Review: Batman and Robin Vol. 5- The Big Burn

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is an action-packed and highly entertaining Batman story. The main storyline also works as an incredible showcase for Two-Face. The collection closes with a final chapter that is also entertaining. The artwork is positive throughout the entire volume.

Cons: Pieces of the conclusion feel rushed.

Overall: This volume changes up the tone of the series and tells a story centered more significantly around action and heroics. Batman shines throughout this volume but still manages to effectively share the spotlight with Two-Face, who has a great story in this book as well. This volume will appeal to most readers but will be particularly enjoyable for fans looking for one of the best Two-Face stories of this era.

Story

While the previous volume focused on Batman’s grief and the various members of the Bat-family, Batman and Robin Vol. 5: The Big Burn shifts focus to more standard Batman action and a single villain, Two-Face. In this book, writer Peter J. Tomasi details a war erupting across Gotham City. Batman is forced to make unconventional allies and dodge death as he attempts to save as many people as possible. Along the way, readers are given an excellent view into who Two-Face is as a villain and have a chance to learn a bit more about his past. Plus, this volume also contains an entertaining trip down memory lane to Dick Grayson’s first night as Robin. Overall, this collection has a ton going for it and ends up being a highly enjoyable reading experience.

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The main storyline in The Big Burn is an immediate but compelling return to more standard Batman heroics. It launches a war between Erin McKillen, a Gotham mob boss; Two-Face; and the GCPD, with Batman intervening to prevent any loss of life. This war has tense brushes with death, dramatic emotions, and the amazing reappearance of Batman’s Matches Malone personality. In addition, the entire storyline serves as a great spotlight for Two-Face as a character, highlighting how his past trauma has an impact on who he currently is.

Alongside all of this are a series of flashbacks that are structured in a compelling way. Every chapter takes a handful of pages to show a moment from Two-Face’s past that is clearly designed to make the reader think in a certain way. The opening chapters have Erin as a deranged psychopath and Harvey as her innocent victim, the next develops some sympathy for Erin and shows that Harvey was cruel long before becoming Two-Face, the next casts some doubt and moral ambiguity over the who affair, and the final humanizes everyone by giving a glimpse into their even more distant past. The twists and turns experienced through these flashbacks are entertaining and keep the reading experience even more interesting.

All of this, eventually, leads to an intense and meaningful conclusion to Two-Face’s story. The story here has Two-Face go through some serious character development and has him constantly reflecting on his past. He even, over the course of things, admits that he has always known Batman’s secret identity and that he has actually taken steps to prevent Bruce Wayne’s death. All of this cumulates in Two-Face’s decision to take matters into his own hands by, seemingly, choosing to end his own life. It is a dramatic and touching moment that completes the story in an unexpected way.

Unfortunately, this same conclusion is weakened by the rapidity of the final few pages. The book goes from its most tense moment, Two-Face threatening to shoot Commissioner Gordon in the head, to its epilogue in only a few pages. It leaves out Batman’s reaction to the entire ordeal and severely undercuts Erin’s significance as a villain.

As The Big Burn closes, one last chapter switches gears entirely and details Dick Grayson’s fight night as Robin. The story itself is entertaining and fun while also giving readers the opportunity to see the updated origin behind the Dynamic Duo. However, its real draw is from the way in which it connects this entire volume back to Damian’s death and shows how large of an impact he had on the Bat-family.

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Art

The artwork in The Big Burn continues the high-quality visuals that have been present in the entire Batman and Robin series. Patrick Gleason’s pulls out some incredibly satisfying structures over the course of this volume. Splash pages make meaningful or surprising moments while more chaotic panels make more intense moments stand out. The specific narrative in this particular volume also gives Gleason plenty of opportunities to create visuals that correspond well with the theme of duality that is inherently present in Two-Face’s character. This makes for some creative pages that help in telling the story. In addition, the inclusion of artwork from Doug Mahnke makes the book’s final chapter look great on its own. All in all, this is another visual win for this visually stunning series.

Continuity

Batman and Robin Vol. 5: The Big Burn continues the story from Batman and Robin Vol. 4: Requiem for Damian (Review).

The story here continues in Batman and Robin Vol. 6: The Hunt for Robin.

This volume also references another comic book, detailed below:

• The graves seen at the start of this volume were uncovered in Batman Incorporated #13, collected in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2: Gotham’s Most Wanted.
• James Gordon’s son’s insanity is mentioned. This is showcased as a major part of Batgirl Vol. 3: Death of the Family (Review).
• Bruce mentions that Batman Incorporated closed. This may be a reference to what was said in Batman Incorporated #13, collected in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2: Gotham’s Most Wanted. However, other comics show the organization in operation after this point.