Batman and Robin by Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Omnibus

Batman and Robin (2011) #1-7

by Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason (Illustrations)

Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's critically acclaimed, best-selling run on the Dynamic Duo is now collected in its entirety with this new oversize omnibus graphic novel series, starting here in BATMAN & ROBIN BY PETER TOMASI & PATRICK GLEASON VOL. 1!

Teaming Batman with his son Damian, a.k.a. Robin, Tomasi and Gleason's run on the title was one of the standout titles in DC's New 52 relaunch. Mixing in dark themes from Damian's childhood with the League of Assassins with touching stories of a father and son, this creative team invented some of the greatest Batman and Robin stories ever told! With stunning art from Gleason, this NEW YORK TIMES best-selling series is now legendary in stature.

Collects BATMAN & ROBIN #20-22, BATMAN & ROBIN #0-40 from the New 52 series, BATMAN & ROBIN ANNUAL #1-3, ROBIN RISES: OMEGA #1, ROBIN RISES: ALPHA #1 and a story from SECRET ORIGINS #4.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Comics Manga, Graphic Novels Comics

1248 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2017

About the author

Peter J. Tomasi is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, such as Batman And Robin; Superman; Super Sons; Batman: Detective Comics; Green Lantern Corps; and Superman/Wonder Woman; as well as Batman: Arkham Knight; Brightest Day; Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors; Nightwing; Black Adam, and many more.

In the course of his staff career at DC Comics, Tomasi served as a group editor and ushered in new eras for Batman, Green Lantern, and the JSA, along with a host of special projects like Kingdom Come.

He is also the author of the creator-owned titles House Of Penance with artist Ian Bertram; Light Brigade with artist Peter Snejbjerg; The Mighty with Keith Champagne and Chris Samnee; and the critically acclaimed epic graphic novel The Bridge: How The Roeblings Connected Brooklyn To New York, illustrated by Sara DuVall and published by Abrams ComicArts.

In 2018 New York Times best-selling author Tomasi received the Inkpot Award for achievement in comics.

Reviews

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

****MASSIVE PLOT SPOILERS BELOW! BE AWARE!****

My thoughts during the reading progress:

(1) We got two Dick Grayson as Batman's stories here in this fat-ass omnibus: the first one is Tree of Blood: White Knight v.s. Dark Knight and the story is simply awesome. Seriously...Dick Grayson needs to be Batman more!!! However, I know DC just won't give me what I want! T__T

The second story is A Boy's Life, which deals with Batman's death and Damian's reaction to his father's death.....well he reacted by going out to violently kick some villains' butts, of course. Nightwing had to step in and kinda...stepping up to become the new Batman.

It's a short but interesting story. The artwork and the style are refreshingly lovely! Artist Ian Bertram, thank you!

(2) We got a closer look at Bruce Wayne's pre-Batman early days in Born To Kill, I like this storyline, the villain and the father-son interaction/conflict between Bruce and Damian here, plus the rarely seen sense of humor:

"Did you think I betrayed you, Father?"

"Not for a second."

"..."

"Well, maybe just a second."

Heheehehe, a small sense of humor here and there are always nice.

(3) In the Terminus storyline, the arch villain has zero backstory! That's so ridiculous! However, I'm still grateful to see the four former and current Robins (minus one Stephanie Brown, sorry) together in one story and ARGH the ending!!! It's just beautiful!

(4) OMG who would have guessed we would live to see the day Red Hood doing facepalm? I even took a picture of this panel. LOL



(5) The Death of the Family storyline is too fucking scary, Joker you are a crazy mother fucker and this time I hate you! Plus how did the members of the BatFam survive the awful things the Joker had done to them!? I can't even wrap my mind around it! But don't spoil it, please don't spoil it for me!

(6) Seriously, I lost count on how many times Batman did something just because he is the goddamn Batman. No wonder his buddies in Justice League are pissed at him. Plus Batman and his interaction with the rest of the BatFam were really giving me headaches for most of the time. Lol

(7) I'm very happy to see Carrie Kelley, who was once Robin in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns story, shows up in the story as Damian's friend, but not a masked hero! Good to see her back into the continuity!

