DCU Comic Book Reviews

ROBIN #176

Batman R.I.P.:  Gathered Pieces

September 2008

Written by Chuck Dixon

Pencils by Joe Bennet

Inks by Jack Jadson

Cover by Freddie E. Williams II

Synopsis

Thanks to a tip from Penguin, Robin (along with the Spoiler) tracks down the Gotham Golden Dragons gang to secure a picture they had taken of Batman “going crazy.”  Even though he finds several phones capable of taking pictures, none have the picture.  Later, Robin visits Jason Bard but learns nothing.  At Gotham City PD, Officer Harper is questioned by Detectives Cavallo and Wise about her investigation into Gordon’s files, but she refuses to tell them anything.  Unfortunately, her inquiry does not help Robin.  Just then, Robin is attacked by one of Black Glove’s men.  Robin manages to escape.  He then tracks down Penguin to see what he knows.  Penguin provides the picture of Batman “going crazy,” sent to him earlier.  When Robin returns the call to find the sender, a cell phone in Spoiler’s pocket goes off.  She had deleted the picture.  She tells Robin that she was following Batman’s orders:  to make sure Robin doesn’t get involved.  Feeling betrayed, Robin leaves her behind as he continues his search.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

Batman doesn’t look crazy in the picture.  Pissed off.  Angry.  But certainly not crazy.  But that may just be me.

This issue is a muddled mess, which is maddening because there are some neat ideas intermixed with the bad stuff.  The overall thematic arc of the story, Robin realizes that he must protect Gotham in the wake of Batman’s disappearance, is a good idea.  And I liked how Robin’s search for Batman leads to that realization.  Plus, I like how Robin gets grim and darker as he continues onward, showing him getting dangerously close to the Dark Knight’s demeanor.  But I don’t quite understand how the flashbacks to “Bruce In A Cave,” helps the narrative.  It is somewhat disorienting to go back and forth between the time periods, especially when there doesn’t seem to be a link.  Nicieza tries with the link between the 49 days in the cave and the 49 days Batman hasn’t contact his operatives, but that is something that would still work without the flashbacks. 

But what really works against the issue is the ending.  I just don’t buy the ending, with the notion that Batman tasked Spoiler with the secret.  It doesn’t quite hold together, although given Batman’s descent into madness maybe that’s the point, but it doesn’t work.  I think part of that is because Spoiler spends such a large part as the silent sidekick that when she is suddenly thrust into the plot, it seems to come out of nowhere.  Plus, it is hard to buy that Batman would trust Spoiler, someone who only recently they thought was dead, with something so important.  Batgirl would make sense.  Hell, Nightwing would be a better bet.  But Spoiler?  Doesn’t work. 

The ending is just plain stupid when you ask yourself:  why did Spoiler keep the phone?  She deleted the picture.  She should’ve given it to Robin, let him see that there was nothing to do it, and then the phone would’ve been dropped.  Even if they tracked it down later, the only thing Robin could deduce is that the owner deleted it when he realized Robin was getting close.  So, looking it that way, the ending is contrived and just plain stupid. 

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