Unlike what we saw in Detective Comics #800 recently, the writer on this series has actually come up with a bona fide new status quo for the title character. The story charges ahead at a brisk pace, and the script features soem strong characterization for the central hero. It's not a bad little setup, and there's a real sense of danger in the climactic ending for this issue. I didn't enjoy this issue has much as some others that came before it, though, and the reason is the art. I appreciate the fact Damion Scott seems to be developing his distinctive style and trying to be more expressive, but the greater degreeof exaggeration in his work and the heavy inking is distracting. The more cartoony look of the characters works against the grim and serious qualities of the story.
Reeling from the death of his father, his girlfriend and others close to him, Tim Drake decides to leave Gotham City and his grim mentor behind. However, he holds onto his heroic identity of Robin and his mission to fight crime. Tim opts to move to Bludhaven, where there's a need for a costumed hero since Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing, is still recovering from injuries sustained during the Gotham gang war. In the weeks following his arrival in his new home, his game plan works out quite well, but Robin soon discovers there are some eventualities one cannot plan for.
Scott's exaggerated faces make it difficult to see the characters as dark, driven or sinister. The figures are so cartoony, I'm reminded of Humberto Ramos's or Paco Medina's style, and another easy comparison is to the angular, over-the-top approach of Duncan Rouleau. Tim Drake looks like a little boy here, not a confident, accomplished teen. The line art is incredibly inky, and the figures tend to bleed into the backgrounds.
When it comes to the pace of the plot, I've of two minds. On the one hand, I'm pleased Willingham has maintained a level of excitement that's appropriate given the super-hero genre and the youth of the main character. He also manages to include al of the information we need to follow along; he covers all his bases. But on the other hand, while he addresses key elements, some are only touched upon lightly. Tim seems to skip over the grieving process entirely here. His decision not to take the time to grieve for Stephanie, for example, seems rather callous as opposed to simply some form of denial.
The greatest strength of this script is the conflict between what Tim wants to be and what he's becoming. He's angry with the Batman and determined never to adopt the same grim attitude and outlook, but that's exactly what he's doing. Willingham doesn't handle it in the subtlest of manners, mind you, but Tim's reasoning and rationalizations ring true. Willingham has captured a storng voice for the title charactrer here, and despite Robin's self-deluded thought process, one can't help but get on board with him and admire the ambitious nature of what he's trying to do. 6/10
