Here we are again… now enter the demon, Etrigan! In Batman and Robin #22, Batman and Lieutenant Lautrec continue their search for Damian. This eventually leads them to seek out Jason Blood. Meanwhile, Damian comes face to face with a figure from Bruce’s past whom might have direct ties to the mystery surrounding Memento. Dark secrets from the past finally get revealed. Is this series’ momentum turning around after a bit of a lull? That seems to be the case for me.
Batman and Robin #22 was another step in the right direction. Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s pacing has been slow and methodical throughout this run so far. I’m not sure if part of the reasoning behind this lengthy arc was suggested by the editorial team or if Johnson intended this story to turn out this like this. Either way, the pacing has been my main criticism.
The main mystery surrounding Memento and the overall story have by no means been bad. I actually have found the story intriguing for the most part. But I feel that if this arc were a few issues shorter, the run as a whole would be looked at a lot differently and would be one of the better Bat titles in this “All-in” era. Needless to say, this issue was one of my favorite issues so far.
The subplots flowed well with the main plot involving Batman and Lautrec interrogating Etrigan the Demon about Memento. That whole sequence was my favorite part of the issue. The way Jason Blood looked in a mirror and Etrigan reflected back was just a striking visual and I’ve never seen Jason Blood’s transformation into Etrigan depicted like that before.
I also found the subplot with Lazlo and his fellow teenaged friends quite charming as they wandered through the ruins of Squatterstown. The humor amongst the teenagers brought some levity in an otherwise dark story. And Squatterstown itself seems to have ties with Memento as well, so we’ll see how that plays into the mystery.
Batman’s interactions with Katherine Lautrec continue to be captivating. Something happens between them, and it was expected considering Lautrec has been depicted as really intelligent and picks up on things pretty easily. Their conversation in the Batmobile was another highlight for me.
Javi Fernández’s artwork was psychedelic and blended perfectly with Marcelo Maiolo’s colors. The artwork has been consistently great throughout the series; whether it’s Fernández’s main foundation, Miguel Mendoça’s seamless fill-in work, or Carmine Di Giandomenico’s contributions with the flashback sequences. Every artist that has come onto this current run has brought their A-game.
The lettering by Steve Wands has also been amazing throughout and has elevated the characters’ dialogue and really sets the tone for the story. Wands is probably one of my favorite letterers at the moment.
Some of the reveals that were made were a little confusing. I won’t go into spoilers, but it involved the revelation about Memento’s origins by Etrigan. It just left me with more questions and wondering if Memento is actually a supernatural threat or just a hallucinogenic manifestation. I did appreciate the story thread about Nicodemus Crowe and how it finally tied back to the first panels of this run in issue #14.
Recommended if…
- You have been enjoying this run so far.
- You haven’t minded Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s pacing with the story.
- You’ve been appreciating this great artwork throughout.
Overall
Batman and Robin #22 has been my favorite issue of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run so far. There were major revelations, but I still have lingering questions. But at this point, I feel all the story plots are coming together and we’re approaching the climax of the Memento arc on a good trajectory. Hopefully the creative team can stick the landing as all signs are pointing to Bruce’s old London mentor, Atticus Byle. I’m excited to see what happens next.
Score: 8.5/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.
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