin and the Joker reborn in the pages of Batman & Robin, but Morrison’s latest bat-series also sees a tonal rebirth. It’s a fresh beginning that’s not plagued by years of Batman continuity. Batman & Robin is a series with a much lighter and easygoing quality -- perfectly fitting the new Caped Crusader. Batman & Robin is a series that exists to prove Batman and Robin will never die. The legend lives eternal.

    The Legacy

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    This leads us right into the most important theme of Morrison’s Batman post R.I.P. and Final Crisis: legacy. Morrison has always loved writing Batman as the ultimate human-being. The Omega Man. But here Morrison takes that concept one step further. Batman is more than man, he’s now officially a god on the same level as Superman, Wonder Woman and even Darkseid. When talking about characters like Superman -- characters who can fly, bend steel with a single flick of the wrist and hop over buildings in a single bound -- Batman describes them as myth. Specifically, Batman says “everything they touch turns to myth.” But what Batman doesn’t comprehend just yet is that he, a mere mortal, has accomplished the same feat.

    Because of Bruce’s travels through time, the legacy of Batman now dates back further than when a little boy’s parents where shot dead in front of him. Bruce Wayne’s legacy of fighting injustice can now be tracked back centuries within the mythology of the DC Universe -- starting with a young cave-boy who was inspired by the heroism of a mysterious stranger leading to the formation of the Miagani tribe of “bat-people.” Morrison has not only moved Batman’s legacy forward in the present with Dick and Damian during Bruce Wayne’s absence, but he’s simultaneously created a bat-mythology stretching back to the dawn of man which stems from the worship of Bruce Wayne in the past. If that isn’t god status, I don’t know what is. When it comes to Batman, everything he touches turns to myth, understand that much.

    The First Truth 

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    Much like the end of R.I.P., this latest phase of Morrison’s Batman epic--spanning Final Crisis, Batman & Robin and The Return of Bruce Wayne--ends with the turning on the head of well-established cannon. Morrison leaves us with the first truth of Batman. We’ve always considered Batman to be a loner superhero. However, that is not the case. From the very first moment when he rang that service bell and Alfred came to stitch him up, Bruce Wayne has always had assistance. There has always been someone backing him up, whether it’s Alfred, Dick, Barbara, Tim, Superman, or the rest of the Justice League. Batman would not be Batman without his friends and family. This hearkens back to Batman #683 when Alfred recounts what Bruce told him to say in case someone ever asked for Batman’s obituary. “If anyone ever asks for an obituary, tell them Batman’s big secret was the classic whodunnit? Only it’s not about who killed Batman but who kept him alive all these years .”

    Bruce Wayne’s epiphany at the end of The Return of Bruce Wayne leads us right into the next phase of Morrison’s continual Batman work: Batman, Incorporated. And with Batman’s war on crime going global it’s a sure bet that Batman’s legacy is in safe hands, that the fire will indeed burn forever...
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    Fhiz

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    #1  Edited By Fhiz

    Good article. Little late though. And I don't think Hurt is Darkseid, the way you pointed out. 
     
    We see in RoBW 6 that the hyper adapter (as a bat, infused with Bruce's memories) is sent back through time after Bruce and the JLA defeats it, showing up at various points within the time stream. It shows up when a then human Thomas Wayne summons Barbatos as we see in B&R 16. He see's barbatos, but it is really the hyper adapter, which possesses him, due to it having bruce's memories, and needing a way to get at Bruce, by going through his ancestor. So he's not really Darkseid, he's one of darkseid's weapons. 
     
    That's what I read.

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    RedheadedAtrocitus

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    Wonderful article!

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    johnny_spam

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    #3  Edited By johnny_spam

    I do agree The First Truth about Batman is that he helps others and others help him the notion that he is only a solitary man who desires no help is just a shallow claim made during the eighties there has been a Robin a Alfred a Bat-family longer then Bruce ever was by himself.  
     
    The events of Return of Bruce Wayne also interest me in how Darkseid created Batman inadvertently. 
     
    I would not call Hurt Darkseid but Darkseid's living weapon the last remains of him.

