Batman & Robin Must Die (Batman & Robin (Paperback))

Batman and Robin vol2 is a solid continuation of Grant Morrison's Batman writing. Dick revives Batman not knowing it is a Darkseid clone of his mentor with bad reesults and Talia with help from Deathstroke is able to take control of Damian and turn him against Dick in the second story.The second story is claerly superior to the first which has throwaway villians and an unexplained main plot. Tnere is a nice ending to the volumes second story which promises more fireworks in following issues.A good not great volume

Ok, the last three issues are horrible, Morrison seems lost without a good penciller, but you have to read the Batman Reborn issues. This is one of the most dynamic super-hero comics from the last decade, even considering Morrison/Quitely's other jobs like "we3" and "all-star superman". The panels seem to flow closely connected with the action, with Quitely in great form. Morrison's Gotham is brightest than any other, being the neon city where "crime becomes art". The villains are simply orthodox Batman craziness. The relation between Dick and Damian is strong, centering the attentions at the dynamic duo. The references from the 50's sci-fy adventures and the 60's show, so long ignored in Batman's stories, are back. About the hardcover, the extras, including comments on the covers's conception alomg with the characters design make up for it. It you can just ignore Tan's ugly drawings, along with his static pannels, this is a must buy.

Batman and Robin Vol 2: Batman vs. Robin contains Batman and Robin #7-12. Just as in Vol 1, the art is all done by Frank Quitely and is very enjoyable. This continues the story of Batman and Robin Vol 1 which raps up in Vol 3 and is my favorite instalment of the trilogy (if you want to call it that). The story has some twists and turns and the reveal at the end is totally worth it, especially since there are clues dropped along the way. As I have said in my other reviews, this is part of the Grant Morrison Arc that will be detailed below, but the Batman and Robin trilogy could be read alone outside of the other stories. This picks up from Vol 1 after the events of Batman: R.I.P. and Battle for the Cowl. Again these are my favorite B&R as the dynamic between the two is very enjoyable to read and watch and the story is engaging.

Pros:
-B&R are amazing
-Art is solid
-New characters are fantastic
-Original story line
-So many little clues as to what is going on
-Grant Morrison

Cons:
-Grant Morrison
-Relatively Short
-Vol 3 (see review)

*Morrison's Story Arc is as follows:

Batman and Son (Included in Black Glove Deluxe Edition)
Batman: The Black Glove
Batman: RIP
Batman: Batman and Time (or Final Crisis but still needs 701 and 702)
Batman and Robin Volume 1-3
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (Technically happens during Batman and Robin Volumes 1 and 2)
Batman Incorporated (and Leviathan Strikes)
Batman Incorporated Vol 1: Demon Star (New 52)
Batman Incorporated Vol 2: Gotham's Most Wanted (New 52)

A readers guide to Grant Morrison's Batman is a great help if you are looking at the whole series.

The final sentence in my review of the first Batman and Robin book was, "I'll certainly preorder book 2 but with reduced expectations." Unfortunately over time I forgot what I wrote and given the tremendous critical acclaim the series was getting I received this with sky high expectations. Yet again I found myself let down this time even more. The art is quite good although I prefer the visuals of Cameron Stewart who did the first half of the book than Andy Clarke who seemed to be trying to emulate Frank Quitely with less than complete success. So far DC seems to be giving artist three issues and out on this series having started with Frank Quitely then Philip Tan and now Stewart and Clarke. The covers ARE done by Quitely and are always a treat.

Unlike the previous book which stood on its own this one is a continuation of the death of Batman from Final Crisis and Morrison's controversial Batman R.I.P. and less controversial Black Glove storylines from last year. Nothing is resolved in this book and it seems to be more of a setup for future stories building up the mystery of Bruce Wayne being lost in time. The first three issues center around Dick Grayson's ill advised attempt to bring Bruce back from the dead using a Lazarus Pit discovered in England. The story features an appearance by Squire and Knight who appeared in the Black Glove storyline as well as Batwoman who doesn't actually serve much of a purpose here. The three issues don't really advance the main storyline much other than to prove that Batman's corpse is not Bruce Wayne but we already knew that anyway.

Having established that Bruce is not dead but instead lost in time Dick, Damian and Alfred start to look for clues that Bruce might have left from the distant past and start to discover some interesting details about the Wayne lineage. Morrison is starting to tie in this series with his previous work on Batman R.I.P. and the Black Glove but as yet only on a very shallow level. There is mention of an interesting ancestor of Wayne's named Thomas Wayne from the 1700's and I suspect I know where Morrison is going with this one but nothing at all is established yet. The books second half also features Talia al Ghul who decides that she is not interested in having her son Damian serve as the new Robin to Grayson's Batman and hatches an unpleasant scheme to separate the two. I wont spoil the surprise but it has to do with the books cover with Damian about to take a two handed sword to Grayson's head.

I'd love to say that Morrison knocks this one out of the ballpark but in reality it felt like a filler book used to set up threads for better stories down the road. The ending is quite a neat shocker but I wish there had been more shockers throughout. Between the two books I liked the first one better. I thought the Flamingo and Circus of Strange were creative and generally well executed and I liked the idea that there might become a rivalry between Grayson and Jason Todd. In this book Morrison introduces King Coal and The Pearly Court of Crime but they're more likely to be throw away characters. Morrison has handled Grayson as Batman so well that I'm actually not looking forward to Bruce retaking the mantle but I have to say that for sheer enjoyment I would put this book below not only book 1 but also Batman R.I.P. and the Black Glove.

It was a great story line. So many unique character developments and the art is always great. Grant Morrison does a great job with these Batman & Robin stories. If you like batman, robin and Nightwing, you will really love this unique story.

good start for the series. loving grant's story,and frank's art. 4 stars cause of a slight fall off in a issue,but still a solid tpb. loving how bruce wayne's kid is the new robin. should make for some really good reads when bruce comes back as batman.

continues Grant Morrison's excellent batman run. You already know that is good, so I will talk more about the quality of the hardcover collection.

While I still wish they would have collected Cameron Stewart's arch in this volume, the book compensates with excellent production value. The deluxe format size intensifies the book's cinematic action scenes. Frank Quitely and even Phillip Tan's art looks much more impressive in the deluxe format. Since the first volume of is a book focused heavily on action sequences, the size really does make a difference.

Also the bonus material was much more insightful than I expected.

When DC first announced that they are going to only collect 6 issues in the hardcover volume, I was pissed. However, the book's excellent production value and bonus materials more than make up for the book's lack of contents.

I would highly recommend it to people who even collected every issue as they came out.

Dialogue heavy handing and the editing is too spliced. Maybe the non-linear story-telling works, but here it was just silly. Too many characters, too many ill-defined motives, not enough of Batman being a detective. Sure, the cover tells you the joker is going to be front-and-center. Nope. Sigh. Boring.

There appear to be two Grant Morrison's. The first Grant Morrison writes spectacular stories like All-Star Superman and Batman R.I.P and then there's the second Grant Morrison who writes terrible ones such as Final Crisis and JLA: Ultramarine Corps. One Grant Morrison pushes comic writing to the edge while the other pushes it right off into a deep ravine. So where does Batman and Robin fall on the Morrison scale. I would put it somewhere in the middle leaning closer to the quality of R.I.P.

