Written by: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by: Javi Fernandez
Colors by: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Javi Fernandez, Dave McCaig (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: October 9, 2024
Batman And Robin #14, by DC Comics on 10/9/24, finds Bruce and Damian attending a fundraiser in support of a family friend, but the night is interrupted by the deadly arrival of an old enemy.
Is Batman And Robin #14 Good?
On first readthrough, Batman And Robin #14 is not bad, barring an odd bit of character work that won't sit well with longtime readers. Phillip Kennedy Johnson takes over for Joshua Williamson with a new arc that puts the father/son crime fighting team at the heart of a mystery that feels like a return to form. Batman And Robin #14 begins mid-battle as the dynamic duo chase down a group of cars set to explode on one of Gotham City's bridges in the name of The Order of the Green Knight (you'd have to read the current Poison Ivy ongoing to know who that is). Of course, Batman And Robin save the bridge and the bystanders in spectacular fashion.
Right off, Phillip Kennedy Johnson is off to a good start. The chase scene and its crescendo are the stuff that makes superhero comics gloriously fun, so Johnson sets a tone of high adventure. Back at Pennyworth Manor, Bruce debriefs Oracle and preps Damian on the fundraiser father and son will attend later that night to support a good cause. Bruce is eager to see a family friend, Dr. Bashar, who was elected the head of the Sacred Heart Medical Center. Damian, however, would rather go patrolling again, and he spares no opportunity to whine, put, complain, and grumble about it. Johnson's scene between Bruce and Damian may annoy several longtime fans of Damian due to how much his personality reads as a step backward. Damian first came on the scene as a rambunctious brat, but a lot of work has gone into maturing his character and softening his irritating edges. Here, Johnson roughs up those smooth edges to present a Damian who's as stubborn and whiney as he is capable. During the fundraiser, Bruce makes the rounds to greet attendees and make introductions. Damian, however, is incensed at having to sit at the children's table. After Damian angers Bruce by making rude comments to some guests, Bruce receives a transmission from Oracle that someone is shooting in Sacred Heart's basement. Bruce orders Damian to stay behind to protect the attendees while he races to the lower levels to investigate. Suddenly, the power is cut. Damian notices someone blocking the door to prevent escape. The issue ends with armed intruders, darkness, an oil fire where one shouldn't exist, and a terrifying face from Bruce's past.
What's great about Batman And Robin #14?
Phillip Kennedy Johnson gets Batman and his son back to basics with a tried and true crime mystery, starting with a peak Batman rescue sequence. Gotham City and the characters who live in it feel authentic, and the setup is as classic a start to a Batman mystery as it gets.
What's not great about Batman And Robin #14?
The drawback of this issue is the dialog and character voices, especially for Damian. Johnson's dialog between Bruce and Damian after the opening rescue scene feels stiff and oddly paced. Also, Damian's voice and personality come across as a step backward from his development over the last few years.How's the Art?
The artwork by Javi Fernandez and Marcel Maiolo is perfectly fine. Fernandez uses an above-average amount of blur filters to disguise the lack of detail in the backgrounds throughout most of the pages, but it helps to give Gotham a damp, murky atmosphere.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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Final Thoughts
Batman And Robin #14 is a perfectly fine start to a new Batman and Robin adventure with a new creative team. But for a step backward in Damian's character growth, the setup and new villain introduction are well done. Overall, the new creative team is headed in the right direction.
7.8/10
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I am going to disagree with you here. I had the complete reverse opinion of Williamson's run on this title, he got the characters wrong ( especially Batman) and had nonsensical plot. Many people correctly have said that Damian and Bruce didn't sound like themselves. There's a difference between progression and then a writing out of character. And I say this as a longtime Batman and Robin run reader.
ReplyDeleteI really liked issue 14 a lot. For several reasons:
1) Batman sounds like himself again instead of whatever it is Zdrasky and Williamson (and sometimes Taylor) keep writing him as. And he has also retained the progress he has made with Damian, listening to him, trying to reach a compromise while being stern when needed, therefore showing that yes, progress can be done while staying true to the personality of Batman.
2) Damian sounds like Damian! He has the interests and mannerisms of himself while also having learned new things. The Damian in the previous issues was more a blank state and a rehash of previous Robins' journeys (the exception being the Venom fiasco). Here, he reacts as himself and the moments at the kids table were really well written, showing his progress and also where he can progress at the same time while still retaining his personality.( I prefer this to Williamson' interpretation in this run. His Robin run was fine but his run for this title not)So finally, we got the Batman and Robin part of this series right.
3) the plot is actually interesting and has achieved way more tension in one single issue than the entirety of that whole Man Bat-Shush saga. So far it has been well thought out and incorporates both titular characters well without putting one of them on the background while the other is doing eveything. (Trying to not keep comparing this to the previous issues) well written character moments and most importantly characters showing emotions that fits the situation and doesn't create dissonance in the reader.
4) last but not least the art is wayyyy improved. The panel progressions and faces actually make sense!
I really really really hope this quality can be kept as this new run progresses and can actually reignite the enthusiasm I had at first when I heard we were going to get a Batman and Robin series at start of Dawn of DC with Bruce and Damian. At least an 8 or even higher.
I felt the issue was well structured with a good balance of action and mystery.
ReplyDeleteBut...for me, Damian was completely out of character, not just in terms of voice but character history. Damian has been shown to know how to behave at galas and charity events--not just in recent runs (ex Nightwing) but all the way back to when he and Dick attended events. He's also been shown to be very conscious of bloodiest and his lineages--I don't see him being so dismissive of Thomas Wayne. Finally, Damian is supposedly a teenager, in High School, but here he sounded like a 10 year old, as if he stepped out of the pages of Batman #657. I like Damian's edges, but I don't get making him as immature as when he was first introduced.
But otherwise I enjoyed the story and the Batman characterization, would just like to see Damian act his age and history.
I do agree with the point that he was depicted younger here than he actually is. I would point out though that him acting out at the gala wasn't a result of him not knowing how to act or not appreciating his grandfather, but a clear annoyance with his father over their disagreement on what they should be doing aka going on patrol as opposed to going to this gala. For example he immediately apologised to the girl after realising he went too far in taking out his anger with his father on her, something I don't think ten year old Damian would have done and certainly not that quickly.
DeleteAll in all, I do agree on the point that DC should keep their character progressions instead of reseting them( a very good case being Harvey Dent for example), however in this case though not the ideal or best interpretation I still prefer Johnson's take over Williamson's cause the latter's take didn't feel earned, Damian was just suddenly skipped to a near perfect relationship with his father off screen while 90 percent of time was taken by Shush, Man Bat, Harsh and Flatline and her sister.
Still, I understand not liking this and prefering the other version.