Batman and Robin #2 Reviews

Batman and Robin #2

By Rokk Krinn Comicbookrevolution.com
July 6, 2009

Creative Team Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Frank Quitely

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

I enjoyed Batman and Robin #1. Despite the fact that I found the Battle for the Cowl to be terribly hackneyed and despite the fact that DC's handling of Batman is nothing more than a watered down version of what Marvel has done with Captain America. Morrison managed to turn in a brilliantly creative debut issue on this title that immediately captured my interest. I am confident that Morrison will turn in another quality read with Batman and Robin #2. Let's do this review.

Synopsis: We begin with Dick back at the Bat-bunker with his head in his hands. Alfred is standing next to Dick and asks Dick what happened. We flashback to Dick and Damien landing on the roof of the Gotham Police Headquarters where Gordon is waiting by the Bat-signal. Gordon tells Dick that Mr. Toad will not talk. Suddenly, Gordon is radioed that there is trouble in the police headquarters. Dick and Damien race down the stairs into the building.

One of the cops next to Gordon asks if both Batman and Robin used to be taller. The cop adds that Batman also sounded different. Gordon says that Batman sounded different but familiar. Gordon adds that he has also seen Robin before. Gordon and the two cops then follow Dick and Damien into the building.

We cut to inside the first floor of the police headquarters where the flaming guy, Rex, rushes inside and proceeds to burn several more cops. Big Top then steps out of the car that the villains drove up in. Big Top is an extremely fat woman (?) and she has a large gun that she fires at the police. The gun fires several gas canisters. We see Dick and Damien on the first floor with their gas masks on. We see four circus thugs enter the headquarters to serve as support for Rex and Big Top.

Damien immediately leaps into battle and attacks the four thugs. The four thugs prove more than Damien can handle by himself. Dick tells Damien to step aside. Dick then springs to action and takes on the four thugs. Dick kicks ass on the four thugs. Dick then tells Damien to stay by his side. Damien ignores Dick and goes after Big Top who is making her way to Mr. Toad's cell. Damien attacks Big Top.

We see Dick battling with Rex. Dick yells out that he needs Damien over here. Damien does not answer. Dick then uses a fire extinguisher to take down Rex. Dick then yells out "Robin! Where the hell are you?" We cut to Damien still brawling with Big Top.

We slide back to Dick tying up the four circus thugs. Gordon appears on the scene. The circus thugs are all talking in circus slang. Only Dick understands what they are saying. Dick says that Mr. Toad's crew has been trading in some next level mind control drugs with Russian people traffickers.

We zip back to the present with Dick and Alfred in the Bat-bunker. Dick says that their first mission together at the police headquarters was a disaster. That four cops go killed in the fight. Dick says that he knew one of them from when he was on the police force in Bludhaven.

We cut back to the brawl at the police headquarters. We see that Damien is beating on Big Top. Gordon and a couple of cops pull their guns and order Damien to stop attacking Big Top. Damien continues to beat on Big Top and is demanding to know what kind of attack Big Top's boss is planning on unleashing.

Dick then appears on the scene and pulls Damien off of Big Top. Damien snaps at Dick that he almost had beaten the information out of Big Top. A couple of cops look inside of Mr. Toad's cell and see that Mr. Toad was killed during the brawl. There is a domino in one of Mr. Toad's hands. Dick notices the domino. Gordon demands to know how a suspect was killed in his cell right under their noses and no one saw it.

We shift to Dick and Damien arriving back at the Bat-bunker. Dick yells at Damien that intimidation is one thing, but that there have to be limits. Dick says that if they step over the line then Gordon will not hesitate to hunt them down. Damien scoffs at Dick's suggestion. Damien growls that he already promised his father that he would not kill. Now, Dick is telling him that he has to be nice to police? Damien wants no part of that.

Dick rants that being Batman and Robin is not about working alone and thinking with your fists. That it is about detective skills. It is about learning to follow a direct order. Damien smirks that Dick's pathetic impression of Bruce is making a mockery of Bruce's memory. Damien tells Dick to keep his clues, detective skills and limits. Damien says that he is going to do this his way. Dick replies that Damien is ten years old. Dick says that Damien has a lot to learn. Damien spits that he will go find a teacher that he respects.

Damien marches off toward his motorcycle. Dick yells for Damien to get back here. Dick yells that it is an order. Damien brushes off Dick and leaves. We cut back to the present with Dick and Alfred still talking. Dick says that he sounded like an idiot trying to order Damien around. Dick said he sounded fake; like a kid trying to do Batman's voice. Dick wonders where Damien went.

Alfred says that he has no idea where Damien went. Alfred says that he came down into the Bat-bunker to tell them that the Quad-bat is ready for a test drive. Dick asks Alfred if he was such a brat when he was Damien's age. Alfred replies that Dick had loving parents. That Dick had role models of the highest caliber. Damien, on the other hand, was raised by assassins and thieves. Dick grumbles that he is irritated by Damien's know-it-all super-villain attitude and sneer.

Dick says that it is not just Damien. That Gordon and the police do not think he is Batman. That nobody believes Dick is Batman. Dick says that he spent years building up respect as Nightwing and now he is being viewed as a psychotic Batman impersonator. Dick says that the whole idea of replacing Bruce was insane. Dick says that he hates the cape. That the cape was the first thing he got rid off when he became Nightwing.

Dick says that he is way off balance. Dick then reigns in his complaining and apologizes and says that Alfred does not need to hear this. Alfred tells Dick that Dick does not have time to lament his situation. Alfred tells Dick that he must go test drive the Quad-bat. Alfred mentions that Dick's job is not all that bad.

Alfred then tells Dick that Dick's parents were show business people. Alfred tells Dick to not think of his Batman as being a memorial. Alfred says that they both know Bruce would hate that. Alfred tells Dick to think of his Batman has a performance. Alfred says Dick should view the role of Batman as a great role like Hamlet or even James Bond. Alfred says that Dick should play the role to his strengths.

Alfred says that there is no doubt that Damien is racing toward trouble. That the curtain is up and the spotlight is on Dick. Alfred continues that everyone is waiting for the hero to take the stage. Dick puts on the cowl. Dick tells Alfred to never let him forget the golden rule: The show must go on. Alfred tells Dick to "Break a leg."

We cut to Damien arriving at the abandoned circus where Pyg's Circus of the Strange is hiding out. Damien sees a person being held captive in a cage. The person calls out for Damien's help. Suddenly, Damien is overwhelmed by a bunch of Pyg's thugs. Pyg enters the scene. Pyg says "The hour of the pig has come! And the night belongs to me!" One of Pyg's thugs activates some explosives that blow up Damien.

We then cut to Dick racing through Gotham on the Quad-bat. End of issue.

