Batman and Robin #8

[sherkahn]

2 pages that help redefine who this new Batman... Bruce Wayne has become.



Bruce rushes home to tend to Damien's wounds at the hands of Nobody.

After getting Damien some treatment, he collapses under the portrait of his parents, burdened by the guilt that his own son was not able to live up to the promise and standards he vowed to his parents. After some time to recover, Damien and Bruce finally have a talk about what has happened.




and the men of Wayne have a few hours off, doing something as common as walking the dog.

It's nice to see a well balanced Bruce Wayne walking around, leading by example, rather than the vengeance filled dark knight.

Comments

[jaysonbyron]

D'awwwww. That face!

[shadowpsykie]

okay. yes... i like this...

[darkknightjrk]

Still think they could have easily condensed this to six issues at least, but still a solid ending.

[shanejayell]

Awww.

It's nice to see a nondickish Bruce

[darkknightjrk]

We've gotten a fairly nondickish Bruce since at least Morrison.

[junkurosu]

This was very good (and I'm glad the artist included a certain object in the background of certain panels).

Damian was just adorable.

And here is to hoping this story will help Bruce deal with Damian's siblings in the future.

[icon_uk]

More like Damian's siblings helping him deal with Bruce I'd say, if Damian didn't learn it during his year working with Dick, there's not a whole lot of hope.

[junkurosu]

I will keep the flicker alive!

Yea, I doubt anything is going to change in the long run, but I'm a glutton for sisyphean tasks which includes hoping for character progress in American comic books!

[maxisanacorn]

Well considering the wonderful character development Damian had in working with Dick and Steph in Steph's Batgirl book is probably gutted/rendered non-canon now...Damian post reboot was probably two steps back than he'd been.

[darkknightjrk]

"(and I'm glad the artist included a certain object in the background of certain panels)"

I give, what object are you seeing?

[junkurosu]

The same object that appears when Bruce gets broody over a Robin and feels like he failed 7 out of 10 times: Jason's tunic (this time in reboot form).

Symbolism!

[icon_uk]

So it's confirmed he killed Ducard, not a paralysing strike?

[sherkahn]

Fingers into the brain pan. So deep in that the skull fragments are pushing the eyes to bulge.



But then again, there is this woman who has a hole in her head walking around.

[anothermoviegeek]

I am not convinced it has been confirmed. As they flew off and the boat was sinking, we were treated to one last shot of Nobody's eyes looking up. No-body no death and all.

[shadowpsykie]

"Sometimes i don't know, what i am"

this is for you Damian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4VMudwlVEU

[aeka]

I actually liked this issue. Especially Damian's line of "I don't want to end up like Ducard...without a moral compass...I don't want to turn into a Nobody. I want to be like you. I've always wanted to be like you."

I thought that was a great character moment right there.

[thefiretonight]

I liked the character growth moments, I just wish it didn't take Damian killing more to get to it. Even tho, I'm more inclined to upset about the animals than Nobody, heh.

[darkknightjrk]

Yeah--I thought this book was fairly decompressed, but that moment and this whole issue in general really helped make it a little more worth it.

[biod]

I think I might like Batman for this reason more than any other:
Kid loses his family, vows to bring justice to his city, and gains a family.
And they say heroes never get a reward.

[eaglet_auditore]

That, exactly that. I agree with all you just wrote.

[darkknightjrk]

Where's the gorram "Like" button?!

Ima let you guys finish your daww moment real quick, but first...

[glprime]

"...And that's why I have to let the Joker live. Because otherwise it corrupts my soul and promotes a cycle of violence. Mostly violence against non-violent innocents, but violence nonetheless. Also, it's not violence if it doesn't end in homicide, so all the permanent injury I did to people over the years is totally cool."

Re: Ima let you guys finish your daww moment real quick, but first...

[lascoden]

I always liked Chris Sim's idea of why Batman doesn't kill: He has devoted his entire life to fighting crime. It's his mission. And to him, the ultimate crime is, of course, the taking of a life.

Plus, I hate debates about him killing the Joker. It's not his responsibility, or his fault. Joker's given a trial every time. Nobody brings up the judges, or the jury. It's the people of Gotham's own fault they haven't fried his ass yet, which makes a remarkable amount of sense to me. I don't think Batman would give a crap if he was legally executed.

Re: Ima let you guys finish your daww moment real quick, but first...

[sistermagpie]

IAWC. Especially because it always winds up with Bruce's responsibility growing and shrinking to fit any occasion so he's alternately overstepping his bounds by crimefighting at all and not doing his job by not executing criminals to keep people safe. I think any attempt on his part to work with the law a good thing.

Re: Ima let you guys finish your daww moment real quick, but first...

[starwolf_oakley]

Plus, of course, Joker lunch boxes. Can't forget those Joker lunch boxes.

[katiemandel98]

I loved this whole sage, and liked the note it ended on! I so can't wait for the next set, I'm lovin this series. :)

My only peeve is that they changed the cover! I liked that the mask was removed in the original cover, and wished they would have kept it. I guess in my head the lack of mask presented this symbol of vulnerability, and Bruce having to be a father and not Batman...or something like that. I'm sure someone can clarify that better than I. :P

[eyz]

I'm warming up to this series...I still miss the Double Dee's Extraordinary though... (Dick+Damian)

[whitesycamore]

Bruce is so sanctimonious that by the end of one of his speeches I always find myself slightly more in favour of murder.

[sistermagpie]

I can't let any post of this go by without saying:

I'm so sick of the focus on how Damian is, above everything else, Bruce's SON. Because Bruce has never had to be a FATHER before, this is all new. He's not just Robin--he's Batman Jr.

[kurenai-tenka.livejournal.com]

This!

[kazeno]

Well, this leaves me conflicted. I really like Bruce's "no, we just don't understand each other" line, and that Damian's showing doubt and no longer acting like a self-assured little monster. Character development! On the other hand, Damian just murdered a guy. At the very least, it proves Damian's not ready to be out in the field as Robin, since he can't be trusted not to kill people. I mean, how many times can this kid break Bruce's single most important rule and be forgiven?