Batgirl #17

           I have heard beyond great things about this series. I have never been a big fan of Batman knock off series, that don't include Batman. I never really consider Batwoman, Batgirl or Azrael. But I was looking around the comic store and I finally decided to buy this issue.
           Alfred tells Damian Wayne that he needs to eat and sleep more. Damian tells Alfred to get out of his room. Stephanie Brown over slept and then ran out of bed. Robin (Damian Wayne) captures a crossing guard and tries to interrogate him because children are being kidnapped, and the crossing guard was acting suspicious. Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) comes in and says Batman told her to be in charge of the case. The children that go to the school the crossing guard was working for went on a field trip. Robin went undercover. After Batgirl resizes Robin doesn't know how to have fun, they see the bus driver for the field trip was kidnapped, and all the kids were told to get on the bus. Batgirl and Robin take out the kidnappers. Batgirl then takes Robin to a moon bounce where they both have fun.
         I really liked this issue. I'm a huge fan of Damian Wayne, and his relationship with other people in the Batman world. This was, like Superman/Batman, a fun read. I still have to read more about Batgirl before I can actually come to a decision of whether I like this series or not, because this issue was very much focused around Damian Wayne. If they made a new Robin series it might look like Batman has most of the series in the DCU, but I would definitely read it.
        As I said before this series was really just development for Robin. instead of showing him as a cynical, and pretentious person, it shows how being Robin, and being son of Batman, means that he will never really be a kid. Which is really just a whole new side to Robin that hasn't really been shown.
       This was a good comic, even though it wasn't about Batgirl it had great stuff about Robin. I will have to read more Batgirl comics to decide if I like this series, but it looks pretty good so far.





Grade: 8/10
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Superman/Batman #77

           I've only read a couple issues of Superman/Batman , so I don't really know what to say about the series. But with the little experience I've had with it I do know that this is a decent series, that is a good go to when you want a simple pleasure read. I was upset that Brave and the Bold had been canceled again, but when the letter came that my subscription was to be switched to Superman/Batman, I was exited.
           This issue is not about Superman or Batman, it's Supergirl and Robin. After some interns from Lex Corp get murdered a cop accuses Supergirl of not caring about things that don't have to with giant alien invasions. She goes to find Batman so he can help her with this case, but instead she gets Robin. They investigate at Lex Corp, and then go to a halloween party that all of the interns are. Everyone is talking about the murders except one Batman villain that really likes Halloween and fear.

            First off I have to say that the whole thing between the cop and Supergirl would have been really effective if I hadn't seen it about a hundred times before. Like in Legacies issue four, and Green Lantern/Green Arrow issue 76, and in so many more places. Other than that I really liked this issue. After I read it I thought to myself "this was a fun read," which it is but then I remembered the murders in the beginning, but it's still a fun read. This comic really puts Damian Wayne in the spot light which I think is good because I really like Damian Wayne, most likely I'm in a minority here, but I think he's a funny character and a good/contemporary Robin. I hope that this issue will help change the minds of all the people out there who hate Damian Wayne. Especially the way he was done here, Josh Williamson really made Damian Wayne, there were parts where I just couldn't stop laughing.
I'm now very exited for more Superman/Batman, and I urge you to pick up this issue.




Grade: 9/10
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Red Robin #13

                This issue would be best described with a line graph, but due to the fact that I don't have a line graph I'll just have to describe it to you. This comic was about Tim Drake going after Lynx. The beginning was as good as I could have ever hoped for. It showed the average relation between Dick, Damian, and Tim. It's always good to have something like that every so often, if you start littering the series with it, the series becomes no good, but every so often is good. Tim decided to go after Lynx when the other two went after Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. To be honest I really wanted it to be the other way around, I have actually never seen the Tweedles in a comic, but I've always wanted to. To find Lynx Tim does the classic Batman interrogation, again something I loved. He also decided to make a show about beating Lynx. I thought this showed the knowledge that everyone in the "Batman family" knows about their villains. He knows that if people saw Lynx beaten she would be disgraced and loose all of her power. So I liked that. The part with Drake's and Fox's engagement  was just okay, I wasn't expecting much out of that, so my expectations were past, but they were low. I went on to DC.com last month just to see what was coming out, as I did I thought hey, why doesn't Red Robin ever fight classic Batman villains? Then I saw this cover and I was really exited. When I opened the comic, I thought it would be somebody like Mr. Freeze, but no, we got Lynx. I relies that Niceza did well with her, but I was still disappointed. People were very exited for Nicieza, but I like Yost a lot better, the stories were just more compelling. Lastly I though To's art was below average, he made the fight scenes look like Japanese anime, I understand that could be because he is dealing with a villain who uses a samurai sword, and who wears a samurai mask. But why does Red Robin also look like a picture from a Japanese comic. So overall not the best thing I've ever seen, but not the worst.

