There was a time in comics when kid sidekicks were the norm and it was expected that every superhero had one. Whether it be Captain America and Bucky, or the Sandman and Sandy, teams such as these were everywhere in the medium. However, none are quite as famous as the one that really started it all. Just one year after his creation, Batman was to be given a sidekick, one who would add an element of joy and comedy to crime fighting. That character was Dick Grayson, known as Robin, created in Detective Comics (vol 1) 38 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson. You can read my review of it here, but it basically presents us with the origin of Robin, growing up with his parents in a circus. However, when his parents are murdered by Boss Zucco, Dick is aided by Batman in finding Zucco, achieving this by becoming Robin. From then until the 1970s, Batman and Robin were inseparable. But things begun to change when Dick grew older and he grew tired of being a sidekick. He therefore left Batman and formed the New Teen Titans, eventually ditching Robin and becoming Nightwing. However, that wasn’t the end of Robin, as there have been many more since, such as Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Batman’s son, Damian. There have been numerous retellings of Robin’s origin and his early adventures, but Robin: Year One is different and for Dick Grayson, I would certainly label it the definitive origin of the kid sidekick…
Robin: Year One 1-4 was a miniseries published monthly from October 2000 to January 2001. It was written by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty with art by Javier
Pulido, Marcos Martin and Robert Campanella. I have read the miniseries in the Robin: Year One trade paperback.
THE STORY
In prison, a criminal named Minette screams to a visitor named Louis about a kid in a yellow cape who put him in jail. Louis then leaves, with Minette ordering him to get the help of his boss. Louis later meets his boss, Two Face, who has learnt about Batman’s new sidekick. Meanwhile, a group of burglars break into a van when Batman notices them. He manages to defeat the criminals, with one escaping. However, that isn’t for long as Robin appears, avoiding the bullets coming from the robber and defeating him. Later in the Bat-Cave, Batman congratulates Robin on his new skills, with Alfred noticing how Robin’s presence has made Bruce happier. When Bruce heads upstairs, Alfred asks Dick if he is happy being Robin. Although Dick’s original aim of defeating Zucco has been achieved, he believes that somebody has to help Batman on his crusade. The next day, Bruce drops Dick off at school, who has decided to attend a public school because of the girls. Elsewhere, a Mr Pak enters a warehouse to meet Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter, who has controlled eight young girls using special headphones. At the same time, Dick is in school when he is told that a girl named Jenny seems to like him and proceeds to impress her by showing off his basketball skills. While leaving school with Alfred, Jenny and her friend Claire notice the Mad Hatter in disguise, offering free headphones to them. Jenny accepts, causing her to be controlled by the villain and captured. Later, as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, they attend a party with Generalissimo Singh Mahn Lee, the President of Rheelasia, but become bored quite quickly. Therefore, they meet with Captain Gordon as Batman and Robin. After Gordon informs them of eight girls being kidnapped, the two heroes leave and interrogate the usual suspects. However, they are unsuccessful and return home, discovering no pattern among the kidnappings. Meanwhile, the Mad Hatter meets with President Mahn Lee, who is interested in the young girls that the villain is controlling. The next morning, Dick finds out from a newspaper that Jenny has been kidnapped, causing Bruce to remind him to be clear-headed when working on the case. Bruce then tells him to talk to Jenny’s friends in order to discover any information. Throughout the day, Dick overhears a conversation between Claire and the assistant principal about Jenny’s whereabouts, but he doesn’t uncover anything. Later, leaving school. Dick notices the Mad Hatter selling headphones. He then hides and notices the villain lure in another girl, causing Dick to phone Alfred for help. Without Batman, Alfred drives Dick as Robin to the warehouse where the van stopped. Inside, Robin finds the machine controlling the girls, but he is noticed by a henchman. After fighting, Robin manages to capture the henchman, asking him where the Mad Hatter is. Using a speedboat, Robin heads to a cruse ship where Bruce is attending a party, but he is informed by Alfred about Robin’s solo quest. Meanwhile, Robin finds the controlled girls, but they are all asleep. Then, as the police arrive on the boat, Bruce ‘accidentally’ spills his drink on the cruse controls, meaning it cannot move. At the same time, the Mad Hatter discovers Robin, but the hero manages to defeat the villain. However, the Mad Hatter controls the girls and sends them to attack Robin. Luckily, Robin manages to escape and knocks the Mad Hatter’s hat off his head, causing the girls minds to return to normal. Robin then manages to defeat the Mad Hatter and capture him. Meanwhile, President Mahn Lee is suspected to be involved with the Mad Hatter’s scheme, but he boasts that his diplomatic immunity protects him. Bruce then briefly speaks to Dick, telling him they will discuss what he did later. Returning home, Bruce discovers that Alfred was involved with Robin’s plot. However, Alfred tells Bruce that Dick sought to prove his worth and to confirm the confidence that has been placed in him. Bruce agrees with Alfred and praises Robin for his actions, telling him that he is proud…
Working on a case, Batman and Robin chase the minor villain Killer Moth in the Batmobile. While Batman takes out the henchman, Robin easily captures Killer Moth, leaving him for the police. The dynamic duo’s actions of defeating the Mad Hatter, Cluemaster, Firefly and Killer Moth have not gone unnoticed, as Two Face becomes enraged at their power. However, Two Face realises that Robin could be a weak point of Batman, causing him to come up with a plan to defeat the heroes. The next day, after Alfred picks him up from school, Robin manages to defeat Blockbuster, surprising Batman in his sidekick’s skill. Meanwhile, Two Face and his men capture Judge Watkins, who worked with Harvey Dent before his accident. Elsewhere, Dick goes on a date with Jenny, but it quickly ends when Dick notices the Bat-Signal, causing him to run off and become Robin. Meeting with Batman and Gordon, he is informed that Watkins has been abducted, with the suspect being Two Face. With Robin away, Gordon speaks with Batman, asking him if Robin is his son. Although Batman tells him that Robin is capable, Gordon warns that if any harms comes to him, he will blame it on Batman. Leaving Gordon, Batman tells Robin about the Captain’s concerns and tells him to sit Two Face’s case out. Although Robin refuses, Batman continues without him. Meanwhile, Two Face has set up a courthouse, accusing Watkins of the murder of Harvey Dent. Two Face then explains to the ‘jury’ that he and Watkins once worked together for the law, aiming to lock up the criminals of Gotham. However, Two Face then explains that Watkins allowed Boss Maroni an appeal. During the trial, Maroni threw acid on Harvey’s face, causing him to become Two Face, which he blames on Watkins. Unsurprisingly, the fake jury finds Watkins guilty of murder. Two Face then flips his coin in order to decide how Watkins should die. Two Face then takes the hood off the fake judge and it is Maroni, dead by hanging. Two Face tells Watkins he will die the same way. At the same time, in the Bat-Cave, Batman discovers that a newspaper heiress has given birth to twin boys, causing Batman to suspect Two Face is involved. Batman heads out and finds Two Face, who has captured the twins. Robin then appears, making Two Face happy. He then drops one of the twins off a building and throws the other one behind Batman, who manages to catch the baby. However, he is knocked unconscious by a henchman. Meanwhile, Robin catches the other twin, but finds it is just a doll, which then breathes out gas, causing Robin to fall unconscious. Later, Robin wakes up to Two Face, who has Batman and Watkins with nooses around their necks. However, Two Face tells Robin that one of their deaths can be delayed by flipping the coin three times. Although Robin manages to save Watkins from hanging, Two Face releases the floor from b
elow Watkins, causing him to fall into water. Two Face and his henchmen than beat Robin, with Batman watching in anger. However, using acid from his utility belt, Batman breaks free and brutally defeats Two Face, before attending to Robin. Batman then rushes back to the Bat-Cave, surprising Alfred when he finds that Robin is dying from his wounds…
During police interrogation, Two Face tells Gordon that Robin is dead, just as Watkins is. After Two Face jokes and laughs about committing double homicide, Gordon heads to the roof in a temper, turning on the signal. Meanwhile in a van, Alfred is attending to Dick’s wounds, who believes that he should be taken to hospital. However, Bruce disagrees and decides to head to Doctor Leslie Thompkins’s clinic. Inside, Thompkins demands to know what has happened to Dick, but Bruce ignores her and leaves. Later, Batman meets Gordon, who demands to know if Robin is alive. With Gordon remaining angry, Batman tells him that Robin will be put into retirement. Later, Dick awakens after having a nightmare about Two Face to find Bruce, who tells him that Robin has been a terrible