“Cool Kids Table”
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Nikola Čižmešija and Simone Di Meo
Color Artists: Rex Lokus and Giovanna Niro
Letterer: Steve Wands
Review by James Attias
Batman and Robin #9 finally gives us some answers. For characters. For context. Even some for continuity. Let’s jump in with our fact-checking hats firmly on!
The Life and Death of Man-Bat
At the end of the last issue, we were tantalized by the idea of finally finding out who Shush really was, as well as getting a glimpse at Man-Bat’s final goal for his sinister master plan. Well, this issue comes in hot and, I don’t want to give anything away, but I was right… I told you all so. No one listened to me, but I’ll never doubt myself again. Just kidding, kind of.
This isn’t just a cut-and-dried episode of Columbo as we (I) originally thought. For context for our younger readers, Columbo was a detective show your grandparents watched at 2pm every day for years, starting in 1971.
With the much-needed help of Flatline, Damian finally decides to take action in what seems to be an almost unbelievably bad school… well it is Gotham.
Batman who’d been captured and tied up by Man-Bat was left enjoying the ever-popular villain monologue, which, when I was reading it, had me jumping for joy. Langstrom finally gave loyal readers the well-needed explanation as to exactly why he’d taken this sinister turn.
ArTiStS and aRtIsTs
I almost didn’t notice when I was reading this issue, but the stories of Damian and Flatline, and of Batman and Man-Bat, were drawn by two different sets of artists. I usually would grumble and grimace at the idea, ut it works so well! With a clear difference between the stories, and the art not being so drastically different, I really did enjoy it.
Also, a well-deserved Shoutout to the wonderful unsung hero, Steve Wands, who always hits a home run on the letters. This was a creative issue with lots of great twists. More like this going forward, please!
Conclusion
Batman and Robin #9 is an issue full of answers… not all of them, mind you. Of course, all this just keeps us coming back for more!
If you haven’t been reading this series, then you’ve really been missing out.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
