Review – Batman and Robin #22: Sympathy for the Demon
Batman and Robin #22 cover, via DC Comics.
Ray: The mystery of Memento has been lurking around the fringes of this title since the first issue of this run, but we might finally know the identity of the killer – Atticus Blye, the elderly mentor of Bruce and Detective Lautrec back in France. He was accused of the killings back then and died in prison – so how is he still standing in front of Damian Wayne, dead-eyed as he keeps the boy locked up? It's been clear since the start that the villain was not a natural serial killer, but this issue reveals fully that he is in fact a supernatural being. Batman and Lautrec investigate the killer's history – and discover that there were other killers carried out by completely different people, each claiming that a supernatural force made them do it and targeted those they love until they cooperated. And when dealing with the supernatural, Batman is forced to bring in an unlikely ally – Jason Blood. Dead and buried. Via DC Comics.
It's always fun when Batman is forced to deal with magic, because he's perpetually annoyed by it. But there's something deeper going on here – a threat that Batman truly doesn't understand, with his son's life at stake. Etrigan, summoned through Jason Blood, lets us in on a truly eerie tale of occultist brothers well over a century ago who tapped into something they shouldn't have and may have unleashed an ancient evil. But this issue also introduces some other interesting elements – including the return of the Gotham City Irregulars, a band of young delinquents who were cut a break by Batman years ago and help him out on occasion now. Their investigation takes them into the strangest parts of Gotham left behind by No Man's Land, right into a deadly encounter. This series has a great central mystery, and a lot of intriguing subplots that are likely leading to a powerful conclusion only months from now.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes. Liked it? Take a second to support GeekDad and GeekMom on Patreon!
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