error of judgement and that he is just a boy. Bruce then tells Dick that he will no be longer Robin as he disobeyed his orders. Alfred then enters and tells Bruce to let Dick recover, leaving Dick to wonder what will happen to him now. Leaving Dick to rest, Alfred feels bad that he played a part in Robin’s retirement and he shares the blame. Elsewhere, Mr Freeze plans his next job, planning to steal something which everybody needs to live. Some days later, Dick visits the hospital where Dr Thompkins tells him that he has made a quick and full recovery. However, just as she notices that something is worrying Dick, Mr Freeze and his goons arrive, freezing one of the doctor’s arms as a threat. Mr Freeze demands to have every drop of blood that the hospital contains. Dick manages to escape from the hospital, and he heads home, writing a letter to Bruce before heading out again. Then, Dick dons his Robin mask and find Mr Freeze’s hideout, where inside the villain demands ten million dollars in exchange for the stolen blood. Coming home, Alfred finds the letter to Bruce from Dick. At the same time, Two Face’s lawyer, Louis speaks to the police, telling them that the villain wishes to confess. However, when a detective enters the interrogation room, they find that Two Face has broken out of his chains. Two Face then escapes from the police station after murdering the detective. Meanwhile, Robin breaks into Mr Freeze’s hideout and locates Mr Freeze, who attacks the hero using his freeze gun. However, Mr Freeze accidently freezes his own henchmen and Robin tricks the villain into falling through thin ice, knocking him unconscious. Robin then ties Mr Freeze up, before Gordon arrives. Robin then tells Gordon that he is leaving the vigilante business, which Gordon is pleased about, wishing him well as he leaves. Meanwhile, Bruce heads home after patrolling and Alfred tells him that Dick has left, reading out the letter from him, which thanks them both for teaching him how to be strong. Ignoring the letter, Bruce tells Alfred that Two Face has escaped again. Dick notices the news on a television through a shop window. Dick is then confronted by a gang, who attack him. However, Dick manages to defeat the gang before he is met by a man named Shrike, who is impressed with Dick’s fighting skills. He tells Dick that he will be take him on as a new pupil…
In prison, Minette speaks with his with visitor, Shrike, offering to kill Two Face for not rescuing him from prison. Later, Shrike meets with Minette’s nephew, Anthony, who offers Shrike the money for killing Two Face as he is a member of the League of Assassins. Shrike accepts the offer. Meanwhile, in Arkham Asylum, Batman visits the Joker in order to find more information about Two Face’s whereabouts. However, Batman leaves emptyhanded. At the same time, Alfred phones Haly’s Circus, where Dick grew up with his parents. However, they haven’t seen him either, making Alfred feel down. Alfred then heads into the Bat-Cave to give Bruce his dinner. Although Bruce believes that Dick will one day turn up, Alfred reminds him that Dick has no reason to come back. Elsewhere, Dick fights against Boone, another member of Shrike’s gang. Upon hearing that Shrike has returned, Dick and the rest of gang meet with their master, who tells them that they must enter the rare manuscripts room inside Gotham’s Museum of Antiquities. Dick and the gang head out and are successful. However, inside, they find Shrike, who tells the gang that they have completed a test and that they are ready to move onto more serious tasks. Dick, calling himself Freddy within the gang, is shocked when Shrike reveals the gang’s next task, which is to murder Two Face tomorrow. Shrike then activates the fire alarm, ordering everybody to escape from the museum before being caught. The next day, Batman meets with Gordon to discuss the break-in at the museum, which they are confused about as nothing was stolen. However, Batman and Gordon focus on Two Face and how all the police’s resources are focused on the villain. Gordon then asks about Robin, but Batman reminds him that he is retired. Meanwhile, Two Face, Louis and his gang break into a mansion. However, after Two Face is forced to kill his two violent dogs after they make too much noise, Shrike’s gang arrives to kill Two Face. However, Two Face takes Boone hostage, but Dick manages to rescue him, before taking Two Face’s gun from him. Then, Dick points the gun at Two Face, ready to accomplish his mission. However, Dick remembers his training and throws the gun away. Shrike’s gang then escape as the police arrive. Later, Dick visits the Bat-Cave to leave a letter for Bruce about a lead on Dent. Alfred briefly speaks to Dick, who tells him that he nearly killed somebody, but Alfred reminds him that he didn’t. Meanwhile in prison, Minette is visited by an assassin, who tells him that Two Face has a message. The assassin then kills Minette. Later, Dick meets with Shrike, who has discovered from a photograph that Dick has lied about not having a family. Meanwhile, Bruce is concerned for Dick after wondering who Shrike is and Two Face is searching for Dick as well. At the same time, Shrike and the gang attack Dick and demand to know who he really is. Just when Dick tells them that he is Robin, Batman (continued)
