We Are Robin #5

By Lee Bermejo, Jorge Corona, Trish Mulvihill, Christine Duart Peter, Allen Passalaqua

“I would so love to stick around and see her beat the four of you Kill Bill-style… but honestly we just don’t have the time.”

Sometimes it’s really convenient to have friends willing to jump from rooftops and join the fight, but is it even really safe to be a Robin anymore? With the Robins still unaware of who exactly is helping them, they’re becoming concerned. With the death of Troy in the beginning of the series still weighing heavily on the remaining crusaders it’s become crucial that they get some answers. Is the person behind the Nest really helping them? As the reader you have the inside scoop as to who is behind the Nest, but these kids are still left in the dark. If only Master Bruce were here…

Writer Lee Bermejo brings issue #5 of We Are Robin into more of the dark undertakings of Gotham. This issue centers around a family quarrel as one of the Robins (Izzy) deals time and again with the antics of her brother Hector. Hector treats her poorly, and even jumps her outside of work alongside some of his friends, which is where the other Robins join in on the action (and where we see the quote above). His attacks only escalate as the issue progresses, which leads to a new mentor making an appearance as the issue ends…one offering a more permanent solution to justice. Bermejo does a great job this issue of putting the Robins through difficult times, not only with Hector but also each other. What started at as a bunch of teenagers of Gotham joining together to fight for the common good has become a quarrel among family (quarrel is my vocab word of the day)…much like the Bat-family we all know and love often finds themselves bickering with one another.

The artist on this issue is Jorge Corona as he finds himself being accompanied by colorists Trish Mulvihill, Christine Duart Peter, and Allen Passalaqua. The scene featuring the quote above features Riko striking a pose similar to one we might see Damien in as she falls to the ground ready to take part in the action. The lights in the background of this scene give the panel a bright yellow/orange before falling into the next scene with them landing into perfect attack positions. Corona does a great job in the following fight scene creating shadows, the scene taking place in an alley outside of where Izzy works.These kids sure seem to know what they’re doing (at their age I was sitting around playing Gamecube).

Issue #5 of We Are Robin once again hits hard. Bermejo is creating a story where a bunch of kids are pushing back against authority (most prominently seen in the reaction Robo-Bats has given them) and slowly beginning to second guess themselves. The man they grew up admiring seems to have told them to stop their crusade, and the person helping them push forward remains a mystery to them. With the introduction of a new mentor however, it seems like the Robins will have even more decisions to face…as saying no to a person such as this…might not be an option.