batman and robin 0 reviewBATMAN & ROBIN # 0
Writer: Pete Tomasi
Artist: Pat Gleason
Reviewer: Rob Patey (aka Optimous Douche – Ain’t It Cool News)

When a character is birthed from a matrix, then seconds later forced to swim in a Lazarus Pool filled with his wet nurse’s spilled blood for insolence, that’s a special young man who I want to know more about.

Fortunately I already do, Damian Wayne was a much-needed breath of fresh air to the BATMAN mythos. Tim Drake was ready to move on. Another “ward” would be trite at this point. A true son of Wayne was ready to come forward and making his Mother the world’s greatest assassin who lives on a completely 180 degree ideological wavelength from Bats has created the most dysfunctional and engrossing nuclear family in entertainment.

But to truly understand Damian, I needed to see more of Miss Talia’s relationship to her son outside of her recent assassination attempts in BATMAN INC. We could all guess at the expected moments, brought forth in action packed glory as Talia and Damian battle year-after-year from his toddlerhood till tweens.

The date of the battle that matters though is always on Damian’s birthday. The prize for winning? Talia finally spills the beans on who Damian can call for a transplant donor if a ninja zealot punctures his kidney.

Not only where these training days interesting and actually…endearing and informative…Tomasi also remembered the fundamental rule of Damian – never EVER forget he’ still a kid. From my favorite shot of the year (Bat Cow) to this issue where Damian finds his Father’s cowl in Mom’s hope chest and plays dress up, his sweetness is never that of a normal child’s. There’s a certainty to his actions that come with an affluent background and even with big doe preschooler eyes, that arrogance and certainty of rightness should be forever omnipresent.

And it was, right up until the last page when Damian meets the kidnapped Bats and makes a height joke while Dad is being held to the ground by henchmen.

BATMAN & ROBIN #0 is one of those truly necessary prequels and promises great things for issue 13 next month.