Batman #680

Raise your hand if you were confident this story was going to make perfect sense by the time Grant finishes off with the last chapter...

Yeah, I'm fairly certain that's not going to happen though, in all fairness, I'm pretty sure that's the point.

*spoilers of previous issues ahead*

It's become clear by now that Grant's intentions was to strip everything from Batman that makes him Batman.  Batman is a mental juggernaut, so Grant pumps him full of mind-altering drugs and subliminal attacks.  Batman's motivations are full of pure altruism in memoriam of his virtuous parents so we'll turn his folks into lecherous druggies.  Batman is a man that purports isolation yet is surrounded by family so Grant isolates him from all others.  Batman is totally committed to his mission to solve crime and stem the tide of evil to protect the innocent so Grant shows him the futility of his actions.  What then happens to the Dark Knight?  How does he not sink when there's nothing more-- no tactical plans, mental conditioning, or pure force of will-- to keep him afloat.  Does this mean, by the time the Black Glove is revealed in all traitorous glory that Batman has truly lost the battle for his soul?  Does he finally "get it" now?  This won't break down into little boxes of logic and understanding this time around.  It's going to be as unnerving and harsh as it is for Batman and Grant isn't going to give you a rope this time.

The aura that Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel makes for this story is masterfully creepy and terrifying.  The gothic sensibilities of the dark colors and hideous grins by Daniel's pencils mimic Morrison's tale of twisted psyches and vicious tragedy well.  From a forbodingly perched Batman atop the Arkham gate to a horrifically realized Joker, this story has taken everything the Batman ever stood for and piledrove it onto its head and now dares you to make sense of it.  Only one thing is clear.  This story isn't going to end well for Bruce Wayne.