DC Comics reviews 1/8/25 – Absolute Batman #4, Aquaman #1
Batman and Robin #17
The Memento story arc continues to heat up as Batman and Robin are struggling to get on the same page. Batman is dealing with the latest Memento attack while confronting Scarecrow. Is the chaos he’s seeing playing out real or a hallucination? The exposure to the Gravedigger’s Poppy isn’t helping matters much at all.
Damian, meanwhile, is making sense of his feelings regarding Batman and his purpose in Gotham. Are they part of the problem? He’s been working at the hospital so he can keep tabs on the still recovering Emma and getting mentored by Dr. Bashar. Naturally, Batman starts to get suspicious as Damian mentions him again. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson is pacing the story very smoothly. It’s got a real detective novel feel to it where clues are being carefully parsed out and this time, Batman and Robin aren’t 14 steps ahead.
That makes for a very enticing read as they’re being challenged and not just outsmarting every and any possible obstacle. Javi Fernandez tackles the bulk of the art coming up with some very intricate and complex layouts in some pages. It’s a nice visual change from a standard layout and adds to the chaotic thoughts going on with Batman as he reflects on his previous encounter with Memento and this potential rematch.
Camine Di Giandomenico provides some art assists for the flashback segments. This is a fun pairing of artists with complementary styles yet distinct enough to provide that visual cue that the artist has changed. Marcelo Maiolo’s color work is fantastic especially in dealing with the shock red and white tones as Batman deals with Memento. Letterer Steve Wands does excellent work as well mixing up dialogue bubbles in the flashbacks, Memento’s tone and Oracle communication.
Batman and Robin #17 is another strong installment of this gripping detective story that’s keeping the title characters and readers on their toes with its unpredictable mystery.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: DC Comics
Check out Johnson’s outstanding work on Action Comics with the trade paperback Superman: The Warworld Saga on Amazon.
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