Writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee are an iconic duo. The team previously revamped Black Widow for Marvel as an epic spy caper, made Daredevil fun again (before ruining his life), and even took on Captain America. And now, they’re tackling another iconic duo, as DC Comics has announced they’ll team up once again for a new, 12-issue comic book series titled Batman and Robin: Year One.
“While Batman and Robin are the stars of this tale and get most of the panel time, at its heart, this isn’t a Batman/Robin story, it’s a Bruce/Dick story,” said Mark Waid via a press release provided to Comic Book Club. “It takes place only a month or two after Bruce adopted Dick, and it’s sinking in for Bruce that he has no idea how to be a father to a kid that age. He has no role model—his own father was long dead by the time he was Dick’s age. Nothing he’s ever done has prepared him for this, and Alfred—wise as he is—doesn’t have much experience here either.”
As per Waid’s quote — and the title — the series takes place right after Bruce has adopted Dick, after the latter’s parents died in an “accident” at the circus. And in the midst of grappling with suddenly becoming a parent, a new crime boss only known as the General comes to Gotham. Don’t worry, this isn’t a fresh-faced baddie… He’s got connections to Two-Face, too, and as he makes his moves on Gotham City, Bruce and Dick will have to figure out how to navigate their new relationship — both as superheroes, and as a family.
“Dick is everything Bruce is not—impetuous, flamboyant, reckless,” said Chris Samnee. “But he’s also precise; he can stick a landing. He’ll take orders when they make sense to him, but he’s keen to improvise, testing his role within the Dynamic Duo. The first pages you’ll see will showcase how they’ll be acting, and reacting, as they adventure out into Gotham City on patrol together. We’re so excited for this story to finally be told.”
The book is co-plotted by Waid and Samnee, written by Waid, art by Samnee.
You can check out some unlettered pages from the first issue below, plus covers by Samnee, Mikel Janín, Matteo Scalera, Karl Kerschl, and Lee Weeks. Colors for the book are by Matheus Lopes and letters by Clayton Cowles. Batman and Robin: Year One #1 will arrive in stores on October 16, 2024.
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