Batman, Robin, and the school soccer team combine in the latest story arc in Batman and Robin. The series has been a great example of showing Batman as a wholesome father figure to Robin, who is having a hard time adjusting to school life. The kids bully him, he’s bored with the classes, and he’s sure a staff member is the same woman who taught him at one point when he was still living with his mother, Talia. Now he’s on a mission to prove she’s training the kids to be villains, and he’s set his sights on a star soccer player.
That star soccer player takes the central focus in Batman and Robin #6. Mixing detective work with quick thinking, our heroes determine Zach has a fascination with Victor Zsasz. This leads to an explosive action scene as they try to stop innocent folks from being hurt as Zach tries to free Zsasz. On display is Zach’s speed and agility, which Nikola Cizmesija captures well. Something is up with Zach, but the immediate threat has to be vanquished first.
The second half of the book leans more into the bonding between Batman and Robin. There’s a touching scene with Damian showing Batman his drawings, and it’s clear as day writer Joshua Williamson is taking this relationship seriously. It’s wholesome and a nice change of pace for a relationship that’s typically been about their work in the field and nothing more.
Cizmesija draws a scary Zsasz.
Credit: DC Comics
This issue moves along quite well with multiple location changes and a cliffhanger that’ll please fans of Williamson’s previous Robin series. Pair that with Cizmesija’s slightly cartoony style, and the book has a manga vibe for sure. Cizmesija continues to please with fun designs like the very bald Zsasz and his loud expressions, or a great page showing Damian’s artwork.
The mystery of Shush feels drawn out at this point, though. The school staff continues to deny she’s Shush, yet Damian insists with no new information. A two-page scene reads like a retread, as if the reader would forget she’s his main target. It does naturally transition to a bully giving Damian a hard time, but when you consider the teacher and Man-Bat threats continue to have little progress done, it’s beginning to get tiring.
Rex Lokus adds nice volume via colors with great lighting throughout. A shot of Batman and Robin diving down at Zsasz utilizes the gleam of the sun off a building to add extra drama.
Batman and Robin #6 is another chapter that reminds us of the bond Batman and Robin have more than anything else. I could see this appealing to younger readers, and in turn, it has a lighter feel. The world isn’t ending, and the stakes aren’t that high, but there are some wholesome, fun adventures to be had.
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