“It can be dangerous in this city when it’s dark.”

From Jeffrey Brown’s Batman and Robin and Howard.

When millionaire vigilante Bruce Wayne dons his Batman suit to defend three people of Gotham City, he will sometimes take along his young son Damian as his sidekick Robin. However, after jumping to conclusions one time too many, Damian’s excursions as Robin have been grounded. While Bruce claims it’s to help Damian get ready to start at his new school, Damian knows it’s because he keeps making honest mistakes. When Damian arrives at Gotham Metro Academy for his first day, he quickly meets Howard, a classmate that is well-liked by most of the students and teachers. Realizing that it’s tough to be the new kid—even if a stuck-up one—at school, Howard tries to make Damian feel welcome, but Damian assumes Howard is just being nice because of the Wayne family fortune. Howard and Damian share many interests and talents, but they constantly clash with each other, especially when it comes to soccer practice and the group science project. However, when Batman goes missing investigating a case dangerously close to Robin, Damian finds himself with hardly anyone one he can trust except an unexpected friend: Howard.

This graphic novel manages to create an in-depth story that moves quickly. Brown easily showcases the danger of making assumptions about people while seamlessly incorporating iconic Batman characters. Centered around a fun mystery, Batman and Robin and Howard is a fun adventure from start to finish.