Warning: Spoilers for Batman and Robin: Year One #4!DC often plumbs the depths ofBatmanand Robin’s early adventures in itsBatman and Robin: Year Oneseries, using the wealth of stories that have come after to inform these crucial early moments in the Dynamic Duo’s history. In this instance, that takes the form of concluding a breathtaking fight with a series of panels that evokes the iconic opening ofBatman: The Animated Series.
InBatman and Robin: Year One#4 by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee,Batmanconfronts General Anthony Grimaldi about his attempt to stir up a gang war in Gotham. When Grimaldi sics his goons on Batman, Batman tears through the armed men like paper as he makes his way up to the roof to escape.
In two climactic panels, Batman is confronted by two armed men on the rooftop before getting away in a dramatic angled shot. The action and angles usedparallel the ’90s cartoon’s now-legendary intro sequence.
Batman and Robin: Year OneTakes Its Cues From the Iconic Cartoon
Batman and Robin: Year One#4 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Matheus Lopes, and Clayton Cowles
Batman: The Animated Serieshas had a major impact on DC as a whole: not only was the perennial favorite character, Harley Quinn, created for the show,Batman: The Animated Seriesrevitalized heroes and villains alike with its strong writingand spearheaded a shared universe between it and DC’s other animated series of the ’90s and ’00s. The opening to this storied show is equally well-regarded. With its bold color palette and immediately recognizable poses, this minute of Batman thwarting two armed robbers beneath a stark red sky has sparked various homages, references, and parodies across multiple forms of media.
Taking cues from theBatman: The Animated Seriesintro is an excellent way forBatman and Robin: Year Oneto demonstrate Batman’s skill and strength.
The dramatic escape in the final pages ofBatman and Robin: Year One#4 uses the same visual language as the introduction toBatman: The Animated Series.Two mobsters in long coats and hats approach Batman with their pistols held up; Batman himself strikes a dramatic pose upon a rooftop, tilted at an angle. The main difference is that, while the visual language is the same,the action is inverted: in this instance, Batman is being chased by the two criminals, rather than pursuing them, and his dramatic pose is his escape rather than a declaration of triumph.
TheBatman: The Animated SeriesOpening Is Perfect For AYear OneSequence
Batman and Robin: Year One#4 Main Cover by Chris Samnee and Matheus Lopes
Taking cues from theBatman: The Animated Seriesintro is an excellent way forBatman and Robin: Year Oneto demonstrate Batman’s skill and strength.Year Onestories depict a world that still doesn’t know Batman very well, while Bruce is in peak physical condition; as such, mimicking a sixty-second clip designed to sell Batman’s appeal isthe perfect way to portrayYear OneBatman. So seamlessly do the two scenes flow together thatone can easily picture Batman’s ascent through Anthony Grimaldi’s forces leaping into animationand concluding with the animated series' intro sequence.
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Batman and Robin: Year Oneis a classic Batman adventure, so it’s great to see it pulling from classic sources to sell its vision of early Batman.Batman: The Animated Serieshas earned its place as a major milestone in Batman lore, and it’s wonderful to see the comics reference its particular visual style once more. As the conflict betweenBatman, Robin, and General Grimaldi kicks into high gear, it’s great to see that the oldBatman: The Animated Seriesinfluence can be seen, still informing the character over three decades later.
Batman and Robin: Year One#4is available now from DC Comics.
Batman: The Animated Series
Cast
Batman: The Animated Series follows Bruce Wayne as he assumes the role of the masked vigilante Batman to combat crime in Gotham City. This acclaimed 1992 series explores his dual identity and features an array of iconic villains, while Bruce vows to avenge the murder of his parents.
