Damian: Son of Batman #3 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written and Art By: Andy Kubert
Cover Price: 3.99
Release Date: January 1, 2014

Miracle Or Brain Damage?  You Decide.

This book keeps throwing a monkey wrench in what you think is going on.  The first issue Batman dies, and
if you're anything like me, you thought that Bruce Wayne had died.  Then in the second issue we find out that Dick Grayson had taken the mantle of the Bat, and he was the one who actually died.  Damian wanting revenge for the death of his friend began murdering the psychotics of Gotham.  But when Bruce Wayne makes his appearance, and confronts his son about his decisions, Damian runs him through with a sword.  Accident of course but damn.  But to make things right Damian then swore off killing to honor his father (who's still alive if you haven't been following the story), and became Batman.  At the end of last issue, Damian went after Professor Pyg, but took on more than he could handle when he was overrun with Dollotrons.  We last saw Damian being thrown from a window.  Let's see how he made out, and what else is in store for us in this odd look into a future.

Explain It!:

After a long fall out of a window, Damian decides to take a nap in the Gotham River.  Well decides maybe isn't the right term.  But luckily Alfred being the loyal old Brit that he is came to check on young Damian, and pulls his body out of the river, and gets him back to the Batcave.  Damian is in rough shape, and Alfred isn't sure if he's suffered any brain damage or not, and then we have to stop and think if he's had it all along.  After dragging Damian out of the river, and getting him home, and then performing his Wayne doctorly duties, Alfred is exhausted.  He goes to sit down for awhile, and rest his eyes, but he'll never open them again.  Our favorite butler, confidant, and parental figure has served the Wayne family for the last time.  I'll give you a second to wipe your eyes before I go on.

So for all the weirdness we've seen in this mini, that was nothing.  Dig this, so when Alfred died the only thing to see it happen was Damian's cat Alfred, (Damian named his cat after Pennyworth) and after Alfred died, the cat went and jumped on Damian, and told him to wake up because Professor Pyg's men are at it again, all in Pennyworth's voice.  Damian gets up, and we are left wondering does Damian have brain damage, or is this some kind of miracle.  Well you won't find out in this issue, if we find out at all.

Across town a group of intelligent gorillas, and a shark headed man have hijacked a bus load of kids for Professor Pyg, but luckily Damian is back on his feet and suited up.  Batman takes them out as violently as possible, but Damian keeps his promise, and doesn't kill them.  Damian goes back to the priest he has been confessing to, and what we can only image Bruce, and Dick confessed to as well.  Now I brought this up last issue, and we're still not given an answer, but the priest looks a lot like Jim Gordon, the rest of this mini doesn't talk about Gordon at all, and they never mention the priest name, but man does that look like Gordon.  Moving on.  Damian is talking to the priest in confession, and the priest knows that the Jackanapes gang Damian just took out, confessed to working for Professor Pyg, but Pyg has gone into hiding since their arrest.  The priest goes on to ask Damian if he will still pursue the Joker, but there we have a problem.  Damian never told him he was going after the Joker.  Damian jumps out of the confessional, and goes to confront the priest, but he's already gone.

Damian goes to check on his unconscious father, and finds that Bruce is gone.  All that remains is a Joker's card.  Damian goes back to the place that Dick Grayson died, and finds a bloody bandage and knows that this will be a trap, but needs to find his father none the less.  In the end Batman finds Bruce tied up, and the Joker surrounded by a gang of freaks.  We're told that this isn't the original Joker, and that he hasn't been seen in years, but this Joker is a great admirer.  New Joker, new twist, where will we go next in the final installment to Damian: Son of Batman?  Come back next month as we see how the story ends.

Bits and Pieces:

We're almost at the end of this mini, and I don't know how I feel about it.  Where the story started out strong, it keeps taking left turns into weirdness, and with only one issue left I doubt we'll get all the answers to all the questions this issue makes us ask.  Now this is totally fresh, and has the reins to do whatever it wants, and it is fun, but man is it out there.  Go check it out.

6/10