BATMAN AND ROBIN #1

Written by Grant Morrison

Art and Cover by Frank Quitely

Variant Cover by JG Jones

Wow! I expected an awesome comic, but this was beyond, way beyond!

Batman and Robin might just be the perfect single issue #1 released in the past ten years (debate amongst yourselves).

In a nutshell, Mr. Toad and his two henchmen are on the run after an “exchange” going awry. After an explosion removing the pursuant GCPD from their tail, they make their break into a tunnel to escape. Too bad for them, Batman’s not in fact “dead” as Toad remarks, also bad for them is the fact Batman and Robin have a flying Batmobile.

The midway cool-down to get you up to speed and explains to readers why Dick and Damien are Batman and Robin in a single page. As Alfred and Dick leave Wayne Mannor for the last time, it closes off the final chapter of Bruce Wayne’s tenure as Batman (for now). Now for the new, like the film “The Dark Knight” and Batman in the 70’s, the new Bat-crew operates out of one of Wayne’s downtown buildings, complete with penthouse, Bat-garage, and underground tunnels to pop out of secret locations through the city.

While Batman and Robin punch in back on the clock, Pyg’s people go to work on rescuing Mr. Toad, while an army of Dolltrons march on to go after Toad’s henches who abandoned the job. Batman and Robin show Gordon and the GCPD that they are in fact still on the case, and the plot thickens as Professor Pyg shows what a horrible monster he is.

As most of Morrison’s work, there’s two stories at play here, there’s the surface “superhero action” at play, and deeper mysteries and metaphors under the surface. Plus it’s a fantastic array of influence and pedigree, from Lynchian flavors mixed with the Batman show of the sixties, Mr. Toads Wilde ride, to Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady) gone real horrorshow. All that with Quitley rocking a Will Eisner style along with the sound effects, without aping Eisner. Plus, freaks and mysteries!

The dynamics of the new “Dynamic Duo” are great on many levels. Dick Grayson is Batman due to the need for a Batman. Despite his doubts and feeling like he’s wearing his dead father’s clothes is a different Batman due to how he was raised. In stark contrast, Bruce was a pessimistic haunted atheist, who saw a cruel world around him due to the tragedy that shaped him. He knew that he’d never completely stop “crime”, despite his best efforts in his Quixotic quest to make sure no one shared the pain he’d endured. Even worse, he knew he wouldn’t live forever, every day he lived another was one more that might be his last.

Grayson on the other hand, had an unconventional childhood before he even became Robin. With him and his parents in the circus, despite preventative measures knew accidents could happen, that’s why there was much preparation before “performing”, and knowing what to do if something went wrong. With all that, you know there were guys with missing arms or members buried due to things “going wrong”. Unlike Bruce’s parents dying, I really feel Dick knew mortality at his age far better than Bruce.

Dick is an optimist with deep faith who’s made his amends with his ghosts and wounds. In the face of impossible odds and is quick witted enough to improvise on the fly, plus he doesn’t need to result to fear mongering to put the bad guys away (though he does now wear the Batsuit). He’s clever, he’s got experience, and he’s Batman now.

With the light nature of Grayson, Damien Wayne makes the “grim” scene as the spoiled little monster who thinks he’s “King Shit” of the castle. He’s brash, egotistical, snotty, too smart for his own good, and ultimately looking to Dick as his new father.

With he and Bruce having little time together, all he did with said time was act like a ADD-addled kid trying to get his dad’s attention. With Bruce, he figured he could get away with anything, because well, “That’s my dad, what’s he going to do?” With Dick though, he’s a bit more reserved than he was previous, when he tells Dick “You can have my respect if you earn it…”, he’s really trying to earn Dick’s respect. Unlike Bruce, Dick doesn’t have to deal with Damien at all, hell were Dick not such a swell guy, he could have very well sent him to live on the moon or dropped him off at a youth correction facility. Even though Damien is a “Young Tough” on exterior observation, deep down he’s a kid with daddy and family issues.

From the Arc preview

Batman fighting conjoined triplet kung-fu powerhouse member of the Circus of Strange.

Robin getting stomped nearly to death by Dolltrons

What do the dominoes mean? Double twelve’s from the look of them.

Coming up this year in preview!

Robin quits! From the looks of it, Damien’s gong to walk away from being Robin, what’s going to cause it though? Doesn’t Dick know he just wants to be loved!

Who are the Red Hood and Scarlet? I’d bet on “Red Hood” being the same “Red Hood” Batman knocked into a vat of chemicals all those years ago. Yes, the Joker (who was strangely absent from BFTC), I’m betting he’s not happy about the “New” Batman “I can hear Mark Hamill in my head screaming “THAT’S NOT HIM!!! THAT’S NOT BATMAN!!!!” After Jason’s little stunt stealing his old ID, it would be perfect for him to take it back and be a “Hero”, though I doubt his motives will be heroic. As for Scarlet, I’d have to assume it’s Sasha, the recently introduced character in this issue.

The cover to Batman and Robin #4, tell me that’s not a hand written note for Dick by the Joker.

Bruce Wayne Rising? Is that Bruce’s “corpse” returning from the Lazarus Pit? And why is Dick fighting Batwoman/ Kate Kane? I can only assume if that is the “body” from Final Crisis, it’s going to end up being a soulless abomination, Kate’s probably just trying to take him behind the woodshed and off him with a shovel, like you do with abominations.

Dr. Hurt and the keys to Wayne Mansion? I can only assume he’s gong back to loot more stuff that belonged to Thomas Wayne. That and drink all the cognac.

Batman and Robin is weird, fun, explosive, mad pop brain candy, that won’t rot your brain!

DC COMICS FOR 6/10/2009

DC/JOHNNY DC

* ACTION COMICS #878

* BATMAN #687

* BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #30

* BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM! #5

* FINAL CRISIS

* FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: ESCAPE #2 (OF 6) Preview Available

* FINAL CRISIS COMPANION

* THE FLASH: REBIRTH #3 (OF 5)

* FLASH: THE HUMAN RACE

* GREEN LANTERN CORPS #37

* GREEN LANTERN CORPS: THROUGH THE AGES

* JSA VS. KOBRA: ENGINES OF FAITH #1 (OF 6)

* R.E.B.E.L.S. #5

* RED ROBIN #1

* SCOOBY-DOO #145

* SHOWCASE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN VOL. 4

* THE SPIRIT #29

* SUPER FRIENDS #16

* SUPERMAN: LAST SON

* TITANS #14

VERTIGO

* DMZ #42

* FABLES #85

* UNCLE SAM DELUXE EDITION

* THE UNWRITTEN #2

* YOUNG LIARS VOL. 2: MAESTRO

WILDSTORM

* GEN 13 #30

* RED – NEW EDITION

* STORMING PARADISE #6 (OF 6)

For more DC info, check out dccomics.com.

Thanks for reading!