What do you think?
Rate this book
Grayson
Grayson, Volume 4: A Ghost in the Tomb
UNDERCOVER...AND IN OVER HIS HEAD.
Dick Grayson—the former Robin turned Nightwing turned superspy Agent 37—is back to work at the covert global agency, Spyral. But one question continues to haunt him: Who is Agent Zero, and what does she want with him?
Reluctantly aided by his partner, Tiger, Grayson uncovers Agent Zero’s origins within the secret lair of Spyral’s deceased founder, Doctor Dedalus. In doing so, he and Tiger also become ensnared in a malevolent ouroboros, a self-consuming circle of violence that endlessly connects Spyral to the criminal organization known as Leviathan.
Grayson’s path soon becomes clear: he must take down Spyral and its director, Helena Bertinelli. Unfortunately his former partner, like the hell-bent huntress she is, has deployed a syndicate of the world’s best spies to neutralize the rogue Agent 37. If Grayson and Tiger are to survive, they’ll need to align themselves with a group as formidable as Spyral—and quite possibly deadlier.
Acclaimed co-writers Tim Seeley (NIGHTWING) and Tom King (BATMAN), along with superstar artist Mikel Janín (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK), deliver intense superspy action in the DC Universe with their fourth volume of the celebrated series that redefined Dick Grayson.
Collecting: Grayson #13-16 and Robin War #1-2.
Dick Grayson—the former Robin turned Nightwing turned superspy Agent 37—is back to work at the covert global agency, Spyral. But one question continues to haunt him: Who is Agent Zero, and what does she want with him?
Reluctantly aided by his partner, Tiger, Grayson uncovers Agent Zero’s origins within the secret lair of Spyral’s deceased founder, Doctor Dedalus. In doing so, he and Tiger also become ensnared in a malevolent ouroboros, a self-consuming circle of violence that endlessly connects Spyral to the criminal organization known as Leviathan.
Grayson’s path soon becomes clear: he must take down Spyral and its director, Helena Bertinelli. Unfortunately his former partner, like the hell-bent huntress she is, has deployed a syndicate of the world’s best spies to neutralize the rogue Agent 37. If Grayson and Tiger are to survive, they’ll need to align themselves with a group as formidable as Spyral—and quite possibly deadlier.
Acclaimed co-writers Tim Seeley (NIGHTWING) and Tom King (BATMAN), along with superstar artist Mikel Janín (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK), deliver intense superspy action in the DC Universe with their fourth volume of the celebrated series that redefined Dick Grayson.
Collecting: Grayson #13-16 and Robin War #1-2.
184 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2016
10 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,647 books609 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
December 13, 2020
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Mostly misplaced morsels of miniscule merit, it meliorates midway, made mandatory, meatier and more meaningful.
Notes: Mostly misplaced morsels of miniscule merit, it meliorates midway, made mandatory, meatier and more meaningful.
July 11, 2019
WARNING: SHITTY CROSSOVER
It's been a while since I last picked up Grayson, but I really wanted to finish this title out because I enjoyed what I had read in the past.
Unfortunately, this volume gets hijacked by the garbage crossover Robin War and I almost gave up on getting through it.
Oof! This was such a pointless, stupid story.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
Really? How many times can you read that before it starts to work your last goddamn nerve?
No, seriously. Ballpark it for me.
Ohmyfuckinggod.
Whatever. It was a dumb story about dumb kids. The Robins was probably one of the worst things to come out of the Batverse in a long time, and the whole idea needed to be humanely euthanized waaaaay before it ever got to this point.
Fortunately, it was only 2 (it felt like more!) issues and then we were back to Seeley's main Grayson storyline.
And this was fun!
I genuinely enjoyed it. In fact, I was invested enough that I immediately grabbed volume 5 so I could finish the series out.
4 stars for the Grayson stuff & 1 star for the Robin War.
Recommended for fans of Nightwing.
It's been a while since I last picked up Grayson, but I really wanted to finish this title out because I enjoyed what I had read in the past.
Unfortunately, this volume gets hijacked by the garbage crossover Robin War and I almost gave up on getting through it.
Oof! This was such a pointless, stupid story.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
I am Robin.
Really? How many times can you read that before it starts to work your last goddamn nerve?
No, seriously. Ballpark it for me.
Ohmyfuckinggod.
Whatever. It was a dumb story about dumb kids. The Robins was probably one of the worst things to come out of the Batverse in a long time, and the whole idea needed to be humanely euthanized waaaaay before it ever got to this point.
Fortunately, it was only 2 (it felt like more!) issues and then we were back to Seeley's main Grayson storyline.
And this was fun!
I genuinely enjoyed it. In fact, I was invested enough that I immediately grabbed volume 5 so I could finish the series out.
