In this review of Batman and Robin #22, Batman and Lautrec continue the search for Robin’s whereabouts and find help from a unexpected source.
Batman and Robin #22 main cover by Javier Fernández (DC Comics)
Batman and Robin #22
The Gotham Cycle, Part Three
Writer: Philip Kennedy Johnson
Artists: Javi Fernandez and Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
This review contains spoilers
Batman and LauTrec read over Blye’s old notes on Memento. Professor Blye had questioned a former detective in Mumbai who claimed that Memento, whom he calls “The Blood Thief”, was a copy cat murderer, reenacting horrific murders of the past. He also accuses Memento of stealing his son’s face. Blye has notes on similar instances occurring all over the world, as far back as Gotham in 1892. Batman is still hesitant to believe that Memento is supernatural, but knows who Damian thinks is related to the case. LauTrec reveals that she knows Batman is “young Jack” from her days training with Professor Blye, and that she is angry he has brought young Robin into this life.
Batman and LauTrec track down Jason Blood, immortal British Occult expert, and host of the rhyming demon Etrigan. Etrigan reveals that Memento is more like a demon that man. He hails from Gotham where two brothers, Nicodemus and Edmund Crowe overdosed on Grave Diggers Poppy, and Edmond died, while Nicodemus starting seeing the supernatural – a rip in reality revealing murder, death and despair, and Nicodemus sells his soul for the secrets there.
Meanwhile, Damian, still imprisoned, is talking with the seemingly undead Professor Blye. Damian asks if Blye is Memento. Blye tells Damian to mind the vestiges, and that if he goes in he will never come out again. We then follow the Irregulars as they find their way into an old underground city from “No Man’s Land” days, where after an earthquake and an accidental drowning, even the squatters leave city alone. Batman and Robin #22 ends with the boys finally coming across Damian, no longer in a cage, but fighting off the grotesque figure of Memento, who upon seeing the boys, lunges at them instead.
Review
I think I’m coming more and more around to this story with Batman and Robin #22. At this point, the things I am enjoying are outweighing the things I dislike.
One thing I really appreciated is the added panels and interactions where the story isn’t necessarily progressing, but we’re getting either a look at the characters -their personalities and relationships, or we just get to see glimpses of Gotham life. The scenes between Katherine and Batman are a good examples. As they travel in the car together to find Jason Blood, they talk about Bruce’s plan to become Batman back when he was learning with her, another trainee with them during that time, and ending up agreeing, after an aggressive discussion, not to kill Blye when they see him.
Jason Blood’s intro to Katherine, and the journey of the Irregulars through the undercity are also great examples of this. Just by the characters talking to each other, or interacting with their environment, we learn more background, without having to endure lengthy exposition.
And, not to brag, but I totally called that Memento was Etrigan adjacent, and not Etrigan himself.
I do hope that there is more to Memento’s backstory that what Etrigan revealed. A drug trip into a world of death is fine, but leaves a lot unexplained. However, seeing as how this story may still have a bit to go, they can reveal more later. I am an old X-Files fan where you were lucky to get ANY kind of explanation, so perhaps PKJ will go that rout and leave most of Memento’s existence a mystery.
There are still some things I’m not a fan of. Batman is still hesitant to believe the super natural is at play…even though Jason Blood and Etrigan are IN Gotham. I also fear Katherine’s animosity towards Batman having a young sidekick, Damian’s reluctance to stay Robin, and the crossed out “Robin” on the comic’s cover are all concerning. But I am enjoying the story, the villain, the guest appearances, and the look of the book.
