Spotlight: Batman and Red Hood #20

(w) Peter J. Tomasi     (a) Patrick Gleason and Cliff Richards


** SPOILERS AHEAD **


It's becoming more and more apparent that the Batman and Robin title rebranding is the planned fallout of "Death of the Family" and the death of Damian Wayne all along. Scott Snyder did little to close out his Joker-centric story in the pages of Batman, and while there was a slew of "Requiem" issues dedicated to the memory of Damian Wayne, many of them only included a passing mention of that horrific event before focusing on their own respective plots. Thus, Batman and... not only serves as a look at Bruce Wayne's ongoing struggle with the death of his son, but also pairs Batman with his other allies just after he's betrayed all their trust, at a time when he needs them more than ever.

Batman and Red Hood #20 is split into two distinct narratives. The first deals with Carrie Kelley, the redheaded girl who was giving Damian acting lessons unbeknownst to either Bruce or Alfred, while the second pairs Batman with Red Hood to go after the assassins who took the $500,000 bounty placed on Damian by his mother, Talia al Ghul. Each of these segments is designed to convey both Bruce and Batman's processing of Damian's death.

Introducing Carrie Kelley was a bold move by Peter J. Tomasi. She's an iconic figure in one of the most revered Batman stories of all time. A lesser writer would have screwed the pooch and gone more high-concept. Instead, Tomasi gives Carrie the same sense of independence as her Dark Knight Returns source material did and makes the character a believable part of the DC universe backdrop within the span of two issues. Bruce's icy attitude belies his assertions that Damian is fine and his sudden disappearance is of no concern. Having Carrie as a foil to that mood is not only narratively brilliant, but also a breath of fresh air from Bruce's constant melodrama. I call it melodrama because there's only so much one man can brood.

Similarly, Tomasi takes another gambit by turning Batman into a giant, huge, massive asshole. Since the end of "Death of the Family", Batman has been trying to reestablish the relationships he had with his various allies. It hasn't worked out so well. In Batman and Red Hood #20, it seems that Batman has finally accepted that communication is the best route to trust by laying his cards on the table when he asks Jason Todd for help -- he's angry and needs to be violent. 

Things take a turn when Batman's ulterior motives come out; forcing Jason to return to the site of his death to relive that moment in hopes of finding a way to bring back Damian. It's a sick and twisted thing to do, and Red Hood points it out, plainly. The frustrating part of this whole sequence is that Batman's counterargument is weak and plagued by paternal emotion. Batman is grasping at straws in his horrific depression and is now dragging down his allies.

The past two issues of Batman and... have been designed to show how both personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman are coming apart at the seams. His family is crumbling around him into the pit where Damian used to be, and his borderline-psychotic actions are doing nothing to help the situation. I understand why Tomasi is doing this, and he's doing a fantastic job writing it, but he's also slowly turning Batman into an emotionless obsessive whose singular mindset will be his own downfall. Honestly, I don't know how to feel about it and that excites me.

GRADE

8/10

mini Reviews (Mar 13-19, 2013)

---------- mini DC reviews

Demon Knights #18

(w) Robert Vendetti     (a) Bernard Chang

Demon Knights #18 suffers from being the penultimate issue to Robert Vendetti's first run of the series -- Cain's invasion of Themyscira has been built up so much already that emotional drama is the only thing going for the Demon's Knights this month, and it's just barely enough to satisfy. While I thoroughly enjoy Vendetti's character development, the plot stalls terribly and that accounts for the dragging feel throughout the issue. Moments after Jason Blood and Xanadu are finally reunited, a simple miscommunication gets blown out of proportion, causing Jason to throw a temper tantrum and hide out in Hell. The final pages set everything up for next issue's explosive battle between the Amazons, Cain's army, the Demon's Knights, and Vandal Savage's horde, raising the anticipation significantly.

