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We Are Robin
We Are Robin, Volume 2: Jokers
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY.
Following the epic events of the DC Universe-spanning crossover event ROBIN WAR, the Robins are tired, tested and could use at least a little break from the non-stop action of the world of crime-fighting and superheroics. The only trouble is, the villains of Gotham see the aftermath of the Robin War as the perfect opportunity to strike the worn out and weary teen wonders.
One particularly sadistic new force of evil has made it their mission to destroy the Robins, one by one. This new movement laughs in the face of justice. They believe in anger. They believe in fear. They believe in chaos. They are...JOKERS!
Collecting: We Are Robin #7-12.
Following the epic events of the DC Universe-spanning crossover event ROBIN WAR, the Robins are tired, tested and could use at least a little break from the non-stop action of the world of crime-fighting and superheroics. The only trouble is, the villains of Gotham see the aftermath of the Robin War as the perfect opportunity to strike the worn out and weary teen wonders.
One particularly sadistic new force of evil has made it their mission to destroy the Robins, one by one. This new movement laughs in the face of justice. They believe in anger. They believe in fear. They believe in chaos. They are...JOKERS!
Collecting: We Are Robin #7-12.
152 pages, Library Binding
First published October 18, 2016
10 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Lee Bermejo
281 books189 followersLee Bermejo is a professional illustrator and comic book artist. He has done work for Marvel and DC Comics, Men's Health, Max Mara, Top Cow productions, Wizard Entertainment, and a crappy film called Ultraviolet (hey,whaddayagonnado). Talking about himself in the third person makes him feel more important than he really is. Anyway, enough about the blogger, let's talk art!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
November 6, 2022
(B) 72% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Too on-the-nose, intrigue-opposed, teases go unfinished, too hard to care when logic's rare and gravity's diminished.
Notes: Too on-the-nose, intrigue-opposed, teases go unfinished, too hard to care when logic's rare and gravity's diminished.
December 31, 2019
After the outcome of Robin War, the Robins have hung up their suits. As they try and return to their normal lives, a gang devoted to the Joker rises. Will some of our Robins come out of retirement to deal with this new threat?
I found the story kind of boring with very little of merit actually occurring. Jorge Corona's art is NOT very good. Glad to see this book end.
I found the story kind of boring with very little of merit actually occurring. Jorge Corona's art is NOT very good. Glad to see this book end.
September 29, 2021
Nicely re-paced, following the Robin War cross-over. The core of the We Are Robin movement in breaking apart, until polarized by a psychopath at Middletown High.
Duke Thomas gets my vote for the next Robin, should anything affect Damian Wayne's resurrection and return!
Duke Thomas gets my vote for the next Robin, should anything affect Damian Wayne's resurrection and return!
March 4, 2018
This little event takes place after the "huge" Robin War. There is no more "we" in each of the new Robins and they each are doing their own things. Whether its finding their lost parents or pursuing a crime-fighting life that they strongly believe in, the story mainly focuses on their individual motives in life and their struggle to believe in the Robin cause that was strongly shook by the Robin law.
Coincidentally, this is also the moment when a certain juvenile individual with a facial defect exits juvie and quickly flips his life upside down. This is the beginning of Smiley and the rise of a bunch of Joker wannabes. I mean, Joker himself is always easily able to find himself a bunch of goons to dress up as him and perpetrate evil around Gotham, so seeing a teenager take the lead wasn't much of a game-changer. Smiley's plans are quite erratic (what else are we to expect of a teenager, right?) and leads him to execute an event that has been occurring TOO often in the States. This gave Lee Bermejo the opportunity to tackle the issues about guns and also change the whole "I" back into "We". The final issue was a nice wrap-up for the whole series (not just this volume). The connection and the little wink wink to The Nest at the end were nice.
I have to say that this series really had nice ideas, but the execution could've been so much better. The artwork isn't that revolutionary, but I guess it still remains part of the identity of the series.
P.S. Full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
Coincidentally, this is also the moment when a certain juvenile individual with a facial defect exits juvie and quickly flips his life upside down. This is the beginning of Smiley and the rise of a bunch of Joker wannabes. I mean, Joker himself is always easily able to find himself a bunch of goons to dress up as him and perpetrate evil around Gotham, so seeing a teenager take the lead wasn't much of a game-changer. Smiley's plans are quite erratic (what else are we to expect of a teenager, right?) and leads him to execute an event that has been occurring TOO often in the States. This gave Lee Bermejo the opportunity to tackle the issues about guns and also change the whole "I" back into "We". The final issue was a nice wrap-up for the whole series (not just this volume). The connection and the little wink wink to The Nest at the end were nice.
I have to say that this series really had nice ideas, but the execution could've been so much better. The artwork isn't that revolutionary, but I guess it still remains part of the identity of the series.
P.S. Full review to come
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: http://bookidote.wordpress.com
January 27, 2021
The Robins come face to face with their worst nightmare when a band of teenagers inspired by the Joker rise up in an effort to spread chaos among the already vulnerable city of Gotham.
This second We Are Robin volume improves on the first by shedding quite a lot of its plotlines and focusing in properly. Duke's parents are finally recovered, the Court Of Owls stuff is all dealt with during Robin War (although the impact on this title feels fairly minimal since I didn't re-read the crossover and I didn't feel like I missed much), and the Nest mystery doesn't return until the last issue or so.
That said, the focus is instead placed on Smiley, a fairly run of the mill villain with a good aesthetic design that never really comes to fruition. He's just a dude with a gun at the end of the day, and cheap Joker knock-offs are a dime a dozen. In fact that most important thing about him is that this storyline could only take place at this point in the DC Universe because the Joker was out of commission at the time. The Jokers storyline feels drawn out even at only four issues, and the Robins definitely get sidelined for most of it.
The final single issue story is better and shows the potential of what the We Are Robin kids could become in the future, but I doubt many of these characters will get revisited down the line unless someone wants some cannon fodder (which is sad really).
The artwork's still the same, as Jorge Corona handles all five issues that aren't crossover material here. It's a little less busy than it was before, but he never really captures how creepy Smiley could be, and I wasn't sold on the eventual designs for the Robin kids in their final outfits either. Not enough of a unifying concept, especially after going from the Robin colours down to individual costumes and the emphasis on 'We' that the final issue goes for.
We Are Robin's a good idea in principle, with an effortlessly diverse cast in a city full of potential. Unfortunately it gets mired down in focusing away from its main characters in this second and last volume, and I doubt the lasting impact of the book will be felt even by Duke, who seems to be the only one who has stuck around at all.
This second We Are Robin volume improves on the first by shedding quite a lot of its plotlines and focusing in properly. Duke's parents are finally recovered, the Court Of Owls stuff is all dealt with during Robin War (although the impact on this title feels fairly minimal since I didn't re-read the crossover and I didn't feel like I missed much), and the Nest mystery doesn't return until the last issue or so.
That said, the focus is instead placed on Smiley, a fairly run of the mill villain with a good aesthetic design that never really comes to fruition. He's just a dude with a gun at the end of the day, and cheap Joker knock-offs are a dime a dozen. In fact that most important thing about him is that this storyline could only take place at this point in the DC Universe because the Joker was out of commission at the time. The Jokers storyline feels drawn out even at only four issues, and the Robins definitely get sidelined for most of it.
The final single issue story is better and shows the potential of what the We Are Robin kids could become in the future, but I doubt many of these characters will get revisited down the line unless someone wants some cannon fodder (which is sad really).
The artwork's still the same, as Jorge Corona handles all five issues that aren't crossover material here. It's a little less busy than it was before, but he never really captures how creepy Smiley could be, and I wasn't sold on the eventual designs for the Robin kids in their final outfits either. Not enough of a unifying concept, especially after going from the Robin colours down to individual costumes and the emphasis on 'We' that the final issue goes for.
We Are Robin's a good idea in principle, with an effortlessly diverse cast in a city full of potential. Unfortunately it gets mired down in focusing away from its main characters in this second and last volume, and I doubt the lasting impact of the book will be felt even by Duke, who seems to be the only one who has stuck around at all.
November 2, 2024
Robins be robining
May 30, 2016
Every day, some things end...and others begin. The Robins are all over the place, splintered after the Robin War, and this issue is a glimpse into how everyone is fairing after disbanding. Duke, Izzy, Riko (shout out to those of you who remember her from Gotham Academy; hopefully we see her back some day!), Dax, and Dre feel like failures while trying to return to teenage "normalcy". Of course, just because the Robins aren’t actively being pursued by the GCPD doesn’t mean they get a break. Instead, Affluenza-affected, makeup-wearing Joker-fanboy villain, Smiley, is wreaking havoc on Gotham. Will the Robins be able to turn that frown upside down and put a stop to Smiley and his band of clowns (literal clowns) or will Gotham be once again warned to stay indoors after dark?
November 8, 2023
Terminando agora o arco We are Robin, e entendo porque essa história é esquecivel quando se fala nos novos 52. Eu decidi lê-la por conta de um guia que encontrei na net sobre HQs necessárias para transição dos N52 para o Renascimento, mas teminando a mesma, percebi que foi uma história ok e não consegui identificar elementos que a ligue ao Renascimento. Talvez algum personagem que atuou como Robin apareça mais pra frente, não sei.
To que tange essa parte 2, achei interessante a dicotomia traçada entre o que representa a figura do Robin, como sendo a juventude participando na proteção da cidade e buscando colaborar com o bem estar da população; enquanto que o Risonho, inspirado no Joker, representa o caos e a insatisfação de pessoas para com o sistema.
Inclusive, é possível traçar um paralelo e tentar discutir o Risonho sob a ótica do porte de armas nos Estados Unidos, assim como a questão dos atentados nas escolas.
To que tange essa parte 2, achei interessante a dicotomia traçada entre o que representa a figura do Robin, como sendo a juventude participando na proteção da cidade e buscando colaborar com o bem estar da população; enquanto que o Risonho, inspirado no Joker, representa o caos e a insatisfação de pessoas para com o sistema.
Inclusive, é possível traçar um paralelo e tentar discutir o Risonho sob a ótica do porte de armas nos Estados Unidos, assim como a questão dos atentados nas escolas.
January 17, 2018
already read this when I read Robin Wars...sigh.
August 15, 2020
Pretty good
June 17, 2016
3.5 Stars
After the events of Robin War, the Robins have disbanded and gone back to their normal lives. They still keep in touch, but they don't patrol or "save the day". But.... that changes when "Smiley", a kid from Juvie who is literally crazy, goes home and murders his parents. He then paints his face to match his idol, the Joker, and recruits a gang to help him terrorize a high school. They claim "We Are Jokers".
The Robins get back together to save the school from the Jokers, and they realize they need each other more than just for fighting crime, but also as friends. In fact, when one of their group takes it upon himself to rob Wayne Manor with a crew of criminals, the Robins re-suit up and stop them, helping their friend escape it all.
This title was very short overall, but provided a youthful and modern expression of "Robin". I know that Duke Thomas will be be continuing his adventures in the post-Rebirth main Batman title, so I am anxious to see what his next step is.
Volume recommend.
Series (with the Robin War crossover in it) recommended, especially if you want a new perspective on what it means to be "Robin".
After the events of Robin War, the Robins have disbanded and gone back to their normal lives. They still keep in touch, but they don't patrol or "save the day". But.... that changes when "Smiley", a kid from Juvie who is literally crazy, goes home and murders his parents. He then paints his face to match his idol, the Joker, and recruits a gang to help him terrorize a high school. They claim "We Are Jokers".
The Robins get back together to save the school from the Jokers, and they realize they need each other more than just for fighting crime, but also as friends. In fact, when one of their group takes it upon himself to rob Wayne Manor with a crew of criminals, the Robins re-suit up and stop them, helping their friend escape it all.
This title was very short overall, but provided a youthful and modern expression of "Robin". I know that Duke Thomas will be be continuing his adventures in the post-Rebirth main Batman title, so I am anxious to see what his next step is.
Volume recommend.
Series (with the Robin War crossover in it) recommended, especially if you want a new perspective on what it means to be "Robin".
May 11, 2017
I just want this to end.
World: The art is fine, nothing special. World building is spotty and illogical just like the entire premise of this series. Bad.
Story: The story is choppy and the villain this arc was just unappealing, it was paced a bit better than the previous arc but not by much. The separate stories for each character was better but as I said in the last arc, they are all racial stereotypes which annoyed. This series ends with this arc and I'm so happy. This is garbage.
Characters: There is more effort to give motivation for the characters here. But choppy writing still hinders these characters and also not a lot of appeal at all.
This series is ended yeah!!!!
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is fine, nothing special. World building is spotty and illogical just like the entire premise of this series. Bad.
Story: The story is choppy and the villain this arc was just unappealing, it was paced a bit better than the previous arc but not by much. The separate stories for each character was better but as I said in the last arc, they are all racial stereotypes which annoyed. This series ends with this arc and I'm so happy. This is garbage.
Characters: There is more effort to give motivation for the characters here. But choppy writing still hinders these characters and also not a lot of appeal at all.
This series is ended yeah!!!!
Onward to the next book!
February 5, 2017
I loved the story in the first volume of We Are Robin. But between Vol 1 and here there was an epic world changing monstrous crossover event which besides sucking to high heaven and being generally a terrible idea and story it ruined the We Are Robin comic.
This volume is the team recovering from something that did not even happen in their own comic book. It was stupid and angsty and lame. If I wanted to read a comic book about teens whining I could just read Archie or X-Men. I mean the best thing the creative team can come up with is another Joker story?
This volume is an example of why I had stopped buying DC New52 Comics.
This volume is the team recovering from something that did not even happen in their own comic book. It was stupid and angsty and lame. If I wanted to read a comic book about teens whining I could just read Archie or X-Men. I mean the best thing the creative team can come up with is another Joker story?
This volume is an example of why I had stopped buying DC New52 Comics.
February 3, 2018
loses some because I had to read Robin War before this. Ugh.
Still, this volume works better because it's more about kids rising up than the entire Robin mythos.
The new bad guy Smiley was a good placeholder for Joker. I enjoy the lowstakes Batman world they are creating with this.
Some nice easter eggs like Daxton being the son of the guy who killed Bruce Wayne's parents. The reveal that Alfred is the Nest.
Not having the awful Jim Gordon Batman helps the book.
I liked the last chapter where it the split is really about the "people with guns" and "people without guns".
Still, this volume works better because it's more about kids rising up than the entire Robin mythos.
The new bad guy Smiley was a good placeholder for Joker. I enjoy the lowstakes Batman world they are creating with this.
Some nice easter eggs like Daxton being the son of the guy who killed Bruce Wayne's parents. The reveal that Alfred is the Nest.
Not having the awful Jim Gordon Batman helps the book.
I liked the last chapter where it the split is really about the "people with guns" and "people without guns".
April 9, 2019
A kid is driven crazy because he got plastic surgery to give him a permanent smile when he was younger, and now goes on a rampage to kill a bunch of people, KINDA in the name of the Joker?
I cannot believe Batman (whichever one is Batman at this point) would not interfere and take down this guy who is killing a bunch of people. Instead, the children of We Are Robin try to defeat him. It's so dumb and I truly don't care about any character because no one is developed.
I cannot believe Batman (whichever one is Batman at this point) would not interfere and take down this guy who is killing a bunch of people. Instead, the children of We Are Robin try to defeat him. It's so dumb and I truly don't care about any character because no one is developed.