arrives and fights Shrike. In fear, Shrike’s gang run away as the fight continues. Then, Two Face and Louis arrive and begin firing on Shrike. Two Face then kills Louis in anger that he isn’t firing his weapon in short bursts. After killing Shrike, Two Face escapes, but Batman tells Robin not to go after him. Robin notices that Batman has been injured and the two decide to go home, leaving Boone alone hiding from the heroic duo. Arriving home, Alfred is pleased that Dick has returned. Bruce offers Dick the chance to become Robin again, telling him to be a good soldier. Dick accepts and, in the future, the two defeat Two Face. Later, Batman and Robin visit Gordon after collecting the rest of Shrike’s gang. When Gordon welcomes Dick back to crimefighting, his daughter Barbara appears. In the end, Boone travels and locates Talia Al Ghul, becoming part of the League of Assassins, while Alfred happily watches Dick peacefully fall asleep.
MY THOUGHTS
The reason I consider this to be the definitive origin of Dick Grayson’s Robin is mainly because it isn’t re-treading old ground. Similarly, to Batman: Year One, this story doesn’t go into all the background details about Robin. For instance, we don’t see Dick’s parents die or the first time he meets Batman. This is very good for two reasons. Firstly, everybody knows the origin of Robin and it doesn’t need repeating and secondly, it means the story doesn’t feel lazy or lacking in originality. While influenced by previous stories, the main plots involving the Mad Hatter, Two Face, Mr Freeze and Shrike all feel original and they aren’t simply reusing an old story and updating it. Yes, I’m looking at you John Byrne. Anyway, the main plots to this miniseries feel very fresh, just like Batman: Year One, where Frank Miller created a new plot that felt different from previous stories. If Robin: Year One was just a simple re-telling of Detective Comics (vol 1) 38, then what’s the point? Dixon and Beatty create a brand-new set of linked stories which fundamentally change the early days of Robin. They did similar changes to characters in their other ‘Year One’ stories, such as Batgirl: Year One, another story which works very well which I’ll have to review at some point. Right, in terms of the plot, like any good miniseries, there are numerous subplots which converge into one large entity which is full of great character and moments and for the most part, all the plots work incredibly well. The Mad Hatter may not be a villain I’m particularly fond of, mainly because I find his gimmick can become quire tiresome rather quickly, but here, I think he works well in a plot which (continued)
serves as Robin’s first solo outing. This is because it is linked to Robin’s school life as Dick Grayson as we see his friend Jenny become controlled by the Mad Hatter. This works as Robin is personally involved with the case, going as far as defeating the villain by himself without the aid of Batman. This is a great moment as it not only shows that Robin has the potential to handle himself against any threat, but it also hints at his future, where he obviously becomes Nightwing. In the first part of the series, Robin is very joyful and acts like a 12-year-old, which of course he is. However, that changes as the story progresses. The dramatic change in mood throughout this miniseries is integral, but more on that later. The first part of the story effectively introduces us to this new depiction of Robin and how even from the earliest days, he can handle himself. The character of the Mad Hatter is written very creepily which is suitable, especially as here he is pretty much selling children to rich paedophiles. Like I said, character is a very important aspect of the series, but I’ll speak about that more after the plots. The second part of the story is certainly the best for me as we see a dramatic change in the relationship between Batman and Robin. First of all, the villain of Two Face and Dick Grayson’s Robin seem to have always had some connection. For instance, the Batman crossover Prodigal (1994-95) presents Dick as Batman after the Knightfall arch and in the crossover, Dick has to fight Two Face, while being cautious of the time when Dick as Robin fought Two Face and failed, resulting in the death of Judge Watkins. This story presents us with that moment, and it shows a deep change in Robin’s character and how he works with Batman, since his actions accidentally result in the death of Watkins, with