Ray: I was surprised when this series turned into an ongoing – after all, how much mileage can Waid and Samnee get out of the early days of Dick Grayson’s time as Robin? It turns out the answer is – a lot. A big part of this is that they have some really good villains – starting with the sadistic crime boss Captain Grimaldi, who has employed Matt Hagen to infiltrate Gotham and get close to its most powerful people. We recently saw him impersonate Bruce Wayne and nearly capture Dick. And as the other crime bosses of Gotham seek to eliminate this threat and mass a strike team to take down Grimaldi, they’re met with an army of Monster Men – hulking, genetically modified goons with supernatural strength bred from a combo of human DNA and clayface DNA. As for how he gets these test subjects – well, we get a very intense demonstration of just how easy it is to wind up on his bad side.

Batman and Robin get away mostly unscathed after entering the fray, but it’s clear to everyone that something is off with Dick. This turns out to be one of the best segments of the series, as Alfred digs a little into Dick’s past and discovers the pain the boy is hiding. I love stories that emphasize that Alfred really is the emotional heart of the Bat-family and that this whole thing wouldn’t work without him. But he’s not the only one digging – as Grimaldi gets closer and closer to the truth about Batman and Robin. And then…some twists shouldn’t be spoiled, but suffice it to say the main threat in this comic has changed quite a bit. This noir-style storytelling is something that both Waid and Samnee have dabbled in before, primarily at the competition, but it works surprisingly well here. It captures the vibe of the early Batman comics this would take place in, while adding a new level of emotional truth.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.

Source: geekdad.com