(8) Patrick Gleason's artwork is so grand! The characters seem so lively and colorful (in a good way) in his artwork! But I wonder after drawing 1000+ pages of Batman and Co. would the guy got sick and tired of them, somehow? LOL

(9) I love the New 52 version of Two Face's origin story in A Tale of Two Faces and The Big Burn with my whole heart! Once again the artwork here is exquisite and Two Face is a villain who has grown on me through the years (ever since The Long Halloween, I mean). I even like the villainous woman Erin who is the crime boss who ruins Harvey Dent's life by murdering his wife, Gilda Dent. Though I really would rather see Gilda Dent went missing like she did The Long Halloween instead of being killed off outright. I think Gilda should live long enough to see her husband becoming a monster instead. T_T That would make the whole thing even more tragic.

(10) Come on, give me a break! If Ra's wanted to test whether Batman is worthy to be his son-in-law, shouldn't Talia be the one to challenge Batman in combat instead of Ra's!?

Perhaps it's just me...I'm a bit worked up by this 'a chick isn't up to the task of challenging a guy' or 'a daughter is her father's property' stuff...

(11) We have a Ra's al Ghul who got himself into a lot of troubles to revive his daughter and grandson.......? I'm not sure but is it a bit OOC for him? I know, a normal, compassionate person would do anything to save his family, but Ra's doesn't count as a normal person in my book. LOL

(12) Why must Darkseid and his minors so freaking ugly to look at!? I know they are aliens and villains but I really hate their outlooks!!!! They really are not easy on the eyes! *frustrated screams*

(13) At one point, Bruce talks to Dick about the latter's taking up Batman role if he didn't come back alive, I like that. LOL

(14) Honestly, I'm not a fan of the Batman trying to revive Damian storyline and I also don't like this omnibus doesn't actually include the story about Damian actually getting killed, we only got to see the aftermath of his death (e.g. Bruce and Alfred's reaction), and frankly, it sucks. I like Damian's development as a character and his interaction with Bruce, BUT! I really don't like how Batman reacts to his death, I understand he is grieving and getting out of control, which is understandable to a degree, still I don't like how he treats the rest of the BatFam, e.g. being an ass to both Red Robin and Batgirl, taking Jason to the exact spot of his murder (as a result the two got into a fistfight, which is just typical), in this dark period.

(15) When Batman is being such a wreck, Nightwing continues to be a sweetheart and actually helps the older man to cope with his grief! So just how can you not adore him! *fangirl's screams*

(16) I do LOVE the story with Catwoman, nothing can beat BatCat, for Hell's sake!

"What do you want, Catwoman?"

"I want the moon, but I can't seem to everrr reach it!"

Lovely.

(17) Just a side note: aside from The Count of Monte Cristo, this omnibus is the second 1000+ book I've read this year!

(18) Here is my humble question: can we have Ace the Bathound back!?

Review: Red Hood: Outlaw vol. 1 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman: Battle For the Cowl: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman: Life After Death: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Book Review: Batman: The Long Halloween https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Review: The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol. 1 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
Review: Batman: A Death in the Family https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Donovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tome in the life of Batman and Robin: the pure heartwarming joy of family, the tragedy of their loss, unbridled adventure, and of course, the two-fold nature of violence in vigilantism. Now among my favorite Bat titles.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, you crank out 1,200 pages that offer a pretty fresh, interesting take on a beloved character that’s been around for 80 years, you get 4 stars, no questions asked.

Tomasi and Gleason hit the mark more often than not in this gargantuan tome, which is particularly impressive given that much of the action involves Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s son with the malevolent Talia al Ghul, who was conceived and quickened under some very interesting (some might even suggest controversial and downright weird) circumstances.

Robin’s always been like that loud friend of yours who lacks any filter between brain and mouth—you’re frequently glad he’s there because he creates a different dynamic and enlivens the action, but you’re constantly aware of how awkward he makes everything.

Batman’s paternal status vis-a-vis Damian makes this Batman/Robin dynamic less unintentionally creepy than others (it also helps that Damina’s not named “Dick”), but it’s still a little weird that a competent, right-thinking adult would throw a 10-year-old into situations where death and dismemberment are not only possible, but probable, on a nightly basis (and a 10-year-old who’s his son, no less).

