While the Carrie Kelley storyline seems like a bit of fodder and the hype of her returning as Robin for now, this issue could not get any better as they portray Batman's desperation and obsession. Read Full Review

She's exactly what the New 52 needs more of right now. Read Full Review

Despite what you see on the cover, Carrie Kelley presence in this story doesn't suggest in the slightest that she will be the next Robin. Still, she was an important part of the story as her connection to Damian pretty much guarantees we haven't seen the last of her. I don't want to spoil what her character brings to the table, but it creates a wow factor that opens up a whirlwind of possibilities while creating more questions at the same time. Tomasi and Gleason deserve a standing ovation for their spectacular work on this book as it is a crescendo of action and superb storytelling. Read Full Review

The work between Batman and Red Robin is not very collaborative and does not end well. Tomasi reflects on the revelations from "Death of a Family" and leaves the rift between the duo growing wider and wider. "Denial" is a fitting title for "Batman and Red Robin" #19 on so many levels: Batman's refusal to refer to Damian in the past tense; Batman's embracing the twisted science that brought life to Frankenstein; the Dark Knight's continued insistence that he does not need help; Red Robin's solution to the problem; Bruce's return of the discs from Carrie Kelley. So much heartbreak and disappointment that leads to an amazingly touching, entertaining story. Tomasi and Gleason continue to make on heck of a case for making "Batman and..." the must-read Bat-title. Lucky for us, we're not limited to just one title and DC has found ways to make them all interesting. Read Full Review

Plays directly to Tomasi's strengths as a pure character writer who enjoys layers of symbolism and meaning, which in turn plays to Gleason's strengths as an inventive and thoughtful artist. Read Full Review

The ghost of Damian Wayne continues to haunt the pages of Batman and Robin even after death as Tomasi builds upon aspects of his character that we " and Bruce " will never have the opportunity to explore. The fallen Robin's presence is felt more keenly because of his unbearably conspicuous absence. As he relentlessly highlights the Damian-shaped hole in Bruce Wayne's life, Tomasi proves yet again that he is a master architect of tragedy. Read Full Review

Batman & Red Robin #19 does a fine job of balancing 3 guest stars and giving Batman fans PLENTY to discuss. The artwork is fantastic, there are loads of surprises, and you'll see Batman at his absolute most cold, calculating, and desperate interacting with characters you couldn't have imagined would ever show up in this or any other Batman series. Will this interpretation of Batman put some readers off? Yes. And the ending does come rather abruptly as if Tomasi ran out of pages to explore these rich themes and heaven knows Tim Drake should've had more facetime but I still highly recommend you give this one a chance. It's also a done-in-one story so anybody can pick it up. Read Full Review

Batman and Red Robin #19 did a lot in establishing Batman's current mental state. Peter Tomasi does a stellar job in presenting how Bruce Wayne is dealing with his son's death while using the tools available around the DC Universe in fun and unexpected ways. The addition of Red Robin and the introduction of Carrie Kelly helped to further show where Bruce is at mentally. At the same time, I continue to find all the "Who is the next Robin?" teases to be inappropriately timed, which reaches the point of frustration thanks to this week's Channel 52 back-up. With that said, Batman and Red Robin #19 continues the trend of Tomasi and Gleason making a claim for the best Batman title on the market. Read Full Review

Batman and Red Robin #19 is a busy comic. There are no fewer than three guest stars, two of whom are called out on the cover, but there's still apparently room for a couple of welcome surprises Read Full Review

Red Robin gets the short-end of the stick here. Despite his name in the title, Tim is relegated to little more than a cameo in which he has no more luck talking sense into his mentor than the partially dissected Frankenstein's monster. It will be interesting to see, given the mixed reaction DC has gotten to Grant Morrison killing off Damian, how long the Bat-books might play with the idea of bringing the character back, in one form or another. Worth a look. Read Full Review

Peter Tomasi continues the portrayal of Batman dealing with the greatest loss. We've seen Batman deal with loss before so it's great to see Tomasi actually putting him through the different stages. He also makes a bold move in having Batman take some extreme actions in trying to cope with it all. It's a little unsettling but that could be the point in seeing just how far he's willing to go. Patrick Gleason's art is top notch as usual. He manages to capture the mood and atmosphere of the characters in just the right fashion. Carrie Kelley is an interesting choice. Hopefully we'll see more development with her rather than this just be a stunt. More Red Robin would have been nice considering he is part of the title of this issue this month. The status of the Dynamic Duo may be up in the air but Tomasi and Gleason continue to prove the are a Dynamic Duo when it comes to comics. Read Full Review