Comments

The Good: Batman and Robin #2 was a solid read. While this issue was not as good as Batman and Robin #1, there was still much to enjoy with this issue. Morrison delivered an excellent character study with Batman and Robin #2. Morrison eases off the gas pedal and slows down the story so that he may closer examine the relationship between Dick and Damien as well as Dick's adjustment to wearing Bruce's cape and cowl.

Despite the slower pacing, Batman and Robin #2 was a properly balanced issue. Morrison treats the reader to a good blend of action scenes and character driven scenes. The excellent fight scene at the police station keeps this issue a lively read despite the lack of any plot progression.

The real strengths of Batman and Robin #2 were the well crafted dialogue and the impressive character work. The main purpose of this issue was to take an up close look at the relationship between Dick and Damien. This is not exactly the same legendary teamwork that the reader has seen with previous versions of the Dynamic Duo in the Bruce and Dick combination and the Bruce and Tim combination.

Morrison takes the time and effort to show the reader the challenges that lie ahead for this current version of the Dynamic Duo. Morrison emphasizes how things are much different in the wake of Bruce's "death." The reader sees how Dick and Damien fight as separate units instead of as a cohesive team. And the result is that several cops end up getting killed and Mr. Toad is also killed before our heroes can extract any valuable information from him.

Morrison also shows how Damien has a complete lack of control in the way that he deals with criminals. Damien has no problems at all with beating a confession out of a criminal. And this puts Damien not only at odds with Dick, but also with Gordon. The friction with Gordon was an interesting little wrinkle since it has been a long time since Gordon has not worked hand-in-glove with Batman and Robin. Morrison hints at the fact that Gordon may not have the same trust in the new Batman and Robin that he did in Bruce and Tim. A possible rift with Gordon would be yet another headache for Dick as he endeavors to bear Bruce's heavy mantle.

Morrison does a fine job stressing the philosophic differences between Dick and Damien. I like that Damien has a complete lack of respect for Dick. This is exactly how Damien should be handled. It would have been forced and inconsistent with Damien's character if Morrison had Damien blindly follow Dick right from the start. This type of friction is to be expected and will place yet another challenge in front of Dick in his new role as Batman. Dick is a disciple of Bruce's belief in the power of the mind over fists. Dick respects the amazing cerebral detective side of Bruce's personality. On the other hand, Damien respects the physical power and aggressiveness of Bruce's personality.

Morrison wisely has Alfred point out the differences in Dick and Damien's upbringing. This was important to remind the reader why Damien acts the way he does. Morrison is the only writer who understands Damien's character and who knows how to properly write Damien. Damien is not simply a spoiled brat.

Damien is a product of his environment. Since birth Damien has been raised by murders, assassins and thieves. It would make no sense for Damien to act any different than the way that Morrison had him behave in this issue. It is completely understandable that Damien would chafe under the restrictions placed upon him by Dick. By reminding the reader of Damien's background, Morrison is attempting to get the reader to view Damien as something more than just a one dimensional brat.

The necessary friction and strife between Dick and Damien at this early point in their relationship should allow for some strong growth and evolution in their relationship. Hopefully, Morrison will be able to have both characters mature into their roles as Batman and Robin.

I am enjoying the little details that Morrison is putting into the story concerning this new Dynamic Duo. These small details are seamlessly placed into the story and help to act as small cues to the reader that this is a new Dynamic Duo. A good example of this is when the cop next to Gordon off-handedly mentioned how both Batman and Robin are shorter than they used to be. It is important that Morrison continue to write Dick and Damien differently than Bruce and Tim.

Batman and Robin #2 contains a wonderful character study of Dick Grayson. Morrison displays quite a nice feel for Dick's character in this issue. Morrison is able to have Dick experience a moment of self-doubt and inadequacy concerning his attempt at playing Batman without making Dick look too mopey and whiny. Morrison does not shy away from the fact that Dick is most certainly not Bruce. Instead, Morrison embraces this fact and has fun using this to give Dick his own distinct take on the Batman.

I like how Dick fells like a kid faking the Batman voice. I also enjoy how no one recognizes Dick as Batman. Not Damien, not Gordon and not any of the villains. This feeling out process on how to play the Batman role is critical for Dick to bring his own style to being the Batman rather than just trying to be a Bruce Wayne clone.

Morrison stresses the differences between Bruce and Dick by playing up the fact that at his core Dick is a circus performer. And Dick's past which is rooted in show business gives Dick a much different style than Bruce. Morrison takes the circus theme and extends it from Dick's past into Dick's future as Batman.

The use of show business terms by Alfred were well played. Alfred's suggestion that Dick play the Batman as a great role like a true show business performer was a brilliant take on Dick assuming the role of Batman. The show must go on and Dick viewing himself playing the role of Batman like any other great role gels nicely with Dick's background and personality.

Hopefully, this will enable Morrison to make Dick a more flamboyant Batman than what Bruce brought to the table. It would be nice to see this reflected in Batman's fighting style. Bruce is a larger and more powerful man than Dick. And Bruce used a more brutal and no-nonsense style of fighting. Dick, on the other hand, is a smaller and more athletic man. It would be neat to see Dick as Batman employ a more acrobatic and high-flying style of fighting.

Morrison ends Batman and Robin #2 with a solid hook ending with Damien in peril and Dick racing to the rescue on his cool new toy, the Quad-bat. Morrison continues to show a vivid imagination when it comes to Batman's gadgets and vehicles. The Batmobile that we got in the previous issue was delightfully outrageous. And the Quad-bat is more of the same. This is a neat little nod to the Silver Age Batman with the fantastic vehicles and gadgets that he used to employ.

Batman and Robin #2 is a wonderful looking issue thanks to Frank Quitely's distinctive and imaginative artwork. Quitely is bringing such a neat and unusual look to the Batman's world that combines both the modern era of Batman with the Silver Age of Batman. Quitely is easily able to keep pace with the strange characters and outlandish gadgets that Morrison is able to create. The design and layout of the panels in this issue make Batman and Robin #2 a fun and unique looking issue.

The Bad: The biggest defect of Batman and Robin #2 is the lack of any plot progression. This issue is quite stagnant as plot wise nothing really happens at all in this issue. The reader is basically at the same spot that they were at the end of Batman and Robin #1. The reader does not learn anything new about Pyg or his Circus of the Strange. Morrison basically put the story on hold in order to perform some character work and flesh out the dynamic that exists between Dick and Damien. This robs Batman and Robin #2 of some of the excitement and strong pacing that the first issue possessed.

Overall: Batman and Robin #2 was another good read. Morrison is doing a fine job with this title as he continues to make Batman and Robin very new reader friendly. Morrison gives just enough background information about Dick and Damien without getting in the way of the current story and boring long-time readers. Morrison also continues to deliver a nice linear read on this title. Readers who may have avoided Batman and Robin out of fear that they were going to get something like RIP or Final Crisis should have no fear. Batman and Robin is much different in style and structure than either RIP or Final Crisis.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2

Author: Kristopher Tapley Batman-on-film.com
July 4, 2009

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: "In a blazing Gotham City police department, the new Batman and Robin face the bizarre, fighting freakshow that is the Circus of Strange and find that they don't make as good a team as Batman had hoped! Meanwhile, the mysterious Sasha escapes from Professor Pyg and vows vengeance on the people who killed her father."

I really miss Bruce Wayne.

That’s all I kept thinking reading through this month’s issue of BATMAN AND ROBIN, the second in a 13-issue run from writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quietly. These aren’t the themes I like to wallow in when reading a Dark Knight yarn. This isn’t the atmosphere that sucked me into this character 20 years ago.

It feels like having an affair with an in-law -- an unattractive in-law.

But we have to take Morrison’s interim run for what it’s worth, and so far, it has provided at least the seeds of an intriguing character study where Dick Grayson is concerned.

This second issue’s narrative is framed by Grayson’s recounting of a disastrous mission against the macabre circus troupe introduced last month (which for me is recalling, perhaps intentionally, the Red Circus gang of Tim Burton’s BATMAN RETURNS). We learn that the disgusting Toad from issue #1 has been mixing it with Russian people traffickers, trading for “next level mind control drugs.” The showdown isn’t much to Grayson’s Caped Crusader or Damian’s Boy Wonder (though “Blunder” was never more applicable), but as we find out, it may have been a hit-mission of sorts.

In telling the story to Alfred back at the new cave, Grayson further indicates a reluctance to take on the mantle of the Bat. Furthermore, he is haunted by the fact that he isn’t fully accepted in the role, that he is somehow unbelievable to the supporting characters, punctuated, of course, by Damian’s consistent disrespect.

Not to beat a dead horse, but is this character (Damian) ever going to provide a thematic purpose? There is potential lurking between the lines. Using him as a way to break down Grayson’s confidence, perhaps, or even to force even more maturity into Grayson, such as the whispered notion, “Who’s gonna save him if we don’t?” But this is friggin’ Nightwing we’re talking about. Since when does this character need some punk kid to pop up out of the ether and flesh him out like this? It’s not computing.

Though for the Damian-bashers, we do get a (perhaps morbid) sense of satisfaction out of the final frames, but Morrison is clearly going to milk this Pyg character for all he’s worth. We’ll have to wait.

The issue features some really interesting visual ideas from Quietly: the specter of Bruce’s costume behind a silhouetted Grayson, the Hamlet reference in the positioning of the cowl in Alfred’s hands (recalling the skull from the bard’s “To be or not to be” moment), not to mention the colors that really pop in Pyg’s lair. But I’m hoping we get more and more nuance, because it seems the visuals are what continue to intrigue me on this arc, not the writing.

Batman and Robin #2

By Koppy McFad Comicbookbin.com
Jul 4, 2009 - 2:30:18 AM
9

Writer(s): Grant Morrison Penciller(s): Frank Quitely

A rift develops between the new Batman and Robin as a new evil mastermind makes his appearance.

The new Robin (Damien Wayne) proves to be too bloodthirsty and rebellious for the new Batman (Dick Grayson) and soon, the team breaks up, leaving Dick wondering if he deserves to wear the mantle of the Bat. To make things worse, a new villainous mastermind finally shows his face and he may prove more than Dick or Damien can handle.

This story does a great job in fleshing out the differences between the old Dynamic Duo and the new one as well as establishing the fact that people can tell that this is not the same Batman and Robin. Commissioner Gordon may be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt but what about the rest of the world? And how will the villains react?

The villains-- another variation on the 'evil circus freaks' gimmick-- are not all that original but the story makes it clear how dangerous they are-- dangerous enough to put the hurt on the overconfident new Robin. It is almost enjoyable to see the cocky Damien finally realise his limits.

The art by Quitley is an acquired taste. He does make his people look a little less idealised which would hurt Batman (who after all, is just a guy in a funny suit) but as this is a new Batman and Robin, the uneasiness of these characters with their new identities actually fits in. The fight scene is certainly interesting without being chaotic or overly gory.

Batman and Robin #2

by Stephen Schleicher Majorspoilers.com
July 1, 2009
4.5

The second installment of Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin hit the stands today. Now that the euphoria of the first issue has worn off, how well does this issue hold up?

This issue is told slightly different than the first, in that Dick Grayson is relating how he and Damian had a falling out after recent events at the police station. Morrison then takes readers back to the moment immediately after the end of the first issue, where Batman and Robin meet Commissioner Gordon to get the low down on the interrogation of Mr. Toad.

The conversation is cut short as a band of circus freaks attack the police station, killing and maiming officers on their way to the holding cell. Morrison cranks out a fast action sequence that is simply brilliant when combined with Frank Quitely’s art. The two page spread featuring Batman flying across the room and bringing down a group of the bad guys will stun readers in how the art and action blend together in a way that makes one think they’re watching a motion picture. Comic scholars and art instructors will use this simple two page spread for years to show how one can portray action in sequential art.

I have begun to really like Quitely’s art, but the biggest failing with this issue is the color by Alex Sinclair. It’s not that he doesn’t know how to color a page, but when the backgrounds throughout the book look like a bad compression job it totally turns this reviewer off.

Being the first time Batman and Robin are interacting with the police, there is an interesting moment when several officers question Gordon on the look and sound of the caped crusader and his kid sidekick. Gordon follows with a sly yet insightful comment that is meant to throw his fellow officers off, but reveals more about his keen investigating skills than readers may have ever seen.

Damian being Damian, the fight gets out of control when he doesn’t follow orders, which leads to the first tussle between vigilante and cops that could ruin everything Bruce built up over the years. It also leads to Damian and Dick having their first Master/Apprentice argument that results in Damian running off to do his own thing, and totally getting caught up in a bad situation for which he is not prepared.

Morrison’s writing continues to shine in the series that asks you not to take anything too seriously, as he peppers the issue with one liners and gags that will either make the reader roll their eyes or chuckle audibly. Morrison caps off the issue with a new vehicle that immediately had this reviewer thinking of the over the top Batmobile from Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson’s Batman: The Cult series from 1988.

Save for the coloring, Batman and Robin #2 is another top notch read. Morrison doesn’t fill the issue with heady thoughts, and Quitely cranks out the action earning the issue a solid 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Batman and Robin #2

by Greg McElhatton CBR
July 2, 2009
4.5

Story by Grant Morrison Art by Frank Quitely

It was the second time through "Batman and Robin" #2 that it suddenly hit me -- this book got its title for a very specific reason. It's not merely just to split it off from the regular "Batman" title, but because this is a book that's actually about Batman and Robin; both them as individuals, as well as the idea of them working together as a cohesive unit. And with Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne as the new Batman and Robin, it's the latter that is proving to be the central conflict of the issue.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of other things going on in "Batman and Robin" #2 as well. Le Cirque D'Etrange's assault on the Gotham Police station runs through the majority of the issue, and it almost goes without saying that a circus attack under Morrison's watch is much more than a Ringling Brothers show. Morrison and Frank Quitely are good with the action sequences, but there's more to this comic than just that. "Being Batman and Robin isn't about working alone and thinking with your fists," Dick says after the dust finally settles, and it's true. I was a little surprised at first to have some of the Gotham City Police Force members twigging that something was wrong with the normal appearance of Batman and Robin, but it makes sense the more you get into the story. After all, this new Batman and Robin are learning not only how to fit into their roles, but how to work together as a single unit. Damian Wayne's nastiness here is definitely part of the journey that the two of them have to take (both together and individually), and nothing feels even remotely gratuitous.

The art, unsurprisingly, is gorgeous. From the first page with Alfred coming across the depressed Dick on the stairs, there isn't a line out of place here in these perfectly composed drawings. I love Dick's slumped shoulders underneath his outfit, or the way that Alfred hesitantly approaches him. Likewise, the tight focus on Gordon's face with the light shining off of his glasses is beautifully composed, even as the reflection closes off Gordon as a person from this new Batman and Robin, a visual representation of the distance that now exists between them as Gordon tries to figure out who replaced his old friend.

And as for the action shots, well, they're fantastic. There's such a strong level of energy here, characters virtually leaping across the page in a beautiful fashion. Even the little touches like how Robin's grappling hook line uncurls jump out at the reader. I love how Quitely's page layouts are complex but never gratuitously odd; they follow the action of the characters themselves, with the panels almost jumping into place and forming themselves around the characters inside their boundaries. Looking at the double-page spread of Batman fighting the circus performers, every oddly-angled panel fits perfect; both as an individual drawing as well as with connection to all the others around it.

It's great to see Morrison and Quitely working together in such fine form; their 12-issue "All-Star Superman" was a comic for the ages, but I think everyone's going to talk about their "Batman and Robin" with some reverent words as well. This is, in a nutshell, how all superhero books should get approached by their creative teams. Great work all around.

Batman and Robin #2

Posted: Sunday, July 5, 2009
By: Chris Murman
2.5

Grant Morrison Frank Quitely (with Alex Sinclair, colors) DC Comics

"Batman Reborn Part Two: The Circus of the Strange"

Le Cirque D'Etrange attacks Gotham City police headquarters in an effort to free The Toad from his holding cell (or is it to kill him?). However, the All-New Batman and Robin defend the fort against the bizarre, circus villains.

In the process, they discover they don't make as good a team as the All-New Batman had hoped!

Dick's not ready.

Granted, is anyone really ever ready to get the call-up from sidekick to Bruce's replacement? Many would say "no"--which is why you have to be your own Batman, and Grayson's learning that slowly but surely. Most likely, he'll figure it out just as Bruce is getting back from whenever he is.

Regardless, you sit there telling yourself with every page turn, "This just feels weird and wrong. This can't really be what's happening in the DCU. Dick's not doing it right. He's making all the wrong decisions."

Maybe that's why this shift in the Bat-verse will end up working out in the end: Because this is the first real status quo shift in quite some time. We're used to Bruce being there and making the right move and decisions. Something tells me this group of circus criminals would be something Bruce could fix in his spare time between dates with supermodels.

I say that because in the end, nothing is scarier than the moves the Joker has pulled over the years. Make Pyg as scary as you want, throwing dominos to his prey right before he offs them, but it's not the Joker. I get the sense that Bruce would get a certain level of mental stimulation from matching wits the mind of this Lecter-esque character.

Nevertheless, what this story lacks in interest from the villains is made up for in typical Grant Morrison fashion with the script. Very little time has elapsed from last month to this issue (most of this issue is a flashback, with only a few minutes passing in "the present"), yet the information and action abound. I appreciate how many of the panels carry with them the gravity of the moment the writer desires this series to have. It may not always succeed, but Morrison certainly gets his point across.

A lot of that "gravity of the moment" has to do with Frank Quitely's ability to get the most out of his friend's script. Smaller and more numerous panels during the action sequence communicate how more laborious this dynamic duo's fights are compared to their predecessors. Conversely, larger panels utilizing perfect angles show that we're not dealing with amateurs here.

Sure Quitely uses a lot of lines in his work, and sometimes it makes a character seem older than he's supposed to be, but it adds depth to his close-ups and splash pages. I don't quite understand the new four-wheeler Dick takes out at the end, but who knows what goes on in the mind of these two creators.

Even as I laud this team's ability to give nuance and texture to this creative property, I know the cliché is still coming at the end of this arc. This initial story is meant to set up the new status quo of Batman and his Robin. They are currently raw and unrefined, and they don't particularly like each other a whole lot right now. However, we all know in the end something will bring these two together, and Dick will finally get the "respect" Damian very clearly wants to give someone.

There's a huge hole that was left when Damian's "father" went away, and he's still a 10-year-old boy that didn't have a father growing up. Grayson will probably provide some of that in a way and they will get back to the sort of happy family that Batman and Robin were before--just with the masks being worn by different people. However, I'd be okay with Dick and Damian not getting along, forever if need be, because that's just how different they are as characters.

It'd be nice to hope for things to really be changed and shaken up around Gotham. I'd love to see Dick take his freewheeling attitude toward crime fighting and carry it over to the cape and cowl Bruce left for him. However, we know that's a bit too far outside of DC President Dan Didio's comfort zone, so Morrison will have to make this comic fall in line like the others.

A guy can hope though, right?

Batman and Robin #2

Posted: Sunday, July 5, 2009
By: Paul Brian McCoy
4

Grant Morrison Frank Quitely (with Alex Sinclair, colors) DC Comics

"Batman Reborn Part Two: The Circus of the Strange"

Le Cirque D'Etrange attacks Gotham City police headquarters in an effort to free The Toad from his holding cell (or is it to kill him?). However, the All-New Batman and Robin defend the fort against the bizarre, circus villains.

In the process, they discover they don't make as good a team as the All-New Batman had hoped!

For some reason, I didn't enjoy Batman and Robin #2 as much as I did the first issue, which I thought was a damn-near perfect beginning. Let's see if we can figure out what's not working for me this time around.

Well, the first page is a beautiful, full-page shot of a dejected Dick Grayson sitting at the bottom of a set of stairs while Alfred approaches him cautiously, asking what's wrong. Robin's emblem/badge has been torn from the uniform and lays in the foreground.

Frank Quitely's use of body language in his depictions of Dick and Alfred is superb. Furthermore, by fading out the background details and making the two figures and the stairway so vividly focused, he creates a very effective sense of isolation for Dick and he places Alfred in a symbolically superior or, as the case turns out, more experienced position of wisdom. With just this page, we see that Alfred is the heart and soul of this new operation--providing a core around which the other characters are tethered.

The next page moves us back to the very next moment after the Dynamic Duo leapt from the Batmobile in response to the Bat Signal. The silent landing, followed by "You called Commissioner Gordon," is again, very effective at capturing the emotional core of the moment.

Batman has been gone for a while. People think he's dead. More importantly, the police think he's dead. Dick's matter-of-fact stepping into the historically established relationship between Batman and Commissioner Gordon is strangely disconcerting, and Gordon's brief pause before taking up his role says volumes.

These two pages do a very nice job of setting up the awkwardness of Dick and Damian stepping into their new characters, in a way that is overtly referenced later by Alfred, when he suggests Dick approach the role of Batman like an actor taking on the role of James Bond. Commissioner Gordon and the police are playing the audience, as these new actors re-launch the franchise.

The idea of a new actor taking on the role of James Bond is an appropriate and insightful comparison--made all the more impressive in that is incorporated into the story itself. That's really what this first story is about, when you think about it. It's about that legacy and how the passing of the torch alters and changes the ongoing narrative. Like the readers, Gordon isn't sure what to make of this new Batman and Robin just yet. However, like a good reader, and a good detective, he's going to allow it to play out for a while and see where it takes us.

All in all, a fantastic opening three pages.

It's the next sequence where I begin to lose interest for some reason. Oddly enough, this is an extended action sequence where Batman and Robin take on the Circus of the Strange as they attempt to break Mr. Toad out of jail--or that seems to be their goal anyway.

I'm put off of the action right from the start as we get another full-page splash, this time of our heroes diving down the center of a spiraling stairwell. It should be a dynamic, breath-taking shot, but it's hard to tell just what's happening in this scene. Oh, I know, they're clearly diving down, using Bat Cables (or whatever you want to call them), but the angle of the shot keeps us from getting a good look at Batman--though Robin is clearly visible. I can understand the physics of his movement, but Batman is swathed in shadows, blocked by Robin, and isn't clearly drawn at all.

I assume that Quitely intends for Batman's right leg to be drawn up to him during the dive, but Robin is blocking the view, so all we see is his extended left leg. This combined with all the shadows, makes the scene far less effective than it could be.

That full-page dive down the stairwell is immediately followed by Rex, the flaming man of the Circus of the Strange, repeating exactly what we saw him do last issue: Pretending to be in pain and burning, then using the hesitation of the police to jump on them, burning them to death. It's a horrifying moment, but one we had already seen done to other police officers at the end of the previous issue.

I understand that this is going to be Rex's modus operandi, but the repetition seems stale; the shock value already used up. The introduction of the next two members of the team is muted for me, as well. Big Top is a morbidly obese bearded "lady" who is referred to as a "he" in the rest of the book.

Apparently, Big Top is really just a fat guy in a tutu--which isn't really strange so much as silly. I'm not impressed.

We also meet Siam, a group of conjoined triplet kung-fu warriors--which sounds a lot better than it actually works on the page.

There's a nice pause in the action as Batman and Robin enter the room to confront the Circus of the Strange, and then we're into the action sequence proper. We get three full pages of first Robin, for one page, and then Batman, for the next two, fighting Siam.

I found the fight difficult to follow and I wasn't able to tell just what was happening on more than one occasion. On the plus side, Quitely takes this opportunity to play with the page layouts. I hadn't even noticed before this that every panel was either a full-page splash or stretched across the full width of the page, creating a wide-screen effect. When the fight starts, the panels fragment and seem to be tumbling in upon each other.

I don't think it's really a domino effect, but it does echo the notion of dominoes, which are somehow connected to the Circus of the Strange's criminal plot. Quitely's tumbling panel fragments also serve to break up the action--allowing for a more densely choreographed fight and a speeding up of time. The rapid cuts simulate the speed of the punches and kicks being thrown.

Unfortunately, without actually seeing the movement and relying, instead, on the frozen panels of the comic page, it loses some of the fluidity that a live-action sequence could get away with. There is also a bit of background action that isn't clear, as Robin disarms a hallucinating police officer. If you blink, you'll miss it completely.

So . . . interesting ideas thus far, but not very clearly executed, which pulls me out of the sequence. Next we shift to Robin taking on Big Top, but the transition isn't defined, and Robin just appears ahead of him from out of nowhere. I suppose we can attribute this to his ninja skills, but I needed more information to make it more than just a cliché that sidesteps a staging problem with the writing.

By the end of it, we've been in an eight-page fight scene, and there are a couple of moments that really shine--for instance, when Batman is calling for Robin while taking on Rex and Siam. Batman's "Everyone's a critic!" line is funny, and the action is well paced. Again, though, it suffers from the still shots being unable to really capture the movement.

What I mean is, when Batman swings a fire extinguisher around to clobber Siam, the only indication of movement is the arcing of smoke around them and the shifting of Batman's position from one panel to the next. Because Quitely isn't utilizing action lines or impact lines, as in traditional comic art, the effect is frozen rather than active. It's a stylistic approach that can work most of the time, yet sometimes it can fall flat. Here, it fell flat--though it's not a horrible moment.

As the fight scene ends, the panels return to the wide-screen format and remain that way for the remainder of the issue. The rest of the book also gets us back to the character-work that I think is the strongest part of the story. We see Dick agonizing over the fact that four cops were killed, and six more were seriously wounded. We see Damian go all Jack Bauer on Big Top, leaving the gigantic transvestite with a concussion and unable to give them any information.

And, while nobody was looking, Mr. Toad was murdered in his cell.

It really is a disastrous second time out for the new Batman and Robin--and Damian's lack of respect for Dick (and for anyone else, really) erupts into an argument that forces Dick to assume the role of father figure when he really isn't expecting to have to, and isn't ready to do so.

So Robin leaves, and Alfred gives the wonderful pep talk that I mentioned at the beginning of this review. He suggests Dick treat his taking on the mantle of Batman, not as a memorial, but as a performance. Really, the dialogue between Dick and Alfred over these pages is perfect and worth the price of the book.

This idea of Dick figuring out how to become Batman, and Damian growing into the role of Robin, is what Morrison's story is about.

The book ends with a return to the condemned amusement park that is Professor Pyg's hideout, where Robin arrives and is swarmed by Pyg's doll-like henchmen. It's very quick, taking less than two pages for the entire scene, but then something strange happens.

I can only assume that the final panel on the page takes place elsewhere. It appears to be a suicide bombing by more of the Dolls, but there's no other signaling of the scene shift except for the fact that a previously unseen couple appear to be dying in the explosion. Professor Pyg's narration is also ballooned as voice-overs in that last panel--rather than being connected to anyone in-panel.

It's not clear, but I think that's what's going on the issue's final panel.

It would have been nice to have at least another panel or two to establish the scene change, or to at least make clear just what's going on in that panel. I kind of feel like Quitely ran out of pages and we'll have to wait until the next issue to really see what just happened.

