My Best Friend is Robin?!

Jeffrey Brown writes a new entertaining and relatable story for Damian Wayne in Batman and Robin and Howard. How do you teach a child, who has everything, to be more empathetic toward the citizens of Gotham? Transfer him from Gotham Prep. to Gotham Metro Academy. Which doesn’t seem very safe for a high-profile family, but this is nice Gotham. Howard loves his school, is an overachieving student, a great friend to all his classmates, and a really great guy. Life is good until Damian Wayne is transferred into his class. Damian is certain that the only reason everyone is treating him kindly is because Bruce Wayne is his father, and Howard can’t be all that great either. The first day of school starts with plenty of miscommunications, as Howard tries to be Damian’s friend. When tension heats up, and they become competitive during soccer practice.

Jeffrey Brown has a fun hand drawn comic style, that is really accessible for children learning how to draw comics themselves. His characters have a full range of expressions, even with the simplified design, especially the stress in Bruce’s eyes. There is a diverse group of students, and it is great seeing them work hard to be kind to each other. Damian does not have his usual backstory as a privately tutored child assassin. Instead in this really nice version, he has been in Gotham since at least Pre-K. Damian ends up seeming overly shy at times, because he doesn’t talk much to anyone, but he is making an effort not to voice his negative thoughts. It is a bit strange to have such a light Batman and Robin comic with Damian, but there are plenty of fun little references for fans. It is also comical seeing batman puzzle over the mysteries of school soccer.

Overall, this story has a lot of heart, as Damian and Howard try to overcome their own misconceptions. Their frustrations with each other are understandable, and they both struggle with thinking negatively about each other’s intentions. Without context Damian could be perceived as a spoiled rich brat, when instead he is just lonely. It is definitely a valuable lesson in observation, deduction, and patience that Batman can be proud of. This is a great story about learning to make new friends, and how to overcome jealousy with friendship. ( )

Both previews are intriguing, particularly the Robin story, which has an oddly effective combination of a realistic, non-goofy approach to the Bat-character personalities, a cutesy child-like art style, and a sweet, low-key tone in the portrayal of the regular children at the school. ( )