Reviews
Batman and Robin, Vol. 4: Dark Knight vs. White Knight by Paul Cornell, Peter J. Tomasi, Judd Winick
iam_griff's review against another edition
4.0
THIS! This is what I miss from reading comics. Good artwork & better writing. I’ll be honest, I’ve never liked Jason Todd as a character & liked him even less when I heard they were bringing him back from the dead. Nobody stays dead in comics unless your name is Thomas & Martha Wayne or Uncle Ben. Judd Winick does a decent job of writing Jason Todd (Red Hood) although I think he makes him almost too smooth. I couldn’t put this volume down & had it read in a day.
space_gaudet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eden_ainsley's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
lorien13's review against another edition
5.0
I've cried reading a lot of manga and comics and books, but never has Batman made me cry. Sure, it's ripped my heart out, made me whimper in sorrow, crack up and grin, and come close to vomiting at the nastiness of the evil villains. But never cried.
I cried reading this volume.
There's a sense in Batman that every character and villain is expendable. Sure, they may come back on a different earth, but you never know when a beloved character might die, or how horrible it will be. Jason is the best example of just how dark this comic universe can get.
I read what happened to Robin a while ago, and then read the comic where it actually happened. Perhaps Nightwing was the hardest for me to read. But damn, this takes the cake. It just ripped my heart out over and over. I wondered how far Bruce would go, but then that last comic! Oh man! It killed me.
I keep saying Batman blows me away over and over, and it does. While there's some changes that have me raging (see my twitter for more details) they have some amazing storytellers in DC, and this is phenomenal. 5/5 star, and totally worth rereading over and over and crying every time. (Don't ask me why I do that, but I do, all the time.)
I cried reading this volume.
There's a sense in Batman that every character and villain is expendable. Sure, they may come back on a different earth, but you never know when a beloved character might die, or how horrible it will be. Jason is the best example of just how dark this comic universe can get.
I read what happened to Robin a while ago, and then read the comic where it actually happened. Perhaps Nightwing was the hardest for me to read. But damn, this takes the cake. It just ripped my heart out over and over. I wondered how far Bruce would go, but then that last comic! Oh man! It killed me.
I keep saying Batman blows me away over and over, and it does. While there's some changes that have me raging (see my twitter for more details) they have some amazing storytellers in DC, and this is phenomenal. 5/5 star, and totally worth rereading over and over and crying every time. (Don't ask me why I do that, but I do, all the time.)
crystalmbookshelf83's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
pickett22's review against another edition
2.0
So we start out this collection with a run called "The Sum of her Parts," which was about a strong female villain who was so obviously written by a man it's physically painful. Welcome to DC.
Then we have "Tree of Blood," which, as the title might suggest, was pretty gruesome. I think, though, if I was really into Batman and Robin, I might have liked that one. As it is, I'm kind like... cool story, bro.
Finally, we have "The Streets Run Red," in which the Red Hood breaks out of prison. With some help. And in which Jason Todd spends much of his time undressed. So I'm pretty okay with this one. Definitely the best of the bunch.
I really enjoyed the Bat Family dynamic in all of them. They're actually pretty great characters.
Then we have "Tree of Blood," which, as the title might suggest, was pretty gruesome. I think, though, if I was really into Batman and Robin, I might have liked that one. As it is, I'm kind like... cool story, bro.
Finally, we have "The Streets Run Red," in which the Red Hood breaks out of prison. With some help. And in which Jason Todd spends much of his time undressed. So I'm pretty okay with this one. Definitely the best of the bunch.
I really enjoyed the Bat Family dynamic in all of them. They're actually pretty great characters.
rhganci's review against another edition
5.0
The death of Damian Wayne was one of the worst-kept secrets of the New 52, as not only was it publicized aggressively as a sort of spoiler-non-spoiler, but also in that volume 4 of Batman & Robin was actually titled Requiem for Damian long before Batman, Incorporated, Vol. 2: Gotham's Most Wanted even became available in trade paperback. That made this part of the current Bat-plots kind of uncompelling, especially through the end of Death of the Family. There, the writers really hit a strong stride in the development of Damian and Bruce's relationship. Knowing that death would undercut any sort of satisfying takeaway from any story involving Bruce and Damian made me likewise skeptical about this volume, but I was happily wrong about that: in this collection, Tomasi and Gleason bring the book to its highest height, and from the "silent issue" to the last exchange between Batman and Alfred, they lend the gravity to this storyline that DC's publishing habits tried to mitigate.
What I loved most about this volume was the overall structure. The fact that DC's editorial staff greenlit six issues to explore the depths of Batman's grief shows more great decision-making with the character. Better still is that we get an entire issue to just process the immediate aftermath of Damian's death, and the raw emotions that govern the mourning father's existence. I can't say enough about the striking nature of the "silent issue"--another poorly-kept secret--or the fact that each of the other issues focuses, in order, on the Five Stages of Grief, from the standalone plot of the issue to the titles, each of which alter the title of the book slightly: Batman & Robin becomes Batman & Red Robin, Batman & Batgirl, or Batman & Catwoman; each presents a self-contained story in which Batman, with the help of a member of the Bat-family, works through the five stages of grief. It's a sophisticated, brainy approach to story structure, one that might alienate some readers if the stories themselves weren't so good--they tell of the mourning father, and his efforts to process the most grievous loss since the one that molded his persona. It's a powerful use of the comic medium, and with a few backup teases as to what is coming next, the book gives us exactly what we would expect from the character we all know so well.