Assuming you can work past that fundamental flaw of the Batverse, and assuming you can deal with the fact that Damian’s a real asshole at the outset, even considering he was raised by a remorseless, power-crazed assassin, Damian’s character arc is rewarding. He matures in fits and starts and it feels organic, a result, at least in part, of the lengthy tenure Tomasi and Gleason had on the book.

That said, there are some confusing moments where this title is part of a larger story that crosses into other Bat titles, especially when major events happen elsewhere without any sort of summary about what went down in the other Bat books (such as a fairly prominent character whose name may or may not appear in the title of the book biting the ginormous one). That would have been a helpful feature to add if any DC editorial types are reading this (and why wouldn’t they be, when it’s probably the 974th most interesting thing that they’ll read today?).

Worth a read if you’re not prone to hernias. (Because the book is physically heavy. Not because the story is burdensome or likely to make your metaphorical stomach to push its way through your diaphragm.)

[Mattthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. I figured it probably would be going in. I have read several things by Tomasi that were also excellent, his Superman, and his SuperSons, to name a couple. This is a massive book! It's worth the commitment, though. I love Damian Wayne. He is my favorite Robin besides Dick Grayson. I do have a few nitpicks about this book, though. First of all, there are a couple parts of the book that were confusing because some very important stuff happened off-page. I really wish they would have included something to let us know what happened in these gaps in the story. Another gripe I have is that The Book is called Batman and Robin, and Robin could have been on the page a little more. Other than that, it was excellent.
Highly Recommend.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I utterly loved the vast majority of this series. Tomasi's approach to Batman is wonderful, giving him a full-on personality instead of just a constant brood. He writes Damian better than even Grant Morrison, who created the character. He gives him a real childish petulance that feels a lot more realistic than Morrison's tendency to write him as a young genius. And yet, you still fear him and worry that he's a little psychopath.

The best thing about this, though, is the combination of the two of them. Tomasi nails the father-son dynamic. The stories, particularly in the latter half of this giant book, really make you feel for them as a family, as two people forced together by blood, learning to deal with each other and respect each other in their own ways. And damn, if the middle of this book doesn't have some powerful emotional weight.

Now, I don't by any means think this is a perfect book. It's too massive to possibly have nailed everything. There are missteps. The batch of stories between the opener and Death of the Family are pretty weak and borderline boring, before Tomasi really nailed the tone. But once things pick up, they stay up. This is simultaneously one of the most grounded comics and most out-there comics I've read in a while. The relationships are real, but the stories are very big and crazy. But, somehow, it all fits together perfectly.

So, while picking up this entire omnibus might be a big ask, I do think it's worth it to read this entire series. It doesn't suffer much from tie-in fever, and you can really just enjoy it on its own merits. One of the best New 52 series by far.

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this book has something that's rare in a lot of superhero comics, a butt ton of heart!

In my humble opinion, Peter J Tomasi is such an underrated writer. While everyone was obsessing over Snyder's run on Batman at the time, Tomasi was building something completely different over on the Batman & Robin title. This series was all about one thing, the relationship between Bruce and Damian. Father and son. The dynamic duo themselves. And I'll be damned if this wasn't one of the most genuine and delicate series I've read in a while. Although I enjoyed how Damian's creator Grant Morrison wrote him, Tomasi takes these two in an ever better route. I use to think Damian was a little annoying twerp, but here we see a transition from a stubborn little shit into a fully fleshed character who I genuinely felt for.

There are a few tie in issues toward the start of the run, but Tomasi wrote them in a way where they could be read as a single issue without any hanging threads. But once the series takes foot it can't be stopped. I binged this within a couple of days cause I couldn't put it down. The heartbreaking issues surrounding Damian's death were so powerful. I think Tomasi's Bruce might be one of my favourite versions of the character. He's human and he has a heart, the latter proving something most writers miss when writing Batman. On reading the last issue I had a big smile on my face, and a little sad to think of come to the end of the story. The fact that it ends on a sweet moment made it a bit easier.

Another big plus is the art by Patrick Gleason. The way he draws emotions, especially in the touching heartfelt moments, made this series what it is. To prove that there is one issue following Damian's death that has no text at all. The story is conveyed through art alone. And he NAILS it! It's one of the most impactful Batman issues I've ever read!

