Batman & Robin: Year One Dynamic Duos #1 Review
Co-Plot: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Chris Samnee
Colorist: Mat Lopes
Letterers: Clayton Cowles & Chris Samnee
Cover Artists: Chris Samnee & Mat Lopes
Variant Cover Artists: Marc Silvestri & Arif Prianto;
Dustin Nguyen; Hayden Sherman
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US/Variant $5.99 US (Card Stock)
Release Date: August 12, 2026
When Bruce Wayne became a foster parent, the authorities in
Gotham objected. No one took the apparent abuse of power more personally than
Laura Lyn from Gotham City Child Protective Services. Then, Gotham's criminal
justice system labeled the "irresponsible" billionaire playboy a
criminal, and the authorities took Dick Grayson away from Bruce. But after
Batman and Robin prevented Clayface and Two-Face from unleashing a devastating
attack on the city, Bruce convinced Laura that he had Dick's interests at
heart.
As the Dynamic Duo help the Gotham City Police Department
safeguard their city, will Laura Lyn remain satisfied with Bruce's ability to
care for the orphan? And will Batman continue to dress his young sidekick like
"a basketful of Bell Peppers?" Let’s race to the Batcave, leap into
Batman & Robin: Year One Dynamic Duos #1, and see!
Story
As his acolytes chant, Scorpio clutches a knife. He orders his
victim to say his name, as if to acknowledge his power over her. The Alchemical
Bishop explains his position in the cosmic hierarchy. Then he beseeches his god
to accept this sacrifice and allow his cult to assist Barbatos in raining destruction on the Earth.
In Batman & Robin: Year One Dynamic Duos #1, Bruce
Wayne's life has settled down. He may not be a conventional parent to Dick
Grayson. Yet he wants the former circus performer to invest in his education.
But Dick Grayson yearns for more time as Robin, keeping Gotham's streets safe.
Mark Waid's story shows how much Bruce Wayne has grown since
becoming a parent. It also contrasts Bruce and Dick's differing views on what
they do and how they do it. Batman may not wear red like Robin. Still, Bruce feels the same temptation to hurt criminals as Dick. That anger has not grown so
toxic that, like Scorpio, they seek the world’s destruction. But when criminals
threaten people he cares about, Bruce struggles to remember that while he
fights crime, he is not responsible for punishment in Batman & Robin: Year
One Dynamic Duos #1.
Art
A 9-panel grid opens in darkness, as tears fall from a bound
woman's eyes. She gazes up at the hooded faces of her captors as they tie her
to a platform. Then, the robed priests suspend the platform on chains over a
pit as Scorpio raises his knife. Her blood pools on the wood and drips into the
pit. Then Scorpio notices a dark figure arise from the circular, stone-lined
pit filled with skeletons.
Mat Lopes drenches Chris Samnee's opening scene in reds as
heroes and villains fight for what they believe in. A statue that glows red in
one setting amid hatred turns indigo among more balanced individuals in Batman
& Robin: Year One Dynamic Duos #1. While yellow, orange, and brown shine in
the darkness, green-adorned threats arise, banishing Bruce’s calm and contorting his features.
Clayton Cowles and Chris Samnee fill white balloons with
black uppercase letters. The words shrink for lowered voices, enlarge for
raised voices, and grow bold with intonation. Shouts deform balloons, while
giant letters seem like a wake-up call. Sound effects enhance a battle with a death
cult and on the dangerous streets of Gotham. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing
this story with us.
Final Thoughts
When Bruce decided to foster Dick, he sensed a core of anger
in the boy over his parents’ deaths. So, he trained Dick to direct that anger
in a positive direction. But other children aren’t so fortunate. And there are
not enough people like Laura Lyn to ensure that all of Gotham’s young are
provided for. So, when he discovers other children who didn’t receive the
advantages Dick did, Bruce Wayne ponders how best to care for them while
preventing them from hurting others in Batman & Robin: Year One Dynamic
Duos #1.
Rating 9.2/10
To look inside see my preview of Batman & Robin: Year One Dynamic
Duos #1.
For how the previous series began, see my Batman & Robin: Year One #1 Review.
