Batman and Robin #5

Time to get back on the snide and getting these out on time....ish. Batman and Robin 5 previews the possible fall of Damian Wayne. While the four previous issues have shown concern for Damian's mental state (frustrations with Bruce, abuse to animals, needless violence, etc.) issue five proves to be the tipping point as he teams up with Morgan Ducard (our villain Nobody) to "fight crime" in Gotham. Ducard's trying to turn Damian (why? we're not sure yet, other than the general undermining of Bruce's Batman INC).

This issue also features a little backstory for Bruce's past with the Ducards, and the brief nut needed personal history of Morgan and his father Henri. Basically, Henri Ducard was a mercenary agent for various governments who had nowhere else to turn, who fell in love with and married a terrorist agent hired to kill him. They had a child, the terrorists threatened to kill the son if she didn't kill Henri. She agrees, the son Morgan overhears, and kills his mom, convincing his father that he was the only one who truly cared about him, at which point Henri began to train Morgan.

Admittedly, this issue moves kind of slow. We have a lot of back and forth between Morgan Ducard and Damian consisting mostly of "you were wise to leave your father and join me" and "I haven't yet," "yes you have," "no I haven't." That got dull by the end of the comic, as did Bruce's whining over how he's been a bad father. I wanted to scream at the page NO CRAP BRUCE!"

Admittedly, with Dick, Tim, and Jason, he was a father figure but they didn't ever call him father really. Damian's Bruce biological son, he calls him as such since the day they met. This is an entirely different parenting experience because he isn't adding to or correcting other parenting, he is the primary parent. And Bruce is going to have to parent him as such for the first time in his life. Even if he didn't, let's just say Bruce doesn't have the greatest résumé; Dick ran practically ran away as Robin and Jason died. Tim he did ok with, but Tim Drake's civilian life was devastated by his double-life as Robin.

What interests me is that Damian seems to be playing a game with Morgan Ducard. He certainly doesn't appear completely kosher and sincere with this team-up. Personally I think he's taking initiative to prove himself to his father, and trying to think Ducard into revealing his secrets so that he can take him down. 

What I liked: This issue really makes you wonder if Damian is leaving Bruce, even if it's obvious he won't because this is only five issues into this series and Grant Morrison is going to need Damian and Bruce's side for the completion of his Batman Inc. story. That feat of believabilty is a major accomplishment. Also, Patrick Gleason's visuals match up perfectly with Tomasi's words, Bruce's rage and Damian's resolve are really demonstrated well in the pencils.What I didn't: This issue is dragged out, the Damian and Ducard interactions don't add too much, seems like Tomasi struggled to expand their interactions beyond what ended up on the page. This feels like a filler issue, as nothing much happens.

Conclusion: Tomasi's becoming a really strong writer, and this is a great series, but this is not the best issue of the first five. Still quality though, and I can't wait for what happens when Bruce eventually finds Damian and Ducard. 8.1/10 (B-).