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Robin: Facing the Enemy
Having abandoned his secret identity as the costumed hero Robin, Dick Grayson continues to encounter crime in his civilian life and wonders what his future will hold
- GenresFiction
100 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1997
9 people want to read
About the author
Alan Grant
1,712 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 11, 2024
Why am I reading a stupid spinoff of a stupid side character from a stupid junior novelization adapted from a stupid ‘90’s movie based on a classic comic book? Shut up! That’s why.
Ooh, a page of twenty-seven year old temporary tattoos at the back of the book? Score!
Fuck it. 5 stars!
Oh shit. The protective plastic cover lining is missing. These tattoos are useless.
1 star!
Wait, there’s Yellow #5 in temporary tattoos? What in the name of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose gum was the FDA thinking approving this taint-shrinking compound gunk to be a part of my library?
2 stars…
Okay, I’m relying too heavily on jest and not enough substantive analysis lately. I’m too busy to read protracted classics, let alone devote my depressingly limited schedule to exhaustively researched, thought-provoking, unique perspectives on grand works of profundity which few will care about or read anyway.
I’m grabbing short, random books and buzzing through them so I can be the quirky weirdo reading long-forgotten, disposable pop-culture buffoonery and having a go at them for ‘likes.’
So, out of respect for the late Alan Grant, who had a respectable career in comics including work on Batman (duh) and Lobo, I will say that this was a not entirely joyless hour of reading. It was better than it needed to be under the coat-tail riding cash-in circumstances. Hell, it was better than the movies in between which it takes place.
Batman and Robin qualm with one another regarding their crime-fighting methods and the petulant Dick walks out after taking down The Riddler and Two-Face during the events of Batman Forever . He takes a security job at a late-night diner.
Meanwhile, a bitter proto-incel with no skills or means of securing a livelihood for himself makes an impulsive decision to become The Enemy. He mugs a woman, feels a rush, and eventually inadvertently kills the kind old man who gave Dick (Robin) the security job. Dick takes him down, reunites with Batman, and establishes a near-future run-in with a refrigerated Schwarzenegger and a botanical Uma Thurman.
I’m sure it was stipulated that nothing of consequence could occur in this in-between side-plot that would interfere with or confuse the cinematic bookends, but that’s kind of how all ongoing comic book series are. It’s better than having to retcon everything time and again by introducing multiverses and time-warping wormholes or whatever.
3 stars…final answer
Favorite line:
“Dick thought long and hard.”
There I go again.
Ooh, a page of twenty-seven year old temporary tattoos at the back of the book? Score!
Fuck it. 5 stars!
Oh shit. The protective plastic cover lining is missing. These tattoos are useless.
1 star!
Wait, there’s Yellow #5 in temporary tattoos? What in the name of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose gum was the FDA thinking approving this taint-shrinking compound gunk to be a part of my library?
2 stars…
Okay, I’m relying too heavily on jest and not enough substantive analysis lately. I’m too busy to read protracted classics, let alone devote my depressingly limited schedule to exhaustively researched, thought-provoking, unique perspectives on grand works of profundity which few will care about or read anyway.
I’m grabbing short, random books and buzzing through them so I can be the quirky weirdo reading long-forgotten, disposable pop-culture buffoonery and having a go at them for ‘likes.’
So, out of respect for the late Alan Grant, who had a respectable career in comics including work on Batman (duh) and Lobo, I will say that this was a not entirely joyless hour of reading. It was better than it needed to be under the coat-tail riding cash-in circumstances. Hell, it was better than the movies in between which it takes place.
Batman and Robin qualm with one another regarding their crime-fighting methods and the petulant Dick walks out after taking down The Riddler and Two-Face during the events of Batman Forever . He takes a security job at a late-night diner.
Meanwhile, a bitter proto-incel with no skills or means of securing a livelihood for himself makes an impulsive decision to become The Enemy. He mugs a woman, feels a rush, and eventually inadvertently kills the kind old man who gave Dick (Robin) the security job. Dick takes him down, reunites with Batman, and establishes a near-future run-in with a refrigerated Schwarzenegger and a botanical Uma Thurman.
I’m sure it was stipulated that nothing of consequence could occur in this in-between side-plot that would interfere with or confuse the cinematic bookends, but that’s kind of how all ongoing comic book series are. It’s better than having to retcon everything time and again by introducing multiverses and time-warping wormholes or whatever.
3 stars…final answer
Favorite line:
“Dick thought long and hard.”
There I go again.
November 25, 2020
バットマン フォーエバーの後日談。
両親の復讐を果たしたロビン。バットマンと些細なことから口論となり、ウェイン家を飛び出してしまうディック。１人になってみて、自分が空っぽであることに気がつく。家族もいない。目的も夢もない。夜な夜な家族が殺される夢を見てはうなされ、孤独に追い込まれていくディック。そんな時、ちんぴらから救った縁でダイナーの老店主と知り合う。老店主はディックを雇い、そして２人は次第に心を通わせるようになる。普通の生活の第一歩を踏み出したディック。だが、老店主が暴漢に襲われ非業の死を遂げたことで、再び哀しみと憤りのなかに突き落とされてしまう。
子供向けながら、ロビンの孤独な心情をしっかりと描けていて、結構涙しながら読みました。映画のバットマン＆ロビンもこのくらいロビンとバットマンの心の交流をしっかり描いてくれていたらなぁ～～と。そういうのを続編に期待していたのですが。
でも小説で読めたのでいいです。
いいセリフも多かったので大満足。
両親の復讐を果たしたロビン。バットマンと些細なことから口論となり、ウェイン家を飛び出してしまうディック。１人になってみて、自分が空っぽであることに気がつく。家族もいない。目的も夢もない。夜な夜な家族が殺される夢を見てはうなされ、孤独に追い込まれていくディック。そんな時、ちんぴらから救った縁でダイナーの老店主と知り合う。老店主はディックを雇い、そして２人は次第に心を通わせるようになる。普通の生活の第一歩を踏み出したディック。だが、老店主が暴漢に襲われ非業の死を遂げたことで、再び哀しみと憤りのなかに突き落とされてしまう。
子供向けながら、ロビンの孤独な心情をしっかりと描けていて、結構涙しながら読みました。映画のバットマン＆ロビンもこのくらいロビンとバットマンの心の交流をしっかり描いてくれていたらなぁ～～と。そういうのを続編に期待していたのですが。
でも小説で読めたのでいいです。
いいセリフも多かったので大満足。
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews