Review by Ian Keogh
Patrick Gleason is known for his imaginative designs, exemplary storytelling and dynamic looking pages. He’s one hell of an artist, and also wrote Robin Son of Batman, with this Deluxe Edition combining the paperback collections Year of Blood and Dawn of the Demons.
He picks up Damian Wayne’s continuity shortly after Batman has managed to return his son to life, with Gleason drawing much of the Batman and Robin series where that played out. The starting point sets up a viable redemption arc. Damian recognises the distress caused by earlier missions carried out under his mother’s instructions over a year of his training, which involved stealing valuable objects from places either very difficult to reach or incredibly well guarded. He resolves to rectify matters as far as that’s possible.
It’s a decent jumping-off point introducing mystery and complications while enabling Gleason to vary the setting to whatever he feels like drawing. That includes supporting characters from earlier series and to begin with Robin as a sort of substitute Indiana Jones in a wild South American location. The excellent art, though, disguises that Gleason the writer isn’t nearly as imaginative. His plots are functional, but lack surprises or any depth of character, and the main sequence removes Robin from Gotham where he works so well in reflecting the city’s darkness.
While Gleason is cover featured, he’s only responsible for just over half the content. Because Gleason wrote it, there’s a single chapter nicely drawn by Scott McDaniel, but as a single chapter of a crossover, in isolation that’s all there is to recommend it. It also introduces Ray Fawkes, scripting, then writing most of the remainder. He and Ramón Bachs (sample art right) should feel considerably slighted for contributing just about as many issues to the collection as Gleason, yet without cover credit.
On their run Bachs tends more toward cartooning, but is a consummate storyteller with an eye for a dramatic page layout. Nevertheless, he’s second best when his pages accompany Gleason’s.
Fawkes is definitely the better writer, though. He continues the redemption theme, but with greater imagination, less linear storytelling and infusion of guest stars from the wider DC universe. Fawkes is more mystically inclined, but as that is an aspect of Robin’s heritage it fits his solo stories better than it would fit Batman. Robin’s actions eventually attract the attentions of the Al Ghul family, who’re not happy at his replacing stolen items.
Included here but absent from the two paperback collections is Damien’s first meeting with Jon Kent. Gleason draws up a storm and also contributes to the plot, but crucially collaborating with Peter J. Tomasi who has greater writing experience. It shows in a well plotted, personality-driven and sometimes funny story in which both youngsters have to undergo a session in boot camp.
If you’re a fan of Gleason’s art, or indeed Bachs’ art, the large hardcover format improves on the paperback collections, but while lovely to look at don’t come here for the stories.
