Everything is coming together in Batman and Robin #9, with unresolved plot threads and mystery boxes converging to an exciting conclusion. The issue flips back and forth between Batman being tangled in Man-Bat’s trap, with Robin and Flatline stuck in the middle of a high school drama. The two artists in this issue reflect the two parallel plots, with Simone Di Meo handling the parts with Batman and Man-Bat, while Nikola Čižmešija covers Robin and his plus one’s school shenanigans. This greatly utilizes both artists’ strengths, with the splash pages and big vertical characters of Simone Di Meo illustrating Man-Bat’s threat to be taken seriously, and Nikola Čižmešija’s hybrid Japanese style reminiscent of high school manga with expressive characters. As Man-Bat delivers the typical villain monologue to our chained dark knight, revealing his reason for today’s diabolical plan, Robin and Flatline finally uncover the true identity of Shush and her motives.
This issue highlights Man-Bat’s significance and place in Batman’s rogues gallery, going as far as referencing his past misadventures, rewinding from his earlier Rebirth time in the Justice League Dark to his more recent zombification in Task Force Z. Simone Di Meo conveys Man-Bat’s upgrade perfectly through his visuals, showing his comparatively bigger size as a force to be reckoned with, his new lush head of hair, and especially having him stand tall, no longer hunching like a second rate monster.
DC Comics
The other recurring villain in this series, however, gets a less nicer treatment. Shush, without the benefit of being an existing character in the Batman mythos, attempts to prove her importance by shoving exposition onto the reader, linking her origin retroactively with another recognizable Batman villain. As with other recent Batman original characters that only appear in each creator’s series, Shush hasn’t proven herself to be distinct or iconic enough to last more than a couple of years. She sadly piggybacks on an existing character instead of standing on her own feet with an original motivation. I guess we can only wait and see if Shush can justify her inclusion in Batman’s wider cast of characters through her deeds instead of her past.
Despite that disappointment, Robin and Flatine more than make up for Shush’s shortcomings, with Nikola Čižmešija drawing dramatic high school brawls, and Joshua Williamson proving once again that he excels at classic comic book fun. It’s always good to have Robin playoff with a peer, and his chemistry with Flatline is definitely a welcome surprise in this series.
Batman and Robin #9 is an important issue and a must-read for readers following the dynamic duo’s adventures. It has a couple of the most stylistic artists working in comics today to provide gorgeous art, and Joshua Williamson packages it all in a fun and joyfully written story. Though Shush’s reveal leaves more to be desired, Man-Bat is finally taking his much-deserved spotlight, soaring as a main antagonist. Let’s hope the next issue keeps up the momentum and brings father and son together again on the same page.
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