Exhibit Y of why Damian Wayne is a kick-ass addition to the Batman universe: the latest issue of Batman and Robin. Tying in with the "Night Of The Owls" mini-event, this issue finds Damien's Robin out on patrol when he receives Alfred's transmission from Batman #8. The young would-be assassin heads off to try and stop a Talon close by who is looking to take out a high-ranking Army General who is training some troops in Gotham. What he finds is Damian, who's ready to do anything to protect the people the Talon is after.
What's great about this issue is Peter Tomasi's fantastic character work on Damian. Arguably the real star of Batman and Robin, Damian Wayne has seen a lot of growth from the first issue of this series, and especially from his introduction in Grant Morrison's "Batman and Son". We see here the beginnings of Damian taking over for his father, as he shouts orders to people more than twice his age without hesitation. We get a great sense of the lessons Damian has learned from his father, and hearing himself admit that he feels some sympathy with the Talon he's fighting was a great moment for a character that some still think needs to prove his worth in the Batman universe.
The art this issue isn't from Patrick Gleason by the way. Lee Garbett and Andy Clarke are our fill-in guys, but if you're worried that this issue will be Uncanny X-Force'd, fear not, as their work is nearly identical to Gleason's. While I would've loved to have seen his work being the one showcasing Damian's brutally awesome takedown of the Talon assassin, these guys did an able job filling in, and yes, the fight is just as cool as you would hope a fight between a regenerating assassin and a ten-year old raised by ninjas would be.
As one of the best New 52 books on the stands, Batman and Robin is well-worth the read, and a great companion to the other awesome Batman book (hint, it's not Detective Comics or Dark Knight). Serving as both a solid crossover tie-in and a great character study, Batman and Robin #9 is one of those rare crossover tie-ins that serves both the overall story as a whole, but also the story in its own series as well.
The Avenging Spider-man continues its march as the new Marvel Team-Up with the latest issue, in which Spidey teams up with She-Hulk to stop an ancient Egyptian Cat god. Yes, you read that right.
Written and drawn by the Immonens Kathryn and Stuart, this issue is a throwback to the crazy Marvel Team-Ups of old. After defeating a strange worm monster thing, Spidey follows She-Hulk to an Egyptian exhibit opening at a local museum. Spidey's not interested in Egypt, but more so the promise of free food (She-Hulk did mention that she had a "plus one" after all). Of course, once he gets to the museum, Spidey notices some mysterious hooded figures nearby, who so happen to be trying to resurrect Bastet, the god of cats. This of course leads to all kinds of feline shenanigans, including Spider-man and She-Hulk doing battle with a herd of cats (without hitting them), a giant Bastet threatening the two, and She-Hulk growing a tail.
Yes this issue is absurd, but it's also a lot of fun. Kathryn Immonen's script is light and pretty funny, and as always, Stuart Immonen's artwork is a sight to behold. The pairing of the two is so perfect, you'd almost think they were married or something. Those looking for a little something light in their pull list this week would do well with picking up Avenging Spider-man, especially if you're a cat lover. Cause seriously, there's like a billion cats in this issue.
Could've used more cats. My favorite cat was the one perched on some horrified lady's shoulder and drinking her cocktail.
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