[New 52] Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue 19

"I am watching a man racked with pain look for light in a world gone dark." ~Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE 

I've been alternating reading and reviewing Scott Snyder's Batman series and Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin since I started my strict Batman comics-only diet on late April and it's been a fantastic adventure so far. There have been bumps along the way for Tomasi's B&R, however (that very forgettable fucking Terminus storyline that wasted three issues of everyone's valuable time, for example) but right after the game-changing events in Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated (if you don't know by now what it is then why are you reading this? Last year, DAMIAN WAYNE DIED), Tomasi has a very hard decision to make: how to fill the missing "Robin" part from his Batman and Robin issues from here on.

With issue #18 Requiem, a most moving issue dealing with Batman's grief over losing not only his partner in crime-fighting but also his son, we see him imagine Damian by his side as he goes around Gotham for his usual crime patrol. Across those precious pages, we see Bruce Wayne wrestle with the grim reality that he had lost his family all over again; and that he just stood by and watched like before. Isn't that just goddamn gloomy and unfair? Even as I wiped my tears and put down that issue, I knew the next B&R issues will never be the same since it must delve further into this world of pain which I'm not sure I was even ready for but it was a way for Tomasi to prove that he had more emotionally resonant stories to tell even if Damian won't be the channel to unleash them.

In the following issues (#19 to #23), Tomasi will allow readers to embark on Bruce/Batman's FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF, making the death of Damian Wayne a platform to examine our caped crusader's deepest issues with loss and guilt. As I have never gotten tired stating over and over again, I want Tomasi's Batman and Robin to stand out in this way and I'm so happy that Tomasi (as well as artists Gleason and Gray) continues to deliver (fuck that Terminus slip-up. The next issues have more than made up for it).

First off, this issue is now entitled BATMAN AND RED ROBIN which really hurts me but it was an inevitable title change--and also a misnomer. Anyone who has read Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns knows about Carrie Kelly being the Robin there, so her appearance in this issue was quite odd especially since New 52 seems to have re-written her as Damian's 'acting coach' (she was the C.K in Damian's notebook from issue #18 who recommended him a series of movies to watch). The tension and suspicion between her and Bruce is immediately apparent. She has no idea that Damian has passed away but she is certainly determined to get the truth out of Bruce who was so callously evasive that I understand the way Carrie seems to antagonize him in every interaction. Red Robin (Tim Drake) does appear in this issue but only as a shoehorn character at the end. Once again, Tim continues to be the neglected member of the bat-family. I wish they could utilize his character and interactions with Batman better next time.

In any case, what I love most about this issue is that it starts the stages that we have to go through alongside Bruce/Batman: DENIAL. And holy shit, there is plenty of that bitter pill to go around! A cameo appearance of Frankenstein (a DC character that is what the label borrows from, that's all you need to know) was greatly handled. He was not painted as the villain here; in fact, he tries to appease Batman who is actually the one who is in the antagonistic side of things. But is it really a crime for a father to try and resurrect his son? It was just so pitiful to watch him fight for something that might undo everything he stands for as a hero. This Batman has been driven to such pain that he was willing to cross the line where some super-villains have done themselves; all because he was desperate to have a chance to see his beloved son grow up. It was selfish but heartbreaking nevertheless. Batman can't cope well. He just couldn't move forward knowing that resurrection is possible in the world he lives in. Both he and Superman died way back and they were brought back to life. So why not a ten-year-old boy who has plenty to live for?

I quoted Frankenstein at the beginning of this review because that line was something I think summarizes the story of Bruce Wayne's life. He had lived in the dark for so long that his pursuit for light can often blind him. This was a terribly difficult issue to read because I know it's only the beginning of Batman spiraling down further. Red Robin luckily put a stop to his plan to try and revive some cadavers but the damage has already been worsening from the day Batman decided that he can't let Damian go. He just won't. I can't either for the first three months or so, and that's why this is a very personal journey for me as much as it is to Batman. And it's so hard to watch unfold..

Pulling back from this emotional wreckage, I'd like to point out that Gleason and Gray as illustrator and inker produced some of the best and detailed panels for their line-up yet. These panels had a daring sense of dynamic and terror to their colors that certainly enhanced the moral struggle Batman is currently going through. Tomasi's depiction of an angry and wounded Batman was also scary because you know that this a man who stops at nothing; only this time he's doing something wrong and it's going to take a lot to make him turn away from the darkness that he's treading so close to.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

* The storyline about the five stages of grief for this issue and the next four is rife with so many creative potentials.

[New 52] Batman by Scott Snyder issue #29, ZERO YEAR

Oh my, this is a polarizing issue. It's a bag of almost even pros and cons. It's as if for every great thing I could praise it for, I could easily follow it up with a criticism of either a related or unrelated nature. Still, this very last installment of Zero Year's Dark City is a proof that I can enjoy a Batman story, be endlessly entertained and/or driven to near-tears because of poignancy, and still be able to zero-in on its flaws.

Here is the bottom line though: this issue is amazing even if it stuck its landing rather shakily at the very end. There are great storytelling moments and symbolic imagery here that one can only expect from a great team-up that included a writer of Synder's caliber whose vision is brought forth by the complementary styles of artists Capullo, Miki and FCO. Overall, the art composition is once again unparalleled and I think I should make a general declaration that each Zero Year issue had been a visual adventure of the highest level of quality and excitement (even the weakest of the bunch, issue #26, even had its thrills). The minimalist covers also need a much-deserved shout-out because it's the first time that I encountered superhero comics (but I'm basing this on my 30% quota of comics read in general) that don't overdo the message on their covers to get attention. They've been very atmospheric and non-deceptive (which some comic book covers apt to do to sell copies), which only reels in readers because they promise a sense of not only danger but mystery.

