Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason
I have really enjoyed this series, and although it's had it's ups and downs it's been a very fun series. This issue however isn't fun, as it shows the aftermath of Batman, Incorporated #8, and how Batman is dealing with his loss.
Plot
Batman is in morning after the death of his son, Damian Wayne. This silent issue shows how Damian's death has affected his father, whilst also showing some of Batman's memories of Damian.
Review
This was probably the most emotional issue I have ever read, and by far the best silent issue I've read. It also ranks as one of my favourite issues in this series, along with Batman and Robin Annual #1. It's easy to forget just how much work a writer puts into some issues, as some comics are mainly picture orientated, with some being like this silent. I noticed a few years ago when I got a special edition of a silent(ish) issue that had the script at the back that writers do much more work, meticulousness describing each scene. Peter J. Tomasi has done a brilliant job with this silent issue, and the emotion just leaps out of the page. I do however think that it's an issue that will mean more to people who have been following this series, or read Batman Inc. #8, but it's still very touching. I personally don't get emotional whilst reading things, but it's the subtleties like this issue has that make me slightly emotional.
Patrick Gleason's done a marvelous job with the artwork, and this is probably the best art he's done in the series. Like Tomasi, Gleason has put a lot of emotion into his art, and it shows. You can feel all the emotion flowing through the characters, and if you hadn't already known that someone was dead then the whole demeanor of the story would tell you that this wasn't a fun story. The detail was also brilliant, and I loved that it emphasized on the space that Damian was leaving, as you see panels with Batman and Robin, then you see ones with Batman alone in a similar way. My favourite panel was where Batman looked in a window and noticed through the reflection that he was on his own, as that again emphasized Damian's absence. The other page I liked was the one that was a mirror of the cover, but with Damian along side Batman.
I've re-read this issue so many times to get the full emotion of it, and it's still hard to find the right focus points to talk about. I'll start with one of the ones that interested me the most, the constant absence of Damian. I already stated that Gleason did a good job of this is his art, but it really shows in the story also, as we see the family portrait, with Damian being the only member unfinished, Batman sliding down the Batpole, whilst remembering doing it with Damian, and the window reflection. The most powerful of these was between the Batpole sequence, and the portrait. They both really showed the absence, and although the window was my favourite panel these sequences showed more emotion. The panel near the start with Bruce looking at Damian's empty bed, with Damian's dog Titus next to it also gave a similar feel, and it added another form of emptiness. Another interesting question is: what will become of Damian's pet's? He owned a fair few, so I wonder what will happen. Although this probably won't be interesting it will be something I'll look out for.
It was also nice to see that Bruce wasn't the only one affected, as we see Alfred upset at one point. I can't imagine what Bruce himself is going through as he's not only lost a Robin, but his son. He'll also shoulder most of the blame as he will feel that it was his fault for letting Damian continue being Robin. At the same time however Alfred has been probably the biggest friend to any of the Robin's, adding them when Batman disapproves of something, and overall showing encouragement. Alfred himself will also probably feel responsible as he allowed Damian to go out as Robin, and in doing so sent him to his death, or at least that's how I think Alfred will see it.
Batman's anger was also another thing I expected to come. Although Batman #18 showed this much more (I'm sure Batman, Incorporated #9 will do the same), this issue showed the anger of the Bat, as he went out and disposed of his rage. It's this that makes the statement bold in this issue, as besides this all we see is despair, and upset, but in real life that also leads to anger. I'm curious to see just how big an affect this will have on Batman, as he could become a very dangerous person, and this issue alone shows that he's not a person to mess with at this moment.
Although this issue was amazing, as well as very emotional, I'm more looking forward to seeing how this series continues without Damian, as it was the father, son relationship that I enjoyed the most. I know that it will become a Batman and book, with Red Robin (Tim Drake), Red Hood (Jason Todd), Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), and Nightwing (Dick Grayson) featuring, but I'll still be looking forward to seeing what the bigger picture holds, as Batman always needs a Robin.
Final Verdict
Probably one of the most touching issues I've ever read this is the perfect follow-on from Batman Inc. #8, and in my opinion a better issue. Although the whole Requiem concept has interested me, with some very unique takes, this has been the one that's showed the loss of Damian the most, and I don't see the remaining series' beating it. I would easily recommend this to anyone, whether you follow this series or not, as it's brilliant, and very emotional, and even if you just wanted to read this issue you wouldn't need to get the rest of the series.
Rating: 5/5
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason
Now that Death of the Family is finished all the Bat titles will go their separate ways, and I hope that this is the perfect timing for this series to finally turn things around, and become the series the initial issues showed it can be.
