It's Harper Row! Also, "Requiem"
It’s issues like this that remind me how spoiled we've been with Greg Capullo on art duties. Like issue #12, we are given a Harper Row-centric story with someone other than Capullo providing pencil work. Maybe it’s because Capullo’s style has been, for me, a perfect match for this Batman title, the work of the fill-in artists seem just a bit off. And it shouldn't, especially since we have Andy Kubert, who’s done wonderful work on Batman in the past. However, his style is better suited for the James Bond-type of story that he and Grant Morrison worked on all the way back in Batman & Son. The “classic superhero art” that he provides doesn't mesh well with Snyder’s grimy storytelling. This does not mean the art is bad. Quite the contrary, Kubert’s pencils are astoundingly beautiful and rich with detail. However, his talents happen to be wasted on a story that doesn't suit his strengths.
On the flip side we have Snyder revisiting the character of Harper Row. I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of bringing in a new member of Batman’s supporting cast when there are other fan favorites that haven’t been introduced in the New 52. Having Harper come from a family where daddy is a criminal is not terribly original, am I right Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd and Helena Bertinelli? End rant.
As for the story itself, following the events of Batman Inc #8, it’s not entirely shocking to see Batman acting a little unhinged, as we saw the same thing happen after A Death in the Family. Unfortunately, this story does not do much to quell the fears Batman will bring in a new Robin so shortly after the death of Damian. While Harper seems to want her hero to take a night off and get some sleep, much of Batman’s dialogue is about how dangerous the world is for him and his “soldiers.” He acknowledges that Harper’s been training, so take that for what you will. While the ending pages (which is technically the “back-up” but credited as “Chapter Two”) show that Harper knows and understands why Batman has been off his game as of late (this story takes place a week after Batman Inc #8), and that she gives his fallen son a caring tribute, it reinforces the idea that Harper may be the new Robin at some point. Personally, I’d rather her be the new Harold, but I’m not making these decisions.
Overall, this was not a bad issue. However, it wasn't that great either. It’s an okay issue that just did not have the right combination of story and art to elevate it to the level that this title has been at since issue #1.
