The Psychotic Perspective: Batman and Robin #13
Eclipsed
Batman and Robin has been a fun though not particularly deep series. Damian is always entertaining; even those that hate Damian love to hate him. Last month’s zero issue was especially good giving readers an action packed look into Damian’s bloody origin. However, this is a new month and a completely new story arc. Does this new chapter elevate Batman and son to even greater heights, or do the bat and bird take a drastic plunge in quality?
While the threat of Joker hangs over Gotham’s head, a new problem pops up for the caped crusader…zombies? While Batman investigates, Robin sets off on an independent project.
Needs More Cowbell!
What do you do when you have four different good ideas for a plot and you cannot decide which you want to use? Why, you smash them all together in one barely comprehensible glob, of course!
This story is practically schizophrenic. The plot elements introduced (but not resolved) include the following:
1. Damian and Bruce preparing for battle with Joker
2. Batman teaching Robin how to repair a spy satellite
3. Some group starts creating zombies
4. Damian disobeying orders to work on some unknown project
5. Father and son tense over Damian disobeying orders
6. Robin defending himself against people wanting to collect the bounty on his head
That is a lot of conflict for twenty pages, and the narrative winds its way from one plot line to another like a stumbling drunk.
The Bat Space Shuttle? Really?
I've complained recently that Batman has been relying a bit too much of technology. Cool gadgets have their place, but having an electromagnet which can knock out an entire street gang by sticking them to a train is not that far removed from Bat Shark Repellent.
In that same vein, I think having Bruce be able to easily launch himself into space is a bit much. Having him launch from the middle of Gotham without being noticed due to his “cloaking device” is ludicrous. Having him go up in space, adjust his satellite, and then return to Earth during a solar eclipse is physically impossible.
At most, an eclipse can last seven and a half minutes. If I can figure that out in fifteen seconds of googling, how can a writer fail to do a little research when he has months to plan out his story? I can only assume that Tomasi simply does not care, and I find that disappointing.
The One Improvement
The only way I can see as the book has improved at all is in the dialogue department. Tomasi’s writing of Bruce was off in issue twelve, but Batman is back to form in this issue. Damian, as always, sounds just right.
Conclusion
I was massively disappointed in this issue. There is a possibility that Tomasi has a way of bringing all of these disparate plot elements together, but he has not done so in a satisfying manner thus far.