One of the big differences between Batman and Robin and All-Star Superman is that BaR is canonical with the rest of the DCU following sometime after the events of Batman R.I.P. I really like the fact that Dick Grayson has taken over the mantle of Batman and hope that he retains the moniker for a significant run. The relationship between Grayson and Damian Wayne is the main strength of the series. We are reminded throughout that this is the Grayson Batman and although he doesn't operate exactly like Bruce he is a formidable hero with a wealth of experience. Unlike previous Robin's Damian has no problem challenging Grayson's authority and despite his tender age of ten he is the son of Bruce Wayne and was trained by the League of Assassins so he can more than handle himself.

One of the great decisions Morrison made was to give Grayson a new set of villains rather than recycle Bruce Wayne's. I know that Jason Todd/Red Hood fought Wayne but he does seem like the perfect foil for Grayson pitting Robin vs Robin. The other villains include a sinister and twisted circus troupe led by the insane Professor Pyg and a grotesque assassin named the Flamingo. I'm not sure if these will be reoccurring foes but Grayson should definitely get his own rogues gallery.

Frank Quitely once again comes through in spectacular fashion with his awesome bold clean style. In fact I would credit Quitely with at least half of the success of All-Star Superman. My only issue is that I question how appropriate his bright upbeat visuals are along side Morrison's much darker story. The second story arc was drawn by Philip Tan and in this case Tan was not living up to the potential I saw in Green Lantern "Agent Orange". I found his visuals muddy and confusing although some of the blame might fall on the inkers and colorists. It's a shame that Quitely only drew the first three issue story arc although he's been doing all of the covers and so far and they're all fantastic.

Now to the complaints. I read a quote about Professor Pyg describing him as, "One of the weirdest, most insane characters that's ever been in Batman". Mind you that's a quote from Grant Morrison talking about his own creation. Pyg was apparently an homage to the song "Pygmalism" by Nick Currie as will as the play by George Bernard Shaw. In this books summary Morrison wrote, "Batman R.I.P had been inspired by industrial music, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and pop psychology". The reason I bring this up is that sometimes I think Morrison pushes way too hard to create a masterpiece and sometimes forgets to just write a good story. I would be more forgiving of his occasional lack of modesty and literary tie-ins if he was more consistent. Morrison's Final Crisis felt like total self indulgence (despite his insistence of its awesomeness) and other stories have been flat out terrible. JLA: Ultramarine Corps, in particular, read like bad fan fiction. Twice in Batman and Robin we have characters monologging about being an evolutionary upgrade. First Jason Todd blathers about being the future of crime fighting saying, "It's about the NEXT LEVEL. Smarter, faster, hotter, more in tune with changing time and changing crimes". Meanwhile, one of the crime bosses goes on about how "the new model of crime is grass roots, viral". The speech by Jason Todd is completely out of character and feels like he's just mouthing the words of Morrison who seems obsessed with this idea of transcending to a new level. It feels as if Morrison himself wants to reach a new level of comic writing but often presses way too hard. Alan Moore was an incredible student of literature but he almost always kept his stories accessible and his character dialogue believable and consistent. At least in this series Morrison steered clear of his infamous techno babble.

Morrison was understandably proud that Batman and Robin #1 was one of the best selling comics of the decade but I have this feeling that the engine behind the sales bonanza was the fan belief that they were going to get the quality of All-Star Superman this time with Batman. A lot of things work in this series but it never reaches the level of All-Star or even Batman R.I.P. I'll certainly preorder book 2 but with reduced expectations.

This collection is pretty good. Loved the first 2 issues collected but then it goes drastically downhill from there. Frank Quietly was the initial artist for those 2 great issues. Was then replaced by Philip Tan, who has done better artwork elsewhere. In fact his artwork here is plain ugly, looks rushed and is poorly composed. Morrison is a pretty nutty writer and really needs a graceful artist like Quietly to pull off his storylines and action.

Also to note: this is pretty nightmarish stuff and there's some pretty horrifying images. I wouldn't recommend this for kids. THIS ONE IS FOR ADULTS ONLY.

Let me begin by saying that the artwork was fairly bad in this volume in my opinion. It didn't work for me whatsoever. Not only that, but there were multiple different art styles used. For the most part, it's just one style for the majority of the volume (Which is the one I didn't like) however there are times when within the same story the artwork will switch. This completely throws me off when it happens. Granted, the switch to the second art style is somewhat appreciated as it's better, looking more like a regulr comic book and less like some weird twisted abomination that's trying to look real.

Beyond that however, this volume was great. This leaves volume 2 of Morrison's Batman and Robin as the worst of the three and I think it makes sense as to why. Volume One was the start and was therefore all about beginnings. You see Dick and Damian just starting out and they're getting used to each other. They hit the streets for the first time, confront some new villains, and have a run-in with an old friend. Excellent. Volume Two was then about moving a lot of the plot threads that Morrison's been working on throughout his run forward, and was basically just about getting us to the next volume. It was really just a transitionary work. Ok. Volume Three is then all about conclusions, as it's again the final one, but also ends with a new beginning in the form of Batman Inc. And like with the other two this shows. Bruce returns, the Black Glove is defeated once and for all, Joker is captured, and the good guys win the day. While at the same time Batman Inc is announced, a new villain shows up, and a mysterious organization known simply as Leviathan has been mentioned. It's just overall a very strong volume to end a run on.

Dick and Damian continue to shine together as the Dynamic Duo and it really is nice to see just how far the new Robin has come since he first appeared in Batman and Son. His fear of not being able to be Robin anymore, and of also not being able to work with Dick anymore, is clear to see. In turn, with Bruce back, Dick makes it clear that he is more than willing to step aside and return the mantle of Batman if that's what his adoptive father wishes. It really just serves as a nice contrast between the two, which is how they've been written the entire time: two halves of the same whole. Dick is the light to Damian's dark, just as he's always been to Bruce, and even how Robin in general is typically treated in regards to Batman. These two just work together in a way that Bruce and Damian don't. The real shame of it all is that Dick doesn't remain Batman for long after this and Bruce does start working with Damian. Had he continued to feature in this work as Batman after the New 52 reboot I would've had zero issues with it. While Bruce Wayne will always be Batman, there's something to be said for a Batman that's a little green around the gills when it comes to the role, who just isn't so darned perfect all the time.

This volume, like the previous ones, is a necessity if you're running through Grant Morrison's Batman run. However, it's also just a good trade to have overall.

