Writers: Joshua Williamson
Art: Jorge Corona
Colors: Luis Guerrero
Letters: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 7/27/2021
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Training Day w/ Ra’s Al Ghul:
Well, it is that time of the month again when I review my favorite comic thus far of 2021. Robin #4 by Joshua Williamson takes a detour from the initial energy of DC’s version of Mortal Kombat and instead reunites Damian with his estranged grandfather, Ra’s Al Ghul. Let’s check out this family reunion!
*Spoilers to follow*
The Demon:
I am loving this new version of Ra’s Al Ghul. After Damian “died” in issue #3, he wakes up on another island with his grandfather. Gone is the classic villain from the Dark Knight’s Rogue Gallery, and in his place, is a Pai Mei esque character. This version of Al Ghul is on a vibe that many of us wish we could obtain. He meditates (I’m sure he has always done that), he mentors, and most importantly…he gardens! Al Ghul is portrayed as such a Zen character that I would love to see him continue on this wavelength. It’s very Madonna during her Ray of Light era. The only thing that I notice is that he seems content with being a “loser” as Damian puts it. Is he truly like a Ray of Light or is he just licking his wounds for the time being? Either way, I need more Damian and Al Ghul interactions!
Are we there yet?
“When is the tournament going to start? I mean we are now on issue #4 of Williamson’s Robin, and thus far there have been multiple one-off fights, what is going on?” These are the questions I initially had throughout the first portion of this issue. However, we learn that for the tournament to fully commence, EVERYBODY must die at least once. Who was the last person? Not Damian of course, but Ravager. Now that she has been killed (and will be resurrected) I am guessing issue #5 will contain the tournament itself. Bring it on!
Final Thoughts:
Joshua Williamson’s Robin #4 takes a quick detour on dropping a few threads for another storyline while setting up the next issue. With everyone having died at least once, the true fatalities (see what I did there) can begin! I would recommend this issue for anyone who loves Damian, Mortal Kombat, or even Ra’s Al Ghul. This issue contains all of that along with a special cameo of Damian’s other family. Overall, this was a great issue and Williamson continues to knock it out of the park with Gotham’s Sweet Potato Pie!