4 stars for the Grayson stuff & 1 star for the Robin War.
Recommended for fans of Nightwing.
June 10, 2020
For some reason the Robin War bookends are collected here plus the Nightwing chapter of the crossover. Go read these in the Robin War collection if you have interest in this terrible crossover.
So we're left with 3 issues that are really part of the Grayson book. Dick finds out that Spiral was creaded by Dr. Daedalus because he was bored and he also created Leviathan do so he'd always have bad guys to fight. So Agent 1 and 37 start taking out all the Spiral agents. It's all a bunch of convoluted nonsense.
The Good: Mikel Janin's art is always pretty to stare at. I did like Grayson's Agent 37 song.
The Bad: This series is such a convoluted mess, I couldn't tell you what happened in most of it. So thankful we're headed back to a Nightwing series.
The Ugly: From day one, everything about this series has been ugly but the art and the Robin War bookends don't even have that.
So we're left with 3 issues that are really part of the Grayson book. Dick finds out that Spiral was creaded by Dr. Daedalus because he was bored and he also created Leviathan do so he'd always have bad guys to fight. So Agent 1 and 37 start taking out all the Spiral agents. It's all a bunch of convoluted nonsense.
The Good: Mikel Janin's art is always pretty to stare at. I did like Grayson's Agent 37 song.
The Bad: This series is such a convoluted mess, I couldn't tell you what happened in most of it. So thankful we're headed back to a Nightwing series.
The Ugly: From day one, everything about this series has been ugly but the art and the Robin War bookends don't even have that.
April 26, 2018
There is a loooottttt of Robin war stuff in here. I thought people would never stop saying “I am robin” “I’m not robin” etc over and over. Luckily I have a v established weakness for Robins past and present, and Dick and Damian especially got to do some stuff here. Also I’m a sucker for that trope of a rag tag group of kids being winnowed down to the “best” who demonstrate their scrappiness/intelligence/stubbornness in crazy ways, so I ultimately sorta liked it?
But I was also relieved when Dick abruptly left to go do stuff with Spyral again. And then there was lots of confusing twisty turns ridiculous spy stuff, which was quite fun. Even though the ~reveal~ is like...what?
But I was also relieved when Dick abruptly left to go do stuff with Spyral again. And then there was lots of confusing twisty turns ridiculous spy stuff, which was quite fun. Even though the ~reveal~ is like...what?
May 22, 2025
This was a hot mess.
November 21, 2016
[insert complaint about how the New 52 annoyingly collected crossover events into separate trade paperbacks: HERE]
....but I really did like the Agent 37 song and the beach scene on Corfu.
3.5/5
....but I really did like the Agent 37 song and the beach scene on Corfu.
3.5/5
June 20, 2018
Leaning in 2 stars but that last issue was so enjoyable I bumped it up.
This was kind of a mess. A hodge podge-d, tie in filled mess.
This, like Son of Batman vol 2, was sidetracked by Robin War. I still haven't read that arc but it invaded 2 books I used to love. I don't really understand this arc and I don't know that I need to. It looks like it introduced Duke Thomas, who I love, so it has that going for it. There was some pretty awesome stuff with Damian so that was great. Dick looked lovely in this arc. It wasn't until Dick showed up that it got really good. I love seeing all the different Robin's (save Stephanie) perspectives on what it means to be a Robin.
So, that was like 1/2 and 1/2 for me.
Then we get back to the Spyral plot and I'll admit, I forgot quite a bit of what happened last time. This was hit or miss for me because while the art is gorgeous and I love Dick and Agent 1's chemistry, it was a little too all over the place for me. The only truly enjoyable issue for me was the last one because Dick is a doll. I did enjoy Dick in this because he's such a wonderful and charming character. I love him so much.
So, this was a very, very uneven volume, in my opinion. It was enjoyable enough, I guess, but I'm glad I checked it out from the library instead of buying it.
2.5 stars
This was kind of a mess. A hodge podge-d, tie in filled mess.
This, like Son of Batman vol 2, was sidetracked by Robin War. I still haven't read that arc but it invaded 2 books I used to love. I don't really understand this arc and I don't know that I need to. It looks like it introduced Duke Thomas, who I love, so it has that going for it. There was some pretty awesome stuff with Damian so that was great. Dick looked lovely in this arc. It wasn't until Dick showed up that it got really good. I love seeing all the different Robin's (save Stephanie) perspectives on what it means to be a Robin.
So, that was like 1/2 and 1/2 for me.
Then we get back to the Spyral plot and I'll admit, I forgot quite a bit of what happened last time. This was hit or miss for me because while the art is gorgeous and I love Dick and Agent 1's chemistry, it was a little too all over the place for me. The only truly enjoyable issue for me was the last one because Dick is a doll. I did enjoy Dick in this because he's such a wonderful and charming character. I love him so much.
So, this was a very, very uneven volume, in my opinion. It was enjoyable enough, I guess, but I'm glad I checked it out from the library instead of buying it.
2.5 stars
January 20, 2017
The only reason this book isn't getting a one star rating is that Dick sang an adorable song while he was being Bond in the last issue. Otherwise, this was a terrible mismash of horrible. The beginning of Volume 4 of Grayson starts back in Gotham. Why? Because DC wanted a giant cross book event to sell more comics, so Dick tells his boss he's just wandering off for a bit. Really?
The cross over event is some big war of Robins or something. I have no idea because the book didn't bother to explain anything to me and includes non-successive issues of the event. What fun! Nothing makes sense! In the end, Dick joins back up with the Court of Owls for reasons, and then... BACK TO BOND. Wait, what? That transition was... sudden.
So Dick is back with Spyral and we're just going to put this whole Robin War thing behind us. And he decided Spyral needs to go for reasons. And, you know what, this book started fun, but has gotten bogged down in its excessive secret society nonsense. I like the funny moments, but this volume was a bloody disaster.
The cross over event is some big war of Robins or something. I have no idea because the book didn't bother to explain anything to me and includes non-successive issues of the event. What fun! Nothing makes sense! In the end, Dick joins back up with the Court of Owls for reasons, and then... BACK TO BOND. Wait, what? That transition was... sudden.
So Dick is back with Spyral and we're just going to put this whole Robin War thing behind us. And he decided Spyral needs to go for reasons. And, you know what, this book started fun, but has gotten bogged down in its excessive secret society nonsense. I like the funny moments, but this volume was a bloody disaster.
October 1, 2016
[Read as single issues]
I'm confused as to what this is actually going to collect (as usual, thanks DC). The solicitation material says Robin War #1-2, and Grayson #13-16, which is just a weird combination. You'd think it'd be at least #13-17, since that's the final Seeley/King issue before Lanzing/Jackson take over to finish off the series. Anyway.
Robin War being collected is peculiar, since it's actually a Part 1-Part-2 type crossover with more issues than just those two and the Grayson issue; it's worth looking into elsewhere, since it's a good story, and sets up the first arc of Nightwing's Rebirth series too. No idea how it'll hold up with different issues missing, but hey, who reads DC's trades for their crossovers? Sigh.
The actual issues of Grayson are a different story. The two part A Ghost In The Tomb story re-introduces us to Agent Zero, as well as Otto Netz, and issue 16 is essentially a straight up James Bond story, with the perfect combination of hilariousness (Dick gives himself a theme tune, for goodness' sake), and explosions.
Grayson is a peculiar series. It's so, so good, and yet a lot of its important plot points take place in different books, like Robin War, or Batman & Robin Eternal, and then its writers bail before the final act, leaving fill-ins to clean up (more on that next volume); but despite all this, it's one of the most consistent series DC have put out in ages. Highly recommended, if you've got the supplementary material.
I'm confused as to what this is actually going to collect (as usual, thanks DC). The solicitation material says Robin War #1-2, and Grayson #13-16, which is just a weird combination. You'd think it'd be at least #13-17, since that's the final Seeley/King issue before Lanzing/Jackson take over to finish off the series. Anyway.
Robin War being collected is peculiar, since it's actually a Part 1-Part-2 type crossover with more issues than just those two and the Grayson issue; it's worth looking into elsewhere, since it's a good story, and sets up the first arc of Nightwing's Rebirth series too. No idea how it'll hold up with different issues missing, but hey, who reads DC's trades for their crossovers? Sigh.
The actual issues of Grayson are a different story. The two part A Ghost In The Tomb story re-introduces us to Agent Zero, as well as Otto Netz, and issue 16 is essentially a straight up James Bond story, with the perfect combination of hilariousness (Dick gives himself a theme tune, for goodness' sake), and explosions.
Grayson is a peculiar series. It's so, so good, and yet a lot of its important plot points take place in different books, like Robin War, or Batman & Robin Eternal, and then its writers bail before the final act, leaving fill-ins to clean up (more on that next volume); but despite all this, it's one of the most consistent series DC have put out in ages. Highly recommended, if you've got the supplementary material.
May 5, 2017
I was seriously considering giving this an extra star just for Dick's song and Tiger's contributions to the proceedings. The Robin Wars confused me, but I'm guessing that's to be expected since I haven't read concurrent Batfamily titles. That will likely change since it did stir my interest on Jason, Tim, and Damian. And the Court of Owls.
