REVIEW: ‘Robin’, Issue #6

Robin #6 is all about the fights and then some. This issue is plotted out by Joshua Williamson, with Gleb Melnikov on art and inks. Luis Guerrero is the colorist, and Troy Peteri of ALW is the letterer for this monthly DC Comics series. The other Robins have come and gone. Damian is back on Lazarus Island, just in time for Mother Soul to drop the proverbial hammer.

Issue #5 ignited the blaze, in a fashion perhaps more infernal than the combatants might have preferred. Mother Soul has created the fighters arena, complete with the warriors and a demon. Yes. That is not a typo. The floor of the arena seems to house or at the very least depict an awaiting devil, causing some of the fighters to be understandably concerned. But there isn’t really time to dwell on the occult. Mother Soul has thrown down the gauntlet. It’s time to battle.

And to kick up the tension, she announces that seven fighters have yet to die…twice. Yes. Some might recall sometime back in issue #2 that each participant is expected to die twice and be resurrected twice. Then the true battle can begin, with the sole winner achieving immortality. As for the rest who get the third death, well, that’s that (dependent solely upon comic book standards of staying dead, mind you). For these young contenders, they realize they may not get off of this island. But it’s time. Robin versus Blue Shrike, a very nice callback to a villain from the pre-New 52 Nightwing series, and others take to the arena for their own fights. This issue gives us some nice peeks into Flatline, Respawn, Ravager, and Connor Hawke that I wasn’t expecting in an all-fighting issue.  This is an adrenaline-packed comic, tinged with flavorful moments of characterization and intrigue.

Robin #6 is a terrific read, thanks to Williamson. He keeps the story on track, tightly focused, and manages to crack open the shell of Damian Wayne and his supporting cast at just the right time. He makes what could have been (and has been for years for some of the more established characters) stale, two-dimensional fighters pop into three-dimensional space and take in breaths of depth. This has definitely been true for Ravager and Flatline, who each seemed like gimmicks. Hawke is as fleshed out as he is enigmatic, a far cry from his time as Green Arrow, and much more interesting for it. The League of Lazarus remains an excellent foe, and there are always questions hanging unanswered.

The return of Melnikov to art chores is literally visible in the lightning strikes and sweeping lines he laid down for every single fight scene. Each combatant is dynamic, larger than life, and full-on brutal as they unleash their skills. There are also some incredibly well-done close-ups of Flatline and Robin that are humane and change the mood from combat to social drama quickly. Add to this the remarkable colors of Guerrero. His hues are already eye-catching every issue, but here, in one scene of death, the colors stood out in a horrifically good way, complemented throughout by Peteri’s eye for placing balloons. As one might expect, an action issue should be full of word FX. Peteri delivers and does so in a myriad of fonts and styles, both animated and gory.

This issue is a continuation of greatness in a series that this team hopefully continues on for years to come. I want the League and Robin and company to grow and really make waves in the DC Universe. Do not sleep on this issue.

Robin #6 is available now wherever comic books are sold.