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Grant Morrison continues his epic spin on the Batman mythos, bringing us part 3 of Batman R.I.P., a story he promises will forever change the Batman. While most readers would find such a claim to be questionable at best, Batman 678 leaves us feeling uneasy about the future of Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake.
The villains that have defiled the Batcave now set their sights on Robin, attempting to kill him outright by whatever means possible. As if being mortally wounded wasn't bad enough, Tim Drake contemplates the mental dangers he has faced as The Boy Wonder, allowing himself to think like the villains he pursues. Attempting to put himself into the mental state of the Joker, for instance, makes him wonder if the Joker isn't in fact aware of the technique used to profile him and therefore setting a trap that might break the mind of Robin as he peels back the layers of the Joker's psyche. Then again, is Robin simply becoming paranoid after years of being the Batman's sidekick? In typical Morrison fashion, no answer is given in this issue, but we can feel confident that an answer will be revealed in the months to come.
Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, finds himself on skid row, unsure of who he is or how he got there. He is befriended by a homeless man who claims to recognize Bruce and offers to help him get back on his feet. Morrison offers us a few flashes back into what Bruce endured in the cave after the Black Glove attacked and letting us know that Bruce has been injected with powerful street drugs, the highly addictive nature of the drugs help keep Bruce weak and from fully understanding his surroundings. When Bruce and his new companion find themselves being mugged, despite everything that that he's been through, Bruce fights them off showing a glimpse of his true self.
Morrison's delivery of the story follows his standard procedure of giving us enough details to understand what is happening, but nowhere near enough to explain to us why it is happening. The mystery of he Black Glove is far from over. We still do not know the truth about Bruce's parents. Jezebel Jet, the love of Bruce Wayne's life, is still missing after the attack on the Batcave. And on the very last page, we are greeted by a Batman foil that we naturally assumed had no place in the dark work of Grant Morrison's Batman storyline.
It would be easy for the casual reader to dismiss the current Batman stories, not knowing who most of the characters are or their importance to the Batman Mythos. But the dedicated reader can take great joy in the epic that slowly uncoils before them if they take the time to digest is all. Batman 678 is available now for the cover price of $2.99.