Batman and Robin #1 (August, 2009)
"Batman Reborn, Part One: Domino Effect"
Writer - Grant Morrison
Art - Frank Quitely
Colors - Alex Sinclair
Letters - Patrick Brosseau
Assistant Editor - Janelle Siegel
Editor - Mike Marts
Cover Price: $2.99
As a fan of a certain age, I sometimes find myself playing that game. You know the one... where you look at a cover-date of a book... subtract it from now, and realize just how much time has passed since the thing hit shelves/the first time you read it. It's a horrid little game, and I recommend nobody ever play it.
Well, okay... just this once. I'm sitting here pretty dumbfounded that this issue came out... a decade ago! Holy cow. I mean, it's pre-Flashpoint, so it's at least seven-eight years old... that much I ought to know! But seeing the date there... starin' at me. It's enough to make one question what they've done with their life!
Or maybe I'm projecting.
Also, the cover reminds me of McDonalds... maybe I'm just talkin' out my backside at this point so let's just get to it!
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We open during Mr. Toad's wild ride... ya see, there's this frog-faced fella called Mr. Toad, and he's trying to evade the Batmobile. Unfortunately for him, there have been some improvements made to the ol' rig... for instance, it can fly now!
We hop inside the Batmobile, where Batman (Dick Grayson) is apologizing to Robin (Damian Wayne) for ever doubting the enhancements made to the car. They wind up running Mr. Toad off the road, and into the drink. Our amphibious new friend emerges from the drink holding a briefcase...
... unfortunately for him, he does this right at the feet of the new Dynamic Duo! They wallop him with their fists... which sends the contents of his briefcase flyin' all ova da place! Turns out, the case was full of... dominoes?
When Mr. Toad wakes up, he is blindfolded and is being dangled by his ankles high above Gotham City. Well, he thinks he's high above Gotham... he's actually just a couple of feet off the ground. Dick tries getting some information out of him... and, while I'm not sure what this geek is muttering about, he seems to get it (we later find out that it's "circus-speak". He drops Toad on the dock and takes off.
We flash back to a scene at Wayne Manor. Dick and Alfred are talking about the recent passing of the Man of the House. Dick comments that he never really considered being "next in line" for the cape and cowl (despite all that Prodigal stuff). After a trip to the cemetery, Alfred assures him that Bruce is and was always proud of him.
Back to the present, and we're at the Wayne Enterprises Building. Dick and Damian are in the down-below taking care of some Bat-Business. While Damian tinkers s'more with the Batmobile, Dick continues expressing trepidation about being Batman... and also, doing some research, while images of "ferocious" chicken and jalapeno sandwiches dance in his head. Damian notes Dick's reluctance and offers to take up the Bat-mantle himself. Yeah, not yet kid.
As Batman and Robin head into out, we briefly check in on a Toad-hauling paddy-wagon. Mr. Toad warns the Officers that he's got friends... and Gotham City will soon belong to them. Meanwhile, some creepy-looking people in Raggedy Ann masks emerge from a carnival tent.
We hop over to the roof of the GCPD, where Commissioner Gordon has illuminated the Bat-Signal. He is joined by a pair of incredulous Officers... they've lit the thing every night for months at this point, and nobody ever shows up. Well, that all changes tonight.
As Batman and Robin show up on the roof, down below a... burning man (Phosphorous Rex) arrives on the scene. Officers rush over to give him a hand (remember, he's on fire)... and get burned out for their troubles.
We shift scenes to the tiny apartment of an immigrant family. We meet a man, who was an associate (and passenger) of Mr. Toad... who happened to get away after they were run off the road (earlier this issue). He is frantically packing and telling his daughter, Sasha that they've got to beat a hasty retreat. He's escaped Batman once... and he's not interested in tempting fate.
He is interrupted by a knocking at the door. He goes to answer it... and sees that it's his brother (and fellow Toad-ssociate) Lev. He opens the door wider, and discovers that it's actually those Raggedy Anns from the tent!
Next thing we know... the fellow wakes up strapped to a table. He's approached by a man in a butcher's smock and a grotesque Pig mask. This is Professor Pyg. He waited for the man to wake up before performing his "de-uglifying" process, during which he places a white-hot doll mask on his face. It's an absolutely brutal-looking process.
Ya see, Pyg sees his doll-faced army as being the embodiment of "perfection"... which might tell ya just a little bit about how twisted this guy is.