GRADE: 7/10

Batman and Robin #18

(w) Peter J. Tomasi     (a) Patrick Gleason

Robin is dead, and Peter J. Tomasi offers up the most haunting and emotional depiction of Batman's grief in Batman and Robin #18. As a silent issue, the "writing" has to come through the art, which is does so in spades -- every action, every moment in this issue is framed by Batman's emotions and that comes through over and over again. Patrick Gleason's artwork is simply incredible, which is to say he seems to have stepped it up even more beyond his already phenomenal monthly work -- the close up of Batman's frown conveys so much in one panel. It makes sense that Batman and Robin would be the most emotionally impactful of the Bat-titles, and Tomasi pulls it off with aplomb.

GRADE: 9.5/10

Superboy #18

(w) Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco, and Tony Lee     (a) R.B. Silva

With Tony Lee on dialogue, Superboy #18 is a noticeable step up from the past...every issue of Superboy. Now that all that "H'el on Earth" stuff is over and done with, Lobdell, DeFalco, and Lee take Kon-El back to Manhattan to take responsibility for stealing all those millions of dollars from a bank back around issue ten or so. While much of the writing is still very cringe-worthy -- like the retelling of Superboy's origin that seems to be a permanent fixture in any issue of the series -- Lee manages to make the most of what he's been given and makes Kon-El more relatable than he's been thus far in the 'New 52'. The back-up story featuring Krypto the Superdog falls flat because, unlike Superboy in general, there's no context for Krypto's appearance let alone his actions; hopefully it's building into something more substantial.

GRADE: 6/10

REVIEW: BATMAN and ROBIN #15

(w) Peter J. Tomasi
(a) Patrick Gleason

After two months of so-so "Death of the Family" tie-in titles, Batman and Robin #15 comes out swinging. Not only does Damian take center stage on his mission to find Alfred while Batman's off tracking down the Joker, but Patrick Gleason's interpretation of the new, faceless Joker might be the scariest and creepiest version of the Clown Prince of Crime yet.

Much of Batman and Robin #15 is a psychological game between Robin and Joker. Damian's only been Batman's partner for a short amount of time, and from what I've read in the 'New 52' so far, it seems like Damian's never encountered the Joker. That's a big deal. Damian already has a penchant for being egotistical and brash when it comes to his ability oppressed by Batman's paternal instincts. Add the Joker's snide attitude and loss of all humanity, and Damian quickly recognizes the Joker is seriously deranged. But when the youngest Wayne sees a video of Joker blinding Alfred by pouring ammonia in his eyes, Damian is all to quick to renounce his oath to not kill anymore by promising to kill the Joker. On the one hand, it shows how determined Damian becomes after he fully understands the terror of Joker's mental instability. On the other, the whole sequence feels rushed and somewhat lacking. If it had only been a page longer, it would have really packed a huge punch. Instead, Damian's promise to kill Joker comes across as childish from a boy readers know doesn't have any philosophical issues with murder outside his father's opinions nagging at the back of his mind.

But really, this issue comes down to one single idea: "Robin's greatest fear is being responsible for Batman's death, and Batman's greatest fear is being responsible for Robin's death." Joker lays it out as simply as he can because that's exactly what needs to be said. Strip away the insanity, the murderous tendencies, and the tricky dialogue, and what you're left with is a character who is actually speaking truths, however twisted they might be--Batman's allies drag him down. They make him weaker because he has to care for them instead of performing at peak efficiency. It might not be what we want to hear, but it's real. This isn't to say that Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Red Robin should be done away with (though, I guess we'll see the status quo at the end of "DotF"), just that we, as fans, need to recognize that one of Batman's weaknesses is his family. Of course, when you add the crazy back into Joker, he wants everyone dead!

Batman and Robin #15 is by and far the best "Death of the Family" tie-in issue yet, and is simply one of the best issues of the series overall. Damian Wayne is brash and confident to a fault, and it comes to a head when he faces the Joker, a villain who feeds on traits like overconfidence and uses it to his advantage. This series went through a bit of a rough patch for a few months in the late summer/early fall, but these past few issues have been fantastic. Peter J. Tomasi comes in at a close second for best interpretation of the Joker. And really, the only reason for that is because Scott Snyder developed the Joker's 'New 52' persona, so he's kind of got the best hold on him. If you're looking for a good "Death of the Family" tie-in, but you don't want to go overboard with issues, stick with Batman and Robin.

