Scott's Take: Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Illustrator Chris Samnee

Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid, Illustrator Chris Samnee is a miniseries that is set in the past of the current DC Universe. In this story, Robin (Dick Grayson) and Bruce Wayne are still in the early days of their partnership and do not fully trust or understand each other. Can they become true partners? Is Robin ready to be a hero for Gotham? Can they become a family?  Is Bruce ready to be a father? These major questions are at the heart of their dynamic in this story.

 

The actual plot is way more complicated than the plot synopsis. I can’t explain how without including details that are not in the little plot synopsis snippet. To avoid any chance of spoilers, I would say that this is more of a conspiracy/mystery read with those character beats as part of the ongoing narrative.

 

There are a few villains in this story. The art is pretty good with good character expression. This is a humorous story, overall, with some dark elements and a lot of death.

 

Robin is funny as he is a showman throughout the story. Bruce gets to play the exasperated partner and father figure. Alfred and Bruce Gordon also get to play major roles which is nice since in the present day both are currently benched and not prominent anymore.

 

Mark Waid works best when he can write stories set far away from current time so he really shines here. I very much enjoyed this limited miniseries. I think people who are a fan of the duo will enjoy this read.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dbtPrX

 

I read this twelve-issue miniseries as it released on the DC Infinite App.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026