Art by: Simone Di Meo
Colors by: Giovanna Niro
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Simone Di Meo
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 12, 2024
Batman And Robin #7 splits up the Dynamic Duo when Flatline comes to Gotham searching for her missing sister, and the Cult of Man-Bat levels up with deadly consequences.
Is Batman And Robin #7 Good?
Let's get this out of the way right now. Shush is a dumb idea, and nobody cares. Alright. Can we be done with Shush now? No? Fine. Whatever.
When last we left Batman and Robin, their father/son investigation into shenanigans at Robin's High School led to a Victor Zsasz fan with a lot of misplaced emotional problems who almost set the notorious killer free. The issue ended with a surprise appearance by Flatline at the scene of a Cult of Man-Bat riot.
In Batman And Robin #7, Flatline explains she's come to Gotham to search for her missing sister, Mila, who apparently left home to find Flatline. The trail led to Gotham, so Flatline has come to pay her respects to the Dynamic Duo before making a mess on guest turf and asking for Robin's assistance in the hunt.
Meanwhile, we get an unhelpful peek into Man-Bat's headquarters when he sends his cult out to commit mayhem. When Batman picks up a cult member off the street for interrogation, the cult member swallows a pill that's supposed to do something but ultimately kills him. Suddenly, Shush shows up to propose a temporary partnership with Batman because she's not getting what she wants from Man-Bat.
What's great about Batman And Robin #7? Timeline's return, leading to her interactions with Batman and Damian adds a new step to the evolving father/son relationship. Batman knows what it's like to leap into the night with a bad girl, so there's a generational quality, a passing of the torch, that feels right, and you can see that same feeling on Batman's face.
What's not so great about Batman And Robin #7? Shush is the problem. Her identity is unclear when it shouldn't be. Her motivations are unclear when they shouldn't be. And her derivative identity appears to have no purpose except for the sake of being derivative. Williamson can't stay focused between either the High School slice-of-life shenanigans with a light tone or the Cult of Man-Bat plot with a very dark tone that has yet to fully form.
Between Shush and the structural disconnect, this title is turning into a mess. Unfortunately, the bright spot of this series (Bruce and Damian bonding) gets lost in the noise.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman And Robin #7 has potential in the growing bond between Damian and Bruce, but that potential is getting lost in a malformed subplot (Cult of Man-Bat) and a villain who is starting to become more annoying than intriguing (Shush).
6/10
Getting lost in the noise is exactly the word for it between the messy plot and the horrible art (Sorry, I just can't stand it).
ReplyDeleteSigh, the good old days where a character being a killer or a crime boss actually meant something. ( I am unimpressed by Flatline, she has an interesting backstory but her character is very underdeveloped and her relationship with Damian needs more work plus the implications of her story never gets taken seriously so it makes her very boring to engage with) well, let's not have Bruce actually having an issue with his son dating this suspicious girl and this creating an organic and interesting conflict between them that is compelling and in character, let's not have this divide them only for Damian to realise that his father has more exprience than him when it turns out Flatline had an ulterior motive and let this exprience bring them closer together while Bruce lets Damian know that he does understand him cause he has done the same himself with Talia especially (the angst and drama of that history being what allowed Damian to be here is an added element that can be explored), this would also make flatline way more interestingby proxy. No no let's instead have this surface level drama about attending school which has been done hundreds times before and isn't even unique to Damian and at the same time let's gloss over him actaully spending time at that school and meeting a new cast of characters and fleshing them out in favor of this ridiculous man bat story ( damian just likes to go to school all of a sudden). Bruce not doing a very detailed research of who flatline is, why she is here and just being fine with her not killing in his city only is ooc.
While reading this, I realised another way for this series to not be long form plot so Williamson wouldn't have to come up with ways to nerf the characters for the plot to work is that they clould have had every issue deal with a lesson Bruce and Damian have to learn that could be worked in both their normal lives and their crime fighting. ( one of my favourites is the discussion about building the boat out of the past so it would sail away, that reference coming back later and of course Damian showing that he does respect and listen to his father by finding the pearl) A discussion over a game or book would start it perhaps. It would deepens their relationship and develop them further instead of this surface level storytelling with just a page thrown in showing them doing some stuff together off screen. All the potential is there but it remains just that and makes this series very very frustrating.
To add something, Damian having a relationship with a criminal just like his father should never be treated as nostalgic in the world itself, Batman would be rightfully worried of that influence on his son and him being hurt like he himself has been with his relationships with criminals and trying to spare him of that. It just feels like the meta seeping into the story where it shouldn't.
DeleteI actually love Di Meo's artwork, especially on We Only Find Them When They're Dead, and that is the only selling point of this series - I also cannot stand Shush or Man Bat or Flatline - there are just too many Bat Family members and Bat themed comics coming out monthly for Batman stories to be special anymore..
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