If anyone ever was conflicting over whether Batman was insane or not, I think this issue has your answer: the Dark Knight is as loony as a toon. Continuing on from last issue, the mental conditioning of the Black Glove coupled with the obsession to justice within the Caped Crusader has led to Bruce Wayne forming (in more ways than one) a new identity: the Batman of Zurr-En-Arrh. No fancy gadgets or clever fighting styles, this Batman is so far brutality personified, armed only with a wooden bat and a hankering to use it. Behind all the conditioning and technology, when the chips are down, Batman just does what he always does: inflict some good ol' fashioned violence on some baddies! plus, he talks to Bat-Mite and gargoyles... that's just wiggy right there.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hurt leads the Club of Villains into the coup de grace of their plan from his post in the captured Batcave, more explicitly declaring of himself something hinted at in the last issue, that he is Thomas Wayne, murderer of the adulterous Martha Wayne and father (or is that Alfred?) of his elusive prey in the pointy ears. Whether this new development is true (I'm sure we're all as skeptical as Alfred), it does show the depths this team of bad guys are willing to go to destroy the Batman inside and out. All is coming to a head towards the only place this madness could end; Arkham. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, a certain evil clown wants in on all the fun...
A lot of credit goes to Tony Daniel as well who managed to make Batman
looks just crazy and vicious enough in that Zurr-En-Arrh (which I do
believe is just a Red Robin outfit with the Bat-symbol painted on with
a purple cowl) outfit to where it doesn't look stupid Likewise, his Joker strikes the right amount of causing fear as his Charlie Caligula strikes the right amount of having fear. The crisp coloring along with the expressive artwork make this tale a truly dark yet almost psychedelic one as we see both Batman and his adversaries truly lose their raving minds.
If you had told me a year ago that Grant Morrison's big plans for Batman was to bring in Thomas Wayne as a villain and make Batman think he was from another world, I probably would have done some combination of laughter and bawling. Nevertheless, Morrison has pulled it off somehow with this utter mish-mash of chaos and madness. Add to that, Daniel's art and we have a Batman story that on paper should work about as well as "Zebra Batman" yet work in its own quirky, borderline psychotic way.
Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent
