Comic Book Review: Robin #157

Last issue of Robin was a Public Service Announcement for a Suicide Prevention organization. For a one-shot PSA, it actually wasn’t that bad. However, with Robin #157 we finally return to out regular plotlines. Robin #157 kicks off a two issue story arc featuring guest artist Frazer Irving.

Creative Team
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Frazier Irving

Art Rating: 2 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 3.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Robin rescuing a cat that was stuck in the tree. Robin goes to return the cat to the little boy that asked Robin to get the cat. The boy tells Robin that it isn’t his cat and he just told Robin to rescue it in order to see if Robin was going to fall.

Robin then hears strange growling and howling sounds from a nearby alleyway. Robin, holding the cat, runs into the alley and sees evidence of what was a large creature with some sharp claws. The creature has disappeared and Robin thinks that it will probably turn up again pretty soon.

We cut to Tim back at Wayne Manor. Tim asks Alfred to look after the cat. Alfred is less than pleased with doing so and informs Tim that animal husbandry is not one of his duties. Tim tells Alfred that he has to go to school and hands him the cat. As Tim walks out, Alfred tells him that the cat must go to an animal shelter once Tim gets back from school.

We shift to Tim at school running after Zoe in the hallway. Zoe refuses to talk to Tim. Tim picks up Zoe like a caveman would his woman and carries her over to the stairway. He sets her down and says that he just wants to talk with her. Tim apologizes for not calling her to let her know he was ok after he escaped from the kidnapping. Tim tells Zoe that he just isn’t used to anyone worrying about him. Tim then asks Zoe out on a date this Friday night. Zoe says yes to the date.
We cut to Robin on his motorcycle heading to the animal shelter to drop off the cat. Robin is still excited that he has a normal date with a normal girl coming up this weekend. Unfortunately, Robin has no one to talk to for advice. That is the problem with having superheroes for friends. They would all tell him to take her thirty years into the future or take her to Altair IV.

Suddenly, something hits Robin’s bike and sends him flying across the road. Robin notices that the cat fell out of its carrier during the accident. Robin then hears the same strange animal noises that he heard last night. Robin runs into an alley and sees the cat hissing madly. Robin approached the cat and suddenly, a bizarre multi animal monster appears from the shadows and attacks Robin. Robin and the monster brawl. The monster gets the upper hand and takes down Robin.

Then a strange blue elf-like boy appears and asks Robin if he has seen his missing cat. The blue elf boy says that judging by Robin’s appearance it appears that Robin has seen his cat. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Robin #157 wasn’t a particularly good read. I am enjoying Beechen’s version of Robin. Beechen has a great feel for Robin’s character. Beechen delivers an interesting and well developed Tim Drake. The Robin that we get over in Teen Titans is an eighteen-year old Batman. Beechen gives the reader more of a sixteen year old Robin who is like your typical teenage. He deals with high school studies and wants to hook up with girls. Beechen gives Tim your typical teenage issues to deal with.

I am glad that Beechen spent more time in this issue focusing on Tim Drake the high school student. The team with Tim and Zoe was well done. I like Zoe and think that she and Tim have some nice chemistry. It is great to see Tim dating a normal high school girl rather than some fellow super hero. It is a refreshing change of pace. It also is nice to see Tim have someone who actually worries about him. Tim has lost so many close people to him including his father and Superboy that it is nice for Tim to have someone new in his life who genuinely cares for him.

I liked the scene between Alfred and Tim. Beechen has done a good job with Alfred’s character and always gives Alfred some great dialogue. Tim and Alfred have nice chemistry and always provide entertaining scenes. Beechen has clearly taken an effort to develop the supporting cast on this title. And that is a smart move. Strong supporting characters always make a title a more enjoyable read.

The Bad: This current story arc was massively uninteresting. Robin #157 was a rather lackluster read. The generic monster villain is completely unexciting. You know how shows like Smallville have a “monster of the week” episode that is a stand alone story that doesn’t deal with any of the long term plotlines? The episode consists of Clark battling some standard issue monster. Nothing special. Well, that is the best way to describe Robin #157 and the unappealing monster.

The story is slow and lacks an intriguing and well developed structure. There is very little substance to this story. And the goofy looking blue elf-boy at the end of this issue does nothing to get me excited to get the next issue.

If you don’t think that Richard Corben is influential then take a good look at Irving Frazier’s artwork. It sure seems that Corben’s style has had an influence on Frazier’s style of art. I simply don’t like Frazier’s artwork. I think it is just ugly. Tim looks downright freakish in some scenes. The actions scenes lack any dynamic dimension. The inking is too muted and dull. The overall look is very boring and unappealing.

Overall: Robin #157 was just not a good issue. A dull generic story combined with some ugly looking art made for one unimpressive comic book. I can’t wait for Freddie Williams, II to return to the art duties and for this uninteresting two part story arc to end.