Dammit, I have so much catching up to do in DC and in Marvel. I need more free time.
EDIT: Glad to know I wasn't the only one confused with Robin Wars. From reading other reviews here, it was a hack job on the arc to add the issues Dick appeared in to the book. But can anyone tell me where the resolution for
Dammit, I have so much catching up to do in DC and in Marvel. I need more free time.
EDIT: Glad to know I wasn't the only one confused with Robin Wars. From reading other reviews here, it was a hack job on the arc to add the issues Dick appeared in to the book. But can anyone tell me where the resolution for
November 7, 2016
You know what's one of my biggest pet peeves? When you have to track down a totally different series to understand what's going on in the one you're reading. Despite some interesting elements, this series is becoming opaque to people who don't want to read "Robins" or "Batman." I'm going to give it up.
December 19, 2016
I love the Robins (the original ones, not the gang wannabe Robins). Dick has been my favorite forever. And I dearly love Jason.
My enjoyment of this series is purely based on Dick. He's a great character. But the story is always all over the place. Nothing fully makes sense. Like now Dick is part of Spyral and the Court of Owls? How did Dick get Agent 1 on his side? Get it together DC.
My enjoyment of this series is purely based on Dick. He's a great character. But the story is always all over the place. Nothing fully makes sense. Like now Dick is part of Spyral and the Court of Owls? How did Dick get Agent 1 on his side? Get it together DC.
June 2, 2020
This was a pretty good volume, with some great art. I am enjoying this version of Dick, and yet we still see his humor at points.
"One week. I've been riding with you for one week!"
"One week. I've been riding with you for one week!"
January 31, 2021
I can see how if you were just reading the Grayson run and didn’t have any context for all the Robin War stuff then yo7 might not enjoy the first half as much. But all my boys together ❤️
October 15, 2016
Having not read any of the "I am Robin" event, I was a little lost in the first two chapters. I didn't like the 'Robins' and actually found myself agreeing with Damian. They weren't Robin, they didn't earn the title, I'm glad he kicked their arse.
So, if the intention was for me to side with an arrogant, nearly insufferable brat, job done.
My biggest issue is with characters like Duke Thomas. This book is my introduction to the character, so perhaps he's fleshed out elsewhere, but he didn't click for me. He feels too much like a Marty Sue. He's able to effortlessly escape from a police car, guesses Dick and Damian's identities and is able to hold his own in a fight against fully trained combatants.
Most importantly, I didn't find him particularly likeable as a character. Perhaps this stems from the fact I haven't read any of the previous titles he appeared in, but that's irrelevant. I'm reading Grayson, the creators need to take into account that some stubborn fools like me simply want to read one title and one title alone. It falls on them to ensure any crossovers are written in a way that makes things less than incomprehensible.
I did like that Dick pulled a Batman and orchestrated events so the 'Robin's were locked away with the real Robins for guidance. I don't actually know how the arc ends as it jumps from Dick wearing an owl mask to a continuation of the main Grayson story arc and quite frankly I don't care. I would have preferred if they left out the first two chapters entirely.
The main story, focusing on Agent 37 and Agent 1 attempting to take down Spyral is a pretty amusing. It's almost like an old Roger Moore Bond story. It's goofy, but manages to work that into the adventure so you're not taken out of it. And there is Dick singing a variation on Goldfinger, so he's self-aware to realise he's living Bond's life. Dick's relationship with Tiger is one of my favourite pairings. They have such a great banter going on, I'm sure that Dick is reminded of his relationship with Batman. The overly serious partner who doesn't care for Dick's constant humour.
There's a moment that made me laugh where Dick is talking to Tim about how he's going to use his charm on a male. Tim seems surprised for some reason. Does he really think that Dick is any less charming to gay men?
Once again, Mikel Janin's artwork is amazing... particularly the several gratuitous shots of Dick sans clothes. I recall there was some controversy about the way Dick was treated as a sex object which makes me wonder if that's a deliberate subversion of the way women are so often treated in comics.
There are a dozen other artists credited with this volume, so I'm not sure who drew what. Overall it was acceptable, but when I'm reading Grayson, I only ever want to see him drawn by Mikel Janin.
Another solid entry in the Grayson series.
So, if the intention was for me to side with an arrogant, nearly insufferable brat, job done.
My biggest issue is with characters like Duke Thomas. This book is my introduction to the character, so perhaps he's fleshed out elsewhere, but he didn't click for me. He feels too much like a Marty Sue. He's able to effortlessly escape from a police car, guesses Dick and Damian's identities and is able to hold his own in a fight against fully trained combatants.