January 3, 2017
There is a big hole in the plot between the end of the last volume and the start of this one due to a DC cross over event. The Robin's are not only broken up but outlawed. This is mostly the story of the team coming back together in their own way. I think to fully appreciate this one needs to read the Robin Wars first.
December 28, 2018
The conclusion of this series, while less hampered by setting up an event that wasn't a good event (but I repeat myself), has looser, less controlled art (but still vivid), and some really annoying preachy stuff in the climax about guns (which is done a lot better by Ed Brubaker in his Batman run from almost two decades ago).
March 28, 2017
Overly dark art, overly mis-spelled or 'hip' names, and an anti-gun theme bludgeoned into the readers head. Combine these faults with a villain who could have been interesting in his own right but as Joker 2.0 is derivative, forced, and flat, and you are left with a disappointing volume.
January 28, 2017
Even better than Vol. 1. I like Bermejo has a created a world where the actions of Batman, the Joker, et. all inspire and conspire to draw ordinary citizens into the fray.
June 24, 2018
We Are Robin: Jokers picks up where the previous trade paperback left off, collecting the last six issues (7–12) of the 2015 on-going series.
We Are Robin: Jokers opens with the Robin War event issue (We Are Robin #7) written by Lee Bermejo and penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico. It is the fourth issue of six issues, so we don't know how the storyline started or how it would end and could be problematic if one hasn't read the proceeding issues.
It starts out with the We Are Robin Gang witnessing Jason Todd as Red Hood and Red Robin as Tim Drake fight for the amusement of the Talons of the Court of Owls. It was all a rouse to free the other Robins that are tapped in bird cages hanging above. Together, they fight the Talons and free themselves from their prison.
The "We Are Joker" storyline is a four-issue story, which deals with the aftermath of the Robin War. The group was disbanded and for the most part the rest of the group goes on with life as usual. Duke Thomas finally finds his parents, who were John and Jane Does in one of the many mental hospitals in Gotham City. Andre "Dre" Cipriani decides to go solo on the vigilante business and Daxton "Dax" Chill is busy making gadgets similar to Batman's in his free time.
Meanwhile, a rival group is trying to fill the vacuum that the Robin group created when the disassembled. However, instead of doing good they are committing crimes – in the name of the Joker. Andre Cipriani manages to infiltrate the group as a fellow Joker when they attack Middletown North High School – the school that both Duke Thomas and Riko Sheridan attend.
In the heat of the battle, Andre Cipriani finds Duke Thomas and Riko Sheridan and together they fight off the Jokers. Meanwhile, Daxton Chill and Isabella Ortiz manage to infiltrate the school using a homemade grappling gun that Daxton Chill invented. In the end, the former Robin team save the day and together decided to regroup again – this time without "The Nest" as their mysterious benefactor.
The last issue (We Are Robin #12) is a one-shot that deals with a former Robin member that has gotten himself in a bit of trouble and is pleading for help. This particular Robin was disillusioned with life – he was Robin during the Homeless Riot in We Are Robin #3, but got injured. He was a gymnast on the varsity team of his high school, but had to quit and turn down his scholarship, because of his injury.
Disillusioned, he got himself in trouble with a group of criminals that is about to burgle a penthouse belonging to Bruce Wayne. His plea for help was responded by the Robin group – in their new uniforms, which successfully stopped the crime.
Lee Bermejo wrote the entire trade paperback and for the most part, I really liked what he has written. It was rather interesting to read the ordinary day lives of the Robins and experienced how diverse the group really is. I just wished that Bermejo could have spent more time with these individuals before the series ended. It seemed like just when we are getting to know these Robins it is time to say goodbye – perhaps forever. I will miss getting to know them more – I was a tad disappointed that we didn't get to know Daxton Chill more – I was hoping to have a story center on him and his family inclusion into the Batman mythos. There were so many more stories to tell, before it was dropped from serialization.
We Are Robin: Jokers has two pencilers. With the exception of the Robin War issue (We Are Robin #7), which was penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico, the rest of the series was penciled by Jorge Corona. For the most part, I liked Corona's penciling style – Di Giandomenico's not so much. Artistically they didn't really complement each other all that well, but since Di Giandomenico's issue was at the beginning the flow, artistically speaking, wasn't so bad.
The series as a whole was executed rather well. I enjoyed the premise of the series – it's a really different take on the Robin mantle. As mentioned earlier, I just wished there were more issues to dive into the many stories that these characters could have brought. Also mentioned earlier, it was like we were getting to know each other and slowly becoming friends when it was yanked from serialization.
All in all, We Are Robin: Jokers is a wonderful conclusion for the series. It is a lovely series that I quite enjoyed reading, I just there were more character development and have them together with a few more adventures. Regardless, it was a wonderful read.
We Are Robin: Jokers opens with the Robin War event issue (We Are Robin #7) written by Lee Bermejo and penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico. It is the fourth issue of six issues, so we don't know how the storyline started or how it would end and could be problematic if one hasn't read the proceeding issues.
It starts out with the We Are Robin Gang witnessing Jason Todd as Red Hood and Red Robin as Tim Drake fight for the amusement of the Talons of the Court of Owls. It was all a rouse to free the other Robins that are tapped in bird cages hanging above. Together, they fight the Talons and free themselves from their prison.
