Batman and Robin #8 Review http://www.o-r-c.co.uk/media/reviews/photos/original/b4/d9/15/_2288353-batman-robin-8-cvr-super-1334164734.jpeg

Story: 5 out of 5

This was it! This was exactly what I wanted to happen! I simply love the conclusion for this arc.

It is so beautiful to see how Bruce and Damian started to understand each other a little bit better over the course of the events portrayed in previous issues. It was a lesson learned the hard way, but it is beautiful to see how their relationship is now a bit steadier. There is this mutual agreement that yes, they have their differences and yes, they still have much to learn when they want to work with each other, but Bruce said so himself, it is not that they don’t like each other, they simply can not understand each other. Yet. Tomasi managed to finish this arc without unrealistic declarations of love from neither protagonist, yet he makes it clear enough that they cleared the first real hurdle to a better understanding of each other.

After the very action heavy issue #7 it is nothing but soothing to see Batman and his son, who was raised as an assassin, doing something so mundane as to play with their dog. It is breaking my heart and I could not ask for a better ending of the first BATMAN AND ROBIN arc.

Everything about this issue was immensely powerful on an emotional level. How Bruce all but panics over Damian, how he snaps at Alfred and apologizes soon after, the little nod at Jason. How he admits that Damian is so similar to him in so many aspects.
Damian, who asks how he should amend for his sins and how he states that he wants to be like Bruce, always wanted to be like his father. It says so much about the character growth of Damian.

It is utter perfection how this issue establishes that the two are indeed father and son, and that they love each other, but that this was just the first step to a better understanding and a working partnership. It is clear that there is still a lot to learn, that they both have to learn. And it is by no means a picture book relationship but they found some mutual ground and now they can truly work on becoming a Dynamic Duo in their own right.

And what is there not to love about Bruce and Damian playing with Titus while Alfred watches with a cup of tea?

Art: 5 out of 5

Gleason shows once again that he is a master of powerful storytelling. His use of shadows sets apart the scenes in the darkness at the start and in the dark manor from the warm and comforting scenes shared between father and son. The difference in detail pulls the viewer in and makes it clear that behind the dark exterior, they're still normal human beings.

The color is of utter importance in this issue. The first few pages on the boat are dominated by saturated yellow and red colors, enhancing the feeling of imminent danger and violence. As soon as Bruce reaches the manor with the injured Damian, the colors get cold and desaturated. Gradually dropping lower until a cold blue dominates the scene of Bruce falling over due to his blood loss and his own injuries. In the following scene, Kalisz and Major introduce soft violets and reds and oranges that make the whole exchange between father and son seem warm and intimate.

This colour crescendo ends with one last scene that takes us back to what happened in earlier issues: The grounds of Wayne Manor. Even though the colours are slightly cooler, the scenes do not look gloomy at all.

Gleason manages to create a liveliness in his character drawings, that shows a joy that is so uncommon in the rebooted Batman universe, it is very refreshing.

Cover: 3.5 out of 5

When DC first released the cover for BATMAN AND ROBIN #8 I was pretty much in love with it. The transition from the cover of issue #6, where Bruce has his Batman cowl on, to issue #7 where it is half torn and finally issue #8, with the cowl off was lovely.

It was as clever as it was full of symbolism. This was not Batman saving Robin, it was Bruce Wayne saving his son, his own flesh and blood. His slightly worried, but highly concentrated expression only underlines that underneath the cowl and the whole Batman persona is still a human being, a father nonetheless and I am sure nearly everybody can at least imagine how it feels to be so close to losing a loved person.

The cover for issue #8 was clearly my favourite, so why the low rating? It is simple. When I went to pick up my comics today, I noticed something was off with the cover. Suddenly, Bruce had his cowl on and his expression was closer to grim rage than concern.

Somebody at DC must have decided that their readers are completely stupid and that the bat on Bruce's suit and the BATMAN AND ROBIN logo on the cover was not enough to identify this man as Batman. So they changed it and I do not know who did it, but it looks as if some poor intern had to paint over Bruce's face with black ink and nothing more. There is no shading on his cowl, no folds, nothing. Only black space that looks completely out of place.

Naturally, the whole symbolism of the cover was lost and now we have an average cover at best. One with Batman in full costume, since we do not have enough of those already.