Today’s Halloween ComicFest> Batman: Li’l Gotham Special Edition

Did they release a set of figurines based on this?

Halloween Comic Fest 2013 – Batman: Li’l Gotham Special Edition

DC Comics (December, 2013)

Two tales featuring Batman and the Damian Wayne version of Robin (who is now dead..way to confuse your readership, DC!) In the first, Batman tries to teach Robin about Halloween. In the second, Penguin decides to liberate the Thankgiving turkeys.

When I first heard of this series I thought it was going to be more like Tiny Titans and just be a series of mis-adventures rather than a crimefighting series or that the whole cast was re-imagined as kids like the “Gotham High School” concept that was being shipped around. Instead, it’s a fun little superhero series. Batman and Robin fight bad guys. It’s just the criminals aren’t blood-seeking psychopaths.  I’m not sure about treating a Halloween story like it’s a Christmas story, but it was too fun for me to care.

The Thanksgiving story is also fun, but a little less on the silly side. (No moment where Batman is suddenly in a sweater teaching Robin at a desk.) If this wasn’t a reprint, there would be a Best Scene nomination where all of the Bat-family, even Steph and Cassandra (and sadly Jason Todd, but he seems less of a jerk), make an appearance at the Thanksgiving table at Wayne Manor. This alone gets my approval.

I think this started out as a digital-first comic, but while I might have picked up a few issues with a real income, if only for review purposes, I probably won’t be tracking this one down at this time. That said, it’s a fun series with a lot of heart and perfect for an all-ages introduction to Batman. Except that the Robin in this story is dead in the main continuity, but that’s on the New 52’s head.

Related articles

• Dustin Nguyen Talks Li’l Gotham, All-Ages Comics, and Hints Possible Smallerville Title (geekosystem.com)
• Halloween Comic Fest Is On October 26 & 27 (firewireblog.com)