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Collecting Batman #465, 467-469, Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #1-4, Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1-6 written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by Tom Lyle.
Batman #465 is written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle. Tim Drake returns to Gotham City to join Batman on his first official case as Robin.
Tim's first official case as Robin involves a woman in love with the lead actor of a trashy soap opera, or at least the character he plays. She sneaks into a charity gala being thrown by the people that back the show that Bruce Wayne is attending and pulls a gun on the actor. There is a running theme of various characters watching the show. Alfred dismisses the show as nothing more than trash, but he ends up getting sucked into the show any way. I guess Alfred isn't so above it all after all.
In Batman #467, Robin discovers that King Snake didn't die in Hong Kong and has come to Gotham seeking revenge.
In Robin's first limited series he butted heads with dangerous drug lord King Snake. King Snake seemingly fell to his death fighting Lady Shiva, but here he is revealed to be alive and well. Now we wants vengeance for Robin for defeating him. His memories of the fight are a bit muddled because Lady Shiva was the one responsible for beating him. He still hates Robin for interfering in his business though.
In Batman #468, the streets of Gotham erupt in war as Triad gangs battle battle against the Ghost Dragons for control of the city as Batman tries to keep Robin out of King Snake's way.
King Snake sends Batman a message by killing one of his own underlings for giving Batman information and dressing him up in a Robin costume for Batman to find. The Ghost Dragons have also stolen a load of heavy weaponry to use in their war against the other Chinese gangs. It wasn't that long ago that Batman lost the previous Robin so you can understand why he wants Tim to stay away from trouble.
In Batman #469, King Snake will have to go through Batman if he wants to kill Robin. Meanwhile, Lynx also wants to see Robin dead.
King Snake doesn't know what he has gotten himself in to when he starts antagonising Batman. King Snake thinks he is so tough just because he has fancy martial arts skills. It really is satisfying to see smug jerks like him get their comeuppance. He is consumed with rage over Robin defeating him, so maybe he isn't thinking rationally. Lynx also wants revenge on Robin because she feels he shamed her in the eyes of the other Ghost Dragons.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #1, the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum to find his old gang has been taken over by Mister Freeze.
Batman is out of town and Robins is left working solo, so the last thing he needs is one of Gotham's most dangerous maniacs escaping from Arkham. I guess I should be upset that the Joker shows how serious he is by killing off Mr. Freeze, but I know that Freeze eventually comes back any way so it is a waste of time getting upset. The Joker also killed the previous Robin, so he isn't pleased to find out that Batman already has a replacement.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #2, Robin tries to stop the Joker's plot to turn Gotham into a hell of technology-inspired madness.
The Joker never takes it well when Batman sends his underlings to deal with him, so Robin is afraid of what will happen when the Joker finds out that Batman isn't in town. The Joker's big plan has something to do with messing up Gotham's computer systems and plunging the city into chaos. To do that he has kidnapped a professor who was writing about the dangers of over-reliance on technology and is forcing him to cook up all sorts of blueprints.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #3, the Joker continues to tear up Gotham City with Batman nowhere to be seen.
It is never revealed where Batman is while the Joker is running amok. His mission must have been pretty important if he is letting Robin tackle the Joker on his own. The Joker delivers his demands by hijacking a football game and broadcasting himself on the big screen. I was disappointed that all the Joker wanted out of it was money. He does want the money delivered by Batman. The problem is that Batman is away on other business. It's good that the Joker has decided to mess with Gotham's computer systems because Tim Drake just happens to be a computer expert.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #4, Robin decides to play the Joker at his own game and lays a trap for him.
I'm no computer expert, so I will have to take the comic's word that all of the tech speak is accurate. To tell you the truth, most of it is making my brain fizz. At least the computer stuff isn't as silly as that Venom story where Carnage tried to send his symbiote over the internet to kill people. This was an okay story, but I kind of prefer it when the Joker uses goofy death traps.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1, Robin disobeys Batman's orders when a Russian mob starts causing trouble in Gotham. The Huntress is also drawn into the case as she crosses swords with the Boy Wonder.
This issue marks the first appearance of Tim's sometimes girlfriend Ariana Dzerchenko. Tim discovers some Russian thus roughing up Ariana's father after he refused to allow them to use his printing shop. The thugs aren't finished with the Dzerchenkos and it's only a matter of time until they return with some muscle, old Batman villain the KGBeast. We don't get to see what the Huntress has to do with anything yet. She is just trailing some gangsters, no sign of any link with the Russians.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #2, the Huntress lends a hand as Robin goes head to head with the KGBeast.
I always thought the KGBeast was a pretty rad villain so I was happy to see him here. It's a pity he was one of the minor villains killed off just to show how serious some new villain was. His accent is hilarious though. Huntress finally makes her presence known by rescuing Robin from getting his butt kicked by Lynx and the Ghost Dragons. Apparently Batman didn't do much of a good job putting him behind bars. But then again, this is Gotham we're talking about. It turns out that Huntress is there because the Russians are working a deal with the mobsters she is after.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #3, King Snake makes his move against the KGBeast as Tim faces his own problems with his father.
