After a small mid-series hiatus, Batman & Robin: Year One is back! I sure hope our caped crusaders have used that time to rest up because they certainly have a lot to deal with. Clayface, Two-Face, and now, General Grimaldi inching ever closer to the identity of Batman! Talk about a hard day’s night…
Like looking in a bat-mirror
In most of my reviews for this series, I take a look at the evolution of Bruce and Dick’s relationship. There are definitely some good moments here, even if they’re not the focus of this issue. There’s some really good banter between some two in the Batmobile which contrasts really nicely against their more serious and tension-heavy drive from #1. They’ve gotten more used to each other’s company and it definitely shows.
With that being said, the thing that I picked up on more in this issue is the mirror between the two and General Grimaldi and his father. We get some more of the General’s backstory given to us in this issue, which starts going into where he came from and why he has a particularly difficult relationship with his father. So you have a boy who was kicked out by his father at a very young age, who goes back to him when he’s older to rub in his face how much better he is than him. Then, over on Bruce’s side, you have someone who obviously lost his parents at around the same age, who has instead become a nurturing force for someone going through the same thing. It’s only just starting to show, so I’m interested to see how far these parallels go.
Batman, Robin, Bruce and Dick all get a fair amount to do here. We get a nice montage showing how stretched thin the heroes are dealing with the fallout of Grimaldi’s action, and a really nice scene in a diner, having to stop Franco Bertinelli from being blown up by the Maroni gang. Though I think I preferred what the alter egos were getting up to. The occasional social services visits really show how the two are evolving, not just together, but on their own. This made all the more obvious as Dick is visited without Bruce, and acts wisely without having to be told to. to which Bruce even tells him he’s proud of him afterwards. Talk about a breakthrough.
A three-faced race
As alluded to in my introduction, this issue has faces galore! As I’d hoped, Clayface is back, and it seems as though it’s Matt Hagen rather than Karlo. Interesting… I love his civilian design, the added mask on top of his face is very cool, and a little creepy. I dig it. He gets in a small appearance in the beginning, being scolded by the general, which is pretty standard stuff. Though his conversation with Harvey certainly gives them both space to shine.
I’m not going to pretend to be a Two-Face expert. I love him as a character. I’ve read a lot of stories that he’s in, but only because I’m reading a Batman book. I’ve never sought him out on his own. So, in my relatively uneducated tongue, I will say that I really like him in this series, and particularly in this book. His design is great, as I’ve said before, but he’s also very suave and feels genuinely in control of any situation he’s in. Balanced, you could say. I’m excited to see where his potential partnership with Hagen will lead.
Recommended If
- The recent end of the Two-Face series has left you with a Dent in your heart
- Three words: Chris Samnee Clayface… and gorgeous Gothal city skyline
- You’ve been enjoying the series so far
Overall
Good stuff! It looks good, it’s written well, what more could you want? In his Upcoming Comics for this week, Jackson mentioned that he wasn’t sure about this series, especially in comparison with things that cover the same idea. That really got me thinking, because this era of Batman and Robin is definitely covered. A lot. I don’t think this story is a definitive run (yet), but I think if it follows through on its setups and, let’s be honest, Samnee keeps working his magic, I could see this becoming a classic down the line. Here’s hoping…
Score: 9/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
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