Let me begin by saying that this was something of a letdown for me. The first volume was excellent in my opinion, a solid start to a new series, featuring a NEW Dynamic Duo. Not just a new Robin (Damian Wayne, the 5th person to bear the mantle of Robin at this point), but a new Batman as well (Dick Grayson, the first Robin, formerly Nightwing, and the 3rd person to bear the mantle of the bat, and this being his second time doing so) The series started off well, with it instantly showing us what was difference about the new Duo compared to the previous ones. And that carries over to this volume to some extent, as Dick and Damian's personalities are rich in flavor and clear for all to see. The storylines taking place within volume one are all about them learning how to operate and deal with each other, and their adventures fighting crime reflect this as well. That's not the case here and it weakens the volume because of it. It's a direct continuation from the finale of volume one, where Red Hood (Jason Todd, the second Robin) rants and raves at Dick Grayson about not attempting to revive Bruce, which Dick is now attempting to do here, but from there finding out what happened to Bruce becomes the purpose of the entire volume. In this way, this is mostly a sequel to Final Crisis. It's also a sequel to Batman and Son, Batman The Black Glove, and Batman R.I.P. as not only does Talia show up to bring Damian back into the League of Assassins, but Dr. Hurt returns as well. In the end this makes volume two less about Dick and Damian and more about Morrison following up on the plot threads from his previous works. It's not terrible, as Bruce Wayne is coming back to life and that's important, but I would have preferred if more could've been done with these two beforehand.

It's also important to note that nothing's even resolved here. The big thing everyone learns is that Bruce Wayne isn't really dead, but apparently lost in time. After deciding this at the conclusion of the first story, which featured Dick attempting to revive what he thoughts was Bruce's corpse, Dick, Alfred, and Damian then begin a trek through Wayne family history and around Wayne Manor in order to search for any clues Bruce might have left for them in the past. The final segment then directly deals with Talia attempting to get Damian back to being with her, through technological force. Deathstroke happens to make an appearance, but not much of one. In the end the entire thing falls fairly flat. Nothing in it is terrible, but nothing actually comes to a head either. A lot of things are revealed and numerous ideas are thrown around, but it's clear that this is just in order to move the story along for Bruce's return.

That being said, the artwork is nice, just as it was in the first volume. The relationship between Dick and Damian shines through the rest of this subpar work, and it's at least interesting to get a look at the Wayne family history. Overall, this volume isn't terrible, but it's nothing amazing either. You probably should get it however, as it's still connected to Morrison's larger storyline.

This new series is right after three previous graphic novels: "Batman R.I.P.", "Final Crisis" and "Fight for the Cowl". People who follow the many graphic novels probably have an idea of things but spoilers are below.

A new Batman and Robin are in town. The new Batman is none other than Dick Grayson (a la Nightwing and before that the first Robin) and Bruce Wayne's ten year old son, Damian Wayne (who is the grandson of Ra's al ghul and the son of the villain's daughter, Talia). It's a new team that has kinks to work out and the duo start out with some resentment towards each other and Damian thinks he can do a better job. There are also mistakes that the original Batman wouldn't make but you have to wonder if the first Batman made such mistakes when he was first starting out as a superhero.

There are new villains in the tale right off the bat which gives it a fresh feel. Some of those villains are a new Red Hood, Pyg and Mr. Toad.

The artwork has a less formal quality to it. The Batman outfit doesn't fit Dick Grayson quite as well as his predecessor and I believe that was intentionally presented as such.
Robin has a lot of yellow in his outfit which is something I don't recall since the first Robin came into play but I'm not a Batman "expert", per se. Grant Morrison (the writer) and Frank Quitely (artist) and Philip Tan (artist) spoke about a "linear, modernist approach". One will note the colors are edgier and the action is "twisty and physical" as remarked in the back comments.

Pictures of the original covers are in the back with notes. There is also not surprisingly a full page devoted to each new outfit of the heroes and some of the villains. Most have the earlier drawings to the original decisions. Note that this is the first novel in the series. The next immediate ones are: "Vol 2: Batman vs. Robin", "Vol 3: Batman Must Die" and "Vol 4: Dark Knight, White Knight".

ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B to B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; ACTION SCENES: B plus to A minus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: mid July 2012.

SPOILERS: So, yes, Batman dies and Dick Grayson goes through a number of challenges to become the new Batman. But, don't be surprised because the Lazarus Pit (a resurrection pit constructed by Ras al ghul) eventually brings Bruce Wayne back with a new plan.

****THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF MORRISON'S ENTIRE B&R RUN (#1-16) WHICH IS THE FIRST 3 BOOKS (OR THE ABSOLUTE EDITION) OF THE ORIGINAL COMIC SERIES****

Disclaimer: I'm a Morrison fan.

So I remember picking up B&R #1 on the stands when it came out but didn't bother to continue with the book. There were three reasons:
#1 I couldn't stand Damien - Bruce Wayne's illegitimate son with Talia Al' Ghul - whose personality was grating. I also likeD Tim Drake as Robin and the whole thing just felt forced;
#2 Bruce had just been killed in the confusing and ill-focused Final Crisis, also written Morrison (I'm a fan, not a worshiper). I knew it was just a stunt and the whole Battle For the Cowl story that immediately precedes the debut of this book was mind-numbingly stupid. As if anyone with even a passing knowledge of Batman didn't know that Dick Grayson was going to be the new Batman.
#3 The first issue just wasn't every exciting. Morrison has two distinct styles, one is heavy on content that just inundates the reader with information. The other is very sparse and is definitely focused on telling a longer term story. The latter is the style he chose here and I was not in the mood for that given all I had endured up to that point. Also his unimpressive stint at writing Final Crisis had left me soured (even though the 2-issue Superman 3-D mini tie-in he wrote to supplement Final Crisis was him at his best).

ANYWAY, that preface is to let you know that I had little interest in the book and was not sold on it being any good. That is until I had read Dick as Batman in the final chapters of Detective Comics Vol. 1 and passingly in Batman, Inc. Vol 1 both in 2011. I liked him as Batman and with Damien getting killed last month (02/2013), I thot it would be a good time to go back and give the series a chance.

Glad I did. Point blank you have to read all 16 issues together to really get the full impact and narrative of the story that Morrison is telling. The characters of Dick and Damien are fully formed in Morrison's head and what he gives us is the type of interactions that real people might have without resorting to endless dialog rambles - real people that run around in capes and tights, that jump out of flying cars, and perform impossible human feats. The entire cast is this way, though the other elements of the Bat-verse are downplayed or completely ignored all-together so that the series stays focused on exactly what it says it will - Batman and Robin.

Damien is still a brat and Dick is still learning to fill the huge shoes that were left when Bruce died/disappeared and Morrison shows us the real struggles that the two have both incoming to terms with their rolls and the new status quo. For those that remember Dick as Robin then there are some great references and revisits of his time in the pixie boot costume. Damien too gets a chance to grow beyond the jerk he was portrayed as up to this point. He's STILL a jerk but in Morrison's hands you can't help but like him (unlike say, Jason Todd's turn as Robin. He was unlikable, period.) Morrison is not very sentimental but does make both Damien and Dick into people we care about as a team. You want them to make it work. Bruce's shadow starts out hanging over the series but by the mid-point, it is gone and we GET down to the business of these two very distinct personalities finding their unique - if not always successful - relationship. Be warned: Damien is a 10-year-old too big for his britches and the story shows us that, for good and ill.

