Batman and Robin #16 Review

Though it doesn’t quite reach the narrative heights of the issue that came before it, Batman and Robin #16 continues to use Death of the Family to its advantage in terms of pushing Damian Wayne to his limits, not to mention giving the art team a chance to craft the creepiest Joker they possibly can. Whereas last issue was primarily Joker’s show in terms of characterization, the payoff of that chapter is the position it leaves Damian in – kill his Joker-ized father or be killed himself.

What’s so successful about the tie-ins to Death of the Family this week (Batgirl was excellent as well) is that they use the larger narrative for their own devices. In B&R’s case, it’s exploring the range of Damian’s emotions and his inherent split between the way he aspires to be – like his dad – and the way that he seems to actually be – like his mom. While the “twist” ending is quite obvious from the get-go, Tomasi nonetheless makes the best of the tension that results from the father vs. son scenario, and relegates Joker to a role akin to that of a cheerleader encouraging their team, albeit one that’s cut off their face and sewed it back on.

While Tomasi leads the reader in a direction that feels like Damian is destined to be broken, we get to see the character display a resolve that is utterly unimaginable for a ten year old. Once again, Tomasi makes a great case for why Damian is, in fact, the best Robin.

Penciller Patrick Gleason, inkers Mick Gray and Keith Champagne, and colorist John Kalisz blend their talents astutely here to deliver another issue packed with atmosphere and intensely disturbing imagery. While the Joker-fied Batman is creepy enough, the art team once again goes all-in on Joker, crafting an image that is more in tune with Leatherface than anything else.

It keeps the design of Greg Capullo’s Joker but presents him with black hole-like orifices, as though presenting a gateway to the character’s innards that are, expectedly, entirely vacant. Save for Capullo’s take on Joker in Batman proper, Gleason and company have done the character the most justice in Death of the Family by taking the horror elements of his redesign and cranking them up to eleven.

Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator. Follow Joey on Twitter @JoeyEsposito, or find him on IGN at Joey-IGN. He will love Star Wars until he becomes one with the Force, and then he will continue loving it as a blue ghost.

Source : ign[dot]com