This week: Mark Waid and Chris Samney reunite with the early days of the dynamic duo in Batman & Robin: Year One #1.
Note: The following review contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation for the comic in question, check out the final verdict at the bottom of the article.
Batman and Robin: Year One #1
Co-plot: Mark Waid & Chris Samney
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Chris Sumney
Colorist: Mateus Lopez
Writers: Clayton Cowles and Chris Sumney
Cover Artist: Chris Samnee & Matheus Lopes
The origins of the Batman and Robin team have been told many times over the years, from storylines like Batman: Year 3 to standalone series like Batman: Dark Victory and Robin: Year One. has also been investigated. This week DC is putting a new spin on the Dynamic Duo’s early days with the debut of the 12-issue Batman & Robin: Year One. A new, definitive interpretation of the team’s beginnings comes from the acclaimed creative duo of Mark Waid and Chris Samney, who publish a premiere issue that’s a classic superhero fan’s dream. .
Waid is no stranger to reimagining the beginnings of characters and teams, and his extensive bibliography includes books such as JLA: Year One and Superman: Birthright. In this series, co-plots Wade and Sumney follow Bruce Wayne as he faces an unexpected challenge both in life and in crime fighting: raising a child. Wade’s script and Sumney’s emotional portrayal reveal a vulnerability in Batman rarely seen in this character. There’s a softness to the way he treats Robin, and a quiet ferocity to how hard he protects the boy from others. Similarly, Wade and Sumney bring vibrant life to young Dick Grayson, who learns to balance the excitement of superherodom with the seriousness of his situation.
Much of that life comes from Samnee’s visuals, which are top-notch as always. Samney is a master storyteller, from his evocative and easy-to-understand page structure to his characters, who all have their own unique personalities. His visual style, combined with the much-lauded color scheme of Mateus Lopez, gives the series an irresistible Batman: The Animated Series feel, and his and Wade’s storytelling also crosses the line that B:TAS has been going. It’s accessible for young readers, yet mature enough for older readers. It’s a tough balance to strike, but it’s something Samny has been doing for years, dating back to Thor: The Mighty Avenger, and it’s welcome to see that in Gotham again.
It’s interesting to read Batman and Robin: Year One #1 the week after the release of this month’s other big Batman debut, Absolute Batman #1. The latter series is a blatant attempt to redefine the Bat-mythos, but in many ways the book reads just like any other Batman comic. The trappings may be different, but the tone of the writing and art is pretty much the same as that found in DC’s other major Batman books. Batman and Robin: Year One, on the other hand, feels different. Between Waid’s script and Samnee’s artwork, these characters and this city stand out from the rest in the best sense of the word, feeling vibrant and alive. It’s new and different and timeless at the same time.
I’ve been on record as wanting a more classic Batman and Robin story from DC for quite some time. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest ticks that itch nicely, and Batman and Robin: Year One is everything this reader was hoping for. Action-packed, entertaining, and genuinely moving, this film already has the makings of an instant classic.
Final verdict: Buy.
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