Who is the Black Glove?
Ever since Batman RIP started, Grant Morrison has said that the true identity of the Black Glove, the man behind the big scheme to destroy Bruce Wayne’s mind and eventually kill the Batman in his danse macabre, would not be revealed until the final issue of the current Batman RIP story-arc; however, in this week’s issue of Batman (#680, for those keeping track at home), the groundwork is laid, clues are made more obvious, and the final push sets up the perfect time for the guessing game that I’ve been putting off since this whole thing started: Who is the Black Glove?
I’m of the mind that it’s been premature to speculate over prior issues, since there have been so many red herrings and possible false clues, but this month’s issue is different. So let’s look at who the possible candidates are, in reverse order of how likely it is that they’re behind this (in my opinion):
5. Bruce Wayne/Batman:
Several issues ago, Jezebel Jet hinted that the only person smart enough to break down Batman would be Batman, himself. It’s a fairly ridiculous notion, and I think it’s just been thrown in there to distract us from who the real bad guy is.
4. Alfred Pennyworth:
It was revealed at the beginning of this arc that there are certain rumors floating around about the way things were back when Thomas and Martha Wayne were still alive. Apparently, Martha was a heroine addict, and Thomas orchestrated the entire scene in Crime Alley to off her and fake his own death. Alfred, the trusty butler, was shown in photographs of various orgies at Wayne Manor, and was suspected of possibly being Bruce’s real father.
This is all kinds of stupid, and, as Jim Doom pointed out some months ago, the only reason to have Alfred as the man behind this would be so Grant Morrison could pop out on the last page and say, “Get it? The butler did it!” and then wink at the “camera.”
3. Dr. Hurt:
He’s obviously not who he says he is, but I think he’s just doing the bidding of the real bad guy in all of this.
2. Jezebel Jet:
At the end of Batman #680, it’s shown that she’s in on this whole plot against Batman. As the red-and-black rose petals are falling onto the red-and-black tiled floor of her cell in Arkham where she’s been being held, she puts on a pair of BLACK GLOVES and says that Batman’s finally understanding what’s going on. Well, that makes one of us, I suppose. The main reason I don’t think she’s behind this whole thing is because Morrison has repeatedly stated that the big bad guy is somebody we all know that will be the biggest shock in the past fifty years of Batman comics.
And judging off the line in this week’s issue of Batman, as spoken by Dr. Hurt, “Can the ultimate noble spirit survive the ultimate ignoble betrayal,” I’m going to guess that the secret true identity of The Black Glove is:
1. Dick Grayson/Nightwing:
Can you think of a more ultimate betrayal? They’ve been saying for months now that Tim is getting to be better and better than Dick ever was, so why wouldn’t that breed a little hostility and contempt? Not to mention that Bruce adopted Tim recently and has a new real son in Damien. Maybe Dick’s feeling left out in the rain. Plus, the whole red/black motif throughout RIP could be seen as a juxtaposition of the red Robin and the black Batman.
Of course, every one of those clues could be twisted slightly to suggest Tim Drake is the person behind this whole mess. A lot has been made about the role of the sidekick in Morrison’s run on this series, and, since the beginning, Robin’s been much more loyal and reliable than Dick has been. Considering that the Club of Villains has Dick in Arkham, sedated and ready for a lobotomy just makes me think that’s all a ruse. Afterall, when he was first brought in, they referred to him by a different name than Dick Grayson.
So, I’m going to go with Dick. That could be very interesting. I’m going to go re-read all of my old Batman RIP issues, now that I kind of know what’s going on, to see if this theory holds up.
I should’ve just waited for the damn trades on all this stuff. Seriously, how am I supposed to remember clues from two years ago? So, as far as this series is concerned, let me take back my criticism of Grant Morrison’s writing and just say that I’d much rather criticize the monthly format of comic books. We have a very strained love/hate relationship.
What do you guys think? Is my guess way off? Who do you think is behind this plot? Let’s hear some feedback.
i haven’t read any of RIP, but man, that would just be beyond stupid. Dick is possibly the most stand-up guy in the entire DCU. Him feeling “left out” or whatever is just not enough for the biggest heel turn in all of comics, an anything else would just be ridiculously retconned/pulled-out-of-morrison’s butt–and would only make me wish even harder that dick had died back during infinite crisis.
There is a mountain of evidence to suggest it’s not Dick. But, based on how shocking Morrison keeps claiming this is going to be, that’s why I’m guessing him.
Odds are not good that I’m right, though.
Reasons I think it’s Dick:
1. Biggest betrayal ever. Dick knows everything the Black Glove would need to know.
2. The aforementioned elevation of Tim as being better than Dick. I quote Dr. Hurt from this week’s Batman: “Little red Robin’s proving to be a more … slippery customer than we’d imagined.” Even as a villain, Dick can’t outsmart Tim.
