Story: Grant Morrison
Art: Frank Quitely
Cover: Frank Quitely, J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99
Release Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
As far as Grant Morrison goes, I'd say I'm on the fence. Not in the sense that I am waiting to see what road his work goes down, because he has gone down every road. His path has taken more curves than Pee Wee and an escaped convict in a convertible.
What I mean is that every time I read something of his I like, the next thing pushes me into madness. I loved We3; couldn't get into Arkham Asylum. After re-reading RIP, excluding anything that came after, I was able to see it for the great macabre thriller that it was. Strongly disliked Final Crisis' bipolar-ness.
I'm not going to say that I disliked Batman and Robin #1, but I'm also not going to love it just because I am being told to. I feel that with the way Morrison left Batman in Final Crisis, and at the end of his own series, and with the deluge of "critical death threats" that Final Crisis garnered, it seems like everyone is treating Morrison like the old guy who's up for the Oscar, and you know he is going to bite it soon, but he really doesn't deserve it...oh, just give it to him.
I really wanted Batman and Robin #1 to be an impactfull first tale of Dick Grayson as the new Batman. I love Nightwing, and I wanted to feel like even though I know he isn't going to be THE Batman, he will be A Batman that will have an effect on the DCU...or at least Damian!
Didn't happen; not much did.
After reading this book I felt like two dudes dressed as Batman and Robin got high and fell down a rabbit hole. I felt like I was back teaching preschool, reading the adventures of Toad and Frog to the kids. Very whimsical with a capital WH.
Damian had the best dialogue in the book, bashing Dick at every corner, telling him if he can't handle being Batman, that he would gladly take his place. In every response Dick comes off as a babysitter rather than a mentor. Even in his facial expressions. They should be written as if they have a huge task in bringing Gotham back to order, and as if they have some huge shoes to fill in the absence of Bruce and Tim...because they do. That is where we are with Batman.
Now I did say that I didn't hate it. Morrison's story was coherent. His dialogue was decent, some of the best coming in the brief exchanges between Damian and Alfred. I'll admit it was interesting to see an element from Seven come into Gotham in the form of Dr. or Mr. Pyg and his circus of the Strange. He seems like a different kind of villain that I am not sure fits in Batman's world. A sadistic killer? Sure. It was the execution I wasn't taken by (forgive the pun). And the fire face man? We'll see. I felt Frank Quitely's art was exactly what I expected. Really cool, although everyone looks a bit...boiled, or old in a creepy way, or something. His use of shadow and light really work, and some of his layouts are really creative. Especially where the sound effects are part of the scene, and the direction with the dialogue in the Wayne Tower cave.
In the end I expected a bit more Chuck Norris, a bit more...impact, but there was enough for me to stick around for a while. After all, it is Dick Grayson, so in the words of the great Eddie Murphy, "Dick - Is - Good!" (So that didn't sound right). And we were warned it was going to be something like Adam West meets Blade Runner; I love them both, just not together.
See you in the future! AC