Of course the villains are typical Morrison - weird and wild and SCARY. The baddies are also new which is a nice change of pace, with the exception of 1 standard Bat-villain that shows up near the end whose presence probably sounded good in the original pitch but who winds up being distracting, out-of-character, and mis-placed. The major story here goes for the psychological jugular and only lets up in the middle issues to put the Dynamic Duo II through the ringer in a different sort of way. The final chapter is the one-shot Batman: The Return which manages to tie together this book with the other major Bat books running concurrently to this one at the time and put a big ribbon on the entire 18 months of stories while also giving us some seeds that grow into new stories that started right after this one concluded.

There is a skill in telling a visual story like comics which is kind of like identifying porn - you don't quite know the exact definition but you know it when you see it. 1/2 the art chores here are by Frank Quitely, a massively talented artist who squeezes more into 1 page than other artists manage in an entire issue. Some don't like his style but I'm don't gravitate to photo-realism in my comics so I like his style but it is an acquired taste. The other artists are different but also talented in their own story-telling ways. I would have liked some more visual meat from them given the bar that Quitely always sets but on their own, their skills are more than adequate to make the narrative compelling.

****THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF MORRISON'S ENTIRE B&R RUN (#1-16) WHICH IS THE FIRST 3 BOOKS (OR THE ABSOLUTE EDITION) OF THE ORIGINAL COMIC SERIES****

Disclaimer: I'm a Morrison fan.

So I remember picking up B&R #1 on the stands when it came out but didn't bother to continue with the book. There were three reasons:
#1 I couldn't stand Damien - Bruce Wayne's illegitimate son with Talia Al' Ghul - whose personality was grating. I also likeD Tim Drake as Robin and the whole thing just felt forced;
#2 Bruce had just been killed in the confusing and ill-focused Final Crisis, also written Morrison (I'm a fan, not a worshiper). I knew it was just a stunt and the whole Battle For the Cowl story that immediately precedes the debut of this book was mind-numbingly stupid. As if anyone with even a passing knowledge of Batman didn't know that Dick Grayson was going to be the new Batman.
#3 The first issue just wasn't every exciting. Morrison has two distinct styles, one is heavy on content that just inundates the reader with information. The other is very sparse and is definitely focused on telling a longer term story. The latter is the style he chose here and I was not in the mood for that given all I had endured up to that point. Also his unimpressive stint at writing Final Crisis had left me soured (even though the 2-issue Superman 3-D mini tie-in he wrote to supplement Final Crisis was him at his best).

ANYWAY, that preface is to let you know that I had little interest in the book and was not sold on it being any good. That is until I had read Dick as Batman in the final chapters of Detective Comics Vol. 1 and passingly in Batman, Inc. Vol 1 both in 2011. I liked him as Batman and with Damien getting killed last month (02/2013), I thot it would be a good time to go back and give the series a chance.

Glad I did. Point blank you have to read all 16 issues together to really get the full impact and narrative of the story that Morrison is telling. The characters of Dick and Damien are fully formed in Morrison's head and what he gives us is the type of interactions that real people might have without resorting to endless dialog rambles - real people that run around in capes and tights, that jump out of flying cars, and perform impossible human feats. The entire cast is this way, though the other elements of the Bat-verse are downplayed or completely ignored all-together so that the series stays focused on exactly what it says it will - Batman and Robin.

Damien is still a brat and Dick is still learning to fill the huge shoes that were left when Bruce died/disappeared and Morrison shows us the real struggles that the two have both incoming to terms with their rolls and the new status quo. For those that remember Dick as Robin then there are some great references and revisits of his time in the pixie boot costume. Damien too gets a chance to grow beyond the jerk he was portrayed as up to this point. He's STILL a jerk but in Morrison's hands you can't help but like him (unlike say, Jason Todd's turn as Robin. He was unlikable, period.) Morrison is not very sentimental but does make both Damien and Dick into people we care about as a team. You want them to make it work. Bruce's shadow starts out hanging over the series but by the mid-point, it is gone and we GET down to the business of these two very distinct personalities finding their unique - if not always successful - relationship. Be warned: Damien is a 10-year-old too big for his britches and the story shows us that, for good and ill.

Of course the villains are typical Morrison - weird and wild and SCARY. The baddies are also new which is a nice change of pace, with the exception of 1 standard Bat-villain that shows up near the end whose presence probably sounded good in the original pitch but who winds up being distracting, out-of-character, and mis-placed. The major story here goes for the psychological jugular and only lets up in the middle issues to put the Dynamic Duo II through the ringer in a different sort of way. The final chapter is the one-shot Batman: The Return which manages to tie together this book with the other major Bat books running concurrently to this one at the time and put a big ribbon on the entire 18 months of stories while also giving us some seeds that grow into new stories that started right after this one concluded.

There is a skill in telling a visual story like comics which is kind of like identifying porn - you don't quite know the exact definition but you know it when you see it. 1/2 the art chores here are by Frank Quitely, a massively talented artist who squeezes more into 1 page than other artists manage in an entire issue. Some don't like his style but I'm don't gravitate to photo-realism in my comics so I like his style but it is an acquired taste. The other artists are different but also talented in their own story-telling ways. I would have liked some more visual meat from them given the bar that Quitely always sets but on their own, their skills are more than adequate to make the narrative compelling.

It's unfortunate that Frank Quitely never seems to be allowed to do more than a few issues at a time of any given series. He's far and away my favorite illustrator, and it's a shame that he wasn't responsible for this whole book.

Grant Morrison's take on the Batman mythos has been pretty inconsistent for my taste - I was not a fan of the Return of Bruce Wayne story - but this is pretty much the high point. While the previous volumes in Morrison's run were dense and difficult to approach without doing lots of other reading, his run on Batman & Robin comes across like a love letter to comics. Everything is bright, colorful, and fun without seeming childish, forced, or melodramatic. I hope this style catches on, frankly. It avoids the absurd "grittiness" of the recent era, eschewing mopy characterization and paranoia and creates a new style that is unashamed of itself, unselfconscious, but trimmed of the ham and excesses of melodrama that typified past eras.

After reading this volume and reading some of the other Batman stories of the past twenty years or so (Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, Knightfall, and a couple of others) I realized that I actually liked Morrison's characterization of Dick Grayson as Batman better than most of the takes on the Bruce Wayne Batman. That's an accomplishment. The second volume is slightly weaker than this one, partially due to the influence of the odious "Blackest Night" event, but even by itself this volume is a great introduction to a new, exciting world of comics.

Finally, Grant Morrison completes his Bruce-Wayne-is-dead-oh-wait-he's-not-storyline that's been going on for aaaaaaaaaages with this book "Batman and Robin Must Die!" (which by the by doesn't complete Morrison's run on the character as you'll see by the end).

With "Thomas Wayne" seemingly returning from the grave to smear the good Wayne name in Gotham, we see the gradual take-down of the Wayne empire as Dick Grayson as Batman battles Dr Pyg, his drug addicted, blank faced fiends, while Damian Al-Ghul as Robin takes on Joker.

The first and only real gripe I have to make is the decision to have Frazier Irving as main artist for this book. I hate his art. You know those programs where you take a photo and then select to have it look like a painting? That's what Irving's artwork looks like. It's mostly drab as most of his colour palettes are blacks and greys. However I will say that the final panel in his illustration run of the series results in a gorgeous full page spread of Bruce Wayne as Batman - returned!