the help of Two Face obviously. Not only that, but with Robin getting beaten to near death by Two Face, Batman takes responsibility for it, resulting in the retirement of Robin. This moment must obviously mean much more to Batman as Robin’s near-death experience is caused by Two Face, the same man who Batman once called an ally and a friend. I think this should have been developed a bit more, but as the story focuses on Robin, it isn’t really essential. This is where the change in mood I discussed earlier arises, as not only does Batman refuse to let Dick become Robin again, but Robin’s whole character seems to shift from how he was in the 1940s to how he was in the 1970s. This is a turning point which explains why the mood suddenly changes and how the Batman world of Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino could have evolved dramatically into Dennis O’Neil’s and Neal Adams’s. I know this isn’t where the story takes place, but it’s just an analogy that works. Although dark, the second part also does feature some funnier moments, such as Killer Moth, a pretty bad villain but for the right reasons. Perhaps not when he was created, but every writer has pretty much treated Killer Moth like a joke and I think that works well. There are also some other villains who turn up in the story, most notably Blockbuster, a pretty dumb hairy creature which loves Bruce Wayne, but hates Batman. The third part of the story is pretty much an aftermath of what happened previously, with Dick recovering and being told that he will never be Robin again. This moment in the story isn’t a huge shock or surprise, especially after what Two Face did, but it is a hard-hitting moment as Alfred was involved in Dick working on his own. This creates a sense of drama between Bruce and Alfred, two characters who are obviously very close. In fact, Alfred is also a very important part of the story for a variety of reasons and he is often the point of view for us, as can be seen in his diary entries. Doctor Leslie Thompkins is another character who is important for the story, as she is another like Captain Gordon who believes that Batman shouldn’t even have made Dick Robin. The third part also acts as another solo adventure for Robin, fighting Mr Freeze, who dons one
of his strangest and most colourful costumes I’ve ever seen. Anyway, that works well and there is a great moment afterwards when Gordon briefly speaks with Robin, telling him to leave the vigilante business for his own safety. This is great as it constructs a friendship between Gordon and Robin, two characters who usually just ask Batman the questions. It allows Robin to engage with other characters, since in previous stories he is sometimes just ignored. Of course, the fantastic ending of part three is Robin leaving home, which is really the fault of not just Robin’s actions, but also Batman’s. in the story, Alfred brilliantly tells Bruce that Robin left because he found it difficult to live up to the impossible expectations placed in him and that is the truth. Alfred’s character works so well in this story as a defender of Robin, telling Bruce that he is being too hard on him. Not only that, but there are so many times in the story when Alfred asks Dick if he is happy or if he wants to stop being Robin. This is excellent as it allows Alfred to have more of a character and it shows how much he cares for Robin, emphasising that he doesn’t believe Dick should carry Bruce’s mission on his shoulders. While the latter half of the story may not be as good as the first, it is still very good, featuring a war between Shrike’s gang and Two Face. The fourth part really shows us the birth of Nightwing. Of course, Robin is still very young, but we see him working away from Batman and developing his skills, which similarly happened in Batman Adventures: The Lost Years 1-5. Not only that, but we see Dick return as Robin, which isn’t an unexpected move, but it will be different than before, especially everything that happened before with Two Face. There is also an interesting scene featuring the Joker, in which he hints that he wanted to kill Robin, an obvious reference to Batman: A Death in the Family. Also, the feature of Barbara Gordon at the end of the story clearly hints at a potential story featuring Batgirl, which obviously does happen a few years later. Apart from the plots which work well, I think Dixon and Beatty write all the characters incredibly well, with the best being Alfred, who not only stands up for Robin, but also sometimes puts Bruce in his place. Thinking about it, Alfred is the only person who is in any position to do that, especially since Bruce grew up with Alfred acting like a father figure. The pacing of the story is constant and there is an excellent balance between action and discussion scenes, which is crucial to a great comic since it doesn’t become boring or bland.
