Marc Silvestri Cover B Variant
Batman and Robin: Year One – Dynamic Duos #1
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Chris Samnee
Cover Artists: Chris Samnee, Dustin Nguyen, Hayden Sherman, Marc Silvestri
Colorist: Mat Lopes
Letterers: Chris Samnee & Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
The Dynamic Duo Strikes Back
After a strong conclusion to Batman and Robin: Year One saw the Dynamic Duo (hey, that's the name of the book!) reunite, things didn't exactly stay peaceful for long. Fake evidence convinced Laura Lyn, the CPS worker assigned to oversee Bruce Wayne's adoption of Dick Grayson, to intervene and take Dick away from Bruce. Robin subsequently finds himself sneaking out of his new foster home to reunite with Batman, this time to fight off an army of Clayface clones and save Gotham.
But that was then, and this is now.
What does the aptly titled Batman and Robin: Dynamic Duos have in store for its debut issue?
For Whom the Bat Tolls
I don't think this should surprise anyone, but Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have been a well-oiled machine ever since they teamed up for Batman and Robin: Year One. The two seem to communicate incredibly well from a writer-to-artist perspective, and perhaps it helps that Chris also contributes to the story plotting. I'd like to think he deserves his fair share of the credit for the critical acclaim that series received, beyond his usual excellent artwork.
And while this creative team remains strong, I do have a couple of hiccups to cover. So, let's dive into what happens, shall we?
We're thrown straight into the middle of a cult ritual. The leader, Scorpio, is attempting to summon Barbatos, the all-powerful Bat-God that Bruce Wayne allegedly saw as nothing more than a regular bat on the night of his parents' murder. His efforts ultimately fail, however, when Batman swoops in to put a stop to the whole thing.
We get a ridiculously cool shot of Batman standing practically knee-deep in a pile of bones inside a pit, painting a grim picture of Scorpio's dedication to the cause. This isn't some ritual he's attempted once; the sheer mountain of bones suggests he's done these MANY times, without a shred of guilt over the consequences.
This is worth pointing out for two reasons: first, because the panel looks fantastic; and second, because it's my review, and I can use it for whatever section I damn well please.
Whateva! I do what I want!
The Dynamic Dudes, er, Duo, apprehend Scorpio, and Batman tends to his near-fatal ritual victim, who just so happens to be an attractive blonde woman.
Purely coincidental that he'd be so eager to help her, I swear.
The Wrath of Wayne
Bruce escorts his date out of the movie theater and notices they're being followed. Before he can make a move to protect her, they're ambushed by a gang of children looking to steal their valuables. Phone, wallet, watch, you know the drill, old man. Cough it up before the finger guns come out.
I'm very intrigued by the idea of kids banding together to rob people. It makes complete sense to me in a city like Gotham, a dog-eat-dog environment where a lot of its population must rely on their street smarts just to see another day.
As Bruce recovers his bearings and the group scatters, he grabs one of the kids by the wrist and starts berating her, telling her that he and his date are not prey. Suddenly, a silhouette yells at Bruce to let the little girl go, threatening to slash him into ribbons otherwise. Bruce comes to his senses, lets the girl go, and everybody walks away still intact.
Holy overreaction, Batman! Whoof. Where do I even start with this?
No Child Left…Behind?
There is no subtlety to be found here. Everything is ham-fisted, right down to Bruce's date mentioning that she knows the story about him and his parents.
Don't let the rage overtake you, Bruce! They're just kids, after all!
My God...you couldn't write a more compassionless Bruce Wayne than this, and that's incredibly unfortunate because I enjoyed this issue aside from this scene. This moment was so outrageous to me that it knocked down my overall opinion of the issue tremendously.
I can't say that Mark Waid has written this Bruce Wayne as someone who understands kids particularly well, if we're going by the previous Year One series. Still, you do get moments where he comes to appreciate Robin and the fact that they need each other to feel whole, even if Alfred does a lot of the heavy lifting as the mediator between them.
But this?
I can't explain it.
It's such a jarring tonal shift that I can't quite wrap my head around it. Bruce Wayne, BRUCE WAYNE, losing control of his anger and squeezing a little girl's wrist in a fit of unbridled rage is completely inconceivable to me. It took a shrouded voice yelling at him to let her go before he finally came to his senses?
Unbelievable.
Where's the mouthwash at?
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Bats
Chris Samnee continues his usual excellence in blending Golden Age Batman vibes with a modern presentation. Honestly, what is there to say about Chris that hasn't been said before? He's on top of his game and remains one of the best artists in the comic book industry today.
Without spoiling the surprise, an iconic Batman character makes an appearance in this issue. Debuts? Re-debuts? Re-entry? I don't know. Whatever the terminology, this character has arrived, and I cannot stress enough how amazing Samnee's rendition is.
It's genuinely one of the best depictions of the character I've ever seen, and he's only drawn them once.
I can't wait to see Samnee use them as a regular character and give me even more to gush about in the next issue. I'm sure of it.
The coloring choices made by Mat Lopes are a bit odd at times, however. The ritual scene carries a strong red tint throughout, which feels like I'm being bashed over the head with someone shouting, "Don't you get it? This is evil! These are evil people! The lighting represents that!"
Then there's the mugging scene, whose colors look almost like something straight out of a Hellboy comic, very orange and reddish. That sounds cool, believe me. I like Hellboy. I just think it comes across as strange for this scene.
Could Be Bat-ter
Despite a major characterization problem with Bruce Wayne, Batman and Robin: Year One - Dynamic Duos #1 manages to stick the landing for the most part. The reintroduction of a staple Batman character certainly helps, as does Chris Samnee's artwork, which continues to elevate everything he touches.
Fans of Batman and Robin: Year One will still find plenty to enjoy here, but they might also be left wondering why the debut issue of its sequel series didn't hit the ground running as hard as it could have.
The foundation is still there. Waid and Samnee remain an excellent creative team, and Samnee's artwork is as spectacular as ever. Unfortunately, the bizarre characterization of Bruce Wayne leaves a sizable blemish on what otherwise could have been a much stronger debut.