I'm not sure how Robin knew where to go, either. I suppose Big Top might have given up that much during his beating, but it would be nice to have a clear indication of it somehow. Maybe next time?

The last scene of the book is Dick riding on a ridiculous, gigantic balloon-wheeled contraption, provided by Mr. Fox's R&D Division. I wasn't aware that Morgan Freeman's character from the two recent Batman films was a part of the comic world. That was a bit jarring, but I guess that ties into Morrison's intent to bring all of Batman's history together into one multi-layered and multi-faceted narrative. But then, I'm not a Batman fan, so maybe he's been around all along.

So it looks like my problems are fairly minor, and probably wouldn't even be considered problems by many readers:

I found the fight sequence confusingly choreographed, but effectively laid out on the page.

I thought the fight went on too long, with at least one page's worth of repetitive elements that weren't needed.

The conclusion of the issue seems rushed.

I don't care for Robin's ability to pop up from out of nowhere, and I also don't know how he found the amusement park.

There's also not enough Professor Pyg this issue, but I'm sure that will be rectified next time out.

On the plus side, we get a lot of very good characterization--particularly between Dick and Alfred, and most of Frank Quitely's art is a wonder to behold. Other than the moments in the fight scene that confused me--forcing me out of the story in order to go back over panels to figure out what was happening--the rest of the art is expressive in its staging and in the detailed body and facial work. The wide-screen format is a nice way of moving us smoothly and efficiently through the story.

Okay. Objectively there are a few problems, but just as objectively, there are quite a few strengths. Since the problems are momentary and technical, rather than central to the plotting and characterization of the narrative, I'll cut it some slack.

For the middle chapter of a three-part story, it does a good job of moving us from Point A to Point B in the development of Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin. Even though it's mostly a fight scene, this issue lacks some of the creative energy of the first issue, but we'll see how Morrison and Quitely bring it home in issue three.

Batman and Robin #2

Posted: Sunday, July 5, 2009
By: Dave Wallace
4

Grant Morrison Frank Quitely (with Alex Sinclair, colors) DC Comics

"Batman Reborn Part Two: The Circus of the Strange"

Le Cirque D'Etrange attacks Gotham City police headquarters in an effort to free The Toad from his holding cell (or is it to kill him?). However, the All-New Batman and Robin defend the fort against the bizarre, circus villains.

In the process, they discover they don't make as good a team as the All-New Batman had hoped!

For the second issue in a row, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely use the new Batman and Robin title to provide a Batman comic that's more unashamedly entertaining than the character has been in years. There's a real sense that Morrison is cutting loose and having fun here--whether it's the wide variety of freakish circus villains that Batman and Robin have to contend with, the awful (yet admittedly funny) pun on the death of the Toad, or the ridiculous oversized quad-bike that Dick Grayson takes out on the road at the end of the issue.

A fair amount of wit is also channeled into the artwork. Again, there's a flawlessly-integrated sound effect with the cracks in a wall spelling out "smash" as Robin is hurled into it. There are some very well-choreographed fight sequences, as Batman and Robin take on some circus freaks in a Gotham city police station- including one fantastically-conceived villain who takes the form of a trio of ninjas (I can't work out whether they're conjoined triplets, or simply three men strapped together in order to be able to fight in three directions at once without leaving their back unguarded).

I'm still not completely sure that the clean, precise work is best suited to the character of Batman (who often works best with darker, moodier visuals), but Quitely is still turning in some excellent work here. It also seems that this lightness of tone is completely intentional on the part of both writer and artist, with no doubt that Quitely is bringing Morrison's story to life in the way that the writer conceived it. Also, in fairness to the artist, there seems to be a marked intention to modify the style of his work slightly to suit this book--particularly when it comes to the inking, which occasionally seems a little looser and sketchier than it has in previous projects.

Towards the end of the issue, Morrison begins to really get his teeth into the character of Dick Grayson, having the character voice his concerns and self-doubt about taking on the role of Batman, and showing the mutual antagonism of his relationship with Damian (which recalls the Bruce Wayne/Jason Todd dynamic). There's also a pleasing exchange with Alfred, who manages to bring Dick round by suggesting that he treat Batman as a theatrical performance--which is a fitting way for both characters to approach the matter, given Dick's circus roots and Alfred's past theatrical endeavours.

Finally, the issue ends on a disturbing note, setting up a cliffhanger with Robin and Professor Pyg that I'll be keen to see resolved in the next chapter.

This is another solid issue of Batman and Robin that advances the plot strands that were begun in issue #1 whilst also providing a substantial amount of action and some insightful characterisation of the leads.

On a first read, I found myself worrying that the book might be skewing a little too strongly towards cartoonish superheroics for my tastes. However, the more I read it, the more I began to appreciate the idea that Morrison and Quitely are experimenting with a new style of Batman story that's quite different to the dark, moody, grim'n'gritty adventures that we've grown used to over the last couple of decades. I look forward to seeing more of it.

Batman and Robin #2

Posted: Sunday, July 5, 2009
By: Charles Webb
4.5

Grant Morrison Frank Quitely (with Alex Sinclair, colors) DC Comics

"Batman Reborn Part Two: The Circus of the Strange"

Le Cirque D'Etrange attacks Gotham City police headquarters in an effort to free The Toad from his holding cell (or is it to kill him?). However, the All-New Batman and Robin defend the fort against the bizarre, circus villains.

In the process, they discover they don't make as good a team as the All-New Batman had hoped!

So who here is dreading the day that Grant Morrison inevitably kills Dick Grayson? Hands up?

It's my fear that at the end of this run, Morrison will have made something out of Damian Wayne--but it will come at the cost of his teacher, the new Batman. Keep in mind, Batman #666 from Halloween a couple of years ago presented a future where Damian was the lone defender of Gotham in the absence and death of the previous Batman. Morrison has stated that this issue is canon in his Batman continuity. Ergo, I believe that after everything is said and done, Dick is death-bound before Morrison leaves his writing duties on the Bat-books.

What does my belief in the eventual death of Dick Grayson have to do with this current issue, which sees Bats and Damian tussling with the outré members of Le Cirque D'Etrange? Why do I believe that in underlining the tension between Bat protégés new and old Morrison is laying the groundwork for tragedy?

It's certainly nothing specific, I assure you (Morrison hasn't telegraphed anything so blatantly), but it feels like something is in the wind given how this arc and Morrison's run as a whole has been about telling the reader who or what Batman is exactly.

My theory (and please feel free to tell me I'm full of it in the forum comments) is that Morrison is not only educating the reader but also Damian as to the "True Meaning of The Batman." New to the role himself, Dick must come to grips with being an iconic figure for the city of Gotham while also acting as an instructive example to a youth who is on the precipice of becoming a villain.

