Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Batman & Robin: Year One #1 Comic Review




  • Written by: Mark Waid

  • Art by: Chris Samnee

  • Colors by: Matheus Lopes

  • Letters by: Clayton Cowles

  • Cover art by: Chris Samnee, Matheus Lopes (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: October 16, 2024


Batman & Robin: Year One #1, by DC Comics on 10/16/24, reimagines Dick Grayson's first outing as Robin alongside Batman. Their first challenge? Recover a top-secret file stolen by Two-Face.


Is Batman & Robin: Year One #1 Good?


Let's not mince words. Batman & Robin: Year One #1 is perfectly good. Writer Mark Waid infuses young Dick Grayson with all the zeal and charm of a kid having the time of his life while Bruce Wayne grapples with keeping Dick's zealous energy in check. But here's the thing. Haven't we seen this all before, more than once? Well, okay.

Batman & Robin: Year One #1 begins with Bruce Wayne quietly talking with his butler Alfred about Bruce's new ward, Dick Grayson. At this moment, Dick is aware Bruce is Batman, and he's accepted the offer to become Robin, but Dick has yet to make his public debut in Gotham City. Tonight is the night.

Mark Waid sets the tone of the story that says this isn't some edgy, grimdark, updated for modern audiences version of the original Dynamic Duo. Bruce's serious uncertainty contrasts Dick's giddy excitement to foil crime in the big wide world. The tone of their dialog is straight and entirely wholesome while mature enough not to sound outdated or corny.

Commissioner Gordon activates the Bat Signal to bring the Dynamic Duo. Batman makes his presence known on the roof of the GCPD, but before Gordon can launch into his request, Batman stops him to introduce his sidekick - Robin. Gordon is unsettled by the idea of a child participating in a war on crime, but Batman reminds Gordon that no war excuses children. Gordon explains a top-secret file was stolen from his office, a file no one should see, including Batman, and the perpetrator of this crime is none other than Two-Face. Gordon witnesses an example of Robin's readiness when the Boy Wonder launches off the roof to the streets below.

Waid smartly uses the opening scenes to demonstrate Dick's capabilities and to pre-answer the objections of the adults Batman regularly interacts with. Under any other circumstance, Gordon would think Batman is crazier than he already is, but Robin shows Gordon he's ready for the job with a wink and a smile.

Batman begins the hunt for Two-Face by tracking down an unsavory informant. However, the Dynamic Duo doesn't realize until it's too late that their arrival is expected when one of Two-Face's henchmen unleashes a grenade attack on the speeding Batmobile. Armor keeps the vehicle safe, so Batman spins the car around to chase the henchman down. Eager to help, Robin leaps out of the Batmobile to chase the henchman up a ladder to the rooftops above. Batman exits the vehicle soon after and warns Robin not to get ahead of himself, making blind jumps and running around dark corners.

The chase scene is standard stuff but still very well done. During the chase, Batman struggles to stay ahead of Robin and hold him back from taking a fatal step. Robin is too eager and excited to listen. Their push/pull of the chase, coupled with Batman's frustration, clarifies and reinforces how Robin has the training but not the experience or maturity, which creates a layer of tension on an already dangerous mission.

The henchman leads the Dynamic Duo to Two-Face's current hideout. Here, a lack of experience lands Robin in hot water when he charges into the room and steps on a pressure mine. Two-Face expected their arrival, but despite Batman's efforts to play into Harvey's duality, Two-Face says he only stole one file because a dangerous threat is coming for Gotham, a threat so big that both his personas are in agreement about what to do to survive. Two-Face refuses to tell Batman what's in the file, but he does leave Batman with the knowledge that a new crime boss has planted the seeds to take over Gotham for over a year, and there's nothing the Dynamic Duo can do to stop him.


What's great about Batman & Robin: Year One #1?


Mark Waid gives readers a super-solid version of the Dynamic Duo's first outing with action, adventure, pitch-perfect dialog, and foreshadowing of an intriguing threat on the horizon. Readers who've hungered for a classic Batman will love this issue. Further, there isn't a technical flaw that I can find anywhere in this comic.

What's not great about Batman & Robin: Year One #1?


At the risk of sounding anti-fun, why does this comic exist? Mark Waid's central premise is solid but basic. There are dozens of comics detailing the first outing of the Dynamic Duo, albeit with a Silver Age sensibility. This is a very good comic, but there's nothing special about it so far, and there's no compelling reason for it to exist when the market is already saturated with too much Batman.

