SPOILER ALERT. If you like comic books, specifically Batman comic books, do not read any further if you have any attention of reading any Batman comics any time soon.
Robin is dead.Again.
Today's shirt (March 28) is a promotional shirt for a relatively new comic book from DC called Batman Incorporated, created by Grant Morrison, Cameron Stewart, and Frazier Irving, first published in 2011.
Batman Incorporated premiered after Batman returned from the dead following the events of Final Crisis (and no, I am not going insert links for all of these comics!). Ostensibly, in the comic, Batman franchises the Batman idea so that more heroes can police the world in the name of "Batman." The comic is quirky and far-out in the way of many Grant Morrison comics, for those acquainted with him.
I liked the shirt for many reasons. Obviously, I am a huge Batman fan. An issue of Detective Comics was my first ever comic book, purchased back in 1966. I have many Batman shirts as you will see over the next however many days this blog lasts. (I have no idea how many shirts I have, so this blog is how I am counting).
But wait. I said Robin was dead. Back to the subject of Robin and how it ties into this shirt. I am not diligent about reading the comics I buy. Sometimes, a title that I am not addictedly compelled to read immediately will stack up. I had four issues of Batman Incorporated in my stack when I saw the "Requiem" story arc and found out through the gossip mill (better known as the scuttle-butt discussed at the comic book store) that DC had killed the current incarnation of Robin.Batman's son, Damian Wayne, assumed the mantle of Robin starting around 2009.
Yes, Batman's son.
Go read the Wikipedia entry if you are truly interested. But if you do, you will learn why the introduction of Talia, R'as Al Ghul's daughter in the most recent Dark Knight movie is so significant for Batman fans (unless you already know).
Grant Morrison and team killed off Robin, Damian Wayne, in a recent issue of Batman Incorporated, which means that DC will achieve a sales spike for the death issue, the issues following the death, and the issues when it introduces a new Robin, which, for those keeping count will be Robin number six (technically, not counting the one by Frank Miller).
My friend Charles Skaggs wrote a great posting about one of the best issues in the current death of Robin story arc. Read it here:
DAMN Good Comics -- BATMAN AND ROBIN #18
I still like the shirt. It looks international.
-chris tower
1303.28 16:43
Photo courtesy of Liesel MK Tower