That said, Zero Year had its share of downs. The first three issues (Secret City) challenged Snyder and co. to set up important pieces before they go in motion for the next installments, often favoring emotionally-nuanced characterizations than action-oriented sequences to tell the story, which eventually paid off when Dark City's issues #24 and #25 rolled around because these two are definitely the best of the series for me because all that build-up I witnessed on the first three arcs was realized in their well-balanced and tantalizing pages. However, there had been pacing issues on #26 and #27 (the former suffered anti-climactic brevity, while the latter suffered having too much story to tell with little room to expound on them). And then we took a break from the series to get a sneak preview of Batman: Eternal for issue #28 which was quite an effective decision for readers to truly look forward to this double-sized issue #29.

I think I should start pointing out the flaws for this issue before we get to the good stuff because I quite frankly don't like to bitch about things I didn't like in a Batman story because it's often the imperfections of a literary work that enhances its own strengths as well. My first nitpick has to be the threads scattered in each issue that somehow loop together in this story at last (the Tokyo Moon song in #27, the military crater now-confirmed flashback in #25) but whose punch might not have its desired impact if this series is read monthly (which it was, I was lucky enough to read them all together by now) because you might have to pick up the last issue to remember what the reference pertains to. I have some stuff to say about this later that are leaning more on the positive side, though, so let's skip that and go to my second nitpick: the villain monologue-ing of Doctor Death. It's just ridiculous! Snyder seems to have a knack for having villains make speeches in places where Batman can't possibly hear anything they say! They're also needlessly verbose and their length sometimes rob what could have been a punch to the gut if written and delivered shorter. I still get the point of Doctor Death's story (and I did talk about how completely one-dimensional he is in his first appearance in #26) but it's hard to care about him anymore when you know he'll probably die after Batman wraps up the fight.

My third nitpick has to be the shock-value scenes like the Bat-blimp, for example. In the right context, flashy and daring gadgets from Batman can be acceptable and even overlooked (like, say, in Batman '66 because that's the era where campy is part of the appeal). In a serious, gritty story like Zero Year, it just feels like it's trying too hard to pay homage to a certain time in Batman's mythos that are dissonant with the tone of New 52 Batman. So I didn't quite like that, especially when you only see it for at least four pages. Lastly, is how much we don't get that much Riddler. I don't consider him a top favorite from the rogues' gallery but I wish he gets the spotlight soon, considering this is his elaborate scheme Batman has to clean up.

So those are my criticisms for this issue. Now let's get to the good stuff because what's the point of reading Batman comics if I don't get to fangirl about why he is the greatest superhero of all time for this geekily in love Bat-fan? First, the Frank Miller homage for The Dark Knight Returns. You know what I'm talking about: the intimidating shadow of Batman posed to kick ass as he jumps in the air against the lightning that etched the ominous sky. Here Capullo shamelessly gave us a full-paged illustration. Secondly, the gorgeously colored and highly-detailed scenes on the fight scene between Bats and Dr. D, and the depiction of Gotham City in ruins and its residents struggling to stay alive. Thirdly, and probably my most favorite of them all, are the flashback scenes concerning Bruce and his parents. The very first page shows a man with a gun which turned out to be just a recruitment poster of the GCPD task force. Synder made that conversation between young Bruce and his folks so endearing and sweet, even though their impending deaths are coming on crime alley later on. And then we cut to the last pages of the issue where Capullo spliced scenes from Batman howling in anger and despair as he sees Gotham fall into chaos while he can't do anything; and young Bruce watching his childhood crumble apart as his parents are murdered in front of him and no one is there to help. It was breathtakingly poignant; the desperate vigilante and the scarred boy coming into focus all at one in that sequence. One seam was unraveled, a trigger was pulled, and everything has never been the same since.

Now I talked about Doctor Death's villain monologue earlier and how exasperating it was to read it but the message was certainly resonant nevertheless. Doctor Death talks about the song "Tokyo Moon" that soldiers in World War II would listen to and whose title some of them would carve into their helmets to remind them that someone out there is watching and keeping them safe. But Doctor Death negates this, seeing as he lost his own son, the solider from the military crater flashback from a previous issue, from a tragic encounter in the desert so he reasons out that the moon we see in the sky is not a reassurance of hope but just a blank, hollow circle. No one comes to save you. When you die, you'll be all alone.

While I was reading this, I know I was going to tear up if I allow it. The message may be sort of heavy-handed but if you're a long-time and fiercely loyal Batman fan like I am, you will see the connection instantly. Doctor Death's soliloquy might have been the inspiration behind Batman using a bat-signal as his calling card. It's not just to remind criminals that the Dark Knight will punish them; it's also a symbol of optimism that gives Gothamites faith that someone is going to save them. They will not die alone because someone will fight for them. Bruce knew firsthand the harrowing experience of having no one in the world to help him during the bleakest time of his life, and so he made vow in honor and memory of his parents' deaths that no little boy or girl or ordinary citizen will taste that bitter pain for themselves, not on Batman's watch.

I'm sorry, I'm going to cry now for a bit before I resume typing.

