SYNOPSIS: The fate of Gotham hangs in the balance as Batman and Robin battle through a horde of clay monsters that have overtaken the city!
It’s here!
Waid and Samnee’s opus that looks back at the first year of the Dynamic Duo’s partnership concludes with this issue! Does it wrap things up satisfactorily, and how does it compare to other Year One-type stories?
The issue opens on the true villains of the story, Two-Face and Clayface, as they recap their plot of absconding with the digital keys to all the money, stocks, and securities from some of Gotham’s wealthiest. Overall, I’ve been singing the praises of this book with every issue, but now that we are at the end, I do have to express some disappointment that the new character of The General made no lasting impact. It’s really the only qualm I have. He started with such a sense of menace and the air of being a true threat, one that dissipated about halfway through. At the very least, I can understand how this potential up-and-comer could be taken out by the Fearsome Faces, who make for a deadly duo.
The story next shifts to the Caped Crusaders as Robin helps Batman tend to his wounds. Not only has this series excelled at showcasing Bruce and Dick’s character dynamics, but the story has made numerous loving homages to the Batman ‘66 TV show as well, be it Robin punching his palm in excitement, or here, where Batman and Robin scale up the side of a building. It’s fun and, more importantly, organic to the storytelling, like when Batman exclaims “to the Batmobile” or when they shake hands near the end. It could take you out of the story, but every moment feels earned and like a celebration of one of the greatest partnerships in all of fiction.
The sto crescendos at the reservoir, with Two-Face and Clayface about to poison the water with the chemicals that will transform Gotham into grotesqueries like them. Samnee does not disappoint when it comes to the action, with thrilling layouts that excite and add to the drama! I particularly liked when the art cuts to close-ups of the characters’ eyes in a sequence where someone is held at gunpoint. Again, it’s not just action because it’s the finale, there is lot of characterization in the sequence as well. This is peak comics!
With the threat abated, it’s time to wrap up the loose ends. Waid and Samnee reinforce both sides of the relationship coin, strengthening the bonds of not just Bruce and Dick, but Batman and Robin, giving a rationale for why Dick is merely Bruce’s ward (and is that a Vicki Vale cameo at the end?). While you could say the scenes are simple, Samnee delivers a sense of grandeur in the final pages, heightening the moments to legendary status.
Waid and Samnee have delivered a Year One story that belongs right beside Batman: Year One on your bookshelf. It earns the prestige that has been created around the aforementioned progenitor by delivering strong characterizations on the early days of beloved characters with art that feels both a throwback to a bygone era, but contemporary and fresh, as well. They definitely balance on a precarious tightrope, but it’s only fitting when you’re delving into Dick Grayson’s first year as Robin.
This comic is an easy recommendation to any Batman fan, be they 8 or 80! You can feel the love and affection in every panel and word on the page. Now that it’s complete, I eagerly await a collection to pour through it again as a reminder as to why the Dynamic Duo are the greatest pair in comics.
Am I referring to Batman and Robin or Waid and Samnee? I’ll let you decide! – Javier E. Trujillo
GRADE: A