DCU Comic Book Reviews

ROBIN #138

The Freelance Doctrine

July 2005

Written by Bill Willingham

Pencils by Damion Scott

Inks by Sandra Hope

Cover by Chris Brunner

Synopsis

In the rain, Robin tracks Oswald Cobblepot (aka Penguin) until he gets the opportunity to grab him and take him to the roof for a private conversation.  Robin wants Penguin to cancel the contract on his life.  Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Darla Aquista boards a plane headed for Gotham City and for Tim Drake.  In Blüdhaven, Bruce Wayne visits Tim’s “Uncle Eddie.”  Bruce reveals he knows “Eddie” is really an out-of-work actor.  After Bruce leaves, “Eddie” decides it is best he leaves.  Elsewhere, Robin is having little luck convincing Penguin to change his mind on the contract.  Eventually, Penguin’s bodyguards find him, forcing Robin to flee.  As he is leaving, a soldier wants to talk to him,.  Assuming the soldier is collecting on the contract, Robin attacks.  The soldier attempts to convince Robin he is a friend, but Robin won’t listen.  The soldier uses a spray to knock out Robin and then take him back home.  Robin wakes up later and heads to the batcave to learn more about the mysterious soldier.  He finds nothing by the time Batman returns, who wants to discuss Tim’s “Uncle Eddie.”

Review

The good news is that with the next issue, Robin will get a new art team.  The bad news is that this issue returns Damion Scott once more.   I have said before that I like the composition and layouts to his art (including the lack of borders, especially with the fight scene), but I find the drawings and the colors to be muddled and unclear (like the last page, what is the deal with Batman’s face?).  As a result, his art tends to distract from the story being told. 

I got a kick out of Penguins reasons for putting out the contract on Robin.  To save money.  For someone who has been portrayed as greedy for money as much as information, I though it made good cents, er, sense. 

This is also the second issue in a row (I think) in which the characters within the comic book have made mention of the stupidity of Batman not killing his enemies.  When the characters are commenting that Joker should have been killed long ago, you know we have reached the point of stepping into a parody of itself.  Besides that, I should note that Robin tells Penguin, “Batman won’t let me kill you.”  Does this mean if Robin were without Batman, he would kill?  Would happened to the guilt he felt when he thought he killed Johnny Warlock (which has far as I can remember, he still doesn’t realize what really happened).  It didn’t hit me at the time, but several issues ago Robin was joking about killing some criminals, which looking back seems a little odd given what has happened to him recently.  I realize that Robin is a happy go lucky, joking kind of guy, but I would think this would be a sensitive area that Robin would remain serious. 

I am damn confused exactly what happened between Darla and the airline attendant.  Was the sandwich coupon some kind of Mafia code for getting them on the airplane without paying?  But why would such a thing work for a small time American Mafioso in Istanbul?-- Review by MRB

 

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