The Best Batman Era Is One You'd Never Suspect
3. How Batman Reborn Changed Everything
Suddenly - and violently - the status-quo was shattered. Gotham had lost its Dark Knight, and the rest of the Bat-Family - namely a conflicted Dick Grayson, and a determined Damian Wayne - were left to pick up the pieces. DC's Bat-books were now in uncharted territory, but it proved to be just the thing to galvanise the mythos.
After the conclusion of Battle for the Cowl confirmed Dick Grayson as the new Batman, a number of changes were introduced. First, Damian would become the new Boy Wonder, providing a new dynamic to an initially un-dynamic duo; Tim Drake, meanwhile, would respond to his father's passing in a completely different way, donning the identity of Red Robin to prove that Bruce was still alive. It was during this time that Stephanie Brown became the new Batgirl, and Kate Kane led Detective Comics as Batwoman.
It was an exciting period, permeated by exciting books spinning off from Batman and Robin, the era's flagship comic written by Morrison and pencilled by All-Star Superman collaborator Frank Quitely. I'll come to those other comics in just a second, but for now, let's focus on Batman and Robin.
As was stated earlier, Morrison's Batman is biographical in its approach. There's a lot in there about Bruce Wayne specifically but also the symbolism of Batman and how that's evolved throughout each decade. It results in an interpretation of Bruce Wayne that may well be definitive, but it's with Dick Grayson and Damian where Morrison's approach yields its greatest results.
Dick and Damian are the new Dynamic Duo - only, very different. Grayson has spent the majority of his life trying to escape his mentor's shadow, and yet Batman seems inescapable - almost oppressive; he has to learn to be Batman on his own terms, and discover what the symbol - and more importantly the wearing of it - means to him personally.
Damian, meanwhile, is almost the complete opposite. As the biological son of Batman he believes he's destined to be the Caped Crusader, and that becoming Robin is merely a stepping stone to achieving that goal. Much like Grayson grows to understand Batman, however, so too does Damian grow to understand Robin. It's a wonderful journey to see play out, as is the sheer novelty of seeing a slightly more easy-going Batman team up with what Morrison described as a "scowling, badass Robin." In their own words, it's pretty much "a reverse of the traditional dynamic."
Thematically the series is as brilliant as ever, but again, there's a mystery placed front and centre to Reborn that compliments the tonal disparity between it and the previous Batman series. Come its final issue, and this very unfamiliar incarnation of Batman and Robin had everyone convinced they were the Dynamic Duo, because they were.