Robin War #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I can't tell if the resolution of "Robin War" is clever or eye-roll inducing.

Damian reveals that he agreed to become the Gray Son to prevent the Court from releasing its squad of elite Talons on Gotham.  (Lincoln explains to Dick that these Talons aren't assassins, but beserkers, created to lay waste to Gotham in case the Court ever lost control of it.)  However, Duke isn't buying it.  He tells Damian that he recognizes that he's Bruce's son so he's doing what Bruce did:  he's not thinking of his family or responsibilities, just sacrificing everything to save Gotham.  (It results in possibly the best scripted moment of the series, with Damian telling Duke that he doesn't know him, and Duke responding, "Kid, I don't think you know you."  Truer words, Duke.)  Duke tells Damian that he'd do the same thing, sacrifice his family to suffer alone.  But, he reminds Damian that the difference between them is that he, Duke, isn't Robin.  Damian looks at the Robins fighting together -- the Robins that Duke reminds him that he inspired -- and realizes that he's not Batman:  he doesn't have to do it alone.

As Damian helps the Robins take down the elite Talons, Lincoln plays his final card:  they've sewn something into Damian's costume that can kill him.  Lincoln convinced the Court to release him to put into action exactly this plan:  convince Damian (or at least one of the Robins) to become the Gray Son in order to inspire Dick to take that responsibility off his shoulders.  Lincoln pledges to disassemble the elite Talons, repeal the Robin laws, and allow Damian to live:  all Dick has to do is join them.

We then flash-forward a few hours.  Dick informs the other Robins at the Batcave that Noctua is going to prison due to the information that he and Jim collected on her.  (The Powers That Be believe that she has gone crazy, because no one believes in the Court of Owls.)  Later that night, Damian approaches Duke to hang (even though he can't admit it), giving Damian possibly his first friend and showing us that he's accepted Duke's call to be a Robin (not the Batman).  Conversely, the issue ends with Dick taking the oath to become the Gray Son, turning his back on Robin and becoming more like Batman.

As I said, I'm conflicted about this conclusion.  One of the modus operandi of the Bat-family is that it's exactly this sort of trap that they see coming and have a plan to escape.  The fact that Dick is manipulated into becoming the Gray Son should mean that it's only part of his larger plan to defeat the Court.  King actually hints that it may be, based on Dick's conversation with the Robins in the Batcave.  It's similar to the coded messages that he left them in "Grayson" #12, when he rallied them to his side.  If King is telling that story, color me intrigues.  But, if Dick has embraced Bruce's solitary nature, as King seems to want us to believe, then maybe he doesn't have a plan.  That said, if he really has become the Gray Son, then consider my eyes rolling.  It's too quick and easy of a fall for a character like Dick Grayson.  It's not like Damian doesn't have many enemies all ready:  is he really that worried that the Court will kill him to submit to it?  Hopefully, he isn't, and the "to be continued in 'Grayson'" promise at the end of the issue will show us that it's all part of Dick's plan to take down the Court.  If it isn't, though, I'm not going to be a happy camper.

*** (three of five stars)

Robin: Son of Batman #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Oy.

The Robins face the "elite" Talons on the rooftop, and Damian brings down the Cage to stop them.  In the skirmish, the other Robins overhear the Talons talking about hatching tonight specifically for the "Gray Son" ceremony, and Riko realizes that she had previously seen an elite Talon at Gotham Academy.  The Robins head there to stop the other elite Talons from hatching (since the ones that they defeated helpfully mentioned that the others were hatching that evening), and Batman provides a hand after following them there.  Previously, Damian disappeared after taking down the Cage, and a mysterious figure from the Court of Owls ordered Noctua to get Batman to do...something, though I'm pretty sure that it wasn't getting him to follow the kids to take down the Talons.  Did Noctua or Jim go rogue?  Meanwhile, Dick makes his way through the labyrinth of the Court of Owls to Lincoln March, who tells him that he did originally intend to turn him into the "Gray Son" that night.  However, Damian offered himself as the "Gray Son," so Lincoln is now free to kill Dick.  Dun-dun-dun, I guess.

