Written by: Joshua Williamson
Art by: Nikola Ćižmešija, Simone Di Meo
Colors by: Rex Lokus, Giovanna Niro
Letters by: Unnamed
Cover art by: Simone Di Meo (cover A)
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: June 11,2024
Batman And Robin #10 brings the Harsh/Shush/Man-Bat arc to a close with a climactic battle against Man-Bat and his cauldron of infected bats in the night skies of Gotham.
Is Batman And Robin #10 Good?
What’s the written word equivalent of an ambivalent shrug? How about this?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That’s the reaction you’re left with after reading the conclusion to Joshua Williamson’s lopsided conclusion to the first major arc in Batman And Robin #10. It’s not the worst ending in the world, but the signs are not favorable for the rest of the series (for however long it lasts) will be any better.
When last we left the Dynamic Father & Son Duo, we learned Shush was really a teacher at Damian’s school who happened to be a former acolyte of Tommy Elliot, bent on taking revenge on Batman for Hush’s downfall. Meanwhile, Damian’s principal, Ms. Stone, was really Mistress Harsh, a former assassin trainer employed by Damian’s mother.
In short, Harsh and Shush were both working at the same school at the same time in Gotham City, and their appearance in Damian’s life was one big, incredibly unbelievable coincidence.
The issue ended with Man-Bat kidnapping Batman and preparing to unleash a large cauldron of bats infected with Man-Bat’s strange brew with the intention of biting and infecting all of Gotham. It’s not quite clear what the brew is supposed to do, but hey, who cares about details?
In Batman And Robin #10, We catch up with Man-Bat dragging Batman over the city skyline by a chain as the two are followed by Man-Bat’s infected bats. Damian gives chase and uses a Robin-arang to snap the chain, sending Batman crashing to a nearby rooftop.
Elsewhere, Flatline helps Shush to a nearby hospital for treatment. Before the two separate, Shush gives Flatline a gas gun, explaining Batman and Robin will know what to do with it.
Man-Bat attacks Batman and Robin. Flatline shows up and tosses the gas gun to Robin, who tosses the gas gun to Batman, who then gases Man-Bat. The gas turns the infected bats against Man-Bat, similar to the effect Man-Bat’s gas had on Batman at the beginning of the arc.
When the bats attack and repeatedly bite Man-Bat, the poisonous bites turn Man-Bat back into Kurt Langstrom… somehow(???). With the bats near the roof, Damian whips out a freeze gun and freezes the bats so they can be restrained for curing later.
Later, Principal Stone/Mistress Harsh was arrested for running an assassin training club out of her school. Ms. Hall/Shush escaped from custody after getting medical treatment. And Flatline says goodbye with a more-than-platonic hug, choosing not to reveal that she’s in contact with Ra’s Al Ghul’s ghost.
Later still, father and son enjoy a rooftop dinner when suddenly… Goliath arrives with a message from Maya that Bane is alive and living on Dinosaur Island.
What’s great about Batman And Robin #10? Flatline. The budding romance between Flatline and Damian is the highlight of this issue. Bruce’s emerging role as Damian’s father comes in as a close second.
What’s not so great about Batman And Robin #10? Williamson’s plot is a convoluted mess, overburdened by plot holes, convenient reveals that lack setup, more conveniences than a Brooklyn bodega, and a poorly thought-out concept.
What was Man-Bat trying to do? Turn everyone into bats? If so, why would a brilliant scientist choose the most inefficient delivery mechanism possible? Why couldn’t he quietly poison the water like every other rogue?
What is the incredibly unlikely probability that Shush and Mistress Harsh would be secretly working at the same school at the same time? Zero. The answer is zero. Stop guessing. It’s zero. And zero is also the amount of effort Williamson put into making you believe it.
Why is there no mention of Batman’s robotic hand, Failsafe, or Absolute Power? Williamson went out of his way in the early issues to link this series to the main title by bringing up Gotham War, so what happened?
How’s the Art? The art is clunky for different reasons. Di Meo and Ćižmešija have significantly different styles, and the breakpoints between the artist handoffs aren’t natural. The issue waffles from one artist to the next and it looks as disjointed as it sounds.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter
Final Thoughts
Batman And Robin #10 brings the first arc in this series to a close with lots of action and a few emotional beats. That said, Williamson’s central plot concept is poorly thought out, the script is riddled with plot holes and unanswered questions, and the art team’s disparate styles don’t mesh well. In all, this finale and the arc as a whole are a miss.
3.5/10
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