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    MuadDiab

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    #4  Edited By MuadDiab

    cool. loved this

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    erik_norris

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    #5  Edited By erik_norris
    @Fhiz said:

    " Good article. Little late though. And I don't think Hurt is Darkseid, the way you pointed out.  We see in RoBW 6 that the hyper adapter (as a bat, infused with Bruce's memories) is sent back through time after Bruce and the JLA defeats it, showing up at various points within the time stream. It shows up when a then human Thomas Wayne summons Barbatos as we see in B&R 16. He see's barbatos, but it is really the hyper adapter, which possesses him, due to it having bruce's memories, and needing a way to get at Bruce, by going through his ancestor. So he's not really Darkseid, he's one of darkseid's weapons.  That's what I read. "

    You make a good point about Hurt being a weapon. However, at the end of Return of Bruce Wayne #6, as Bruce is lying on the ground after having the archivist technology ripped off him, he does mention that Darkseid is attempting to reincarnate in Hurt. That's what I base a lot of my theory off of. Either way, it can be interpreted multiple ways. 
     
    Also, thanks for the kind words thus far, guys!
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    madthoughts

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    #6  Edited By madthoughts

    Good article. It clarifies things for me as well as reinforces my decision to drop all of Morrison's Batman stuff. I'm glad he's out there innovating the character, it's just not for me.

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    Outside_85

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    #7  Edited By Outside_85

    Good article, but i agree with other posters that Hurt was not Darksied.  
    Hurt  was a man, as Bruce puts it, who was infected, came into contact, with something only the fewest human minds could handle. 
     
    Did anyone else get the notion of the hole in all things and with Hurt ending up in a hole himself?

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    spiderguylll

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    #8  Edited By spiderguylll

    Batman is a God? I knew it...

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    Sydpart2

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    #9  Edited By Sydpart2

    Very good analysis. just to let you know, I think that "Omega man" was a typo and that you meant to say Over man. Unless it was stylistic, but that doesn't make a lot of sense...since it basically means "End man"

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    Lvenger

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    #10  Edited By Lvenger

    Excellent analysis. Finally I fully understand Grant Morrison's run on the character.

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    The Mighty Monarch

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    To sort of quote Bender, "Maybe he's not Darkseid, but the remains of a human who collided with Darkseid." 
    I like to think of Dr. Hurt as his own character. Darkseid is Superman's foe, and Dr. Hurt is Batman's. But of course therein lies the beauty of Morrison's saga; To each his own interpretation.

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    Jekylhyde14

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    #12  Edited By Jekylhyde14

    Bravo on the article. It's important to note how Morrison's run is preoccupied with the notions of rebirth and legacy. WAAAY back after Batman #666, I brought up on the DC message boards how Damian, the plot of #666, and the fact that Bruce was about to die very soon reminded me of the Silver Age concept of Batman II and Robin II. These were short stories written by Alfred in the Silver Age where he imagined a future where Bruce retires as Batman, marries Batwoman, has a son, and has Dick take over as Batman II while his son is trained as Robin II. I believe Morrison is actually bringing this future about though it's his own take of the Batman II and Robin II story.  

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    Spideycap

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    #13  Edited By Spideycap

    Really great article about one of the greatest comic book runs i've read by far. Morrison gets what Batman is and stands for more than any other writer, this along with his enigmatic writing style make for the perfect batman storm. This run will "turn to myth."
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    Crimson Eagle

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    #14  Edited By Crimson Eagle

    Another great analysis done by erik_norris.
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    spider-man 2996

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    #15  Edited By spider-man 2996

    Great article
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    Amegashita

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    #16  Edited By Amegashita

      Very enjoyable read.

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    Decept-O

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    #17  Edited By Decept-O

    It is appreciated that you took time to go over all this.   However, I don't know about this whole thing, if you have to explain so much, then a writer really isn't doing his or her job or just making things too convuluted?  However a lot of writers do that, so it isn't anything new.   Am I being a simpleton?  Am I not as "cultured" because I said that?   Whatever.     
     
    Watchmen had a lot of complexities to it, yet most readers grasped what was going on, but didn't need it explained.  This is just frikkin' Batman.  I mean, if it ties into all the Crisis rigamarole, I can partially understand, but I don't know, maybe this is just too heavy for some Batman fans.  Or just me.   
     
    Still, this is interesting.  Having all this cosmic stuff, which I actually like but to have it so integrated with Batman,  it is unexpected.  Maybe that is what I am griping about.  I can't complain too much,  though as I've not read it all yet.  Again, thanks for delving into all this for knuckleheads like me.
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    The Sadhu

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    #18  Edited By The Sadhu

    Great work!
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    mbembet

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    #19  Edited By mbembet

    dc sucks at continuity!!!

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    CombatCraigFM

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    #20  Edited By CombatCraigFM

    So glad you wrote this, I bought and read every issue but apparently I'm too dumb to understand a page of it. I never understood/guessed what Dr Hurt really was...

