Batman and Robin Annual 2024 #1 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Howard Porter, Artist; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Joshua Williamson has been doing a great job of making Bruce and Damian actually feel like a father and son in this book—from attempts to cook, to Bruce volunteering at Damian’s school. Now it’s time for that iconic father-son ritual—the camping trip. After an encounter with two villains who are stealing to fund their latest getaway, Bruce gets it into his head that he and Damian need to bond away from the city and crimefighting. The next thing an unamused Damian knows, he’s being bundled off to the woods with camping supplies—but not a batsuit or utility belt in sight. But the getaway doesn’t last long, as their final stop before the campground reveals a sinister secret—a collection of missing person posters, all of whom went missing from the exact space Bruce and Damian are heading to. And just like that, the trip becomes a mystery and a battle to survive.
It turns out Bruce and Damian have stumbled upon a hunting ground for a group of wealthy game-hunters who have turned to humans, led by the sadistic Roulette as Master of Ceremonies and joined by Bloodsport. They think they’re hunting a rich Gotham man and his son—but Bruce and Damian now get to bond in the way they do best, by foiling evildoers in ruthless fashion. Kevin McAllister may have booby-trapped a house, but Bruce and Damian take on an entire forest. Most pose no real challenge, but Bloodsport is a different story, and this issue has some fantastic action segments. It’s a great example of how to do a done-in-one adventure, with a self-contained story that still feels like it plays into the larger narrative Williamson has been building in the main title since it started. This continues to be another winner in a sea of them among DC’s recent launches.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