[short pause]

And we're back. So those two things are the best features for this issue. For those alone, I would have rated this issue a perfect score but I won't because it did have those problems I talked about that a less emotional Batman fan will be uncomfortable with, or couldn't just let pass. But like I said, the bottom line is that this last installment of Dark City was at least emotionally satisfying for me even with a couple of misses here and there that are mostly technical or have grating implications (like that big-ass Bat-blimp. I mean, Bruce Wayne has made a donation of blimps for the city so how the hell won't the GCPD make the connection sooner or later that the prodigal Bruce might also the caped crusader since his return and Batman's appearance are already so perfectly timed together? Wouldn't that make them incompetent imbeciles if right after Zero Year wraps up, they won't follow the lead on that Bat-limp?) But I digress. It has been a great ride that didn't disappoint fans (and only annoys every now and then but only when you really nitpick), all thanks to Synder, Capullo, Miki and FCO. We are now entering a new arc for Zero Year called Savage City and I am clearly, deliriously excited for what's to come after the climactic events I just read!

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

*Only one in the roster of brilliant issues of this saga that continues to impress and set the high bar for writing Batman stories that should not only be thrilling but also humane.

EW interviews Ben McKenzie for his role as James Gordon in GOTHAM

This is a really great interview of Gotham's lead star Ben McKenzie from Entertainment Weekly. I picked up the ones that I found the most revealing of his approach and process as an actor and his interpretation of Jim Gordon for this CBS drama series.

On playing James Gordon:

"He’s a truly honest man. The last honest man in a city full of crooked people. It’s very tricky nowadays to play a true, honest-to-goodness hero. Everybody is so cynical of people’s intentions. What’s interesting about him is he comes into this city that he hasn’t lived in for two decades, since he was a kid, and has fresh eyes to a world he doesn’t actually know. He thinks he knows it, and his journey will be to figure out how to make it better both for Gotham and himself without completely [losing] the moral standing that he has. He’s not an anti-hero, he’s a true hero — but he will have to compromise."

On the Batman universe:

"I’m a big fan of Batman. I can’t claim I grew up reading a lot of comics — weirdly the one I remember is Iron Man. I would watch repeats of the cheesy biff-pow-bang show, the Adam West version, in the afternoons in Texas. As I grew older, [the depictions of Batman] grew more sophisticated, and I loved the [Christopher] Nolan films. The thing that I think is universally relateable about Batman is he’s not a superhero. He has no special powers. He’s simply a man who’s experienced this extreme trauma, and has access to all sort of gadgets and weaponry that a wealthy person could have, and has an emotional need for justice. As an actor, I’m much more interested in people. Gordon couldn’t be more human. In a DC universe where all of these characters are human, he is Exhibit A in being a simple, flawed human being.

He’s strong, smart and tough, but he’s going to make wrong decisions and trust the wrong people. He has no out—he can’t put on a cape and fly off."

How he prepared for the role:

"I went to lunch with [DC Comics chief creative officer] Geoff Johns and asked, “What do I need to know? I’m familiar with Batman and Gordon, but what’s my responsibility here?” He gave me Gotham Central … and said two things: The origin story of Gordon hasn’t been fully explored before. As central as he is, Gordon has never been the focus. And second, you can’t worry about that. “We hired you to play you and to make this character fresh.” And he said it without provocation. That coming from the guy who’s so well versed in this, saying to make it your own, it was a real pat on the shoulder. There’s a tendency with such a familiar world that it can be intimidating. But you got to relax and do it. It ought to be bigger and grander and — frankly — cooler than most, but you have to treat it like a job."

Read the complete interview HERE

[New 52] Batman by Scott Snyder issue #28, BATMAN ETERNAL

This could have been very jarring to read, since it was placed between the ongoing Zero Year series but I find it to be a personally compelling preview issue for yet another promising venture for Scott Snyder, especially since we finally get to see his original character Harper Row in the spotlight and not simply lurking around the background, trying to assist Batman (which is pretty awesome too). I've been...healing from the loss of Robin, and I don't consider myself one of those hardcore Damian fans who are unwelcoming of a new sidekick so I have no fuss seeing Bluebird in action. Besides, I don't think Snyder wanted Harper to replace anyone, certainly not the Boy Wonder. So relax. And she continues to be utterly delightful so I have no complaints about her participation in this issue. In fact, it's one of the things I rather enjoyed most about it.

The thing about this preview issue for Batman: Eternal, however, is that I don't think it's new-reader-friendly especially when there's a reference to the plotline concerning Man-bats (from Detective Comics #19) which Harper herself was in close vicinity of when that outbreak spread out. The importance of that throwaway line will be lost to someone who just happened to pick up this issue. I think by this point you must at least have read the earlier Snyder's Batman issues (particularly issues 12 and 18 since Harper Row appeared in those, so you'll also get a better sense of her character). I don't want to expound on the plot for this since I'm also trying to figure out how everything about it fits in the current continuity. When I finished, I have more questions than answers to provide for this review so I think we're all better off reading this together so my reviews will be more comprehensible by the next installments ahead.

But as a prologue to the upcoming series, this issue has done its job. It introduced the slightly awkward yet exuberant pairing of Batman and Bluebird for the first time. Batman looks very uncomfortable and yet willing to adjust his tone and attitude alongside his novice of a 'sidekick' (does it still hurt us Damian fans to know that some new kid is fighting alongside Bats? I have my reservations but I like Harper enough to give her a chance to win me over, as she tries to earn Batman's respect and trust as well). This issue also tries to tie in the aftermath of whatever happened in Detective Comics line-up whose events I assume has some parts to play in Eternal but that's my personal speculation so don't count on this being factual.