Although I was sad to see this series conclude, I'm happy to know I've got Tomasi and Gleason's Superman run to dive into next. As I hear it has similar themes to this book with it focusing on Clark and his son Jon, so I know it's going to be amazing.

This book isn't about the villains. It focuses instead on relationships, and that's why I love it so much. If that sounds like something up your alley, I promise you won't be disappointed!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific collection. Why can't we have a Green Lantern Corp Omnibus?

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute joy from start to finish. I’ve loved the Bruce and Damian duo ever since reading Grant Morrison’s run on Batman where Damian was introduced.

This book ties in nicely with Scott Snyder’s New 52 Batman run and has a wide collection of different stories in here. These two characters work in stark contrast to each other and allows for some seriously enjoyable character development from both and it’s been great to see a different side to Bruce navigating fatherhood under trying circumstances.

[Joakim Ax · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and quick re-read of Batman and Robin adventure. The very much need crossover read together with Morrisons third omnibus volume hinders me less and less and makes the story go along easier and easier for each time I re-read it.

[Logan Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10:
This omnibus only further deepens my love for both Batman and Robin, but also strengthens the fact that Damian Wayne is my favorite Robin to exist. I love that we dive right into this iconic duo fighting crime in Gotham City, but have the added benefit of other heroes being around including Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Batgirl.

My biggest complaints with this collection, are honestly the presentation of larger DC story chunks within that don’t fit super well on their own. We get issues from Death of the Family where Alfred Pennyworth is abducted, Batman learns truths about Joker, and the other heroes are all tortured by Joker, and all of these occur in comics not within these pages. A similar thing happens when Damian Wayne himself is killed by the hand of Talia Al Ghul, his own mother. But to leave this issue out of an omnibus where one of the two titular characters is murdered??

I love how we get to see the man behind the Batman so intimately, particularly after Damian’s death. We see Bruce go to lengths we could’ve never imagined for him: torturing Frankenstein, degrading the work of Batgirl, torturing Red Hood with his past, turning on the Justice League, and even going toe to toe with Darkseid on Apokolips in the Hellbat armor.

I need to read more comics with Damian Wayne, and I promise it’ll be coming. That kid is a legend and I hope that someday he takes on the mantle of Batman full time.

[Omni Theus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too Many Crossovers, Guest Appearances and Glaring Plot Holes Sully What Might Have Been a Decent Experience
OVERALL RATING: 2.75 stars
Art: 4.75 stars
Prose: 3 stars
Plot: 2 stars
Pacing: 3.75 stars
Character Development: 3.25 stars
World Building: 2.5 stars
To not have included the actual death of one of the protagonists was simply sloppy from DC. This certainly felt like a third tier book playing well behind Snyder and Detective series. Wildly inconsistent with some really good writing and some garbage. The ending was a stinker for me which defiled my overall experience. A shell in comparison to Snyder and Capullo's magnificent installment. Gleason's art is worth a 5 but some of the guest artists were pretty terrible...

[Mohamed Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first half of the book was very good then it went south (spoilers ahead)
1. how come this omnibus doesn't include the issue where robin died when its very important i will never know
2. then you get 10+ issues without robin in a batman & robin tittle include a silly chase of ras alghul to prevent the ressurection of robin which batman himself tried to do previously and actually did it later!1
in my opnion it would have been much better if it ended with issue 22

[Steven Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome read and I look forward to reading more Batman books. I love having the omnibus/absolute formats to be able to read them all the way through. This run by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason is great and I highly recommend it.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series, one of my favorite Batman book's out there.

