Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Eddy Barrows
Some Spoilers Ahead
Colonial Jacob Kane is not pleased with his tech flunky, Ulysses. He tells him to reprogram the drones that are currently targeting Tim “Red Robin” Drake. Oh yeah, Tim decided to make himself the target after hacking into Ulysses’ system. Nobody is available to aid Red Robin in his reenactment of “Custer’s Last Stand.” Elsewhere, Batwoman boards her father’s airship ordering him to surrender. And she has ARGUS with her to take him into custody. Col. Kane orders his troops to teleport the ship somewhere far away from Gotham. But Batwoman captures him before the retreat. Back to Tim at the Belfry, where it appears he meets his demise…or does he?
This arc has really tugged at the heartstrings. It deals with relationships on every angle: couples, family (both birth and surrogate), work, etc. At the center of this story is a young man’s willingness to save others, regardless of the cost. It was touching for Tim Drake to finally except his calling as a Robin, and to understand what that really means.
The Positives
James Tynion IV is again putting us through our emotional paces. He has scribed a work that has taken us on the wildest of amusement park rides, yet left us at the top of the ride anxiously awaiting the descent. Eddy Barrows artwork is top notch as always. His style is as expressive and palatable as master artist Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. In fact, they share a similar spirit.
The Negatives
One downside to this book was the buildup to the threat of Colonial Jacob Kane. This issue paints his forces as not much of an obstacle for Batwoman, yet he/they captured Batman not two issues earlier.
The Verdict
It will be exciting to see if “The Colony” will return. It will be equally, if not more, intriguing to see how the team will cope and rally after the loss of one of their own. I hope Tynion and company can keep their audience captivated with the next arc like this one.
Images courtesy of DC Entertainment.