Here, the former Nightwing admits that his frustration with his sidekick is due to the youth's posturing and haughtiness. Damian has killed before, but swore to Bruce to not kill again. However, Damian is not averse to torture--but is pulled back by Dick who tells him that they may intimidate criminals but they don't torture (clever--Morrison inserts the ticking clock torture scenario and comes down squarely on the side of not using torture to avert a hypothetical threat).

The content is instructive; even if it may feel rudimentary, it's all part of the process of Building a Better Batmobile (as Morrison's first arc on Batman was titled). It's about laying down the groundwork for the future by creating new conflicts for Batman and Robin (I'm excited to see Mr. Pyg fully enter the scene), and about defining the Dick and Damian team in terms of their roles as Gotham's protectors.

This story is about the new Dynamic Duo growing into their role (there's a nice little moment where Commissioner Gordon meets them and knows something is obviously off) and about shaping that role to fit themselves. When Dick complains about his discomfort with the Bat-cape, it had me looking forward to a Frank Quietly-redesigned costume.

Oh, how was the issue?

,It was very good, I think. Like most works by Morrison it moved briskly and made me eager for more when it was finished. Most importantly, it provoked some thought as to what the book means for itself, for the character, and for the franchise--but not in a particularly overt way.

As for Dick Grayson--I'll enjoy him while we have him, but won't be shocked if we lose him in the next couple of years.

Batman and Robin #2

Posted: Sunday, July 5, 2009
By: Thom Young
4

Grant Morrison Frank Quitely (with Alex Sinclair, colors) DC Comics

"Batman Reborn Part Two: The Circus of the Strange"

Le Cirque D'Etrange attacks Gotham City police headquarters in an effort to free The Toad from his holding cell (or is it to kill him?). However, the All-New Batman and Robin defend the fort against the bizarre, circus villains.

In the process, they discover they don't make as good a team as the All-New Batman had hoped!

Like my colleague Paul McCoy, I liked this issue--but just not as much as I did the first issue (and for mostly the same reasons that Paul listed in his review). I agree with Paul that the action scene at Gotham City Police Headquarters went on a bit too long and wasn't executed as well as it could have been visually. However, Frank Quitely not executing a sequence as effectively as I'd like is better than 90% of comic book illustrators doing the best work they're capable of producing.

In addition to what Paul listed in his review, I didn't care for the idea of Dick Grayson sitting around in the Batcave beneath the Wayne Foundation building feeling depressed because (according to Dick Grayson) four cops were killed and six others were injured at police headquarters, and because he thought he should have handled his confrontation with Damian better.

Unlike Chris Murman wrote in his review, I don't see that Dick Grayson made any wrong decisions in the way he handled the attack on police headquarters. Between this issue and the first, I only counted three dead and six injured cops--and the bodies of all the dead and injured officers from the first issue can be seen on pages five and six of this issue (on the street just outside of police headquarters). I don't know where the other dead cop is that Dick Grayson tallied; perhaps he was killed off panel.

Of the nine that I counted, all three of the dead and five of the injured met their fate before Batman and Robin went into action--leaving only the officer that Big Top dragged down the stairs by his scalp as one that Batman and Robin might have been able to save. Thus, I don't think that Dick Grayson needs to feel like he "failed" to perform well as Batman (though there is that fourth dead cop that I can't account for). Yes, Grayson can regret that some officers were killed and injured in the line of duty, but it's hardly his fault--and it's no reason for him to look like he needs to take a gram of soma.

I have even more difficulty in believing his state of depression is the result of his failure to communicate with Damian. I have similar difficulty in believing that he couldn't have prevented Damian from riding off on the Robin cycle. Surely all Bat vehicles are fitted with a remote-control switch that would allow Dick Grayson to turn off the bike before Damian could clear the cave's exit. Such technology is available on commercial automobiles now, so the Bat-vehicles should certainly have an even more sophisticated form of the technology installed on them.

Yes, Damian might have been able to disable the cut-off switch on the motorcycle, but not before Dick Grayson could have tackled him. In fact, that might have been a better scene that could have led to Dick feeling depressed--a hand-to-hand battle with Damian that resulted in both being injured and Damian confined to his room in the penthouse.

However, given my four-bullet rating for this issue, the action scene at police headquarters and Dick Grayson's subsequent depression didn't sour me too much. It's just that I didn't find the state of depression believable--though it's reason for being in Morrison's story of Grayson growing into his role as the All-New Batman is obvious (perhaps too obvious).

One thing I did like was the way Quitely depicted Batman and Robin landing on the roof of police headquarters in the second panel on page two. As their legs absorb the shock of their landing (after gliding down on their para-sail capes), they appear to be curtsying to Commissioner Gordon. Well, Damian's position is that of a curtsy; Dick's might be more of a regular bow (his cape obscures our view of the position of his legs).

Given his elitist and condescending attitude towards others, the image of Damian curtsying to the police commissioner brought a smile of amusement to my face. It caused me to wonder whether Morrison requested the image in his directions or Quitely made the decision himself to have the landing look like an inadvertent curtsy.

One aspect of the story that I didn't like during my first reading of the issue (but which I grew more comfortable with by my fourth, and last, reading) was the almost Dadaist dialog that Morrison scripted. Of course, Morrison didn't make the dialog overtly Dadaist the way he did 20 years ago in the issues of The Doom Patrol in which the Brotherhood of Dada appeared. Nevertheless, there was a sense of Dadaism in the dialog due to the liberal use of fragmented speech and circus slang.

Not counting Alfred's first-page sentence fragment of "Master Richard." The fragmented dialog really starts on page three with Commissioner Gordon's sentence fragments: "A whole lot of rumors" and "Follow." Of course, people often do speak in fragments, so that didn't bother me during my first reading. What seemed more Dadaistic to me was when Le Cirque D'Etrange showed up on pages five and six.

After Rex storms into the building by pretending he's been set aflame (killing three cops and injuring two others in the process), Siam and Big Top enter the fray--and it's here where I thought the dialog was on the Dadaist side:

Siam: Big Top! Ready? Rex is in!

Big Top: Oummf kushti.

- - - - -

Big Top: . . . and now. Keys, Police! To the cells.

Siam: Eh? Heh.

And then later on pages nine and ten:
Siam: Flick-flackin' freak!

- - - - -

Big Top: Don't come no closer, Raklo.

Eventually, Batman himself gets in on the Dadaist dialog on page 13:
Batman: I rokker the jib, Toby. Who's your gaffer?

Siam: You'll see. While you're all roped up with me . . . Tober Omi's on the loose!

Then, not to be outdone, Robin starts speaking that way, too, on page 14:

Robin: Wooden gallopers where? Explain!

Indeed. Explain. Wooden gallopers where?

Paul's right. Big Top don't tell Raklo wooden gallopers where. So how?

