
When the New 52 debuted, Batman readers had plenty to choose from. There was the “flagship title,” Detective Comics. There was the main Bat-book, “Batman.” You could have read the Caped Crusader in “Justice League”. He was also available in “Batman: The Dark Knight,” among others.
And then there was my favorite: Batman and Robin.

Starting in 2011, Batman and Robin was a monthly title written by Peter J. Tomasi and illustrated by Patrick Gleason. The series ran for for 40 issues.
First introduced by Grant Morrison during his tenure at Batman, Damian Wayne was the one behind the hood in Gotham City. If you didn’t already know, Damian Wayne is Bruce Wayne’s son. Batman and Robin explored the relationship between Batman and Robin, father and son, better than any other arc or book DC has ever published.
Because at the heart, that’s what this book was all about. Damian was his own person, raised to be a killer. He’s bound to clash with the ideology of his father, the dark knight. Tomasi and Gleason’s characterization of Robin was so honest, the father-son relationship so refreshing.
Issue after issue, we saw Batman and Robin grow both personally and “professionally.” Throughout the months, years, it really felt as if we were seeing mind and skill develop. The long term storytelling gave breathing room for Damian to grow as a person and as a hero.

Tomasi’s Batman felt like an original take on the character. Because this book had a father-son dynamic to it, we really got to see Bruce Wayne grow outside of the cape and cowl. Other books have tackled the idea of allowing Bruce to be a character, but none more so than Tomasi and Gleason.
Tomasi really tapped into the mindset of Bruce Wayne as a father who cares more than anything for his child, and Gleason delivered with some of the most consistently good art in the industry. Tomasi’s characterization of Batman and Robin as father and son allowed Gleason to illustrate warmth in these characters, a warmth not often seen in the usual dark and gritty world of Batman.
This book had a purpose, a theme. The same creative team stayed on throughout, and the consistency is quite evident the deeper you get into the series. But the simple premise—Batman and Robin, father and son—shown a new light on these characters, giving them more layers and a deeper connection to their readers.