Coming very late to the game, I just finally read the BATMAN RIP trade (which includes the Last Rites two parter as well). After reading a ton of negative hype on this, and being extremely disappointed with Final Crisis, I was shocked to find I actually enjoyed RIP. Maybe it’s just because I got to read it all in one sitting without having to wait a month between each story (part of why FC sucked).
I didn’t find the story confusing, either. The only part I was left unsure on was the identity of the Black Glove. I’m assuming it was Simon Hurt and just claimed to be Thomas Wayne, but it was left unclear. Of course, I’m positive if I had read it in incremental form I would have hated it!
I liked the large collection of new villains, though obviously they work best as a group and not as individuals. I like how pervasive and all-knowing the villain was and how utterly Bats seemed to be defeated… only for him to rise up and win the day in a very thrilling fashion. I think my favorite part about the story was how cool and unbeatable Bats was in the end. I like seeing Bats as preparing for any possible insane circumstance, as nigh-invincible in the long run. This trend continued in “Last Rites” when just with his mind he manages to eff up Darkseid’s clone army, heh.
I also enjoyed how in the finale it wasn’t just Bats planning and brilliance that saved the day, but his family that came together to save him. After the years of being a loner and isolationist (which is mainly when I read him), it was pretty cool to see the close bonds he has with Nightwing, Robin, Alfred, Damien, Talia, the Knight and Squire, as they all ride in to his rescue.
While the Zurr-En-Argh costume was a little silly, I did think it was very cool that he has an entire backup personality, and having Bat-Mite as his spiritual guide was a good laugh as well. I like the way they leave it up in the air whether he was a hallucination or an actual 5th dimension imp.
Too bad I was spoiled that Jezebel Jet was a villain… that probably would have really shocked me. Are we to assume that Talia has tracked down and murdered all the Black Glove people? They showed her Man Bat army taking down Jet’s plane, presumably to kill her (but this IS comic books!).
When did Jezebel Jet first appear? Because she was there already established in the "The Black Glove" trade collection. What was the circumstances?
Why doesn't anybody seem to be terribly concerned that this far reaching conspiracy of Black Glove all know Bruce's secret identity?
The Joker part of the story was also really well done. Joker came off seriously creepy and insane in an interesting and fresh way. I liked how he was neither for the villains or Bats. I had no clue about the story where a Batman impersonator blows his brains out though… when did that happen and how did he not die from that? How come he has a noticeable bullet wound and Glasgow smile here… but didn’t in DC Universe Zero (which was reprinted in this very hardcover!) or Salvation Run?
As for Bats’ “death”, it didn’t bother me, but I read this having known his ultimate fate. The only question I had was the story point between Bats blowing up in the copter and him answering the Justice League’s call to investigate Orion’s murder.
I thought the Last Rites story was an interesting little aftermath. I’d actually forgotten the whole Darkseid angle to it, so when it shows him being interrogated by weird aliens that really threw me for a loop at first. It was a nice character analysis and “best of” hits. And I loved the line from Alfred at the end, about now matter how invincible the enemy is that holds him, there will be one fraction of a second when they will underestimate him and turn their back… and that’s when he’ll have them!
I didn’t find the story confusing, either. The only part I was left unsure on was the identity of the Black Glove. I’m assuming it was Simon Hurt and just claimed to be Thomas Wayne, but it was left unclear. Of course, I’m positive if I had read it in incremental form I would have hated it!
I liked the large collection of new villains, though obviously they work best as a group and not as individuals. I like how pervasive and all-knowing the villain was and how utterly Bats seemed to be defeated… only for him to rise up and win the day in a very thrilling fashion. I think my favorite part about the story was how cool and unbeatable Bats was in the end. I like seeing Bats as preparing for any possible insane circumstance, as nigh-invincible in the long run. This trend continued in “Last Rites” when just with his mind he manages to eff up Darkseid’s clone army, heh.
I also enjoyed how in the finale it wasn’t just Bats planning and brilliance that saved the day, but his family that came together to save him. After the years of being a loner and isolationist (which is mainly when I read him), it was pretty cool to see the close bonds he has with Nightwing, Robin, Alfred, Damien, Talia, the Knight and Squire, as they all ride in to his rescue.
While the Zurr-En-Argh costume was a little silly, I did think it was very cool that he has an entire backup personality, and having Bat-Mite as his spiritual guide was a good laugh as well. I like the way they leave it up in the air whether he was a hallucination or an actual 5th dimension imp.
Too bad I was spoiled that Jezebel Jet was a villain… that probably would have really shocked me. Are we to assume that Talia has tracked down and murdered all the Black Glove people? They showed her Man Bat army taking down Jet’s plane, presumably to kill her (but this IS comic books!).
When did Jezebel Jet first appear? Because she was there already established in the "The Black Glove" trade collection. What was the circumstances?
Why doesn't anybody seem to be terribly concerned that this far reaching conspiracy of Black Glove all know Bruce's secret identity?
The Joker part of the story was also really well done. Joker came off seriously creepy and insane in an interesting and fresh way. I liked how he was neither for the villains or Bats. I had no clue about the story where a Batman impersonator blows his brains out though… when did that happen and how did he not die from that? How come he has a noticeable bullet wound and Glasgow smile here… but didn’t in DC Universe Zero (which was reprinted in this very hardcover!) or Salvation Run?
As for Bats’ “death”, it didn’t bother me, but I read this having known his ultimate fate. The only question I had was the story point between Bats blowing up in the copter and him answering the Justice League’s call to investigate Orion’s murder.
I thought the Last Rites story was an interesting little aftermath. I’d actually forgotten the whole Darkseid angle to it, so when it shows him being interrogated by weird aliens that really threw me for a loop at first. It was a nice character analysis and “best of” hits. And I loved the line from Alfred at the end, about now matter how invincible the enemy is that holds him, there will be one fraction of a second when they will underestimate him and turn their back… and that’s when he’ll have them!
You'd think that out of all these titles one of them would be the adventures of Bruce Wayne, Prehistoric Caveman.
