Robin #11 – Joshua Williamson, Writer; Gleb Melnikov, Artist; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Lasting a full year of issues if you count the annual, the League of Lazarus tournament arc has dominated this series until now—and has also been one of the best executions of this type of arc in years. Now, with the tournament over, this issue both serves as an epilogue and a great character spotlight for everyone involved. Mother Soul has been captured, and Talia arrives on the island to try to broker peace between her father and grandmother. Meanwhile, Damian leaves to track down Connor Hawke’s evil master along with Hawke, Flatline, Ravager, and Respawn. This leads to a tense chase through the nearby streets, as well as an intriguing un-reveal as to Respawn’s identity—Ravager sees his face and what she learns is enough not just to partner with him, but to leave the island with him on a mission that will probably play out in another Josh Williamson book in the coming months.
This series has been a fascinating look at dysfunctional families, and this concluding chapter doubles down on that with a great scene between Ra’s and Mother Soul. But at the same time, it feels like Ra’s, Talia, and Damian may be actually making some progress in their relationship. The arrival of another major player in the DC martial arts scene—maybe the most ruthless and dangerous one out there—is just teased. We know all of this is going to play out in a big way in the Shadow War storyline crossing over all of Williamson’s books, but the ending promises one big development before that—as Damian’s motivation for entering the tournament in the first place is revealed. Damian has been around for more than fifteen years now, and these eleven issues feel like they’ve given him more development—with his family, with Hawke, and with his first girlfriend Flatline—than he’s had in a very long time.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
