"Now You can see what You've been missing!"
Batman and Robin, for all intents and purposes has acted as the premiere Batman book the past year and a half, but with Grant Morrison leaving the title to write Batman Inc., would Batman and Robin fall behind as just another Batman book? The quick answer: No. Batman and Robin will continue to be one of the best Batman books, if not the best out, until it proves itself otherwise. Originally this issue was set to be the introduction of the new creative team for the series, Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason of Green Lantern Corps fame, but was delayed, so a "fill-in" arc was added and if this first issue is a sign of what's to come, then I'm more than happy with where it's going.
Paul Cornell is a very popular person at the moment, I personally don't recall ever reading anything by him, so I was a little hesitant to go into this arc assuming it would be fabulous. I was pretty amazed with how much he gets the characters that had been so well done by Grant Morrison. With the return of Bruce Wayne, there seems to be an air of change and dare I say respect of Dick from Damian, and it doesn't feel forced. They converse very fluidly, it doesn't come across as stiff or forced. The Dialogue is pretty top notch, and it's nice to see that Batman Inc., is being addressed, not heavily, but enough so you know where this story takes place. Alfred has a nice little scene with Dick and Damian. It was a very effective story, throwing you into the middle of it, then sending you back so you understand why they are doing what they are doing. The ending was interesting to say the least.
Scott McDaniel draws an amazing issue. I enjoy his style. It's very reminiscent of another Bat artist who I can't remember at the moment. The only problem I really had with the art was in one scene, Damian appears to be fairly tall, and at 10 that just seems a little off. Other than that I had no complaints. Gordon is basically traditional Gordon, and Batman looks like how he should considering who's under the cowl. Overall the art was top notch.
Overall the issue was a hit for me. Definitely something Batman fans should pick up. If you were worried about the direction of the book after Grant Morrison, this arc shows that it's in good hands. If you weren't a fan of Morrison, then I suggest you pick it up because while it's similar, it has it's differences, as it should. While I viewed this as a fill-in arc, it doesn't present itself that way and it looks to be a fine opening arc for post-Morrison Batman and Robin
4.5/5
