So Bleeding Cool is reporting that upcoming issues of Batman & Robin will go under different names as other members of the family are rotated into team-ups with Batman in the wake of Robin’s death. I have mixed feelings about this.
Batman Incorporated
Schedule
Batman & Red Robin #19
Batman & Red Hood #20
Batman & Batgirl #21
Batman & Catwoman #22
Batman & Nightwing #23
The Positives
On the positive side, readers of Batman & Robin will be exposed to more members of the Bat Family and there is a potential to increase sales slightly among the other titles. Maybe someone will read #21 and gain a better understanding of Batgirl and decide to start reading her title.
The Speculation
We have to agree that speculation is one of the fun aspects of comic book reading. The change each month will help to keep the title fresh as DC Comics transitions with the title. Over the next few months, we are sure to speculate about how the title will change. Will Damian somehow come back to the Bat’s side? Will the title become a team-up title with Batman taking different allies in each issue?
The Negatives
First off, I feel sorry for anyone on the store level who is going to have to figure out how this is going to work in a database which keeps track of pulls. Remembering that the team-ups are the same as Batman & Robin might be easy for a reader to remember, but this is another hurdle which someone who has to keep tabs on hundreds of titles has to keep in mind.
How many fans who do not read online stories about comic books are going to become confused by the Batman & Robin name changes? Someone might simply walk by the Batman & Red Hood issue and think it is a title they had not heard of. While many fans keep up with the machinations of the comic book industry, we cannot assume everyone does.
