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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Comic Book Review: Batman and Robin #12




We were promised an Oberon Sexton reveal, and a reveal we got. I hope you sitting down for this one.

Slade is still controlling Damian, using him to attack Dick violently with a shovel. At first Dick is confused by Damian's attacks, but after the new boy wonder yells SLADE, Dick soon realizes that Damian can't control his actions, yet he fights back stunning Slade on the other side of the spinal link. Oberon once again warns the Dynamic Duo of the villains in the cemetery, but Alfred flies down in the Batmobile, and offers help. Still ignoring the villains, Batman realizes that Damian and Slade's nervous systems are linked, and he uses a form of electric knuckles to shock Damian, which disrupts the link.

In Talia's lair, Slade begins to feel the pain Damian is, causing him to tear off the link, releasing Damian from their control.

In the cemetery, the villains are once again attacking, but announce that they got what they came for, a stone tablet with a bat insignia on it. The villains run away, as Alfred shoots the water cannon from the Batmobile. Batman notes that everyone got hurt, and insists that Oberon should visit a hospital. But Oberon declines, saying that he needs to speak with Batman in his hotel, because it is just the beginning.

Alfred is tending the Dick and Damian's wounds, as Dick tries to explain what he saw in the tunnel that led from the mansion. He explains that he followed a length a railroad tracks to an underground river, and there was a statue with a tunnel behind it, which is where he found a casket. It is here he encountered a GIANT BAT, but the most peculiar detail, is that all the evidence has disappeared with the villains that attacked in the cemetery. As they think about their next move, Damian expresses disbelief that his mother would be so cruel to him, and says that he must return and confront her at the base. But Dick won't let Damian go alone, and says he will tag along after they analyze evidence of Bruce's return. Alfred points out that the mansion was built for Darius Wayne, by a designer named Nathan Van Derm, and when looked at from above, the building makes a W. But what's even stranger, is that when you connect the line segments of the past and present Wayne property, a Bat is formed. Dick insists that they need to retrieve the casket stolen from the underground tunnel, and with that, they set off for Talia's.

Batman and Robin punch their way through Talia's assassins, and make their way into the control chamber. It is here they meet Talia, and a shouting match begins between her and DIck. But Damian calmly insist that he must to speak to his mother alone, so they take a walk, while Dick visits a recovering Slade.

Slade is in a hospital bed, when Dick shows up to slap him around. He warns Slade to leave the Bats alone, threatening to take him down with minimal effort if needed.

Damian and Talia are walking down a hall, and Talia once again tries to convince Robin to leave Batman, and begin to accept his destiny to rule the world. But Damien declines again, admitting that becoming Robin is the best thing he's ever done. Talia says she anticipated a similar response, and takes him to a room that will supposedly change his decision. What Damian sees next shocks him, as he gazes at a baby being grown in a tube. Talia reveals that the baby is another Damian, one that will be ten years younger than the current one. She threatens to click a proverbial reset on Damian, saying that if he does not accept his destiny, she will start over with a new clone. It is here we see Damian for who he really is: just a little boy, wanting to be loved by his mother. He asks if his mother can just love him for who he is, to which Talia replies no. She banishes her son from her lair, declaring him an enemy of the House of Ghul, and a sad Damian accepts his new fate.

Back in Gotham, the villains from the Wayne Cemetery fight are discussing El Penitente's plans, while waiting for the train. On the incoming train, El Penitente, who we're pretty sure is Dr. Hurt, is sitting across from the sole remaining member of The Black Glove who is terribly nervous about the murder of the other members. They seem to know who the killer is, and as El Penitente slips on a Black Glove, he says he always finishes what he started.

Alfred, Batman, and Robin are exploring the underground tunnel, and Dick is startled to find no evidence of his previous trip down there. But they do discover something that confirms their theories: A rock with a crude painting of a sun on it, with a tattered cowl hanging from two deer antlers. Dick tells Alfred to alert the Justice League, as he realizes that all this craziness is leading to head, one that will take every ounce of brilliance to beat.

Back in Oberon Sexton's hotel, Batman and him are discussing the events that occurred, and Dick begins to push for Oberon's identity. He says that both he and Damian know something familiar about Oberon, to which Oberon once again denies being Bruce, while saying that Damien is not the detective his predecessors were. Dick agrees, and then reveals the clues he discovered about the domino killers murders. "It's all a routine, isn't it?" he asks. "They're all jokes." he declares, as Oberon pulls off his mask to reveal a smiling Joker.

This issue couldn't have been much better, as Grant brought his fourth story arc to a close with a incredible creative revelation. As we now know the identity of Oberon, we still don't know all his motives, and what his next move will be after his identity is compromised. It looks like the next arc will be pivotal in Dick's career as Batman, as it looks like we're headed for Batman vs. the Black Glove, round two.

1 comment:

  1. Hey, fellow book reviewer here just checking yours out. Looks like we came to the same conclusions pretty much!

    Great plot summary, covers pretty much everything.

    I'm over at http://www.trubelieverreviews.com

    ReplyDelete