Batman and Robin #24 Review

The conclusion to the “Memento” arc is finally here! Now Damian is in a race against time to save his father and Lieutenant Lautrec from Memento. Or is it just a trap to lure Damian, so Memento can claim his true target? It’s been a long journey to get here, but the last couple of issues of Batman and Robin have really ramped up the intrigue for me. So were Phillip Kennedy Johnson and co. able to stick the landing? Let’s discuss my thoughts of issue #24.

I thought the finale of the “Memento” storyline ended in a satisfying way. While not all the subplots worked for me by the end, I still had a good time reading this issue. The artwork was the highlight for me. All of the artists who contributed to this run so far should give themselves a pat on the back because the artwork was just seamless throughout. 

Memento’s true vessel finally gets revealed, and you probably didn’t guess it.

So I just wanted to give a shout out to Javi Fernández, Miguel Mendonça, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Juni Ba, and Hugo Petrus for bringing their own flare while also complementing each other.

Miguel Mendonça’s illustrations in this issue in particular really captivated me. The world that he built was gritty and nightmarish, and it fit the supernatural/horror tone that Johnson was building with the story really well. Based on his work in this series, I would love to see Mendonça be the primary artist on the mainline Batman or Detective Comics titles in the future.

The scope in this issue was so grand.

Memento’s design was terrifying, the backgrounds felt lived-in, and they were amplified by Marcelo Maiolo’s colors. Maiolo’s use of the color red was prominent throughout this storyline, especially during the hallucinations caused by Gravedigger’s Poppy. 

Damian to the rescue.

The story by Johnson might have meandered in the middle of the run, but I feel like it wrapped up nicely by the end. There were some things though that didn’t work for me. The opening dialogue amongst the teenagers that helped Damian was a little cringey, but I’m glad they weren’t that involved that much in the issue. The revelation of the identity of Memento’s true vessel also fell flat for me. I actually completely forgot who this person was because they really didn’t have a presence throughout this storyline, and it would’ve helped if Johnson laid some more breadcrumbs for this twist. Damian’s subplot of him questioning whether he should continue crime fighting or not didn’t work for me throughout the storyline, but I appreciated how it resolved by the end. Hopefully, Damian’s character development continues to grow.

The character of Katherine Lautrec was an excellent addition to the Batman lore. Johnson did a good job making her an integral part of the story, and I hope she returns for future storylines. She’s just an interesting character, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes a fan-favorite. She and Batman share a nice interaction at the end of the issue that left a smile on my face.

Recommended if…

• You’ve enjoyed the journey that has been the Memento arc.
• You like supernatural and horror elements in your Batman stories.
• You just want to marvel at all the great artwork that’s been in this run.

Overall

Batman and Robin #24 was a satisfying finale to the almost year-long “Memento” storyline. While it took awhile to get to this point, I feel that Phillip Kennedy Johnson and the entire creative team created something special that fans will look back more fondly as time goes on. This arc will definitely read better when it’s all collected, so I highly recommend reading the trades (volume one is out right now and volume two is on the way).  Anyway, I’m really excited for the next chapter of Johnson’s run and the journey the Dynamic Duo go on. 

Score: 8/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.