Plot
This issue sees Batman (Bruce Wayne) Robin (Damian Wayne), and Alfred going of to sleep after a long night, and having some strange dreams whilst there.
Review
This has to be one of the best Batman and Robin issues I've read in ages apart from the recent Annual. Following in the same fashion as the annual this is a nice one-shot issue, which is very unique and interesting, whilst being entertaining throughout. Peter J. Tomasi has done a splendid job of giving a story which is very light heartened, whilst still having a hint of darkness to it, which is a nice touch considering what Batman and Robin have went through recently at the hands of the Joker. I do hope that Tomasi can keep this up, as it's very well doing a brilliant job on one-shot issues, but it's not much of a consolation if he continues to produce poor ongoing stories, but I have ever faith that he will continue this form throughout the series.
I've had mixed feelings of Patrick Gleason artwork on this series as of late, but I'm finally happy with it again. I've always felt that Gleason's artwork suits this series brilliantly, but during the Death of the Family crossover it was far from perfect. Although it's still not quite perfect this time, it is much better, and reminds me what I liked about it in the first place. I love the way he draws all the characters, and especially Damian, and Titus (Damian's dog). The detail in his artwork has also improved in this issue, as most of it is very detailed. There is however a few parts that aren't quite as detailed as possible, and also the odd awkward facial expression, but overall the artwork is fabulous. I also loved the layout as it was brilliantly done, adding drama, and a hint of suspense.
Now onto the dreams. I'll talk about all the dreams whilst also trying to avoid spoilers, but I will warn you now in case there are any. I'll start with Damian's dreams since his were the first shown. He's the only character to have had multiple dreams in this issue, or from a certain perspective he could have been the sole dreamer. Anyway his first dream sees him with a brother talking about their father, and the Bat-Family as if they were only tools to learn from, overstaying their use. It then showed Damian waking up to finding a robin. I thought this was a nice touch as in Batman, Incorporated Batman and Robin are dealing with Damian's mother Talia al Ghul. It also shows the way he was brought up by her, as she used people to teach Damian new skills, with Damian seeing them as nothing more than tools to learn from. The main thing I liked about Damian's sequence was that the dream he woke up from was a dream in itself. This reminded me of the Christopher Nolan film Inception which had a story that involved characters that would go into a dream, within a dream, within a dream, and so on, similar to the case with Damian waking up into a dream.
Although Damian's dream had more fun in it, Alfred's was the one that I felt showed more emotion. It shows Alfred getting revenge on the Joker, who's attacking the rest of the Bat-Family with a hammer. This gives Alfred a chance to get rid of his frustrations, as he was easily the most affected by Death of the Family, being Joker's captive for most of the story, going through all kinds of hell, so I liked that although he couldn't get back at Joker in real life he could in his dreams.
Bruce's dream was probably the most unique. It shows him creating a paper boat in the sewer for the darkness sail of in, whilst his parents question this. The series showed Batman doing this earlier in the series, so I liked the reference, and it was interesting to see the difference of opinion his parents have. Overall this was the most disappointing dream, as it doesn't really add much to Batman's character, as everyone knows that he still thinks about his parents, and their death constantly. All the same it was nice to see it mentioned, as it gives newer readers a insight (all be it slightly confusing) to Batman's emotions towards his parents.
Final Verdict
This was a very different issue, and won't necessarily be to everyone's tastes. I personally loved it and would recommend it to anyone, as due to it's uniqueness it will at least keep you interested, and has a 50% chance of having you also liking it. I hope that the series continues to be as good as this issue, as I know it can be.
Rating: 4.5/5
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason
I have been a big fan of this series, and although it's been in a bit of a rut as of late, it is still a very fun series. I'm happy that this part of the Death of the Family crossover hasn't used Batman as much as the other titles usually featuring Batman, as there are already quite a few, and it would question where he got all the time from. A similar question I've been asking about the Joker.
Plot
This issue sees Robin faced against his own father Batman. Batman is apparently affected by Joker's Joker Venom, and isn't going to stop until he kills Robin.
Review
This was a very good issue, but the whole two part story has felt forced into the Death of the Family crossover, and more so in this issue. Each time I pick up this series I hope it returns to being as good as it was when I started reading it, and although Peter J. Tomasi has improved in this storyline it still isn't quite there. Although I didn't love this issue I still think that Tomasi did a decent job, but wasn't too sure if I liked the way he put Batman against Robin. It's an interesting idea, especially at a time like this, but I'm personally not sure if it worked, but I'll talk more about that later. I didn't mind the way Tomasi wrote Joker, as although he wasn't terrible at writing him, he isn't the best. I did however think that although forced that it was a good way of involving Robin in the Death of the Family crossover.
