ROBIN #99
"Where the Road Ends"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Pete Woods
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Colors: Noelle Giddings & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Matt Idelson
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Chuck Dixon impresses again with his plausible and entertaining look at the complicated life of a remarkable teenager. Robin combines super-heroics with a believable portrayal of a youthful protagonist. Woods's light style maintains the less dire tone that one would find in the other Batman titles, especially during this "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" storyline.
Tim Drake discovers the reason that one of his private-school classmates has been abducted, and it has to do with his discreet activities online. After using Oracle's super-computers to get to the bottom of the goings-on, the Spoiler tags along for the rescue mission. Meanwhile, Oracle and another member of the Batman Family investigate a potential suspect who has reasons to frame Bruce Wayne for murder.
Woods boasts a brighter style that keeps the book from coming off as a teen-angst kind of riff, which is a refreshing change of pace. However, the colors are darker in tone, and it makes for a nice balance. His work conveys the action clearly, and he captures the youth of the majority of the characters wonderfully. The teens aren't just presented as shorter adults, or tall toddlers.
Like other Bat-writers, Dixon doesn't seem to get caught in the trap of making this chapter of the crossover required reading. Unlike the other books participating in the storyline, though, the "Murderer?" story elements take a back seat to the ongoing subplots of the series. One could argue that the title character is surprisingly unconcerned about what's going on, but I like that Dixon is focusing on the fact that despite Robin's mentor's arrest, life goes on, that he's already got plenty on his plate as it is.
Despite the fact that I haven't been following this title closely, I had no problem getting into the subplots and characters. Dixon offers up a thoroughly accessible and fun read. It's hardly cutting-edge comics, but it's good storytelling. Dixon's Robin is an excellent starter book for new, young comics readers.
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