I include this comic in my reviews not because I think its one of the best but for the underlying theme during the arc; the gathering of Robins. I take issue with Jason becoming a good guy but the dialogue between him, Damien, Dick and Tim focus on the inherent differences between them and most importantly Damien’s need for self-gratification. The main theme of the comic is on symbolism and scarring. A group of disfigured Bat enemies aim to ruin the Bat symbol and wreak havoc on Gotham. The emphasis was on proving that Batman has made crime worsen for the city. I don’t think this is explored in enough detail to be of interest, especially as it is not a new concept.
Peter Tomasi has been working with Patrick Gleason since the title’s reboot but also had a run on Green Lantern Corps. His writing has always been good and plays true to the heroes but his success has been writing for four Robins. This was tough in itself and plays well with the initial arc of Bruce accepting Damien as a son despite his faults. Very mature themes played out well with a couple of bad guys to boost! It’s a shame this comic has average action filler for the main story.
Gleason draws eyes quite wide and symmetrical and it has always freaked me out a little! Luckily our heroes wear masks so its safe. The action sequences are of a large variety and chop and change too much to really understand each fight. This is expected when you have five heroes fighting individual battles. The final rocket sequences are lovely and the obvious poster panel of all four Robins is superb. It is a shame I did not empathise with the antagonists as otherwise it would have been as good as the first Batman and Robin arc.
Reasonable 7.5/10
House Of Flying Scalpels 