King Snake gets all salty when Lynx says that the KGBeast is one of the most deadliest assassins in the world, so now he is even more determined to get revenge on Robin. Tim is also getting in trouble at school because of all the cuts and bruises he comes in with. Bruce Wayne had taken Tim in while his father was recovering and his counsellor thinks that there is something untoward going on. We know better, but Tim can't exactly tell her that he prowls the streets of Gotham at night beating up criminals.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #4, Robin and the Huntress find evidence of renegade Russian agents involved in a counterfeiting scheme. Meanwhile, Jack Drake decides to send his son to a boarding school in Metropolis.
Tim hasn't even gotten his own ongoing series yet and there is already a load of secret identity drama. I guess I will just have to suck it up if I want to carry on reading. That sort of thing does annoy me though. It was nice to see Tim use his detective skills when he deduced who the Huntress really was. Fighting crime isn't just about punching bad guys in the face, more often than not the heroes have to use their brains to solve the crimes. Then the time comes to punch the bad guys in the face.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #5, Robin and the Huntress find the Russian mob's headquarters just in time for the KGBeast to capture the Huntress. When Robin tries to rescue her, he ends up being captured as well.
I had completely forgotten that King Snake was lurking in the background. I was enjoying Robin and Huntress taking on the Russian baddies when that twit popped up to remind me that he was still there. He doesn't actually do anything yet, so hopefully everything comes to a head in the final issue and somebody kicks his butt again.
Grant Miehm is on art for Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #6. Things come to a head as Robin is the only one that can save the Huntress and his new friend Ariana and stop the warring King Snake and KGBeast.
The Russians have captured Ariana and are forcing her to work packing drugs for them. Robin was led to believe that she had been killed, so he's eager to bust some heads. Robin is in the middle of saving Ariana and the Huntress when the Ghost Dragons choose that exact moment to attack the Russians. Unfortunately, the fight didn't end with King Snake getting his head kicked in again. Well, I have several other volumes of Robin's solo adventures so that gives me more chances to see King Snake getting whupped.
I quite enjoyed this collection of stories. It was satisfying to see Batman give King Snake a good kicking in the first story arc. There was a dip in quality with the Joker story, but things picked up again with the Robin and Huntress team-up. Robin's ongoing series starts proper with the next volume so let's hope things are just as good there.
My rating: 3 stars.
Next time: Sensational She-Hulk By John Byrne Vol. 1
Batman #465 is written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle. Tim Drake returns to Gotham City to join Batman on his first official case as Robin.
Tim's first official case as Robin involves a woman in love with the lead actor of a trashy soap opera, or at least the character he plays. She sneaks into a charity gala being thrown by the people that back the show that Bruce Wayne is attending and pulls a gun on the actor. There is a running theme of various characters watching the show. Alfred dismisses the show as nothing more than trash, but he ends up getting sucked into the show any way. I guess Alfred isn't so above it all after all.
In Batman #467, Robin discovers that King Snake didn't die in Hong Kong and has come to Gotham seeking revenge.
In Robin's first limited series he butted heads with dangerous drug lord King Snake. King Snake seemingly fell to his death fighting Lady Shiva, but here he is revealed to be alive and well. Now we wants vengeance for Robin for defeating him. His memories of the fight are a bit muddled because Lady Shiva was the one responsible for beating him. He still hates Robin for interfering in his business though.
In Batman #468, the streets of Gotham erupt in war as Triad gangs battle battle against the Ghost Dragons for control of the city as Batman tries to keep Robin out of King Snake's way.
King Snake sends Batman a message by killing one of his own underlings for giving Batman information and dressing him up in a Robin costume for Batman to find. The Ghost Dragons have also stolen a load of heavy weaponry to use in their war against the other Chinese gangs. It wasn't that long ago that Batman lost the previous Robin so you can understand why he wants Tim to stay away from trouble.
In Batman #469, King Snake will have to go through Batman if he wants to kill Robin. Meanwhile, Lynx also wants to see Robin dead.
King Snake doesn't know what he has gotten himself in to when he starts antagonising Batman. King Snake thinks he is so tough just because he has fancy martial arts skills. It really is satisfying to see smug jerks like him get their comeuppance. He is consumed with rage over Robin defeating him, so maybe he isn't thinking rationally. Lynx also wants revenge on Robin because she feels he shamed her in the eyes of the other Ghost Dragons.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #1, the Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum to find his old gang has been taken over by Mister Freeze.
Batman is out of town and Robins is left working solo, so the last thing he needs is one of Gotham's most dangerous maniacs escaping from Arkham. I guess I should be upset that the Joker shows how serious he is by killing off Mr. Freeze, but I know that Freeze eventually comes back any way so it is a waste of time getting upset. The Joker also killed the previous Robin, so he isn't pleased to find out that Batman already has a replacement.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #2, Robin tries to stop the Joker's plot to turn Gotham into a hell of technology-inspired madness.
