A Crossover Issue Through And Through: Reviewing ‘Robin’ #14

With the review for the previous issue, it was noted that multi-series crossover stories can be very tough for readers especially when they are only reading certain titles. Being pulled into a story already in progress can lose all momentum that the series previously had. While Robin #13 was able to stand above the crossover and maintain the series energy, the fourteenth issue wasn’t so lucky.

This issue is 100% a smack dab in the throes of the crossover sort of affair, in fact, it’s the second to last chapter of the event. Because of that it loses so much of what made the Robin series special and is just a massive fight and plot being sped up to reach a cliffhanger for the final issue.

The last issue had a lot of great character moments, and Joshua Williamson fits a few in here but they feel lost in the shuffle of the pages full of characters that most don’t know or don’t care about throwing themselves at one another. Those character moments also were not given room to breathe and be natural, they felt very blunt and matter of fact seemingly just thrown out there to get to them and move past them. Especially the moment between Batman/Robin about Alfred, which just came off too computer-like even for Batman.

That aforementioned battle feels mostly like background filler, there is even a moment where Ghost-Maker and Angel Breaker speak about their Batman/Catwoman knock-off natures, to take up space around the main fight and end revelation.

Roger Cruz, Norm Rapmund, and Luis Guerrero do their usual great work with what they are presented within this issue. There is a ton of great detail put in so the fight scenes, while seeming inconsequential, at least feel energetic and dangerous and rapid. There isn’t as much space for the great emotional/facial expression work we normally get because not much time is spent on such moments. Plenty of popping beautiful colors alongside the heavy shadows that come from this being another story set at night.

On the lettering side, Troy Peteri also does great work as we get tons of well place dialogue alongside plenty of the big, huge colorful bits of dialogue (yelling) that are great. Since it’s a big fight scene issue there are of course plenty of in the moment colorful and powerful SFX to be found dotting the pages. Alongside the big colorful font for specific yelling, Peteri once again makes sure that volume and tone are clear in any bit of dialogue from emphasis indicators to changes in the font (size or shape).

Robin #14 is now available.