Most importantly, I didn't find him particularly likeable as a character. Perhaps this stems from the fact I haven't read any of the previous titles he appeared in, but that's irrelevant. I'm reading Grayson, the creators need to take into account that some stubborn fools like me simply want to read one title and one title alone. It falls on them to ensure any crossovers are written in a way that makes things less than incomprehensible.
I did like that Dick pulled a Batman and orchestrated events so the 'Robin's were locked away with the real Robins for guidance. I don't actually know how the arc ends as it jumps from Dick wearing an owl mask to a continuation of the main Grayson story arc and quite frankly I don't care. I would have preferred if they left out the first two chapters entirely.
The main story, focusing on Agent 37 and Agent 1 attempting to take down Spyral is a pretty amusing. It's almost like an old Roger Moore Bond story. It's goofy, but manages to work that into the adventure so you're not taken out of it. And there is Dick singing a variation on Goldfinger, so he's self-aware to realise he's living Bond's life. Dick's relationship with Tiger is one of my favourite pairings. They have such a great banter going on, I'm sure that Dick is reminded of his relationship with Batman. The overly serious partner who doesn't care for Dick's constant humour.
There's a moment that made me laugh where Dick is talking to Tim about how he's going to use his charm on a male. Tim seems surprised for some reason. Does he really think that Dick is any less charming to gay men?
Once again, Mikel Janin's artwork is amazing... particularly the several gratuitous shots of Dick sans clothes. I recall there was some controversy about the way Dick was treated as a sex object which makes me wonder if that's a deliberate subversion of the way women are so often treated in comics.
There are a dozen other artists credited with this volume, so I'm not sure who drew what. Overall it was acceptable, but when I'm reading Grayson, I only ever want to see him drawn by Mikel Janin.
Another solid entry in the Grayson series.
October 10, 2017
Uh, 2/3 of this book is not Grayson... But the parts that are Grayson, I really liked (as per usual).
...
How many times do I have to complain about messing with my collected editions? :(
Hey, Editors! Can you please explain what you're doing? I'm reading Grayson over here, K thnx. Now I have to go back and read We Are Robin…, Volume 1: The Vigilante Business and Robin War & no one on Goodreads seems to have liked either.
...
Ok, now that I've complained, let's split this review into two parts: We Are Robin/Robin Wars & Grayson.
We Are Robin/Robin Wars
I liked this little bit by Jason on why Robin needs Batman. <3
And we get a nice little reminder here that Dick will always be Robin. <3
...But then we have a really F*ed ending with the Court of Owls, which I know nothing about... so that sucks.
Anyway... on to Grayson!
I just love how we all agree here (in Grayson) that Dick is a hunk, and Seeley has him caught in a compromising nude/semi-nude position in each volume (for us). Yes thanks, that's exactly what I want. :)
I love the Grayson/Helena tension. I totally get why she can't be trusted, but I think I believe in her innocence here . I also love how Tiger tries to kill Dick in each & every volume, but then comes around to trust him again. It's a perfect love/hate partnership. Which is incredibly fun to read.
And this is why Grayson is the best.
...
How many times do I have to complain about messing with my collected editions? :(
Hey, Editors! Can you please explain what you're doing? I'm reading Grayson over here, K thnx. Now I have to go back and read We Are Robin…, Volume 1: The Vigilante Business and Robin War & no one on Goodreads seems to have liked either.
...
Ok, now that I've complained, let's split this review into two parts: We Are Robin/Robin Wars & Grayson.
We Are Robin/Robin Wars
I liked this little bit by Jason on why Robin needs Batman. <3
And we get a nice little reminder here that Dick will always be Robin. <3
...But then we have a really F*ed ending with the Court of Owls, which I know nothing about... so that sucks.
Anyway... on to Grayson!
I just love how we all agree here (in Grayson) that Dick is a hunk, and Seeley has him caught in a compromising nude/semi-nude position in each volume (for us). Yes thanks, that's exactly what I want. :)
I love the Grayson/Helena tension. I totally get why she can't be trusted, but I think I believe in her innocence here . I also love how Tiger tries to kill Dick in each & every volume, but then comes around to trust him again. It's a perfect love/hate partnership. Which is incredibly fun to read.
And this is why Grayson is the best.