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    rouju

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    #21  Edited By rouju

    And I thought Morisson was high on drug when he wrote this he he he

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    Sambobo

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    #22  Edited By Sambobo
    @Decept-O said:
    " It is appreciated that you took time to go over all this.   However, I don't know about this whole thing, if you have to explain so much, then a writer really isn't doing his or her job or just making things too convuluted?  However a lot of writers do that, so it isn't anything new.   Am I being a simpleton?  Am I not as "cultured" because I said that?   Whatever.      Watchmen had a lot of complexities to it, yet most readers grasped what was going on, but didn't need it explained.  This is just frikkin' Batman.  I mean, if it ties into all the Crisis rigamarole, I can partially understand, but I don't know, maybe this is just too heavy for some Batman fans.  Or just me.    Still, this is interesting.  Having all this cosmic stuff, which I actually like but to have it so integrated with Batman,  it is unexpected.  Maybe that is what I am griping about.  I can't complain too much,  though as I've not read it all yet.  Again, thanks for delving into all this for knuckleheads like me. "
    Well said-- I learned a lot from this post. Thank you kind sir
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    GrimoireMyst

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    #23  Edited By GrimoireMyst

    Very interesting concepts given. Some things I wondered about while others I didn't realize to that extent. Good work.

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    The_Ghostshell

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    #24  Edited By The_Ghostshell

    Badass article dude. Enjoyed reading every minute of it. Hope to see more in the future.

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    THEBlaqueBasterd

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    #25  Edited By THEBlaqueBasterd

    Darkseid DIDNT CREATE Batman....... This is the final step in cementing The Bats place (as Batgod? lol) among the "Gods & Monsters" he fights against &alongside.. Its the FINAL step in cementing him as THE Ultimate man.. you see.. THE BATMAN created Batman... ALL by making the Ultimate sacrifice.... &pulling the damn trigger!
     
    Kudos on the article

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    Big

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    #26  Edited By Big

    I think there is a Christian theme underlying all this.  Darkseid, fallls  from a heavenly battle, much like Lucifer did when cast from heaven. Then, a man, human and yet god-like, and becomes the human ideal; Batman. Consequently, Batman faces the greatest evil in the form of Darkseid and sacrifices himself to save humanity. Upon his "death" and "resurrection," Batman ushers humanity  into a new era,  where evil is sought all around the world and his disciples taking the form of his own visage. Eventually, there is an apocalypse, with a literal anti-christ, and the son of Batman must stop him to prevent the  destruction of the world.  
     
    Its interesting to see Batman taken to this level. I guess its what happens when you play wiith the big boys, you eventually become one of them.
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    entropy_aegis

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    #27  Edited By entropy_aegis
    @Gambler said:
    "Badass article dude. Enjoyed reading every minute of it. Hope to see more in the future. "

    YEAH.
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    Eyz

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    #28  Edited By Eyz

    Very interesting and well done analysis!
    Morrisson may not gain universal appeal to anyone..but he's still a damn good writer and a pretty intelligent one at that!
    I really like how he deconstructed Batman to rebuild the man behind the myth!
     
    Well put!
    'nuff said!

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    ArdennesKorps

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    #29  Edited By ArdennesKorps
    @The Mighty Monarch said:
    " To sort of quote Bender, "Maybe he's not Darkseid, but the remains of a human who collided with Darkseid." I like to think of Dr. Hurt as his own character. Darkseid is Superman's foe, and Dr. Hurt is Batman's. But of course therein lies the beauty of Morrison's saga; To each his own interpretation. "
    I think so too. But I really would like to see Hurt's return as Darkseid in new Crisis Story х))) Or may be in Batman inc one day)
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    The Mighty Monarch

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    @ArdennesKorps: Awesome avatar, The Crusader is awesome.
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    GroH

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    #31  Edited By GroH

    this article got me to reread RoBW #6 again, 
    great article and interpretation, 
    the archivist's words and the role of doctor hurt makes so much more sense now
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    JonesDeini

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    #32  Edited By JonesDeini

    Just waiting for Morrison to finish Batman off by throwing in "The Bat-Credit Card"

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    JonesDeini

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    #33  Edited By JonesDeini
    @rouju said:
    " And I thought Morisson was high on drug when he wrote this he he he "
    He was, he just leaves it to his fans to make it make sense for him later, he's a "genius" that way...
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    darkestknight2.0--defunct

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    one of the best articles i have ever read on this site
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    SQReview

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    #35  Edited By SQReview

    I really think that this whole "Batman Incorporated" thing is off putting. After reading "Batman: The Return," it just feels like Batman is becoming more Tony Stark-ish, which is fine for Stark, but not fine for DC characters. The fact that Batman wants an army of remote controlled robots and to be everywhere at one are obvious nods to books like "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Kingdom Come," but those additions made sense in a future world of Batman set away from the traditional narrative. 
     
