In issue #174 of Robin this time last month, Dixon left us readers in a spot brimming with all sorts of potential. Robin was in the middle of tracking down counterfeit money while hunting Violet. He found the loot itself and his target, along with so much more. The Spoiler was there waiting for Robin…that’s right, Stephanie, Tim Drake’s old girlfriend…Tim Drake’s old, dead girlfriend. For those that do not know, Stephanie died during War Games, leaving Robin, Batman and her fans in shambles. Robin has finally moved on with his life when Dixon decides to throw this wrench in the mix.

So that’s where we were; Robin, Violet, Tim’s dead girlfriend and his current, living one. What a mess! #174 opens up by closing the robbery bit, readers are treated to a lot of fighting and a lot of explosions. Dixon is well aware of what he’s doing here: He’s wasting time on the pages. Well, not ‘waste’ per say, but he’s definitely spending heaps of time on action when the readers would probably rather Dixon allowed Drake to get to the bottom of the Stephanie mystery. Drake doesn’t think this Stephanie is for real, and Dixon takes his time getting to that tidbit. Readers do get the information they need, eventually. My favorite moment in the issue is when Dixon seemingly acknowledges the nonsense by showing a panel of Oswald Cobblepot, whom was watching all of the action via camera feed. Cobblepot flips off his TV in disgust and treats the world with this little number, “Typical Hollywood tripe. Lots of explosions and an unsatisfying conclusion.” Nice one Dixon, I laughed out loud.

Addressing the art of Batista, Smith and Ketchan -- this one didn’t feel as well done as the last. The moments of action seem like little more than transition from panel to panel and scene to scene. Clearly, the emotional conflict Robin was dealing with during the physical one took center stage in this book, although it was never heavily addressed. Scenes that seem like they should be dripping with epic force come off a little flat. There’s truly little-to-no emotion within the panels. Don’t get me wrong though, the art isn’t particularly bad. However, if the comic hit stands with a worse set of writing the issue itself wouldn’t be able to stand on its art alone.

So then that leaves us with this: Did the issue live up to its preceding? Yes and no. Sure, questions are answered for the most part. Dixon set readers up for a nice, drama-filled rollercoaster of despair and joy, and we are treated to a bit of emotion throughout this book. But that emotion and excitement lasts maybe 9-ish pages. Everything before that seems to be little more than filler. Nevertheless, with Dixon at the helm on this one, now is a great time to be a fan of Robin. Drake is being forced to deal with a lot of intense situations, and Dixon is handling that pretty well. I am nervous to see the next installment and how it ties in with the Batman R.I.P. run. Until then, this’ll do.

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