Comics Fondle

I was only going to read the first three issues–pausing after the suicide special (I think it’s odd DC’s got a book called Suicide Squad they sell and then put a PSA in Robin… kind of sends a mixed message to kids, doesn’t it?)–but then I kept going. Big mistake.

Beechen’s strongest material in these issues is Robin’s guilt over various things, his suspicions about Batman being jealous and his burgeoning romance with a classmate. The second gets flushed a page after it’s introduced, Beechen explodes the third before it’s turns in to anything… and the first, well, it’s always kind of around, but not so much.

There’s also the matter of the idiotic would-be sidekick (to Robin) called Dodge who turns in to his nemesis-to-be. It felt like it was 1999 and Devin Grayson’s sucky Titans relaunch….

There’s lots of good stuff in these issues, lots of neat scenes (like Alfred getting pissy about the spelling of his last name or telling Robin to take care of his own cat), but it’s a failure overall. Beechen puts Robin in unbelievable situations and I spent the pages wondering why he didn’t just beep Batman. It wasn’t like there was any reason he couldn’t have beeped Batman (and Batman even beeps Robin in these issues, so obviously, they do it).

Beechen’s pacing is generally quite good (even if the sucide issue did just feel like an issue of Ultimate Spider-Man) and he fits a lot in to the issues, so it stinks when he kills the romance. I’m guessing–just guessing–the romance got cut by Beechen leaving the book (I think DC announced he was off around the time of the last of these issues). Otherwise, it was a pointless treading water–give Robin a girlfriend, take her away before it actually turns in to anything else.

Though I would love to find out they axed her because she’s black (from my experience, years ago, on the DC message boards, I’d give that one about a forty percent chance).

Oh, and Frazier Irving’s issues (#157-158)… first, it’s trippy and cool to see someone draw the fifteen year-old like a fifteen year-old, but that Klarion the Witch Boy is the most irritating guest star… endless, nonsensical dialogue. And it doesn’t help the storyline felt like a desperate plea for Grant Morrison supporters to pick up the issues….

B-

Technorati Tags: Adam Beechen, DC Comics, Comic Book, Review, Robin, Frazer Irving, Freddie Williams II

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