Robin #2: Fly, Robin, Fly Up, Up to the Sky…

Part two of Adventures on Lazarus Island! Robin is resurrected pretty quickly. I mean, if you didn’t see that coming you must be REALLY NEW to comics. Plus the name of the organization is the League of Lazarus, whose whole schtick is resurrection and eternal life. Ravager is our guide to the contest at large, explains the rules, and who gives us the skinny on who the new players are. In this issue we’re introduced to Black Swan, Respawn (he’s intentionally as big of a knock off as you think he’d be), Flatline, who we got to see in action last issue, and XXL, whose tag line should be “you got this, bruh”, not “you got this, bro”, but I’m willing to overlook Williamson not knowing the current vernacular. The biggest shock for me is who the League of Shadows candidate is, and he’s a deep cut who has unfortunately had very little exposure since the world has been New 52’d and Rebirthed. I was very uncertain if DC’s Hunger Games would’ve kept my interest, but if Williamson and Melnikov keep Rose and mystery assassin #2, then I might have to stick around for a couple arcs. 

Robin decides to do a little reconnaissance work to see what’s really going on. He’s the son of the world’s greatest detective, it’s in his blood to be nosy and untrusting. On his little nighttime rendezvous, Flatline decides to join him. She’s Lord Death Man’s apprentice, and for those who are unaware of who he is, he’s a deep cut Batman villain from the 60’s, and was resurrected by Morrison to be a part of the Leviathan organization. Moving on, as they find a secret passage, those bumbling kids who happen about to get a glimpse of an enormous Lazarus Pit, and hints are dropped that the League of Lazarus and  Mother Soul’s intentions aren’t exactly what they were advertised to be (SHOCK!!!!! A NEFARIOUS PLOT ON AN ISLAND OF ASSASSINS? WHO’D HAVE SEEN IT COMING???? Literally everyone). 

Gleb Melnikov’s art is as kinetic as it was in the first issue, and it’s serviceable in the action scenes. His style reminds me of an early, and less exaggerated, Humberto Ramos, and his characters are very playful and cute. I’d like to see how he envisions the rest of Damien’s world. I also really like the way he draws the black ninja-esque look that we saw on the wraparound cover from Jorge Jimenez’s Batman #106. It’ll be fun to see how he’ll grow from here.