Review by Ian Keogh

Robin, Son of Batman takes place shortly after Batman has braved the hell of Apokalips for the technology required to return Damian Wayne to life. Patrick Gleason drew much of the Batman and Robin series where that played out, and also takes on the writing for this redemption arc, as Damian seeks to make amends for a year of wrongs under his mother’s teaching. Gleason examines the sins of the past while showing Damian’s attempts to rectify matters.

It’s a viable course, but one that never sparks into life as it should beyond the introduction of intriguing new characters. Because Gleason’s such a talented superhero artist, though, Year of Blood looks much better than it actually is. He comes up with great character designs, and produces pages that just suck the readers in. The art looks even better for the individualistic colouring of John Kalisz, who’s not afraid of eye-catchingly vivid shades.

During his original training Damian was tasked with stealing assorted valuable objects from incredibly difficult or well guarded locations around the world, and these were stored in a vault. His current task is retrieving them from the vault and restoring them to their original owners. One of the supporting characters is a new version of Nobody from the Batman and Robin series, and to some extent on their own redemptive path, also capable, but lacking the certainty that characterises Damian.

While the formula works to begin with, it rapidly dries up because Gleason’s not an imaginative writer, just one who can plot from A to B, but without any great surprises. Additionally, by starring Robin in a series of Indiana Jones style adventures Gleason diminishes one of the character’s great strengths, that of his being an utterly remorseless maniac in a child’s body.

This looks great, but let’s hope for writing to match in Dawn of the Demons.