You’re my boy, Blue!
By Jeff Lake
Coming off one of the series’ strongest issues to date, Grayson takes a detour from the main narrative in lieu of a World’s Finest level team up between Dick and the tight-tee sportin’, motorcycle lovin’ Superman. It’s a fun bit of setup involving two characters not often played against one another, but with some uneven, and at times contradictory, characterization, this annual never quite sticks the landing.
Tim Seeley gets first billing with this issue, and he does a solid job setting the stage, positing a situation wherein a young Robin gets to interact with Superman following a successful chase with sourpuss mentor, Batman. This setup informs we readers of an apparently existing relationship shared between the two that’s given further exploration as Dick runs, er, falls into Clark in the present. While the nickname sharing, buddy-buddy nature exhibited initially reads as a bit forced, Seeley finds a clever parallel between the two, namely in how their shared look-before-you-leap natures stands as a direct contrast to the black-cowled captain of contingencies. The script meanders a bit from there, as following some expository catch-up the duo is suddenly set upon by the Fist of Cain. Out for blood (and new high scores!), the rest of the issue becomes a cat and mouse game between the murderous Cain’s and their depowered prey.
This setup is well and good, but the inclusion of a sudden adversary doesn’t lead to quite the results intended. While it does force Dick and Clark into a position wherein they have to work together, the character dynamics at play never really match the situation. Harder still is Seeley’s attempt to pair Dick’s seeming limits against those of Batman’s, and then in turn against his suddenly popular nemesis. Yes, Lex Luthor is pretty much the worst, but Dick’s grumpy cat objections feel like old news given his rather recent run-ins with the stinker tinkering megalomaniac. There are also some strange asides – the origin of Nightwing’s name is interesting, sure, but its place in the script seems particularly shoehorned in order to craft contrast. It’s a solid effort, but the overall dynamic of the read is never quite as natural as it sells itself to be.
Thankfully, where the script falters the art excels, Alvaro Martinez turning in some excellent splash pages. The artist shows a keen eye for movement and choreography, his action flowing from panel to panel in appealing ways. Though both heroes are mostly ground bound here, Martinez does a solid job contrasting the effortless grace of Grayson against the more powerful, momentum based force exhibited by Superman. He also delivers some nice multi-panel spreads, utilizing setting and scale to increasingly inventive effect. His facial work isn’t quite so strong as what we’ve come to expect from Mikel Janin, but his body language and physical nuance is as evident in the smaller panels as it in the close ups. Script stumbles aside, this is one pretty issue.
As far as annuals go, Grayson Annual #2 isn’t bad, offering a fun team-up between two somewhat unlikely partners. Tim Seeley’s script has plenty of character and humor, but it doesn’t always feel natural, and the inclusion of the Fist of Cain ends up as little more than a nuisance considering the amount of page time (and pointed origins) spent on them. Alvaro Martinez picks up the slack some with his inviting art, but this is one book we’ll be happy to see returned to normalcy next month.
Grayson’s latest annual is a solid affair, Seeley and Martinez gifting some fun moments of humor and super action. At times the characters don’t quite seem themselves, but the team does a nice job creating a story in which Dick and Clark would feasibly share time. While it would have been nice to see a few themes further explored (such as Dick’s grappling with the newly-amnesiac Batman), there’s enough strong art to carry you through.
