Batman and Robin #9

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Artists: Lee Garbett and Andy Clarke

07:38 pm and Robin's first solo adventure in the DCnU takes him to the city barrens to protect the head of Gotham's army from the reach of the Court of Owls. A different aspect of Damian's personality is channeled through this story: that of a leader and tactician. Even though having a 10 year old take over an army platoon and command it in battle is a possibility hard to swallow, Tomasi makes it a convincing one by placing the characters in a dire enough situation. The Talon's attack in this issue is more incidental than the center of the plot, which is not a bad thing; after all, the world did not have to stop spinning just because there is a Batman crossover. The focus is solely on Damian and what seems to be his slow and imminent descent into the darkness. Garbett's pencils are easy on the eyes and follow the same style Gleason has established for the series, making it a seamless transition.