Review – We Are Robin vol. 1: The Vigilante Business TP (DC Comics)

March 31, 2016

4 minutes

Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Lee Bermejo
Artist(s): Jorge Corona, James Harvey
Release Date: 30th March, 2016

The first volume of Lee Bermejo’s WE ARE ROBIN lays out a fairly interesting premise. In a post-Endgame Gotham, a group of disaffected teens from a variety of different cultural and social backgrounds come together to try and do their bit to keep the streets of their city safe. Even thought they’re receiving remote assistance via text message from the mysterious “Nest” – who they believe to be Batman himself – it becomes clear early on that these kids are majorly out of their depth. And therein lies the charm of this series; see, these characters aren’t highly trained martial-artist acrobat detectives like Batgirl, Nightwing or Red Robin. They’re just kids from some pretty awful background who really want to make Gotham a better place for everyone.

In this first trade paperback, Bermejo truly excels with his characterization, giving each of the “Robins” their own compelling backstory and personality. Some fare better than others, such as new recruit Duke who finds himself brought into the ‘flock’ when his repeated attempts to track down his parents (who disappeared during the Joker’s “Endgame” assault on the city) flag him up on the Robins’ radar. The quiet, slightly troubled Riko also makes a strong impression, getting a stand-alone issue all of her own midway through the volume, which – while feeling a little jarring in terms of the narrative flow – works incredibly well in establishing her as an intriguing, multi-dimensional character.

Unfortunately, while the characters are spot-on, the story itself feels more than a little scattershot, with a fairly haphazard approach which sees the Robins lurching from one calamity to the next. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great individual issues to be had here, but in terms of putting together a cohesive ‘arc’, this does feel a lot more like a series of separate episodes than one flowing story. Duke’s thread provides a solid enough lynchpin for the first few issues, but is swept away following one particularly shocking moment midway through the volume. The arrival of a murderous Bat-villain near the end of the volume also feels somewhat superfluous – even if it does offer up some fantastic visual moments.

Speaking of visual moments, Jorge Corona does a typically impressive job with the artwork throughout this volume, providing a stark departure from the traditional DC “house style” with his exaggerated, slightly cartoony approach. It never gets too light though, with the subject matter keeping things grounded in realism. Plus, Corona manages to gives Bermejo’s emotional beats the heft they deserve courtesy of his truly expressive characters. The artwork for the aforementioned Riko solo issue is provided by James Harvey, and while it’s undoubtedly pretty to look at with its brightly coloured, highly stylized aesthetic, it felt so completely at odds with Corona’s work that I found it difficult to really get into. I’m sure the same would be true if Harvey did the bulk of the series and Corona stood in for a single issue, but while it’s actually one of the strongest single issues of the volume, the sharp clash in styles really didn’t work for me here.

While I’m not going to delve too deeply into the events of this issue, there are some truly memorable moments along the way, from the reveal of the source of the “Nest” texts to those shocking events on the train line. Also, having followed the series beyond this first volume, I can vouch for the fact that things do get a heckuva lot smoother and more cohesive as the story continues. As an introduction to this unique take on the young heroes of Gotham, this first volume comes highly recommended, and while it isn’t without its flaws, the strength of Bermejo’s concept and characterisation definitely keeps the pages turning.

Rating: 3.5/5.

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