Pyg, while in previous books chilling and formidable, is in this book unlike any other B-list Batman villain and seems to be a poor man's Penguin. It's a shame because I expected more of a showdown than what's given in the book. That said, "Thomas Wayne" makes up for it and the final fight between him and Batman ends in a satisfyingly interesting way by an unexpected character.

To be honest I found the conclusion to the main story of Batman returning a bit anti-climactic. It wasn't nearly as good as the previous volume and there seemed to be too much crammed into this book to really develop a strong enough plot (at one point there's a nuke on a train?). The best part was the revelation at the end and the subsequent one-shot story that sets up the next book - Batman Incorporated. The premise for that and the new villain should (hopefully) make for a more interesting next book and some amazing possibilities for spin-off series.

A good read but a disappointingly weak ending to a fascinating storyline, if you've been following the series then you'll have to read this for closure but it's not the best of the bunch. But maybe the best is yet to come?

Dick Grayson heads to England with what he thinks is the corpse of Batman in a desperate attempt to locate a newly found lazarus pit and reanimate Bruce Wayne. Damian Al Ghul has been taken by his mother Talia to have a new spine fitted after his battles in the last book - but is the spine all its cracked up to be? What's underneath Wayne Manor that's attracting the attentions of a devil-worshipping cult? And who's been killing off the members of The Black Glove? The way they're being killed almost feels like... a joke.

Grant Morrison picks up the story of Batman and Robin Vol 1 with a blistering pace. From the opening scene in London which almost feels like a James Bond opening, to the final reveal of a masked character, this is possibly his best Batman book yet.

If you've been following the side story of Bruce Wayne's journey through time in Morrison's "The Return of Bruce Wayne", you'll get the references in the book and it's a really good companion piece to read alongside this one. But even if you're not familiar with that book, this is a great standalone volume.

Cameron Stewart and Andy Clarke's artwork are brilliant throughout, proving themselves to be equal to the incredibly talented Frank Quitely who supplies the covers included here also.

It's really just a fun, well written, interesting Batman book, one of Grant Morrison's best. From the first page to the last I was reading it so fast I had to go back and look at some of the individual scenes to appreciate them more. Devil worshippers, wonderfully daffy English superheroes, and a confrontation between Grayson and Damian - what's not to like?

A continuation of the Batman and Robin storyline with Dick Grayson as Batman and Damian Wayne as Robin. There are some limited spoliers so beware.

This volume begins the search for Bruce Wayne (beyond what Tim is doing in his stories). First Dick follows up Jason's suggestion about using the Lazarus Pit. The story was ok, not a big fan of the art. I always liked Knight and Squire so nice to see them. The second part of the book involved exploring Wayne Manor for more clues and of Talia's attempt at controlling Damian. This story was better and had better art work.

There were a few things I did not like about this book:
1) The interaction between Batman and Batwoman. The dialog seemed very forced as if the author was trying to get the readers to approve of Batwoman. I have not read any stories with her so I have no knowledge of her, but I did not like the dialog.
2) Talia seemed much more bloodthirsty and cold than I remember her ever being. She seemed out of character.
3) The fact that the team is new and instead of getting stories using these characters, we jump right into the search for Bruce Wayne. I wanted more of Dick as Batman stories.
4) Would Batman really allow Robin and Sexton to fight on their own while he investigated the batcave? Seemed out of character to me.
5) The jokes Dick mentions. I never heard of those jokes before. Why couldn't Morrison have used jokes that are a litlle more common to readers.

One thing I liked was Morrison's description of the covers where he explained that he thought Quietly's drawing of Batman's leg was too long (I thought so too) and then told how he turned the drawing and saw it was accurate. Nice little extra.

So why 4 stars? I don't know. I just liked reading the story faults and all.

Not as good as the first volume, but fun to read.

This book proves that Grant Morrison can do a lot more than just weird you out, confuse you, and gross you out. He can also write a very fun comic! Batman and Robin is just that! It's a blast to read these first few adventures of the dynamic duo of Dick Grayson and Bruce's brat Damian Wayne.

Bruce Wayne is gone. The battle for the cowl ended with Dick Grayson (the original Robin and Nightwing) taking the mantle of the bat. Tim Drake is...well, who cares. What we're left with is Damian Wayne as Robin to Dick's Batman. We know Damian from Batman and Son, The Black Glove, and R.I.P we also know that he is a real snot-nosed brat. Most of us hated him in the former stories, but I think you may grow to like him now that he is maturing.

What makes this book so entertaining is how different it is. It doesn't feel like Bruce Wayne's Batman, it's not supposed to. Here we watch a Batman who makes mistakes, questions himself, enjoys kicking the crap out of criminals, can't control and young boy and....smiles! Yes, Batman smiles now! All the while he's trying to be somewhat of a figure of authority with little Damian who is an outstanding young fighter with a huge ego but sorely lacks discipline. The chemistry between these two characters is excellent and somewhat of a role reversal for Batman and Robin. Batman is now the "lighter" figure while Robin is the "darker". Strange, but it certainly works!

Batman fans, go out and get this! Sure, Bruce Wayne is the one and only true Batman, but hey, Dick deserves a shot during Bruce's absence! I guarantee you will like this one.

With Bruce Wayne dead, Batman must live on and so Dick Grayson hands up his Nightwing gear to don the Dark Knight's cowl and become Batman while Robin is taken up by Bruce Wayne's son, Damian.

The book explores their uneasy relationship as they fight their way through some new and old villains: Pyg, a mad circus performer taken to creating living dolls, Flamingo, a deranged assassin, and the Red Hood aka former Robin, Jason Todd. Dick and Damian don't get along and Dick has a hard time trying to make Damian respect him all the while trying to become Batman.

Morrison's script is well written and a great read from start to finish, he really gets Batman and seems to have no problems throwing out great plotlines for the Dark Knight to grapple with. Frank Quitely's art is, as always, a thing of joy and fits Morrison's script perfectly and Philip Tan's paint artwork in the second half of the book is also well done.

Morrison's brilliant story arc now spanning several books continues nicely in this book and is an involving and fascinating read. Any jaded Batman fans would do well to pick up this book and fall back in love with the Dark Knight while fans will find more to love in this excellent book.

****THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW OF MORRISON'S ENTIRE B&R RUN (#1-16) WHICH IS THE FIRST 3 BOOKS (OR THE ABSOLUTE EDITION) OF THE ORIGINAL COMIC SERIES****

Disclaimer: I'm a Morrison fan.

So I remember picking up B&R #1 on the stands when it came out but didn't bother to continue with the book. There were three reasons:
#1 I couldn't stand Damien - Bruce Wayne's illegitimate son with Talia Al' Ghul - whose personality was grating. I also likeD Tim Drake as Robin and the whole thing just felt forced;
#2 Bruce had just been killed in the confusing and ill-focused Final Crisis, also written Morrison (I'm a fan, not a worshiper). I knew it was just a stunt and the whole Battle For the Cowl story that immediately precedes the debut of this book was mind-numbingly stupid. As if anyone with even a passing knowledge of Batman didn't know that Dick Grayson was going to be the new Batman.
#3 The first issue just wasn't every exciting. Morrison has two distinct styles, one is heavy on content that just inundates the reader with information. The other is very sparse and is definitely focused on telling a longer term story. The latter is the style he chose here and I was not in the mood for that given all I had endured up to that point. Also his unimpressive stint at writing Final Crisis had left me soured (even though the 2-issue Superman 3-D mini tie-in he wrote to supplement Final Crisis was him at his best).

