20220209 - Review: Batman and Robin (2009)

 

Ideas brought to life.\ A new dynamic duo,\ a shared legacy.

#HAIKUPRAJNA - Review: Batman and Robin (2009)

"With me, it's all in the timing."

Had started catching up on modern Batman comics, and Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin was part of this backlog; I've read from Final Crisis through Snyder's run into Rebirth, including this series in full, and though this review focuses on issues 1-6 I hope this reflects my views of the rest of Grant's run on the title, too (may write another review later on, but I may just opt for that kind of review in the future, or some other situational approach).

These stories follow Richard Grayson’s tenure as the caped crusader, a sort of Year One for this dynamic duo, where Dick takes on not only his adoptive father's literal legacy, but also the physical embodiment of that legacy in Bruce's son, Damian, with their sibling relationship being core to the series; through solid advice and wholesome banter, the duo are presented as equals rather than mentor and apprentice, as Dick gives positive reinforcement along with critiques in order to win Damian’s respect while, with Alfred’s guidance, teaching each other how to transform the legacy of another into a legend of your own, without coming off as an imitation.

"... I've always known what I'd do if… if anything ever happened to Bruce. I just didn't want to face it. This was my worst, worst nightmare when I was a kid. This is what kept me awake at 3.30am. As long as I was Nightwing I could pretend I'd never have to take over as Batman…" 

Gotham believing Batman and Robin to be dead provided the perfect environment to show the dynamic duo embodying their own legacy by being ideas come to life, where everything from the imagery to the villain’s plots was centred on this metaphysical theme. One example comes in the form of Pyg’s sick character, who schemes to spread an “aerosol narcotic” to spread addiction “like a flu” in order to infect not only an individual’s system, but the whole of Gotham.

"Batman and Robin will never die, Damian."

The philosophy of ideas has a bit to do with immortality, at least in terms of causality or time, so the plotlines with Jason Todd questioning Richard about the ethics of leaving Bruce dead in a world of Lazarus Pits and other resurrection-means were an interesting segue toward stories like The Return of Bruce Wayne and Blackest Night which involve Tim Drake’s search for Bruce, who is believed to be lost in the past; I decided part-way through outlining this to cover Morrison’s run of B&R in this review, so I’ll mention how Volumes 2 and 3 go over arcs with Slade versus Richard, Talia abusing Damian, a dead Batman clone where Batwoman dies, a Joker story, and the perfect transition into (from?) The Return of Bruce Wayne, which sets up Batman Inc, both fantastic stories by Morrison; Volume 4 of Batman and Robin (Vol. 1 or 2009, as the series had another go during New 52) from Paul Cornell, Peter J. Tomasi and Judd Winick is great, too, and highly recommended. 

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Thank you for reading.

Until next time,

Allen W. McLean