I'm getting ready to start reading the next issues (which are nine by now) but right after I wrap up Zero Year readings this week.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[New 52] Batman by Scott Snyder issue #27, ZERO YEAR

While the last issue had problems with pacing and visual detail in which it simultaneously lacks the suspense and action sequences previous Zero Year issues were able to deliver, Batman issue #27 is jam-packed with too many things going on for a standard comic issue release. The wondrous action sequences at the beginning were appropriately reminiscent of Frank Miller's memorable confrontation scene in Year One in which Batman is apprehended by GCPD. The visual work for this scene done by Capullo was once again in a league of its own, especially with FCO's quality and level of color palette that are bursting with flavor and variety. They were by far the best action scene in Zero Year series, even surpassing that A.C.E Chemicals fight scene between Batman and Red Hood in issue #24.

Nevertheless, the pacing for this issue's narrative suffered because of the unevenness to it in general. Right after that massively enjoyable action-laden pages, we get a lengthy expository flashback courtesy of Jim Gordon which wasn't that interesting and quite cheesy. I have expressed before that I wanted to know why Bruce Wayne hates Gordon's guts and it strangely has something to do with the trench coat Jimbo wears around (which was supposedly a pay-off; which means Gordon is a corrupt cop). It was a great idea in itself but Synder took too much time and effort justifying Gordon's side of the story which made him come off as naive and completely wet on the ears. You would think that he would play it smart when he was confronted with a morally ambigious situation (as Jim Gordon has done countless times before).

And yet in that flashback sequence, we get a totally inexperienced cop who should have known better, given that he wasn't that much new to the force in the first place. It just felt wrong to me, that whole thing about Jim threatening to go to the media on his fellow cops who are corrupt and could have killed him on the spot (and they should have too! Gordon was not a Commissioner yet; he was a low-ranking officer at the time.) Again, that flashback exposition only confused me as a reader (not to mention it was a mouthful to read for something Gordon narrated while he and Batman and are escaping from the GCPD).

My most favorite part of the issue is definitely the conversation between Bruce and Alfred later on, which is just as wordy but has more substance than Gordon's flashback story. I think we need to quote Alfred's brilliantly insightful if not absolutely masterful analysis of Bruce's psyche at this point:

"Watching you these past weeks, I see that...you weren't suspicious of me because I'd turned you in [just like] other times in the past. And you're not suspicious of Gordon because you think he's crooked. You're angry with us. All of us. You were a little boy, all alone in that alley, and no one was there for you. Not me, not Gordon, not your fellow Gothamites. And not Batman. Now I'm very proud of what you've become, sir. But I fear that deep down, you're doing this all, being Batman, as some way of punishing us. By making us BEAR WITNESS."

That last part "You're punishing us by making us bear witness" was just chilling, no? At this point, Bruce is being vindictive; his true motivation is tainted with his unwillingness to forgive humanity for abandoning him as a child. As punishment, he wanted the rest of Gotham to see the creature of darkness they turned him into. It was really a punch to the gut to read that, to have that spelled out for me as a Batman fan who had always considered him as an epitome of goodness, justice and hope. Synder wants to send across the message that Zero Year is a portrayal of a Bruce Wayne still trying to salvage what was not completely damaged inside him as a young boy, trying to overcome all the demons in order to become the symbol he was meant to represent as Batman--someone of unyielding strength and dedication to all things that are worth most fighting for.

But aside from the fantastic action sequences at the beginning and this ridiculously on-the-spot monologue from Alfred, this issue isn't the best that the Zero Year series has to offer. The last scenes are most commendable though because it finally ends the Dark City segment and we are finally thrust back into the Riddler storyline. However, readers who have read each release monthly will have to wait some more since the next issue is a preview for the new Synder series Batman: Eternal. 

Way to keep them wanting and coming back for more, guys.

RECOMMENDED: 8/10

[New 52] Batman by Scott Snyder issue #26, ZERO YEAR

It recently just occurred to me that while Snyder's Zero Year series is an ongoing monthly release, I have the advantage of being able to read them continuously by now because I have all issues at my disposal (#21-#31) so I wasn't one of those fans who had to wait every month for the next installment. This also means that I'm in the best position to notice whether or not the pacing of the story for each issue has some kind of discrepancy, either in style or composition.

My reviews for the previous issues of Zero Year so far have been optimistic and I tend to rate them with an almost perfect scoring. The first three issues (21-23) have a great narrative scope to them so I was very generous to discuss its impressive accomplishment in structure and content. Meanwhile, issues 24 and 25 were probably my instant favorites of the series so far since they were the most exciting and daring, rife with deft characterizations and overall intrigue.

However, this issue definitely sets the pace a little slower, pulling back from the most riveting of the set pieces (the Riddler's grand scheme; Gotham blackout) in order to nuance the relationship dynamic between Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon and give us a worthy distraction in the re-imagining of Batman's first villain in the Golden Age, Doctor Death. These two things are the primary things that were explored for this issue, Dark City II. Before I get to that, let's discuss first the breadth and quality of Capullo's art for this issue.

It's personally my least favorite issue, visual-wise. Capullo had always been an artist who thrives well in background detail and lush landscapes but most of the panels for this issue seem to lack that trademark. I did enjoy the film-reel feel of the flashback pages, though, and the fading and almost brownish tinge of coloring to them that were marvelously done once again by FCO.

Now onto the story: I found Doctor Death to be quite menacing but was still not a fully-formed villain with clear motivations. He braced through the pages, all scary as fuck, but I was not overly concerned of what damage he can do. I was more interested with the reasons why there is a blatant resentment on Bruce's part towards Jim Gordon. In fact, that's probably the only thing I was invested in while reading. It was quite a shocking turn of events too, and I want to know about Jimbo's own side of the story.

Overall, this issue does come out stale when you compare it to the previous ones, but the action-oriented sequences are still great to see, especially right at the end when it seems like Batman is done for good.

