Legacies Tarnished in Red
See, this is a fantastic cover, but let's be honest here; how many people buying this comic aren't already buying tickets for The Dark Knight Rises? COME ON! And it really breaks up the flow of the image towards the top. Ugh.
Damian continues his self-imposed gauntlet, and manages to beat Red Hood in a similar battle as the one he had with Tim. Now, I know a lot of people will be ready to cry BS on this, but it's not like he completely kicked his ass or anything. Like with Tim, Damian was using some great psychological taunting to throw Jason off his game. Deep down, they're both very similar, but Damian put Jason on the defensive, a position he's not used to. AND ALSO, Damian doesn't kick his ass and leave him broken, he gets him with a cheap shot and simply makes off with his prized hood.
And then most of this issue is dedicated to the Terminus story. While I do think Damian's battle for supremacy should be an arc it's own, there are some great thematic ties between the two. Both tales are about the idea of legacy and symbols. Terminus is attempting to ruin Batman's legacy by using is symbol to strike the wrong kind of fear. Meanwhile, Damian is tarnishing the legacy of Robin with his attempts to dominate it, and claiming the symbols of Robins past as his prizes.
The Terminus story takes a turn for the epic here, a little rushed in it's beginning, but I think the suddenness of it works to its advantage. Batman has had his symbol turned against him in a single night, catching him off guard. Terminus has really thought out his attack, plotted proper escalation, and a culmination in a battle as the sun rises.
In Conclusion: 5/5
Another great issue in this epic arc. There's a lot of great new ideas here, and they're all being stunningly well executed. I don't know whether to cheer for Damian, or pray he's defeated; and what's really on my mind is how Batman's going to react when he finds out, especially after this huge affront to his symbol. This is a greater offense than what was done to it in Batman: Gothic, and I can see shades of the deep exploration of legacies and legends as that story.