April 25, 2018
Somehow, this 4th volume of Grayson struck me as considerably better than the first three. The strangest and most telling thing about that is that Dick Grayson himself is hardly in it, and when he is, he's really, well, just a dick. This takes place alongside the Robin Wars, and includes a few issues from that miniseries/event/whatever. I still have no idea why Robin Wars happened, and find it rather incredulous, even in the world of Gotham and DC. Tons of untrained kids get inspired to be part of a movement, in the vacuum of a proper Batman, who at this time is played by Gordon in a mech suit, making Batman more directly an arm of the police force rather than a rogue and transcendent element. Remember the Court of Owls? They're the centuries-old illuminati-esque secret society that has been pulling the strings of Gotham unbeknownst to the Bat-Clan until relatively recently (2011). They're comprised entirely of old names and old money with some mystical resources - the Waynes, the Pennyworths, and the Graysons are all connected to them going way back, and at this point, they're trying to fulfill some prophecy or complete the circle or something by coercing Dick into being their "Gray Son" (i.e. joining them in exchange for some peace on the Robin War front).
There were plenty of silly parts to this whole plot, but the art, character voices, and story-telling were on point in a way that made me see King and Seeley's strengths and weaknesses better. It's still the truth that the issues scripted by Tom King are far better than the ones Tim Seeley handles.
And I still don't like what they seem to be doing with Helena Bertinelli. But I'll wait until I've finished the final volume before making a judgment about that.
There were plenty of silly parts to this whole plot, but the art, character voices, and story-telling were on point in a way that made me see King and Seeley's strengths and weaknesses better. It's still the truth that the issues scripted by Tom King are far better than the ones Tim Seeley handles.
And I still don't like what they seem to be doing with Helena Bertinelli. But I'll wait until I've finished the final volume before making a judgment about that.
September 27, 2021
So, out on a limb with five stars for this volume of Grayson. It's a little high for a late-blooming sidekick-ish series, and a little high for being based on the premise that Dick Grayson was outed as Robin then killed in a public broadcast.
BUT...
This is a serous volume in two respects: The Robin War (and Dick's part in resolving it), and a local peak in the "superhero spy" self-referential irony that has been ongoing in the series.
On the Robin War: (I recommend the collected issues in Robin War, where the story is told in it's entirety, but with a few flaws), but in short: the growing "We Are Robin" movement in Gotham has a crisis when one of the amateur Robins is set up to take the fall for a police officer's death, and Robin support becomes illegal. Dick aims to protect the Robins while striking at the core of those perpetrating their persecution -- with some tragic results.
On 🎵Agent Thirty Seeeeeven, Ba Bow Wow🎶: Grayson #16 gives great parody, with send-ups of major spy-story tropes: the super-car, the signature drink, the womanizing (not Dick), the ski-chase, and most importantly, the theme song with mission montage and sexy silhouettes. The downside of the story? A new enemy and an ill-planned alliance.
BUT...
This is a serous volume in two respects: The Robin War (and Dick's part in resolving it), and a local peak in the "superhero spy" self-referential irony that has been ongoing in the series.
On the Robin War: (I recommend the collected issues in Robin War, where the story is told in it's entirety, but with a few flaws), but in short: the growing "We Are Robin" movement in Gotham has a crisis when one of the amateur Robins is set up to take the fall for a police officer's death, and Robin support becomes illegal. Dick aims to protect the Robins while striking at the core of those perpetrating their persecution -- with some tragic results.
On 🎵Agent Thirty Seeeeeven, Ba Bow Wow🎶: Grayson #16 gives great parody, with send-ups of major spy-story tropes: the super-car, the signature drink, the womanizing (not Dick), the ski-chase, and most importantly, the theme song with mission montage and sexy silhouettes. The downside of the story? A new enemy and an ill-planned alliance.
November 29, 2016
Spoilers
First of all, the Grayson issues in this collection are just great. Grayson is trying to figure out who Agent Zero is and it puts him and Tiger on a collision course with Spyral and some other DC spies. The Grayson issues of this book are a solid 4.5 stars from me.
What sucks about this book, however, is the stupid two-part Robin War that is collected here, with no context to give the reader any idea why it's included. It starts off okay, but then all of a sudden we see Damian with a Court of Owls mask, fighting all the kids who are wanting to be Robin all of a sudden, then it's just over and Damian and Duke bond. What? Then it closes out with Dick Grayson accepting an Owl mask, then the next issue in the collection mentions nothing of it. There's nothing to direct the reader to what in holy hell is going on, and where to find a conclusion of the Dick Grayson-as-Owl story. Really, DC?!? And did part of this read like the Batman vs Robin animated film at all to anyone else? And in case no one knows it, I absolutely hate the entire Court of Owls concept.
I HATE how DC collects these multi-title crossovers. It's frustrating because we don't get the entire story, and DC doesn't even let the reader know which issue is which in the trade. Sometimes it's easy to figure out, sometimes it's not. It's really shitty to make readers go through these crossovers with little to no conclusion to the story.
Therefore, I'm giving this only 2 stars.
First of all, the Grayson issues in this collection are just great. Grayson is trying to figure out who Agent Zero is and it puts him and Tiger on a collision course with Spyral and some other DC spies. The Grayson issues of this book are a solid 4.5 stars from me.