What issue #26 did promise is the follow-up to the Bruce-Jim Gordon character arc which I hope will be in the next installment. This was, after all, set in the early years before they formed a strong camaraderie, and I'm more than eager to read about the humble beginnings of that friendship that is both still familiar based from what was established in Frank Miller's Year One and new as far as Snyder's own take goes.

RECOMMENDED: 7/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi Annual #1

True to form, Peter J. Tomasi (collaborating with artist Ardian Syaf) has utilized his literary strength (which is writing small-scale personal stories) to pay tribute to the life and times of the late fourth Robin, Damian Wayne. I cannot stress enough how much of a fan I am with how he has written and portrayed Bruce's son and heir, and this annual issue Batman Impossible contained almost everything I love about Damian: his cocky yet inquisitive personality, his shrewd scheming, his reassuring sense of humor, and, most importantly, his improving and deepening relationship with his father which is the focal point for this story.

Damian orchestrated a well-prepared (and much needed) vacation plan for his father which took Bruce and Alfred into Barcelona, Spain where Bruce proceeds to uncover certain heartfelt trivia about his parents. Meanwhile, Damian dupes his father into thinking that he was also traveling Europe ahead of him, but was in truth merely leaving behind clues for the next destination from the comfort of the bat-cave using a video camera and a green screen. Sending his father away has enabled Damian to put on the Batman costume and patrol Gotham streets for himself, apprehending crooks and annoying certain police officers along the way. While reading this issue, I was bemused, shaking my head and almost muttering, "That's so Damian!" GAH, I LOVE THIS BOY WONDER!

And this dichotomy has always been the most interesting aspect of Damian Wayne's character: he has the ability to be cunning and calculating especially when he has ulterior motives under his sleeve; however, his actions are generally motivated by an inherent goodness of that of a child. In this case, as much as I think Damian was enjoying being Batman for at least three nights in a row without worrying about adult supervision, I also believe he wanted Bruce to take the pressure off and explore his roots which then gave us readers some of the most touching moments in a Batman comic book yet. Bruce continues to find certain things about his parents in the trip (such as a painting by Martha Wayne with Bruce's baby hand on the side; a honeymoon photo of his parents standing in front of a statue; and a brick Thomas Wayne used to propose to Martha). It was deeply moving for me, especially since it's often rare for us fans to see Bruce connecting with his emotions and whatever that has anything to do with his late parents.

Meanwhile, it was such a thrill to see Damian embracing the duties his father had carried for so long as Gotham's Dark Knight, and how much of a perfect fit he was for that role. You could tell he loved not only being a potential new Batman, but also being his father's son. After all the bloodshed, tension and heartbreak he and his father had gone through in the earlier issues, it's uplifting to see that they were able to move past it together. As Bruce said in the end of this issue, he had finally stopped worrying incessantly about Damian because he has also learned to trust him, both as his partner in crime-fighting and as his family.

It's all warm and good until we remember that this annual issue happens before the tragic events in Batman Incorporated where Damian dies. That bittersweet quality has therefore enhanced Tomasi's writing for this issue. Bruce and Damian have finally connected genuinely, but the worst has yet to come for them. And when it did come, it was certainly one of hardest things I had to witness as a long-time Bat-fan. However, Damian's untimely death did not diminish whatever love and compassion he had shared with his father. If anything, it only preserved it, and Batman and Robin Annual #1 is a living testimony of that.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

* A whimsical and earnest examination of what makes family one's salvation and serenity.

[New 52] Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #18

"..it will be hard for me to say these words face to face, but I want you to know that Mother may have given me life, but you taught me how to live." ~Damian Wayne, a letter to his father

When Bob Kane and Bill Finger decided on having a teenage sidekick fighting alongside Batman seventy-five years ago, they never could have guessed how much impact the character of Robin will have in the ages to come, and how strong his presence will prevail in the hearts of Batman's loyal fanbase and eager readers. There have been others who took the mantle after the first Robin, Dick Grayson, and all of them have left us with great stories and adventures, accentuating the best qualities of the dynamic duo by deeply contrasting the Robin from Batman.

The longest and arguably most loved Robin will always be Dick Grayson (whether in comic book pages, Burt Ward's version in the sixties television show, or in animation) and his relationship with Batman has grown over the years, even when he eventually becomes Nightwing.

Other Robins that followed, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, have also added something special to the yellow cape. Jason Todd was hot-headed, passionate and a little misguided and losing him was a monumental event in the Death in the Family as well as a riveting story when he did come back in Under the Red Hood and forced Batman to look at the morality of his choices with a more critical stance. Tim Drake, on the other hand, reluctantly donned the costume since he never wanted that much responsibility but he ultimately embraced the crime-fighting life with a steadier grip than he never expected himself to be capable of. All these Robins have such an overreaching influence and legacy within their fans; none of them will be replaceable even though they all came to their own as self-made heroes, and not just forever stuck in the role of Robin.

Batman will always need a Robin--there's just something organic to that arrangement. Grant Morrison, one of the best Batman writers out there, decided to come up with a new Boy Wonder to take the center stage; and this time it was Bruce Wayne's own son Damian who was the product of his brief dalliance with Talia Al Ghul, daughter to the demon, Ra's Al Ghul, a formidable nemesis of Batman for years. Right from the get-go, this is a compelling premise, to have a Robin who is also of Bruce's flesh and blood. However, it took a while for readers to accept and enjoy Damian Wayne. Some accused him of being a weaker version of Jason Todd; others scorned his pompous and spoiled attitude. They were right to do so because Damian has yet to prove himself a worthy Robin.