How's the Art?


Chris Samnee's style is a practically perfect match that blends the browns, grays, and blacks of David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One with a lighter spirit of adventure. In short, the art looks like an old-school comic with a modern feel, and it completely suits the script.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


Batman & Robin: Year One #1 is an excellent start for a series detailing the first outings of the Dynamic Duo. Mark Waid's pacing, dialog, action, and central mystery have a classic Batman detective feel that we haven't seen in a long time, and Chris Samnee's art suits the story and timeframe perfectly. That said, the story feels like stories we've already seen multiple times, so it's unclear why DC decided to create yet another Batman title.

8.8/10



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Green Lantern #16 Comic Review




  • Written by: Jeremy Adams

  • Art by: Xermánico

  • Colors by: Romulo Fajardo Jr.

  • Letters by: Dave Sharpe

  • Cover art by: Xermánico (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: October 16, 2024


Green Lantern #16, by DC Comics on 10/16/24, begins the Civil Corps: World War when Mogo destroys Thanagar, sending the few remaining Lanterns and refugees fleeing from the Durlans.


Is Green Lantern #16 Good?

Hachi Machi. Jeremy Adams swings for the fences in an issue that feels as big and epic as any DC comic in years. No one issue in any of the multitude of failed DC events in the last few years reads as grand in scale and well put together. You get the feeling that something important is happening, which is how every DC comic should read.


When last we left Hal Jordan in the Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1, Hal, Carol, and Jon confronted the joint council of Thanagar and Rann to warn them about Thaaros, but their warning came much too late. Meanwhile, Guy and Shepherd infiltrated the Sciencecells on Oa, and Alan Scott created a healthy distraction for the Unseeing.


In Green Lantern #16, the desperate escape from genocide begins. Hal, Carol, and John get a thousand survivors or less aboard the Rannian Battle Cruiser as what's left of Thanagar burns. Outside Mogo, forced into a Red Lantern state, and Thaaros's spectrum-shifted Lanterns charge the Rannian ship to prevent witnesses from escaping the scene.


Jeremy Adams launches the issue into an all-out fight for survival against overwhelming odds. You won't find any MCU-styled quippy humor or attempts from our heroes to be kinder and gentler. This story is fight-or-die time, and it'll get your blood pumping.


Escape won't be easy. The Rannian ship's engine is damaged, and the forces are closing in. Hal sends Carol down to the engine room to use her ring's power and expertise with engineering to fix the ship, despite her uncertainty as a new hero. Hal and John head out into open space to hold off the pursuing Lanterns. Their job starts simple enough, but the fight gets complicated when Varron, aka Star Shroud, joins the Durlan forces.



Aboard the nearby Durlan ship, the shapeshifters discuss how they intend to hold control of the spectrum-shifted Lantern force now that Thaaros is dead. The answer might come by way of Thaaros's experiments on the young Earth girl back on Oa - Keli Quintela, aka Teen Lantern. What the Durlans don't realize is that Keli's unconscious mind has been contacted by John Stewart's construct "sister," Ellie,  and the two begin planning an escape.


I'll be the first to say I'd be happy if we never heard from Teen Lantern again, thanks to Brian Michael Bendis's abysmal writing. However, Adams has my interest if he can find a way to make the character more interesting and less obnoxious.


The issue concludes with a dead enemy who isn't so dead, Guy and Shepherd staging a prison break, and Carol's efforts to help the Rannian ship escape running the ship into another problem... maybe.


What's great about Green Lantern #16?


Jeremey Adams's inaugural issue for what amounts to a Civil War is steeped in action, drama, twists, turns, surprises, and wow moments aplenty. If every DC Comic started a new arc with this much gusto, the Publisher's sales numbers would be in a much better place.


What's not great about Green Lantern #16?


Similar to the criticism about the Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1, Varron, aka Star Shroud, doesn't make any sense unless you've read the recently canceled Green Lantern: War Journal series. It would have served the story better to have a brief primer somewhere rather than prompting readers to go back and read a series nobody liked.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts

Green Lantern #16 is a hard-hitting, all-out action fest to begin a war with stakes, consequences, drama, and surprises. Jeremy Adams's script makes this issue feel more important than anything DC has produced in years. Plus, Xermánico's art is excellent.