Once more I was torn over whether I liked Patrick Gleason's art or not, as I like his overall style, and think it really suits this series, but at the same time think that it was inconsistent, and didn't look right in certain places. The main thing about Gleason's art that I question myself over is the way he draws the Joker, as he has done a great job of showing the decay on his face mask, but at the same time it doesn't look right in certain panels, as it looks very unrealistic, and too weird, in a bad way. The facial expressions of the Joker are also very weird, especially his eyes, as he almost looks high on drugs in certain panels, which doesn't look right. I do however like the way Gleason has drawn Robin, and have always liked it throughout this series. I also liked how he drew the Joker Venom infected Batman, as he looked like a cross between Batman, and Joker, and Gleason drew it just as I imagined, which was nice.
The main theme in this issue was Batman vs. Robin. I think the idea of Batman vs. Robin is brilliant, and would love to see it done in a different way further down the line, but I didn't think it was right for this issue. Although I say this I do see good reasons for having this happen, as it's the right moment to have a Joker Venom infected Batman, especially after current events, and it's also a brilliant way to bring Damain into Joker's game. The fight itself was however a bit long, and it felt a bit rough, and weird in certain panels, which wasn't very nice.
Although the fight itself left a slightly bitter taste, Damian's actions during it were brilliant. I loved that we get to see some development of Damian in this issue, as although he'd never kill Batman it shows just how far he's willing to go to save him. Although there are a lot of fans that dislike Damian (you could say this about most characters) I've really enjoyed him over the last few years, and his development has been the one that has kept me most interested. I've liked seeing how he shows more and more affection towards his father throughout time, as despite action the bad boy he appears to be a child looking for his fathers approval. This issue however showed exactly how Damian feels toward his father, and I liked that he's only fight him to defend himself, and would rather die than kill him.
The ending was both good and bad. I won't spoil the ending, but will explain why I think it was both good and bad. The ending itself (like the ending of Batgirl #16, and what I expect the ending of the other Death of the Family series will be) sets up Batman #17, which is the finally of the Death of the Family crossover. This was nice as the ending of Batman #16 was brilliant, and looked like it would involve the rest of the Bat-Family in the finally, but at the same time it leaves this part of the crossover ending unfinished, which may not suit the few people who have been reading Batman and Robin, but not Batman.
Final Verdict
This was a very good issue, and although it wasn't one of the best additions to Death of the Family it's by far not the worst, and worth getting. I would highly recommend this issue to anyone who has last issue, or considering getting it, but wouldn't recommend it as a jumping on point.
Rating: 4/5
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason
Overall I have been enjoying this series, bit recently it's been poor, and not as good as it used to be. I have been hoping that the series will get better after joining the Death of the Family crossover, and it has, but not quite as much as I hoped it would.
Plot
This issue sees Robin (Damian Wayne) meet the Joker for the first time. Whilst following a lead he is captured by the Joker who tries to torment him, whilst playing his sick game.
Review
This was a good issue, and a decent start to Robin's involvement in Death of the Family. It's also much better than the previous story but does have room for improvement. Peter J. Tomasi has done a brilliant job of introducing Damian into the Death of the Family, and I loved how he wrote his interaction with the Joker. I still think that the overall plot could have been a little bit better, and with only another issue in the story I feel that this issue spent to much time with Damian and Joker talking than actually developing the plot. He also did a brilliant job of showing the symbolism of Batman and Robin in this issue, which was done in a brilliant way, but I'll talk more about that later.
I wasn't too sure what to make of Patrick Gleason's art in this issue, as it's very inconsistent. Overall I've enjoyed his art throughout this series, and think it suits the tone of the series. I especially like how he draws Damian. I also liked how he drew Joker at certain points during this issue, but didn't at others. Joker looked very graphical at points, which I liked, and with the maggots around about him he looked even more gruesome. What I didn't like however was at times, with wider panels having him a bit further in the distance how he looked very cartoon like, and not the gruesome Joker that was in other parts of the issue. It was this inconsistency that I didn't like, and it was that bad I was starting to question whether I liked his art overall. I did however barely like his art overall but hope that he loses these inconsistencies, as he's had quite a lot over the last few issues.
The way Joker was introduced into this issue was very good, and I loved how due to him hanging upside down that he had his face on upside down. This showed the unpredictability of Joker as well as him being mental unstable. I thought it was brilliant and the most unique thing that's been done with the mask. I'm surprised that no one has thought of including the mask in a more interesting way earlier in the issue, as a man with no face, and a mask of his former face just screams for material. It was also fun seeing Joker's eyes popping out of his lips, and parts of his teeth showing through his eye holes, and although you couldn't see his facial expressions clearly, his face being upside down added shade in area's that wouldn't usually have it, giving more tone, and mood to the character.