    I'm sure that they'll return the "Batman" story line to the traditional setup, but for right now I think I'm going to sit this one out. 
     
    I also wrote a review about it in my blog: 
     
    http://sequentialreview.blogspot.com/2011/01/batman-return-review.html    

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    the_stegman

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    #36  Edited By the_stegman  Moderator

    God Grant Morrison gives me a headache, i think his work is way too convoluted 

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    rouju

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    #37  Edited By rouju

    Is this silly-yet-interesting story really have something to do with Dr Hurt (which Bruce said might be the devil himself?)? The guy became immortal cuz Darkseid 2 right?

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    InnerVenom123

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    #38  Edited By InnerVenom123
    @Big said:
    " I think there is a Christian theme underlying all this.  Darkseid, fallls  from a heavenly battle, much like Lucifer did when cast from heaven. Then, a man, human and yet god-like, and becomes the human ideal; Batman. Consequently, Batman faces the greatest evil in the form of Darkseid and sacrifices himself to save humanity. Upon his "death" and "resurrection," Batman ushers humanity  into a new era,  where evil is sought all around the world and his disciples taking the form of his own visage. Eventually, there is an apocalypse, with a literal anti-christ, and the son of Batman must stop him to prevent the  destruction of the world.   Its interesting to see Batman taken to this level. I guess its what happens when you play wiith the big boys, you eventually become one of them. "
    Morrison does weird sh!t like this all the time. In 'Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On A Serious Earth', Batman's fight with Croc is filled with Jesus Imagrey. The ending is an homage to scripture even.
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    Dr. Maxwell

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    #39  Edited By Dr. Maxwell

    Great article as always, some of this stuff is still up in the air, Im 80%-85% sure that Hurt was Darkseid, but there's the whole Leviathan thing that is now up in the air. Also to me, Batman Inc is more than just talking Batman world wide, its taking an idea worldwide, an idea of what man can accomplish. But more on that later as it unfolds as its much to early to speculate on that.
     
    People assume Grant just takes a whole bunch of drugs and writes whatever comes to mind, while in fact everything is meticulously laid out and planned.

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    batman_is_god

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    #40  Edited By batman_is_god

    Except for Dick taking Batman's title, I have loved everything Morrison has done.
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    TheGodDamnBatFan

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    #41  Edited By TheGodDamnBatFan

    This article has completely changed the way I've viewed Grant Morrison's stuff of the last few years. Starting with RIP, I didn't particularly care for it, and it's just spiraled down since then. I've tried to always be an active reader ever since 9th grade english class, so while I still felt like maybe he was dipping into the good stuff once in awhile, I still figured out most of the little clues and red herrings and what not. I will admit that plenty slipped by me, like anything about the red and black theme in RIP, or that Joker was Oberon. Even though I understood and caught most of these things, I still didn't enjoy or appreciate them, Zurr-En-Arrh chief among them (okay so he's got a backup mind, but why purple and red?) and I thought, at least before reading it, that the Return of Bruce Wayne, CaveBat and all was as ridiculous as Rob Liefeld. All that said, this article has helped me see all of it in a new light that I truly enjoy and appreciate it all, especially the way it's seemingly free of the strangling continuity. Again, even with all that said, I'm anxious about Batman Inc. Like other threads have discussed, it seems like the only way for that business to shake out is with the Justice League stepping someway or another, and that makes it feel like Bruce's greatest epiphany and triumph will lead to his greatest failure. However, and I wouldn't have said this yesterday, or even an hour or two ago, I know we haven't seen the whole story, and I am wholly trusting that Morrison will make it a fascinating read all the way through.

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    danhimself

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    #42  Edited By danhimself
    @erik_norris:  so do you know if there's any relation between the demon Barbatos that Morrison wrote about and the demon Barbathos that possessed Riddler in Batman #452-454 written by Peter Milligan?
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    TheJokerha

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    #43  Edited By TheJokerha

    Fantastic article. With Morrison's work, I always know there are more layers than the usual story teller. Some of it I grasp right away but there is always the enjoyment of deciphering his intent and the meaning of things.
    I would love to see you do an article on The Secrets of Grant Morrison's Joker. Before R.I.P, Joker had been suffering a lose of status in the DC titles. He was a pawn in Riddler's game, which would have been unthinkable at one time. Hush and Prometheus beat and humiliated him. Red Hood pounded him with a crow bar. He played second fiddle to second best Two Face in Dark Victory.  At one point black Mask even said "I admired him. He used to be one of the greats. It's a shame to see how far he has fallen." I'm quoting from memory so I may have it a bit wrong but it was close. I stopped reading comics for a while because of the way he was being treated.
    But under Morrison's guidance, Joker seems to be reclaiming his own and evolving in ways he never had before. 
    Just as Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman are myths/gods, isn't Joker one as well?