Grade: 6.5/10
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Batman and Robin #12

                 Origionally I didn't like this series at first, but now that I've cancled my subscription, I'm starting to like it. Any way... in this issue Slade is controlling Robin and making him attack Batman. Finally when Batman defetes Robin/Slade, a wierdly dressed thug comes and steals something that Batman was holding. To be honest, I was really confused, but I know that will be important later. Then Robin visits his mother who then said that Robin is an enemy of Al Ghul. After that Alfred, Batman, and Robin were exploring the caves again, when they find a Batman costume hanging on what look like deer antlers, when Alfred notifies the JLA. Then Batman revisits Sexton, this is the shocking twist is.
                  This comic does not compare with Batman and Robin 10 nor does it compare to number 11. The caves were just revisited so it wasn't cool like that, and there were no revealing things except the one thing I can't tell you because it would ruin the comic. I would recommend reading this, just because you'll be lost without it. It just wasn't a good comic and it was disappointing.
 (Again the shocking twist was really cool)

Grade: 4/10
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Red Robin #12

                The whole Batman family is having a very good thing going with their comics. I didn't like it very much when Bruce Wayne was sent back through time, but recently I've barley noticed. (I still wan't Bruce Wayne back) In this comic Red Robin tracks down Ra's Al Ghul and fights with him, and Ra's also finds out that the plans he made to have everyone Bruce Wayne loved was killed, had been thwarted. Drake had people like Huntress and Man-Bat (who I thought was a villain so that was confusing) defend people like Alfred, Vicki Vale, and Lucius Fox. After a fight that was nothing short if epic, Drake revels what he had done to Ra's. He explained that Wayne had left a will giving all his shares to Wayne enterprises to Tim, so Hush didn't have control and Ra's was ruined. To be honest I was confused with Ra's's motives, did he want control of the compony? Anyway after Ghul kicks Red Robin through a high up window Batman saves him and brings him back to the Bat Cave, where there is a big emotional scene. The last page of the book showed a picture of a boy sitting on the ground saying this isn't happening with a picture of one of Bruce Wayne's ancestors (or even Bruce himself) and he said "He's alive,"  Which confused me.
                  As I said earlier this comic was good, not perfect like the most recent issue of Detective Comics, but it was good. I was confused by the plot, but I liked the appearances of Drake's friends, and the battle between Ra's and Drake was so cool.
                  I have to say one last thing. People don't like Damian Wayne. People say he isn't a good Robin, I disagree. He's now Dick Grayson, but he's pretty good, and his retorts are always funny.
                   Also: good bye Chris Yost, you were good, but it's time for something new.



Grade: 8.5/10
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Batman and Robin #11

         This comic was good, but like in #11 I'm confused to who this "Wayne" (I think) , impersonator type person is. Normally I would say it was Jason Todd, but he has already made an appearance in this series and he looks very different. But that was only the first couple pages. The rest of the comic was not as good as Batman and Robin #10 but it was still pretty good. It started with Damian and Sexton fighting in a cemetery, after a very good fight scene, and one or two people being hit on the head with a shovel, you see Dick Grayson exploring even more of Wayne manner that nobody knew about. After finding a demonic figure, and year old paint on the wall, Grayson, continues down the halls and out where Sexton and Robin are.  While Batman is exploring the tunnels Robin figures out that Osborne Sexton is not english and nor is he a writer, and then not a heart beat later Robin knocks  Sexton out, and threatens to kill Batman.
                   I love the exploring of the mansion, and I love the fight scene in the cemetery (which was next to Thomas Wayne's grave, which is also the door that Batman used to get into the cemetery) and I liked the fact that the person actually controlling Robin (physically) was not his mother, but Death-Stroke, making Robin deadlier than usual. Besides that there really wasn't much else to say about this comic, except to complement the simplicity which I Just mentioned, I'm exited to see how this concludes.
               But I'm even more exited to see the six issue series coming in May: The Return of Bruce Wayne. Every time I see an ad for it I get more and more exited. When he comes back, I am concerned that it will disrupt this series, which is pretty good, but it will be worth it.


