DC Comics Review: Batman and Robin #6

Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,

Rating: ****

Another amazing issue that will have everyone’s jaw drop by the time people reach the end. Sometimes the conclusion to a comic book story does not live up to the way it started - that is not the case here. Grant Morrison hits a big home run with the conclusion to his Red Hood story arc. The only drawback for me once again is Philip Tan’s artwork. Some of the artwork in the panels seemed rushed and murky, but Morrison saves the day for me with this amazing story. I read the preview that was released and I couldn’t wait to read this issue. After reading this issue, I’m now salivating for more.

Eduardo Flamingo proves to be a very dangerous character. When we last left off in the story, Flamingo had taken a shot at the Red Hood. The shot doesn’t kill him, which causes Flamingo to try harder to finish the job by shooting the side of Jason’s face off. He also tries to pull the mask off of Scarlet’s face (if you’ve been reading the title you know her face is attached to the mask).

Batman and Robin escape from the trap that the Red Hood put them in and they try to assist Hood and Scarlet in taking down Flamingo. Morrison writes a great line for Robin when they confront Flamingo, “I was expecting scary, not gay.” Very funny. The character appears to die at the hands of the Red Hood, but this is the comic book world, and we know that he probably isn’t dead.

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DC Comics Review: Batman and Robin #5

Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,

Rating: *** 1/2*

Another great issue in Grant Morrison’s run on Batman and Robin.  The issue picks up right where we left off in the previous issue with Red Hood and Scarlet confronting the new Batman and Robin.  Some very cool dialogue between the current Robin Damian Wayne and the second one The Red Hood Jason Todd.  It’s funny.  Even though I’m on the side of Batman and what he stands for, the Red Hood makes a good point when he says that after killing all of these criminals, they will think twice before setting foot in Gotham. 

Damian is being his normal arrogant self here, and decides to try and take Jason out, but Jason proceeds to catch him and ram his face into the ground.  Batman not being too happy about that, returns the favor.  Scarlet grabs Damian in retaliation and holds him at knife point.  Batman backs off of the Red Hood and allows them to escape as they need to turn the Penguin over to police.

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DC Comics Review: Batman and Robin #4

Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,

Rating: *** 1/2

A little bit of a letdown with this issue relative to the three previous ones, but it was still very good.  I think the letdown for me came more with the artwork by Philip Tan.  The previous issues with artist Frank Quitely were very good because he tells a good story visually with his artwork.  Tan’s, however, doesn’t do much for me in the issue.  Some parts of the story are too dark and I didn’t enjoy the panel-to-panel storytelling.  Quitely’s artwork gave me a grand epic feeling.  Tan’s work seems cramped and jumbled.  However, the story of this opening arc is still very good.

We open with a villain by the name of Lightning Bug collecting some money from a club owner.  Just as he’s about to pop this guy, the Batmobile swoops in and hovers right behind him.  Lightning Bug makes a break for it and crashes through an apartment window.  He makes his way out of the apartment into the hallway and meets up with who he thinks is Batman and Robin, but is instead the Red Hood and his new partner Scarlett.  The Red Hood has decided to go a different route to fight crime and instead of handing this guy over to the police, the Red Hood cuts his throat and kills him.  “Let the punishment fit the crime” is his new slogan for punishing criminals.

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DC Comics Review: Batman and Robin #3

Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,

Rating: *** 1/2*

Grant Morrison continues his run on Batman and Robin with issue three of the Circus of Strange storyline.  In our last issue, Damian had quit being Robin and went off alone to stop the Circus of Strange.  His arrogance resulted only in him getting captured by the Circus’ leader, a man by the name of Pyg. 

When DC Comics decided to go in this direction of having a new Batman and Robin with Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin, they wanted to have a role reversal.  Batman was always the dark character and Robin the lighter character.  With Dick and Damian as the Dynamic Duo, the roles are reversed: Dick is the “light” and Damian is the “dark”.  I was interested in seeing if they could make this a success, but my feeling was that if Dick’s Batman is portrayed as this happy go lucky crime fighter, the image of Batman would not work and readers would reject the idea of Dick as Batman and demand the return of Bruce Wayne to the role.

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