THIS WEEK: The dynamic duo’s current creative team says goodbye in Batman and Robin #13.
Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
Batman and Robin #13
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist & Colorist: Juan Ferreyra
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover Artist: Simone Di Meo
We’re a month away from the launch of DC’s All In initiative, bringing with it new series and new creative teams on existing titles. This week’s Batman and Robin #13 marks the conclusion of writer Joshua Williamson’s tenure writing the series, and leaves the table set nicely for the incoming creators.
While the Batman and Robin title is only a year old, Williamson has been telling a longer Damian Wayne story since the 2021 launch of the Robin ongoing series as part of Infinite Frontier. Under Williamson’s pen, Damian has developed greatly as a character. It’s easy to forget that the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul has only been around for less than twenty years, and for much of that time he was portrayed as an arrogant know-it-all. With Williamson guiding his story, Damian’s arrogance has morphed into confidence, and he’s learned to trust people around him (within reason) and recognize his own limitations. Damian has also dealt with the trauma of having witnessed Alfred Pennyworth’s death at the hands of Bane, an element of his story that’s come to a head in this latest Batman and Robin arc.
The bond between Bruce and Damian has been the emotional core of this series, and it’s on center stage in this issue as the dynamic duo square off against Bane and his daughter, Vengeance. The latter two essentially represent where Bruce and Damian started back in 2006, and the contrast between the two families highlights just how far the Waynes have come since then. Last issue’s confrontation between Robin and Bane would surely have ended very differently had it occurred just a few years ago in Damian’s development, and it’s easy to imagine Bruce standing in a Venom-fueled Damian’s way in this issue also going in a very different direction. It’s a powerful sequence that Williamson and artist Juan Ferreyra execute beautifully.
Looking at his work on this issue and the arc as a whole, it’s hard not to think that Ferreyra is on the cusp of being the next superstar artist. His storytelling is absolutely stellar, with highly-emotive characters and dynamic, clear page layouts. Whether it’s dozens of dinosaur species or Venom-ized characters with utterly insane anatomy, everything Ferreyra draws is infused with a feeling of realism that grounds it in the world of the story. His watercolor finishes give his lineart a warmth that supports that grounding beautifully, and make his work stand out compared to other superhero comics artists.
Batman and Robin #13 is a strong, touching swan song for a creative team at the absolute top of their game. Williamson has made great strides with a divisive character, bringing Damian fully into the Bat-family and actually making him feel at home there. Ferreyra has brought this final arc to life with a superb visual style. The incoming team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javier Fernandez have a tough act to follow, but the series is in a good place going into their run next month.
Final Verdict: BUY.
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