Batman #343 (January 1982)



"Odyssey's End"

Script: Gerry Conway
Pencils: Trevor Von Eeden
Inks: Rodin Rodriguez
Colors: Carl Gafford
Letters: Pierre Bernard Jr.

Grade: D-

The final installment in Robin's decade-and-a-half-long solo feature is neither anywhere near as meaningful nor interesting as the title of this story might imply. The culmination of Dick's inner journey and quest for identity is offered to us as a recap banner at the start of the issue, even though we never actually saw him arrive at any of these truths:



His quest is done because Dick Giordano says it is.

And the rest of the story is just as forgettable. An excessive amount of recap from last issue's forgettable adventure aside, the entire plot of this story can be glimpsed in only four panels:



Yep.

That's pretty much it.

You can guess how he gets freed, and does it even matter how he got into this trap in the first place?

What's weird, though, is that even Conway seems too bored to wrap up the story properly by delivering the obligatory action scene. We just skip right on over it.



I guess the multiple pages of recap in an eight page feature were more important.


Clearly, this feature didn't mean a damn to Conway, nor to Giordano, and it was time for it to go. My only regret is that, with all that was happening with Robin over in the New Teen Titans, and with all Wolfman had tried to do with him in this title before Wolfman was suddenly removed, there was so much potential to explore Robin as a character, and it was totally squandered.


Minor Details:

- If the events of Batman #337 occurred six months ago, then Robin's world is moving in real-time. Probably not a choice you want to be making with a guy who has managed to remain the "Teen Wonder" for two decades now.

- I love when Conway pulls b.s. like this at the start of these stories:



Maybe he was just a doctor with a sense of humor? Heck, maybe he'd just worked a double and didn't realize it was upside down. Last issue, Robin leapt into action because he didn't like a guy's tattoo. This issue, someone's pin is upside down. Had there been a next issue, maybe he'd take down some dude for not tucking in his shirt! Of course, If he wants to be the fashion police, he might want to check those shortpants first...

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Next up, Robin rejoins the lead Batman feature as Batman's teen sidekick, a position he hadn't held on a regular basis since 1969.


Not that it will last.

I don't think your link worked.

I'm a HUGE fan of the work he did on Batgirl in Batman Family and wasn't aware he'd written her elsewhere!

A google search suggests we're talking about Superman Family #171. I'd generally skipped the Superman Family stories because most of them featured Earth 2 versions of Batgirl and Robin, but apparently I overlooked this gem. I'll give it a read. Thanks!

Yep! It's the only Supergirl/Batgirl team-up that seemed a real team-up. In the previous ones they barely interacted, in this one you are reviewing, well, you are perfectly explaining what's wrong in it. But the Maggin's one, well, hits the perfect spot.

Is one of those the one at the Haunted House? That was a good one.

Here, so you can be sure you missed nothing

Earth-1 Batgirl Chronology

shaxper , do you plan to review Superman Family #171 and Dc Comics Presents 19? Both are within the time frame you have chosen.  (Superman #279 has a cover date "September 1974", so, too early I guess?)