Mark Waid and Chris Samnee picked the action up quickly in Batman and Robin: Year One #4, as the last issue ended with an intense cliffhanger. Batman was knocked into the watery depths, and Robin seemed to be his only hope. With the growing pains we saw last issue, what will the fallout be between Batman and Robin after this situation? Will the dynamic duo have time to analyze their issue, or will they be distracted by knowing the name of the man behind Gotham’s problems, General Grimaldi? What new problems do Waid and Samnee have in this issue for our newly teamed heroes?
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We are living through the Variant Cover Era of comic books, and this series does not escape that fate. However, Chris Samnee does a superb job of capturing the tension between Batman and Robin in his main cover. I love how the two characters contrast each other with darkness and light in both costumes and in the lighting of this image, then adds on the facial expression of Robin, and you can pick up that there is a team you don’t want to mess with. What’s excellent about the facial expression is the drive behind it: is it Dick Grayson trying to be a rugged hero, angry at his mentor, or something else? I think that alone will drive any old-school fan’s interest and want to check this out.
Moving beyond the cover, the issue’s opening, which you can see in our preview, is another silent one. Chris Samnee knows how to frame a page, and with colorist Matheus Lopes, they create such an engrossing atmosphere. I enjoy that Mark Waid’s script needs no words as they are underwater, but this creative team is so dynamic that they play to each other’s strengths. Once the two are out of the water, Waid raises the tension by having the two spill some emotion, but Waid plays Batman differently. It seems like a bit of human rationality emerges as Batman realizes the difference in age and experience between himself and Robin. It’s a great moment between Batman and Robin, showing some growth.
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General Grimaldi takes the next scene, and wow, it reeks of daddy issues. It’s an excellent foil to clash against Batman and Robin’s growing pains. The creative team manages to showcase Grimaldi’s fatherly issues very darkly, showing how deadly and cold Grimaldi can be. The energy in this issue is very high as things do not get a chance to settle for any of the characters, as there are surprise visits, pushing limitations, and new challenges that will set up the next act of this series. That new energy has given me more excitement and reminded me of how much I miss Alfred in Batman’s world, but luckily, he is present here, reminding me of the burden he carries for the dynamic duo.
Waid, Samnee, and Lopes continue the action and do not let up on the Dynamic Duo. Between a close encounter with a watery death and entering a new school, there is so much to engross and entertain you with. Wonderful moments of seeing Batman act like an adult and Alfred pleading for Robin’s trust, along with learning more about who this new terror is that endangers Gotham City. Patience is tested, and growth continues as the emergence of the Dynamic Duo entertains readers.
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