Review: Batman and Robin vol. 1: Born to Kill

How did I get it: The library.

Why did I read it: While I have no interest in the latest Batman movie, I have been enjoying a lot of Batman-related graphic novels lately. I also couldn’t resist one that featured Damian.

Summary: 

Batman begins battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne’s past: His name is NoBody, and he’s not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil…

Review: As dark as this graphic novel was, I loved that the main plot was the emotional turbulence between a father and son. The secondary plot involved a villain who forces both of them to confront aspects of themselves that don’t care for in order to make changes and much needed decisions.

Batman has become known for many things and chief among them is his unwillingness to kill, which has less to do with a lack of interest and more to do with how hard he has a worked to keep his anger in check. Damian, being the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia, daughter of super-villain Ra’s al Ghul, has similar anger issues but has been raised since birth to embrace his murderous impulses.

As similar as both of them are deep down, they cannot seem to understand one another to the point where the other might as well be speaking a foreign language. A lot of that emotional distance is conveyed through awkward scenes of them together, but also through Alfred who continually tries to bridge the gap between them by offering Bruce very simple advice and guidance.

In conclusion, excellent. As leery as I’ve been of the New 52 reboot to all the DC titles, I have to admit I’ve been really impressed and satisfied with the first volumes I’ve read. So far, Batman & Robin: Born to Kill has been my favorite.

How I would rate it: 5 out of 5 stars.

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