The "We Are Joker" storyline is a four-issue story, which deals with the aftermath of the Robin War. The group was disbanded and for the most part the rest of the group goes on with life as usual. Duke Thomas finally finds his parents, who were John and Jane Does in one of the many mental hospitals in Gotham City. Andre "Dre" Cipriani decides to go solo on the vigilante business and Daxton "Dax" Chill is busy making gadgets similar to Batman's in his free time.
Meanwhile, a rival group is trying to fill the vacuum that the Robin group created when the disassembled. However, instead of doing good they are committing crimes – in the name of the Joker. Andre Cipriani manages to infiltrate the group as a fellow Joker when they attack Middletown North High School – the school that both Duke Thomas and Riko Sheridan attend.
In the heat of the battle, Andre Cipriani finds Duke Thomas and Riko Sheridan and together they fight off the Jokers. Meanwhile, Daxton Chill and Isabella Ortiz manage to infiltrate the school using a homemade grappling gun that Daxton Chill invented. In the end, the former Robin team save the day and together decided to regroup again – this time without "The Nest" as their mysterious benefactor.
The last issue (We Are Robin #12) is a one-shot that deals with a former Robin member that has gotten himself in a bit of trouble and is pleading for help. This particular Robin was disillusioned with life – he was Robin during the Homeless Riot in We Are Robin #3, but got injured. He was a gymnast on the varsity team of his high school, but had to quit and turn down his scholarship, because of his injury.
Disillusioned, he got himself in trouble with a group of criminals that is about to burgle a penthouse belonging to Bruce Wayne. His plea for help was responded by the Robin group – in their new uniforms, which successfully stopped the crime.
Lee Bermejo wrote the entire trade paperback and for the most part, I really liked what he has written. It was rather interesting to read the ordinary day lives of the Robins and experienced how diverse the group really is. I just wished that Bermejo could have spent more time with these individuals before the series ended. It seemed like just when we are getting to know these Robins it is time to say goodbye – perhaps forever. I will miss getting to know them more – I was a tad disappointed that we didn't get to know Daxton Chill more – I was hoping to have a story center on him and his family inclusion into the Batman mythos. There were so many more stories to tell, before it was dropped from serialization.
We Are Robin: Jokers has two pencilers. With the exception of the Robin War issue (We Are Robin #7), which was penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico, the rest of the series was penciled by Jorge Corona. For the most part, I liked Corona's penciling style – Di Giandomenico's not so much. Artistically they didn't really complement each other all that well, but since Di Giandomenico's issue was at the beginning the flow, artistically speaking, wasn't so bad.
The series as a whole was executed rather well. I enjoyed the premise of the series – it's a really different take on the Robin mantle. As mentioned earlier, I just wished there were more issues to dive into the many stories that these characters could have brought. Also mentioned earlier, it was like we were getting to know each other and slowly becoming friends when it was yanked from serialization.
All in all, We Are Robin: Jokers is a wonderful conclusion for the series. It is a lovely series that I quite enjoyed reading, I just there were more character development and have them together with a few more adventures. Regardless, it was a wonderful read.
July 23, 2017
WARNING! POTENTIAL SPOILERS!
It’s the last story in WE ARE ROBIN VOLUME 2: JOKERS, “The Hero Business,” that I enjoyed the most. The inclusion of “Jokers” made the volume’s title provocative but the story itself was a let down -- No new addition or twist to the “Joker lore” – No “Next Gen Joker” through Smiley – Just bait to get you to break the book’s spine.
“Smiley” is Johnny Bender’s nickname after plastic surgery gone wrong. The premise of the operation was interesting but not explored. It would have been interesting to learn why Johnny’s parents felt it was so important that he smile. He and Duke are peers so contrasting his relationship with his parents with Duke’s might have provided some poignant insights into both their characters and possibly provided some insightful commentary on modern parenting in general – just as the last story, “Hero Business,” does on the notion of heroism.
VOLUME 1 introduced us to Duke’s search for his parents. They are among the many Gotham citizens missing after “Joker Toxin” turned them into babbling, laughing idiots. VOLUME 2 concludes Duke’s search and initiates the next chapter of his story as his parents’ caregiver. Each depiction of Duke caring for his parents is an opportunity to explore the dynamic when life flips the script and the child is made responsible for their parents’ welfare. I don’t think you need dialogue (or a monologue) here. The images are poignant enough. The one that got me is the one where Duke is spoon-feeding his mother. She’s gotten the gruel all over her face. It’s a familiar scene of a parent spoon-feeding his baby. It’s warm and pleasant but inversed, where an adult child feeds his ailing parents, it becomes sad -- a powerful statement on family and caring for parents.
In my favorite story, “Hero Business,” a group of Robins come together to prevent a fellow Robin from sinking into villainy. This friend’s father has lost several construction contracts to the larger, better-funded Wayne Corporation and he is desperate to help his family make ends meet. Though he cherishes his experiences as a Robin, he feels he has no other option. He succumbs to his sense of filial piety and agrees to help a group of thieves rob Bruce Wayne.