This issue is pretty dull, particularly given Fawkes emotionless script, which leaves the characters basically just describing what they're doing.  (How many times can Jason or Tim say that they have to fight tactically?)  The "Robin War" really does seem like it was just a device to get Dick to Gotham, so it feels weird to have the entire premise of this cross-over event -- the "war" itself -- be a McGuffin.  I guess we'll see if we're missing anything more interesting in the conclusion.

** (two of five stars)

We Are Robin #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, this issue is pretty damn cool.  While Dick and Jim ransack Noctua's apartment, discovering her obsession with the Court of Owls, the Talons force Jason and Tim to face each other in a fight to the death, to discover the new "Gray Son."  (Does that mean that they're not interested in Dick?)  However, Jason and Tim maneuver their fight so that Jason can hurl Tim in the air.  Damian sees what they're doing and calls for the imprisoned Robins to hold out their hands, allowing Tim to essentially climb up the suspended cages to reach the control tower.  He opens the cages and frees the Robins, and they collectively make short work of the Talons.  They then flee to the rooftop, with Duke wondering during their flight if he's as skilled -- and crazy -- as he needs to be to become one of the "varsity" Robins.  He may get his chance to learn, since a group of much more lethal Talons are on the roof pledging to kill them all.

*** (three of five stars)

Detective Comics #47 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

(I accidentally read this issue before I read "Grayson" #15, so you can imagine my surprise when Damian, Jason, Tim, and the Robins are all in prison.)

In this issue, we finally start getting more details on the war on the Robins.  We learn that Dick believes that the confrontation at the liquor store was a set-up.  To his mind, it's too convenient that the cop entered the store just as the untrained Robin was apprehending the suspect.  After the obligatory hero/hero confrontation, Dick shares this theory with Jim.  (Said fight happens when Jim catches Dick riffling through someone's apartment, though it's unclear to me whose apartment it is and why they're both there.)  Jim initially rejects Dick's theory, but, during their conversation, admits that his gut has been telling him that something similar.  Together, they go to find out more information on Councilwoman Noctua.

Meanwhile, in prison, a member of the Court of Owls emerges from the shadows with a squad of Talons to "handle" the Robins before they can jeopardize the Court's plans for Gotham and the "Gray Son."  In terms of the larger plot, we still don't know what the Court wants, other than Dick.  (Heh.)  At this stage, it's not clear to me what the Robins were preventing the Court from doing when it comes to their "plans" for Gotham and Dick.  It seems like it has to be more than just using them to attract Dick to Gotham.

My main problem with this issue, though, is the characterization.  In fact, one of the problems of this entire cross-over event is that it functionally ignores the events of "Batman and Robin Eternal."  Here, Jason and Tim are easily pushed to fighting with each other, even though they're partners in the other series.  In fact, throughout the New 52!, they've always been portrayed as close.  "Batman and Robin Eternal" reflects that relationship, as Jason repeatedly pressed Tim to trust him, telling him how important it was for them to be on each other's side.  Instead, in this series, Fawkes makes it seem that the two of them are rivals that can barely stand each other, a characterization that we've never seen in the New 52!  For most of the issue, I actually thought that they were just acting, part of some unspoken plan between them and Damian.  But, it doesn't seem to be the case, unfortunately, so I'm just going to have to be disappointed.  Hopefully subsequent authors will use the more standard portrayal of their relationship.

** (two of five stars)

Grayson #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

King does a solid job here of picking up the ball from "Robin War" #1 and running with it.

