BATMAN AND ROBIN #16

[ DOUBLE DEAL ] 

Has the clown finally broken the brat? Is Damien now a dirty little rat? The Joker knows the score. And that is why he wears Christian Dior. Plus try's his best to piss off the big bad bat. Yeah. Just ask the funny looking creative team of Writer: Peter J. Tomasi; Artist: Patrick Gleason; and Publisher: DC Comics, in February 2013.

Out of the following 6 scenarios, which 2 have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with this STORY entitled, 'Cast A Giant Shadow'?

1. Whilst the 'Harlequin of Hate' taunts him from afar, Robin -- the brat wonder -- tries his best to fend off a 'Jokerized Batman'...
2. ... and eat a spicy bowl of noodles at same time.
3. But as luck would have it, Robin finally manages to push back his father's leanings over the course of their battle; without hurting him in the process.
4. Then, to top it all off, he finds out that the man behind the cowl is none other than Bruce Wayne himself...
5. ... or quite possibly some oriental chap I've forgotten the name of. 
6. Still, the last page says it all really -- 'dinner is served'. Bon Appetit.

What is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

I really did enjoy reading the majority of the dialogue on display in this issue if truth be told. But at a touch, I did get a kick out of Joker's opening remark to Robin, when he said to him...

'I love the sound of bugs crunching underfoot. Sounds like... victory. Or my cereal fighting with my breakfast in the morning. I can never tell, can you?'.

Ha! Isn't that a very nice piece of textual imagery, dear reader?

What was the BEST thing about this issue?

What's the hell is going on with the Joker and his serving platter, huh? If you've read Batman #16 already, then you must know by now that this item has got something to do with his overall 'master plan'. But what could it be? And why is he showing it to Damien for?

Bar none that was the best thing about this issue for me -- the question that this 'last page revel' brought along with it. Ka-Pow!

What was the WORST thing about this issue?

Unlike the previous installment of this story-line, this one felt very one note in nature. Basically, it's about Robin's one on one battle with a possessed Batman. That's it. Case closed. Say no more.

Granted, within the confines of this story, we did get a bit of running commentary about how the Brat wonder didn't want to fight his old man. Still, by story's end, it was kind of predicable who he 'wasn't' fighting. Know what I mean? Wink-wink!

What was the most INNOVATIVE thing about this issue?

In around about way this adventure illustrated the sensitive side of Damien Wayne, by forcing him into a situation where he had to think before he acted on pure instinct alone. Honestly, it shocked me quite a bit when I saw the little sod crying, as he finally came to realize that he had to sacrifice himself to preserve his fathers legacy.

Nice yet poetic dichotomy that is, huh? Nice and innovative. 

Pick TWO CHARACTERS out this comic book, and compare them individually to a SIMPSONS CAST MEMBER.

NELSON MUNTZ as ROBIN: Although Damian is a trained assassin, these two brats are both rude, snooty, and come from broken homes. Haaa-Ha!

TROY MCCLURE as 'JOKERIZED BATMAN': As soon as the Joker took off Batman's face mask, a small part of me wanted Troy's face to appear and say "Hi! My name is Troy McClure. You might have recognized me from such possessions as the 'Amityville' series of films, plus an episode of 'Mork and Mindy'". Ha!

What WORD or PHRASE could you use to sum-up this story?

'Life does not cease to be funny when people die; any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh' -- George Bernard Shaw

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

Even though I'm pretty damn positive I've used this comparison in the past, due to the hopeless and jovial nature of this tale, I feel compelled to use this comparison once again --  'Suspicious Minds' by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

ANYTHING Else?

As many of you might haves guessed by now, 'Batman and Robin' isn't exactly my favorite comic book series out at the moment. Half of me like's it for its new take on a father and son dynamic duo. Whilst the other half of me isn't quite sure about the manga-esque artwork, or the mixture of adventure and pathos. 

So what do I do about this dichotomy, you may ask. Should I drop this title because it's not my particular cup of tea? Should I hold out for a while longer, and hope that my gripes will be abated? Or better yet, should I just put up and shut up from here to eternity?

I tell you what -- I won't choose -- you will; dear reader? Tell me if I should drop this book and then replace it with Justice League of America? Or visa versa, OK?

Looking forward to your responses.

GIVE IT, IT'S DUES: So-So story, with a couple of nice touches added for good measure.