Batman & Robin #10

Peter Tomasi has to re-set the deck after an issue spent on Night of the Owls. He lost a bit of momentum there with that focus on Damian, so not a lot happens in this issue.

Bruce Wayne has commissioned a painting of his family, with Jason Todd notably absent. It’s too bad, with Damian hanging around and acting so badly, I have a hard time figuring what Jason did that means he can’t come back to the fold. That said, I always like it when Tomasi writes Nightwing, and he’s just as deft with the other Robins. Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Damian make for a heck of a family for Bruce. I find Tim Drake to be a bit whinier than I remember seeing him, which is a bit of a bummer. And I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Teen Titans, so that reference was lost on me.

I do like the idea of Terminus’ gang of thugs. I think most of these guys are Tomasi creations, but I only remember a few of them for sure.

Patrick Gleason has a rough road here. Getting a bunch of black-haired, blue eyed guys to look different is tough, especially when the new 52 has them all within a few years of each other. I mean, can anyone pick out the difference between Red Robin and Damian? I sure can’t. Nightwing’s costume helps, but still. I do like the way Gleason integrates each villain’s origin with a close-up of his or her face. It’s a nice recap/introduction to obscure or new characters.

Fair