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
I was kinda worried about picking this one up. One, I generally despise child sidekicks. They are stupid and break the immersion in what is (superheroes) already kinda goofy and something that stretches credulity to begin with. B: I hate Damian Wayne. Dude is a horrendous little shit, and I disdain everything about him. Except for Bruce getting to nail Tahlia. That's a W no matter how you slice it. And thirdly, Tomasi really shat the bed on his latter Detective comics run. Basically, I had very little reason to be optimistic about this, much less purchase it, admittedly at a pretty decent price.
The opening arc confirmed all of my fears. Damian was a horrible little shit. Tomasi's writing was weak and about the furthest thing I would want from a Batman story. But then, it slowly began to change. Tomasi's writing improved. Damian became (slightly) less and les annoying. Hell, I really enjoyed Alfred's portrayal through this. Putting him as the wise and caring middleman between father and son. Hell, halfway through, I was actually starting to enjoy myself. Sure, there was a dud issue here and there, and Gleason's art, despite being a top tier artist, never really gave me the fizz the way it should. Dude can't draw faces well, and he really can't draw female faces well. Still, it was nice to have him on the vast majority of issues, even if all but one fill in artist was probably better. with about a third of the way to go, when every issue I had with the book previously came home to roost, laid a billion eggs, only to have them hatch Gremlins style and so thoroughly ruin what had been a pretty decent time up until that point.
It had been skating around thin ice here and there, with some rather dangerous indications of where it was headed. Sadly, the writing was on the wall, and I flicked through the remainder of the book to see if the over the top stupidity ever subsided and a more grounded and gritty Batman returned. It didn't, by the way, and I was done.
Batman is a fookin dood, alright! If ever writers have an inclination to have him fighting Superman level threats, aliens from others worlds, or any other overtly ridiculous threat, then you have completely and utterly failed. This is why Batman should never be a part of the Justice League, beyond an occasional adviser, though preferably not at all. But he's popular, so throw him in anywhere, regardless of how ridiculous it is.
I love so much about comics, although this book epitomises so much of what is profoundly moronic and infuriating about them. I'll keep it, as half the issues here are worth reading again, but it is nowhere near as good as the current score on this site indicates. 2.75/5


OmniBen.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: You need to read at least Morrison's Batman Incorporated and Snyder's Death of the Family to fully appreciate this wonderful book. (Which is why it loses a star as a self contained book)

My first exposure to the Tomasi/Gleason duo was an experimental trip into the Rebirth era of Superman (and later Green Lantern Corps). And I quite enjoyed their take on the character, even though I have little to no interest in Clark Kent. But what made their story special was the family dynamic. They wrote quite a different Superman from any that I know. And that's exactly what they have done here.
Bruce Wayne is an actual human being in this run, which even in the very best Batman books is rare. He has personality, motivations now beyond that of fear and vengeance and protecting Gotham. And he has a sense of humour! All because of his son, Damian Wayne, the real heart of this book.

This run starts small, gets ridiculously huge and ends small; which was a pacing decision I really appreciated. Tomasi really knows how to make you invest in not only the father-son relationship, but the relationships between them and Alfred (who is so cleverly written) and also the dynamics between Damian and all the former Robins. The smaller, character moments are what drive the book and it's more of a reactionary tale to the grander events happening in Snyder's Batman and Morrison's Batman Incorporated.

Tomasi gets time to develop Damian's inner struggles to live up to his father's expectations, and the legacies left behind by former Robins. Bruce has to struggle with his newfound role as a father and opening up his emotions to his son. It's quite charming, and there are genuinely heartfelt and touching moments here. Dick Grayson is used sparingly but smartly, as a guiding voice in Bruce's ear to go easier on the kid. Which is a nice flip from his own days as Robin. And he also acts as a confident role model for Damian, even if the kid is a cocky little shit about it. But he's 10, of course he would be.
And then Alfred is the most human of them all, he really knows Bruce, but acts as a kind and overly forgiving grandfather to Bruce's young son.

I admit that the book itself as a whole relies too much on knowledge of events happening in other titles so as a standalone piece, it loses a star. Also towards the end it gets just a smidge too ridiculous and drawn out for me, but it's brought back down to earth (quite literally) by the end.

Highly, highly recommended. But read it after Morrison's 3 omnibus and Snyder's run for maximum emotional impact.

[Mizraim Gonzalez Pita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Omni has me very conflicted. Has really high highs but it gets outnumbered by reeeally low lows.

