This issue of “Batman” is part two of the “Last Rites” storyline.  It is also the last issue before we get the “big” reveal of what happened to Batman which we will see in “Final Crisis” #6. 

This issue was okay.  I’ve enjoyed these last two issues a lot more than I’ve enjoyed “RIP”.  The “Last Rites” storyline seems a bit more literal than what was happening in “RIP”.  In “Last Rites,” we see two of Darkseid’s men have captured Batman and are attempting to use Batman in order to clone an army of mindless soldiers for Darkseid.  What was confusing to me was the end.  Did Batman escape?  Or are the last scenes of him and Alfred in the cave still in his mind.

In this issue, we still have Batman being fed these images of a life where he did not become Batman and was simply Dr. Bruce Wayne. However, in this new “life” Bruce seems to know that something isn’t right and he begins to fight back which results in Darkseid’s men feeding him the harsh reality of his life as Batman. I believe they think that by showing him the worse moments such Jason Todd’s death, Barbara Gordon’s shooting, Bane breaking his back, he will submit. They realize however that these events have shaped Batman into the man he is today and that these events have only made him stronger.

Batman is able to defeat them, but as I said, I’m not sure he has escaped the apparatus he was contained in.  We will learn of Batman’s final fate in issue six of “Final Crisis” which comes out the week of January 14th.  A bit of wait until then which sucks.  I just want this to be over with.  What the hell happened to Bruce Wayne?!  What is better than just killing him off as said by Grant Morrison.  Does he mean “RIP” or what will happen in “Final Crisis”?

These two separate events just seem so different and unrelated.  How can we see Bruce Wayne dealing with the Black Glove in RIP and Darkseid in the next.  It’s not an easy transition between the two.  Whatever the case, I’m still looking forward to the end.  DC has got me interested.  I’m looking forward more to the post-storyline of “Battle for the Cowl”.  A world without Bruce Wayne as Batman.  Should be interesting.