Grayson #15 Comic Book Recap/Review

Grayson #15 Recap/Review – Robin War Part 2

Grayson #15 Comic Book Recap

These days, many people are calling themselves Robin. But Damian Wayne says they are not, and reluctantly, Dick Grayson agrees. The kids are untrained and undisciplined. They are eager when they should be scared. They’re scared when they should be eager. They’re not Robin… at least not yet. Grayson was Robin. The very first. He wore the colors they are wearing. He bled them black. And that means he’s responsible for whatever happens to them, whatever they’ve done, and whatever they are going to do.

The kids need training, so Dick, and his brothers, are going to do it. The kids have guts. But it is time to prove they are capable of glory. It’s time the kids go to Robin School. The four original Robins divide up the newbies into groups, each beginning their own training regiment. Tim Drake begins his session by insisting that he and his Robins fight one another blind. To be a Robin, you have to understand the unknown, and seek to learn it. You must always ask yourself how to see in the dark. Batman once told Tim that being a Robin can be summarized with one word – investigation.

Jason Todd takes his kids above ground, ignoring Dick’s instructions to stay in the sewers. He brings them to a mob gathering. He orders the kids to bring him a wheel back from each car. As they dive down below to complete the task, Red Hood remarks that Grayson is going to be all mad when everyone gets shot, but he is surprised when one of the Robins, a young man named Dax, returns with both a steering wheel and a tire, having not been sure which type of wheel Jason meant. Truly impressed, the Red Hood says that Batman once told him being a Robin comes down to one word – confidence.

Meanwhile, Damian Wayne pummels his trainees. He insists they are all weak and a waste of his time. Knocking them all to the ground, he calls them scum. Nothing. None of them understand what it means to be a Robin, but Batman once told Damian it all comes down to one word – suffering. One young woman named Izzy gets up, however, and taunts the young Wayne. She insists they continue the fight.

Elsewhere, Dick Grayson begins a one on one training session with Duke Thomas. The first Robin is meeting as many of the kids as he can. As they practice fighting, Grayson is surprised when Duke reveals that he knows Dick’s identity. It wasn’t even hard, given the public knowledge that Dick Grayson is Nightwing, and the first Robin is impressed.

Above ground, Jim Gordon is listening in on the Robins. It turns out they have a source on the inside, feeding them information. As Gordon listens to this, he reflects on Dick Grayson’s words, and remains conflicted about the situation. Down below, Dick has four missions that need to be completed. He has each of the original Robins pick their best pupil, and they each set out to complete their task.

Dre, a Robin and son of a mobster, was chosen by Tim. They are to break into a police station and find out what the cops are planning. Dax and Red Hood are to see what weapons the police have ready, by getting their attention and seeing what comes their way. Izzy and Damian are to deal with the new Batman. And, finally, Duke and Grayson are going to be the reserve team. If anyone needs their help, they will come.

While Duke sits and waits, he expects a lecture from Grayson, but Dick doesn’t have anything to say. The first Robin asks if Duke thinks that only the originals understand how to be Robin, and Thomas says he doesn’t. Grayson doesn’t feel that way either.

Meanwhile, the other three missions go horribly wrong, as every one of the Robins, including those hiding underground, find themselves captured by the police. Damian realizes they have been betrayed, and knows exactly who is responsible. Who else but him… the tight ass who thinks they are all still children. As Duke and Grayson are surrounded by the police, the first Robin admits he betrayed them all. Duke is shocked, and Grayson explains that he didn’t think he could keep the Robins out of jail. So he trained them as best and as fast as he could, then made sure the arrests were clean and safe. Grayson then begins to scale a wall, knowing that climbing and heights aren’t really Duke’s specialty.

When Dick figures out what is going on here, he’ll need his army ready to break out. But for now, this whole mess is his responsibility, and he’s going to get to the bottom of this, alone. As Duke follows Grayson, he asks the young man to explain the situation to the others. Duke is a natural born leader, and it is time for him to start leading. The police capture Duke, while Dick prepares to jump. Batman once told Grayson that being a Robin is about one thing – family. And Dick takes care of his family.

Unseen by anyone, Dick is watched by an Owl. They are pleased that Grayson is doing as he is told. A good Nightwing takes care of his family. And the Court of the Owls will always take care of him.

Grayson #15 Comic Book Review

Hello and welcome to Comic Island! My name is Arden, and this is my recap, and review, of Grayson #15.

Well, this was an awesome comic. Following up on our last outing of Robin War, I really liked this issue. It had great art and an excellent story. I really liked the ideas and implications behind what each of the Robins said about what Batman taught them about being Robin. Bruce clearly recognized the strengths of each Robin and what they would need to focus on to be the best hero they could be. For Tim Drake, that focus was rather obviously on investigation. Red Hood’s was confidence, and I like the little nod they had with Jason’s origins stealing the Batmobile’s tires. Damian’s focus was on suffering, again, that makes a whole lot of sense, and Dick Grayson’s was on family, tying into his actions during this issue quite nicely.

The whole idea of turning the Robins in makes sense too, and feels like something Batman would do to control the situation. As Dick Grayson has known and worked with Batman the longest, to me his behaviour makes a lot of sense. Overall, this was an excellent second issue of Robin, and I’m looking forward to the rest of Robin War. I’m not really sure what is happening here, but the Court of the Owls has me excited to see what is coming. These relatively new villains to the world of Batman have always left a strong impression on me, and I’ve been enjoying their presence here. What they are planning, and why they are so interested in Nightwing, are things to be revealed, and I’m looking forward to seeing why. So stay tuned as I continue my coverage of the Robin War with Detective Comics #47, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and keep reading comics.