(Damian doesn't actually get Big Top to tell him that the Circus of the Strange is using the Joker's old dilapidated carnival from Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke. Perhaps Damian used his detective skills (which Dick Grayson had told him to use) to discover that the Joker's old carnival is the only place in the area that has wooden carousel horses.

Interestingly, on page six of The Killing Joke, The Joker walks past a poster for the old carnival's Fat Lady. Could it be Big Top at an earlier time in his life? Could Big Top have led Mr. Pyg to the carnival he used to work at--the same carnival that The Joker took ownership of in The Killing Joke?)

Anyway, I'm all for Dadaism. The Brotherhood of Dada arc in Morrison's Doom Patrol is one of my favorite stories. Yet, the fragmented speech and heavy use of circus slang in this issue seemed unnecessarily Dadaistic. However, I then went through a Web site devoted to "British/Euro Circus/Fairground Slang" (probably the same one that Morrison consults when scripting the dialog), and I translated the slang into standard English.

Initially, I thought that Morrison was overdoing it on the circus slang--that he was loading too much of it into his script and was losing a sense of verisimilitude. After all, everyone uses slang at times, but most of us don't load our conversations with it to such a degree that we can't make ourselves understood without a translation dictionary when speaking to outsiders.

However, I then translated all of the circus slang into 1950s Beat Generation slang to see how the characters would sound if they were Maynard G. Krebs wannabes. Here's what I came up with:
Siam: Big Top! Ready? Rex is in!

Big Top: Oummf cool.

- - - - -

Siam: Back-flippin' freak!

- - - - -

Big Top: Don't come no closer, Kit-Cat.

- - - - -

Batman: I grok the lingo, Clyde. Who's your bossman?

Siam: You'll see. While you're all roped up with me . . . The Man's on the loose!

- - - - -

Robin: Wooden Merry-Go-Round horses where? Explain!

Oddly, I didn't get nearly as much of a Dadaist vibe when I switched hep-cat slang for circus slang. Do you dig or are you like a real L-7, Daddy-o?

Yes, it's still over the top to load so much slang into the dialog of a story.

Despite how it's often satirized, the highest examples of Beat literature (the works of Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Holmes) were not filled with page after page of hep lingo. Still, I eventually became more forgiving (by my third reading) of Morrison's decision to use a lot of fragments and slang--especially once I thought of the etymology of the word dada. It's French for "hobbyhorse"--as in a type of "wooden galloper." Hmmmm.

Perhaps Morrison is keenly aware of what he's doing with the dialog in this issue, and why he's doing it. Anyway, moving on.

Like Charles in his review, I was also drawn to Dick Grayson's complaints about the cape of the Batman costume (though Quitely has already given us a slight re-design of the costume for Dick Grayson). However, I thought it was a bit ironic that Grayson complained about the cape after he seemed to use it so effectively on pages 2 and 8-9.

Furthermore, it didn't seem to be a hindrance in any of the other pages. It made me question whether Quitely was supposed to make the cape so . . . kushti . . . on pages 2 and 8-9.

Perhaps the point is that even though Grayson can work the cape as well as Bruce (after all he wore a cape as Robin from 1940 to 1985), he still would prefer not to have it.

Along that same line (of there being a point to the way that Quitely depicted something in contrast to how I would think it should be), I thought it was odd that Damian (whom we discover is only ten years old) is shown in at least two panels (possibly three) to have a head that is too big in proportion to the rest of his body. Of course, children do have heads that are slightly out of proportion to the rest of their respective bodies, but Damian's head seems too exaggerated in those few panels.

At first I thought that Quitely had simply made the mistake that a lot of comic book illustrators make when drawing children--such as John Byrne's drawings of Franklin Richards in Fantastic Four 25 years ago. However, I then began to suspect that Damian's oversized head was a visual cue for those scenes in which Damian is feeling too smug and arrogant (as in he's feeling bigheaded).

Additionally, I was glad to see the return of Lucius Fox to the comic book mythos. The character was created by Len Wein 30 years ago back in Batman #307, and he was a regular member of Batman's supporting cast for seven years. However, I believe his last appearance in the comics was in 1986--which was right around the time that the decision was made to essentially remove Bruce Wayne's life from the stories and simply have him be Batman all the time.

That was also around the time that I stopped reading the regular Batman titles for nearly 20 years (starting up again when Morrison started on the character three years ago), so perhaps Lucius Fox has appeared in a Batman story at some point since 1986--though this is the first time I've seen the character in the last 23 years.

Well . . . except Lucius Fox doesn't actually appear in this issue; he's merely mentioned by Alfred. Still, I'm glad to see that Morrison brought him back to the comics--even if only by name so far.

When Morrison started writing Batman three years ago, I was hoping we would see more of Bruce Wayne's life as well as more of the supporting characters from Wayne Enterprises--and even a "civilian" romance for Bruce. My favorite Batman stories from the 1970s (by Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers) tended to balance Batman and Bruce Wayne rather than giving us all Batman all the time. Thus, I'm still hoping Morrison eventually gets around to revealing the civilian side of the Batman Family's identities--such as Dick Grayson meeting with Lucius Fox to discuss the operation of Wayne Enterprises now that Bruce is presumed dead (surely Dick and Tim inherited the company with Dick becoming the operating owner).

I'd also like to see Dick get a civilian love interest. I haven't kept up with the character's romantic involvements over the years--not since he was engaged to Princess Koriand'r--but I know he was involved with Barbara Gordon a few years ago. I'd like to see him have a civilian girlfriend, though.

I think he had a girlfriend back in the early 1970s when Mike Friedrich was writing the Robin back-up stories that ran in Batman. If so, then perhaps Morrison can bring that old girlfriend back into Dick Grayson's life. If not, then perhaps he could create a new girlfriend for him--one who won't turn out to be a villainess the way Jezebel Jet turned out to be for Bruce Wayne.

Finally, I also liked Alfred's advice to Dick that Dave and Charles mentioned in their reviews. However, I was wondering about the first two roles that Alfred mentioned when he told Dick that he should think of being Batman as "a great role, like a Hamlet, or Willie Loman. . . ."

Uhm, Hamlet or Willie Loman? The characters have nothing in common aside from both dying at the end of their respective plays.

At that point I had the same idea that Charles had: That Dick Grayson's story is going to follow the arc of a dramatic tragedy and end with his death. However, I really doubt that the Death of Dick Grayson is on Morrison's agenda.

Still, I wonder about Alfred's choices of Hamlet and Willie Loman. I can understand the choice of James Bond, but Willie Loman seems particularly incongruous to the concept of Batman. Of course, Hamlet and Willie Loman are great characters who can make stars of the actors chosen to portray them, but they're not really characters in the Batman mold (well, Hamlet may be in the Bruce Wayne mold, but not the All-New Batman mold).

Perhaps Alfred should have suggested D'Artagnan and Don Diego Vega as more appropriate roles for Dick to consider. They would have been more in keeping with the James Bond notion.