Well, well, well. The moment is finally here! I must say, I’ve really been looking forward to this series. The team behind one of my favourite Daredevil runs, working again as their own dynamic duo to tell a story about the beginning of the caped crusader and boy wonder? Yes please! So, after all this excitement, did it live up to my expectations? Press on dear reader, and find out…
Holy artwork Batman!
Normally I wait until the latter half of the review to talk about the art, but I just cannot wait that long today. I absolutely adore Chris Samnee’s art. Not to mention that Matheus Lopes does an astonishingly good job with the colouring as well. In fact, I’m going to give kudos to Clayton Cowles on lettering while I’m at it. There is such attention to every little detail in the presentation of this book, that I can’t help but sing its praises.
Let’s start at the beginning. The page has an overall very dark palette. The manor is grey and Bruce and Alfred are clad in black. It’s only until we see Dick, with his little circle of light, that we get any form of colour. Not the most subtle, but I sure do appreciate it. I want to point out some special attention to their clothes. Bruce is wearing a very Micheal Keaton turtleneck and suit jacket. Alfred is wearing some classic butler threads, while Dick has donned a Burt Ward-esque red sweater and dress shirt combo. These are such small details, but they give me that much more to appreciate.
The big double-page spread of Gotham is just a treat for the eyes and puts me in mind of The Animated Series. It helps that the whole issue is printed onto black paper, giving it that much more ambience. Okay, maybe I should get into the plot a little bit. This tale takes place three weeks after Dick Grayson’s parents were murdered at the hand of Tony Zucco. After having caught the killer, Batman and Robin go out as a team for the first time to answer the call of the Bat-Signal.
Batman introduces Gordon to his sidekick. I do quite like how Gordon doesn’t really know what to think of him. He’s so used to dealing with this very dark, no-nonsense adult man, only to be snuck up on by a very cheerful, wise-cracking and colourful boy. Gordon tries to question Bruce on the morality of having a child fight beside him, but Dick swiftly cuts him off. He’s very well characterised in this issue. He clearly thinks of this more as a game, even if he is conscious of how serious of a matter it is.
Anyway, it wouldn’t be a Robin origin story without Two-Face, so here he is! He’s stolen a sealed police file and the commissioner asks it to be returned. Unexamined. Very suspicious indeed. Batman and Robin leap into the night and we are treated to a gorgeous full page of our heroes. The costume designs are as iconic as they come and the city behind them looks lovely to boot. I know some people don’t like the short shorts and elf boots, but personally, you can’t beat a classic.
Heads or tails?
Our heroes chase down a lead on Two-Face leading them to… drive up a wall? That’s a tad bit too far for me. It isn’t much, but I would prefer if Waid had taken a different route to show Robin’s adaptability. He soon makes up for this mistake by having Robin’s cape be bulletproof. Nice one. A good time to mention how Bruce’s internal monologue is in a different font than everything else. Again, another little detail that goes a long way. I also like how Dick’s eyes go from being full white to actual expressive eyes depending on the situation. It allows him to be a bit more goofy when he’s messing about while letting us readers see how scared he can be in some moments.
Is Dick still Bruce’s “ward” in this? In the beginning of the issue talks about being a parent, so maybe he’s adopted him? Anyhow, Bruce apologises to his son and promises to get better at the whole teamwork thing. there’s no time to spare though, as they’ve just tracked down Harvey. He’s camped out in 2nd Street Storage. The two burst in and in his haste, the Boy Wonder causes him and his mentor to stop on a pressure mine.
In desperation, Bruce appeals to Harvey’s human side. Two-face looks great as well, I’m a fan of the half being purple rather than green or red. I’m a big believer in purple in the Batman mythos. the criminal tells them about how a new boss has been slowly moving into Gotham for the past year with a single goal. To kill the Batman. He leaves the Dynamic Duo with a choice. Either die here with the bombs or die another day to this new player. They quickly jam the pressure plates and run away, escaping with their lives. The issue closes with a quick glimpse of General Grimaldi.
Recommended If…
- Daredevil and World’s Finest are some runs you really enjoy.
- You cannot get enough of Chris Samnee. I know I certainly can’t.
- It’s a classic Batman and Robin adventure, what’s not to love?
Overall:
Did it meet my expectations? You betcha. If you can’t tell by now, the art is absolutely astounding, I’m almost definitely going to be getting the noir edition when it releases. the story is just getting going, but the character dynamics and the way everyone is written certainly makes it seem like Waid knows what he’s doing, if you were ever in any doubt. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more I could ask for. Here’s hoping the story stays at such a high standard!
Score: 9/10
English (US) · 