One Robin speaks to another and so on and so on until a small group of the story-core Robins come together to stop the robbers and reclaim one of their own. In addition to the observations made about the nature of heroism, anti-heros (all the Robins are vigilantes), and villains, “Hero Business” is about the nature of friendship. One of the best scenes is a short one where one Robin asks another who the Robin in trouble is? And the other Robin responds with a brief description akin to “you’d know him if you saw him.”
The situation along with Smiley’s invasion of his high school were the catalysts the Robins needed to reinvigorate the spirit of the Robins. They had had been downcast at the order to disband from the original Robins, by their vilification by formal law enforcement, and their capture by the Owls. Though I fault the WE ARE ROBIN series for not spending enough time on certain issues or ideas, overall the series so far has been well paced, making both VOLUME 1 and 2 great to read.
It’s the last story in WE ARE ROBIN VOLUME 2: JOKERS, “The Hero Business,” that I enjoyed the most. The inclusion of “Jokers” made the volume’s title provocative but the story itself was a let down -- No new addition or twist to the “Joker lore” – No “Next Gen Joker” through Smiley – Just bait to get you to break the book’s spine.
“Smiley” is Johnny Bender’s nickname after plastic surgery gone wrong. The premise of the operation was interesting but not explored. It would have been interesting to learn why Johnny’s parents felt it was so important that he smile. He and Duke are peers so contrasting his relationship with his parents with Duke’s might have provided some poignant insights into both their characters and possibly provided some insightful commentary on modern parenting in general – just as the last story, “Hero Business,” does on the notion of heroism.
VOLUME 1 introduced us to Duke’s search for his parents. They are among the many Gotham citizens missing after “Joker Toxin” turned them into babbling, laughing idiots. VOLUME 2 concludes Duke’s search and initiates the next chapter of his story as his parents’ caregiver. Each depiction of Duke caring for his parents is an opportunity to explore the dynamic when life flips the script and the child is made responsible for their parents’ welfare. I don’t think you need dialogue (or a monologue) here. The images are poignant enough. The one that got me is the one where Duke is spoon-feeding his mother. She’s gotten the gruel all over her face. It’s a familiar scene of a parent spoon-feeding his baby. It’s warm and pleasant but inversed, where an adult child feeds his ailing parents, it becomes sad -- a powerful statement on family and caring for parents.
In my favorite story, “Hero Business,” a group of Robins come together to prevent a fellow Robin from sinking into villainy. This friend’s father has lost several construction contracts to the larger, better-funded Wayne Corporation and he is desperate to help his family make ends meet. Though he cherishes his experiences as a Robin, he feels he has no other option. He succumbs to his sense of filial piety and agrees to help a group of thieves rob Bruce Wayne.
One Robin speaks to another and so on and so on until a small group of the story-core Robins come together to stop the robbers and reclaim one of their own. In addition to the observations made about the nature of heroism, anti-heros (all the Robins are vigilantes), and villains, “Hero Business” is about the nature of friendship. One of the best scenes is a short one where one Robin asks another who the Robin in trouble is? And the other Robin responds with a brief description akin to “you’d know him if you saw him.”
The situation along with Smiley’s invasion of his high school were the catalysts the Robins needed to reinvigorate the spirit of the Robins. They had had been downcast at the order to disband from the original Robins, by their vilification by formal law enforcement, and their capture by the Owls. Though I fault the WE ARE ROBIN series for not spending enough time on certain issues or ideas, overall the series so far has been well paced, making both VOLUME 1 and 2 great to read.
April 23, 2021
Reprints We Are Robin #7-12 (February 2016-July 2016). The Robins have been disbanded and outlawed on the streets of Gotham…which makes things difficult when a gang calling the Jokerz start a crime spree around the city. Backed into a corner, the Robins might have to reform to stop the threat…save the city without anyone knowing.
Written by Lee Bermejo, We Are Robin Volume 2: Jokers is a New 52 Batman spin-off title. Following We Are Robin Volume 1: The Vigilante Business, the collection features art by Jorge Corona, Rob Haynes, and Carmine Di Giandomenico. We Are Robin #7 (February 2016) is also featured in Robin War.
We Are Robin was kind of the supposed to be the gritty homemade “Kick-Ass” type of superhero for the DC Universe (plus, the series had great covers). The characters were basically (with a little side help) making and creating their own means of fighting crime while being “in touch with the youth” in a way different than superhero teams like the Teen Titans. We Are Robin 2: Jokers looks at when the criminals try the same thing.
The main story in We Are Robin 2: Jokers is bookended by two single issue stories. It doesn’t really do a very good job explaining what was happening in Robin War in this collection, nor does it good at telling what happened in later issues of the Robin War that leads into We Are Robin #8…it feels like the book needed a one page “what came before” and “wrap-up” around issue #7. The final issue of the story kind of sets up a potential future for the Robins after the cancellation of the series…it also feels less that satisfying.
The bulk of the story is the Jokers storyline. The Smiley character would have been an interesting foil to the Robins if the series had stuck around longer, and I think a “young Joker” that isn’t someone like a Harley Quinn or Joker’s Daughter would have been a potentially interesting addition to DC…especially if he settled on 1980s extreme-violent Joker. I also like that it hints to the Batman Beyond gang Jokerz who became a great terrorizing force in that timeline.
