Batman Grant Morrison: The Comic Run and Its Film Connections

The Batman Grant Morrison run is a connected comic sequence that begins with Batman #655 and continues across several Batman series. Grant Morrison wrote Batman #655, with pencils by Andy Kubert, and the issue went on sale on July 26, 2006. DC's numbered collections carry the reading route through Batman and Robin and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, while Absolute Batman, Incorporated gathers the later Batman Incorporated material. The changes in series titles matter when choosing books, because one collection can contain issues from more than one series.

The run also has two documented film connections with different levels of detail. Son of Batman (2014), directed by Ethan Spaulding, adapts a Morrison storyline, while James Gunn announced that The Brave and the Bold would be based on the run. Gunn said the announced film would introduce the DC Universe's Batman and Damian Wayne, but the supplied announcement does not identify a particular issue as its direct adaptation. The broader Batman movies page covers the franchise, while this guide concentrates on the comics and the stated screen connections.

For a first purchase, use the issue contents rather than the size or volume number printed on the spine. Batman by Grant Morrison Book One starts with Batman #655, and the following numbered books gather material from several titles.

Start the Batman Grant Morrison reading order with Batman #655, which went on sale on July 26, 2006. Grant Morrison wrote the issue and Andy Kubert provided its pencils. DC includes Batman #655 in Batman by Grant Morrison Book One, so a reader choosing collected editions can begin there without buying the opening issue separately. Check the contents of the edition you choose if you are matching it against individual comics.

Batman by Grant Morrison Book One collects Batman #655 to #658, Batman #663 to #675, and stories from 52 #30 and #47. The Batman issue numbers have a gap, so the contents list is more useful than assuming the book includes every consecutive issue between its first and last Batman entries. The two 52 entries are identified as stories from those issues. When comparing a listing for Book One with comics already on your shelf, check both the issue numbers and that distinction.

Another edition detail concerns The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul. The 2018 first Morrison omnibus includes two new story pages written and drawn by Chris Burnham that recap the crossover. The stated fact does not establish that the whole crossover is collected there. If that material affects your purchase, check the edition's full contents before treating the recap as a substitute for the complete crossover.

Damian Wayne is the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, according to DC's catalog description for Absolute Batman and Son. That family relationship gives readers a point of reference when following the Morrison material from its opening Batman issues into the later Batman and Robin collection. DC also identifies Damian Wayne as a character Gunn plans to introduce alongside the DC Universe's Batman in The Brave and the Bold. The announced film connection makes the relationship relevant to both the comic reading route and the screen discussion.

The collected route places the opening material in Batman by Grant Morrison Book One, which starts with Batman #655. Book One includes Batman #655 to #658 and Batman #663 to #675, as well as stories from two issues of 52. A reader looking for the starting collection can identify it by those contents, even when a store lists several Morrison books with similar names. The family relationship provides context, while the issue list provides a way to check the specific edition before buying.

Later collections introduce a change of Batman within the same reading route. DC's announcement of Batman and Robin identifies Dick Grayson as Batman when Morrison and Frank Quitely launched the series in 2009. Book Two collects Batman and Robin #1 to #9, and Book Three continues with #10 to #16. Keep the character names and collection contents together when moving between the opening Batman material and the later series.

Batman: R.I.P. comes after the opening Batman material in the numbered collection route and appears in Batman by Grant Morrison Book Two. DC lists Batman #676 to #683 and #700 in Book Two, following the Batman issues through #675 collected in Book One. The numbered books offer a way to move between those stages without assuming that each book contains only one series. A reader comparing editions should check the listed issues as well as the story title on the cover.

Book Two also collects Batman and Robin #1 to #9 and a story from DC Universe #0. Those entries make its contents broader than Batman: R.I.P. alone, and the DC Universe #0 story belongs to the numbered book route. Book Three then collects Batman and Robin #10 to #16. If you already own a separate edition of Batman: R.I.P., compare its contents with Book Two before buying, because the numbered book also carries material that continues into the next volume.

The 2018 first Morrison omnibus offers another edition detail: it includes two new story pages written and drawn by Chris Burnham recapping The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul. The supplied contents information confirms the recap, not a complete collection of that crossover. Readers who want to match a particular issue or crossover against an omnibus should inspect the full contents list.

Absolute Batman, Incorporated collects issues from two Batman, Incorporated series, Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Rises #1 and Batman, Incorporated Special #1. DC lists Batman, Incorporated #1 to #8 and Batman, Incorporated Vol. 2 #1 to #13 in the collection. The repeated issue numbers make the volume designation useful when comparing books or individual comics. An issue numbered #1 from the first series does not by itself account for the #1 listed under Vol. 2.

The collection follows the earlier numbered route as a way to gather Batman Incorporated material. Batman by Grant Morrison Book Three contains Batman and Robin #10 to #16, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 to #6 and Batman #701 to #702. Absolute Batman, Incorporated has its own contents list, including the two separately named additional issues. A reader moving from Book Three can use the full titles and issue ranges to identify what the later edition supplies.

DC names Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Rises #1 specifically in the collection. Batman, Incorporated Special #1 is another distinct entry, rather than an issue number within either listed series range. If you already own some Batman Incorporated comics, compare each title, volume and number with the Absolute edition before buying. This shows where your existing issues overlap with the collection.

Son of Batman (2014), directed by Ethan Spaulding, adapts a Morrison storyline, and the announced The Brave and the Bold is based on Morrison's comic run. DC's April 2014 announcement identified Spaulding as the director of Son of Batman and announced a May 6 home video release. The announcement for The Brave and the Bold describes its connection at the level of the wider comic run.

James Gunn announced in January 2023 that The Brave and the Bold would introduce the DC Universe's Batman and Damian Wayne. Gunn named Morrison's comic run as the basis for the film. The supplied announcement does not identify a particular issue as the film's direct adaptation. Use the reading order to explore the stated source material, while treating the announced film's specific story as unconfirmed by that announcement.

The film's reported creative team is a separate piece of information from its announced comic basis. On January 21, 2026, TheWrap reported that Christina Hodson had been hired to write The Brave and the Bold and that Andy Muschietti remained attached to direct. That report describes the project at the time of publication. For broader franchise coverage, see the Batman movies page; for the comic connection, begin with Batman #655 or check the contents of Batman by Grant Morrison Book One.

The collection route begins with Batman by Grant Morrison Book One, continues through Books Two and Three, and then moves to Batman Incorporated. Book One collects Batman #655 to #658 and #663 to #675, plus stories from 52 #30 and #47. Those issue ranges give the opening purchase a contents list. If you own individual issues, match them against the book before deciding which format will fill the gaps in your collection.

Book Two collects Batman #676 to #683 and #700, Batman and Robin #1 to #9, and a story from DC Universe #0. Book Three continues with Batman and Robin #10 to #16, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 to #6 and Batman #701 to #702. The Batman and Robin series spans the two numbered books, while the story from DC Universe #0 belongs to the Book Two contents. Check every series title as well as its issue numbers when comparing those volumes with separate editions.

For the Batman Incorporated material, Absolute Batman, Incorporated lists Batman, Incorporated #1 to #8, Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Rises #1, Batman, Incorporated Vol. 2 #1 to #13 and Batman, Incorporated Special #1. The first series and Vol. 2 both have an issue #1, so the volume label matters. Compare the issues you already own with the contents of the next collection before purchasing.