3. Emphasis on the RED of Robin. Robin is red; Batman is black. The black and red become deadly when combined.
4. Le Bossu was supposed to perform the lobotomy on Dick. Joker, who works for the Black Glove, dispatched of Le Bossu, effectively saving Dick.
5. DC was going to kill Dick in Infinite Crisis. They’ve clearly had no plan for him since. Dan DiDio reportedly hates the character.
6. As Nightwing is apparently taking place after the events of Batman R.I.P., we have the requisite series that contradicts the events of a Grant Morrison mega-event. In other words, “You nerds need to not get so hung up on these trivial continuity issues.”
I’m with the Colonel. It just doesn’t make any sense for Dick to be the villain. Nightwing has moved on from Batman. He’s not living in Batman’s shadow anymore. He’s his own hero with his own city and his own support group. Also, Nightwing the series has been really good lately, and this would just screw everything up.
Hey, why isn’t Jason Todd being discussed? Teaming up with the Joker to bring down Batman? That seems like an ultimate betrayal to me.
Yes. Jason Todd, always a whiny, unstable, ultraviolent crybaby would make WAY more sense than Dick. Seriously, if it’s Dick, I”ll be so mad I’ll write something on the Internet about it!
Plus, while the showed the Club of Villains trying to bring Tim in unsuccessfully, they never actually showed the fight where they captured Dick. He just showed up in Arkham, foaming at the mouth, and the doctors were under the impression that his name was, “Pierrot Lunaire,” a one-time enemy of the French crimefighter Musketeer.
since when did Morrison do anything that makes sense?
Couple of things:
1) has Thomas Wayne been officially ruled out? I heard some speculation and lost track of where it’s going (I’m so angry with FC right now, I can’t bear to read RIP).
2) You should move #5 higher up on the list man. As Chris Sims pointed out, Batman destroying the Batman was done before:
http://www.the-isb.com/?p=389
Knowing Morrison’s… style, I’d put hard money on this whole thing being a retelling of that silver age tale.
3) I’d actually put Alfred higher up on the betrayal scale than I would nightwing. This is the man who RAISED Bruce. He’s been more of a father to him than his real father got to be.
Good points, Nate. To answer your questions, and respond to your points, let me follow your format:
1) Thomas Wayne hasn’t been officially ruled out, no. The hints that have been made toward it have seemed forced and heavy-handed, so I’ve more or less ruled it out, but it’s still fair game and easily possible. I really wouldn’t like it if that were the case, though, since it would not only destroy the Batman, but it would destroy the origin of the Batman to a point where I’d feel as if it has betrayed both the character and the past sixty years of comics. Going off what Morrison said, though, that could certainly fit.
2) Maybe Batman should be higher on the list. The fact that he was explicitly pointed out as being behind this scheme has me skeptical, though. There’s that old standing rule in mysteries where the first person fingered for the crime is never the actual culprit, and that’s why I haven’t taken it more seriously.
3) I can’t argue with that. The only reason I’ll try is because Nightwing, at the core of the character, represents Bruce’s hope and optimism. He’s provided Nightwing with a better life than he’s had after suffering a similar tragedy, and Dick has thrived because of that support. To turn his back on that would be the ultimate betrayal to Batman, if you ask me. Alfred would hurt Bruce, yes, but Dick would kill him.
Thanks Doom, excellent points.
And you’re right about #1 just destroying the character. But wasn’t there some talk about “ending” Batman without killing him?
Finally, you must give us another prediction: How do you think RIP is going to turn out for DC comics in the long run?
Another source of irony, if it does turn out to be nightwing:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117993158.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
With the show coming up, I have trouble believing DC would do that to a character.
Yes, but to use that as a counterargument ignores the fact that we’re discussing who is going to be the one to destroy Batman in the midst of an extremely successful motion picture trilogy about the character.
If they’re going to kill (or worse, whatever that means) Batman between Batman 2 and Batman 3, I don’t think they’ll have a problem with turning Dick heel before his CW series comes out.
Remember, the Batman issue “Robin Dies at Dawn” is where much of this Batman RIP groundwork was laid, as Dr. Hurt placed Batman into the isolation chamber experiment. Robin was there with Dr. Hurt all along.
EDIT: I actually think you’re right, Nate, which is why I doubt that anything all that bad or permanent is going to happen to Bruce.
I think that, in the long run, everything will be back to the way it was before all of this started. How long that takes, only time will tell. Unless they show a level of commitment akin to Marvel’s job of defining Bucky solidly as the new Cap’n ‘Merica, I don’t see this lasting much longer than a few years.
It’s possible, though. Who knows?