Robin: Flying Solo (Robin) 
asked by ragtop on November 17, 2006 6:16 PM
The current Teen Wonder, Tim Drake, graduated into his own monthly comics series in these stories that take place at the height of the renowned Batman: Knightfall story! In it, Robin battles the Cluemaster, only to run afoul of his beautiful daughter, the would-be hero called the Spoiler. Robin then runs headlong into battle at the side of the Huntress, Gotham Citys deadliest vigilante!
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There was a period when nearly everything coming out of the Batcave was well-written, with amazing art, and solid continuity. This was largely due to the fact that Chuck Dixon was writing everything, making for a more cohesive Bat-Universe than when the books are written by committee. Of course, it's too much for any one person to handle indefinitely, but Dixon left a mark on the books that few have managed to equal or surpass.
Dixon's work on Robin, which he wrote for approximately the first 100 issues, is the work I'll always remember him by. Tim Drake, aka Robin III, fought tooth and nail to convince Batman that he needed another Robin, and that he was the boy for the job. The inception story is collected in Robin: A Hero Reborn (also a fantastic TPB). This paperback, Flying Solo, starts some time after that. During the Azrael era, Jean-Paul Valley takes over after Bane breaks Bruce Wayne's back. Valley, increasingly unstable, kicks Tim out of the Batcave, perfectly setting up the time for Tim Drake to break out solo.
Right away, Dixon gives Tim a depth of identity and character development that readers had never seen in the main Bat-series. Tim has a girlfriend (Ariana), a 'partner' (Stephanie Brown, aka the Spoiler), and an arsenal of low-grade Batman villains (Cluemaster, Electrocutioner). Dixon even manages to give those villains some credibility and show Tim's growth as a crimefighter. But the brilliance of the story is contained in his development of Tim's personal life. He's well-written as a teenage prodigy. It's engaging to watch him develop under the usual human pressures, plus the difficulty of crime-fighting and his worry over what the crazy Batman is up to.
Tom Grummett's art is also fantastic. It's too bad he left the series eventually - I feel that he and Dixon made a great team. If you haven't experienced the wonder of the Robin series for yourself, there's no better place to start than here. If you miss Dixon's work on Batman and/or Nightwing, try this out.
This TPB collects Robin (ongoing series) #1-6 and Showcase '94 #5-6.
Dixon's work on Robin, which he wrote for approximately the first 100 issues, is the work I'll always remember him by. Tim Drake, aka Robin III, fought tooth and nail to convince Batman that he needed another Robin, and that he was the boy for the job. The inception story is collected in Robin: A Hero Reborn (also a fantastic TPB). This paperback, Flying Solo, starts some time after that. During the Azrael era, Jean-Paul Valley takes over after Bane breaks Bruce Wayne's back. Valley, increasingly unstable, kicks Tim out of the Batcave, perfectly setting up the time for Tim Drake to break out solo.
Right away, Dixon gives Tim a depth of identity and character development that readers had never seen in the main Bat-series. Tim has a girlfriend (Ariana), a 'partner' (Stephanie Brown, aka the Spoiler), and an arsenal of low-grade Batman villains (Cluemaster, Electrocutioner). Dixon even manages to give those villains some credibility and show Tim's growth as a crimefighter. But the brilliance of the story is contained in his development of Tim's personal life. He's well-written as a teenage prodigy. It's engaging to watch him develop under the usual human pressures, plus the difficulty of crime-fighting and his worry over what the crazy Batman is up to.
Tom Grummett's art is also fantastic. It's too bad he left the series eventually - I feel that he and Dixon made a great team. If you haven't experienced the wonder of the Robin series for yourself, there's no better place to start than here. If you miss Dixon's work on Batman and/or Nightwing, try this out.
This TPB collects Robin (ongoing series) #1-6 and Showcase '94 #5-6.
reviewed by h2o on November 29, 2006 6:50 AM