A birthday tribute!
Grant Morrison was born 62 years ago on Jan. 31, 1960. They are doubtlessly one of modern comics’ greatest storytellers and some of their Batman work is among my favorite of the last 35 years.
In their Batman RIP to Batman Inc. run from 10-15 years ago, they reclaimed the wacky, early Silver Age Batman (and very much celebrated the more sober Bronze Age, as well). They gave fans permission to love even the most off-note version of the Caped Crusader because it’s still Batman – and it works.
My 23-year-old son, Sam, thinks RIP is one of the greatest Batman stories he’s ever read because he loves and understands Morrison’s subtext and, more importantly, the writer’s execution. Who am I to disagree? This is part of his Batman, which means that indirectly, that bizarre period is part of his Batman too. Sam knows it. He knows the history.
The legacy endures. All of it.
And it’s thanks to Grant Morrison.
Collects Silver Age stories that inspired Morrison.
So, dig these 13 COVERS that highlight many of Morrison’s Batman influences. (Technically, it’s 12 and a splash page. All are culled from Batman: The Black Casebook, except for the last one, which I added myself. The original writers include Bill Finger, France Herron, Edmond Hamilton and Mike W. Barr.)
Right on.
Sheldon Moldoff pencils, Charles Paris inks
Moldoff and Paris
Curt Swan pencils, Stan Kaye inks
Win Mortimer
Moldoff
Batman #65. Bill Finger script. Pencils by Bob Kane (Batman and Robin figures) and Lew Sayre Schwartz. Inks by Charles Paris. According to comics.org.
Moldoff
Moldoff
Swan and Kaye
Swan and Kaye
Moldoff
Moldoff
Jerry Bingham
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MORE
— EXCLUSIVE! Absolute BATMAN INCORPORATED Bonus Art! Click here.
— A GRANT MORRISON Theory: How DARKSEID Created BATMAN (Sort Of). Click here.
January 31, 2022
For clarity’s sake, Grant Morrison prefers to be referred to as they, not “he/him”.
Still a great selection of Batman Art as well as a tribute to Grant’s Bats run!
Something that Dan Didio said during the original published run of Grant’s Batman – Dan intimated that the “R.I.P” in the BATMAN R.I.P. title might not necessarily have stood for “Rest In Peace” ~ which got me thinking! I believe that it might actually stand for “ROBIN IN PERIL” which actually makes sense given how Grant had Robin die at the end of his run. Hmmmm….
January 31, 2022
Thanks for correcting that, Matt. I’ll fix the copy!
January 31, 2022
Happy birthday to Grant Morrison!