When DC rebooted their universe and came up with New 52 fantastic titles, they assigned Peter J. Tomasi with Batman and Robin and his submitted proposal for the series has been exemplary because he aimed to focus on the character development and relationship between Bruce and Damian primarily as father and son. Superhero comic books are not exactly known for small-scale personal stories like this, so it seemed rather odd for Tomasi to choose to focus on that aspect first and the action plots second. But the first eight issues collected together as the first volume Born to Kill was a smashing success and for a good reason. In Tomasi's hands, Damian Wayne truly shone and won many fans' hearts, even those who do not consider him a favorite were pleased with how he had evolved throughout the B&R run.

I have personally reviewed all seventeen issues before this, including issue 0, and I can honestly say with a resounding conviction that Damian Wayne is MY Robin and certainly one that had moved me and made me feel a more special connection with Batman than I already have. With Damian's participation, I get to see Bruce Wayne have a family again in away that he (and readers) thought may not be possible anymore, given his trauma and way of life. We get to see him make basic parenting mistakes and improve on them. Damian challenges him to be a better man by becoming a more compassionate and understanding father. He enabled Bruce to feel like he never has to be alone ever again, and that Damian will stay with him forever because he's not just Robin anymore; he's also his son and heir.

But Grant Morrison had other plans. In Batman Incorporated issue #8, Damian has once again made a decision to protect his father by risking his own safety--and this time he didn't endure. With a gruesome stab through the heart, Damian falls to his death. We get another murdered Robin beaten and bleeding out in Batman's arms but it hurt us ten times more because Bruce has lost his own family all over again and was not there to stop it. That scene of him holding Damian with a helpless look on his face is something that should have never been published because it was so atrocious (and if it wasn't for the marketing ad that actually hinted this tragedy, the blow could have been worse for the readers).

And so all other Batman titles had to come up with their own tribute to Damian Wayne. I read Synder's Requiem issue and reviewed it HERE and even then my heart was already breaking. And then we get this one by Tomasi and it resonated in every crevice of my soul. The most beautiful and heartfelt thing about this issue is that it is WORDLESS. There are no dialogues but there is a story, a painful one illustrated splendidly by Pat Gleason and Mick Gray where we see Bruce go through the motions of losing his son. Aside from the letter I quoted in the heading of this review, there really are no dialogue boxes in the panels but it only made this issue more dreadful to read because it was a complete tear-jerker. Readers are able to fill in the blanks in silent reflection while they gaze through every page and examine the devastation that Bruce was left with.

It's a daring feat to publish a comic book issue where you only have to rely on the illustrations for effect and message but Tomasi has done it, and it was amazing because Gleason and Gray themselves have done it justice and service. I will not lie because by now y'all know how much I love Damian and how often I would hold back in my other reviews for this inevitable revelation, but I was a complete mess reading this. I was tearing up the entire time because I actually put off reading this right after Damian's actual death last year. I've heard things about its wordless content, and I thought that was enough to prepare me for it. But it wasn't. I was still heartbroken and bloody after I finished this. ESPECIALLY WITH THAT LETTER! I wanted to punch things too like Bruce did.

And then the very last panel is this:

FUCK IT, GUYS. I might not be able to recover for a while, but I will heal myself by reading the B&R 2013/2014 annuals, and the rest of Batman: Zero Year. But I'm telling y'all right here, right now: I AM IN PAIN AND IT'S NOT GOING AWAY!!

RECOMMENDED: 100 OUT OF GODDAMN 10!

[New 52] Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #17

At the end of the day, all I want from Peter J. Tomasi's Batman and Robin series is for it to be a standout feel-good title. Because why the fuck not? It soared into new creative heights upon release of its first volume, Born to Kill after all, and hence showcased to the comic book-reading community that Batman stories can be intimate without them being done too overboard or coming off as cheesy. Let Synder or Layman have the big-event action stories in their respective titles. I've seen something really special in Tomasi's writing whenever he approaches Batman and Robin with a personal depth and emotional resonance like I have never encountered before in a superhero comic book.

However, lest I keep kissing this title's ass every goddamn review you read from me, I more often than not do take a step back and become very critical of the issues that came after Born to Kill which have been disappointments and with a few redeeming qualities along the way. I think Tomasi and co. seems to struggle with how to balance their narrative structure and content with nuanced emotional stories and the action sequences at the same time; and yet fail, especially when villains like Terminus and Saturn Club came off as caricatures to serve some mediocre plot story that seemed to be written out of convenience or perhaps just a general carelessness. I don't like this at all. I've been very vocal about that in every B&R review but I do acknowledge Tomasi again when he writes something stellar (like issue #15). Gleason's art has been improving too and sometimes his visuals are the only things that kept me from completely putting an issue down due to terrible storytelling.

But I digress once again. The point I'm trying to get across, if I haven't been too repetitive enough, is that Tomasi knows how to write Damian Wayne with a more humane edge and riveting dynamics than Morrison ever did in the early years. I would go as far as to say that his Damian is more relatable and easier to root for unlike when Morisson writes him in Batman Incorporated. Is that a blasphemous thing to write here? Perhaps. But it's one of the reasons why I hope against hope that Tomaisi's B&R will get better again. And it had starting from issue #15 (issue #16 is bland but serviceable) and now right here in this issue, Life is but a dream. This should be read right after Batman #17, although the tonality between that and this issue is problematic. You will have to check them out yourself in case you don't want too much spoilers.

