DC Comics’ Batman & Robin #1
Purchase | Written by Grant Morrison | Drawn by Frank Quitely
For those of you out of the loop, Bruce Wayne is dead. Long live Batman (and Robin)!
It’s an arduous task, introducing a new Dynamic Duo to the world, and the creative team of Batman & Robin # 1 pull it off masterfully. Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne’s former protégé, is the Batman while Bruce’s son, Damian, takes up the mantle of Robin. Gotham City hasn’t seen the Caped Crusader or the Boy Wonder in the months since the Final Crisis took Batman’s life. They were dark times, but that’s about to change.
Morrison and Quitely show us Gotham in a state it hasn’t been in a long time: fun. Batman and Robin (in their brand new Batmobile) chase Mr. Toad through the streets of Gotham City. Each twist, turn and disabling missile give the villain a wild ride that can only end in his defeat. Batman and Robin are back in town and crime is doomed.
This issue, while predominantly set-up, is how you introduce a new status quo. Every panel of this book is flooded with detail and nuance. Through banter, clever facial expressions and clever panel layout, Misters Morrison and Quitely communicate more about these characters and their world in 22 pages than I’ve seen since their last collaboration (All Star Superman).
The Batman’s been with us since 1939. He died at the age of 70. I can only hope his replacement, so long as he’s handled as ably as he’s been so far, will last as long.
Viva La Bat!
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