Robin War, #2

[Aahz]

I loved this whole event before we got Gordon focus. I still really liked this before we saw Damian trying to switch sides. Now... meh. Either it's going the super predictable route, or a really stupid route, neither of which I want to see.

Based on the solits for the next R:SOB issues it doesn't look like Damians switch is permanent.

[jules]

Based on the solits for the next R:SOB issues it doesn't look like Damians switch is permanent.

Well, it's another extra-sized issue. Plenty of pages for him to switch back in.

Interestingly, WAR's January issue also has extra pages. I guess it's going to spend some time picking up the end state of Robin War and dealing with the fallout.

[Rakzo]

Hey people, let's play a game!

Whenever a character says "I am Robin" during this issue take a drink. If you're not dead from alcohol poisoning at the end of the read I will buy you another drink!

About the story, I suppose it's my own fault for not following the other tie-ins since I had no idea that Lincoln March was back which is cool since I thought he was an interesting character. Although I don't know if it was established in a previous chapter from the event that Damian changed sides, I hope that it wasn't just revealed in this issue because it would be pretty cluncky.

The story is nothing to write about. Some nice presentation here and there but the plot itself goes pretty much the way you would expect and the ramifications of the event are mostly focused on Grayson.

Not bad but not great. Pretty much what I've felt during the whole crossover.

[Claude]

Hey people, let's play a game!

Whenever a character says "I am Robin" during this issue take a drink. If you're not dead from alcohol poisoning at the end of the read I will buy you another drink!

You find repetition annoying? Yes, I remember you saying.

(Kidding - KIDDING! You have a point, it's pretty pervasive.)

About the story, I suppose it's my own fault for now following the other tie-ins since I had no idea that Lincoln March was back which is cool since I thought he was an interesting character. Although I don't know if it was established in a previous chapter from the event that Damian changed sides, I hope that it wasn't just revealed in this issue because it would be pretty cluncky.

Yeah, that was all in the tie-ins.

The story is nothing to write about. Some nice presentation here and there but the plot itself goes pretty much the way you would expect and the ramifications of the event are mostly focused on Grayson.

Not bad but not great. Pretty much what I've felt during the whole crossover.

Seems fair - it's a wierd beast in that, looking at it long-term, it's basically a Grayson story. But from a point that "Grayson" the series hasn't reached in it's narrative yet, and told because co-opting the original "Robin War" Damian/Gotham Academy/We Are Robin event into it would be better sales-wise. There are precious-few significant moments for the other player-characters, with Tim and Jason being particularly irrelevant even if enjoyably written, although the smattering of good Damian and Duke moments are some of the best moments these characters have had recently. And Gordon gets a lot of mid-story significance before essentially vanishing.


Readable, enjoyable, and pleasantly contained within about a month - but will probably only be remembered for it's impact on "Grayson".

Mind you, some of that is a sign of how strong the Bat-Books are at the moment. If this was an event in 2012 featuring Higgins' "Nightwing" rather than Seeley and King's "Grayson" in the lead, people would have been thrilled to bits.

[Maxpower00044]

You find repetition annoying? Yes, I remember you saying.

(Kidding - KIDDING! You have a point, it's pretty pervasive.)

Probably the best thing I've read on here all day. The ironing is delicious.

preview looks cool. Will grab it later on today.

[Rakzo]

You find repetition annoying? Yes, I remember you saying.

(Kidding - KIDDING! You have a point, it's pretty pervasive.)

Yep, is intentionally ironic.

See? Repetition gets annoying.

[OWL45]

I thought Tom King stuck the landing on this one. Great character moments. I love the ending and didn't think DC would have the guts to do it. Huge story potential for Dick and it has me excited to see how this develops in the future in Grayson and the larger Batfamily.

[HsssH]

Ending looks intriguing, but overall I'm kinda cold on this stuff. Maybe I need to re-read it to better grasp it. Also, I guess there are going to be some angry Jason and Tim fans.

[darkseidpwns]

Arab owls were funny looking for some reason.

[Nite-Wing]

Not a fan of this event at all
Seems like they could have set this whole story up in Grayson alone more than dragging all these titles into it.
Hell the status quo was basically changed back in a throwaway line. Which tells me I wasn't supposed to care about any of the stuff happening outside of people saying Robin
How is that good storytelling?

