Miles’ Book
Robin #180
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Freddie Williams II
DC Comics, 2008
I’ve talked about my love of Tim Drake’s Robin before. Somewhere in my mother’s house resides the first 18 or so issues of Robin. Now, 160 or so issues later, it’s hard to see that kid I loved so much.
This isn’t a horrible comic. It shows Tim in the role he should have, as a junior detective, using his smarts rather than his fists to solve problems — though he still uses his fists a lot on this issue. It’s a plot-driven issue, with Robin putting together a couple clues and trying to gather evidence. This is all good, but there is little in the way of character moments, and what is there seems a little off.
There’s a couple lines that scream, “man who hasn’t seen his teens in a long time trying to write a teenager.” For example, as Robin fights a man in the Red Robin costume, Tim thinks, “And this guys shows up, wearing a costume that ‘Jan Brady’ Robin and current butthead Jason Todd wore during some weird adventure.” For me, there are two big problems with this thought: one, nobody in their teens knows who Jan Brady is, I even kinda forgot; and two, no one has said the word “butthead” without ironic intent in at least eight years.
Williams is an artist who tends to be better at drawing action poses, but he seems to be bored during quiet scenes and will rush his art accordingly. There is also a problem with his action in that it’s all poses and there’s no fluidity between the panels. For example, during the fight with Red Robin the panels go as such:
- Panel one: karate poses
- Panel two: Red Robin has fired a gun, Robin has ducked.
- Panel three: Robin has apparently teleported across the roof next to Red Robin, and is disarming him. Teleportation is not a power that Robin has.
This might also be a case of the writer not giving the artist enough room to execute a proper fight sequence, but either way it robs the reader of any excitement.
It might seem like I totally hate this comic — I really don’t. It’s an average comic, but this character is deserving of so much more. I’ve read that they are going to cancel this series in February; I won’t be surprised if there’s a new number one in March. There’s a lot of potential here, and I hope DC knows it.
Isaac’s Book
Deadpool #4 
Written by Daniel Way
Pencilled by Carlo Barberi and Paco Medina
Marvel Comics, 2008
The premise for this adventure is that Deadpool, in need of some money (aren’t we all?) gets a job from this guy Zeke (whom he hates, because Zeke is a scumbag) to kill this plastic surgeon that creates zombies out of his patients, including Zeke’s wife.
While there’s a number of pretty funny stuff in this comic, here’s what really got me: Deadpool is slinking into the community of potential zombies on his way to complete his job, when the local constabulary (really, you won’t just write police?) suddenly surround Deadpool, brandishing all manner of firearms and one guy yells out “Aim only for the body!”
Now if you actually think it through, he means aim for the body as opposed to the head; it’s the equivalent of “take the zombie alive!” But I didn’t think about that, to me it was just a man yelling the most obvious statement possible. And I find that hilarious. I will proudly be among the crowd who laughs at one of the few things not really meant as a joke.
The second thing I greatly enjoyed also takes a little explanation. The art in the book is just okay, it gets the job done, nothing to write home about, and the last five pages are done by Paco Medina, and it actually gets a bit more on the bland side. So a classic hunchback Igor-type guy shows up, suggesting that Deadpool wants the plastic surgery treatment, on account of Deadpool having that face of his (for those that don’t know, it’s disfigured). This is great since it means Deadpool is that much closer to his target, but he’s also pretty excited to see a real hunchback, so Deadpool hunches over and says to the guy “Go like this an’ say: ‘it’s pronounced , ‘Eye-Gaw””
The following panel (lacking any real expression on the hunchbacks part, again, the art, bland, remember I said that?) is just a close up on the hunchback saying “Plastic surgery will only change your outer self, you know. Inside, you will still be a horrible person.”
I found that hilarious, partly because the art was weak there.
One place the art is not weak is the cover by Jason Pearson – it’s as if Deadpool was around during the time of brown suit Wolverine over in Marvel Comics Presents (he may have been chronologically, but I’m just saying it’s a similar style to the comic series itself, particularly the stories starring Wolverine. Remember Marvel Comics Presents is an anthology book). It’s also as if Rob Liefeld were good at art. Truly, the stuff of Bizarro universes.
Deadpool is a pretty crazy guy (he sure does love his exploding chair), so excuse me if I indulge my own crazy side a bit and have a ton of fun with this comic.
I really dislike Freddie Williams II’s art in everything he does, Robin, Flash, Grant Morrison’s Mr. Miracle (fact checkers note, Freddie Williams II didn’t do the art on all the Mr. Miracle series, just the last three of four issues if memory serves, with the first issue being drawn by a guy whom I can’t remember right now, but his name is eerily reminiscient of Williams)- but it’s not like I really like the story that’s been going on in Robin lately. I don’t know if you’ve been reading this series Miles, but I have, and I will say it’s a bad issue. Why did I buy it then? Good question.
But those first 18 issues of Robin you mentioned, weren’t those awesome?
Oh yeah, I think if there’s anyone on the planet who would use butthead to describe someone, it’s Tim Drake Robin. He just strikes me as the kind of sqeaky clean guy that is always waaay behind in the popular linguistical trends, and is always having to reach for something to dis the other guy with. He’s a nerd, and so of course I love the guy.
Dick Grayson would totally keep modern in his lingo. He’s totally groovy that way.
I don’t know about Tim being squeaky clean. He lies to Batman a lot, skips a lot of school, punches criminals in the face. I mean, I’m clean. I don’t hit people and I pay my taxes, and I’d never use butthead.
He’d call him a douche, and he’d be right because Jason Todd is douch4ever.
No way does he really lie to Batman, he just said that to look cool in front of the other Titans.
Maybe I’m stretching about his use of butthead, but he wouldn’t use douche, unless he was being written by Sean McKeever, and then it is out of character.
He totally lies to him. I haven’t consistently read this character in over 10 years and I can recall at least two plotlines that were:
Panel one: In the cave
Batman: I don’t want you on this case, Robin.
Robin: I’m angry, but I respect you, so I won’t go out, Batman.
Panel two: Robin is on rooftop
Caption: Sorry, Batman, but I can’t let this go.
Whoah man, no way does that count- that’s like saying Peter Parker lies to Aunt May when he says he’s going off to study when instead he’s going after Doc Ock, yes, technically still lying, but again one of those super hero necessities to protect people and the peace of mind of those you care about.
Following that logic, I don’t think it’s really possible for Robin to lie to Batman, because everything he says is invariably working towards what he thinks is for the best. It’s not like Robin is lying so he can take out the batmobile to impress a date.
But of course that’s only if you accept my premise of discounting the “protecting of peace of mind” lies.
I think your examples are extremely different.
Aunt May (well, Aunt may now) doesn’t know that Peter Parker is Spider-man and can’t know that. Batman damn well knows that Robin is the boy he’s raising to fight crime illegally.
The point is, Robin isn’t as squeaky clean as you think he is and he’s better for it.
It’s not illegal for Batman to raise Robin!