manbehindthewires's Batman and Robin #18 - Undone review

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    A Moment of Silence

    This review is spoiler-free for anybody up to date with their Batman stuff within a week or two. If you're not, Batman, Incorporated #8 should be read before this, but that's about it.

    Before going into any depth on this issue, I strongly recommend you buy it. ....

    Was that too early? Oh well...you should. This is a book for fans of Batman, fans of Damian, subscribers of Requiem, fans of Batman's-past, fans of conceptual comic writing...just...fans of comics in general. This is the kind of book that makes you proud to say you're a comics reader in a room full of prose-readers, and is a shining example of how a graphic novel can impact you in ways that a book can't.

    This is what is often referred to as a "silent" issue; there is not a single speech bubble or narrative in sight. Batman and Robin #18 is a book that works entirely on action and reaction in a way that truly shows how Batman, Wayne and Alfred are dealing with their grief; which is to say, they do so silently.

    You can feel the tension and melancholy in every panel. The lack of narrative and speech allows for large sparse panels that show nothing but Batman in solitude, alone with the consequences of Batman, Incorporated #8. The silence really immerses you in the story and you find yourself replicating it as a viewer.

    Anyone who knows of the "7 stages of grief" will know that the first four are a downward spiral, and the final 3 are an upward climb. This issue is very much exclusive to the initial four:

    • Shock and Denial
    • Pain and Guilt
    • Anger and Bargaining
    • Depression, Reflection and Loneliness

    Bare these in mind when you read this book, and you'll see that Peter J. Tomasi and his team have lovingly weaved them into every possible action. They really take you along on Batman's journey and, reading this book, you will feel what Batman feels on every page.

    The art is great, every emotion is conveyed well, and in a way that you feel the impact in every twist and turn. The writing and direction is perfect; in that it allows the artist to tell the story, and this responsibility has not been taken lightly. Gleason and Gray have done a great job at giving this story an environment it can thrive in.

    This issue spells the return for the dark, solitary, shadow-lurking Batman that we all know and love. Buckle up.

    5/5

    Associated Reading

    • Batman, Incorporated #8 - I think everybody at least knows about this issue, give it a read if you haven't.
    • Batman #18 - This issue, also out this week, compliments this weeks' B&R, and it shows some of Batman's life "between the panels" of this book, going into detail about how Batman is...spending his evenings.

    Things to look out for

    • Reading list - On the first page after the title page, there's a reading list from "C.K." detailing some really heavy pieces of classical literature and screenplays that deal with sadness, grief and loneliness and must have been inspirations in creating this book.
    • "Family" Portrait - Bruce, Pennyworth and the Robin's. All together on an unfinished canvas. Heartbreaking, and accompanied by Alfred's tears.
    • Double-Takes - Probably the biggest impact in this book comes from the contrasts of what Batman sees in his heart, compared to what he has to face in reality.
    • The letter - Read every word and think about how this will impact Batman's judgements in the future
    • Bat-silhouettes. Reminiscent of the old animated Batman, the "shadow with eyes" Batman is everywhere in this book.

    Other reviews for Batman and Robin #18 - Undone

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