Review: Batman: The Black Glove Deluxe Edition

Batman: The Black Glove Deluxe Edition by Grant Morrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This volume represents the start of Grant Morrison's celebrated run on Batman. So, does he do the Dark Knight justice? Absolutely.

This book collects what is essentially the opening act to the larger story. Morrison is setting up the future plots and introducing/reintroducing important characters (or, in the case of the Joker, reinventing). Morrison is digging deep into Batman's history and reconciling aspects of the golden, silver, modern age interpretations. He reintroduced the Batmen of many nations, integrated Dr. Hurt into the modern age, and even finds a way to modernize Batmite in a way that works with modern interpretations of Batman. He also reintroduces Batman and Talia's son (from 1987's "Son of the Demon" story) in the form of Damian Wayne.

As always, Morrison is digging deep into the character's history to craft complicated and engrossing stories. Morrison's love of the character mythologies is evident, as is his talent for reimagining them in new and interesting ways. Batman fans who aren't familiar with these older versions of the character (and, frankly, even fans who are but who lack an encyclopedic knowledge of his exploits) may find some of the references, allusions, and callbacks confusing, but, luckily, there are ample resources available to clarify many of the stories Morrison is pulling from (The Black Casebook highlights a number of the stories that Morrison was inspired /influenced by).

The other thing that this book brings back is a genuine sense of fun and excitement. Batman fights ninja manbats in a pop art exhibit focused on comic art. The heroes of many nations arc has some really fantastic art shifts that call back to old comics (plus, the fantastic, overly complicated death trap aspect). Even the darker arcs aren't without their lighter moments, as Batman manages a few jokes or gives excellent deadpan.

The artwork, provided by Andy Kubert, J. H. Williams III, John van Fleet, and Tony S. Daniel, is generally quite strong. Kubert and Daniel are very capable artists, and their work would generally stand out, but they're overshadowed by the absolutely amazing work Williams crafted for the Batmen of Many Nations arc. The low point, visually, is, without a doubt, van Fleet's computer generated illustrations for the largely prose-based Joker story.

For fans of Batman willing to do a little detective work of their own, this is an excellent volume that started an exciting new era for the Dark Knight while paying tribute to the past. It's a little disjointed in a few places, as it tries to set up and tie together a wide variety of threads, but it's an excellent opening act that nicely sets up the threat of the Black. Glove and the adventures of Batman and Son.



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