9/10



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Wonder Woman #14 Comic Review




  • Written by: Tom King

  • Art by: Daniel Sampere

  • Colors by: Tomeu Morey

  • Letters by: Clayton Cowles

  • Cover art by: Daniel Sampere, Tomeu Morey (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: October 16, 2024


Wonder Woman #14, by DC Comics on 10/16/24, finds Wonder Woman grappling with overwhelming grief when the Sovereign commits a savage act of violence.

Nightwing #118 Comic Review




  • Written by: Tom Taylor

  • Art by: Bruno Redondo, Caio Felipe

  • Colors by: Adriano Lucas

  • Letters by: Wes Abbott

  • Cover art by: Bruno Redondo (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: October 16, 2024


Nightwing #118, by DC Comic on 10/16/24, concludes the fight against Heartless (and Tom Taylor's run) with a showdown for the heart (*heh*) and soul of Bludhaven.


Is Nightwing #118 Good?


What a dud!? I had my suspicions that years worth of languishing and promises that Heartless would be brought to justice in a satisfying way would be worth the wait, but no. Writer Tom Taylor gives you speeches and a few tugs on the heartstrings but ultimately shows that the big invention of Tom Taylor's run, Heartless, was nothing but a low-level villain that never deserved the attention he received. Let's agree that Heartless's true name is Forgettable.

When last we left Dick Grayson in Nightwing #117, he overcame his fear of heights with the help of Deadman. What was the cause? At first, the fear was chemically induced. The fear persisted when Dick remembered that a last-minute schedule change meant that he was the one targeted for death by Tony Zucco, not his parents. Years of repressed guilt somehow became a problem out of the blue.

In Nightwing #118, Dick returns to Bludhaven, armed with the knowledge of Heartless's true identity and the strength of the Bat Family surrounding him. The issue begins with Tony Zucco being taken into custody after the police receive video evidence that Zucco killed the flying Graysons. On the way to the police station, one of the cops in the front seat of the squad car turns his gun on the driver to set Zucco free.

Tom Taylor gets his final issue off to a wonky start. Didn't Zucco already go to jail for the murder of the Graysons? This isn't new information. I don't know why Tom Taylor thought this was a big deal to hang a major plot point on, but okay.

Meanwhile, Heartless sends out the word to his (indentured) followers that it's time to take down Haven with bats and bulldozers. He's warned not to exert himself because his heart, taken from Blockbuster, is close to failing. Heartless sends out a televised broadcast, still proclaiming himself to be Dick Grayson, warning the citizens of Gotham to get out of his way while he destroys Haven.

Again, it's not clear why Taylor hung a critical part of this finale on an easily disprovable charade. There are multiple pieces of data to show that Dick Grayson wasn't anywhere near the many Heartless killings, but it seems Taylor believes the people of Bludhaven are simply dumb.

The Bat Family scours the city to find the children Heartless took hostage as leverage (why didn't they do that earlier?) while Dick heads out to confront Heartless in broad daylight in front of a crowd of citizens. The confrontation immediately disproves Heartless's claim of being Dick Grayson, and when Dick receives a call that the children are safe, Dick loudly announces the discovery to everyone present, which gives every crook on Heartless's side the freedom to turn on Heartless.

In other words, all the weak rationale and reasons that kept Heartless in control were nullified in seconds with just a teeny bit of effort, confirming how weak Taylor's setup was, to begin with.

Heartless is now surrounded by an angry mob, and he somehow manages to run away with no resistance or injury. Dick gives chase alone because none of the gang members or criminals whose lives were upended were angry enough to follow.

The issue ends at the docks with a speech about standing up to bullies, multiple deaths, and a heartfelt goodbye at a grave site.

What's great about Nightwing #118?


To Tom Taylor's credit, the final moments in the cemetery are wholesome and sweet. Even if the Heartless arc turned out to be a nothing burger, at least the ending is a feel-good moment.

What's not great about Nightwing #118?


Everything about Heartless, from his creation to his ending, is a forgettable waste of time and energy. We now know why Nightwing couldn't do more against Heartless because his construction as a character was so weak that there's nothing to build upon.

How's the Art?


Bruno Redondo's talents are wasted on this forgettable pap. The figure work and choreography elevate the script considerably.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter


Final Thoughts

Nightwing #118 brings the Heartless "saga" and Tom Taylor's run to a close with a weak, lackluster finale that shows how much of this run involving Heartless was filler to cover for the lack of story. Everything about Heartless, from start to finish, turned out to be a forgettable waste of time against a low-level bully that should have been handled inside of three issues.

4/10



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As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.