Robin Issue 2 Review: “She’ll Kill Ya. She’s Flatline!”

Robin issue 2 quickly gives us the answer to the cliffhanger of the first issue. Did Damian Wayne really die? Yes, he did. But he’s getting better. Thankfully getting his heart ripped out in the first issue by Flatline did not result in a permanent untimely demise of the current Boy Wonder.

There will be some spoilers below.

Robin issue 2 spends some time worldbuilding and answering some of the questions that we had in the first issue. But there is still a heck of a lot of mystery for Damian to figure out. Afterall, the League of Lazarus wasn’t something that either of his parents felt the need to tell him about. Damian wants answers and he’s not going to give up until he finds them.

Robin issue 2 begins with Damian resurrecting from being mortally wounded during his first battle on Lazarus Island. Ravager, Deathstroke’s daughter, also known as Rose Wilson, is there when Damian wakes up. She’s concerned about Robin and wants to take him under her wing. Now I’m not sure if she is just doing this out of the goodness of her heart, or if she is looking after her boyfriend’s little brother. With current continuity, I’m not even sure if she is currently dating Jason Todd, but if she is, I admit her looking after Damian is pretty cute.

Damian is still cocky and so sure of himself and doesn’t really want to listen to Rose’s advice, even if he does find her information about the tournament to be useful. He now knows that it is a little harder for people to really die on Lazarus Island and that every battle is a battle to the death. Once someone has died three times however, that death is permanent. Whoever wins will gain immortality.

We also learn a little more about some of the other characters involved in the tournament. There is a character named Respawn that even Rose admits looks like he’s trying to look like her father. There is a ten-year-old boy named XXL with an obnoxious entourage, Flatline whom Damian encountered earlier and is Lord Death Man’s new sidekick, and my new favorite: Black Swan. She is a “Ballerina who took on the role of the White Sawn but got a bit too lost in the character.” Okay, so she killed her entire troupe and the whole audience, but what a unique take on a new villain!  

Damian spends some time interacting with Flatline who has decided since she has killed Robin once that the two should now become frenemies. Damian doesn’t really seem interested, but their interactions are entertaining and it’s looking like the beginning of a fun friendship. However, the two of them find out from snooping around that there does seem to be a lot going on at the island that they do not know about and it also contains one of the biggest Lazarus Pits that Damian has ever seen.

Joshua Williamson continues to write such a fun comic with Robin issue 2. This issue definitely has the same energy as the first and as the mystery slowly unravels, it only leaves me wanting for more. You can really tell that Williamson has put a lot of thought into not just Damian, but Rose and Flatline as well. The character interactions are my most favorite part of the series.

The art by Gleb Melnikov continues to impress. Everything is just so dynamic and enjoyable to look at. His characters are all vibrant and unique. Melnikov has such a great eye for character design, especially when it comes to their outfits. Troy Peteri’s lettering looks like it came right out of a fighting video game or a Shonen manga and is just so perfect for the series.

Speaking of manga, we do get another panel from the Shoujo manga that Damian was reading in the previous issue. I have a feeling there’s some foreshadowing going on in the manga panels in this series. Rose is the one who discovers his manga in this issue, and she is a bit surprised by it. She expected him to be more of an “Art of War kind of kid.”

Needless to say, I’m still very much enjoying the Robin series. Robin issue 2 is even more enjoyable than the first issue. Damian’s interactions with Rose and Flatline were exceptionally fun and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it, especially his interactions with Rose. She’s there for another reason as well. One we’re not aware of yet. I am still so excited to see what will happen next!

Author: Jessica Rae

Jessica has a BA in music with an emphasis in voice and spends her day typesetting, editing, writing, and moderating webinars. Jessica primarily reviews anime and comic book series. She also offers insights on various movies, books, games, and other geeky topics.

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