Certainly, the positives of this story outweigh the negatives massively, yet, there are a few problems. In terms of each issue, parts one and two are pretty much flawless. The third part can be a bit slow at first, but the presence of Mr Freeze shakes things up. The fourth part is also good, but the problem I have with it is Shrike, a character who feels incredibly generic and bland. His whole kid gang is far from original, yet it works as a way to introduce new characters, one of whom is Boone. When reading this, I had no idea who Boone was, but after researching, I discovered he was a character from the Nightwing (vol 1) series by Chuck Dixon (there’s a surprise). I also find the Two Face plot continuing on in the fourth part to be kind of irrelevant, especially as all he seems to be doing is breaking into houses and shooting his own dogs. He does turn up at the end, searching for Robin and Shrike, but Batman just decides to let him go in the end. Why? This is the same man who beat the f*ck out of Robin and he just lets him go? It may just be that Batman still has some respect for Harvey, but still.
The art by Javier Pulido and Robert Campanella in this story very much reminds me of Batman: The Animated Series. Its simplistic depiction of all the characters works very well with the story as it can work in both lighter and darker moments. It even reminds of some of Darwyn Cooke’s work, which is very silver age. There are sometimes when it can look a bit minimalistic for my liking, but overall is very good. Parts of the fourth part are pencilled by Marcos Martin and while not as good, it still fits the story and mood while reminding me of the simpler times in comics.
VERDICT
Overall, Robin: Year is a very good story that instead of simply reminding us why Dick Grayson became Robin, tells us both the joys and struggles of his early days. Dixon and Beatty write the characters excellently, especially Alfred and of course, Dick Grayson. Yes, the fourth part may be the weakest, but it is still great to read, and the story makes you realise how different Robin is from Batman and how it can be seen from the very start…
Story: 9/10
Art: 8.5/10
This is the first of three short reviews of what I believe are some of the best stories focusing on the three Batman characters celebrating their 80th anniversaries. This week’s is Robin, the next will be the Joker and the week after will be Catwoman. In terms of Batman, Jim Starlin is mainly known for killing Jason Todd, the second Robin. However, Starlin did more than just that with the Boy Wonder and Batman (vol 1) 416 is a prime example of how important the Robins are to the Dark Knight…
Batman (vol 1) 416 was published in February 1988. It was written by Jim Starlin and drawn by Jim Aparo and Mike DeCarlo. Despite being a fairly easy issue to track
down, I have the story in Batman: Second Chances, a book which isn’t so easy to get unfortunately…
THE STORY
A year ago, Robin (Jason Todd) follows a dealer to a coke lab, ready to capture him. However, Robin is noticed by a henchman behind him, who throws him through the glass window and into the lab. Then, just as the criminals prepare to attack Robin, the henchman from above is thrown into the building by Nightwing. However, Nightwing apologizes to the gang, telling them that Robin has made a mistake. Robin, confused, tells Nightwing they are in a cocaine processing lab. After leaving the lab, Nightwing tells Robin that the gang didn’t have any cocaine and they were wating for the raw drug material to come in, which Nightwing confirms will take place tomorrow. Nightwing then tells Robin that the gang will probably switch to another lab after what Robin did. Before leaving, Nightwing tells Robin to tell Batman how he messed up and that he will be coming to the cave tomorrow. Confused about how Nightwing could know about the cave, Bruce tells Jason that Dick was the original Robin, making Jason think that he may want to become Robin again. However, Bruce disagrees. Later, Nightwing arrives in the cave and is greeted by Alfred. He then meets with Bruce, telling him that he is owed an explanation, causing Bruce to become angry. Dick reminds Bruce of their adventures together as Batman