Once again, Tomasi pulled back from the run-of-the-mill B-class villain stories which he had been doing in the previous issues, and focused more on the relationships at play among Bruce, Damian and Alfred. What I enjoy about this issue are the dream sequences because I'm also a sucker or a great visual layout pertaining to symbolic dreams and issue #17 has it. And the atmospheric themes are uncanny as well! They alternated among spooky, sweet, heartbreaking, exciting and grim tones all throughout. It's nice to get a closer look of these characters' psyches and how much they reflect their innermost desires and fears. Damian had three different dreams, the first two quite horrific and ominous while the last one was something that truly captured that this is still a ten-year old boy who wants to spend quality time with his father.

Alfred's own nightmare is one that is complex; a way for his mind to cope with the trauma he suffered in the hands of the Joker. The wish fulfillment is apparent and it's both stressful and cathartic for Alfred to dream himself murdering the Joker to avoid further bloodshed among his adopted family. On the other hand, Bruce's dreams reveal once more that the young boy who lost his parents have survived and may still be wounded badly. Haunted by his parents, Bruce was Batman in his dream, struggling to save his parents from a tidal wave inside a canals (it's a dream sequence so it's not supposed to be grounded in reality). Bruce will always remain fragmented, torn between dealing with his childhood loss in a healthy way and overcoming it by becoming a vigilante who is responsible for a whole city. And yet there is hope now because he has his Robin, his son Damian, who makes the burden a little more bearable than when he carries it alone.

This is one of those issues I describe as being 'emotionally resonant' and it really is. The tragic thing about it is that it will follow the devastating issue, Requiem. I'm afraid to read it. I know it's going to make me bleed again.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi, issue #16 [Death of the Family]

I was very enthralled with the last issue, Little BIG Man because of the amazing visual quality it produced, courtesy of Pat Gleason, and the thought-provoking dialogue written by Tomasi between the Joker and Damian Wayne. It was an exuberant story that utilized the use of symbolic imagery and language with versatility and restraint, and I was definitely hoping that this issue will deliver the same degree of punch.

Cast a Giant Shadow was another mixed bag, however. The visual effects are stunning to look at but it didn't have the same kind of appeal like in the previous issue. The content itself is unconvincing, especially when you look at the timeline with the other crossovers. In this story, Damian faces a drugged Batman and they presumably have to duel to the death. Now if a reader has only picked up this issue without any knowledge about what was going on with the other titles (particularly Snyder's Batman run), then they will be shocked and on the edge of their seats while reading this because HOLY SHIT BATMAN IS BEATING UP HIS SON AND HE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE HE WAS GOING TO LET UP!

The sad thing about it is that if you are already following all the crossover tie-ins, then you'll know for sure that it's not the real Batman at all that Damian is exchanging brutal blows with. We know that Batman is currently caught up in Arkham Asylum by this point, so it just doesn't make sense for him to be there at the zoo to fight Damian. When you know that significant detail then everything is just spoiled for you while reading this issue. The story is hinged on the suspense and trepidation that this is Batman about to kill his only son. The action that drives the narrative is the Joker's insistence that the greatest fear between Batman and Robin is that one of them will be the cause of the other's death. Great character moment if only we readers truly believe that it was indeed Batman.

I don't really have much to say about this issue except that though the art shines with visual brilliance, the story falls flat only because there was no real sense of danger and threat when that's a fake Batman so whatever character moment shared between father and son does not translate strongly to fans like me who eat that up. I would like to say that Damian's ferocious loyalty to his father never stops impressing me; even in the very edge of death his trust is absolute. It's one of those delightfully contradictory things about Damian's dynamics with his father. As much as he would often make decisions for himself without his father's knowledge, Damian has an unshakable respect for Bruce that somehow makes you overlook his shortcomings as the half of the functional duo that makes up Batman and Robin.

So overall, I'm not as impressed as I hoped I would be for this issue. The very end also feels like an advertisement for the next installment , Snyder's Batman issue #17 (I reviewed that HERE) where the resolution of the Death of the Family arc will unfold.

RECOMMENDED: 6/10

Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #15 [Death of the Family]

Tomasi's most absolutely marvelous issue yet, and by this point since his completely undesirable shift in tone and atmosphere from the tenth issue down to the fourteenth for Batman and Robin, this crossover event tie-in regarding the Joker's return is an astounding accomplishment for everyone who loves Damian Wayne, especially his characterization in Tomasi's works. Now I own a copy of the entire Return of Joker tie-ins edition and I read B&R issues 15 and 16 there a month ago so this review will serve as an expansion of what I thought because I really enjoyed this one a lot and it's worth discussing further.

This is a visually compelling adventure teeming with a lot of gruesome imagery. Just when you think Capullo's illustrations of the Joker's peeled-off face are spooky in Snyder's Batman run, B&R artist Pat Gleason made his depictions more traumatizing to look at. There are pages upon pages of the Joker wearing that skin mask upside down so that the eye sockets end up on his mouth and the perpetual clown grin would rest on his eyes. It was just...mortifying. It was so repulsive that I admire Damian for being able to keep a straight face while talking to the Joker the entire time. And that kind of visual horror was also enhanced by the great combination of colors offered in the panels. I always rave about beautifully drawn comic book issues in my reviews, and this one is definitely one of them!

I always take time acknowledging the visual appeal for every comic book issue, most especially if it's an excellently drawn one, and issue #15 Little BIG man was no exception. I've always had a problem with Gleason's lack of detail in his previous B&R issues so it pleased me to no end that he had learned to improve on that flaw so what the readers got is pages of highly stylized illustrations of the Joker and Damian having a very intimate conversation across the backdrop of a very nightmarish landscape. It's the best thing about this issue!

