Last issue ended with Robin holding a gun to a "bad guy's" head. We will discover whether or not Robin has pulled away from Batman.
The Good
Action, suspense and plenty of surprises. This has gone beyond being just a game for Damian. What happens here could have major ramifications on the status of the Dynamic Duo. As the son of Henri Ducard, Nobody has made it his mission to correct Batman's lack of full commitment to fighting crime. Now that he's convinced Damian to follow his methods, everything could change.
This is where we get to see a different side to Batman. He has fully accepted the fact that he's a father but it's been difficult to balance that role along with the relationship Batman and Robin are meant to have. He is deeply concerned for his son but has had a hard time dealing with that. Clearly he'd rather face an army of villains than try to sort through the trials of parenthood. We don't often get to see true emotion from Batman and the tiny glimpse you get in one early panel speaks volumes.
The reunion with Damian is interrupted with a flashback to Bruce's final days training with the Ducards. Those eight pages are worth the cover price. Seeing Bruce like this shortly before he became Batman was such a treat. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason continue to be the perfect team for this story and series.
The Bad
It's still strange to see how open Batman was about his true identity in the flashback sequences with Henri and Morgan Ducard. It comes down to the fact that he wouldn't have been able to keep this from Henri but he should have gone to greater lengths to protect his true identity before seeking Ducard out.
The Verdict
Each Batman book continues to have its own feel and this is one of the great ones. The tension continues to rise with each turn of the page. The team of Batman and Robin may be in its final stages if things go according to Nobody's plans. We get to see some emotion from Batman and his son's future is at stake. The flashback to Bruce's training with Henri and Morgan Ducard sheds a new light on Batman as well. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are a dynamic duo themselves when it comes to making this series consistently great month after month.