3rd June, 2008

KRIS BATHER

Robin #174

"Chris Batista’s art is great. He handles action and emotion with equal realism and a great eye for page layout."

Most people would only be familiar with Robin as the kid sidekick from the travesty that was the 1960s Batman TV show. However, the comics truth is thankfully a lot deeper. There have been three different Robins over the years since the original’s first appearance in 1940’s Detective Comics #38. It is this Robin, Dick Grayson, that most people would be familiar with. Throughout the decades Grayson grew as a character and as a man, and eventually stepped out of the Dark Knight’s shadow to become the solo hero Nightwing. Along came the leadership role of the Teen Titans, a new costume, a new city to defend and, of course, his own self-named title.

The 80s was the time of excess in comic books as well, with superheroes delving ever deeper into mature themes, mostly lead by Frank Miller’s Daredevil run. The Boy Wonder did not remain unscathed either, or rather his replacement didn’t. Jason Todd was a street kid and the second boy to continue the Robin tradition. In a brutal death brought on by the Joker (and as controversially voted for by the fans at the time) Jason was killed and the news media were shocked. With the 90s came a third Robin, Tim Drake. He was smart, computer savvy and had a brand spanking new costume to call his own (which has since changed again). Tim is the current Robin and star of this monthly series.

There was also a short-lived fourth Robin, Stephanie Brown, who was also Tim’s girlfriend. This issue centres on their relationship. You see, like Jason Todd, Stephanie was also killed, and apparently as we see here, has also been brought back to life (though in a manner much more realistic than Todd’s) This is writer Chuck Dixon’s recent return to the title that he helped launch and define for many years. We can ‘hear’ Tim’s voice clearly throughout, either when he’s battling the North Korean mafia with the distracting new hero Violet and someone dressed as Spoiler, Stephanie’s one-time other alter-ego, or when he’s pondering what all this means. The new reader may feel the same way, but at least it all looks pretty. Chris Batista’s art is great. He handles action and emotion with equal realism and a great eye for page layout. If you’ve been a fan of Robin (any of them), however, then June’s Robin/Spoiler Special #1 may just be a better introduction to this intriguing cast of characters.