GRADE

8.5/10

BATMAN AND ROBIN #12

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

After a pretty awesome first arc and a better-than-average contribution to "Night of the Owls", Batman and Robin has really found a place as a title focused on the relationship between these two characters and how it differs from former Robins because Damian is Bruce's son. Damian is a very complex character that Grant Morrison created (kind of), built up quite a bit, then just left for everyone else to clean up. In many ways, it would be like having divorced parents with passionate political beliefs that were polar opposite from one another. Damian was raised a loyal Libertarian, and has been thrust into the world of Democrats that he's only now beginning to understand, though he still feels inclined to prove his self worth by any means necessary. Unfortunately, all of these excellent elements surrounding Damian's characterization only show up sparingly throughout this current arc, and not at all in this issue.

"Terminus Maximus" has been billed as the 'main arc' of the past three issues, yet until Batman and Robin #12, you could have fooled me and said the big story was "War of the Robins", a side story concerning Damian's desire to defeat each of the former Robins in an effort to prove himself the best of Batman's sidekicks. Indeed, the "Robins" arc is far more insightful and interesting, as it has to do with emotional ramifications instead of blind villainy. Damian is a 10 year old assassin child challenging much older, stronger men to bouts of strength and wits - tell me that's not more awesome than a plot about yet another psychotic villain who wants to kill Batman and give Gotham the "truth". However I feel about the quality of each story, "Terminus" takes the spotlight this issue, as DC billed the issue as "The Final fight with Terminus!" Though, this is the one and only meeting, let alone fight, that Batman and Terminus have had. I don't know why Peter J. Tomasi wanted to crush a six-issue story into three, but he does so here with as much grace as a Juggernaut in a china shop.

Terminus himself is a pretty by-the-books villain, one who believes that Batman has made the city worse through his actions. Now, Termy wants to make the city fear Batman by sending out an army of lunatics to brand civilians with a bat symbol. While that particular part of the arc is cool, the entirety of the attack on Gotham lasted less than one issue. This month, it's all about Batman vs. Terminus, though there's really not a lot of logic to it. Terminus takes his name because he's terminal, and also because he wants to terminate Batman, I'm going to assume. Beyond that, we don't know anything about this guy. He doesn't have a proper name, his sickness is never given adequate explanation, and his hatred for Batman never evolves past vague "your actions affected me negatively" emotions that aren't based in anything real.

It's a real shame that "War of the Robins" not only ends this issue, but also gets pushed to the severe edges of the narrative. As Bats and Robin take on Terminus and this thugs, Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood show up to lend a hand to save their city from this villain-of-the-week. The panels featuring all the former (and current) Robins together are filled with witty banter and snaps at each other much like brothers in the backyard. It's really at this point, nearly 2/3 of the way through the issue, that things start getting interesting, and it's because Tomasi finally starts focusing on relationships for a moment.

Now that "Terminus" is in the past, we have Batman and Robin #0 to look forward to next month, hopefully shedding some light onto the formative years of Damian's life in the League of Assassins. Because really, I just want to forget Terminus was even a villain. Tomasi even had to throw in a biochemical warhead for Batman to stop to make Termy more that just another faceless threat. But even that didn't work.

GRADE

B

BATMAN AND ROBIN #11

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Keith Champagne, and Dustin Nguyen

This week at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Scott Lobdell revealed that Tim Drake went straight from a regular kid - with a knack for detective work - to Red Robin, without actually spending any time as Batman's official sidekick. This change sent waves through the comic book community, most of them negative. Tim Drake is definitely as popular - if not more so - as Dick Grayson, so it's odd that DC would so easily let Lobdell change continuity all willy-nilly. The reason I bring up this revamp is that Tim is still included in Peter J. Tomasi's "War of the Robins" story that's been the best part of Batman and Robin the past two months, even though he (now!) was never technically a Robin.

Damian takes his fight to Red Hood this issue, and DC has labeled it in promotional materials as the beginning of the newest Robin's quest to defeat all the former ones, even though he technically did beat Tim Drake last month in a battle of morality and ethical dilemmas. Perhaps this is DC's attempt to clean up the Robin retcon by saying Tim's encounter with Damian wasn't an actual fight that falls under the classification of "War of the Robins". But that seems a bit silly.

