"Batman And..." #22 and #23 Solicitations

[zapbiffpow]

Dad, quasi-Mom, and the eldest of the Bat-children take center stage with the release of the last two solicitations for the "Batman and Robin: Stages of Grief" arc, one each for July and August.





Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale JULY 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Bruce Wayne continues to grind through his grief over the death of Damian—but is Catwoman here to help Batman or take advantage of his vulnerable state?

Batman is this close to losing his footing in that cover.



BATMAN AND NIGHTWING #23
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale AUGUST 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Could Batman have saved Damian’s life after all? Guest starring Nightwing!

Lots of guesses at work here. Either it's

a) One last look at Damian as Robin,
b) A 'What If Batman Saved Robin' plot?
c) Nightwing finally getting Batman back into form, unless Tomasi does a subversion.
d) The new Robin making a last-page appearance
e) Hell, maybe Trinity War-related?

Bound to be an interesting issue!



Also, has Tomasi talked about what's next for Batman and Robin after this? Are they ending the series or rotating Batman's partner line-up, like those old Animorphs stories with a different narrator every book?

Comments

[bardbrain]

My thought.

Tomasi might be bringing in Professor Carter Nichols.

Nichols popped up in Morrison's run but was a 50s character who specialized both in providing Batman with actual time machines but also in sending Bruce and Dick through time via hypnosis as a form of regression therapy.

Say Dick, remembering Nichols' regression hypnosis, sets up a treatment for himself and Bruce. Except this sends them into a cycle of reliving Damian's death. Maybe they succeed but at the cost of Bruce's life in the hypnotic dreamstate until Damian in the hypnotic hallucination intercedes and gives Bruce permission to wake up and go back to his life.

[zapbiffpow]

So Nichols was an old-school character like Hurt? I thought he was just a one-shot plot point in Batman #700.

[icon_uk]

Oh no, Batman and Robin had many time travelling adventures back in the day, usually as a duo, but sometimes solo and a couple even involved Superman. Must see if I can dig a couple of those out, they're a hoot.

[zapbiffpow]

Sure, I'd love to see some of those with Batman and Robin! I've been looking for a retro Bat-fix lately.

[icon_uk]

Well, it looks like someone has saved me a job, pretty much

[zapbiffpow]

Holy crap, Carter Nichols. That was kickass!

[icon_uk]

It's the fact they wear the hats that sells it! :)

[junipepper]

lmao
Oh, my God, that's fabulous. My favorite part is how Batman just happens to be a perfect double for the King (even Supes can't tell them apart without a hint). And the Dynamic Duo indulging their love for dress-up games...
rotfl

[icon_uk]

I like to think that Dick kept his hat, and wore it to the next Teen Titans meeting, just to show up Roy who always thought he was so cool with his little "Speedy" hat.

[maxisanacorn]

I really miss Catwoman's chunky boots. What happened?

[icon_uk]

Bruce Wayne continues to grind through his grief

Best (and most honest) verb description of this event I could have imagined, though with Selina on the cover, a completely different meaning does come to mind.

[shadowpsykie]

.... i would not have gone there.....

Really?

[blue_bolt]

Cat and Bat grinding was ALL I COULD THINK of when I read the issue description.

Re: Really?

[junipepper]

Me too. Right down in the gutter with you folks.

[kurenai_tenka]

Regarding the last one:

Taking the description/cover into account, I'd have thought that it'll be him realising (probably through thinking/working it through), that there was no way for him to have possibly succeeded in saving him.... so Damian would be part of those scenarios.

[filthysize]

The last stage is Acceptance, after all.

[kurenai_tenka]

Exactly. :)

[i_paint_the_sky]

Despite the general negativity I've read in the comments here, I'm really interested in reading all these issues once the trade is released. I haven't gotten through all the first trade volumes I intend to read but, of what I have read, Batman and Robin was surprisingly my favourite. And I do like the idea of having a rotation of other team-ups for this book, now that Damien has died (which is the only thing I don't like about it but obviously that wasn't this title's doing).

[zapbiffpow]

I'm don't hate B&R, for the record - in fact, it's my second favorite book next to Batman.

Although, yeah, I agree in wishing another round of rotations before having a new Robin. It's too soon for fans to accept a new Robin after the last one died so recently, even if they're as interesting or engaging a character as possible.

[donnblake]

Quasi-mom? o.O? Has Selina ever acted as a mother towards any of the Robins?

[zapbiffpow]

That's the reason why I added quasi - she'd be the closest fit to a battle mom (barring Alfred of course), except we haven't had much interaction between her and the Robins since the reboot.