There was also a part of this issue where Joker referenced the events of Batman: The Killing Joke when he was talking about sharing a joke with Batman in the rain. If this statement alone wasn't enough to show that it was referencing Killing Joke, Damian replies by saying, "if your [Joker's] idea of a good time is paralysing an innocent girl," referring to Joker shooting Barbara Gordon. Killing Joke is my favourite Batman story of all time so I always like a Killing Joke reference, and this is no exception. I also enjoyed how this was a slightly different reference to the ones we've seen in the last few years, as it talks about the classic joke that both Joker and Batman laughed to at the end of the book. The way Damian interacted with Joker overall was interesting, and although it dragged on at certain points I loved how Damian stood his ground, and wasn't intimidated by Joker.
Joker also used an actual Bat and Robin to symbolise the differences between Batman and Robin, and why they shouldn't be a team. Although the differences between Batman and Robin have been mentioned in the past but this is a very different look on it. Cause Joker uses the actual animals to show the difference, I personally feel that it get's the message across a lot clearer, and although it was a bit disgusting I liked it. I also felt that Joker was the perfect person to make this interpretation of Batman and Robin as it fits with his unpredictable personality, and his sadistic nature.
Final Verdict
This was a good issue and decent addition to Death of the Family. The series is still not as strong as it was in the earlier issue, and need improvement, but is on the right track. I would recommend this issue, especially if you're collecting the Death of the Family tie-ins, or a fan of the Damian character.
Rating: 4/5
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artists: Pat Gleason & Tomás Giorello
SPOILERS BLOCKED OUT IN WHITE!
(Highlight White Areas to Reveal Spoilers)
I have been a Batman and Robin fan for a few years now (since the Grant Morrison run) and have been enjoying the better part of this series. It has however been very inconsistent with one good issue or story followed by a bad one. Although Peter J. Tomasi has done an overall brilliant job he has slipped the last few issues (not including issue 0) and I hope it starts to get back on track.
Plot
This issue sees Robin being taken by a bunch of zombies to some kind of ritual. After Batman has dealt with the zombies where he is he trying to get a hold of Damian to no avail. With Damian not answering Batman rushed to his location to see if he needs help.
Review
This wasn't a bad issue but like the previous issue the subject matter was too random for a Batman comic. Overall Tomasi has been doing a great job on this series but since the opening story there hasn't been much to enjoy (apart from the appearance of the former Robins in issue 12, and Damian's origin in issue 0). This story has also felt like a filler filling the gap whilst Tomasi works on the Death of the Family tie in issue. Although it bridged the gap between this issue and the next I don't think it was a brilliant idea having Joker as the person behind these events as it's not really something he'd do.
The art was in this issue was good, both from Patrick Gleason and Tomás Giorello, although like last issue I would have preferred it if only one person did the art. I liked the art for the better part of the issue and think that Gleason's style really suits this series. I did however feel that the art was a little inconsistent and didn't like the way the artist drew hair during certain sequences. Besides this I would still prefer Gleason doing the art throughout the entire issue as his art goes better with the fun and fast pace of this series and although Giorello's art is brilliant it feels to serious for this series.
I really enjoyed how Robin got to stand out as the hero in this issue when he saves people from the zombies. Although he's been a hero for a while now (and the whole of the New 52) he has never had a proper chance to prove himself on his own and always had someone with him when it counts. He has also strayed from the path Batman's set him in the past which has left questions to whether he should still be Robin.
The best part about this issue was the action and I loved seeing Batman and Robin fighting zombies (almost made it worth adding the zombies in the first place). I also enjoyed the expression on Robin's face when Batman arrives and how quick it drops when Batman tells him that there's "nothing to be smiling about," yet. I thought it was also a smart choice to have Batman try and subdue the zombies with tranquillisers at the start as Batman would always try the lest harmful way to subdue someone, especially if they are being controlled.
The emotion between Bruce and Damian in this issue was brilliant and especially as the issue got closer to the end. You can see both the Batman and Robin connection, as in Batman being in charge with an overconfident sidekick next to him, whilst also seeing the father and son connection, as Batman is the concerned father looking out for his son and Robin is just trying to make his dad proud. The sequence between Bruce and Damian at the end of the issue also showed that Damian does have feelings and cares about his father a lot and that he is just a confused boy due to the way his mother (Talia al Ghul) raised him.
Final Verdict
Not a great issue but still good. I would recommend it to people who have the previous issue but I wouldn't recommend it to new readers. New readers are better off waiting till next issue which will hopefully be a lot better.
Rating: 3.5/5
