Customer Reviews

Robin: Year One (Batman)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just loved this book. Robin here is depicted as a competent crime-fighter instead of the bumbling child he is so often relegated to.
I don't know how I missed this one, I suppose it's a "sleeper hit". Rather than explaining and over explaining his origin story the book starts with Robin new at, but in the thick of his partnership with Batman. Most of the story is narrated by Alfred who's character achieves a deepness here I don't think I've read anywhere else. It is almost the story of Alfred as a father and his two sons Dick and Bruce, rather than the usual father/son relationship with Batman and Robin.
The coloring in the book is amazing. Yellows, greens and oranges are used instead of the standard blue, gray, and blacks. I though that was a fascinating choice. The pencils seem like an ode to a 40's or 50's Batman era.
I can't say enough good things. If you've been let down by "year one" books before give this a shot, it might make a believer out of you.

In his crusade against crime, Bruce Wayne (Batman) meets a young man whose parents are murdered. Moved to deep compassion, Bruce adopts the boy and trains him as a crimefighter. Dick Grayson shows great potential and promise.

However, many have doubts. Alfred fears that another boy has had his childhood stolen, and Commissioner Gordon heartily disapproves; what if the child is hurt? Alfred, as the narrator of the story (great choice) relives the difficulties of raising Bruce. Can Robin prove he is worthy of superhero status?

"Robin: Year One" does a great job of showing the relationship between Alfred, Dick, and Bruce. Alfred is the father of the two men, giving aid and support that make Batman and Robin possible. Dixon does a magnificent job making it feel like a "family."

Using contrast, Dixon portrays a brooding Batman whose darkness is brightened by the undying optimism and good cheer of Robin, the Boy Wonder. While Bruce did not have many friends growing up, Dick is extremely well adjusted socially. Together, one complements the other, and a truly dynamic duo is born.

However, like any family, there are moments of strife, tension, and sorrow. Dixon paints such a believable and identifiable picture of the Robin character that readers will feel as Robin feels. Can he prove that he is worthy? Will he lose his childhood in a scramble for justice?

"Robin: Year One" is one of the best Batman universe graphic novels out there.

The Year One story has become commonplace in comics today, and far too often the writers attempt to retell or update the characters origin, failing in the attempt. (For a perfect example of this see Spider-Man: Chapter One. Better yet, dont.) This story evades that trap entirely and turns into a great character study of the boy who would become Nightwing and his relationship with his shadowy father-figure.

Chuck Dixon, between his work on Robin, Nightwing and the Birds of Prey, has got to be the most successful writer of Batmans family there ever was. In this book he teams with Scott Beatty to craft a tale not of the origin of Dick Graysons Robin, but of his early adventures after he already secured the job. It shows off a new villain, makes it clear that things were not as easy as it would seem, and showcases the precarious nature of the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in a fashion as good or better than any Ive ever seen.

Dixon and Beatty also fill in a few blanks along the way. In encounters with later Robins -- Jason Todd and Tim Drake -- we learn that the criminal Two-Face was obsessed with Batmans junior partner. This story shows off how that began. We get to see a lot of the lamer villains -- the Mad Hatter in particular, in a far creepier light than usual. We even get some good character moments between Robin and then-Captain Jim Gordon, who is one of the best supporting characters in the history of comics.

All in all, a really good book for the Batman or Nightwing fan.

I didn't expect to enjoy this story as much as I did. I still have to take Robin with a grain of salt, and after reading the first section of this story, I thought I would be bored. But once Two Face shows up, the story takes some dark--but meaningful--turns. Dixon fleshes out the Batman/Robin relationship and explores both why the kid would want to put himself in such danger, why Batman would let a kid do so, and how they need each other. Alfred's narration, in particular, is insightful.

The art style is also really solid--bright colors, clean lines, and a nice use of shadow. It looks like a throwback to an earlier era, but gussied up and brought into the 21st century.

If you find yourself rolling your eyes when thinking about Robin, as I used to, this is definitely worth picking up. It opened my eyes to the "Batman Family" as an important part of Batman's psychology. I went on to follow it up with Batgirl: Year One and have a new appreciation for the current extended cast of characters.

