Batman and Robin: Year One #1 – Mark Waid, Writer; Chris Samnee, Artist; Matheus Lopes, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Retelling classic DC origins is always a tricky prospect, because they’ve often been told so many times that even the best attempts (Superman: Secret Origin by Johns and Frank) feel a little familiar, and the missteps (Superman: American Alien, anyone?) often feel like insults. Still, when a creative team as good as Waid and Samnee decides to take a swing at an iconic moment in DC history, it’s worth paying attention. The first days of Batman and Robin as a duo have been explored, but it’s almost always from Dick’s perspective – seeing Batman as a stern taskmaster ready to bench him at a minute’s notice. There’s value to that perspective, but Waid makes the very smart choice to ground it in Bruce’s voice as he grapples with the responsibility of having a young, traumatized boy under his wing as he brings him into this chaotic world he inhabits. In other words, the challenge of becoming a parent.
When we pick up, it’s been only a few weeks since Dick was orphaned, and he’s been speedrunning Robin training ever since. As the day comes for his big debut, it’s clear Bruce is still struggling with his new role. He can be intimidating, even when he doesn’t want to, and Robin’s irrepressible energy wastes no time getting them into mortal peril as they face off against Two-Face – who turns out to just be the opening act for a much bigger villain about to make his debut in Gotham. The writing here is excellent, but playing equal starring role is Chris Samnee’s gorgeous art, which is perfectly suited to the noir-inspired world of Gotham. This first issue is mostly character-driven, and it gives us a much more human take on Batman that I’m used to – something I’m a big fan of. This is one of the few cases of origin retellings in recent years that truly does feel like it’s adding something new.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
