Batman and Robin #1 annotations
Grant Morrison, Writer
Frank Quitely, Artist
Quitely Cover: Morrison has mentioned he was giving the stories the feel of the ’60s “Batman TV show and then trying it in with David Lynch and Twin Peaks” – so I will be trying to think of any ’60s Batman TV show references when reading. The Batmobile was an icon of the TV show and here it is prominently on the cover, in a radical new form, alongside Batman and Robin. Though which Batman and which Robin?
Page 1: First panel – Comic Book Sound FX for the explosion actually formed from the explosion. The Comic Book Sound FX was a big part of the ’60s Batman TV show. Toad in a motor car immediately conjures up Mr. Toad from The Wind in the Willows.
European Circus Slang, Minger – Policeman. However, as a Scot, Morrison will be aware that “minging” is also Scots for disgusting, which has mutated into regular UK slang – “Minger” meaning an unattractive person.
(European Circus Slang is mentioned later on page 13…)
“Batman’s as dead as the sky is black!” – so this is after Batman R.I.P. (the storyline where Batman, Bruce Wayne, dies) e.g. after Morrison’s run on the comic Batman, #655 to #683, and Morrison’s Final Crisis.
A black sky or a black sun is a recurring symbol for hopelessness in Morrison’s work e.g. Zenith Phase II – “I wish the sun would only rise. And then I realise that it has risen. And the sun is black.”
Pages 2&3: Hopelessness? Nope – Batman and Robin are back!
Double splash of the new batmobile. Title of issue is Batman Reborn Part One: Domino Effect.
Domino Effect referring to perhaps that this is the first issue (domino) of the run, and later, to Mr. Toad’s dominos, or perhaps to the effect on Damian of Robin’s domino mask.
Pages 4&5: Confirmation that the new Robin is the original Batman’s (e.g. Bruce Wayne’s) son Damian. More Comic Book Sound FX but this time for the launch of a Batmissile. This start of Phase II of Morrison’s Batman saga is highly reminiscent of the start of Phase II of the Daniel Craig Bond films – the start of Quantum Of Solace, a kinetic carchase in a tunnel.
Page 6: Confirmation that the new Batman is an ex-Robin. Which one? Either Robin #1 or #2 by his stature.
Page 7: More Comic Book Sound FX. The “Mr. Toad” reference makes it even clearer this is a reference to Mr. Toad of The Wind in the Willows. Like the other Mr. Toad, he doesn’t have much luck with automobiles. European Circus Slang, Josser – Not a circus person.
Page 8: Double punch from Batman & Robin like the ’60s TV show though without any Comic Book Sound FX!
Page 9: European Circus Slang, Nanti – Nothing.
European Circus Slang, Dinari – Money.
Page 10: Alfred confirms the new Batman is Richard Grayson (previously Richard Grayson was Nightwing and previous to that Robin #1). The photo is him and Alfred, Bruce and Ace the Bat-Hound. They are at the Batcave at Wayne Manor – two of the three Big Icons of the Batcave are visible – the Giant Mechanical Dinosaur, Giant Penny with the Giant Joker card unseen. There is also a wrecked Whirlybat.
Page 11: Richard and Alfred have left Wayne Manor and its Batcave, and pass the grave of Thomas & Martha Wayne with presumably the grave of Batman beside it (Battombstone?)
Page 12: A cross section in the style of cross sections of the Batcave that was popular in the comic books of the ’50s and ’60s. They are now based at Wayne Tower (in much the same way that the Strange Apparitions collection of ’70s Dectective Comics #469 to #479 began, a declaration of new beginnings.) Note Damian’s standoffish usage of “Pennyworth” rather than Alfred.
Page 13: Damian is building a better Batmobile. “I promised I’d finish what he started”. Morrison’s first issue of Batman was #655 – Batman & Son Part 1: Building a Better Batmobile.
Richard mentions “Justic League, Titans, International Club of Heroes”. The latter is another title of the “Batmen of All Nations” who featured in Morrison’s Batman run.
Richard mentions the “European Circus Slang” (which of course he may know from his time in the circus before Batman.)
Page 14: Damian wants to be Batman not Robin. Foreshadowing of the “dream future” of Morrison’s Batman #666, where Damian is Batman #3. “I was bred for the job, and trained in the arts of war by the masters of my mother’s League of Assassins.” Damian’s mother is Talia al Ghul. Refer to the Graphic Novel Son of the Demon, which Morrison used as inspiration for his Batman run.
“Don’t forget your mask”. This has the effect of prompting Damian to being Robin rather than continue to dream of being Batman. As Robin, Damian wears a domino mask. A “Domino Effect” as the multi-layered title?
The last three panels as the Batmobile emerges from the hidden exit from Wayne Tower and onto the city streets (via the tunnel illustrated on page 12 in cross section) are Morrison’s version of the ’60s Batman TV show sequence of the Batmobile emerging from the hidden exit from Wayne Manor!
Page 15: An abandoned ghost train.
Page 16: It’s confimed that Tim Drake is no longer Robin #3.
Robin #1 (Richard Grayson) is now Batman #2. Robin #2 was Jason Todd. Robin #3 was Time Drake. Robin #4 was Stephanie Brown. Damian Wayne is now Robin #5.
Note also the “dream future” of Morrison’s Batman #666 where Damian is Batman #3, #2 explained as Richard and #1 being Bruce.
Shades of the Batmobile conversations of the not-continuity All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder here.
Page 17: Officer Bronstein is drawn to resemble Chief O’Hara of the ’60s Batman TV show.
Page 18: The duo descend from the Batsignalled clouds, the Paracapes seem to be inspired by a similar cape in the Nolan Batman films.
Page 19: The car from Page 15.
Page 20: The two henchmen from Page 1.
Page 21: Profesor Pyg and his Dollotrons also feature in the “dream future” of Morrison’s Batman #666 (after the idea of Richard Grayson being Batman #2, another correlation to that issue). “Pyg” seem to be a reference to the greek myth Pygmalion who falls in love with his statue and the Professor of Shaw’s Pygmalion who makes Eliza “perfect”.
Page 22: The “Next in Batman and Robin” is quite ’60s TV show.
The very last panel – a domino with twelve spots on each half?!
There is also a “preview page” after Page 22.
what about azrael as batman 2
This is why I stopped buying batman, I weep for the medium when this passes for innovation and progression.