In an effort to make its stories more accessible to new readers, DC recently launched The New 52, cancelling all of its existing titles and starting 52 new series with revamped and rebooted versions of its major characters. But how will the New 52 affect the DC universe? Will new readers actually be attracted? Will old fans still be interested? Will the new titles be fresh and new, or disappointing and unfaithful to the original continuity? After buying and reading all but a few of the 52 new #1s that DC released over the course of a month, I have set out to review some of the major ones and let potential readers know which new titles are and are not worth reading. So, without further ado…
Batman and Robin #1
Writer: Peter Tomasi
Penciler: Patrick Gleason
Review by Samuel N. Harris
Before we dive into the newest adventure of DC’s dynamic duo, let’s start with a little background information to make sure we’re all on the same page:
First of all, if you still think that Robin’s secret identity is Dick Grayson, then you’ve probably been away from comics for quite a long time. In fact, the same is true if you think that Robin is Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or even Stephanie Brown. The previous Robins have all grown past being Batman’s sidekick and forged identities of their own, and the current Robin is none other than Batman’s own son, Damian Wayne, who was born to him by Talia al Ghul and was introduced in the “Batman and Son” storyline in 2006. When Batman “died” in Final Crisis in 2009, a great battle ensued and Dick Grayson became his replacement as Batman. Damian then became Robin, and he and Dick had several adventures together as Batman and Robin before the return of Bruce Wayne as Batman. Now that the original Batman is back and the universe has been rebooted, the dynamic duo is off to a fresh new start.
Because of all the complicated drama and identity switching that I described in the last paragraph, this issue was the first time that Bruce and Damian, father and son, have ever been together as Batman and Robin. As such, it gives us a new perspective on an old duo, a new combination of personalities, and a new relationship dynamic to consider. Batman’s grim and methodical seriousness sometimes clashes with Robin’s impulsiveness and rebellious ten-year-old nature. Whereas Bruce is compelled to do things a certain way because he is always haunted by the murder of his parents, Damian has little respect for the traditions that his father holds dear and sacred. Damian is also a very troubled character because he was raised among assassins and trained to kill from a young age, so his way of doing things often conflicts with Batman’s. It seems ironic to see Robin as darker and more violent than Batman, but it makes for good character development and an interesting twist on the traditional roles of Batman and Robin. Of course, Batman clashed with all the previous Robins at time or another, but none of them were his biological sons, so it is interesting to see in this issue how that relationship affects the dynamic duo, and how they can still put aside their differences to succeed together in their battles with crime when it really matters.
This issue pits Batman and Robin against a few Batman copycats with similar bat-influenced costumes, but tendencies towards big weapons and violent murders. The action and mystery are exciting as Bruce and Damian try to figure things out and bring the villains to justice. But this issue also pits Batman against the ever-haunting memory of his parents’ death, and he confronts it here in a way he never has before. Whereas Bruce always used to bring flowers to his parents’ graves to commemorate the day of their deaths, he decides in this issue to begin commemorating their wedding anniversary instead, because he wants to celebrate the way they lived rather than mourn the way they died. This conscious decision is a stroke of good character development for this issue and for the Batman story as a whole. It is one step closer to Bruce letting go of his traumatic past (even though he will probably never let go completely), and it is a way for him to teach his disrespectful son by example the value of strong family relationships and of learning to heal from a violent, troubled past.
Batman and Robin #1 is an enjoyable read that looks at familiar characters from a new and intriguing perspective. My only minor complaint with this issue is that new readers who haven’t been following Batman comics for the past few years may be confused to learn that Batman has a son who is the current Robin. Still, if readers can accept that fact, then this issue is a great place to jump on without necessarily knowing all the details of the previous backstory, because it introduces the characters in a different, daring way that is new to everyone, however long they’ve been reading comics. This comic features great characters, a good story, and pleasing artwork as well. I look forward to reading more about Batman and Robin, the duo who truly is dynamic—ever-changing and always exciting.
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