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    entropy_aegis

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    #44  Edited By entropy_aegis
    @TheJokerha said:
    "Fantastic article. With Morrison's work, i always know there are more layers than the usual story teller. Some of it I grasp right away but there is always the enjoyment of deciphering his intent and the meaning of things. I would love to see you do an article on The Secrets of Grant Morrison's Joker. Before R.I.P, Joke rhad been suffering a lose of status in the DC titles. He was a pawn in Riddler's game, which would have been unthinkable at one time. Hush and Prometheus beat and humiliated him. Red Hood pounded him with a crow bar. He played second fiddle to second best Two Face in Dark Victory. At one point black Mask even said "I admired him. He used to be one of the greats. It's a shame to see how far he has fallen." I'm quoting from memory so I may have it a bit wrong but it was close. I stopped reading comics for a while because of the way he was being treated.But under Morrison's guidance, Joker seems to be reclaiming his own and evolving in ways he never had before.  Just as Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman are myths/gods, isn't Joker one as well? "

    Agreed,winick and loeb used him to prop their mary sues(hush,red hood). 
    the riddler and twoface crap made me shake my head. 
    morrison used to joker to humiliate two of his own characters (damian,hurt). 
    take notes winick ,you just dont go and play favourites ,every character has a right to be well written. 
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    TheJokerha

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    #45  Edited By TheJokerha
    @entropy_aegis:  Thank you! Excellent points. The thing is, Joker has earned his status. He has been around for decades and the scope of his character is almost Shakespearean. He is one of the best manifestations of the "trickster god" archetype ever created. 
    It baffles and confuses me that DC has the rights to him and treats him the way they do at times. I mean, from a money stand point alone wouldn't you want this popular iconic character to be powerful and well written to boost your sales?
    And if you diminish The Joker, you diminish Batman as well. And all the heroes he has defeated over the decades.
    DC tends to follow "trends" or attitudes prevailing their titles for a while. When Joker was getting screwed around and written badly it seemed to be company-wide. He either got his butt handed to him or was drawn and written like a goofy spastic buffoon. Happening in several books in the same times period.
    Great to see the new trend has started and he is being returned to where he should be.
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    entropy_aegis

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    #46  Edited By entropy_aegis
    @TheJokerha:
    Agreed,just hope he does'nt get overplayed(which honestly does happen many times,salvation run comes to mind). 
    but still i personally blame harley quinn for this decline. 
    and by any chance did you catch the last issue of action comics.
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    TheJokerha

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    #47  Edited By TheJokerha
    @entropy_aegis:  The comic with Luthor on the cover? Just ordered it, have not recieved it yet. I got it becasue I heard Joker is in it.
    I'm interested in your opinion of how he was over done in Salvation Run. I thought the whole bit about his skin constantly burning so he is in constant pain and that's what makes him nuts was a bad idea. I don't believe it for a second as canon. Joker retells his story all the time.
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    entropy_aegis

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    #48  Edited By entropy_aegis
    @TheJokerha:
    Yup the one with luthor,but if you have'nt read the pervious issues some things might not make sense at all,and yes salvation run was a festival of bad writing.
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    wangbumaximus

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    #49  Edited By wangbumaximus

    I disagree on the author's assumption on the identity of Dr. Hurt to Darkseid. Did Morrison publicly admit this? Moreover, I don't know with you, but as long the title Batman remains profitable for DC, being a "god" for me is null and academic for Batman per se is one of the most enduring ICONS in most people around the world even before Morrison further complicates the Dark Crusader. Batman is part of the MYTHOLOGY in the most modern sense. And, Bruce Wayne/Batman since the end of Knight Fall epic is no loner.  He seeks assistance if things are really beyond his control. Furthermore, the readers still love the Bats, thus the mythology of the Caped Crusader never ends! Nonetheless, good analysis on the Joker's facade on Sexton.

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    #50  Edited By GamiSB
    @wangbumaximus: Bruce said that Hurt was to be a vessel for Darkseid to incarnate into once all was said and done. HE never said one was the other only that Darkseid had set into motion a potential outcome for Hurt. Hurt himself remained his own person.

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