ANYWAY, that preface is to let you know that I had little interest in the book and was not sold on it being any good. That is until I had read Dick as Batman in the final chapters of Detective Comics Vol. 1 and passingly in Batman, Inc. Vol 1 both in 2011. I liked him as Batman and with Damien getting killed last month (02/2013), I thot it would be a good time to go back and give the series a chance.

Glad I did. Point blank you have to read all 16 issues together to really get the full impact and narrative of the story that Morrison is telling. The characters of Dick and Damien are fully formed in Morrison's head and what he gives us is the type of interactions that real people might have without resorting to endless dialog rambles - real people that run around in capes and tights, that jump out of flying cars, and perform impossible human feats. The entire cast is this way, though the other elements of the Bat-verse are downplayed or completely ignored all-together so that the series stays focused on exactly what it says it will - Batman and Robin.

Damien is still a brat and Dick is still learning to fill the huge shoes that were left when Bruce died/disappeared and Morrison shows us the real struggles that the two have both incoming to terms with their rolls and the new status quo. For those that remember Dick as Robin then there are some great references and revisits of his time in the pixie boot costume. Damien too gets a chance to grow beyond the jerk he was portrayed as up to this point. He's STILL a jerk but in Morrison's hands you can't help but like him (unlike say, Jason Todd's turn as Robin. He was unlikable, period.) Morrison is not very sentimental but does make both Damien and Dick into people we care about as a team. You want them to make it work. Bruce's shadow starts out hanging over the series but by the mid-point, it is gone and we GET down to the business of these two very distinct personalities finding their unique - if not always successful - relationship. Be warned: Damien is a 10-year-old too big for his britches and the story shows us that, for good and ill.

Of course the villains are typical Morrison - weird and wild and SCARY. The baddies are also new which is a nice change of pace, with the exception of 1 standard Bat-villain that shows up near the end whose presence probably sounded good in the original pitch but who winds up being distracting, out-of-character, and mis-placed. The major story here goes for the psychological jugular and only lets up in the middle issues to put the Dynamic Duo II through the ringer in a different sort of way. The final chapter is the one-shot Batman: The Return which manages to tie together this book with the other major Bat books running concurrently to this one at the time and put a big ribbon on the entire 18 months of stories while also giving us some seeds that grow into new stories that started right after this one concluded.

There is a skill in telling a visual story like comics which is kind of like identifying porn - you don't quite know the exact definition but you know it when you see it. 1/2 the art chores here are by Frank Quitely, a massively talented artist who squeezes more into 1 page than other artists manage in an entire issue. Some don't like his style but I'm don't gravitate to photo-realism in my comics so I like his style but it is an acquired taste. The other artists are different but also talented in their own story-telling ways. I would have liked some more visual meat from them given the bar that Quitely always sets but on their own, their skills are more than adequate to make the narrative compelling.

This volume is the culmination of the entire Batman R.I.P. storyline that began in Batman and Son. As such, it doesn't disappoint.

There is a brief precis of the previous events, which is nice, and the art for the entire volume is done by Frazier Irving, which is even nicer.

Grant Morrison's works tend to fall apart towards the end. For some reason, wrapping things up has not historically been one of his strengths. It appears to be something he has worked hard on, because this volume is the perfect climax. Issues that have been simmering for years now finally come to a head and are resolved. There are still enough plot twists to keep readers interested, and some entertaining surprises.

Morrison's tenure on the various Bat-series has been somewhat inconsistent from time to time, but ultimately stronger than the sum of its parts. This volume, like the previous two Batman & Robin volumes, is strong on its own merits and well worth a purchase.

Batman & Robin Vol. 1 marks the return of the creative dynamic duo and Scottsmen Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely after their non-canon Superman epic All-Star Superman. If you are a newer or more casual reader and you're not caught up on what has been going on in the 'Batman' legacy up until this point, it might interest you to know that the Batmantle (see what I did there) has currently been taken up by none other than former Nightwing (and Robin for that matter) Dick Grayson, and Tim Drake's old spot has been filled by Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne's recently discovered son Damian.

The art is really great throughout both Frank Quitely and Philip Tan have done a fantastic job with that. The writing is also pretty good, although in my opinion some of the stories are a little unnecessarily twisted and morbid (and I'm a fan of the Sin City series). It's not as much about the concept as it is about the context. Read and enjoy at your own risk, the book is quite short as there is much more art than writing, I was able to rent this book from my local library check yours to see if you can too.

Say what you want about what Grant Morrison has done with the DC universe over the past couple years, but Batman & Robin is a reminder that he is still a master storyteller, and that he can still craft wonderful stories as well. This first collected volume of Batman & Robin finds Dick Grayson taking the mantle of Batman, and Bruce Wayne's son Damian taking the mantle of Robin as they team up to take on a new era of crime in Gotham City. First up is the vicious Professor Pyg, whose deforming experiments make him all the more deadly, but it's the wrath of former Robin Jason Todd, now known as the Red Hood, that makes things really interesting. Morrison's artist partner on his prolific runs on All-Star Superman and New X-Men, the great Frank Quitely, takes the art reigns on the first storyarc here, while former Uncanny X-Men artist Philip Tan handles the work on the second arc. Though their styles are different, there is no inconsistency whatsoever, although Quitely's contribution doesn't have that same kind of radiance to it here that it has before. Nevertheless, Morrison's Batman & Robin is a highly entertaining ride, and the dialogue and bickering between Dick and Damian makes it worth the price of admission alone.

The third book to this series is the cultivation of plots since the beginning of the events starting in batman: The Black glove, Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin, Vol. 3: Batman and Robin Must Die! has all of the twists, turns, humor, irony and climax that one would want in a Batman comic. We see the validation of one hero and a return of another which creates an exciting new direction in the Batman mythos. My issues with this is not so much an issue but to truly understand it, you have to read the companion story line Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne which in itself was very good but creates a whole lot of confusion. That is my only issue with this.

Collecting the first six issues of the new "Batman and Robin" comic book series, I enjoyed the handsome hardback, "Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn", quite a bit. Upon finishing it, however, I did find it a little strange that the book is being aggressively marketed to casual Batman fans shopping in various mainstream bookstores (where I bought my copy), and not just to hardcore comics fans via comic-book shops.

Why? Because, right out of the box, "Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn" drops you right in the middle of a turbulent period in these characters' lives, with minimal orientation, and bombshells galore: Bruce Wayne is dead! The former Robin is now Batman! The new Robin is Bruce Wayne's son, recently rescued from the nest of assassins who was raising him! Wow. And all that stuff is already in place before page one!

Will all this be confusing to the casual fan? Maybe not, but it's definitely helpful to read the jacket notes and other dust-jacket copy before diving in, as one gets at least a little "set up" there. Heck, I found it helpful, and I'm always at least semi-aware of the latest developments in the major comic book series out there.