I liked this book more than I thought I would. I started out thinking it was going to be great but it turned out to be amazing! One of the reasons I might have liked it so much is I've read about 20 batman graphic novels and tpb's and this was the first one that dealt with robin (except for dark victory).
I thought a book about robin would be too kidish so I didn't really spend my time looking for Batman books with Robin in them. But after reading this book I went to Amazon and Ebay looking up books with Robin.

In this book Robin is portrayed as a kid with a mature side. He still has a kid personality but his character also recognizes the fact that the "Robin business" is a serious business. That's the biggest aspect that made this book such an enjoyable read.

Also I liked the way Batman looked. In many books he looks like a terror of the night (and that's awesome!) but in this book he looked more like a guy in a costume. I really liked that because most artists try to make Batman seem extraordinary cool or supernatural looking (and I like that). But in this case it was nice to see a more human look to Batman. It was modern Batman in the Adam West look. Also, because he didn't look VERY cool it didn't take away from Robin being in the spotlight for this book.

All the other characters were done well and the rest of the art was good. Not the best I've seen but for this book it was perfect.

The story was great. It wasn't an A-B story...it was more of A-C-D-B type of story. What I mean is it wasn't straight forward, it had some other plots thrown in. It definitely wasn't complicated but it was nice to have other things going on besides the main plot.

All in all this was a GREAT story to set the first Robin (Dick Grayson)off on his career. If you want more of a background read Dark Victory..it will give you the background of how Robin came to be with Batman which this book doesn't do. Though before you read Dark victory you should definitely read Long Halloween.
So I would suggest reading Long Halloween then Dark Victory, then Robin: Year one. (though one doesn't have to read the others before this one...it just gives more of a background.)

Bottom line: Awesome book!

Of all the "year one" collections during this period of comics, this is my favorite. It brings together some of Batman's more interesting characters in a way that keeps a reader interested in both the words and the art. (And I say this as someone who really never liked nor understood Robin).

Chuck Dixon has always had such a good handle on the character of Robin, particularly Dick Grayson and his relationship with Bruce Wayne. Here we get a great collection of some of Robin's earliest adventures. Marcos Martin & Javier Pullido are perfect fits artistically for this project. I would recommend this to anyone.

I'm not a Robin fan, so buying this was a bit of a gamble. However, I'm glad I did. To me, Robin always came off as a dork in over his head based on some of the comics and cartoons I've seen him in.

In this comic, Robin acts like a proper detective partner. His jokes actually add to his character in comparison to Batman. Alfred goes so far as to hint that Robin is more socially adaptive capable. Batman has to make Bruce as an extreme extrovert to balance his self. Robin is still emotionally and psychologically Dick with a mask on.

The narrative by Alfred added a nice view of the father/son relationship between Bruce and Dick. The art gave some neat constrasts by calling back to Adam West style Batman visual themes. For the $10 I paid for this, it's a treasure.

This is a great that paints a very competent Robin fighting crime alongside Batman. The family dynamic between Alfred, Bruce, and Dick is beautiful and like all families, they have their ups and downs. It's a great read that's highly recommended if you're a Batman or Robin fan.

Following in the well-tread footsteps of Frank Miller & David Mazzuchelli's Batman: Year One comes this tale of Robin's first year in the green and yellow. Writers Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty provide some interesting plotlines, including a bizarre kidnapping/white slavery plot undertaken by the creepy Mad Hatter, and tell of Robin's first fateful encounter with Two-Face. They also manage to throw us a new villian, The Shrike, who would go on to vex the grown Robin, now called Nightwing, in his own DC series. The art, by Javier Pulido and Robert Campanella, is relatively simple-looking and attractive, and the interactions between Batman, Robin, Alfred, and Comissioner Gordon all rang true to this long-time Bat-fan. I think it's worth the purchase price just for the brief first meeting between Boy Wonder & (Future) Dominoed Dare-Doll Barbara Gordon. Robin: Year One doesn't break any new ground, but it's a well-told tale that deserves a look.