Art by: Mahmud Asrar
Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
Letters by: Steve Wands
Cover art by: Mahmud Asrar, Nathan Faribairn
Cover price: $5.99
Release date: September 13, 2022
Batman vs. Robin #1 brings The World's Finest and Robin series together in an all-out battle between father and son. When Damian Wayne invades the Batcave in a bid to kill Batman, it's not just the forces that bind families together that are at stake. The very fabric of magic is in upheaval, tearing the world apart.
Is It Good?
There's nothing better than a writer who kicks off a story by swinging for the fences, and Mark Waid does just that in Batman vs. Robin #1. From the first page, readers are assailed with wow moments that keep your guessing gears turning and your heart pumping with as much action, heart, and drama as your little hero-loving heart can stand.
The previews have been out for some time, so it's not much of a spoiler to say Alfred returns from the dead in this issue. While his return is welcome, the hows and whys are unknown, so it's unclear if his return is temporary, permanent, or if this is a different Alfred altogether. Regardless, Waid kicks you in the heartstrings with hopeful anticipation as you want this Alfred to be the real Alfred, back for good. It's a smart play to start with Alfred's return because that moment hooks the readers immediately with a big mystery that demands your attention.
When Damian attacks, with the help of Tim Hunter and Jakeem Thunder, Batman is placed in the impossible position of defending himself, protecting Alfred, and wishing no harm on kids he believes are under a magical influence. As with Zdarsky's current run on Batman against Failsafe, pitting Batman against an unstoppable enemy appears to be the magic bullet to shake off the doldrums plaguing the Batman titles in recent years. Confronting a hero with a more dangerous and aggressive villain who strikes fast and hard makes for an exciting read. What a novel concept!
Waid masterfully uses the situation to add a few left jabs and right hooks to already bruised heartstrings with dialog between Bruce and Alfred that spells out just how much they mean to each other and how much Damian means to them. There's a small but pivotal moment when Alfred desperately declares Damian is his family too, and Bruce's reaction alone is worth the cover price for all the feels it rains down.
Is it good? Hell, yes, it's good. It's good because it's packed with barrels of emotion, mystery, action, drama, and magic, and the story is just starting.
Who's the big bad behind Damian's turn to evil? If you've been reading World's Finest, you already know the answer, so that should give you a clue.
A word about the art. We've praised Dan Mora's blissful love letter to the medium in his run on World's Finest, so there was a question as to whether or not Asrar would live up to what Mora put down. Thankfully, Asrar is bringing his A Game with power-packed action, stellar facial acting, and inspired panel layouts. If you like the power team of Waid & Mora on World's Finest, you'll like the power team of Waid & Asrar here.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman vs. Robin #1 is a worthy partner to Waid's run on World's Finest with plenty of drama, excitement, emotion, thrills, and magic. If the last issue finishes as well as the first issue starts, this will be an arc worth remembering.
So is this supposed to take place before or after Dark Crisis? 🤔
ReplyDeleteI think we are still in the lead up to the Death of the Justice League so before
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