Batman and Robin #10 is the end of a 10-story arc. This journey has been one full of mystery and intrigue, with high school shenanigans sprinkled in between. Though the mystery’s resolution may leave more to be desired, the high school drama never stops being fun. More importantly, Batman and Robin’s relationship as father and son, something that has been missing in other books, is rightfully showcased with enthusiasm and glee on these pages.
This issue closes any previous loose ends with the duplicitous duo Man-Bat and Shush. But it doesn’t dwell too much on plot or antagonists, it deals with them swiftly in favor of more intimate and unmasked character moments. It assumes that readers already know how things are going to go, and that the heroes will win. So it does away with the conflict real quick, giving more pages dedicated to character relationships, such as Robin and Flatline, and the titular Batman and Robin. What keeps things interesting is each character’s dynamic with one another, their intermingling personas and trauma, and getting to see them get better, not at fighting crime, but at life. This is what’s enchanting about the story, it’s when they’re outside their costumes.
DC Comics
Simone Di Meo and Nikola Čižmešija continue to juggle the art for different pages and manage to keep the tone consistent. Their different styles are spread in a manner that keeps them from being jarring yet still maintains their independent charms. It’s also great to see Damian appreciate life, even that of bats, knowing how he grew up with the League of Assassins and started off killing criminals. The Boy Wonder certainly has grown a lot, if not in stature, then in morals and emotional maturity. Sadly on the villains’ side, their resolutions are unremarkable at best. Man-Bat is defeated in a poetic but unimpactful manner. In the end, he is still in no way on the same level as other big names from Batman’s rogues gallery, ever too reliant on his gimmick. Similarly, Shush shies away from the pages, becoming another one-off new addition.
The good news is, there are a lot of teases for the future. Flatline has an interesting secret that may come back to bite the dynamic duo. By the coda, with Batman and Robin sharing a nice family reunion in the moonlight, a past villain is reintroduced for their next adventure. This old plot thread is something that I can’t wait for the team to explore, as the character interactions should be intriguing and they are long overdue for a resolution.
All in all, Batman and Robin #10 is a fun conclusion to the first main arc of the series that highlights the father-and-son relationship more than anything else. For people looking for what the title promises, the dynamic duo back to their roots, working together as a team, they won’t be disappointed. It’s all about Batman and Robin here, both of them equally sharing a spotlight.
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