Spinning out of the pages of BATMAN! The teenagers of Gotham City have adopted the “R” and made it their own. A new Robin? No, HUNDREDS of new Robins! Don’t miss the start of this new series from rising star writer Lee Bermejo (JOKER, SUICIDERS), who also provides the covers!
The Good
Cover– Black, white, red and yellow are the colors of choice on this opening issue and I must say it does have a unique vibe on the stands next to these bright-colored books.
The Movement- Back when the New 52 launched Gail Simone had a sleeper hit called the Movement which introduced VIRTUE. It was about underdogs banding together to save the forgotten…this book has similar art and vibe. Let’s hope it’s not a rehash with a more popular brand attached.
Art-Jorge Corona’s art has a very Quincredible vibe which is a good thing since I loved that book! It also makes for a very fluid and well choreographed book which is great since we had that opening action and the daring rescue at the end. It’s a different style than your typical mainstream comic book fair but is so fitting your perhaps going to wonder where Jorge has been all your life. Jorge’s style also allows the characters to be very expressive which is a major plus for this series.
Story– Duke Thomas is in foster care where he’s having a really hard time. After deciding to run away he is set upon by a mob while exploring Gotham’s sewers. Here he is saved by the Robins, a new batch of Gotham vigilante’s. They are however being monitored by a shadowy figure.
Characterization- Now this tale is enjoyable sure but what I liked the most was the premise of the “system” failing our titular character. All things considered Gotham is a terrible place to live especially in light of the endgame story line. Duke is one of the victims of this devastation and we see how he is dealing with it all. His life is bleak sure but there is the spark behind his eyes similar to a young Dick Grayson that has him raging against the crouching darkness. As a young teen in the aftermath of Gotham’s latest destruction Duke Thomas is a beautiful window into the wacky world of Gotham!
Diversity- Robin was usually an all boy’s club…for little boys who all looked eerily similar like they came off a production line. This books adds two female robins, a Black one and two guys who are not from a production line. We also have an Asian chick, a Latino chick and two confirmed white boys. We can now only hope that they are as divers as they seem…
Black Hero– Meet Duke Thomas, our protagonist and would be superhero beside his fellow Robins. Duke has a history like Dick, Jason and Damian with some Batman villain. He’s an orphan [READ HIS BIOGRAPHY HERE].
The Bad
No complaints from me, I’m sure many a black critic will provide you with loads of reasons that this is the worst book on the shelves. Cheers!
The Ugly
Overall this was an enjoyable read. So much so I will be picking up issue #2. We are Robin has potential in spades but because DC Comics has a bad track record with ongoing black series I am hesitant to say run out and buy it. We still give this one 3/5 stars for solid characterization, sweet cover and nice art!
