Can We Get a Robin Solo Series?
This cover, while awesome, created some specific expectations of this issue that weren't met. Normally, a good cover can't be taken at complete face value, but it was a bit of a downer to not see the implied sword fight. (X)
Patrick Gleason doesn't provide the art for this issue, but Lee Garbett is certainly a very welcome guest artist. He captures a lot of the same style as Gleason, but has his own spark that I think would be really good for a Robin solo series. (Written by Bryan Q. Miller perhaps?). We also get a two pages sequence by Andy Clarke which isn't fill-in art because it's justified. The flashback it depicts suits the shift perfectly, though the page is a little hard to navigate at first, I was unsure whether it was meant to be a double page spread or not. Plus they never explain why this Talon didn't kill the young Samuel Wilkins. I guess Batgirl's Talon established that they have some free will, but this Talon says he tried to kill him, and we only assume he intentionally spared him due to the art in the panel. Did the kid remind him of the childhood he lost? He never touches upon it, leaving the idea just a bit TOO vague.
Like Batgirl, this issue tries to create a connection between the headlining Batman Family member and the Talon they're fighting. Unfortunately, this one doesn't work as well. The connection here is fairly tenuous, and seems like it could apply to any Talon, not necessarily needing to be this one. And Damian's final line doesn't really make sense in any context.
It makes sense, since we already have Batman in several titles in this event, but this issue is entirely about Robin's battle with a Talon. This leads into some fantastic character exploration where we see just what makes Damian different from the other Robins. Because he was forced to fight on a military base, we get to see him taking command, thinking strategically, grabbing a rifle when necessary yet clearly remarking he's only using it for the bayonet. Plus he's perfectly fine with the official government authorized soldiers to shoot under his orders. Damian's really learned a lot from his father and it's making him a really great character.
This issue also shows us a greater tenacity in a Talon than most of the tie-ins. Several of them have simply been frozen, but the amount of damage Damian needed to do to finish this one off was insane. The final few pages had the intensity of a horror movie's final battle, when a seemingly human figure is taking horrendous amounts of damage and still coming calmly; sometimes compensating in creepy ways; and needing that extra push of pain to end their reign of terror.
In Conclusion: 4/5
This issue still felt a little rushed, Damian spent a lot of time running, but kept getting found too quickly. There were times it tried to create a sense that they were safe for a bit, but jumped ahead to the Talon finding them. Plus I kept waiting for a sword fight that never happened. But we got some great character exploration with Damian on his own, and a super satisfying finish.
