Release Date: October 30th, 2013
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Publisher: DC Comics
Written By: Andy Kubert
Art By: Andy Kubert
Price: 3.99
Review:
Damian: Son of Batman is a strange ride. Much like most of the New 52, this book confuses me. The plot makes sense and is pretty straightforward but the book feels detached from the rest of the universe. I thought it was an Elseworlds or What If type of story going on. Damian was already one of my least favorite additions to comic books in general. He was trained by the League of Assassins and has Batman’s DNA yet he turns into a whiny, snot-nosed little jerk. At least Daken turned his daddy/abandonment issues into a badass but brief supervillain stint.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the New 52 and it doesn’t look like that’ll change anytime soon. These stories and this book just seem weird and set in an alternate world. It feels as if one day DC will pop up and say, “Ok fans, all that New 52 stuff…non-canon…retconned. Time to start over. Again.” Overall this book is well written and has some really awesome Batman moments in it. It just doesn’t feel like the Batman I know. As far as that goes, nobody does. After Bruce dies from an amateur move like triggering a bomb by lifting a dead body, there’s 5 people at his funeral. No Clark, Ollie, Gordon, or Diana, just Damian and a few shadowed mourners. And later, Alfred is just casually giving Damian a lecture. It never shows him mourn or shed a tear. I hope this is some kind of Matrix style hypno-world some dastardly villain has placed our young hero in, forcing him to live through the death of his father. Otherwise, the death of Batman was handled in, like, 2 pages. Then, of course, to completely undermine any and all relevance of the last few pages, Bruce Wayne is back sporting Reed Richards style white sideburns threatening Damian for killing supervillains. There’s even a tagline that says the Wrath of Bruce Wayne or something to that effect. Already? I dont get it. And why is he old?
The art is also by Andy Kubert so there’s really nothing to complain about. Other than the few seemingly rushed panels, the art is beautiful and perfect. As usual, action scenes are ridiculously fluid and kinetic with all the adrenaline a comic book can muster. Emotion and facial expressions are quirky and reminiscent of 90s X-Men books but it fits in this world better than I thought it would way back when I heard he’d be drawing DC books. The big, dramatic, 1 and 2 page spreads are ever-present and gorgeous.
If this book continues on its bizarre path of lackluster character definition and overall confusing plot, I’ll pass. If Damian is indeed under some form of deep sensory manipulative process by a villain or even training from Bats, then this story has some potential. Either way, I’m gonna need one of my favorite artists in comic books to pick up the character development and intensify that emotional impact of having Bruce Wayne for a father. I know Damian is the title of the book but this is Batman’s world. It’s his creation. All the heroes in Gotham exist because Batman exists. I would expect a few more mourners than 5 with his death.