What's more... he ain't done yet! He tells the fella that his daughter, Sasha... is next! Oh, and also... that he's going to assist with the "perfecting" process!
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Pretty excellent first outing here!
This was one I recall being excited for back in... ye old 2009. I loved the idea of the Batman and Robin dynamic to be sorta turned on its ear. Having a super-serious Robin in Damian alongside a more lighthearted Batman in Dick was definitely something I was ready for... and it delivered. Rather than being a student-teacher, or superior-subordinate relationship... these are two fellas learning their way... together. Damian as a hero, and Dick as the hero.
Professor Pyg is one of the only villains in comics that actually kinda makes my skin crawl. This is a creepy and twisted dude. There's that saying that the best bad guys actually believe themselves to be good guys. Here, we have Pyg trying to impose his version of "perfection" on people... he truly believes he's bringing people to their "best possible form".
It's a visceral, brutal... and permanent change, and somehow, despite only knowing Sasha Whatsherface for like two pages, we fear for her! It's some pretty great work. Speaking of great work, I can't believe we're one-thousand and seventy-five days into this blog... and we've never featured Frank Quitely! The sheer terror on Sasha's face really tells the tale here... a truly excellent (and horrifying) scene!
Really, this was a top-flight book. Excellent production all around... really feels like the "standard bearer" for DC Comics at the time. Suppose I wouldn't be me if I didn't kvetch about the Morrison Bat-Epic being derailed by the cosmic toilet flush that was The New-52!, right? Of course, if we were to go by DC's official stance, the reboot was already well in the planning stages by this point anyway. Ahem... of course.
Overall, this is one I'd certainly recommend checking out... probably best read in trade form (aren't they all this side of 2000?). Available digitally.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Red Robin #1 (August, 2009)
"The Grail, Part One of Four"
Writer - Christopher Yost
Artist - Ramon Bachs
Colorist - Guy Major
Letterer - Sal Cipriano
Assistant Editor - Janelle Siegel
Editor - Mike Marts
Cover Price: $2.99
Today we're going to discuss the first issue of a series that eluded me when it first hit due to my more or less hitting the skids financially. 2008 was not a kind year for this humble blog-guy... 2009 was even worse.
That's all behind me now, and I'm glad that when I was able to come back around there were still things called "back issue bins" for me to throw on a breathing apparatus and dive into. Let's get to it.
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We open in Madrid where the daughter of an outspoken politician has been taken hostage by a couple of balaclava'd baddies... not sure if that's the correct term for their headgear, but I'm a sucker for alliteration. They kill her security detail and hold her captive for their own political statement... along with some tasty ransom money. Well, all of a sudden there arose such a clatter... and it's here that we are introduced to the hero of our story, Red Robin. He's handling things a bit differently then before... with seemingly much less regard for the figurative "line" that all good guys struggle with staying on the right side of. He's so shaken by current events (more on that in a bit) that he's not even sure that "line" exists anymore.
Red Robin proceeds to beat the hell outta the bad guys, until he comes across what he describes as a "cyborg". He names it "Manos de Fuego" due to the fact that he has some fiery damn hands. The fact that a cyborg guardian is placed here tips Tim off that the girl is likely still alive. Manos throws a flaming punch... which Tim, get this... catches... that's gonna leave a mark. He headbutts the 'borg, grabs the girl and skadoos out the window.
Our young Master Drake Wayne returns to his hotel room where he considers the profound stupidity of catching a flaming fist. He then sits in reflection in regard to his current lot in life. Ya see he's been on something of a European whirlwind tour, four cities in seven days. He's on the trail of something... a hunch (more on that in a bit).
Next up we get a flashback... and boy is it a goodie. Tim is in the Batcave talking to Batman... who at this point in time is Dick Grayson, onna count of Bruce Wayne being dead and all. Tim appears to feel as though Dick is keeping him at arm's length... it's a fairly uncomfortable situation, however, for a dysfunctional bat-family mark like me, quite enjoyable.
The discomfort grows several fold with the arrival of Damian Wayne... in full Robin costume! Tim takes this as a slap in the face. Why would Dick choose Damian over him? Damian suggests that Tim can still be "part of the team" and offers that there might be a Batgirl costume hanging in a closet somewhere. Whatta jerk! With the relatively "softer, kinder" Damian we now enjoy, it's a bit of a trip to remember how awful'a kid he used to be.