I really enjoyed some of the story’s told. Damian’s Scavenger Hunt was really sweet and endearing. Seeing the New 52 Tie-Ins were super cool as I always wondered what the Bat Family were up to during those events. Seeing Bruce grieving over Damian’s death was hard to watch, especially when he was pushing away the BatFamily who wanted to help. And I enjoyed the race against Ra’s Al Ghul to get Damian and Talia back just for everything to get turned on its head once Darkseid’s forces got involves. Complete insanity and I loved every second of it, with a nice warm moment at the end once Damian is revived.

But there are also many stories thrown in that aren’t nearly as exciting. The White Knight story was confusing, I understand Nobody’s story was important for setting up Damian’s development but the story as a whole was boring. The one with the Frogman and the Zombies, why? The Big Burn was the biggest issue for me, seeing as it’s a huge out of place filler that was disconnected from literally every other story presented.

The flow of things in this is also off. The Omni starts off with the Bat Family watching The Mask of Zorro with Bruce, then it switches to the White Knight story where Dick is Batman because Bruce is dead. What? Then, the very next story has Bruce alive and back as Batman. What? At some point Damian dies, but because we don’t see this it throws everything out of line considering he was in the previous story. One story he’s alive and well, flip the page, now we’re weeks into his death and Bruce is mad he couldn’t save him. Why do this? Why didn’t they just include that story instead of the Big Burn? Especially when so much of the ending of this Omni deals with Bruce trying to revive Damian. I would have much rather read the storyline about the league of assassins trying to and eventually killing Damian than some story about Harvey Dent and his hatred for a random Irish lady.

I wanted to like this more than I did, especially considering how hyped about it I was when it was announced but too many things keep it from being great. Bad art, boring stories and many inconsistencies plague this Omnibus. I was going to buy this but i’m glad I didn’t because it isn’t worth the money, aside from that sick cover.

[Jacob A. Mirallegro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so close to 5 stars because I really loved some of it and other parts just felt kind of like flat filler, so I'm going to say its a 4.5
First off it gets these character dynamics so incredibly well. Batman has actual emotions and Damian has so much depth. Tomasi and Gleason have very good chemistry which led to some beautiful art that conveyed tone and pacing perfectly.
There are some parts that felt mandatory like the Court of Owls tie in and the Death of The Family issues. The DOTF ones actually had some good use of Damian but still didn't fit smoothly with the overall pacing of the series on its own, which is really my biggest problem with this run. While it rolls with the punches of being in canon and having to connect to different series it kind of just assumes the reader has read those series before and knows what's going on (mainly Morrison's Batman run especially Batman Incorporated). Luckily I did read those but knowing what happens in Batman Inc is definitely necessary for this Batman and Robin run. That said I absolutely adored the silent issue and storyline that followed the aftermath of the Batman Inc events. Like I said Batman himself has real emotions in this and you can feel them, its truly powerful at parts. Gleason's art is really satisfying and fitting for this series with a few next level parts.
Big Burn was interesting and had some unexpected twists on Two Face's origin but still kind of didn't move the overall plot too much. The last story arcs are a little weaker than the start but still have some super fun parts and it made me really want to read Tomasi's Superman and Super Sons.
I 100% recommend checking this out but maybe don't read past the first two arcs if you don't want to get confused or have Batman Inc spoiled.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

what i wouldn't give for an uninterrupted 40 issues of Tomasi's depiction of Bruce/Damian...as much credit as Morrison deserves for inventing the character, it's here that their father/son dynamic truly shines, and this run has cemented Damian as my favorite Robin and probably one of my favorite comic book characters period...really hope there's more books out there that get him right!

as an overview of the tangential goings-on of the New 52, this is sadly a reminder that the chains of continuity are usually detrimental to the DC universe...here we have one of the best books i've ever read but only when it's allowed to do its thing, one can easily imagine a version of this that ignores the short timespan of Damian's initial time as Robin and is free to explore that with more longevity and complexity

instead we've got tie ins to significantly less interesting storylines (Death of the Family), a huge hole where it's just Batman grieving (which is well handled) then a fucking Two-Face storyline that i could not care less about...sandwiched between what one would imagine the entire book could have been if left to tell stories in their own corner...i have to admit i'm starting to see what the New 52 haters were on about

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I am a huge Damian fan. Ever since his introduction by Grant Morrison I have enjoyed his bratty attitude, his arrogance and his self-assured smugness.

