New 52

• Title: Batman and Robin #18
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
• Artist: Patrick Gleason

Following the events of Batman Incorporated #8, writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason offer us this silent issue of the Dark Knight quietly dealing with the death of his son Damian. Even without a single word spoken (or even showing up in an old fashioned thought balloon) Batman and Robin #18 is the first of the “Requiem” crossovers to focus on the fallout of Robin’s death (and not just stick it in as a B-story).

Although Gleason offers several strong splash pages, some of the smaller individual panels of Batman out and about in Gotham aren’t quite as strong. This is certainly a comic that would have been better off to showcase more than one artist to carry so much of the weight of the storytelling.

On one hand, the issue puts Damian’s loss at the forefront and showcases the toll it’s taking on Batman. On the other hand it’s still a bit of a cheat as the hard but necessary conversations after such an event have still yet to take place. However, the set-up certainly makes the only words we do see, Damian’s final message to his father, certainly have a greater impact. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

• Title: Detective Comics #18
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: John Layman
• Artist: Jason Fabok

Although the cover suggests this issue to be centered around the fallout of the death of Damian, Detective Comics #18 is far more concerned with continuing to tell the Emperor Penguin storyline. Damian’s absence, although felt, is only really addressed in a handful of panels.

The continuation of the Emperor Penguin storyline gives us Ogilvy in complete control of the Penguin‘s former empire as well as a new partnership between the Emperor Penguin and Zsasz who has his own score to settle with Cobblepot. The issue also includes a backup story focused on filling us in on the New 52 origin of Zsasz and how his partnership with Ogilvy came about.

Although the comic touches on Damian’s death I expected far more. Batman kicks some ass and finally takes down Cobblepot. Zsasz’s new origin story aside (which is ridiculously simple even for a comic book) the Emperor Penguin storyline works well enough here and by the end delivers a new weapon to Ogilvy to help cement his power base – the Man-Bat formula. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

• Title: Batman Incorporated #8
• Comic Vine: link
• Writer: Grant Morrison
• Artist: Chris Burnham

Let’s get this straight before discussing the awfulness that is Batman Incorporated #8, I’m about as far as you can get from a Grant Morrison fan. The comic writer certainly has his devoted followers, but although I think he can sometimes create something worthwhile completely outside of DC continuity (All-Star Superman), most of the time I’m sick to death of his overly-complex (and at times nearly incomprehensible) stories which force well-established characters into roles that don’t fit them in order to create a “definitive” version of the characters purely to serve the man’s massive ego.

Back in 2006 Grant Morrison introduced the character of Damian Wayne, the offspring of Batman and Talia al Ghul. Rather than use existing Batman stories which laid the groundwork for the character’s existence (and he couldn’t even be bothered to read until his version had been published), Morrison made up his own convoluted tale involving genetic manipulations and clones. And so Damian, the genetic (but not quite biological) offspring of the Dark Knight and the daughter of one of his greatest enemies was born.

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