Comics of the Week

Batman and Robin #23 brings in Judd Winick and Guillem March for a new arc involving Jason Todd. After some quick flashbacks reminding us who Jason was and his relationship to Bruce, the opening scene between Jason and BatBruce in Arkham is pretty good. They hadn't seen each other since Bruce's return, and Bruce's disappointment with Jason and himself, comes through in his silence. Overall, this was a well written book, and the sections with Jason in prison were very economically plotted, which highlights what a real badass Jason is. The colors in this, by Alex Sinclair, are like watching an HD movie for the first time, searing your retinas with impossible brightness.

As expected, I'm hooked with Batman Gates of Gotham #1. Interestingly, this book isn't written only by Scott Snyder. The credits tells us the story is by Snyder and Kyle Higgins with dialogue by Higgins. I have no idea what that means as far as who did what in the end, but either way, it works. This is basically a story about Gotham City's history, opening with the engineer who built some of the tallest buildings back in the 1800's. Trevor McCarthy's art is perfect for this, with lines that give the whole book a kind of industrial feel, while still remaining fluid. Meanwhile, back in the present day, BatDick has been working with Red Robin and Commissioner Gordon on a case. I like that we come into the case already in progress, as a new twist is uncovered. By the end of this first issue, Cassandra Cain shows up with more pieces of the puzzle. The interplay between Dick and Tim is always a high point in a Batbook when done well and that's the case here. Toss in a little Damian and it's gold. Not to mention a moment that is gruesome and nails down the stakes of, not just this story, but everything Batman does. It's a vivid metaphor for the weight the Batfamily, and I guess all these heroes take on in choosing to do what they do.