But all you need is one good guest star, and Batman and Red Robin has one on hand with Frankenstein on the scene. This is definitely an odd book, and a bit of a tonal shift from the more real-world stories Tomasi and Gleason had been telling for the previous 18 issues, but the execution winds up being refreshing. We've already seen Batman's brand of denial in books ranging from Teen Titans to Fallen Son, and even with a stunt like Carrie putting a wobble on things, with a creative team this good, this is well worth checking out. Read Full Review

The Carrie Kelley segments of the book are pretty cool. She's a solid, entertaining character so far, and I look forward to her ongoing story. I think it's kind of silly that Tomasi is keeping it a secret what she was teaching Damian, but whatever. It's his story, let him have his secrets. I also think it was awesome that Bruce gave her a check for $10,000 instead of the $1,000 bill. That's classic Bruce. Also, if I haven't mentioned this yet, I don't think Carrie is going to be the new Robin. I think she's a red herring. Read Full Review

Batman and Robin #19 is a solid exploration of the first stage of grief, as only Bruce Wayne could experience it. The Carrie Kelley appearance, however, is a bit arbitrary. Read Full Review

I'm a huge, huge, Damien Wayne fan, before Damien briefly became Red Bird, before the Robin costume had a hood, around the time the young Wayne beheaded one of Batman's villains, and much like the Dark Knight, I'm at a complete lost for words. As a fan I'm intrigued by what's possibly to come. With the debut of Carrie (the Robin from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns) as well as Harper Row's recent appearance in Batman #18, there stands a reasonable chance that the next Robin, in all likelihood, will be of the XY chromosome. Unless Batman is successful in bringing Damien from the dead. Read Full Review

Let's get this out of the way right now: This is going to be a deeply polarizing issue. You're going to see some folk express their pleasant surprise and others their most vehement opposition. Read Full Review

I think I am enjoying Batman and Robin more than the sidekick-less Batman, particularly because of Patrick Gleason's artwork. Gleason makes the page flow nicely, providing emotive panels that flow well, bringing the action to a forefront most of the time. He also manages to pack in a remarkable amount of detail, whether on Frankenstein's wrinkled face or Batman's placid expression. Read Full Review

Gleason's art is spot-on for this issue, balancing the insane darker moments with the levity of the fun-loving Carrie. Read Full Review

Frankenstein is an entirely unexpected but entirely welcome addition to this comic, and his sober second thought to Batman's bullish mission plays well throughout the story. He also proves to be a boon visually, as Pat Gleason's normally clean lines get rougher and grittier when he's drawing Frankenstein. Even the panels look good, as Gleason turns a two-page, even-sized panel spread into one completely stitched together a la Frankenstein. Read Full Review

Have you read this comic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Read Full Review

I've been an avid reader of Batman and Robin since issue #1 and, irrespective of this dip in quality, it hasn't done anything to reconsider my monthly purchase of the title, though I hope hiccups such as this will be few and far between moving forward. Read Full Review

I certainly believe Batman would go to desperate lengths to save a life - but I don't believe he would venture into villain territory, and that's where he finds himself here. Read Full Review

Overall “Denial” featured several positives. However, I do hope to see some improvements to the man in the cape and cowl in the next four stages of grief. Tomasi and Gleason set my hopes so high for this title after the amazing work in Batman and Robin #18 butthis time they fell short. Read Full Review

So, I like the concept, I really do, but Bruce being super crazy really put me off, combine that with the lack of Tim, the anti-climactic ending, and this wasn't my favorite issue. I feel like this was a victim of the Lazarus pit situation not being explained in Bamtan Inclast month. You question why Bruce, as distraught as he might be, would even think Frankensteining his son would be a great idea, and everything just comes off kind of weird... I also just don't know where they're going with this Carrie Kelley thing... it's confusing, to say the least. Ultimately, I like the big picture, but wasn't big on this stage of grief. Read Full Review

Maybe the real villain in this issue, if you had to name one, is pain. Batmans pain and anger are his biggest enemies right now, and its going to take more than what is on his utility belt to defeat them. I certainly felt the effects for myself, getting a little uncomfortable watching how he dealt with his loss in this issue. The reaction, Im sure, is probably just what Tomasi wanted, and artist Patrick Gleason emphasizes that dark complexity perfectly with his flawless art. While Batman and Red Robin #19 is nowhere near the level of mastery as the previous issue, its a decent springboard into the mind of a grief-stricken father wrestling with evil-doers as well as his own emotions. Read Full Review

Batman And Robin #19 isn't a bad issue, but it neither delivers the moment teased by the cover, nor enough emotional resonance to keep the man character from feeling dangerously insane. Read Full Review