Batman and Robin 1: Born to Kill Paperback – June 11, 2013

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't give this series a fair shot when it first came out. Having been a diehard fan of Grant Morrison's phenomenal work on Batman: The Black Glove Deluxe Edition to Absolute Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn, all of which heavily feature his son Damian, I was skeptical about another creative team being able to do the character justice. Damian, once a thoroughly reviled character, became one of the most treasured Robins under Grant Morrison's capable care. Having read through Batman & Robin, Vol 1, I am very happy to say that I was wrong.Up to the point that this story picks up, Damian had been Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman, but it is immediately clear that the Dynamic between him and his father will be quite different. Peter Tomasi masterfully captures the relationship between these two very driven, very damaged characters, and Patrick Gleason's breathtaking artwork makes said relationship a joy to see unfold.The main crux of this volume is Bruce and Damian's struggle to define their relationship. Are they partners or father and son? How can Bruce demand Damian's obedience when he doesn't trust him? To make matters worse, and old enemy from Bruce's past has returned and has his sights set on Damian. Will their already fragile relationship crumble under this added pressure, or will they find a way to work together?The conclusion of this arc is incredibly satisfying, and does a good job of not being black or white. There are no easy answers when it comes to family, and trust must be earned, not given. Out of the many Batman titles currently on the shelf, Batman and Robin ranks among the best, surpassing even Snyder's Batman, in my opinion, though you would never know that looking at the sales and lack of buzz surrounding the series. It is a shame that more people aren't availing themselves of this excellent series, because Tomasi and Gleason knock it out of the park on a monthly basis. When all is said and done, this is an incredible series that excels at character development, something that is fast becoming a lost art. If you are a Batman fan, or a fan of comics in general you owe it to yourself to pick this up. A treasure and a must buy.

When I first heard there was a new Robin and his name was Damian Wayne, I almost flipped my lid when I found out he was Bruce & Talia's son! Talia has never been one of my favorite characters. While I appreciate and respect her as a villainess, I have never really liked her as a Love interest. Aside from the fact that I am Hard Core Team Selina Kyle, Her Daddy issues and creepy relationship with her father have ALWAYS turned me off. The whole "I can't choose between the man I Love and my Daddy" thing gets old FAST. Especially because to me it is such a simple choice because Batman is Freaking Batman! Bruce Wayne is freaking Bruce Wayne! And he is BEAUTIFUL! Who wouldn't want to marry Bruce Wayne/ Batman? Ras al Ghul isn't exactly a loving father. He is just another psychopathic creep. I can understand why Harley Loves the Joker because he might be an A-Hole and a Monster, but at least he has some charisma. But Ras al Ghul is just a mean psychopathic terrorist who is completely blind to his own evil, but yet feels the world deserves to be punished and he believes he's the man to do the job and rule the whole wide world. Not to mention I didn't like the way all the other Robins had to earn their place at Batman's side but Damian was "created" to be an heir and a partner, so I vowed never to touch a book that featured Damian as a Robin. And if I kept that vow it would've been a mistake because Damian actually brings a whole new fascinating dynamic to the bat-verse.Their relationship is far from Typical, and their chemistry is intense! Put the right amount of ingredients into the mix you get a cool Colored gas that does some very useful bat-thing, put the wrong amount and blow up the whole Batcave. {That was a metaphor just in case I wasn't clear enough} Batman is trying to do his best to balance the father and the boss thing, and Damian is doing his best to keep his destructive impulses in check which is already difficult enough for a normal 10 year old so it gets pretty steamed at home sometimes. Over all their relationship is very touching and it's nice that Bruce Wayne finally has a reason to live again besides crime-fighting as Batman. Damian is as mouthy as Jason, but the kid is truly made of ice which makes him much more dangerous than his predecessor. Damian still keeps you wondering if he really is just a gifted 10 year old boy trying to have a semi-normal family and childhood, or if he's actually a sadistic little monster with some bigger mission and bad intentions.The story is mostly about Batman and Robin and what their relationship is like now, but I still felt like they could've had a better villain. Nobody is truly a Nobody and he has one of the most unlikable personalities a villain has ever had. Most villains are either sympathetic (like 2 Face, Poison Ivy & Mr Freeze before he got rebooted) or Despicable yet inspiring in a very twisted way(Like Lex Luthor, the joker, or even ras al ghul) Nobody falls into Neither of these archetypes and he is just Yuck as a villain! Batman and Robin save the day again! But this time it's not just because they got the bad guy :-)

In Batman and Robin's 8-issue start in the DC New Universe, Batman is still playing the role of daddy and Gotham's protector at the same time and having trouble keeping his natural-born-killer son in check. Robin is conflicted by wanting more affection by his father and at the same time, Bruce feels he must "fix" Robin's killer ways. Meanwhile, an old friend/enemy of Batman's arrives in Gotham to "fix" Batman's lack of killer instinct with the villains he runs across. After convincing Robin to part ways with his father and join him, it's up to Bruce to get his son back and stop the man, dubbed NoBody, before he conditions Robin into killing once again!This hardcover edition comes with a nice slipcase with the first issue cover as the cover art. It has all the textless and black and white covers as well as lots of sketches, cover designs, and character designs. There's even a neat story proposal by Peter J. Tomasi as well! Speaking of Tomasi, the story here's done really well with the villain being only the "side-story" if you will and the main chunk of the story being the disconnect between Bruce and Damian. He writes the story in a way where Damian's a little brat but you can tell, from Bruce's actions, why he's the way he is and how NoBody can manipulate him so. The art by Patrick Gleason is done well with lots of really neat pages dedicated to Batman, the duo, or NoBody for every issue. The story progression is done well and it was just an overall enjoyable experience.