Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Batman And Robin #6Batman & Robin #6
DC Comics
Morrison, Tan & Glapion

Batman and Robin contend with Jason Todd while the Flamingo makes his grand entrance to take everyone out. The issue has some good elements within it but ultimately it's an average Batman and Robin comic, except the artwork doesn't help to elevate that status, but rather works against it.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsThe issue begins strong enough as Batman and Robin are tied up with a webcam about to broadcast their identities. The interaction between the two is as clever and witty as ever. The comic book doesn't build much on this early dialogue as the two don't interact much the reminder of the issue. This is doesn't mean other interactions don't pick up on this vibe though.

Jason and his partner are attacked by the Flamingo. This distracts Jason enough to allow Batman and Robin to escape. They even manage to intervene between the Flamingo and Jason. The Flamingo is eventually neutralized as everyone seems to scatter at the end of this issue. However, the last piece to the comic that works very well is the interaction between Jason and Dick.

Jason doesn't come off as a lunatic in this issue. Sure, he gets whipped by Flamingo, but that doesn't stop him from verbally assaulting Dick in a very touchy area. He accuses Dick of not doing everything he could to save Bruce. He brings up some valid and interesting points and it clearly gets Dick thinking as the end of the comic book shows. However, these high points don't balance out the low points.

The Flamingo is barely explored in this issue. Not only are his motives completely unknown but so are his methods. After a great introduction last issue when he massacred a plane full of people, this issue just doesn't build on that creepiness at all. At one point he begins to tear off Scarlet's mask while cackling like the Joker, but this quickly ended and never explored again. The Flamingo comes off in this issue as just another masked Batman villain and that's unfortunate.

The artwork is just plain inconsistent. It ranges from the generally detailed faces with heavily inked line work, as seen in previous issues, to shaded faces that appear cloudy and unpolished, almost un-inked or colored. There are times where it's difficult to tell Flamingo apart from Scarlet and while there is a certain level of symbolism I'm not sure that's the intention. It just seems like the art and its direction didn't quite compliment the story.

This issue contains three points that are worthwhile: Batman and Robin's dialogue in the beginning of the issue, Jason's confrontation of Dick and the surprise ending. Beyond that this issue doesn't really shine as the others have in this series. I have extremely high expectations for this series and this issue fell short of even the most modest ones.

2 out of 5 geek goggles