I really liked the concept of We Are Robin. It feels real. If there were superheroes and superheroes had teen sidekicks, there would be other teens trying to mimic those sidekicks probably with less success than the Robins in this book…which would have made an interesting book itself (I guess the “Dead Robin” storyline kind of touched on that in Gotham Central). The Robins never feel like they got the chance due to Robin War and the already crowded New 52. With Duke still having a significant role, maybe more of the robins will fly again.
Written by Lee Bermejo, We Are Robin Volume 2: Jokers is a New 52 Batman spin-off title. Following We Are Robin Volume 1: The Vigilante Business, the collection features art by Jorge Corona, Rob Haynes, and Carmine Di Giandomenico. We Are Robin #7 (February 2016) is also featured in Robin War.
We Are Robin was kind of the supposed to be the gritty homemade “Kick-Ass” type of superhero for the DC Universe (plus, the series had great covers). The characters were basically (with a little side help) making and creating their own means of fighting crime while being “in touch with the youth” in a way different than superhero teams like the Teen Titans. We Are Robin 2: Jokers looks at when the criminals try the same thing.
The main story in We Are Robin 2: Jokers is bookended by two single issue stories. It doesn’t really do a very good job explaining what was happening in Robin War in this collection, nor does it good at telling what happened in later issues of the Robin War that leads into We Are Robin #8…it feels like the book needed a one page “what came before” and “wrap-up” around issue #7. The final issue of the story kind of sets up a potential future for the Robins after the cancellation of the series…it also feels less that satisfying.
The bulk of the story is the Jokers storyline. The Smiley character would have been an interesting foil to the Robins if the series had stuck around longer, and I think a “young Joker” that isn’t someone like a Harley Quinn or Joker’s Daughter would have been a potentially interesting addition to DC…especially if he settled on 1980s extreme-violent Joker. I also like that it hints to the Batman Beyond gang Jokerz who became a great terrorizing force in that timeline.
I really liked the concept of We Are Robin. It feels real. If there were superheroes and superheroes had teen sidekicks, there would be other teens trying to mimic those sidekicks probably with less success than the Robins in this book…which would have made an interesting book itself (I guess the “Dead Robin” storyline kind of touched on that in Gotham Central). The Robins never feel like they got the chance due to Robin War and the already crowded New 52. With Duke still having a significant role, maybe more of the robins will fly again.
December 31, 2019
Maybe it's just the timing of reading this, but the major conflict in this volume (armed Joker wannabe kids taking over a school) was gross and unjustified. After a crossover issue from Robin War, we're dumped into a new Status Quo where the whole Robin thing has basically been dumped, and instead we're left with a core group of mopey kids who weren't memorable in the first place now being even more unmemorable trying to decide if they want to be Robins or not. And then we have the villainous Smiley (Joker Jr., which considering there's already a Joker's Daughter wandering around seems utterly unoriginal) gathering gang members to 'educate' the world about its senselessness. His motivations are terrible (both terribly defined and terrible in action), and nobody in the entire volume seems to be doing anything worthwhile. It's all a lot of waffling and whining. The final issue at least tries something a little different and provides a hint of closure to what happened in the first volume, but overall this series died a death that it totally deserved. While it might have had something interesting in its original concept, the execution never worked. The art wasn't terrible, but it wasn't particularly good either (I couldn't tell a number of the characters apart, which is never a good sign). I think 4 Robins in the DC Universe is plenty. Well, maybe 5.
July 14, 2020
This was just terrible. Some loser kid becomes a Joker copycat and so he basically acts like the Joker (or a badly written Joker.) There's no originality here in the villain. It's just the Joker but it's not, so why should you care? The book doesn't seem to be saying anything by having a Joker copycat either...what are the implications of this? Where does this character end up (he just sort of vanishes after an anticlimactic defeat.)
I also really hate the art in this book. Everybody looks so hideously ugly.
This book, about a bunch of kids becoming freelance Robins, lives or dies by you knowing who all these kids are and liking their characters. After 12 issues I still didn't know most of their names, personalities, or anything. They never established any chemistry with each other. I don't know what they think about each other. Ensemble books should be balancing fun characters who you want to see in all sorts of stories and conflicts. This utterly failed at that.
I also have a general problem with the idea that just any kid can be a superhero if they wanna be and be so awesome at it. How are all these kids not totally dead within moments? They're jumping off roofs and stuff as if they trained for years.
I also really hate the art in this book. Everybody looks so hideously ugly.
This book, about a bunch of kids becoming freelance Robins, lives or dies by you knowing who all these kids are and liking their characters. After 12 issues I still didn't know most of their names, personalities, or anything. They never established any chemistry with each other. I don't know what they think about each other. Ensemble books should be balancing fun characters who you want to see in all sorts of stories and conflicts. This utterly failed at that.
I also have a general problem with the idea that just any kid can be a superhero if they wanna be and be so awesome at it. How are all these kids not totally dead within moments? They're jumping off roofs and stuff as if they trained for years.
July 28, 2020
We Are Robin: Volume 2 - Jokers Review:
We Are Robin: Volume 2 is written by Lee Bermejo. Who also did the first volume of this book along with the same artists. Volume 1 is a very mediocre book, while it has a lot potential it ended up being bland. The characters, story, and the writing as well was very mixed. Unfortunately, it's pretty much the same for volume 2.