Let's move on to the story now. Damian Wayne was once again asked by his father to sit out the mission to find the Joker because Batman cares about his son's safety so he and the rest of the Bat-family had their own personal encounters with the Joker (in the other tie-in issues you can learn about HERE). Damian is livid about this so he goes out on his own to rescue Alfred who was abducted by the Joker earlier in Batman issue #13. Damian, now costumed as Robin, headed out to the zoo where he beat up rabid hyenas that turned out to have toxins in their fur so he was incapacitated to a certain degree which allowed the Joker to do all sorts of things to him when they started chatting.

Those "things" are my favorite scenarios for this issue. At one point the Joker had Robin lying on a huge cracked egg while he was discussing about birth; on the other he had him hanging upside down by his legs while he talks about solar eclipses and that he and the rest of the Bat-family are the moon eclipsing the sun that is Batman in the Joker's life. I love how Gleason had to showcase Tomasi's dialogue through symbolic imagery which fits with the Joker's sense of theatrics. My most favorite had to be when the Joker had Robin land on a pile of insects and worms because he's named after a bird so he deserves to feed on those creatures. Robin did end up almost eating them and had to choke them out. It was so vile which highlights the Joker's general disapproval of Damian. It's worth noting that Damian is not afraid of the Joker at all because he belittles his historical importance as Batman's foremost nemesis. I actually can accept that because Damian is a ten-year old highly trained assassin whose lineage is also al Ghul. To him, the Joker is nothing but a tacky villain in a clown get-up. He had faced bigger and more brutal enemies than that. His complete disregard of the Joker shows a lack of respect which the Joker does not take lightly. However, I feel like the Joker is also finding himself quite fond of this new Robin. He was very violent and abusive with his encounters with Batgirl and Nightwing but that for him is his way of enjoying a reunion with old playmates. But with Damian, the Joker seems like he's interested in getting to know Damian and what makes him tick--and it makes me wonder if he knows or would even care to learn that this Robin is also Batman's own son and heir.

While I was contemplating that, I turned to the next pages and saw something coming out of the repugnant pile of insects and I gasped when I realized it was a drugged Batman who was almost unrecognizable; not with that murderous look in his eye as he's getting ready to attack Robin. The Joker somehow knows that this is Damian's primal fear.

RECOMMENDED: 10/10

* Heftily illustrated and enticingly written, Damian's encounter with the Joker is something not to miss!

[New 52] Batman and Robin by Peter J. Tomasi issue #14

This is quite a mixed bag of an issue for me. On one hand, I don't know why we even need that Saturn Club cannibals and zombies subplot to begin with when the Joker's imminent return in the next issues is guaranteed already. It was such an annoyance that almost made this issue unbearable to read. Also, the weirdest thing about the art is how it was drawn by Mick Gray on the first thirteen pages or so, and then the style switches back to Gleason's. That was an abrupt change that should have been inconspicuous but it wasn't. But hey, at least Gray provided us with a fantastic sequence of a horde of zombies attacking rich people in a banquet and then Batman kicking all their asses? I mean, what's more visually compelling than that?

Oh, but there is something better than that. I will never get tired of saying that Tomasi should just focus foremost on his amazing ability to tell small-scale personal stories between his two lead characters before he goes further into the action-oriented plot and juxtapose those elements. It worked splendidly with the NoBody arc so why not utilize that again? Is he afraid that such a character-driven story would be too formulaic? What is his goal here? But I'm willing to forgive him for this issue this time because he did give us something emotionally resonant for the first time since the Born to Kill volume.

If you have been following my reviews about this title, I tend to describe his writing for Batman and Robin as "emotionally resonant" because it's true. That's the magic behind this line-up. It's not like any other superhero story out there whose pages are only energized by a big-event face-off between its heroes and villains. That kind of comics is fun to read every once in a while when you know it's all that title could offer, but there was something distinct about Tomasi's B&R in its first eight issues that I believe has the strength in literary approach that could do away with that.

Cannibals and zombies and ridiculous exposition aside, this issue's best moment happened in its last pages. Bruce reprimands Damian yet again as they walk back to the bat cave, expressing his concern in such a domineering manner that Damian can't resist interjecting to prove a point. They argued about Damian not following protocol again and it was honestly exhausting to the readers too. But Bruce then has a human moment when he finally admits that losing Jason Todd, third Robin, to the Joker before has been something he carried around for years and was never able to forgive himself for; and the fears he had about the Joker doing that again to his only son have manifested at last. Damian understood the threat the Joker imposes but he is not afraid at all which only makes Bruce assume that he cares about nobody else but himself, not even thinking about how much his father is worried for his safety.

But Damian responded by placing something on the table next to Bruce. He looks down at it and realized that it was one of Martha Wayne's pearls from the necklace which was pulled from her neck by the mugger before he shot her dead. That was terribly poignant. I've always wondered what Damian was doing in the canals from the last issue and it turns out he was picking up these pearls for months, hoping he could complete it and give it back to his dad. I mean..just..god!

Not too worry, readers, I could not cry because I'm at the office while reading this and I didn't want to draw attention to myself. But I will leave you with this last page:

For those last pages, I'm rating this a lot higher. And I retract saying in my previous review that you should skip this. Skip the first 20 pages and get right to this scene! If this did not touch you in any way then you're dead inside! This is an important moment, guys, because Bruce has failed to acknowledge such a simple thing like saying he's proud of his child earlier in the issues because that's how emotionally tone-deaf he is. So when he finally got to say it like that, I wish I could start crying here too because it was such a redemptive moment!

RECOMMENDED: 7/10