This was a great comic! Weβve got Bruce visiting Tim in the hospital, Bernard, the police trying to frame Batman (and a young boy with a camera catching them planting the evidenceβ¦), Bruce trying to encourage Damian to go to college, and Riddler, who is mid-mental breakdown and sincerely needs helpβpossibly due to the very βtreatmentsβ that Dr. Zeller claims she is using to help people.
First, Bernard, who goes to visit Tim in the hospital before Bruce even gets there. Bernard and Tim are cute, as usual. Bernard is fussing over Tim, Tim calls him βBee,β and, well, Bernard is very protective:
And then Bernard takes Bruceβs flowers from him and kicks him out.
Canonically, Bernard knows Tim is Robin. Despite some ambiguity in the conversation, I donβt think thatβs changing. But Iβm not sure that Bruce knows Bernard knows. Itβs possible that theyβre using euphemisms because of the lack of secure environment, but I think Bruce is utterly mystified by this conversation.
Either way, harsh, Bernard. Heβs basically blaming Bruce for Tim getting hurt, and taking it on himself to protect Tim. Itβs really cute, if misguided.
Meanwhile, the other Robin is rehashing an old Batman vs Robin debate: college.
Damian must have done well over his very short tenure as a student, or he must have some other impressive accomplishments, because heβs been accepted to Gotham University. And Bruce wants him to go. Damian? Heβs not sure that GothamU has anything left to teach him.
I originally found this a startling turnaround, because we have Damian eschewing the idea of a normal civilian life, while he was recently the opposite in Batman & Robin (2023). Additionally, Damian had shown interest in being a doctor. You need an undergraduate degree for medical school, so wouldnβt he want to get started on it early?
However, Damian mustβve applied to Gotham University in the first place. Fourteen-year-olds areβ¦very fickle (Damian is probably 14, as he was accepted βfour years earlyβ). And he hasnβt decided yet. Plus, Bruce thinks he may be βscared of the outside world,β which Damian denies very defensively.
Anyway, Bruceβs tactics, including telling Damian that βthey have girls at college, Damian. Smart ones.β are hilarious. And I particularly enjoyed it because my family is currently trying to convince my eldest little brother to go to college.