Nonetheless, Red Hood's turn is here. Jason Todd returns to his Gotham apartment, exhausted, only to find himself ambushed by Damian. Batman's son truly is a great character. What could have simply been a new Robin content to live a life of servitude under his father's wing has become a complex ten-year-old child leading a life of someone thrice his age. This facet of Damian was explored throughout the first eight issues of Batman and Robin, as Tomasi looked to show that Robin has problems and issues more akin to weathered assassins than his peers playing in schoolyards. Of course, Damin is 10 years old, so he's still got some insecurities that come with that age. One of which happens to be an inferiority complex when it comes to his mantle as Robin.


Damian Wayne is Bruce's only biological son, but the man has two other sons who he feels more connected with. Damian's dilemma isn't an uncommon one for children raised by a single parent - he's figuring out how to manage a relationship with the absent parent. And in this case, Damian feels that in order to prove himself to his father, he must defeat Bruce's former surrogate children.


Unlike last month, Tomasi spends a majority of this issue focused on Terminus. This slowly decaying villain has sent out a cadre of super-powered thugs to brand as many Gotham citizens as possible with Batman's symbol. Terminus has managed to turn the city's symbol of hope (no matter how dark and twisted that hope may be) into one of fear...again. At one point, Batman's just standing in a plaza, surrounded by buildings all triggered to explode at the same time. "Leave my city ALONE!" screams Batman as he has a hundred million times before. Tomasi is taking the easy way out, making Gotham the scapegoat in this pissing match riled up by Terminus for reasons unapparent so far. Sure, Tomasi threw us a bone last month with some cryptic flashbacks into Terminus' life, but they did little to give meaning to this villain's actions. All we know is that Termy sees himself as Gotham's true son and seeks to knock Batman off his high-and-mighty pedestal.


With two plot lines running simultaneously, Tomasi should be focusing on "War of the Robins", a narrative that actually has a purpose and can give real insight to Batman's various sidekicks throughout the years - it's a character-driven plot that has a lot more potential. Terminus' plot to make the city his own is one that has been done to death for the last sixty years of Batman's history, and it feels like more of a support story that's getting too much limelight.

GRADE

C+

(COMIC) BATMAN INCORPORATED #2

STORY: Grant Morrison
ART: Chris Burnham

After last month's twisting, turning first issue of Batman Incorporated, Grant Morrison takes a hard left turn and gives us the abridged history of Talia al Ghul and how her dysfunctional family dynamic with her father, Ra's, and her son, Damian, leads to the forceful coupe of her father's empire. While the story is well told, and Chris Burnham's art continues to be one of the best reasons to read this book, Batman Incorporated #2 feels like Batman and Robin 1.5 instead of a series about Batman's international operatives, who never show up in this issue at all.

Knowing Grant Morrison, Talia's reinvention as the Gorgon (I assume) makes sense after a history lesson about Talia's childhood living with Ra's al Ghul, a life filled with sadness, terror, disappointment, and secrets. Morrison shows us how Talia never felt complete without a mother, leading to uncomfortable confrontations with her father throughout her young life, a time period reflected in Bruce and Damian's relationship, trading the super-villain-ness with hero stuffs. Batman himself only appears in a few panels, and only in flashbacks to demonstrate Talia's continued presence in the Dark Knight's life and how Ra's influenced the entire relationship.


As a competent Batman story incorporating multiple elements from the Caped Crusader's past, Batman Incorporated is doing a fantastic job building up to a greater goal, but as a title aimed at making comic books easier to pick up for new readers, it fails. Giving character history isn't a crime, but doing so in the second issue of an already complex series isn't the right way to go about it. Granted, this issue as a history lesson does give readers some context as to who exactly Damian Wayne is, but I really feel like changing the tone and focus of the series so soon after beginning the series will throw new readers off before they're willing to take the time to commit a rather obscure character's history to their comic knowledge.

