Damian (Son of Batman) #1

Welcome to Bat country!
Special Guest Commentary by jaeger-bomber because I don't have time for all of these fucking mini-series and shit.

Before I begin, it needs to be known that this book takes place on some shaky continuity ground. Written by Andy Kubert, before the New 52's inception but released now, before we know if, when and how Damian comes back from the dead.

We open at Gotham City's Tricorner Docks "Some years from now". The narration boxes take the form of entries on something called "Graybook" which appear to be a recounting of the events by Damian.

I notice that this book is not printed in the normal DC glossy paper, nor on the toilet paper Marvel tries to pass off as quality. No, it is printed on very high quality paper, like you would get in a high end hardback.

Damian discusses how he has been surrounded by death as they search a huge pile of bodies for clues, speculating that maybe someone is trying to teach them a thing or two.
[[MORE]]

Or not, "Just some poor bastard as ugly as Tim"

I don't know about you Americans, but "Bastard" is a word we here in the motherland have always been taught as being just 1 tier of swear words down from the big 2 "Fuck" and "Shit" and 2 tiers down from the word that must be never be uttered "Cunt". I have noticed in American TV shows that it is used almost with impunity, that and "Wanker". I applaud that you are still sticking 2 fingers up at King George, but if published in the UK this book would probably be Teen Plus just for that.

Anyway, on with the show. Damian gets called out for his lack of respect towards the dead. Oh the irony! Batman finds a jokerized fish and states that Joker is usually more deceptive than this. As he examines the fish, he lifts it ever so slightly, at which point Damian here's a click. There's not enough time to warn Batman before he get's blown to Kingdom Come though.

I like the call out to the "Batman cradles dead Robin" trope.

After the funeral, Damian heads to his mother's to ask for the League of Assassin's help in hunting down whoever was responsible for Batman's death. Before meeting his mother and grandfather, he passes through the clone room, where we see that there are still some backup Damian's on ice.

Talia explains how he was bred to be the ultimate warrior "" but that she is disappointed he chose to become Robin instead and therefore he will get no help from them. She also mentions that he was resurrected following a "submarine incident" before he joined Batman. I don't know if I missed this in Batman Inc. or whether it happened pre-New52, but if he's been resurrected once, he can be again.

Robin returns home defeated, so he deals with the situation the best way he knows how. The master comic book reader will be glad to know that Jacknapes survives the events of Joker #1....(if this is indeed in continuity).

Presented without comment.

After his murderous rampage, he seeks solace in the confession booth. Where he proceeds to confess that it feels righteous and that he won't stop. The priest insists that it makes him no better than those that oppose him, to which Damian rebuts that it's the only way to stop them from returning.

Damian storms off, mumbling about how the priest "acts like he knows me." The priest peeks out after him and says to himself "Oh, but I do." Glasses and a mustache, me thinks old Commissioner Gordon has had a career change.

Alfred has no more success at convincing Damian of the errors of his ways.

Maybe he will.

I really enjoyed this book, the art is fantastic, the paper makes it feel fantastic and the story sets up the rest of the series nicely. I noticed how Damian, and everyone else for that matter, never referred to Batman as anything other than Batman, so I'm retrospectively stating that I knew it wasn't Bruce all along. For the record, I think it's Dick. It's definitely not Tim, which really leaves Jason as the only other candidate. It looks like that which Bruce feared is coming to pass, but will it? Tune in next time folks.