Dick arrives at the Robins' underground training facility and basically opens "Robin School."  He and the other "originals" soon identify the top four recruits.  Not surprisingly, they just so happen to mirror the abilities of one of the originals:  Dre is similar to Tim, Dax to Jason, Duke to Dick, and Isabella to Damian.  Dick sends out the originals and these recruits in pairs to get more information about the cops' plans for the Robin War.  However, it's a trap:  Dick has been transmitting his planning conversations with the other originals to Jim Gordon, because he wants the cops to arrest everyone.  That way, he can be sure that they're all safe and sound while he tries to get to the bottom of the problem.  (I was wondering why he was awkwardly referring to Tim as "Red" and Jason as "Hood" during their conversation.  I have to say, though, I'm not sure that I buy that Dick would be so careless in risking that one of the other Robins would call someone by their real name.)  To make matters "worse," Dick makes sure that Damian, Jason, and Tim are also imprisoned with the rest of the Robins (including the ones left in the training facility) so that they can help everyone escape when Dick sends the signal.  He tells Duke the truth (before abandoning him to the cops) so that he can make sure everyone knows the plan, because he knows that everyone sees him as the leader.  But, I'm not sure the guys are going to be happy about it.

In truth, though, it's a pretty solid plan, if a devious one.  In fact, it sort of proves the point that Damian was making, one that Dick disagreed was true.  Damian believed that the original Robins were superior because Batman taught them.  He was right, because we see here that the original original learned the lessons the best.  This plan is as Bruce as Dick gets, even if he doesn't want to admit it.

*** (three of five stars)

Robin War #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

King tells a really well paced story here, taking his time to let the story unfurl on its own power.

We start with one of the teenage Robin imitators gloating over the fact that he's managed to disarm a guy in the process of holding up a liquor store.  When a cop appears on the scene, "Robin" tries to get the cop to see him as an ally.  The cop hesitates (since, after all, "Robin" is holding a gun), allowing the would-be thief time to steal his gun.  "Robin" panics and opens fire, killing the cop and the thief.

In the ensuing outrage, the City Council, under the leadership of Councilwoman Noctua, passes a law banning Robins and the wearing of any Robin-related paraphernalia.  This initiative results in a jack-booted crackdown, forcing Duke and his cohorts go to ground.  Noctua is revealed to be working on behalf of the Court of Owls, giving them the war that they apparently want (more on that later) so that she can become a member.  (She's apparently the daughter of a prostitute, and the Court is balking at giving her membership.  But, she has realized that they're the real power in Gotham, so she'll stop at nothing to get it.)  Duke gathers the Robins at one of Gotham's many abandoned warehouses and tells the anonymous perpetrator of the shooting that he has to reveal himself so that the Robins can win back their reputation.

At that moment, Damian arrives, telling the Robins to disperse.  It goes as well as you'd think it would go.  Damian takes on the Robins, and Noctua sends Batman to diffuse the situation.  (King really shines at this part of the story.  Noctua isn't portrayed as an overwhelmingly evil figure.  Jim complains about getting sent into the fray, since he disagrees with her "Robin Law."  But, she says that she wants him to do so specifically because he'd be gentle, since her other options wouldn't be as understanding.)  Damian is infuriated by the appearance of this new Batman, and he makes short work of Jim.  (During the fight, he hilariously talks about what Batman and Robin really mean.  Let's just say, he's clearly not impressed by the idea that it's currently a guy in a robot suit and a bunch of untrained kids.)  Jason and Tim arrive on the scene to try to calm down Damian, and they call in Dick to help handle the situation, hoping (likely correctly) that the other Robins will respond to him.

At this point, King really kicks up the drama, just when you think that the story is ending.  The Robin from the liquor store admits to Duke that he committed the crime, revealing that he was inspired after Dick saved him when he was a kid.  Duke convinces him to turn himself into the police, and he agrees to do so.  But, before he can, Talon kills him, under orders from the Court.  Moreover, we learn that they planned this situation to attract Dick -- the "Gray Son" -- to Gotham.  King hasn't told us exactly what the Court is planning (and why it wants Dick in Gotham), but it's clearly nothing good for our guys!

*** (three of five stars)