DCU Comic Book Reviews

ROBIN #177

Search For A Hero, Part 1:  The Concrete Cauldron

October 2008

Written by Fabian Nicieza

Pencils by Freddie E. Williams II

Inks by Freddie E. Williams II

Cover by Freddie E. Williams II

Synopsis

In Gotham, Jason Todd has been systematically taking down the leaders of various gangs and installing himself as their new leader.  Nearby, Red Robin watches.  Elsewhere, Robin learns of Jason’s actions and investigates.  The next day, Jason Todd continues to take control of the gangs.  Jason tells them they are going to go after the cops.  News goes back to police, who decide to bust some heads.  Officer Harper informs Robin of the situation.  Meanwhile, Robin talks to Penguin who is upset that money was stolen from him.  Moreover, Penguin thinks it was Robin, based on the calling card left behind.  Robin realizes someone is impersonating him.  Robin visits Jason, who denies taking the money.  The two fight.  As they battle, Red Robin interrupts.  Angry someone took his role, Jason goes after him, but is shot down, then captured by the police.  Elsewhere, Spoiler meets with the assassin Scarab.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

There is a been there, done that feeling to this story.  When DC first brought him back to life, Jason Todd spent a lot of time coalescing the gangs of Gotham, becoming in essence the lead figure in the underground, but using that position to try to do some good.  And for anyone who has followed the Batman comics in the past several years, I don’t need to mention the similarities to the “War Games” mega-crossover storyline.  I think the recycled plotting, this feeling of déjà vu all over again, is hurting the story, which is Robin trying to cope with Batman being out of action.  And dealing with corrupts cops.  And Stephanie.  And Jason Todd.  And Red Robin.  Perhaps that is the problem.  There is just way too much going on in the story to get a good feel for all that is going on.  Sometimes too much is really too much. 

I still don’t understand why Spoiler was brought back to life.  Maybe there is a plan to all this, but it just feels extremely weird to me.  You take a character that was once dead, return her to the DC universe in what seems like a happy reunion, but then immediately put her at odds with other characters?  Now, it would make sense if you wanted to create a villain or an antagonist, but they brought her back as someone friendly to Robin and Batman.  But now she is not.  Maybe the ending is a sign that Spoiler will be a villainess or perhaps that is not Stephanie under the mask.  I dunno.  I guess we’ll find out. 

There is only one person who could possibly be Red Robin:  Damian, Batman’s son with Talia.  It certainly would not be Dick Grayson and is obviously not Tim or Jason.  So it has to be Damian.  Otherwise, the character would be someone completely new to the Batman’s mythos.  I am even willing to bet that Grant Morrison told DC that as part of Batman R.I.P. he wanted to use Red Robin, which then prompted DC to put Jason into the Red Robin costume during Countdown.  But then, since DC cocked up Countdown, were forced to take Jason out of the costume when they realized they had made a mistake. 

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