“Demon Vs Detective”
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artists: Roger Cruz and Norm Rapmund
Color Artist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Review by Fay Clark
Robin #12 has hit the shelves, so once again we get to enjoy a brand new chapter in this amazing series. Damian seems to be on a roll with terrible ideas. First, it was the whole, “Let’s enter a competition where you fight to the death on a murder island”. Now, from the ending of the last issue, it looks like Robin’s on his way to using some reviving green liquid on a corpse.
Always keep an eye on your youngest child, they seem to get themselves into amazing trouble without even trying!
Fighting your Demons
Williamson, what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours! There’s always so much to unpack. It takes me a good couple of days to wrap my head around what I’ve just read with this title, and Robin #12 is no different. We knew that Damian was traveling back to Gotham, we just didn’t know it was going to be in style. Joshua Williamson truly knows how to write a rebellious teenager. In these last few issues, I think our little Robin has come out of his pre-pubescent annoying “know it all” phase and has grown into his reckless teenage hood. I mean… I know all the Batfam have problems within their blood families, but HOLY MOTHER OF BATMAN’S CHILD, you do not speak to your kin like that.
The dialogue in this issue is on a completely different level. I want to say so many things about it, but they are all spoilers so… YOU’RE WELCOME FOR ME KEEPING MY MOUTH SHUT. Oh, how it pains me. Williamson is so spectacular at making you feel for and empathize with the characters. Dragging all those emotions up from 6ft below the dirt where you thought you buried them. I didn’t need this, but I’m very glad it was done nonetheless.
Double the Demon Trouble
Okay, listen. I pay attention to the details, but if I hadn’t had to look up who the artists were for the credit at the top of this page, I’m not sure I would have known they’d changed. Roger Cruz and Norm Rapmund have either been reading the series and are masters of keeping the same style, or they are just naturally suited for the artistic stylings of the Robin series. Either way, this issue looks spectacular. There are some really harsh themes here that could have missed the mark with the reader if not for the team effort of Cruz, Rapmund, and color artist Luis Guerrero. The dark tones of Gotham really stood out against the lush green that we got used to on murder island. The atmosphere really comes barrelling out of the page at you.
Conclusion
I love it. That’s all. My whole conclusion is that I love it. You’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not reading this series. It genuinely gets better with every issue. I’m always so hyped to read the next one and am already looking forward to issue #13. Oh, Damian I really didn’t like you before, so how yours has managed to become my favorite ongoing series is beyond me. Well done, you little brat.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
