Batman & Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill (The New 52) [Hardcover]

Peter J. Tomasi (Author), Patrick Gleason (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 10, 2012

A New York Times Best Seller!

As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Batman begins battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!

As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne's past: His name is NoBody, and he's not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil...

This volume collects issues 1-6 of Batman and Robin, part of the DC Comics—The New 52 event.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Intriguing.” – USA Today

“Powerful effects and sharp characterization.” – Publishers Weekly

“Watching [Robin] struggle to reconcile his mother's cold-blooded anger with his father's compassion and nobility (and not a little outright arrogance from both sides of the family tree) has been one of the highlights of the comics reading experience in recent years.” – Maxim

“This is the kind of Batman story I like to read: an actual mystery with an emotional hook.” – The Onion AV Club

“The storytelling is crisp, punchy and clean—in both words and art—even when they both get pretty dark. I think that's what I loved most about this book, the way the two complimented each other so well.” – Time Out Chicago

“Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are knocking it out issue after issue.” – Wired.com

“Rock solid.” – IGN

 “A fascinating story about a very complicated relationship.” – Newsarama

“Tomasi and Gleason have upped their collective game.” – iFanboy

About the Author

Peter J. Tomasi, a life-long New Yorker, is an NYU grad with degrees in political science and filmmaking. Peter has helped re-imagine many characters and books over the course of his extensive and exclusive career at DC Comics as a writer and editor. Peter's newest projects are Batman & Robin and Green Lantern Corps, both a part of DC Comics—The New 52. His previous works include Brightest Day Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, Batman: Blackest Knight, The Outsiders, Nightwing, Phantom Stranger, Black Adam The Dark Age and Final Crisis: Requiem.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics; 1st edition (July 10, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401234879
• ISBN-13: 978-1401234874
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Tomasi is the writer of the acclaimed miniseries The Light Brigade as well as having written stories for Outsiders and JSA Classified.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Father and son December 26, 2012

By Sonic

Format:Hardcover

This book collects the New 52 Batman & Robin issues 1-8. (Amazon states 1-6, WRONG)

I didn't have high expectations when I started reading this book.I saw all the good reviews both on Amazon and other sites so I decided to check it out.
I have read Grant Morrison's pre-New 52 Batman and Robin and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not like the story and the way Batman's son Damian was portrayed.
A lot of people state that Morrison's Batman & Robin was the highlight of his run. I'm not saying its not, but I sure did not see it. So I went into this a bit
skeptical,but to my surprise,this ended up to be one of the best books I read recently. Peter J Tomasi made me a Damian Wayne fan!

This is first of all a father and son story, and a rather good one. There is a villain present here, and while he is not memorable, he does a great job in creating a
ridge between Bruce and Damian. Damian is struggling with his violent nature and trying to gain acceptance and trust from his father. While on the other side Bruce is
trying to be the best father he can but fears he will ultimately fail. Alfred has big part in this as well, trying to help Bruce open up to his son before Damian falls
further into the shadows. The dynamic between all the characters is exceptional and they really feel like a family. The characterization is spot on and the story really
makes you feel for the characters. The story escalates when the villain "Nobody" offers something to Damian that his father seems reluctant to provide.

Without spoiling why,we also see a glimpse of Bruce's past and how he became the man he is today. The book feels like a complete story filled with drama, action,heart
breaking emotional moments and an ending that I really did not see coming. Did Bruce succeed? In a way... You'll have see for yourself to decide.

The art is done by Patrick Gleason who does an amazing job keeping up with the story and filling every page with emotion. He has a distinct style which may not appeal to
everyone but color me impressed. The contrast really makes both the colors and shadows on every page pop! The book has a good deal of extras, from a story proposal to both
character and cover sketches, it really feels like a whole package. Its nice when a book exceeds your expectations.

