The Batman Case Files: Introduction to Grant Morrison’s Masterpiece Run (2006-2013)
Grant Morrison’s seven-year run on Batman is widely considered one of the most ambitious long-form epics in the history of modern comic books. Running across multiple titles from 2006 to 2013, the story functions as a massive three-act saga that breaks down Bruce Wayne before rebuilding him on a global scale.
As it is a big read, this may not be the most inviting entry point for new readers. But it’s one influential run that continues to impress and, at times, leave a little confusion. It’s a dense and coherent narrative driven by big ideas, fueled by deep cuts into obscure DC lore.
This article presents Grant Morrison’s run, outlining the key ideas, plot points, and characters. It serves as a roadmap providing context for my detailed reading order and retrospective review. So, let’s start exploring this rich case file!
Of course, Morrison was not alone. During his run, he worked with artists Andy Kubert, J.H. Williams III, John Van Fleet, Tony Daniel, Ryan Benjamin, Lee Garbett, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, Cameron Stewart, A,dy Clarke, Frazer Irving, Scott Kolins, Chris Sprouse, Ryan Sook, Yanick Paquette, George Jeanty, David Finch, Scott Clark, and Chris Burnham.
1. The Historical Context: The End of the Modern Age Batman
Grant Morrison’s run on Batman is the backbone of the last chapter of the Post-Crisis era, aka the Modern Age of DC Comics. In the overall chronology, it is set some time after the launch of the “One Year Later” initiative (following the Batman: Face the Face storyline).
At that point, Batman, Robin, and Nightwing had spent a year away from Gotham City and had recently returned to clean up the streets of the usual criminals. It was done, so what’s going on with Bruce Wayne? He starts seeing socialite Jezebel Jet while Batman learns he has a son!
🔎Morrison’s run is not limited to the main Batman series. Here is how it goes:
- Part 1: Batman #655-658, #663-683.
- Part 2: Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702, and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6.
- Part 3: Batman Incorporated (Series 1) #1-8, Batman Incorporated (Series 2) #0-13 [set during the New 52 era], and a few one-shots.
This is the quick overview. Visit my Complete Grant Morrison Batman Reading Order for a really detailed roadmap of this run.
📂 Key Stories of the Run:
- The New Robin: The Introduction of Damian Wayne is certainly the biggest new addition to the Batman mythos during this run, as the character became a notable player in the DC Comics Universe. His introduction was not an easy one, and he had to earn the right to wear the costume, but it stuck.
- The Black Glove: A mysterious group is unexpectedly targeting Bruce Wayne/Batman, stripping him of who he is. A psychological game from which emerges the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.
- The Death of Batman: The core idea of Morrison’s run is the deconstruction of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His “death” became a turning point, showing what could happen if he somehow disappears, revisiting some elements of the Knightfall saga, but rooting the story in a larger narrative exploring what differentiates the man from the myth.
- The New Dynamic Duo: The idea of Batman’s replacement is still something writers like to explore from time to time. Morrison went all the way. To make it work, Dick Grayson took on Damian as his new Robin, thus maintaining the dynamic of the duo but with somewhat inverted personalities.
- The Return of Bruce Wayne: Batman never went away, only Bruce Wayne did. He had to come back, and this became a time-traveling adventure through the horror of Gotham’s past. It’s all about the bats and the Waynes.
- Batman went worldwide: Bruce Wayne saw the future, and now he wants to prevent bad things from happening. His idea: Batman Incorporated. Jumping from one country to the next, he recruits “local” Batmen to help fight crimes, but also expose the Leviathan conspiracy.
2. The Adversaries: Beyond the Usual Rogues
A seven-year epic requires a new kind of antagonist. Morrison moved away from Gotham’s traditional rogues to introduce highly organised and ambitious enemies. Rather than robbing Gotham’s banks or poisoning its reservoir, the villains of this era are waging an existential war against Batman himself, attacking his sanity, his family and his global legacy.
The only recurring classic villain to play a key role in this run is the Joker, and even he left his traditional criminal persona to adopt more symbolic identities characterised by his relationship with his eternal enemy, Batman.
The Primary Threat Files:
- The Black Glove: The psychological threat of the run’s first third is an elite secret society of the world’s most depraved multi-millionaires guided by Dr. Simon Hurt and helped by The Club of Villains. Hurt doesn’t want to kill Batman, he wants to bet on his total moral ruin.
- Professor Pyg: Connected to the evil Doctor Dedalus, Pyg is a gifted and completely insane scientist who’s obsessed with making things “perfect”. He is one iconic villain.
- El Penitente: Powerful Mexican drug lord who wants to take Gotham over, El Penitente is not who he seems to be, or even who he pretended to be. He is a maniac from another time who lost his mind and now creates chaos and deals with violence to put his hands on the Wayne fortune.
- Leviathan: Building on the Black Glove‘s plan, Leviathan is a terrorist group built to attack Batman where it hurts. But instead of taking away his identity, it’s about taking away his world.
3. Legacy and Impact
Grant Morrison’s seven-year run concluded the Modern Age, but even as the New 52 era left behind many key elements of the DC Universe, those stories had introduced changes that could not be put aside.
The Evolution of the Bat-Family Hierarchy: Previously, the Bat-Family was a more loosely knit group of sidekicks whom Bruce kept at arm’s length. Introducing Damian Wayne changed the whole dynamic of the family, notably within the ranks of the Robins. The Batman Incorporated arc cemented the extended family and solidified its core concept.
The Re-Validation of the Silver Age: The campy, sci-fi-heavy stories of the 1950s and 60s were treated as an embarrassing history that DC editors desperately tried to sweep under the rug. Morrison’s run changed that by recontextualizing them as intense psychological trauma and corporate isolation experiments.
A Global Definition of Justice: Through Batman Incorporated and the fight against Leviathan, Morrison redefined Batman as an idea too big for one city to contain. This concept of a global franchise comprising localised heroes shifted the scale of Batman’s operations, presenting him as the ultimate global counter-terrorism CEO.
📂 DC Casebook: The Morrison Files
- The Overview: The Architecture of the Epic
- The Lore: Inside the Black Casebook
- The Roadmap: The Complete Reading Order
- The Verdict: Final Review & Analysis
