Cancelled Trade Cavalcade: Robin: The Final Fight
All of Robin''s training and crime-fighting by Batman's side comes to a head in this spectacular volume as Batman goes missing and the Boy Wonder becomes the new Dark Knight.The trade was supposedly written by Chuck Dixon, and appears to fit just after Dixon's Robin: Violent Tendencies trade paperback.
Tying into the events of "Batman R.I.P." continues here as Robin and the Bat family search for their leader while engaging in all-out battle with Gotham City''s underworld. And with his once-dead girlfriend Spoiler now back among the living, Robin also has his hands full with a not-so-happy family reunion between his lady love and her father, Cluemaster!
Dixon, however, left the Robin title after Tendencies in a much-publicized but still very hush-hush spat with DC Comics (see "My Unsolicited Take on the Chuck Dixon/DC Comics Split") and Fabian Nicieza saw the title to its conclusion with Robin: Search for a Hero.
What's interesting here is not only the hints at a certain Spoiler story, but also the solicitation's statement that "the Boy Wonder becomes the new Dark Knight." Granted, Tim did put on the cowl for a while in Batman: Battle for the Cowl, but this suggests a much different end to the story, with Tim Drake as the new Batman and not Dick Grayson.
To me, I think DC got it right -- I can't see Tim Drake becoming Batman without Dick Grayson being severely incapacitated; if Bruce Wayne isn't around and Dick is, it's Dick who deserves to be wearing the cowl before Tim Drake. Still, this is a glimpse at what might have been.
Tune in next week for another Cancelled Trade Cavalcade. See you then!
This would have been a cool story to read, but I agree that Dick should be the one to take the mantle. If Bruce or Dick were to both be dead then possibly Tim with Damien as Robin still.
ReplyDeleteTim as Batman with Damian as Robin. I now want to read that story.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading before about how Chuck Dixon used to have his series plotted about a year in advance (or was it had scripts written that far in advance? I don't recall exactly, but it was supposed to be an impressive feat for a comic writer) so it doesn't surprise me that there would be a solicit for a collection that didn't have a single issue actually made.
ReplyDeleteLast I heard of Mr. Dixon, he was writing one of the newer G.I. Joe series for IDW. Speaking of which, I read the new "Men of War" #1 and it reminded me a lot of a G.I. Joe story!
Strange, though, how some solicits come out so slowly, and yet here's a whole description for a book that never saw print. I wonder if even some work happened on Dixon's issue -- art, etc. -- before he walked off and they were pulled.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't mind seeing some new Chuck Dixon work at DC. Some Beau Smith work, too.
Based on some of the not-great #1's I've read so far (Green Arrow comes to mind), Chuck Dixon would be a welcome addition.
ReplyDelete