Batman and Robin #2

Somewhere in Gotham, one of Batman's enemies is plotting revenge and in order to carry out his agenda, he recruits criminals who were seriously injured by Batman. In the mean time, Damien Wayne aka Robin wants to prove to the past Robin's that not only is he worthy of the mantle, but better than his predecessors in every way. -summary

After Batman & Robin Volume One: Born to Kill, I was looking forward to more of Peter J. Tomasi's work on this father and son duo. The first volume was too good and it set the bar very high. I wasn't looking forward to the exact same serving, because I knew it would have been difficult to recapture that type of character development again through Batman and Robin's father/son relationship so soon. Plus the villain Nobody was probably going to be tough to beat; however, I wasn't expecting such a madcap story though. Now don't get it twisted, this is still a fun book for the most part yet one's enjoyment more than likely will determine how much they're into Damien's antics and these throw away villains, which left me with serious mixed feelings. Batman and Robin Volume 2: Pearl contains issues 9 - 14 and #0.

One thing that stood out to me immediately is how much better paced this book is in regards to the Night of the Owls crossover, which spreads across the other Bat-titles. It takes place before the main story line, which doesn't break the flow of the story arc. The book begins with Damien's origin as he's being trained by his mother Talia Al Ghul, and his only drive is to meet his father Batman. People already familiar with Grant Morrison's run won't learn anything new but it's a decent start to the book. This book also brings Robin to the forefront, since he's pretty much the star grabbing most of the spotlight, as he battles a Talon during the Night of the Owls crossover. It's among the better fights mainly for its brutality.

There's an obvious change in Tomasi's writing by this point that probably came over from his double writing duties over in Green Lantern Corps. He was clearly having fun writing this story, and it can be felt through the dialog, characters, and action; Damien grows tired of being put down by the previous Robin, Tim Drake, to the point where he calls out each of the past Robins: Red Hood, Red Robin, and Nightwing. This results in some interesting exchanges and fun fights; I understand that he battled these guys in some form in past continuity, but since this is supposedly a reboot I see nothing wrong with re-tracing some of this footsteps for a newer audience.

One of the following story arcs involves a terminally ill man going by Terminus. He gathers up enemies that Batman scarred at some point. Tomasi is doing two things here: killing time and having fun, because this story feels difficult to take serious with these hilarious villains. The group is made up with a guy Batman hit through the brain with a Batarang, and the weapon is still stuck in his head. Another guy was kicked by Batman so hard with a flaming boot, he's wearing the boot imprint in his face. I mean who's going to see these villains and not laugh? In a way, it clashes with the serious content once they go on their revenge trip, because it's impossible to see them as anything other than jokes. For the most part these villains are all throw away. The book ends with a pseudo zombie attack story and the less said about this one the better.

I'm so in the middle of the road with this book. Even with the bad characterization, stupid villains, dumb final story, dues ex machina, forced dramatic and cheesy ending, I just can't truly dislike it because there are some fun moments. It doesn't even feel like it was written by the same guy.

Patrick Gleason, Tomas Giarello, and others, share the pencil duties. There's an obvious inconsistency in the character designs especially with Damien. He's a 10 year old and sometimes he looks his age, while others he appears to be just a very short guy. The designs of the scarred villains is funny, the action moves from brutally tame to over the top. There is more than enough fighting to satisfy action junkies.

I highly suggest to people who loved the last volume to come into this expecting something else. It would be best to ignore what Tomasi did last volume, and not compare this or any other Bat-titles to Scott Snyder's Batman run either. These are just some random storylines to prepare for the Death of the Family event. Overall, this isn't something to run out for unless you're a hardcore Batman or Damien fan. If you're new to the New 52, then I advise to start with the first volume Born to Kill.

Pros: Lots of action, some fun moments

Cons: Low brow entertainment that may not appeal to those wanting more