Did Damian really decide on his own to become a Talon? Did he learn about Bruce's condition off panel in between Robin War #1 and #2?
Why is Lincoln March back? Did everyone writing this just forget what happened at the end of Batman Eternal?

Tom King is a good writer but all the repetition of dialogue is a bit too dumb sounding in my mind. Do kids really talk like that? No
Oh that's why it sounds bad

[Aahz]

Damian easily one shotting Tim and Jason is absolutly ridiculous, but apparently the writers of the Batman office are not willing give them a fair treatment in their books.

[Dark_Tzitzimine]

That was a wet fart of an ending.

The story tried to do many things at once but couldn't commit to none, it tried to give some weight at the idea of teen vigilantes but aside of WAR #7 that briefly adressed the issue (and unsurprisingly was the best issue of the event) the whole thing became background noise just to have a bunch of stupid kids screaming "I'm robin" every two pages. King could never give a satisfactory explanation as what really meant being a Robin, why it matters for Gotham city nor why we should root for the WAR kids. The Court of Owls and their Talons lost any credibility as villians acting like brain deaded monkeys following the lead of the one member that betrayed more than once (and the explanation for that aside of happening off-screen was incredibly sloppy), the reasons for the importance of the Gray Son were never given and the way the idea was handled goes against what it was previously stablished by Higgins. Characters suddenly knew and could things as the plot needed (Bruce never shared the maze location with anyone and Damian going there and returning in less of the time Dick needed to even arrive).

Damian and Dick reasons to "sacrifice for the greater good" also fall flat when we see the Talons getting stomped left and right while the plot fails to convey a sense of risk agaisnt the kids' lives, Dick's action also come off like being incredibly hypocrital when just a few months ago he promised "no more secrets" to his brothers despite being handled by the same damn writter. The events that sparked the conflict are dealed off panel and since King ignored all the setup Bermejo had on WAR I have no hopes for everything having a satisfying conclusion.

[darkseidpwns]

Damian easily one shotting Tim and Jason is absolutly ridiculous, but apparently the writers of the Batman office are not willing give them a fair treatment in their books.

Jason wasn't one shotted though and Tim never wanted to fight so he stood still and allowed a well placed strike to his face. I'm more dumbfounded by all the changes to the Court of Owls mythology but if it leads to an Owlman story down the road I'm all for it.

I think We are Robin fans should be more upset,this arc pretty much buried the entire concept.

[darkseidpwns]

That was a wet fart of an ending.

The story tried to do many things at once but couldn't commit to none, it tried to give some weight at the idea of teen vigilantes but aside of WAR #7 that briefly adressed the issue (and unsurprisingly was the best issue of the event) the whole thing became background noise just to have a bunch of stupid kids screaming "I'm robin" every two pages. King could never give a satisfactory explanation as what really meant being a Robin, why it matters for Gotham city nor why we should root for the WAR kids. The Court of Owls and their Talons lost any credibility as villians acting like brain deaded monkeys following the lead of the one member that betrayed more than once (and the explanation for that aside of happening off-screen was incredibly sloppy), the reasons for the importance of the Gray Son were never given and the way the idea was handled goes against what it was previously stablished by Higgins. Characters suddenly knew and could things as the plot needed (Bruce never shared the maze location with anyone and Damian going there and returning in less of the time Dick needed to even arrive).

Damian and Dick reasons to "sacrifice for the greater good" also fall flat when we see the Talons getting stomped left and right while the plot fails to convey a sense of risk agaisnt the kids' lives, Dick's action also come off like being incredibly hypocrital when just a few months ago he promised "no more secrets" to his brothers despite being handled by the same damn writter. The events that sparked the conflict are dealed off panel and since King ignored all the setup Bermejo had on WAR I have no hopes for everything having a satisfying conclusion.

I only saw one Talon get stomped,they had the advantage until Dick's decision made them retreat. The ending made it quite clear who was gonna take the blame for the fiasco and who was really in charge.

[REAL]

Finally managed to catch up with the event!! And what a forgettable event that it was.

This issue wasn't so bad, but the awful way both Jason and Tim were treated made me hate it. I mean seriously, what's up with DC and their love to stomp on a character to prop up another? No wonder why they keep losing a lot of fans.