The final issue of We Are Robin is here, and it’s a sad day. Without a doubt, this has been one of the most grounded titles in the Bat-verse in recent memory. When it started out, I was a little skeptical about the first several issues; but since then, it has developed into not only an excellent book, but a book that has focused on contemporary matters that make it extremely relevant to current cultural constructs. And the finale is no exception.
If you follow solicits, one of the first things you’ll probably notice upon reading this comic, is that this is actually not about Smiley:
The original solicit leads me to believe that the story was altered, because of Rebirth and the cancellation of this book. Originally, Smiley was supposed to get away when cornered at the school and continue his wave of terror. When last issue wrapped up and he was in the hands of the police, I checked back at the solicits to see if things had been updated. Since they weren’t, I then assumed that I would open this book to find that Smiley had escaped the cops and the “Robins” were on his tail again. This is not the case. In DC’s vigor to support Rebirth, it seems they forgot about “We are Robin”. And that is a shame, because as I already stated, this book was worth promoting.
By the solicit, it seems that the original finale was also going to be some event where the “Robins” were going to have to save the whole city. Kind of glad the finale that we are actually presented with went in another route. Instead of going big, it gets deep. While not necessarily as thrilling as an entire city being in peril, which I have seen before more times than I can count, I was glad for something fresh. Rather than go with the tried and true (and cliche), Bermejo mixes things up and goes with a story that resonates. It’s not about saving a city. It’s just about saving one individual. And I really appreciate that, because it’s a very Batman-centric thing to do that has kind of taken a back seat in the current comics.
Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.
Basically, the story revolves around one of the former “Robins” and his family falling on hard times. In order to make ends meet, he agrees to do a job for some of the local hoods. The fact that he feels pushed into a corner and that he has no other option available to him really struck a cord with me. It makes you stop and think. How many people turn to crime, not because they are morally bankrupt, but because they feel that they simply have no other choice or need to in order to survive. We are so conditioned to think that criminals are all evil by nature, that it is extremely refreshing to get a perspective that paints them as real people just trying to get by in the world as best they can.
“We”, not “I”
Once the other “Robins” learn the plight of their former brother, they leap into action to save him. The story then adds another focus. The fact that you need others. This acceptance and willingness to work with others is shown by the change in Duke’s perspective on life. He has evolved and matured as an individual. No longer is he the selfish, immature, and unruly teen we met at the beginning of the series. In a clever usage of the title, Bermejo focuses on the fact that in order to succeed at things, you can seldom do it alone. You need support, friends, and family. Duke is no longer all about himself or “I”. He now understands that “We” need to do things together.
Art for this issue is handled by series regular, Jorge Corona. While I don’t have any specific panels that I want to highlight for discussion. I do want to point out that even though this is a final issue with slipping readership, which might make some individuals put forth lower quality work, Corona still brings the same caliber of professionalism to this issue as he did to the first.
Recommended if…
- You like grounded stories.
- Cultural significance is important to you.
- You like stories that resonate on a smaller more personal scale.
- You like stories that teach morals while entertaining.
Overall:
The finale of “We are Robin” goes deep instead of going big. It gives the reader an opportunity to consider the world from an alternate perspective and provides good-old moral story telling at its finest. In all, it’s been a pleasure reading this series, and I wish Bermejo and Corona the best of luck in their future endeavors. Au revoir.
SCORE: 8 / 10
