Wednesday, April 10, 2013

365 Comics...100: Batman and Red Robin #19 (2013)

I picked up 10 new books this week (2 DC, 2 Marvel,1 Dark Horse, 2 Image, 1 Valiant, 1 Boom Studios and 1 IDW... talk about your diversified portfolio [who was talking diversified portfolios?]) and my first read of the week was Batman and Red Robin #19.  Why? Because I bought into the hype, that's why.

It's going to get spoilery in here (no, not Steph Brown Spoiler, sorry) so if you plan to read it best skip this.


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So it's been largely spoiled by the comics and mainstream media that Carrie Kelley makes her debut here.  I understand that Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns was seminal in its day and had a lasting impact upon the genre and the medium, but I've never been much of a fan and I don't see what the big deal is about her appearance here.  Are people really that excited for Carrie to be a "real" Robin? 

That said I liked her character here and how Pete Tomasi has brought her into the mythos, by way of Damian.  It was a nice touch, one that I'd like to spend more time with. I don't know that I want her to be Robin but she's fun to read so why not?

I wish the rest of the issue were as good though.  Were it any other character Batman's actions here would be a declarative step towards supervillainy.  He's not teetering the line, his swung his damn ass over it by kidnapping Frankenstein and dismantling him to figure out how he was put together and brought to life.  Bruce has gone full-bore psychopath and it looks like everyone is just gonna let him skate instead of putting him down.  Oh just let him grieve in his own way and do some seriously Bat-shit crazy things.

- I'm always happy to see Frankenstein
- Red Robin way kind of a waste
- that full page splash of Carrie in a Robin costume attending a costume party that you've seen floating around the net?  It's a terrible drawing.  Compositionally speaking, character posture-wise,facial expression... not Pat Gleason's finest work that's for sure
- The "WTF" gatefold cover this.. I get why it is "on-topic" but I'm very tired of TDR lifts / homages
-Batman #19 also has Bruce Wayne going bad, very bad. What's it all mean when yor put it together?

-Is Carrie's roommate Steph ?

2 comments:

Adj said...

Knee jerk reaction without even having read this yet?

Hate.

Unless they are finally bringing Steph back...

But I still don't trust them.

King Beauregard said...

At least the writer isn't on Batman's side here; the story is written so that it's very clear Batman is in the wrong.

I could do without Carrie Kelly, but I trust Tomasi to use her the right amount. As a guess, when this comic turned into "Batman and ...", Tomasi decided to think outside the box as to what possible Robins could be part of the story; and when it came to Carrie he couldn't really make her a Robin but he wanted to have fun with her. My prediction on Tomasi's plan: Carrie's going to use her money to do some sort of "Batman and Robin" production.