ROBIN #100
"The Price of Justice"
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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DC Comics
Writers: Chuck Dixon & Jon Lewis
Pencils: Pete Woods
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Colors: Noelle Giddings & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Matt Idelson
Price: $3.50 US/$5.75 CAN |
This special not only marks the end of Chuck Dixon's lengthy stint handling the title character (not only since the first issue, but in three separate limited series that came before), but it's also the debut of the new regular writer, Xeric grant winner and indy comics creator Jon Lewis. Dixon wraps up his subplots nicely, and it's clear that though he's building on Dixon's work, Lewis has much different things in mind for Robin and his girlfriend, Stephanie, AKA the crimefighting Spoiler. In the end, though, I think it might have been a mistake to jam Dixon's swan song and Lewis's debut in the same issue, as the different approaches really don't jibe.
Because his father's fortune has been lost, Tim Drake has to bid his friends at his private school adieu, but his real concern with this latest development in his family's lives is how it will impact his life as Robin. The fact that his costumed mentor is on the run isn't helping either. As he adjusts to a new home in downtown Gotham, Tim finally decides to don the mask and cape again, and as he snoops around a quake-damaged area of the city, he runs afoul of the Dark Knight.
Dixon wraps things up nicely and provides a new launching pad for Lewis to start his stint as the regular writer. Dixon isn't just doing housekeeping, though. He examines some ideas that the title character -- and the readers -- seem to have taken for granted. Without his father's cash and the Batman's support, Robin faces a future as a crimefighter that's... fiscally uncomfortable. It's a down-to-earth idea that any of us juggling bills every month can easily relate to.
Lewis's approach to the title character is notably different. Tim is far more philosophical under his guidance. Nothing wrong with that, but the shift from Dixon's take to Lewis's is jarring. It's the latter writer whose work isn't well served by the juxtaposition. His script comes off as a bit too flowery. Oddly enough, though more reflective, Lewis's Tim Drake is a bit more self-absorbed. At times, he's... snooty. His treatment of the elevator operator is a bit unsettling, but I do find that I'm curious to learn more about this apparent shift in personality.
Pete Woods helps to maintain a consistent visual tone, and that sense of consistency is welcome given the two disparate approaches in the writing. Mind you, it's easy to see the shift visually as well. Woods's illustration of the latter half of the book is much more dense with detail. It makes sense, given the shift in setting from suburban Gotham to the city's downtown core.
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