Grade: A-
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Red Robin #11

            The combination of Batman & Robin and the Red Robin was next to brilliance, I just wish it had the writing to back that up.
            This particular issue started with a fight scene that I have seen before, Batman has many moves and the fight scenes are always entertaining, Red Robin has around five moves in his arsenal, There has only been 11 issues and I have seen him do a flying kick off his staff approximately eight times. Anyway after the fight scene, Drake and Pru go to the top of a building and interrogate one of the Seven Deadly Assassins. (the villains that were in the original fight scene, who work for Ra's Al Ghul)   when I say interrogate, I mean beat the living crap out of. They continue this until the member of the S.D.A  tells them a list of people close to Tim Drake that they are planning on assassinating. While this is happening, Tam is outside of Wayne manor with Vicki Vale, who is trying to get answers out of her, until they are almost killed by an assassin, after they get away nothing else really happens. Except when Batman and Robin come down and talk to Red Robin, overall the comic was really dull, and in the beginning when I said the crossover was next to brilliance, I did not say the comic was next to brilliant.
             One thing that I saw in the comic that was not really included in the comic (Advertisement) for a comic that was the return of Bruce Wayne By Grant Morrison, I just really hope that this is not false hope, where we find out that Bruce Wayne is gone forever, but I am really happy for the hope, and probability that Bruce Wayne will come back.

Grade: B
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Batman and Robin #10

" The Return of Bruce Wayne Begins Here"

This was one of the best comics that I have ever read. Accepting the idea that Bruce Wayne has gone back to the past, Batman and Robin run around the Wayne Manor finding clues that are left behind by a past Bruce Wayne. (yah I'm guessing that the Bruce Wayne travailing in time idea is true) Meanwhile Damian Wayne, wonders what would happen if Bruce Wayne returns? Will the spot of Robin be reserved for Damian? Plus there is something else on his mind. (I'm not going to spoil the plot)

I loved this comic. In a series that I don't like that much, this was like an oasis in the middle of a desert. The thought of finding secret rooms in Wayne Manor. Bringing Bruce Wayne back has to be perfect, and when I saw the cover of this issue, I prayed that Grant Morrison did justice to it. He did. This was in the top three comics that I have ever read, maybe even the best.

Something inside me is preempting disaster and another failed attempt at bringing Bruce Wayne back. But most of me is just happy that someone is trying.

Thank you, Grant Morrison, Thank you!

Grade: A+

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Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin issue 7 (and others)

I subscribed to this series thinking it would be about either: Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, or Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake. This made me very exited, I really wanted (and still want) a return of Bruce Wayne. I did not look to see who the author was. If I had seen Grant Morrison's name written I would have immediately have known it was going to be Dick Grayson and someone else, and I would have not subscribed. I have been putting these comics aside to collect dust until today. I picked up issue 7, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed it. It was a story about the potential resurrection of Bruce Wayne, and it featured the Knight and the Squire. (see Grant Morrison's The Black Case Book to be as exited as I am) I will give any readers a fair warning: I was a little confused, but the comic explains the plot later on.

After reading this issue, I went back to my comic collection, and pulled out others in the series. These were also very good, some were even better than number 7. I do hope that Bruce Wayne returns to a full series, but this is a good space filler. (for the time being)

Before issue 7, the stories were about Jason Todd. (Aka: the Red Hood) His returns are

always dramatic, but never as serious as this. He took the name as the "Red Hand of Justice" and the motto "Let the punishment fit the crime." With his guns and knives he runs around the streets killing all major, and minor criminals.

These early issues go into: Jason Todd's resentment toward Batman, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and even him self. He toys with the new Batman and the new Robin, until he goes [even a little more] insane [that he already is]. I thoroughly enjoyed every issue of this series [that I read], and do recommend buying it at a comic store. I do not recommend subscribing, I do not think these are the best comics I've ever read, and will probably get board with them relatively quickly.

Issue Grade: B

Series Grade: C+ (issues 1 through 3 lowered the grade)

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