DCU Comic Book Reviews

ROBIN #158

Strange Brew

March 2007

Written by Adam Beechen

Pencils by Frazer Irving

Inks by Frazer Irving

Cover by Patrick Gleason & Wayne Faucher

Synopsis

After fighting a creature that seemingly was made up of seven different creatures from the zoo, Robin learns from Klarion that it is called the Judgment Beast.  It is comprised of eight Draaga’s (an animal that is the focus of magick); it needs one more to be complete:  Klarion’s cat Teekl.  Together the duo track the culprit, Uriah, another refugee from Klarion’s Limbo Town.  Meanwhile, a Gotham Count Hospital, an unconscious Dodge seemingly teleports away.  At home, Zoanne prepares for her date with Tim.  Elsewhere, a gang of street hoods attack a journalist who reported on their recent actions.  Later, Robin and Klarion locate Uriah and working together they are able to defeat Uriah and revert the beast back to normal. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Cruciform [kroo-suh-fawrm] 1. cross-shaped, 2. a cross.

Why not just say cross?  Or does that not sound mumbo-jumbo enough for “magick”?

Well, at least that’s over.  I don’t want to sound too harsh since this two-part story was not all that bad, per se, but I think the pairing of Klarion and Robin was ill-advised.  Yes, I realize they are both teenagers, but we have an urban street fighter teaming with a mystical sorcerer.  Does that pairing make any sense to you?  In fact, the story to me seemed to be more about Klarion with Robin lending a hand than the way it should be with Klarion helping Robin.  After all, it is Robin’s book.  But with Klarion and Teekl and then Uriah and the cruciform and the beast, it very much felt like Robin was the one doing the cameo.  But at least it is over. 

I was not a fan of the art for the first part of this story and I am still not a fan, although I think the Judgment Beast worked well with the Irving’s style.  Uriah, however, did not come across well at all.  In fact, I thought it was a girl the first time and even later some of the drawings suggest a female and only know Uriah is a boy by the dialogue. 

While I applaud Beechen for keeping this two-part story firmly within the larger framework of the book in terms of adding in characters like Dodge and Zoanne, I think ultimately for a short two-part story featuring a guest star, that it is sometimes better to focus on the guest star rather the supporting cast.  Part of me thinks that some of the emotional moments at the end with Robin determined not to lose another kid, would’ve had more of an impact if Klarion and Robin had more time to bond and to get to know one another.

ïPREVIOUS	Main		Page	NEXTð

Home ●  Blog ● Who Are We? ● Site News
Alive and Well since April 16, 2006

 DC Universe Reviews.  All Rights Reserved
  Characters, trademarks, brands are property of DC Comics

For problems or questions regarding this website, please contact our kindly webmaster.
Last updated: 08/06/11.