The Joker never takes it well when Batman sends his underlings to deal with him, so Robin is afraid of what will happen when the Joker finds out that Batman isn't in town. The Joker's big plan has something to do with messing up Gotham's computer systems and plunging the city into chaos. To do that he has kidnapped a professor who was writing about the dangers of over-reliance on technology and is forcing him to cook up all sorts of blueprints.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #3, the Joker continues to tear up Gotham City with Batman nowhere to be seen.
It is never revealed where Batman is while the Joker is running amok. His mission must have been pretty important if he is letting Robin tackle the Joker on his own. The Joker delivers his demands by hijacking a football game and broadcasting himself on the big screen. I was disappointed that all the Joker wanted out of it was money. He does want the money delivered by Batman. The problem is that Batman is away on other business. It's good that the Joker has decided to mess with Gotham's computer systems because Tim Drake just happens to be a computer expert.
In Robin II: The Joker's Wild! #4, Robin decides to play the Joker at his own game and lays a trap for him.
I'm no computer expert, so I will have to take the comic's word that all of the tech speak is accurate. To tell you the truth, most of it is making my brain fizz. At least the computer stuff isn't as silly as that Venom story where Carnage tried to send his symbiote over the internet to kill people. This was an okay story, but I kind of prefer it when the Joker uses goofy death traps.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1, Robin disobeys Batman's orders when a Russian mob starts causing trouble in Gotham. The Huntress is also drawn into the case as she crosses swords with the Boy Wonder.
This issue marks the first appearance of Tim's sometimes girlfriend Ariana Dzerchenko. Tim discovers some Russian thus roughing up Ariana's father after he refused to allow them to use his printing shop. The thugs aren't finished with the Dzerchenkos and it's only a matter of time until they return with some muscle, old Batman villain the KGBeast. We don't get to see what the Huntress has to do with anything yet. She is just trailing some gangsters, no sign of any link with the Russians.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #2, the Huntress lends a hand as Robin goes head to head with the KGBeast.
I always thought the KGBeast was a pretty rad villain so I was happy to see him here. It's a pity he was one of the minor villains killed off just to show how serious some new villain was. His accent is hilarious though. Huntress finally makes her presence known by rescuing Robin from getting his butt kicked by Lynx and the Ghost Dragons. Apparently Batman didn't do much of a good job putting him behind bars. But then again, this is Gotham we're talking about. It turns out that Huntress is there because the Russians are working a deal with the mobsters she is after.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #3, King Snake makes his move against the KGBeast as Tim faces his own problems with his father.
King Snake gets all salty when Lynx says that the KGBeast is one of the most deadliest assassins in the world, so now he is even more determined to get revenge on Robin. Tim is also getting in trouble at school because of all the cuts and bruises he comes in with. Bruce Wayne had taken Tim in while his father was recovering and his counsellor thinks that there is something untoward going on. We know better, but Tim can't exactly tell her that he prowls the streets of Gotham at night beating up criminals.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #4, Robin and the Huntress find evidence of renegade Russian agents involved in a counterfeiting scheme. Meanwhile, Jack Drake decides to send his son to a boarding school in Metropolis.
Tim hasn't even gotten his own ongoing series yet and there is already a load of secret identity drama. I guess I will just have to suck it up if I want to carry on reading. That sort of thing does annoy me though. It was nice to see Tim use his detective skills when he deduced who the Huntress really was. Fighting crime isn't just about punching bad guys in the face, more often than not the heroes have to use their brains to solve the crimes. Then the time comes to punch the bad guys in the face.
In Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #5, Robin and the Huntress find the Russian mob's headquarters just in time for the KGBeast to capture the Huntress. When Robin tries to rescue her, he ends up being captured as well.
I had completely forgotten that King Snake was lurking in the background. I was enjoying Robin and Huntress taking on the Russian baddies when that twit popped up to remind me that he was still there. He doesn't actually do anything yet, so hopefully everything comes to a head in the final issue and somebody kicks his butt again.
Grant Miehm is on art for Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #6. Things come to a head as Robin is the only one that can save the Huntress and his new friend Ariana and stop the warring King Snake and KGBeast.
The Russians have captured Ariana and are forcing her to work packing drugs for them. Robin was led to believe that she had been killed, so he's eager to bust some heads. Robin is in the middle of saving Ariana and the Huntress when the Ghost Dragons choose that exact moment to attack the Russians. Unfortunately, the fight didn't end with King Snake getting his head kicked in again. Well, I have several other volumes of Robin's solo adventures so that gives me more chances to see King Snake getting whupped.
I quite enjoyed this collection of stories. It was satisfying to see Batman give King Snake a good kicking in the first story arc. There was a dip in quality with the Joker story, but things picked up again with the Robin and Huntress team-up. Robin's ongoing series starts proper with the next volume so let's hope things are just as good there.
My rating: 3 stars.
Next time: Sensational She-Hulk By John Byrne Vol. 1
Category Story / All
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