“Robin Eternal” – Part One
Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin
Artists: Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira
Color Artist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Review by Steve J. Ray
I’m so happy. When I picked Dark Detective and Robin Eternal #1 as my review books I really chose well. This issue gives me favorite Robin, but like we’ve never seen him before!
This dystopian near future is great; who the hell is The Magistrate, and how did they bend Gotham City in the horrible ways that they have? Not only do we get to hear about the final fates of some of the Bat-Family members, we even get to see a handful of them, including a We Are Robin favorite, in a brand new light.
Writer Meghan Fitzmartin has impressed the heck out of me with her spot-on characterization, and her love of comics. Someone else is a fan of the We Are Robin gang too! I shouldn’t be surprised, because as someone who loves Supernatural, and DC Superhero Girls, I already knew that Meghan was a terrific writer coming into this series. This lady knows her comics lore!
Future Imperfect
Not only is my favorite Robin back, but he’s being drawn by the art team that drew him so well during the Rebirth era run of Detective Comics; Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira. Not only are these two a tried and tested penciller/inker superteam, they’d already made their take on this guy one of my favorites ever, before this book was even a thing!
Not only are their character designs great, but this future Gotham is a sight to behold. Adriano Lucas’ colors really make the line art pop, and this neon nightmare of a city truly feels futuristic, while still maintaining the dark gritty feel we expect from the home of the Bat-Family. The lights, the shadows, the rain… reading this issue is like having a comic that’s been directed by Ridley Scott!
The issue is topped off by great lettering from another veteran, Pat Brosseau. Talk about a comic-book dream team! The Cybers’ dialogue font, the sound effects, all of it is just lovely. Thanks, gang.
Conclusion
Man… Robin’s revelations when telling us about some of his team-mates, his returning friends, and the whole look and feel of this book are totally stellar. Robin Eternal #1 is a great read, with a ton of surprises and beautiful visuals to boot.
I’d love a Robin ongoing series by this creative team, particularly one that features this particular Teen Wonder! Who’s the man behind the mask? You all know I don’t do Spoilers, so just go out and buy this book! I promise you won’t be sorry… well, the final page may cause some anxiety, but that’s what issue #2 is for!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
