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Robin
Scattered Fruit – Part Two: Bug Juice
108/JAN/2003
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Jon Lewis
Pencils: Pete Woods
Inks: Andrew Pepoy
Colors: Jessica Kindzierski
Letters: Willie Schubert
Price: $2.50/R12.95 SA |
I know what you’re thinking, Robin?!?, how gay, I’m
never gonna read that even if you gave it away free. Ok so maybe
not that extreme, but nevertheless the boy wonder has his fair slice
of the cake when it comes to criticisms and ridicule, but hopefully
this review will open your eyes to a comic that might be a lot better
than you thought.
In July of last year, issue 102 to be exact, I was drawn to Robin
via a classy cover drawn by none other than Humberto Ramos [Out
There], I was surprised to find out that the contents were
just as good as the cover. Just a side note, since a few months
ago Kevin Lau [Xin] has taken over cover responsibilities,
and is creating some mind boggling stuff for this title.
So you wanna know what makes this book any good apart from a few
nice images on the face, read on. First up, the story, a very detective
based storyline is taking place in this issue of Robin. This title
does tend to stick to this kind of narrative, but it will surprise
you in its ability to do so. Jon Lewis keeps the story really interesting
by melding a tale that is not singular in its focus, sure it’s
a detective crime drama, but it’s got that teen hero feel
to it in all the right places. Robin tends to get confused and caught
up with his girlfriend all to often and also has trouble keeping
up with his studies, these and a few other commonly felt themes
of teen hero characterisation keep the book fun and easy to read.
Robin is a reluctant hero and so at times in the story he wants
to give up and pass the buck onto Batman or other more well-suited
heroes. This is portrayed nicely in this issue when the criminal
at hand seems a bit too big for Robin to handle alone, so he contemplates
calling in the Dark Knight to take care of it for him. This “questioning”
characteristic and his underlying nagging idea that he won’t
be Robin forever really helps to flesh out the main character. The
mystery at hand is not childish at all, one thinking that Robin
handles more mundane “teen” based storylines would be
wrong, this one is gross folks and a real thriller.
The artwork, yet again I catch myself saying this…sorry for
the repetition, is what drew me to the title, that and the fact
that I saw Eminem’s video for “Without Me” at
the time and that inspired me to read a Robin comic. Andrew Pepoy
is for real; his inking is really good in this title. His penchant
for thick outlines on characters and skill with the quill really
enhance the look of this book and make it stand out artistically.
The drawing style of Pete Woods is very clean and has a cartoon
feel to it. The heroes outfit is nicely done and the use of his
cloak takes away from that crusty feel that Robins costume used
to have.
The colouring is done in a simple three-tone style which really
gives the characters a more “chunky” styling and definitely
add to Pepoy’s great job with the inks. Nice choice of bland
greys and browns give the inner city scenes a creepy sameness and
help to set the environment up nicely.
In the end this book will surprise you, both via great storytelling
and artwork. Pepoy and Woods have been matched up nicely together
and their styles definitely compliment each other here with the
creation of an aesthetically pleasing comic book. The story continues
to be a pleasing read, with a good mystery weaved over intriguing
visuals. Surprise yourself and try out Robin sometime soon. Score
7/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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Comic Reviews
