Batman and Robin #14

    Avatar image for k4tzm4n
    k4tzm4n

    41857

    Forum Posts

    9127

    Wiki Points

    0

    Followers

    Reviews: 16

    User Lists: 1

    #1  Edited By k4tzm4n  Moderator

    The Good 

    There's quite a few cinematic moments that brought some degree of intensity to the issue.  Batman bursting through the windows and pumping the bad guys with tranqs was a great looking scene and I loved the bird's eye view of him firing in all directions.  Robin saving the innocents in the freight elevator was good fun as well and the vividly colored panel of Batman and Robin taking down enemies was certainly an attention catcher.  
     
    Artist Patrick Gleason brings a more eccentric and cartoonish look to the comic, but it's what I've come to consider the definitive appearance for the title and it has indeed grown on me a very good deal.  I adored the panels of Batman & Robin back-to-back, as well as the tender moment they shared at the conclusion of the issue.  If this book wants to succeed, it really needs to keep delivering on the father/son dynamic.  After all, that's partially what made the first story arc so superb. 

    The Bad  

    If we're going to get a 'Death of the Family' tie-in, I don't want it to feel rushed.  But unfortunately, that's exactly how I've felt about this title's stories after the Nobody arc. That first story blew me away and the high it gave me has kept me on-board this whole time, but my interest is sadly beginning to fade.  This is tragic because writer Peter Tomasi does a fantastic job writing both characters and made me really care for Damian, but each story has felt like interesting set up and then no solid follow-through.  

    Some would dispute that  Tomas Giorello's darker and more detailed artwork  would be more fitting for this story, but I found the change to be distracting. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of his facial work for Batman (the Batmobile scene comes to mind). Gleason has the first act, Giorello takes a good majority of the middle, then we're back to Gleason for the conclusion. It's a jarring transition when it does happen.  I'm sure there's a good reason behind the scenes for the switch, but it really detracts from the reading experience.  
     
    Also, where'd all of the people in the train go?  There were at least a dozen or so and then they magically vanished when it was time for Batman and Robin to fight off the horde of enemies.   

    The Verdict

    BATMAN & ROBIN started off strong but has been on a gradual decline ever since. The stories feel rushed and, despite Gleason appealing to the eyes and Tomasi doing fine with dialogue, there's no real payoff. I was pretty torn here between 2 and 3 stars (and if I could give half I'd absolutely make it 2.5), but in the end this really was a lackluster story jammed into 2 issues, so 2 stars felt more appropriate.  There are certainly redeeming qualities to be found, but overall I was disappointed. I'm sticking around because I'm confident in Tomasi's capabilities.  He knocked it out of the park with the first story and there's glimmers of brilliance with the parent/child relationship (especially since he said he basis it off his own interactions with his kid), it's just a matter of hoping he can reach that level once again.  In the meantime though, I'm not happy to say that this is a story you can skip.  Here's hoping the next story's better.

    This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Comic Vine users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.