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ROBIN #100
"The Price of Justice"
Recommended (7/10)
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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 is both the start of Jon Lewis's run and the end of Chuck Dixon's run, and the split focus hurts the book a bit. There are some terrific moments for new readers, but in general this is more of a winding-down of old subplots and transition from one writer to the next. Fans of Dixon's Robin may
want to check it out, as it deals with some of the elements he has introduced to
the character recently coming to an end, and fans of Bruce Wayne: Fugitive may
want to check it out for an interesting scene of how Robin and Batman interact
right now, but those looking for a clean jumping-on point for the new writer
might be advised to wait until next issue.
When Dixon started this book,
Robin was on the outs with Batman due to his erratic behavior, so it seems
appropriate that when Dixon leaves, the status quo (although not the man in the
Batman suit) is much the same. I'm honestly not convinced that Robin works that
well as a solo character anymore, but it's hard to argue with the longevity and
general quality the title has had. Dixon's usual style is to build up a variety
of supporting cast and subplots around his character, and he has done that with
Robin, leading to some nice sendoffs this issue as he clears the decks for the
new writer.
I'm particularly glad to see a
more friendly status quo restored between Robin and Spoiler, and their brief
repartee on the rooftop was one of the highlights of the issue. One of Dixon's
long-running character points for Robin has been the idea that he doesn't want
to do this forever, unlike the rest of the Bat-family, and for him to realize
that Stephanie might not feel the same way made for some interesting
introspection. I also thought that the farewells to Robin's Brentwood pals,
while a bit abrupt, was a nice send-off for that supporting cast.
Though it's a guessing game to
figure out which parts of the issue belong to Jon Lewis and which parts belong
to Dixon, if I had to guess, I'd guess that the initial sequence belongs to
Lewis. It's a very funny, and yet telling, look at the cost of crime-fighting,
and it makes for a great introduction to the issue. Unfortunately, there's a bit
of a clumsy segue into the story of Robin's parents losing their money, as
Robin's worry about how he's going to keep his rich-guy crimefighting toys
concealed rings a bit false. He's managed to conceal a secret identity and a
supercar... how hard are a costume and some batarangs going to be to conceal?
While the writers are
changing, the artist this issue is the same, the always-impressive Pete Woods.
There are a lot of normal, everyday type of backgrounds in this issue (read:
potentially very boring) but Woods's artwork keeps the backgrounds from looking ordinary and
dull. His take on Gotham City is more brightly-lit, with more character, than
many of the more traditional gothic takes on the city, and I quite enjoyed this
look at a city that should have visually distinct neighborhoods.
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