snaps: Batman & Robin #11

... where the past and present collide - man, those Waynes were such douchebags, much more than the Starks! these rich people. anyway, Robin is unfortunately being remote-controlled by his mother (oh, those mothers!) and we are still one issue away from truly finding the answers on what Dick found in the secret cave, and if Oberon Sexton is truly the missing Bruce or just a scented dandy.

* hey, so after like a year or so, Bruce is probably going back and reclaim his costume, and Dick goes back to being Nightwing, and for all of that, we had that atrocious Battle for the Cowl??

aside from being an arrogant twit, you're fine!


huh? aren't you talking about yourself?


but they do have 99 luftballoons!!! eeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!


ah, Deathstroke, still batting .000 for killing someone of real significance.


and for the question y'all wanted to ask ...


answers in 30 i guess ... because Morrison wants to stick it to the Eisner Award committee!!

new Olympic sport: mouse throwing

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Batman & Robin #9

now what?

drive-by readings

Batman & Robin #6 (DC) "Revenge of the Red Hood, Part Three: Flamingo is Here" Grant Morrison Philip Tan Jonathan Glapion Alex Sinclair Patrick Brosseau Frank Quitely (variant cover)

ok, they weren't left in compromising positions but then again, letting the Red Hood get drop on them is a minus for the new Batman and Robin. by the same token, the Red Hood getting careless and getting ambushed by the Flamingo - heh, and you want to replace Batman?? and thus it ends with Jason getting hauled off to jail (the character seems lost and misplaced, aside from being a perennial story device for shock purposes), Scarlet leaving Gotham in better shape, Flamingo apparently dead, Robin half-paralyzed (yeah sure) and Dick probably taking steps to rethink his strategy. and what's this Oberon Sexton angle? art is pretty uneven this issue, which is why i still miss Frank Quitely.

Nick Cave is pleased

drive-by readings

Batman & Robin #4 (DC) "Vengeance of the Red Hood, Part One: Red Right Hand" Grant Morrison Philip Tan Jonathan Glapion Pete Pantazis Patrick Brosseau Frank Quitely (variant cover)

hey, where's Frank Quitely? noooooooo ... do not just put him on covers. pleeeeeeeeeaaaaassssseee! i want me my Frank Quitely!!!!!!

so there's a new (?) Red Hood running around Gotham, with a survivor of Pyg's experimentations in tow. is it Jason Todd, because for the life of me, this is one sick puppy - he can't even decide who he wants to be. will somebody just put him out of his misery? guy needs to get laid!

or Batman could just sit back and let the Red Hood clean up things (you know Damian would never sit back and not get down and dirty) before finally stepping in and twisting that red pail around his neck.

either way, Gotham's goons are screwed. oh wait, did Red Hood just shoot at Batman? Civil War! Dark Reign!

still bummed out that Quitely isn't drawing this. is he coming back?

D&D makes debut

that's "Dick and Damian" to you under-the-rock-hiders and the upset masses who left in droves when their beloved Bruce Wayne was shuffled off this mortal coil.

and the new adventures of Batman and Robin is (still) being brought to you by the man who killed him, no less. Grant Morrison's deconstructionist methods to our costumed heroes may be like pulling teeth (and even worse for some), but somewhere there are rainbows (unless editorial issues a fatwa and retcons everything right after - Exhibit A: Magneto/Xorn). once you get past the painful WTF!? parts and stop scratching your head, you'll see where he's going. yeah, there could be a million other ways to get to point B, but Morrison is Morrison. take him or leave him.

with Battle for the Cowl ending up a big landfill just to answer the simple question of will-he-or-won't-he, Dick Grayson now dons the cape to honor his patron. can't wait to see him meet Bruce's old rogues gallery, and the Justice League, in his new duds.

we can now say it: Batman is a Dick!

as annoying as Damian can be ... it is intriguing to have him take on the Robin mantle. i already expect him to disobey Dick at the first opportunity, and get his ass whupped by whoever's handy. Talia and Ra's Al Ghul must be so proud.

the new face of brat. bratboy, his name is.

i liked the fact that Dick is now mentoring his former mentor's true son. given Damian's sense of entitlement, this will undoubtedly produce a lot of drama in the series.

the new storyline reintroduces the duo back to an embattled Gotham City in dire need of its known protector. new menacing villains such as Pyg and Toad dot the landscape, and gives Morrison a new sandbox to play with, and co-conspirator Frank Quitely fits in well in Morrison's worlds (see All Star Superman).

Morrison has no fear incorporating ridiculous and silly elements, such as a flying Batmobile (hell, why not? bats fly!). he even gives us flashbacks to the campy Adam West years such as this:

upset masses, come back. forgiveness is divine.

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Batman and Robin #1