Volume 2 took place after the Robin War storyline. Which was also has the same problems for this one. Now this one has the same problems as volume 1, again this book has a very decent premise. The start of this book was actually quite decent and the introduction of the villain for this volume is quite nice as well.
But then, it kinda falls apart towards the end. Because we really didn't get a lot more for the villain and the characters are once again not really interesting. They barely even explore them imo and that the dialogue is very mixed again as well. The story was okay, but again, I found it to be a bit lacking like the first one
I think overall, volume 2 has the same positives and negatives as the first one. The premise was again decent and it starts off fairly well. It however starts to fall apart towards the end and that I wished the villain was a bit more used. So it was a bland and forgettable book in the end. Both volume 1 and volume 2.
5.5/10
We Are Robin: Volume 2 is written by Lee Bermejo. Who also did the first volume of this book along with the same artists. Volume 1 is a very mediocre book, while it has a lot potential it ended up being bland. The characters, story, and the writing as well was very mixed. Unfortunately, it's pretty much the same for volume 2.
Volume 2 took place after the Robin War storyline. Which was also has the same problems for this one. Now this one has the same problems as volume 1, again this book has a very decent premise. The start of this book was actually quite decent and the introduction of the villain for this volume is quite nice as well.
But then, it kinda falls apart towards the end. Because we really didn't get a lot more for the villain and the characters are once again not really interesting. They barely even explore them imo and that the dialogue is very mixed again as well. The story was okay, but again, I found it to be a bit lacking like the first one
I think overall, volume 2 has the same positives and negatives as the first one. The premise was again decent and it starts off fairly well. It however starts to fall apart towards the end and that I wished the villain was a bit more used. So it was a bland and forgettable book in the end. Both volume 1 and volume 2.
5.5/10
December 16, 2023
A little better than the previous volume, this collection suffers mainly from being the usual derivative Batman story where a writer introduces new characters who happen to be clones/followers/children of famous heroes or villains.
The idea of a group of teens acting as Robins was a fresh one, even if it wasn't executed very well. This story of a kid influenced by The Joker who basically becomes another Joker recruiting henchmen is pretty basic.
Abused child? Check. Juvenile hall? Check. Murder? Check. Wants to fill Gotham with chaos? Check. Because he doesn't actually have plans, he's taken down really easily by someone he has a history with? Check.
The pacing and storytelling is much better in this volume but it's hard to be interested in these characters, especially knowing that this is the last volume in the series, and it's unlikely that many of the characters will ever be mentioned in a Batbook again.
If you enjoyed the Robin War or have an urge to meet yet another Next Generation Joker, this is okay.
The idea of a group of teens acting as Robins was a fresh one, even if it wasn't executed very well. This story of a kid influenced by The Joker who basically becomes another Joker recruiting henchmen is pretty basic.
Abused child? Check. Juvenile hall? Check. Murder? Check. Wants to fill Gotham with chaos? Check. Because he doesn't actually have plans, he's taken down really easily by someone he has a history with? Check.
The pacing and storytelling is much better in this volume but it's hard to be interested in these characters, especially knowing that this is the last volume in the series, and it's unlikely that many of the characters will ever be mentioned in a Batbook again.
If you enjoyed the Robin War or have an urge to meet yet another Next Generation Joker, this is okay.
September 17, 2017
This book had a moment in it, a bit of dialogue, that was jarring, to the point where it reminded me of something from an HBO show, graphic and uncensored. It reminded me of a vertigo book. In the nineties, DC would venture into this territory, sometimes blurring the lines between your regular superhero book and a vertigo title. Nowadays, that line is very distinct, there is not a lot of graphic content in your typical DC book. It was only a short moment, in this book, and then we were brought to a school shooting, where none of the students were shot. I by no means, want to see a school shooting, in any kind of media. It is probably one of the most upsetting things I could imagine. However, if a writer is going to bring in that kind of intense subject matter into a book, I want them to show just how awful it is. It shouldn't be used only to build suspense. it should be used to show us how ugly this world can be.
July 20, 2024
again, a really great follow up about kids fighting to protect their ideals and the world around them. i haven't read robin war so them losing the title of robins is a mystery to me, but i love the fact that they decide to band together and fight anyway. it brings in some of that classic batman vs. joker imagery with smiley as an antagonist, putting themselves together to face someone who hurts people for fun. but while it capitalizes on that imagery, bringing some extra spice to the conflict, i love that the names indicate that this is a new struggle. they're not the robins anymore, they're not batman or the joker or anyone defined just yet, but they are a band of vigilantes here to do the right thing and fight for their ideals. it's duke thomas vs. smiley, good and evil born anew(this is so pretentious). the characters are gripping, i love the art, i love the way it feeds into the conflict overall. man this is a good story
July 3, 2018
I really enjoy this group of characters and the story it tells about Gotham and its relationship to the people it creates. I especially appreciated the Batman vs. Joker vs. Robin comparison. My only complaint, and this is a young book, is that I want to spend more time with each of the characters so that I feel like I know them better. We get little hints, especially with Duke, but the book does leave me wanting more.
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