What sucks about this book, however, is the stupid two-part Robin War that is collected here, with no context to give the reader any idea why it's included. It starts off okay, but then all of a sudden we see Damian with a Court of Owls mask, fighting all the kids who are wanting to be Robin all of a sudden, then it's just over and Damian and Duke bond. What? Then it closes out with Dick Grayson accepting an Owl mask, then the next issue in the collection mentions nothing of it. There's nothing to direct the reader to what in holy hell is going on, and where to find a conclusion of the Dick Grayson-as-Owl story. Really, DC?!? And did part of this read like the Batman vs Robin animated film at all to anyone else? And in case no one knows it, I absolutely hate the entire Court of Owls concept.
I HATE how DC collects these multi-title crossovers. It's frustrating because we don't get the entire story, and DC doesn't even let the reader know which issue is which in the trade. Sometimes it's easy to figure out, sometimes it's not. It's really shitty to make readers go through these crossovers with little to no conclusion to the story.
Therefore, I'm giving this only 2 stars.
February 27, 2019
I'm giving a slight dip from usual 4-star Grayson reviews simply because the way this collection works is pretty wonky. The first half collects 3 issues of Robin War, a multi-part crossover featuring many different Robin-related series. Since it only collects 3 issues, it doesn't even remotely tell the full story, and as such would be incredibly confusing to read. I skipped them altogether so that I can read the Robin War collection separately, which means I really only read 3 issues of this trade. It would've been a lot smarter for DC to just print the Robin War collection on its own, then collect the remaining issues from this book and the ones in volume 5 as one larger volume.
So, what this means is, this book feels woefully short. The story is still escalating from volume 3, with Dick digging deeper into the Spyral conspiracy and getting to the bottom of who is actually behind it all. Unfortunately, it all happens a little too quickly and without a real sense of build. I still love the banter, art style, and characterizations, but the story is starting to feel like it's trying to wrap itself up too fast and too neatly.
Still, I've continually looked forward to each subsequent volume of this series, and that hasn't changed. This volume just feels like a minor step down from the others. Hoping the finale delivers, though!
So, what this means is, this book feels woefully short. The story is still escalating from volume 3, with Dick digging deeper into the Spyral conspiracy and getting to the bottom of who is actually behind it all. Unfortunately, it all happens a little too quickly and without a real sense of build. I still love the banter, art style, and characterizations, but the story is starting to feel like it's trying to wrap itself up too fast and too neatly.
Still, I've continually looked forward to each subsequent volume of this series, and that hasn't changed. This volume just feels like a minor step down from the others. Hoping the finale delivers, though!
May 17, 2020
I liked this a lot. Like a lot a lot. Aside from the back and forth I had to do to get all the Robin War stories in, I have to say that the story in this volume was extremely compelling. Not to mention the fact that Dick and Tiger’s banter is hilarious and great. What a pair. I love these two characters. I actually laughed out loud at the panel about the pencil, and I don’t remember the last time a comic book had me laugh. So that’s a plus.
The global montage with Dick singing that stupid song - cinematic. I can see that in a movie with a James Bond-style opening credits scene. It was so much fun. Lyrics need to be adjusted though, they’re not great. Dick is just... such a character. His personality shines in each panel. I love that he’s such a bright and bubbly figure. Also, the art. Mikel Janin’s work is flawless.
Not sure about the premise because I feel like everyone is undoing their own good work. The ending fell flat and also, we sort of left the Parliament of Owls story hanging. Do we trust Dick, or what?
Despite my initial dislike for this series, volume three and four have been way too enjoyable not to like. Loved this one so much!
The global montage with Dick singing that stupid song - cinematic. I can see that in a movie with a James Bond-style opening credits scene. It was so much fun. Lyrics need to be adjusted though, they’re not great. Dick is just... such a character. His personality shines in each panel. I love that he’s such a bright and bubbly figure. Also, the art. Mikel Janin’s work is flawless.
Not sure about the premise because I feel like everyone is undoing their own good work. The ending fell flat and also, we sort of left the Parliament of Owls story hanging. Do we trust Dick, or what?
Despite my initial dislike for this series, volume three and four have been way too enjoyable not to like. Loved this one so much!
July 3, 2018
So happy I didn’t give up on this series after Volume 2.
Everything I loved about Nemesis proved itself even stronger in A Ghost in the Tomb, with the only exception being how the end of the Robin War storyline fell entirely open and was never addressed again after hitting us with such a cliff-hanger. Also, I read Robin War previous to this, so I knew exactly what was going on, but for those who aren’t keeping up with the rest of the Batfamily, more of an intro would have been useful.
