Batman

• Title: Batman: Black and White #3 (of 6)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writers: Lee Bermejo, Damion Scott, Marv Wolfman, Rian Hughes, Paul Dini
• Artists: Lee Bermejo, Damion Scott, Riccardo Burchielli, Rian Hughes, Stephanie Roux

The latest issue of the Batman black-and-white anthology series is highlighted by a tale of Alfred‘s tale of Batman and Robin battling aliens written and drawn by Rian Hughes hearkening back to the odd 60s adventures of the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder. The art is fantastic (including a detailed plan of the Batcave) as the Dynamic Duo call on the help of Tal-Dar to take on a villain warping language and reality.

Batman: Black and White #3 also includes Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy forced into the role of heroes when a scared little girl fleeing a kidnapper crosses their path in a tale from Paul Dini and Stephanie Roux, and Marv Wolfman and Riccardo Burchielli team-up to offer a tale of Batman trying to save a man on death row.

There’s also an opening tale by Lee Bermejo about Batman’s team-up with a young Jason Todd, and a beautifully rendered (if ultimately kinda empty) tale from Damion Scott featuring Batman chasing various members of his rogues gallery around a hall of mirrors. Worth a look. Worth a look.

[DC, $4.99]

• Title: Damian: Son of Batman #1 (of 4)
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Andy Kubert
• Artist: Andy Kubert

No matter how you look at it, Damian: Son of Batman #1 is an odd comic. Written and drawn by Andy Kubert, the first issue of the four-issue mini-series is set in a parallel world that seems to have more in common with the pre-New 52 version of the DCU than the current state of things. In this reality it’s Batman, not Damian, who is killed in action, forcing his partner to go on without him.

Kubert makes several interesting choices including choosing to clad Damian in his original Robin costume from Grant Morrison’s run that introduced the character rather than the version he wore as Dick Grayson‘s, and later Bruce Wayne’s, partner. Kubert also takes the opportunity to chip away a bit at Morrison’s clone origin (and embracing Mike Barr’s original story) by suggesting Damian was more of a test-tube baby than a true scientific experiment.

With Batman vanquished, and Ra’s al Ghul and Talia washing their hands of Batman’s son, and no other member of the Bat-Family in sight, Damian is left to his own devices which leads the young man to brutally work his way through his father’s rogues gallery (mostly off-panel).

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