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purplebubblesinmytea's review
5.0
4.5
The only issue I really have with this is the continued butchering of Cass, hence the .5 star, but I've been spoiled for future comics with her, so I'm choosing to overlook it more than I normally would.
That being said, I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this. Adam Beechen's characterisation of Alfred, Bruce, and Tim, and the depiction of the bond between them, is the best I've read of any writer of Tim's thus far. The stories here had a lighter tone than a lot of Tim's recent comics, which was a really nice respite, and Beechen actually letting Bruce be something other than stoic and mysterious made everything so much more enjoyable. Bruce in this is allowed to care for Tim and take genuine interest in Tim's life and wellbeing, and it's nice to see that for once.
The only issue I really have with this is the continued butchering of Cass, hence the .5 star, but I've been spoiled for future comics with her, so I'm choosing to overlook it more than I normally would.
That being said, I can't even begin to express how much I enjoyed this. Adam Beechen's characterisation of Alfred, Bruce, and Tim, and the depiction of the bond between them, is the best I've read of any writer of Tim's thus far. The stories here had a lighter tone than a lot of Tim's recent comics, which was a really nice respite, and Beechen actually letting Bruce be something other than stoic and mysterious made everything so much more enjoyable. Bruce in this is allowed to care for Tim and take genuine interest in Tim's life and wellbeing, and it's nice to see that for once.
nickpalmieri's review
4.0
Robin #154-162.
This was as great as I expected. Just as with the final two issues of the last collection, this is exactly what I want from a Robin comic. Short 1-3 issue stories, some subplots, strong characterization, and a nice variety of stories.
The highlights were easily the two single-issue stories, one where Tim talks a teen off a ledge while dealing with his own grief, and one where Tim goes on a date. The former was great for tying Tim's current situation into the Very Special plotline, making the story more resonant than it may have been otherwise. The latter especially surprised me because of how it humanized Bruce. He came off as a father curious about his son's life and wanting to connect with him, which is a fully in-character thing we don't see too often. Plus, I absolutely love Tim and Zoanne together, two overachievers who can't get their personal lives sorted out. Really, the whole supporting cast is a joy, all unique and full of personality. Who could ever forget Killa Nilla, the white wannabe-gangster who is all bravado and serves as Robin's snitch?
Freddie Williams II is the perfect artist for this title. There's a strong sense of realism in terms of anatomy and architecture, but it's mixed with a fluid, expressive style that makes every punch, every face, even every location shot, a joy to look at. He's mastered Robin's grimace vs Tim's looks of confusion and innocence, and his action beats are delightfully fluid.
The only things I didn't love were the recurring Cassandra bits and the resolution of the final story, but even those are easily overlooked in the face of the quality storytelling in the rest of this volume.
Highly recommended for anyone looking to try out some Robin comics. Easily the best this title has been for about 50 issues.
This was as great as I expected. Just as with the final two issues of the last collection, this is exactly what I want from a Robin comic. Short 1-3 issue stories, some subplots, strong characterization, and a nice variety of stories.
The highlights were easily the two single-issue stories, one where Tim talks a teen off a ledge while dealing with his own grief, and one where Tim goes on a date. The former was great for tying Tim's current situation into the Very Special plotline, making the story more resonant than it may have been otherwise. The latter especially surprised me because of how it humanized Bruce. He came off as a father curious about his son's life and wanting to connect with him, which is a fully in-character thing we don't see too often. Plus, I absolutely love Tim and Zoanne together, two overachievers who can't get their personal lives sorted out. Really, the whole supporting cast is a joy, all unique and full of personality. Who could ever forget Killa Nilla, the white wannabe-gangster who is all bravado and serves as Robin's snitch?
Freddie Williams II is the perfect artist for this title. There's a strong sense of realism in terms of anatomy and architecture, but it's mixed with a fluid, expressive style that makes every punch, every face, even every location shot, a joy to look at. He's mastered Robin's grimace vs Tim's looks of confusion and innocence, and his action beats are delightfully fluid.
The only things I didn't love were the recurring Cassandra bits and the resolution of the final story, but even those are easily overlooked in the face of the quality storytelling in the rest of this volume.
Highly recommended for anyone looking to try out some Robin comics. Easily the best this title has been for about 50 issues.
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