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Batman and Robin #15 Review

By J. Skyler
December 25, 2012 - 00:13

I hate Damian Wayne. I really mean it. I utterly loath his character. The little (censored) has only been around for six years and already fancies himself as the only worthy member of the Family. Giving Batman a biological child didn't gel with Helena Wayne/Huntress as his daughter with Catwoman in the Golden Age of Comic Books (it was also a major misstep for the short-lived live action Brids of Prey television series) and it certainly doesn't work with the demon child bred of Batman and Talia al Ghul. Unfortunately, both Wayne children are now integral parts of DC Comics' New 52 (to the detriment, I might add, of the far superior Tim Drake and now-deceased Helena Bertinelli). It has been stated throughout this crossover event that someone close to Batman will die by the end of this saga and while I would be elated to find out it's Damian, I known that's highly unlikely, given future solicitations of Batman and Robin show him alive and well. I'd settle for Time Drake to be retroactively established as the most recent and final Robin, never to speak of Damian ever again, but I know that won't happen either.

My personal bias aside, I can understand why Batman and Robin has been a best-seller since its initial run in 2009. Grant Morrison and his successor for The New 52 relaunch, Peter J. Tomasi, are excellent writers. In this Death of the Family tie-in "Little Big Man", Tomasi depicts the Joker attacking Damian Wayne not as a person, but as the latest protégé to fulfill the iconography of the Robin mantle. To the Joker, it doesn't really matter who Robin is, only what Robin represents to Batman. In spite of the fact that he appreciates Damian's ruthless and lethal nature, he nonetheless considers him to be a liability to Batman, no different than any other member of the Family. In his own words, he states: "Can you imagine the pressure of a ten-year-old nipping at your heels while he does his Dark Knight thing--he wants to turn and run but--he can't because he's let his sense of accountability get in the way of being the best he can be!" For this reason, Robin must die. The Family must die so Batman can once again be at his prime. That way, the Joker can have the Dark Knight all to himself once again.

Patrick Gleason's artwork is on point. His rendition of the Joker is almost as creepy as Greg Capullo's work in Batman. Out of all the Death of the Family tie-ins, this is a most unexpected accomplishment. One thing is for sure, no one will ever be the same after this event concludes.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12