Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Philip Tan
Cover: Frank Quitely
“Revenge of the Red Hood pt 3”: For a taste of the macabre, demented, and just bat-$#&! crazy (pun intended), you can’t lose with Batman and Robin! Come to think of it, the Batman books in general have at many times been host to these types of villains, and it’s what I love about the company that Batman keeps. Now the Batman and Robin series has been pretty impressive so far, despite my reservations when first hearing about it. Though this issue isn’t “mind blowing” or “spectacular,” it’s a solid showing of Morrison’s story telling and further developing of former Robin, Dick Grayson, as the new Batman, and Bruce Wayne’s son Damian as the new Robin.
The Red Hood has deemed Batman unfit to protect Gotham, and is intent on showing that he and his sidekick Scarlet’s extreme measures are what the city needs to clean up the streets. They have captured Batman and Robin, and have them stripped down to their boxers. To further the embarrassment, the Red Hood has set up a webcam to activate, showing the dynamic duo upon receiving one million calls. While this is going on though, The Red Hood has been shot by the assassin Flamingo, a bullfighter-esque killer with a whip, who is currently beating Scarlet bloody. Now of course, the good guys do manage to escape before the one millionth call and join in on the fight. However, when the dust settles at the end of the conflict, it’s not a pretty sight and far too much has gone wrong.
I want to see where Morrison is going to take these two in the coming issues, because for the past 6 it’s been a damn good ride! Damian is exactly what Bruce would have been had he not had the guidance of his family and Alfred, so I’m glad that’s the way Morrison continues to portray him – as a pain in the ass that Grayson has to constantly reel in for his own protection. I was also impressed that Damian feels responsible for not saving Scarlet when he could, and now she’s mixed up in this. Now, Morrison had Red Hood, a.k.a Jason Todd, a former Robin as well, yell at Grayson, and it’s a question I asked myself when Bruce Wayne died… why not use a Lazarus Pit to bring him back?
Philip Tan’s art in this issue isn’t as good as it was in the last one, but in most cases it gets the job done. The brutality of the fight is clearly displayed here, as well as other points in the story. I was a little annoyed that some parts were great while the very next panel would seem rushed, kind of making it an uneven transition from panel to panel.
Overall a good solid story from Morrison, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next issue with art by Cameron Stewart; and for all of you Frank Quitely fans, he is slated to return after Stewart’s 3-issue arc. And does anyone else think that Frank Quitely was looking at Prince’s Purple Rain album when he drew the cover for Batman and Robin?
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
I thought it was one of the Village People on that cover Speech. lol. I liked Morrisons stuff on X-men a while back so this should be pretty good.
Wait, so…. Bruce Wayne actually DID die? I thought it was just a metaphor or something. That he just…went away. Like, retired.
I’m also digging this series. Looking forward to Frank’s return, although Philip has filled in nicely! Good call on the Prince album, IS!!
And Kristin- Bruce Wayne isn’t dead, everyone (except TIm Drake) just thinks he is.
Well he’s “dead” in the comic book sense Kris. Sorry for the spoiler though i do hope he stays gone for at least another year.
Dead = just on hiatus, in the comics world. LOL
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