Batman and Robin and Howard: Summer Breakdown #3 – Jeffrey Brown, Artist; Silvana Brys, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: One of two graphic novels that has shifted to single issues for the second volume, this all-ages adventure by iconic cartoonist Jeffrey Brown has done a great job of digging into what it’s like for a kid to grow up with parents who aren’t together – even if one of those parents is a bat-themed vigilante and the other is a ninja assassin. The complexities of Damian’s parents’ relationship have occupied him for much of this series, causing rifts in his friendship with Howard – who has been increasingly occupied with his own quest. He’s been working with the Hero Club, a group of kids investigating some shady business dealings relating to Gotham’s recycling scene – and they’ve found some shocking ties to Lexcorp. That’s enough for them to bring out some outside help – in the form of Lois Lane, every bit the investigative bulldog she is in every other version of the property.
While this book is heavily character-driven, with most of the meat of this issue taking place amid Damian and Howard’s short-lived friendship breakup and Damian trying to figure out if his mother really can be trusted this time, there is a brief foray into supervillain action as Lex Luthor shows up. The action isn’t anything to write home about – Brown is definitely not a traditional superhero comic writer – but the scene is very funny and features a Luthor who is somehow both seriously villainous and hilariously pathetic at points. I enjoyed watching him get whipped repeatedly by a bunch of kids and a civilian reporter. The ending of this book is definitely well-earned, with some really emotional moments as Damian and Talia finally find some equilibrium in their relationship and Bruce lets himself open up and start to build a better family for Damian. This oddball project has put out two great volumes, and I hope this is just the beginning of DC working with Brown.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
