Robin hears that there’s an underground fight club in Arkham City so he disguises himself as an inmate and goes inside the prison to investigate. He finds Penguin, gets in a brawl and runs away when Bane shows up. Then Bane fights Solomon Grundy, but again nothing comes from the action. It’s sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Seeing Robin doing something is nice for a change, but there’s no adventure here. I’d love to see stories about what Robin was up to in Arkham City but there’s no excitement to be found here.
There are stories to be told in Arkham City that take place before the events of the video game but this isn’t one of them. What’s the point in telling a tale about Robin infiltrating the fight club if he can’t change anything? If he doesn’t change? What’s the point in having Bane and Grundy fight if it’s a stalemate and both characters return to the exact same position they had on page one? A good story requires that something happens. There has to be a change in the emotional charge from one scene to the next. Nothing, absolutely nothing is resolved here. Jorge Jimenez does a fine job with the art and he does a great job recapturing the look and feel of the Arkham City video game, but it’s not enough when the story is a non-event.
SCORE: 3/10