Tim does not react kindly to Damian's suggestion... and so, socks him in the face! That's pretty hardcore considering that Damian, for all his assassin training, is like eight-years old at this point! Dick separates the two, and Tim leaves the cave... however, trashes a room in the Manor in a rage.
We shift back to the present, and watch as a limousine is blown up in Prague. The blower-upper remained holed up elsewhere for awhile... however, before truly being able to enjoy the fruits of his labor he is killed by a creepy chittering critter.
We return to Tim as he motors through the streets of Paris... we know it's Paris because the Eiffel Tower is in the background. He takes out a carfull of criminals on the street... and does so pretty brutally. He puts a rod through the engine causing it to explode. He sees this as nothing more than a distraction from following up on his hunch.
We briefly return to the flashback. Tim is sitting in the room at Wayne Manor he'd just thrashed, and his right hand is bleeding. After a few static (identical) panels, he finally speaks... "He's Alive." His hunch is that Bruce Wayne is still alive, and it would appear the direction of this series is going to be focused on Tim's search for the truth.
Back in Paris we watch as Tim collects his thoughts. He has a map pinned to the wall with all of his leads. Turns out we're not the only ones watching, as a trio of jerks has him in their sights as well. I must note that Tim is not wearing his Red Robin costume at this point, so these folks are seeing him in all his mask-less glory...
... and they are reporting in to the person they are spying for, Ra's al Ghul.
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Pretty strong opening chapter here... a real nice look on the post-Batman R.I.P. Bat-family.
Now I probably should start by getting my bias out of the way. Anyone who has read my thoughts on the Bat-books over this past year knows I've got a soft spot for any issues that spotlight the dysfunctional nature of the Bat-family. This issue features a brief, but excellent scene depicting that... and it is interesting because the three members we see are all reacting in very different ways.
Tim is having a problem letting things go. He is still stuck with a focus on Bruce Wayne... and this is even before he concocted the theory that Bruce is still alive. Point is, he's looking to the past. Damian is being a little jerk, almost overcompensating in his jerkiness to (perhaps) assuage feelings of sadness for losing his father. They weren't terribly tight at this point, but blood is blood. He's looking to the future, and his new role as the Boy Wonder. Dick is in the middle... he's too busy focusing on the present to concern himself too much with the past or future. It's clear he's chosen Damian as Tim's successor to keep an eye on him... to keep him from, ya know, killing a bunch of people. Dick seems to see his role in all this as a peacekeeper... a Bat-cop.
I really appreciated Tim's new outlook on brutality... questioning whether or not there is still a line to avoid crossing in this new Batman-is-dead-world. We see him take out criminals with a new level of ferociousness... really not worrying himself with their mortality. Early on, he escapes an apartment as it's blowing up... with about a half-dozen terrorists still inside. I would venture to say there were at least a couple of fatalities there. Later on, he see him flip and explode a car... I don't think there's gonna be many walking away from that. Even if they survive... they're not going to be "whole" anymore.
Does this make sense? I'm not sure. I know I kinda dig it... and I recall some of the rumors swirling online at this point. Folks were seriously viewing this as signalling a heel-turn from Tim... like, he was going to eventually take that one step too far, and become an irredeemable villain. After reading an issue like this, I gotta say, it would not have surprised me had DC decided to go down that path. Best yet, it's one of those "shades of gray" things... I would guess that many would see Tim's turn to the dark side as almost justified considering the grinder that the post-R.I.P. books put him through.
Yost's storytelling is great... I've been a fan of his, along with his writing partner of many years Craig Kyle, during their time on the X-Books... I always thought they had a great voice for the younger characters, which makes him writing for Tim a natural fit. The art here... it's a bit rough... like, not bad... but it's a "rough style". I'm more accustomed to a cleaner style when it comes to Robin stories... however, and this is a big reach... this was purposefully done to illustrate that this is a "rougher" Robin. I'm almost positive I'm reading too much into this, but it's fun to consider.
Definitely one I'd suggest you check out. It is available digitally, and like many of DC's #1's, it's only a buck. It's also been collected in trade paperback, however, it appears to be out-of-print, and thus inflated to a somewhat ridiculous price online. I wouldn't be surprised to see many local comic shops still carrying this trade at-or-below cover price. Happy hunting should you decide to check it out!
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