ROBIN #101
"World Without Young Justice, Part 3: Redone By the Vandal(s) of Time"
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Jon Lewis
Pencils: Rebecca Woods
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Colors: Noelle Giddings & Digital Chameleon
Letters: Willie Schubert
Editor: Matt Idelson
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Oh man, Jon Lewis got screwed.
OK, OK... I'm overstating it, I know. Basically, the problem here is that just as the title's new writer is beginning to hit his stride, he's interrupted by a crossover concept that's just not worth the distraction. His grounded look at an odd kind of urban subculture is completely derailed by "World Without Young Justice." Mind you, his incorporation of the crossover elements reflects how jarring they are, and it's kind of amusing.
Tim Drake happens upon an odd kind of underground amateur theatre, and he settles in for an unusually entertaining evening. He meets up with the cute coffee girl he met earlier, as well as with the obnoxious elevator operator from his new building. Meanwhile Tim's girlfriend, Stephanie, happens upon the same scene, but in her crimefighting gear as the Spoiler. All of a sudden, reality changes thanks to tinkering by Bedlam, and Tim Drake finds himself being rescued by the Batman and Robin, AKA Stephanie.
Lewis was really starting to introgue me with his offbeat look at a different kind of youth culture. He's taking Tim into a different kind of world, and he's bringing the reader along for the ride. I also enjoyed his examination of the influence of perspective and assumption in our relationships with those closest to us.
Woods does a fine job of differentiating between the more grounded, slightly sombre of the first half of this issue and the surreal crossover half that rounds it out. Still, while her pencils convey the script clearly, they don't really grab me either. Mind you, Giddings's colors on the first half of the book are dark and moody, reinforcing the underground atmosphere of the dilapidated opera house.
If that subculture feel of Lewis's main plot needed to avoid one thing, it was mainstream super-heroics. Sadly, the writer is forced to include that element... in spades. To his credit, though, his contribution to "World Without Young Justice" comes off as something of a protest. He parodies traditional super-heroes. Still, even that tongue-in-cheek take on the crossover isn't enough to overcome just how out-of-place the Bedlam plot is.
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