I enjoy Damian in part because he creates a new challenge for Batman. Damian was raised from birth to kill, to be remorseless and now Batman must try to show him another way, a better way. This adds new stakes to the story. It is not just a matter of beating the villain, now Batman must also be a good father figure.

I really enjoyed the father-son dynamics of the story and the emotional depth Damian gained as the story progressed.

Spoilers!
Spoilers!

Damian's death and the impact it had on Batman was well executed, even if it was obviously temporary. The story of Damian's return and the various team-ups Batman took part in were also a of fun. I especially enjoyed the team-up with Frankenstein. The battle on Apokoplis was suitably epic and enjoyable.

Would recommend.

[Alex Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a pretty impressive collection. Here we explore a kind of "inverse" Batman where he is an actual dad -- facing a son as wilful, stoic and laconic as himself. We explore aspects of Batman and Robin's relationship fully going full circle on what has always been essentially an exploration of fatherhood, with the loss of parents and and what it means to be a man.

The art is very contemporary, with some anime influence. The colors exceptional. We also get at the end, some taste of different aspects of Batman explored through different styles and voices. I won't get into the spoilers or the plot since Batman has been and will always be reinvented every so often. If you are a fan of Batman this is an interesting take, one that doesn't disappoint, although with 1200 pages, there is surprisingly little filler.

[TheMadReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m only giving this 3 stars because of the artwork and maybe, the few heartfelt moments between Father and son.

The beginning was pretty cool, trying to tame a brilliant child with masterful skill. But then they lost me with the whole akropolis theme and Robin getting Superman like powers only to eventually drain and lose them. Was that a ploy on the whole Batman vs Superman thing by giving his son Superman advantages? I dunno, I just really hate when Batman writers cross both worlds with the justice league and crap. I like my Batman stories to stay in Gotham and without all the Sci-Fi garbage.

Btw, if you haven’t already read Batman Incorporated and Death OF the family, you’ll be lost in this so get your read on.

The two face story wasn’t bad either, different approach and take. I liked it.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, full of great storylines. The first half of this omnibus takes place right after/during Grant Morrison’s Batman vol 2 omnibus. The last half takes place right after Vol 3. If you happen to be reading Grant Morrison’s run and don’t want to try to figure out when to start and stop this book, I recommend starting this right after Morrison’s Vol 3 omnibus.

Morrison’s vol 3 run is not required prior reading, but there is a big event that takes place in it that directly affects this story. It’s easy enough to figure out what happens though.

The stories in the book were unexpectedly awesome and this has quickly become one of my favorite Batman related books.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it gets muddled at times due to major events taking place elsewhere and not recapped, this is an outstanding collection. I think it finally warmed me to Damien, and cemented that relationship. Tomasi and Gleason are an amazing team, and worthy of the oversized format. This was a blind buy, and I am so glad I did. I already look forward to reading it again.

[Alexander Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible entry for Tomasi and Gleason. A great personification of the hardest duo to encapsulate. There’s something about this duo that can really dive deep into the characters and give the fans something challenging in nature. The rollercoasters in this book make me so emotional at times, making me want more than previously asked.

[Joshua K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tomasi and Co. do a really great job of weaving an emotional tale about father and son as they’re thrown curve balls from all the major bat-books. Having to rebound from choices made in Batman and Batman Inc. is hard but Tomasi always finds the way to put character first. Probably up there as one of my all time bat-runs.

[Jase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after months, I only got through the 0 - 40 issues that were pretty good. The middle story with NO Robin bored me. The rest is a GREAT RIDE! Rarely a DC fan but Batman keeps me coming back. Hopefully I'll get to the Damian issues; the library wanted this 20 lb book back.

[Yazan Al-Jurf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requires you to read Grant Morrison's run (kind of a continuation/tie-in) and maybe Death of the Family. One of my favorite Omnibus's, if you are a fan of the Grant Morrison Batman, this is a must-read.

[Zachary Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series that has become one of my favorite batman runs. If you enjoy this and need more Damian, check out the Super Sons omnibus from the same team. Gleason's art is great in both runs.

[Zachary King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific! Grant Morrison may have created Damian, but Tomasi and Gleason made us love him.