Batman & Robin Year One #1 review

It’s opening night for the Batman and Robin team. Before they hit the streets, though, Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth discuss the sense in Batman taking on the recently orphaned Dick Grayson as sidekick Robin.

Before long, the heroes who will come to be known as the Dynamic Duo are driving from stately Wayne Manor to bustling Gotham City.

There, Robin has his first meeting with police Commissioner Gordon.

Told that Two-Face has had a henchman steal a file from Gordon’s office, one so secret even they can’t know what’s in it, Batman and Robin set off in search of their prize. Batman hopes his informants can provide a lead, but before they can speak to any, a hood tosses a grenade at them from a bridge. The ‘pineapple’ is no match for the armoured Batmobile.

And there’s more, as writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee give us their take on the early days of the greatest partnership in comics. The story is narrated by Batman, and there’s plenty of dialogue, yet this is a breezy read. Waid’s words always propel the narrative forward, character is revealed through talk and action. Bruce, Dick, Alfred, they’re all in classic mode… the latter’s modern tendency towards sarcasm is absent, and that’s appropriate as the rights and wrongs of letting a child join Batman’s war on crime are a serious matter. Bruce’s justification makes sense in a comic book world, while Dick is delightful, a cocky kid but never obnoxious – he knows how good he is. And that makes the surprises he encounters all the more fun; Batman allows Robin to run headlong into trouble because he has his back. Also, Robin has quite the cape.

Which explains the classic Batman and Robin cape-grasping pose.

Waid sets up a mystery around the files, and there’s more intrigue as mystery men from out of town arrive to take on Batman. We’re given a name, but it’s not one I recognise.

Chris Samnee, like Waid, is a master storyteller, so much so that he’s co-plotting this book. His style is perfect for a series that benefits from a Golden Age, or maybe that should be timeless, vibe. He makes the classic Robin costume look good – it feels like ages since it’s been seen in a DC book, the updated version having become the default – and gets away with a spot of Burt Ward business not once, but twice. Batman looks excellent too, especially in a splash introducing the new teaming, beautifully coloured by Matheus Lopes. And always, the streets of Gotham loom over our heroes, not claustrophobic but welcoming – they’re a character as much as Batman and Robin, and they all belong together.

Clayton Cowles does his usual fine job with the lettering but there’s also a ‘with Chris Samnee’ in the credits. I can’t guess at what the artist did, apart from the terrific sound effects. Hey, another mystery!

The cover illo by Samnee and Lopes is a treat, with Batman in the dark, Robin bringing the light and bad guys galore, including a few regular rogues. I like the logo, combining the fonts from Batman’s most-used Bronze Age masthead and, pretty much, Robin’s Star-Spangled Comics series. Stick them in a bat-shape and we’re golden.

It’s the perfect way to begin a limited series that’s pretty much guaranteed to be all win. Dive in with me!