Batman & Robin: Year One #4

Recap
MARK WAID AND CHRIS SAMNEE CONTINUE THEIR EPIC EXPLORATION OF BATMAN AND ROBIN'S EARLY DAYS! Things are heating up in Gotham as the General works to tighten his grip on the criminal underbelly of the city. But when he and Batman come face-to-face, will the Dark Knight strike fear in this new threat's heart, or is this the end of Batman's fight for Gotham City? Meanwhile, a meeting with Dick's caseworker sets the young Boy Wonder on a path he absolutely dreads!
Review
Batman & Robin: Year One kicks off a new year with a fantastic issue #4 that does a wonderful job highlighting the relationship between Bruce and Dick as well as giving readers the best look at the General yet. The opening of Batman & Robin: Year One #4 picks up right where issue #3 left off with Batman being trapped under a cargo container under the water. This sequence is sparse in dialogue but still says so much thanks to Samnee’s visuals. Samnee’s art is precise and powerful, demonstrating the seriousness of the situation while showing Robin’s bravery and drive to help. Mat Lopes’ colors fully submerge the reader into the water with Batman and Robin, utilizing cool blue tones brilliantly contrasted by the warm red from Robin’s flashlight. Batman and Robin may still be learning how to work as a team but the same can’t be said for this creative team. Waid and Samnee have such a strong and shared vision that is only amplified by Lopes’ coloring and Clayton Cowels’ lettering.
The middle of this issue isn’t action-packed but contains some of the most fun content of the issue. Dick’s caseworker stops by Wayne Manor just as Batman and Robin are getting back from the cargo ship encounter. Waid and Samnee have a lot of fun with this, clearly showing Dick having some fun with having to act like he just woke up. This sequence also leads Dick as well as the reader to learn that he will be entering school the next day. While Damian recently entered public school in Josh Williamson’s run on Batman and Robin, this still feels fresh and new. Samnee has done a wonderful job capturing the vague timelessness of these early days, so readers should look forward to seeing what he does with Dick enrolling in school. Aside from the focus on Bruce and Dick’s home life, readers also learn a little bit more about the villain of this story, the General. Waid and Samnee waste no time in this issue showing how cold and remorseless of a man the General is. It also leads to a fantastic confrontation between him and Batman plus hundreds of live bats.
Final Thoughts
Batman & Robin: Year One #4 is another fantastic entry in this series. Mark Waid and Chris Samnee have a clear vision and haven’t had to compromise on it thanks to the wonderful additions to the creative team. Thanks to the hard work from Waid, Samnee, Lopes, and Cowels, Batman & Robin: Year One is looking to be a quintessential Year One series.
Batman & Robin: Year One #4: The Deep End
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10