and Robin and how it ended when the Joker shot Dick, causing Bruce to blame himself. Bruce told Dick to never become Robin again. Because of that, Dick left Bruce and formed the New Teen Titans, before becoming Nightwing. However, some time after the Titans teamed up with Batman and the Outsiders (New Teen Titans (vol 1) 37 and Batman and the Outsiders 5), Dick notices Batman had a new Robin, making him angry that he was just replaced. At first, Bruce tells Dick that he has improved Jason’s life after he grew up on the streets. However, Dick disagrees and demands to know the truth from Bruce. Suddenly, Bruce loses his temper and admits that he was lonely, before ordering Nightwing to leave. That night, Nightwing meets with Robin and gives him his old Robin suit for the future. The two then decide to take out the drug gang, who have received their shipment. Together, Nightwing and Robin defeat the criminals and shake hands, with Batman watching from a rooftop and smiling.
MY THOUGHTS
Throughout the past 80 years, there have been quite a few stories focusing on Robin which I deem to be fantastic and this is one of them. The greatest aspect of this story to me is the relationship between Dick Grayson, the first Robin and Jason Todd, the second Robin. It shows how Jason can learn so much from Dick, particularly when he is told to never be like Bruce. This is a great moment in the story for me, as it once again marks the big difference between Batman and Robins. Batman doesn’t like what he does and that has made him bitter, while Dick has learnt to enjoy, making him an optimist. Of course, Jason won’t be alive long enough to follow the advice, but nobody knew that at the time. The discussion between Bruce and Dick in the cave is brilliant and it shows how far Dick has come and how Bruce has pretty much ignored what he has been doing. It’s a great argument between two friends and we see Bruce at his weakest, admitting to Dick that he missed him. This is difficult for Bruce as his true personality of Bruce Wayne has been swallowed by Batman, but the Robins are the only people who can release it, making those like Dick and Jason the most important people to Bruce. The main plot involving Nightwing and Robin taking out some drug dealers is fairly standard, but it is made better when Jason is made aware of his mistakes by his predecessor. But, when the heroes do find the criminals again and take them out, it really shows how stupid the dealers are. Why didn’t they just leave town? I mean, if Nightwing and Robin found them once, then they can bet that they will find them again. I get that it concludes the story nicely, with Nightwing and Robin teaming up, but it does make the villains come across as idiots. Apart from that, the ending is fantastic, with Batman watching Nightwing and Robin shake hands, showing that Batman is indeed proud of his wards, even if saying “Thanks, Dick” could be seen as an insult.
The art is by Jim Aparo, so obviously I’m going to love it and find it difficult to criticise. The sense of action in the story is flawless, with panels drawn from dynamic and dramatic angles. Aparo’s storytelling of drama is excellent, especially when Robin is told by Nightwing that he is doing the wrong thing. Once again, Aparo draws a brilliant and moody Batman, with he inks by Mike DeCarlo working perfectly. Although Aparo may be remembered for his Brave and the Bold stories from the 1970s, this is evidence that he was still in his prime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the help of DeCarlo of course.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman 416 is an excellent example of how important the Robins are to Batman. Jim Starlin writes the characters of Batman, Nightwing and Robin perfectly, while supplying an excellent story full of action and drama. Undoubtedly, Aparo and DeCarlo bring Starlin’s vision to life, making the issue a great and memorable read…
Story: 9.5/10
Art: 10/10
Next Week: Batman: The Killing Joke. Written by Alan Moore with art by Brian Bolland. Also reviewing: Batman (vol 1) 251. Written by Dennis O’Neil with art by Neal Adams. Expected to be published by 26/04/2020.
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