Review: Batman and Robin Vol. 3- Death of the Family

Quick Summary

Pros: The characters are still incredible and have a chance to show how well they interact with one another. The Joker creates a lot of tension throughout the book. The artworks look great in every single chapter.

Cons: Nothing significant.

Overall: The Batman and Robin series delivers, once again, by telling a collection of captivating individual stories while containing to develop the comic’s larger narrative. In this book, there are terrifying brushes with death, touching moments between family members, and moments that will simply give you chills. The entire adventure also reinforces thematic elements that have been present since this comic began. Anyone interested in the family aspect behind Batman should read this volume.

Story

Batman and Robin Vol. 3: Death of the Family, by Peter J. Tomasi, is instantly enjoyable and represents everything this series is about. On one end, it is able to give a wonderful glimpse into the development of this unorthodox family. Readers truly get the feeling that these characters are becoming closer to one another and have a chance to see the spectacular results of such a development. On the other end, it continues to expose the trauma that seems to constantly follow them around. The Joker’s presence creates real danger, tests Robin’s limits, and forces the characters to go through some serious mental anguish. The combination of these factors creates an excellent narrative that is an absolute pleasure to read.

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The very first chapter in Batman and Robin: Death of the Family essentially distills the entire spirit of this series into a couple dozen pages of material. It has Batman connecting with his son through their shared history and realizing there is more to Damian than he gave him credit for. It also has Damian living out his dream of actually being Batman, giving readers an opportunity to see some standard vigilante action. The end result is a wonderfully wholesome look at the Wayne family dynamic that is excellent to read. Plus, it includes some great Alfred moments that just end up being the icing on the cake.

From here, the collection is mostly a tie-in to Batman: Death of the Family and details the Joker’s attack against Robin. His attack on Damian is brutal, frightening, and everything else one would expect from the Joker. He tortures the young Robin and really digs into his flaws and weaknesses. The specific arguments utilized by Joker, in some ways, turn him into a physical manifestation of Damian’s own self-doubt, which is a unique encounter to see play out.

However, Damian’s ability to rise above his self-doubt and stick to his father’s teachings are what make the encounter truly memorable. He refuses to kill what he believes is a psychotic Batman and is even willing to give up his own life in order to protect his father and keep his promise. This allows him to metaphorically beat the Joker by rising above his challenge, even if he is dragged away unconscious at the end of the chapter.

Finally, Batman and Robin: Death of the Family closes with a chapter focused on Bruce, Damian, and Alfred’s dreams in the aftermath of the Joker’s attack. Each one is a quick look into the character’s psyche and shows how they are internally reacting to the trauma they have just been through. Each one also shows a love for family that fits well with the general theme this comic has established.

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Art

Once again, the artwork in the Batman and Robin series benefits dramatically from Patrick Gleason’s artwork. His structures draw readers into the narrative and allow for dramatic action and unexpected surprise. In addition, his ability to perfectly switch from beautiful scenes, where family members come together, to grotesque ones, where terrifying villains take center stage, is a huge asset in this comic. It is particularly noticeable in dream sequences and moments with the Joker, where it truly feels like anything could happen at any moment.

This volume also features an Annual chapter from Ardian Syaf and a regular issue from Greg Capullo. Ardian Syaf’s annual is able to capture the optimism and wholesome tone of this particular story. Meanwhile, Greg Capullo’s work on the Batman: Death of the Family finale is fantastically structured and gives the saga a perfect conclusion. Both chapters add to the visual appeal of this book.

Continuity

Batman and Robin Vol. 3: Death of the Family continues the story from Batman and Robin Vol. 2: Pearl  (Review).

The story here continues in Batman and Robin Vol. 4: Requiem for Damian (Review).

This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:

• Robin mentions that the Bat-family recently stood against Batman. This happened in Batman #15, collected in Batman: Death of the Family (Review).
• Alfred’s disappearance happened in Batman #14, collected in Batman: Death of the Family (Review).
• Damian’s past fight against the Joker is mentioned. This fight took place in Batman & Robin Vol. 3: Batman & Robin Must Die!
• Joker references a time when Batman laughed with him and Robin talks about Joker paralyzing an innocent girl. Both are references to Batman: The Killing Joke.
• The Batman issue collected in this volume is the final issue in the Death of the Family (Review) event.