In the post-Knight Terrors world things haven’t been going well for the Batman Family. That’s all thanks to war of BatFamily parents that Batman and Catwoman have been in the middle of that’s also known as Gotham War. One member that has made it clear they are siding with Batman is none other than Damian Wayn. The younger Robin did not hesitate to side with his father. Now how will the change in Gotham City’s status quo impact the way the current Dynamic Duo operate? Let’s find out with Batman & Robin #1.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Simone Di Meo
Letterer: Steve Wands
SYNOPSIS
Batman and Robin (Damian Wayne) work together to quickly stop White Rabbit and her gang from stealing a zeppelin.
The next day Bruce Wayne helps Damian move into his home Brownstone. Bruce reveals he has enrolled Damian at Gotham Heights High School. Damian quickly changes subject by bringing up a case involving Dr. Kafira’s all the DNA-sequencing work.
Later that night, Robin takes Batman out on a spin in his new Robincar to investigate the case.
They find Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Orca, the Terrible Trio in the middle of kidnapping Dr. Kafira. During the fight Robin discovers that the Terrible Trio have turned themselves into the animals they were wearing masks of.
As Batman chases Man-Bat he is shot by a mysterious sniper, which allows Man-Bat to get away with Dr. Kafira.
Robin checks on Batman, who says a sniper hit him with a mysterious substance. Suddenly a colony of bats attack Batman. End of issue.
REVIEW
Batman & Robin #1 is an efficient issue that checks all the boxes you want checked from a first issue. Making it even more impressive is how Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo do not sidestep the current events with The Gotham War. They find a way to utilize the status quo created by Gotham War to build the foundation of their series starring the Dynamic Duo.
While Batman & Robin #1 isn’t a direct tie-in to The Gotham War we do see it treated as a big deal. Given the stakes of the crossover this is unavoidable for the core titles starring Batman. With Williamson as the writer Batman & Robin is most definitely a core Batman title.
The way Williamson ties in developments from The Gotham War was subtle. We see mentions of Bruce Wayne saying he and Damian aren’t on good terms with the rest of the Batman Family. Then there is the implications of henchmen are off the streets. These status quo changes aren’t harped on much but they both help in adding depth to how important Bruce and Damian living and working together again is.
Specifically, we see it spotlighted that one thing that is not addressed by Selina Kyle in her plan is dealing directly with Gotham City supervillains. While taking henchmen and goons off the table is a setback it does not completely solve all of crime. We see that with how charismatic villains like White Rabbit still has her gang fully operating. While Batman and Robin are able to defeat her seeing White Rabbit active does establish how the named villains are still around to cause havoc in Gotham City.
This is shown through the bigger case Damian finds for him and Bruce to deal with involving Dr. Kafira’s DNA-sequencing work. This case is yet another hint of Gotham City moving into the Neo Gotham direction seen in Batman Beyond. In that future continuity we “splicing” being a fad that rose up in Neo Gotham. As we see with the animal gang Killer Croc assembled Batman Beyond’s Splicer story is something we will see brought into present-day.
With this story arc Williamson can further explore how Batman and Robin need to adapt with the changes going on in Gotham City. It’s not just what Selina Kyle is doing but also how villains are evolving in the city. These new challenges are sure to only continue, as we see with the mysterious sniper who was able to hit Batman.
Utilizing his previous experience writing Damian’s last Robin ongoing title, we see that there is going to be an adjustment period for the father and son Dynamic Duo. Even if its not stated there is an awkward air between them as they haven’t fully repaired their relationship yet. Making their self-awareness of the state of their father-son relationship is that they don’t have Alfred or another person to act as a buffer. They both have to put effort into repairing things and living together is a good first step.
Because of this new dynamic Williamson makes sure to establish how we will possibly see more scenes of Bruce and Damian away from their superhero work. Bruce bringing up enrolling Damian in high school is an example of that. This shows that Bruce knows that the positive growth Damian has had recently is because he was finally able to interact with kids in his age group. While Damian isn’t one to admit this fact we have seen many negative examples of a the character going away from having friends and peers around them. Bruce has the most experience in this territory. Signing up Damian for school also furthers the sub-plot of Bruce wanting to ensure his proteges have better lives than he did.
The other thing we see continued from his Robin run is Williamson tapping into Damian’s creative spirit. We saw hints of this with how he has been shown being a fan of manga. Taking the next step in Damian having interest beyond just being Robin is helps with the positive growth for the character.
As good as Williamson’s writing is what takes Batman & Robin #1 to the next level is Simone Di Meo stunning artwork. Meo quickly showcases why he one of the best artist around with artwork that just pops off the page. The choreography is smooth to get over the Dynamic Duo’s efficient fighting styles that makes them both badasses. Meo also presents Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Orca, the Terrible Trio as scary villains to fight.
All of the character work is made better by all the detail Meo packs into the background of scenes. Gotham City looks like a city that is alive when it’s used as a backdrop. And scenes indoors have great detail to give dimension to the settings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo hit a grand slam with Batman & Robin #1. Utilizing the current status quo for the franchise they create a strong foundation for how Bruce Wayne and Damian Wayne will operate as the Dynamic Duo and as father-son out of the cape and cowl. If you are a Batman fan make sure to pick up this comic book.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10