Batman and Robin Eternal Vol. 1

Didn`t expect much from this but I must say that it`s one of the best Batman comics I have read lately (even though batman appears only in a few scenes).Got the sequels, looking forward to read them.

After successfully releasing a weekly Batman book in Batman Eternal, DC have managed to make lightning strike twice with Batman & Robin Eternal, taking place in a world which has moved on since the original series. The story starts during the same period as  Batman Vol. 8: Superheavy  whereby Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman and has no memory of that time. Dick Grayson (former Robin, Nightwing, and Batman, currently super spy, Agent 37 of Spyral) receives a flash drive left for him by Batman, and relating to the Dark Knight's greatest sin and deepest regret. The story then follows Dick, along with the former Robins, Jason Todd and Tim Drake teaming with Harper Row and the New 52s version of Cassandra Cain to uncover the mystery Batman has left for them. As our heroes work to uncover this mystery, the story also flashes back to Dick Grayson's first encounter with Scarecrow and the mistake which Bruce committed to lead to this point.The story is fast paced, and runs smoothly despite the changes in writers and artists through the book (used to ensure the weekly schedule was kept to). It's fun to see how the former Robin's act around each other, and the different things they each bought to the table as Batman's sidekick. As we did with Batman Eternal, we also get to see the introductions of Pre-flashpoint characters bought into the New-52 universe. However, where the story does stumble at times is with how it requires a greater knowledge of the Batman aspects of the DC universe. It doesn't feel like a stand alone story, as a general knowledge of Grayson, Eternal, Batman, and other stories is required to understand who certain characters are and their interactions. If you've got this knowledge then it's a great book, and amazingly fun to read, otherwise I'd recommend familiarising yourself with some of the latest Bat-books before jumping in.

Great

Received

I am obviously out of step with other reviewers that have been consistently rating this volume as "five star". I'm afraid that it is my usual gripe that i, perhaps unreasonably, expect Batman to play a significant role in a book which features his name in the title. Bats makes a few appearances in flashback but they are sadly few and far between as the story concentrates on the seemingly endless list of supporting characters most of whom you won't be familiar with unless you have been following the various Batman titles extremely closely and taking notes. One of the other reviewers makes this exact same point but has given the book a top rating anyway. I am afraid that I can't bring myself to do that as I found this volume hard work - hard to follow and with no concession to new readers. I long for the day when the creative team here move on to other endeavours.

The story running through issues #1-13 of DC Comics’ Batman & Robin Eternal weekly series is collected in  Batman and Robin Eternal TP Vol 1 . Following the events of “Endgame”, the Batman is no more, though Bruce Wayne is living a happy life in genteel poverty, much to Alfred’s delight.However, the show must go on, and while the Gotham city authorities have hired James Gordon to pilot their robo-Batman, the rest of the Batman Family are about their business.The story opens in the middle of a world-wide crisis of some sort, with the various Robins and assorted female fighters who have not yet quite graduated facing hordes of killer children. Then the flashback begins, with one thread involving Dick Grayson’s Robin and his first meeting with the Scarecrow’s fear gas, and his and Batman’s pursuit of Jason Crane, which leads Batman to a mysterious figure known a Mother, who is building / programming people to order for the wealthy.The second flashback takes place in the present, but slightly before the opening event, and involves the ex-Robins, Red, Red Hood and Agent 37 (Dick), as well as Bluebird, Spoiler and the latest version of Cassandra Cain, who have discovered Mother’s agents and come under attack from them, and they set about investigating her organisation.We also see, in the opening stage-setting scene, that Batman apparently did some sort of deal with Mother, back in the past, and we are led to believe that she supplied him with a Robin to replace Dick…There is also a mysterious figure - the Orphan - going around with a list of people to assassinate, which includes the Robins, as well as Harper Row and Cassandra Cain, who makes her appearance here, and who delivers a memory-stick that we se Batman preparing in the flashback.After that, it there is lots of running around the world, punching people, hunting for clues, and discovering that Batman has been up to something. I don’t believe it for a minute that he bought a made-to-measure Robin, but he certainly did something.This is an excellently plotted, scripted and illustrated story - despite the huge roster of artists - and it kept me reading non-stop. Like Batman Eternal, this is one of the best Batman Family stories of the Post-Flashpoint DC Universe, with appearances from Batgirl, Bane and the latest version of Azrael, among others.

Splendidly captivating! I couldn't stop reading; I just wanted it to go on and on and on. I really enjoyed the two story lines switching between the past and present. The plot is excellent and maintains a solid detective with a highly intelligent and intricate plot. The authors have tempered that with just the right amount of battle scenes creating a fine balance between action and story. I can't get enough of the Robins and it was pure delight for me to have the first three all together here with such witty dialogue referring to their individual histories and attitudes. Also, a lot of fun was a guest star appearance by an anti-hero, and a couple of Batfamily cameos. I must also comment on the art. For a book with so many illustrators contributing work, the book has a very even feel to it as a whole which rarely happens in these cases. Awesome trade!