Batman and Robin #18 Review

BATMAN AND ROBIN #18

by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

"Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping 

Planted seeds while I was sleeping

Still remains

Within the sound of silence"

So, Batman and Robin #18 has been getting rave reviews everywhere, left and right. Why? There's a good reason why...

Now, I was very skeptical when DC announced this would be a silent issue. Most of the time, removing the dialogue from a script is just a gimmick. That is not the case here. Tomasi shows us Bruce's decent into darkness in the wake of Robin's death. The silence gives this issue a very melancholic and depressing feeling. Each page feels like a gut punch, with Damian's absence. It feels like you're going over the edge with Bruce, every last step of the way. If you're easily susceptible to tears, I highly recommend not reading this in public, especially the last 4 pages, in which Tomasi and Gleason tear your heart out, and then sucker punch you in the face at the same time. 

The lack of dialogue really allows Patrick Gleason's art to shine. Every panel has some sort of depressing reference to Robin's death. Gleason's skill with capturing emotion is especially tragic, with every last facial expression enhancing the solemn feel. From Bruce's brief and fleeting smile as he imagines Damian sliding down the Bat-Pole with him, to Alfred's simple frown, every page is powerful.

I highly suggest reading this book towards the end of the day, as it will put you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. When a book can do that, you know it's good.

If DC publishes another collection of The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, this must be in there. This is more than just a comic, it's a masterpiece, Tomasi and Gleason's magnum opus.

STORY: 5/5

+ Silence is golden

+ Every single page is an emotional gut punch

+ The last four pages will give you a whole case of feels and then some

ART: 5/5

+ Silence lets the art tell it's tale

+ Very emotional

+ Ridiculously powerful

VERDICT: 5/5