General Grimaldi is fully focused on finding out Batman’s identity. The Dark Knight has been a thorn in his side. Once he kidnapped Batman’s young sidekick, the General learned a lesson. Knowing how much he’s hurting business, The General wastes little time in pushing plans into motion. A hit list is in place. How soon does it find Bruce Wayne?
BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE #7 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Mat Lopes and Clayton Cowles continues its’ epic look at the early days of the Dynamic Duo.
Let’s not wait another moment & see what happens now.
BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE #7 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Mat Lopes and Clayton Cowles (DC Comics)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Waid brings out the General’s frustrations early in this chapter. His meeting with Clayface is gruff and unapologetic. Readers can see tensions boiling over. Clayface’s reactions are telling as he smirks his way out. This aggressive attitude pushes the General into drastic times. The writing sets the stage for a very tough road for the growing pair.
Seeing how they’re being worn down from all their crime fighting, readers sense something bad is on the way. This push leans into a deadly scenario. The writing gives a small insight to Batman’s counter moves. Seeing Batman go up against an intellectual challenge drives events into fresh territory. Another aspect is Dick Grayson finding balance between both his lives. It’s a small break before the close. Once here, pacing speeds events up until the last page. Readers watch a gruesome act end events for now with a dark road ahead.
Samnee and Lopes open up with a close-up of Clayface being scolded. Grimaldi’s lecture isn’t well received. The art depicts Clayface brushing him off. This spirals into more frustration. It kickstarts a new plan of attack. The art panels show how the demand of crime-fighting starts taking a toll. This leads into a surprising twist of events.
The frantic pacing shows Batman’s unrelenting will. It moves rival mobsters into a new stat quo with the Caped Crusader. The moment is capped off with a gorgeous full page image of the pair. From here, the school days of Dick Grayson come into light. The panels break up the tense mood before returning to form. It leads into a more dramatic close. Nothing strikes a louder chord than the final image. A horrific crime is committed via near full page. A subtle panel speaks imminent danger as events wind down. This series never misses on its’ art with good reason.
OVERALL GRADE: 9
General Grimaldi brutal push puts the Dynamic Duo in the line of fire. Waid crafts another fantastic issue with the writing. Samnee and Lopes deliver on bold images while capturing a vintage era. This series continues to be one of the best every time an issue drops.
Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on Batman and Robin: Year One #7. Thanks for reading.