Batman & Robin Eternal #4 Review

Axe me no more questions, tell me no more dies!

 

Someone's in the kitchen with Grayson, someone's in the kitchen I know-ow-ow, someone's in the kitchen with Grayson, landing a lot of blows! Who isn't in there, though? It's a regular kitchen nightmare in the fourth episode of DC's weekly Grayson extension, I mean Batman tale. Bruce is still addled, the Robin group battles, and an angry Steph taddles! It looks like Tim Drake has a secret allegience, Dick doesn't mind walking around in public with the Hypnos implant, Harper prefers Cass's company to Spoiler's (who wouldn't?), and Duke Thomas is now a somewhat relevant character! So activate your sleeper agent, it's time for me to snark about this issue.

 

Seinfeld Syndrome has spread! Somebody remove the airline peanuts from the area!
 


That fight in the kitchen at the start was like a college experiment to see how many people can fit into a phone booth. The killer cooks, the Robins, Dick, Batgirl, Bruce. What, Batwing was too busy that day? (Can't imagine he would be, his book's been cancelled and he's been piggy-backing off Babs.) It was a pretty neat fight and introduction to the We Are Robin kids into the storyline, and it was interesting to see Dick interact with Duke. Though I kind of feel like there wasn't enough respect there from Duke, but how was he supposed to know? Dick, for his part, has become very out of the loop (almost as much as Lumberbruce). I wonder if any of those kids were on that list, but perhaps not, because Dick didn't ask for names.

 

"AND WE ARE LEEEEEGIOOOON!"



I was a little disappointed that no real progress had been made with Harper and Cass. Wherever Cass is leading Bluebird, she's taking her sweet time in doing so. You'd think they would have been there. This is some annoying decompression. But I do like them playing off each other, both being a bit off-beat, but in different ways. Stephanie Brown is very weary of the mute ninja girl, as most people would be, but Harper feels like she's farther into the freak show of the Bat life, so I guess this isn't too new an experience. I kind of want to see a team-up book with all three girls, and maybe that New 52 version of Carrie Kelley that they just kind of let fall off the face of the Earth.

It seems like there's not much for Jason and Tim to do in this issue. They're just hanging out with the girls in the Batcave and scratching their head over what's going on while Dick is doing all the field work. You'd think that Dick could at least use Jason's meager talents in combat to take out some of these controlled people. Which, as it turns out, Tim is one of, making him at least marginally interesting, a rarity in this continuity. Apparently my (sometimes) favorite Robin is being activated as one of Mother's kill kids, but I'm guessing between Jason and Stephanie, they'll be able to subdue him if he attacks. Cass and Harper can help, too, if they're not too busy doing what too nubile young girls do in the secret dark of a cave, so young and supple and... Subway, eat fresh!

 

"Dear Penthouse..."



The artwork in this issue doesn't seem quite as solid as the first three. It seems like it's getting lazier in some places. I can't quite put my finger on the specifics, though. If it keeps up, I'll try to be more thorough. It's still better than some of the lackluster art issues in the first weekly, but to be fair, those didn't start until almost a dozen issues in.

Next:  Cass In The Past, And The Man With The Gas


- Penguin Truth
(2015)
 

Story: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder
Script: Steve Orlando
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Inks: Wayne Faucher
Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering By: Saida Temofonte
Cover By: Paul Pelletier, Tony Kordos & Tomeu Morey
Editor: Chris Conroy
Asst. Editor: Dave Wielgosz
Group Editor: Mark Doyle
Batman Created By Bob K--wait...



Still too little credit for Finger.

 


  "... hello, Fadda. Here I am at Camp Grenada..."


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