In any event, once you get immersed, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's collected tales are fun and weird, mixing mainstream Batman fare (action, drama, fights, and detecting) with David Lynch-style strangeness. However, I found that the weird and strange elements undercut the momentum and drama of a particular story just as often as they strengthened them. But that's just me. If you can't get enough of weird, "out there" stuff in your comics, you'll be ecstatic.

I guess I shouldn't complain. Because it's so easy for Batman stories to fall back on tried-and-true boilerplate plots, I should welcome stories and scenes that sometimes make one work a little to truly appreciate them. Hey, I'm definitely going to pick up volume two when it's released, so I guess I'm not complaining too much.

Grant Morrison's take on "Batman and Robin" shows a good deal of promise in this collection of comics. Morrison pays homage to the many writers and artists who have crafted the Batman mythos--but he offers his own unique take on it. With Bruce Wayne off the scene, Dick Grayson has the chance to play Batman and Morrison does an excellent job in developing the character. I appreciated the attempts to make a light-hearted Batman and a darker Robin but every now and then Morrison seems to lose sight of Robin--and the plot is forced to rope him back in. The art is solid and there are some interesting notes on the covers. Still there are problems. For better or for worse, Batman is one of those comics that does well with its supporting cast, from Alfred to Oracle to a great group of villains. Morrison does not use this to his advantage, creating a new group of less than memorable villains and bringing back Jason Todd as the Red Hood. Again. The art is solid and I appreciated the lighter colors and take on Gotham City. This was a fine collection of comics--but it did not seem like it fit Batman and this holds it down a bit. I'd give this work 3.25 stars if possible but note there is a lot of promise.

First off, as a general rule of thumb, when looking at a star rating for work by Grant Morrison it's probably a good idea to go ahead and knock off a star to keep your expectations realistic. Morrison has a rabid fanbase who have epileptic seizures over absolutely everything he does, and I wouldn't recommend basing your purchase on their opinions. Personally, I find his work to be hit-and-miss, more miss than hit, and he often misses in spectacular fashion. But don't tell him or any of his hardcore fans that, because they don't want to hear it. It'll just be our little secret...

On to the work itself: This volume has a little bit of the hit and a lot of the miss. As you'll often hear, much of Morrison's best work comes when he collaborates with Frank Quitely, and the contrast between the first and second halves of this book (drawn by Quitely and Philip Tan, respectively) demonstrates this nicely. I'll spare you any plot summary that would be redundant to previous reviews and deal with the book's successes and failures.

The first half of this book is a perfectly readable and enjoyable, and Quitely's storytelling is always worth a look. But as far as Morrison/Quitely collaborations go, this might be their weakest effort by a wide margin. Quitely tries something interesting by incorporating sound effects into his illustrations, but I'm not sure it's entirely successful. If the alternative is that a letterer slap words like BOOM and SPLASH over the art, I prefer Quitely's alternative, but I don't think having the word BOOM spelled out in an explosion has more impact than a cool, convincing illustration of an explosion. Quitely is one of those cinematic storytellers who doesn't need things like motion lines or sound effects to convey movement or sound, but I can't fault the experiment. Everything Quitely ever did is worth looking at, but this is one of his weaker efforts. Sort of a shame too, since it seems like a dream come true to see the guy cut loose on Batman and Robin. The cover is iconic and great, and the action sequences are perfect, but the book's two splash pages of the title characters descending from above were both disappointing. I've come to expect an admittedly unfair degree of meticulousness from Quitely, and he's understandably fallen just short here. Even at his worst, Quitely is better than almost anybody, but this is pretty much his worst.

There's nothing remotely groundbreaking (or even all that interesting) in the writing here, but Quitely's figure work and choreography make it a joy to read. You may as well credit him with every star in this review, because he's the real draw here (pun not intended). We get the standard junk you'd expect about the original Robin trying to fill Batman's shoes and Batman's son causing friction as the petulant new Robin, and Morrison adds little beyond that summary. To be honest, all of this might have had more impact if there was ever a sense that this status quo would last, and some will argue that the dramatic tension comes from the fact that the characters don't know Bruce Wayne will be back in a few months, but it rang hollow to me. This is due, in part, to Morrison's writing style and his bothersome signature tics.

The first tic is that he moves the players around in his story, seemingly with no reason other than to get them where they need to be to serve the story he wants to tell. This effectively removes their motivations and any sense that they are real, operate based on any logic, or behave like actual people. There's something vaguely artistic about it in a way, but it destroys any sense of drama and tension, and I doubt it's intentional. His characters just behave randomly so Morrison can tell the story he wants to tell. Many of his stories throw all internal logic out the window, but this wouldn't be nearly the problem it is if his characters felt remotely human. If you're looking for comics where the characters make any sense at all, look elsewhere.

The second tic is that he loves telling only a part of the story. He's stated in interviews that he likes to write 40 pages per issue and boil each script down to its most essential 22 pages. I can tell you from having read a fair amount of his work that the final product badly misses those 18 lost pages. There's nothing wrong with making a reader use his imagination to fill in some blanks, and stories are more fun when they unfold a certain way, instead of being handed to you on a silver platter (for a good example of this, see Steampunk by Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo), but Morrison has a bad habit of leaving all the stuff I'd most like to see on the cutting room floor. The end result is that the reader needs to give Morrison a freight train worth of credit to fully appreciate the story. Fortunately for Morrison, he has no shortage of fans who jump at every chance to give it to him.

The third tic is that he falls in love with a "big idea" and either works in into an existing story or builds a story around it, but he never bothers to develop the potential of these ideas. Emphasis on "never," because it just doesn't happen. Ever. The idea gets floated out there and dies on the page. Again, fortunately for the guy, his readers routinely ignore all that wasted story potential and use their imaginations to flesh out the ideas in their heads and give all the credit to Morrison. This problem is particularly evident in the second half of this volume.

The "high concept" here is that the second Robin wants to take Batman's place and fight crime his way, as The Red Hood. Naturally, this means a more brutal approach. There was a ton of story potential here, but it was all wasted. The Red Hood's mission statement, "the fight against crime grows up," would be faintly interesting if you're willing, as Morrison was, to completely ignore that it's been done a thousand times before. And done better. The age-old conflict between savage vigilantism and the kinder, gentler, old-fashioned brand of costumed crime fighting never had a better slogan, but as usual, all Morrison has contributed is a slogan. I would have really liked a meaningful physical and psychological confrontation between former Robins in Batman's absence, but that's not what we get here. This was a chore to read, and the art did it no favors. Once again, in the absence of a true A-list artist Morrison is left looking downright incompetent. I've found this to be a running theme in his work.

The book design is sharp, and the supplemental material is great. Not only do you get a chance to see some of Frank Quitely's process and character sketches, but you also get an eye-opening glimpse into just how in love with himself Grant Morrison really is. It's almost embarrassing if not for the fact that he is so beloved by so many very charitable fans. If it sounds like I'm being too hard on him, it's like this: He gets the benefit of the doubt from his fanbase more than any writer in the history of things being written; he can afford to have a handful of fair, honest detractors who err on the side of denying him the benefit of the doubt. I certainly enjoy some of his work... most of which was drawn by Frank Quitely. Hm.

Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Batman Reborn collects the first six issue of Grant Morrison's new Batman series.

Morrison changes the Batman status quo more than just having a new Batman. Batman is now Robin and Robin is now Batman. By that I mean Batman (Dick Grayson) is the more light hearted and fun person in the Dynamic Duo while Robin (Damian Wayne) is a darker more violent man in the relationship. This causes a disturbance between the two that comes across at times funny, sad, and anger inducing.

Damian Wayne is the character who shows the most improvement. In his first few appearances he was a murderer who had no remorse for what he did to people. Now we see him have more passion, and grief. He feels terrible when he realizes that he forgot to save the girl while he was beating up the bad guy. He also begins to realize that Dick is capable of being a fill-in for Batman, even if he isn't perfect.

Dick Grayson also shows improvement in that he begins to feel comfortable in being the more or less Dark Knight of Gotham City. Damians semi-realization of Dick being a capable Batman helps Dick with his troubles. Dick does know that he isn't the real Batman however, and doesn't keep that a very big secret from the people of Gotham City.

Frank Quitely and Phillip Tan give some of their best in work into this volume. The writing also reflects the two's styles in that the first half (Frank's art) is lighthearted while the writing in the second half (their was only 2 artists, one was already used, figure it out) is darker but still having it's lighthearted moments.

Then finally there is a back part of the book that shows many of the artistic decisions that Grant Morrison, and the other made. All in all, with all the lighthearted but mature moments this is the way that comics should always be written for now on.

Overall what can someone say about Grant Morrison's run on Batman that has not been said. Personally I have enjoyed what he has done and thin that it is rapidly increasing in grandeur and quality of storytelling. This comic in particular is a little less fluid in my opinion than the last one, but the story does seem to be in the process of building to a grand conclusion, obviously the return of Bruce Wayne and Dr. Hurt.

I find the relationship between Dick and Damian in this book compelling and overall one of the strong points of Morrison's run this far is the way he has turned Damian from perhaps one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered in comic books (he fairs well even when I widen this to all Literature) into a character that has multiple dimensions or you at least begin to truly see some in this volume. Although to be fair he does still come off somewhat stale on occasions.

The action in this book is very well done and enjoyable to see. The art overall is well done and there are few complaints that I can really make of it, short of saying it is nothing overly spectacular in my opinion.

The supporting characters are one of the more interesting elements here. Seeing the supposed edition of minor characters and the interactions between Damian and his mother in particular it seems will be important down the line for later comics in the series of the Morrison epic.

All in all if you have been taken in by Morrison thus far, you enjoyed the first volume of Batman and Robin, or you are still unsure about what you think of any of the above you should go ahead and buy this book since it does make good, albeit very short reading. If however you have not began Morrison's run of Batman and are not familiar with it you might want to try some of the earlier books such as Batman and Son or The Black Glove first since they are important to the story. You could also begin with Batman and Robin volume one which is what I did, but I do constantly feel as if I am missing things.

After Bruce Wayne's apparent death in Batman RIP Dick Grayson and Bruce's son Damian Wayne are the new Batman and Robin. Writer Grant Morrison wastes no time putting them against new foes, new mysteries and new conflicts. Despite his years as a crime-fighter Grayson doubts he can fill his mentor's shoes and Damian is a borderline psycho raised by a cult of assassins.

The first half of this book has gorgeous art by Frank Quitely. He uses a bold color scheme and innovative sound effects to give the book a new look. The second half suffers a bit, artist Philip Tan does a fine, professional job but compared to Quitely's innovation his art seems dull and mundane.

We all know this is a temporary arrangement. We all know that Bruce will be back sooner or later. But it's a fun change and worth reading. Morrison has had this plot in motion for several years and it's incredible to watch it take shape.

After reading the exciting and fresh Batman and Robin Vol 1 by Grant Morrison, and half done by the revered Frank Quietly, I was ready for volume 2 of Batman and Robin. Volume 1 had great progression of character and made me care about Damien being Robin and Dick Grayson being Batman. But then I started reading volume 2, and very quickly, and noticeably, nothing was the same.

Gone were the character progressions. Gone were the smooth story telling. Gone was Grant Morrison.

I used to work at a comic book shop, so I've been watching the quick rise of the Morrison name among the tongues of comic nerds praising him for being a perfect storyteller. The man that can sell titles. Granted, his X-Men work was great, and much needed for the title to recover from the 90's.

But since then, I have noticed that the name Grant Morrison will start a title, and although he will continue on with it, another voice will ring out after about 3 issues.

When the other Grant Morrison writes, it's done too quickly. Instead of telling a simple story well, he'll suddenly start trying to throw in a number of useless facts and diatribe, and passes into the next frame without resolution of the last. It's very off-putting, and very obviously a different writer.

I will save my entire rant full of pictures and details for a blog. But I will summarize to say that unless you just want to see how different a feel volume 2 is from volume 1, then there is no reason to pick this trade up. It does nothing for the characters, the progression of the story started in volume 1, and seeing as how DC restarted their titles recently, it does nothing for the title overall.

Pass this trade up, and join me outing whom this fake Grant Morrison is that is writing under his name just to sell titles.

When I first read that Bruce Wayne -the right and only Batman- was dead my jaw dropped. Was DC serious? Would they really kill off their most popular character at this time, at arguably the height of his notoriety? How can anyone hope to fill the void.

Rest assured batfans...we are in good hands. Grant Morrison is an author unparrelelled. He has surpassed even the greatest of batcomic authors with his current run (Dini, Loeb, Miller, Brubaker- all excellent, but no one in- my opinion -can match Morrison's combination of silver-age nostalgia and epic allegory.)

Morrison understands the characters he portrays better than anyone (except maybe dini perhaps). He conjurs up a dark gothom city, full of realistically human characters. The worlds he shows us are believable yet unmistakably comic. He walks that thin line of reality and allegory like a tights clad poet-god. He makes me want more. I can't wait for Bruce's return, but at the same time I can and I never thought I would say that. I'm hungry for more batman: reborn. This new and completely different batman and robin are exhileratingly fresh: full of the strife one would imagine a newly cristened teamup would have yet also full of the emotion and sense of loss these characters must be experiencing following the wake of Bruce's demise. Damian is a badass brat. Dick is a great character trying so hard to be the father figure he had.

I want bruce wayne to come back to claim what is unmistakably his, but not before I can see from his peer's eyes why it is so rightfully his in the first place. Anything by grant morrison is a must buy and this is no exception.

This comes right after Batman & Robin Vol. 2 and before Batman Inc. Vol. 1.
I thought this is stronger than B&R2, and about the same level as Batman Inc.1.

I had fun reading this. Irving Fraizer's art looks like a headtrip. The other artists did really good as well.
The story was lots of fun. Would recommend it.

How many awesome Vol. 2 stories are there?
Not many. This doesn't count as awesome (imo), but its still fun to read.

I had a better time re-reading after Vol. 3 and Return of Bruce Wayne than my initial reading.

Is entertaining. Would recommend.