Batman and Robin #20: A Descent

Since Phillip Kennedy Johnson took over writing duties on Batman and Robin, things have not been going well for Batman. For one, he is currently hallucinating while trying to find Damian. As a whole, Johnson has done a good job balancing the Batman and Robin action with Bruce trying to learn how to be a better father to Damian. While the focus has often stayed with Damian, Batman and Robin #20 throws Batman into a descent of darkness framed by some interesting narrative devices, mainly the journals of Thomas Wayne and the homemade comics of Damian. Boasting three artists, the journals are illustrated by Hugo Petrus, the homemade comic is done by Juni Ba, and the present-day pages are done by Miguel Mendonca. We’ve seen Damian write and illustrate his own manga, however “The Adventures of Robin and Batman” leans into an American comic style. The style shift is a lot of un and depicted in a way that emulates young artists. Whether it is all a hallucination or not, the issue and its structure give Johnson an interesting opportunity to explore Damian’s voice and the chance for Batman to understand his son. Three distinct art styles are brilliantly tied together, thanks to Marcelo Maiolo’s colors and Steve Wands’ lettering.

With so many Batman-focused series, Batman and Robin has been a breath of fresh air, thanks to its primary focus being on Damian. Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run thus far has felt unique from other Batman and Robin stories and runs because Bruce and Damian’s relationship is unique, considering they are biologically related. Issue #19 brought in Jason Todd and paired Red Hood with Robin, which led to an interesting dynamic and helped Damian reach some self-realizations. When Joshua Williamson kicked off this series, he had done a lot of work developing Damian and bringing him into this modern era as a distinct character. Johnson’s work with Damian has leaned into things that Williamson planted the seeds for.