5/5 10/10

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Batman and Robin Volume 1: Born to Kill" Graphic Novel Review July 26, 2012

By ERSInk . com

Format:Hardcover

The New 52 saw the return of Bruce Wayne to the cape and cowl in the "Batman and Robin" monthly series. What could have easily become another title with no reason for existence became an exploration in father and son relationships. In the midst of all the crime-fighting, we explore the dynamics of Bruce Wayne / Batman and Damian Wayne / Robin's complex family bonds (or lack thereof.)

"Batman and Robin Volume 1: Born to Kill" collects the first eight issues of the monthly series in one hardcover graphic novel. It revolves around a new villain calling himself "Nobody" arriving in Gotham City to clean up the streets in a way Batman disagrees with. "Nobody" believes in truly eliminating the criminal element... and anyone who stands in his way. At the same time, young Damian Wayne / Robin is having an identity crisis and continues to dance on the moral line between crime fighting and deadly vigilantism.

Peter J. Tomasi does a wonderful job interweaving the relationship storyline and action-adventure elements of the Dynamic Duo's battles with Nobody into a complex tale. His writing is satisfying and keeps the reader enthralled up to the last page and panel. You can tell Tomasi loves these characters and wants to dig deeper into their emotions and show them as flawed humans and not just superheroes.

Artist Patrick Gleason takes Tomasi's words and intricately illustrates them. His penciling combined with John Kalisz's coloring keep your eyes glued to each panel. There are a few full and half-page spreads that would look great framed and hung on a wall.

Bonus material is included in this graphic novel collection. We get the story proposal Peter J. Tomasi turned into DC Comics. There are also character, cover, and concept sketches. An excerpt from the script for Batman and Robin Issue #7 is featured as well.

"Batman and Robin Volume 1: Born to Kill" shows an emotional side of the Dark Knight we don't get to see often. It's enjoyable to see Bruce Wayne wanting to be a real father to Damian and struggling with how to balance family life and their unique work situation. Thankfully, Tomasi knows how to mix action, suspense, and emotional drama together evenly. There's just enough of each ingredient to make this book effective.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Batman as a Father Is A Fascinating Story January 1, 2013

By MereChristian

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I am not a parent, but I can imagine that raising children must be a challenge for anyone to some extent or another. Now imagine if you are a super-hero in a world that is a fantasy kitchen-sink, and your son has been indoctrinated with psychopathic tendencies from birth by a secret society of assassins. Yes, this is a ridiculous premise, but somehow - as with most such premises in comics - this works well for a plot.

In Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Born to Kill, the actual crime-fighting plot is of a former adversary from Bruce's pre-Batman training days, who wants to destroy his son and him for revenge on Bruce. This is the secondary plot, however. The main one is of Bruce and his biological son, Damian Wayne, trying to get along and find their places in each others' lives.

This comic was the epitome of why I always have liked the Batman titles so much. Except for the rare moments when the writers attempt to make Bruce overly "dark and edgy" by having him be a jerk, he is, in general, one of the most caring and good characters in the DC Universe. He can be dark and brooding and so forth, yes. He is also kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about his fellow man and his family. He is, in fact, one of the few prominent DC heroes who has raised children, and is known to be good with children in general.

I did have some concern for the presentation of the story, mainly in that the writers could have told the story fine whilst toning down the incredible amounts of bloodshed. It was especially disturbing to see a ten-year-old boy thoroughly bloodied up. It is easy to see why it is that Bruce doesn't always take Damian with him on missions, and probably wouldn't as much for a few more years were it not for the fact that Damian's training and brain-washing since birth by his mother Talia has instituted some very horrific morals that Bruce wishes to counteract. To be honest, Damian himself wants to counteract these urges, and struggles with them constantly. The need the boy truly has for his father is manifest when Damian does something in fear for his father's safety that he quickly comes to realize he will always regret.

Another great Batman story. Not just in terms of the mystery, which was about average, to be honest, but in terms of the emotional story told. That personal story was simply brilliant.