Following the defeat of the villain Memento in the previous arc, writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Fico Ossio have returned the dynamic duo to decidedly less mystical roots. Their new adversary, dubbed “The Quiet Man,” is, for all intents and purposes, an ordinary man who is on a revenge mission against the man who killed his son: The Ventriloquist (also known as Arnold Wesker), the puppeteer behind Scarface. Unfortunately for The Quiet Man, Wesker is in hiding. He suffered a mental break that not only erased his memories but also his various villainous personalities. With the help of a psychiatrist, he’s been slowly building up something resembling a normal life, happy, healthy, and blissfully ignorant. To track him down, The Quiet Man has hunted down Wesker’s old colleagues, Two-Face and the Penguin, threatening their lives and their criminal enterprises to track down his true target.
Issue #27 really takes this grounded villain to use as a foil for Batman himself. Not only is he fighting the same villains as Batman, but he’s doing so as a father. The issue accentuates this sympathetic angle when Robin ends up trapped under some rubble. The Quiet Man saves him from getting crushed, even despite Robin’s protests, all the while he chastises Bruce for being a careless father. Though the fight ends with all parties escaping, the impact The Quiet Man leaves on Bruce is apparent. We see Bruce struggle to guide his son between the superhero persona of Robin and his future as Damian, especially since the previous arc spent a lot of time developing the latter. This internal struggle leads to the reunion promised on the front cover: a visit from the Kents. While the Supersons go out to explore Gotham and visit the cohort of street rats Damian befriended in the last arc, Bruce has a moment to seek advice from a successful super-parent. While overlooking their sons interacting with the kids of Gotham, Clark asserts that no one knows what they’re doing, even him, but ultimately, there is no better person to raise Damian than Bruce.
In the wake of the news that Phillip Kenedy Johnson has signed an exclusivity deal with Marvel, I can’t help but find myself lamenting the future of this series. PKJ and the artistic team behind this book have done a fantastic job of fleshing out the relationship between the titular duo and developing a spot for Damian in the DC universe as a whole. This particular issue contrasts their father-son relationship with, of course, the Kents and also with The Quiet Man’s quest for vengeance. It follows up on the emotional beats of the Memento arc, which heavily featured Damian doubting his mission as Robin, but ultimately embracing it. In this arc, however, we see a different conflict that pays respect to both characters’ development over the past years.
Bruce no longer stresses over Damian being a violent assassin, but rather how he, as a father, can guide Damian down the path he wants for himself. He doesn’t try to control Damian’s future. He has faith in his son in a way he hasn’t before. It’s a touching direction to take the duo, and you get the impression that this is a more mature Bruce who has learned a lot not just from raising Damian but all of his Robins.
The art in the issue only further accentuates PKJ’s strong writing. Fico Ossio’s linework is textured and detailed throughout, but the highlight is the dynamic poses of the characters, particularly in action scenes, which feel alive and kinetic as ever. The colors from Marcelo Maiolo also complement the work perfectly, especially the lighting, which uses stark shadows combined with shining bright values, always drawing attention where it needs to be on a page. The lettering, while not as instantly remarkable as the art, does its job well, with special attention being paid to making sure The Quiet Man lives up to his name’s sake by having a paler grey color for his dialogue as opposed to the rest of the cast’s black text. The visual work being done on this book, in conjunction, really stands out stylistically from Jorge Jimenez’s comparatively clean-cut work on the main “Batman” title in a way that gives this book its own identity in the litany of Batman books DC puts out every month.
Batman and Robin #27 is an excellent example of what makes these characters shine, even amid the sea of oversaturation. The emphasis on personal connection and relationships, combined with the spectacular art, makes this era of the Dynamic Duo feel incredibly special and personal, even if it is ultimately overshadowed by the looming departure of its star writer.
Review: ‘Batman and Robin’ #27 Is All About Fathers and Sons
Batman and Robin #27 is an excellent example of what makes these characters shine, even amid the sea of oversaturation.