Dick’s humour is matched by moments of intense action, and his compassion for his friends and family, so his character never falls flatly into a single role as either air-head comedy relief or jaded superhero/spy.
Everything I loved about Nemesis proved itself even stronger in A Ghost in the Tomb, with the only exception being how the end of the Robin War storyline fell entirely open and was never addressed again after hitting us with such a cliff-hanger. Also, I read Robin War previous to this, so I knew exactly what was going on, but for those who aren’t keeping up with the rest of the Batfamily, more of an intro would have been useful.
Dick’s humour is matched by moments of intense action, and his compassion for his friends and family, so his character never falls flatly into a single role as either air-head comedy relief or jaded superhero/spy.
November 16, 2019
The Tom King/Tim Seeley collaboration, alongside multiple artists including Mikel Janin (who is my favorite of those who've worked on the series so far, I think), continues to be so much fun. I love how these two write Dick Grayson, and while I'd prefer to see him as Nightwing, this series has been a lot more fun than I'd ever anticipated.
In this one, Dick continues his deep work on Spyral, threading a very thin needle while annoying the hell out of everyone and being sexy as all hell while doing it. The final page reveal about who he might be collaborating with, though--not so sure about that!
I'm glad I decided to give this series a chance, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this story ends, assuming it wasn't one of the ones cut dead by Yet Another Reboot(tm).
In this one, Dick continues his deep work on Spyral, threading a very thin needle while annoying the hell out of everyone and being sexy as all hell while doing it. The final page reveal about who he might be collaborating with, though--not so sure about that!
I'm glad I decided to give this series a chance, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this story ends, assuming it wasn't one of the ones cut dead by Yet Another Reboot(tm).
May 6, 2017
This volume was a misstep for the series. Half of the collection was taken up by the inconsequential Robin War event. At least the Grayson series continues from where it left off in Volume 3 after Robin War. There are fun moments here for sure, but the usually good to excellent Tom King tried very hard to be clever with his dialogue and instead ends up being annoying. Overall, I don't regret reading this one since I'm deep into the series, but I hope Grayson can wrap with a satisfying conclusion. A usually fun series like this one deserves better than the Robin War nonsense or Tom King dialogue turned stale with overexposure.
April 12, 2019
The I am Robin/Robin War takes too much of the space here, a crossover of fair quality but completely different tone. In changing the tone, for a temporary run, the Grayson series seems more wacky, more Matt Helm than James Bond, and it works thanks to some great art talent. Janin and Mooney really deliver, and the diverse hands on the Robin War stuff are ok. I am, however, curious how this wraps up in the next volume.
Mildly recommended.
Mildly recommended.
May 30, 2016
Dick is getting closer to unraveling Spyral, just as they're getting closer to eliminating Dick. This book has some of the most hilarious lines and moments so you won't want to miss it. Dick is so versatile that he does great solo and in a team, seen here with Tiger.
Issue 16 is definitely the best, with the whole play on Bond. I'd totally be down for Dick as Bond; he plays the part well.
Issue 16 is definitely the best, with the whole play on Bond. I'd totally be down for Dick as Bond; he plays the part well.
June 11, 2017
Not gonna lie, the Robin War shit almost killed it for me. It was so freaking boring. I didn't care about it and didn't really see it have an impact on the rest of the story.
The Grayson issues, however, were amazing. I really love where the series is going and thought they were some of the most compelling issues so far. I'm almost sad to see it coming to a close.
The Grayson issues, however, were amazing. I really love where the series is going and thought they were some of the most compelling issues so far. I'm almost sad to see it coming to a close.
January 6, 2023
Very mixed volume here. It's bogged down by having to tie into the Robin War crossover, and has little to do with it beyond some delayed plot threads for Grayson I doubt ever come up again. When we finally get back to the actual spy plot, we got some overdue answers who's behind Spiral, but it's also a bit confusing. Hope this series lands on its feet in the final arc.
October 5, 2016
I have always enjoyed books that feature Dick Grayson. Sadly, they could not decide if they wanted Dick Grayson the spy, the heir of Batman, Nightwing or Robin, which leaves the reader wondering what it is that they're actually reading here.
July 1, 2020
5 🌟
After a bank robbery gone bad, the city makes the Robin Laws. The original Robins help the other Robin's and Dick joins the Parliament of Owls.
Dick and Agent One/ Tiger are taking down Sypral operatives. They also find out who Agent 0 is.
After a bank robbery gone bad, the city makes the Robin Laws. The original Robins help the other Robin's and Dick joins the Parliament of Owls.
Dick and Agent One/ Tiger are taking down Sypral operatives. They also find out who Agent 0 is.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews