Comic Review: Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1

DC Comics

Writers: Marvel Wolfman, Tom King, Tim Seeley, Robbie Thompson, Judd Winick, Amy Wolfram, Chuck Dixon, Adam Beechen, Devin Grayson, Peter Tomasi

Artists: Damion Scott, Dan Jurgens, Scott McDaniel, Tom Grummet,  Jorge Jimenez, Dustin Nguyen, Javier Fernandez, Mikel Janin, Ramon Villalobos

Following DC’s trinity of 80th-anniversary anthologies, the unofficial Fourth Pillar gets his due. These issues have all been pretty good, but overall nothing spectacular. Robin’s 80th, however, is delightful and easily the best of the bunch. Not one story is unworthy of inclusion and everyone is enjoyable to some degree. Personally, I’d prefer a Dick Grayson celebration, but I’ll settle for this. 

Robin’s 80th sets itself apart from DC’s other anthologies by dedicating the issue to every character to hold the mantle, as opposed to only the original. Dick, rightfully so, gets the most love with three stories, the first of which is the highlight. Wolfman and Grummet’s story of how Dick came to graduate from the Robin mantle isn’t an entirely unique one, but it scratches the exact nostalgia itch I’ve been having for years. It’s worth the price of admission alone to see Grummet drawing the classic Batman and Robin costumes on top of some Batman and Robin action that comics are sorely lacking these days. The two are apart so often these days that getting even a small piece of it in here feels like returning to something that unfortunately can never last. 

Surprisingly, even the Robins I hold no love for have great stories in this book. Jason’s story by Winick and Nguyen was surprisingly touching. Jason’s not a character I ever connect to, but he works for me in a dose as small as this one. Similarly, the Damian story didn’t ruin the issue. I’m not a big Super Sons fan, but the Jimenez art in addition to the unbridled wholesomeness of the story makes it a more than worthy addition. 

I will say that the Devin Grayson/Dan Jurgens Dick Grayson/Titans story was something of a low point. It’s not bad, and I’m willing to bet it only fell short due to my unfamiliarity with that run of comics. That said, the reveal at the end is still quite solid, and the Jurgens art ultimately makes it worth it. It’s just a bit tad much Damien Darkh for my liking. 

This book avoids the pitfalls of most anthology comics. Not a single story was a bore to get through, nor did I feel like any didn’t belong. Even the ones with stories I care less for were delightful from an art standpoint, and none were too long. There was a consistent level of quality among each story with the occasional standout. Your mileage may vary depending on your attachment to the different eras on display here, but not to the degree that they aren’t worth it.