Batman and Robin #2

Well, here's the second issue of Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin series. The last issue was weird. REALLY weird. Hopefully Grant cuts back on the weird and gives us a great story.

-We open with Dick and Damian meeting up with Commissioner Gordon at Police Headquarters. While talking with the Commish about the weirdness from last issue, some cops tell Gordon that there's some kind of attack occurring at the Police Station where Toad was being held. After hearing this, the Dynamic Duo takes off and heads to the station.

-Upon arriving at the station, the Dynamic Duo runs into a variable freak show. Dick takes out the dude with the flaming head and the three guys stuck together, while Damian attacks the fat guy dressed in a tutu... I don't know where Grant gets this stuff from!

-Damian repeatedly dismisses Dick's orders and beats the hell out of the fat guy, proceeding to beat him even after he was secured. Gordon and the cops arrive and warn Damian to cease his assault, but he refuses to listen. Finally Dick pulls the brat away, and the police discover that Toad was killed in his cell.

-Dick and Damian head back to the Bunker(the replacement for the Batcave)and they get into a heated argument over Damian disobeying orders, and Dick not being Bruce. Damian finally has enough and leaves, and Dick whines to Alfred about how much he hates trying to be the Batman. Alfred tells Dick to think of being the Batman as a performance, similar to the way he used to preform as a child in the circus. Dick seems to like that idea, and he goes off after Damian.

-This issue ends with Damian finding Pyg's hideout(an abandoned amusement park)where he winds up getting jumped by nearly 20 freaks dressed up like dolls.

I thought this issue was better then the last issue by a wide margin. Grant totally nailed the reluctant Batman issue that I knew would eventually pop up. Dick doesn't want to be Batman. He never has. He hated it before, and during the Battle for the Cowl storyline, he was the last Robin to don the cape and cowl. Alfred's suggestion to look at Batman as one big performance was really a stroke of genius. That one idea should help Dick with his new found role. He doesn't actually have to become the Batman like Bruce did, he just has to play the role of Batman. Brilliant!

I still hate Damian with a passion, but by now I realize that's probably never going to change. This must be how the majority of Batman fans felt about Jason Todd back in the 80's. I just can't find a single redeeming character trait in Damian. He's possibly the most unlikable character in comic books today!

Since I did like this comic, I figure I'll end this review on a positive note. Grant's humor in this issue was understated but dead-on! I got a kick out of the cop saying to the Commissioner that he thought Batman and Robin used to be taller, and I couldn't help but chuckle when one of the cops looked in at Toad's dead body and stated, "He croaked.". He croaked... HA! Well, I thought it was funny... Anyway, for a score, I'll give this comic an 8 out of 10. I'd like to go higher, but I just can't get past my overwhelming hatred for Damian... His very presence brings down my enjoyment of this comic book.