Being born and raised as a member of the League of Assassins has been a real setback to Damian Wayne when it comes to crime-fighting. He lacks the human element needed to distinguish a car burglar from a family who accidentally locked their keys inside their car. Damian is also just too competitive; not just with others but himself as well. Thanks to his mother Talia and grandpa R'as Al Ghul, 2nd place is considered 1st loser.
To get a better grasp on social graces, Bruce Wayne benches Damian and enrolls his son into a new school, Metro Gotham Academy. The BMOC at Metro is Howard. He's the smartest kid in class. The best player on the school soccer team. And he's beloved by students and teachers alike. But with the appearance of Damian Wayne on campus, Howard's favored student status is in serious jeopardy.
Meanwhile, Batman has gone missing. The soccer teams of all the local schools, except for Damian's old school and Metro, have been vandalized. On the trail of seemingly the Joker, Riddler or even Poison Ivy, Batman finds himself stuck in his most unbreakable prison ever- the utility closet of a middle school gymnasium!
With Batman lost, Damian is anxious to find his dad. But he can't do it alone. And Alfred is refusing to let Damian go out patrolling in costume alone. Can Damian reveal to his arch-rival Howard in hopes of finding Batman and ending a soccer themed crime wave?
This was another DC Kids graphic novel that I've been looking forward to for quite some time. And thanks to my local library, I was able to finally get my hands on it. Written and illustrated by Family Comic Family Jeffrey Brown (Star Wars: Jedi Academy), this was a fun read. I thought Damian was portrayed spot-on as he's been in the comics. Only maybe a little less arrogantly. This is a kids book, ya know.
I liked the new character of Howard and his school. I liked how one of the students are portrayed as disabled and yet the book does make a big, patronizing deal about it. It just was. Like how those with disabilities want to be treated: as a part of the group.
What I wasn't a fan of was how Brown portrays Batman. If you haven't figured things out, this Batman is kinda a buffoon. Having the Caped Crusader be aloof, like an out of touch dad is fine for its comedic effect. But having Batman be so dumb he can't break out of a middle school locker room just isn't Batman.
A great read that was goofy. Just some parts were better than others. And be sure to read through very end of the book for a special double-page secret scene!
I'd be okay with a sequel or two, regardless of how goofy the Dark Knight was in this book!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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