Gleason and Gray complement the story flawlessly. Since they have the first and last word in the "silent issue," their artistic storytelling prowess makes this not only the most memorable moment of Batman & Robin, but perhaps the most memorable moment of the entire New 52. They follow this up with their familiar dark pencils, inks, and colors, with shadowy eyes and the strong presence of red throughout each issue. It's powerful storytelling anyway the reader approaches it, and at least equal to the achievement in terms of visual creation that counterpart Greg Capullo achieved in Batman, Vol. 1: Court of Owls. The number of Bat-books is one thing, but the work of the creative teams is another--and in this collection, Tomasi and Gleason show us they aren't the B-team in terms of bringing top-quality storytelling to the Bat-family. Batman & Red Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem for Damian stands at the top of what DC has accomplished with the character since September of 2011.
What I loved most about this volume was the overall structure. The fact that DC's editorial staff greenlit six issues to explore the depths of Batman's grief shows more great decision-making with the character. Better still is that we get an entire issue to just process the immediate aftermath of Damian's death, and the raw emotions that govern the mourning father's existence. I can't say enough about the striking nature of the "silent issue"--another poorly-kept secret--or the fact that each of the other issues focuses, in order, on the Five Stages of Grief, from the standalone plot of the issue to the titles, each of which alter the title of the book slightly: Batman & Robin becomes Batman & Red Robin, Batman & Batgirl, or Batman & Catwoman; each presents a self-contained story in which Batman, with the help of a member of the Bat-family, works through the five stages of grief. It's a sophisticated, brainy approach to story structure, one that might alienate some readers if the stories themselves weren't so good--they tell of the mourning father, and his efforts to process the most grievous loss since the one that molded his persona. It's a powerful use of the comic medium, and with a few backup teases as to what is coming next, the book gives us exactly what we would expect from the character we all know so well.
Gleason and Gray complement the story flawlessly. Since they have the first and last word in the "silent issue," their artistic storytelling prowess makes this not only the most memorable moment of Batman & Robin, but perhaps the most memorable moment of the entire New 52. They follow this up with their familiar dark pencils, inks, and colors, with shadowy eyes and the strong presence of red throughout each issue. It's powerful storytelling anyway the reader approaches it, and at least equal to the achievement in terms of visual creation that counterpart Greg Capullo achieved in Batman, Vol. 1: Court of Owls. The number of Bat-books is one thing, but the work of the creative teams is another--and in this collection, Tomasi and Gleason show us they aren't the B-team in terms of bringing top-quality storytelling to the Bat-family. Batman & Red Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem for Damian stands at the top of what DC has accomplished with the character since September of 2011.
howattp's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite volumes of Batman. I worried, like some people, that without Grant Morrison at the helm, it wouldn't be as great. It's actually really excellent.
The first storyline, "The Sum of All Her Parts," is just fine. The Absence is absolutely ridiculous though, though the idea behind her crimes is interesting.
"Dark Knight vs. White Knight" is amazing. It reminds me of Identity Crisis, but in reverse. There's a criminal seeking the family members of Arkham inmates. It really cements my love of Dick as Batman and Damien as his ornery Robin.
Finally, "The Streets Run Red" was fantastic. Maybe this is because it comes on the heels of me reading Red Hood: The Lost Days> about the intervening time after Jason Todd's death and his return, but I thought it was amazing. I'm totally on a Red Hood high right now. He's an assassin with a conscience. He's bankrupt morally, but he's absolutely likable. This is a short, but enjoyable story with Jason Todd.
The first storyline, "The Sum of All Her Parts," is just fine. The Absence is absolutely ridiculous though, though the idea behind her crimes is interesting.
"Dark Knight vs. White Knight" is amazing. It reminds me of Identity Crisis, but in reverse. There's a criminal seeking the family members of Arkham inmates. It really cements my love of Dick as Batman and Damien as his ornery Robin.
Finally, "The Streets Run Red" was fantastic. Maybe this is because it comes on the heels of me reading Red Hood: The Lost Days> about the intervening time after Jason Todd's death and his return, but I thought it was amazing. I'm totally on a Red Hood high right now. He's an assassin with a conscience. He's bankrupt morally, but he's absolutely likable. This is a short, but enjoyable story with Jason Todd.
hidinginstacks's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a fan of Damian Wayne and Dick Grayson, so the two teaming up as Batman and Robin is so fun to read. They have a good chemistry and humor that lightens up the series as much as it can be.
The first story was good. The scorned lady of Bruce Wayne's life looked a lot like Selina to me, but that's just me being salty since I always want BatCat to win.
The second was a good read, too, but there's some things that were confusing. Although the villain's backstory was revealed toward the end, I still wondered how he was able to achieve that power of illumination.
Finally, there's a story about Jason Todd. He's a series favorite but not so much for me. It was an entertaining read, and I'm puzzled because I had no idea that he's a redhead. Nonetheless, it was a great way to end the book.
Definitely pick this up and add it to your collection! It's worth it!
The first story was good. The scorned lady of Bruce Wayne's life looked a lot like Selina to me, but that's just me being salty since I always want BatCat to win.
The second was a good read, too, but there's some things that were confusing. Although the villain's backstory was revealed toward the end, I still wondered how he was able to achieve that power of illumination.
Finally, there's a story about Jason Todd. He's a series favorite but not so much for me. It was an entertaining read, and I'm puzzled because I had no idea that he's a redhead. Nonetheless, it was a great way to end the book.
Definitely pick this up and add it to your collection! It's worth it!