GRADE

C

(COMIC) BATMAN AND ROBIN #10

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

In the month after "Night of the Owls", all the Batman-related books are starting new story arcs. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Batman and Robin #10 might be simultaneously the most interesting and the most boring new story of the bunch. Since Big Ol' Bats already has three series dedicated to his solo outings, Tomasi has been focusing on Damian Wayne quite a bit, not only dealing with his daddy issues throughout the first arc, but also with Damian's talent for strategic battle during last month's Talon incursion. This has been a consistently smart move on Tomasi's part.

Batman and Robin #10 kicks off "Terminus", but you'd barely know it if you didn't want to. The so-called Terminus takes a far, far back seat to the issue's main events. All the same, this guy obviously has criminal intentions, and his body seems to be falling apart. Terminus spends the issue regenrating in some crazy regeneration machine. That's it. I'm sure there will be more to this, but it also doesn't seem very interesting. At this point, Terminus is just some dude who wants to kill Batman - hold the phone! No, the real meat in this issue comes from the 'War of the Robins' storyline.

Bruce has called all the Robins, former and current (except for Jason Todd, for obvious reasons), together for a family portrait at Wayne Manor. One of the best things about the Robin mantle is that there isn't one type of person who becomes Robin - they come in all shapes and sizes and personalities. Within minutes, Tim Drake and Damian are at each other's throat. Dick Grayson loftily sits above their squabble, as his position as Robin can never be questioned (he's the O.G., baby!)

The feud between Tim and Damian is interesting, mostly because it stems from simple disrespect. Whenever Batman and Superman had disagreements, they never lost respect for one another, but neither boy here regards the other in any good light. For Damian, Tim is stuck-up and looks down on Damian, while Tim feels that Damian is a psychopath and unworthy of a title he and Dick worked hard to maintain. That's pretty much the description you're going to get anywhere else. The truth of the matter is much deeper, even if Tomasi doesn't know it.

Tim Drake was the son Bruce never had. Sure, Dick was the first Robin and literally had no parents and was adopted by Bruce, but they've always had a stronger working relationship (at least in my memory. Maybe I need to go back and reread old Silver Age issues). Tim, on the other hand, was the one who figured out who Batman was, the one with the detective skills to rival Bruce's own, and the Robin that took the name from respectable to iconic. Like I said, Tim was the son Bruce never had. Until Damian. Tim's real beef is that Damian is a real Wayne and Bruce's actual son. Obviously, it's painful to see your mentor and father-figure move on to a new apprentice, a new disciple. And sure Tim left of his own accord, but he keeps the mantle Red Robin, an obvious homage to his former title which means he still has deep emotional ties to the name and the job. Dick, conversely, left and took the name Nightwing, moved to a new city and generally tried to distance himself from Batman for quite some time.

Damian, of course, lives in Tim's all-encompassing shadow. Tim held the mantle for so long and did so well, it's obvious to Damian that Bruce is looking to make Damian more like Tim. The entire first arc of Batman and Robin was about Damian's issues with his upbringing as a killer, and in a sense, he was able to make a good step forward in dealing with those issues. But Tim is always there - a constant reminder of how good a Robin can be and how lacking Damian is compared to Tim.

The night after their blow-up at Wayne Manor, Damian calls all the former Robins together, even extending an invitation to Jason Todd, the Red Hood! When they all show, Damian declares "war" on them. Damian explains that at some point, he will confront each of them and defeat them at something they consider themselves the best. Of course, they all immediately assume Damian means a fight, but the little Robin's much smarter than that! His only goal with Tim is to get Red Robin to admit he'd had homicidal thoughts. Tim rebuffs this by saying he's never acted on those thoughts, which is what separates them.

I really do tend to enjoy superhero stories where the heroes are in-fighting, and the "War of the Robins" portion of Batman and Robin #10 is totally awesome. My psychoanalytical critique aside, these characters are all awesome and now, they've got an arc slowly building that will pit them all against one another in a variety of circumstances. FANTASTIC. Terminus will probably continue to be a boring sub-plot that will eventually slip it's way into the main story, pulling the entire arc down as a result, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, awesomeness.

GRADE

A