Batman # 667 Cover A First Printing 2007 NM-

Batman #667 (published in August 2007) is the opening chapter of the highly acclaimed three-part "The Black Glove" story arc (also collected as part of Batman: The Black Glove). Written by legendary author Grant Morrison with striking, genre-bending artwork by J.H. Williams III, this issue serves as a critical pillar leading up to the massive Batman R.I.P. storyline. 

The Plot

• The Reunion: Years ago, a billionaire movie producer named John Mayhew formed the International Club of Heroes (also known as the Batmen of All Nations), recruiting global heroes inspired by Batman. After fracturing over internal egos and failures, Mayhew suddenly invites the old team to a reunion at his private Caribbean island mansion. 
• The Trap: Batman and Robin (Tim Drake) arrive to find a diverse cast of eccentric heroes—including England's Knight and Squire, Argentina's Gaucho, and the Native American hero Man-Of-Bats. However, the reunion is a trap orchestrating a sinister game.
• The Murder Mystery: A video message plays revealing Mayhew has been murdered by an enigmatic villain named the Black Glove. Their only escape ship is vaporized, the island is cut off, and the gluttonous hero Legionary is brutally stabbed 23 times, kicking off a locked-room slasher mystery.

Core Themes & Production

• Agatha Christie Homage: The narrative structure is a direct, dark superhero pastiche of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit mystery, And Then There Were None, where trapped guests are picked off one by one.
• Deconstructing Bruce's Psyche: Morrison uses the diverse members of the Club of Heroes to externalize and critique different facets of Batman’s history and personality—ranging from the fame-hungry Musketeer to the embittered, moodier Wingman.
• Introduction of Doctor Hurt: This arc marks the foundational groundwork for Doctor Hurt and the Black Glove cabal, a sprawling psychological horror element that would systematically try to dismantle Batman's sanity in subsequent arcs.