If you want father/son bonding, Batman and Robin is the place to be. The new series has the two connecting in heartwarming ways while Damian continues to avoid school. All the while, they’re trying to capture the White Rabbit, a villain in gauze is giving them trouble, and Batman is now being attacked by bats thanks to something injected in him. It’s a complicated life these two lead, but at least their bond is clearly as strong as ever.
Batman and Robin #3 opens with a memory of Damian’s as he insists his training has made him unteachable. He knows it all. Enter Batman, who presses him, saying thinking like that is right when you fall. How this plays into the rest of the story remains to be seen, but one can imagine writer Joshua Williamson is relating the fact that Damian probably should go to school even if it does seem beneath him.
School is the least of their worries in this issue as they race to capture the White Rabbit. This is the issue for anyone wanting details on Hush connections. Shush explains things, and by the end of the issue, the main villain is much more clear. Much of this issue is a cat and mouse game, however, as everyone is trying to acquire the White Rabbit, or in Batman’s case, deactivate a bomb.
The race is on!
Credit: DC Comics
Possibly the best scene in the issue is a car chase. Simone Di Meo crushes in this scene, utilizing motion blur, neon light, and sleek vehicles to create something even better than what the Fast and the Furious franchise can bring. His artistry is also quite strong in the ending sequence, as Damian is taken by surprise. Earlier scenes feel a little confined, however, with the White Rabbit chase a little all over the place. The chaos of the moment loses you.
Plotting is a little wonky as well, particularly when Batman is forced to deactivate a bomb. There’s a lot of talk between Batman and Shush that leads to their breaking away from each other. Maybe it’s the claustrophobic art, but Shush seems to escape a cage off the panel, although it’s hard to tell. Either way, their confrontation could have played out in a more clear way or at least a more interesting one. There’s also the problem of the narrative being very McGuffin-driven, with little emotional stakes for the characters at this stage.
I want to like Batman and Robin #3, but the issue doesn’t quite work from cover to cover. The car chase is great, and the art soars at times, but the narrative feels muddled in its plotting and McGuffin-driven, unfocused nature.
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