The Batman & Robin Adventures #8 Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

THE BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES #8
Harley & Ivy...and Robin?!

http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/WF/batman/btas/guides/comic/bra/t-08.jpg

Written by: Paul Dini
Dialogue by: Ty Templeton
Art and Cover by: Rick Burchett

Robin is brainwashed by Poison Ivy and joins her and Harley on a crime spree. But three is a crowd and Harley quickly becomes jealous of the Boy Wonder.

Comments?

[The Blockbuster]

I'll try reviewing an issue or two of this comic every now and then, to help prevent the comics discussion from getting taken off.

This issue held my interest all the way through, but was then spoiled by a somewhat cop-out ending, and nothing really unique. It was pretty clear Harley was going to try to drive Robin out, based on the cover, but to have the ending be that Robin drank an extra large amount of antidote lemonade was kind of a bummer to me. I'm reading these stories at a much older age than their target audience, so maybe if I was younger I would enjoy it, but I feel this was one of the more bland issues.

[DisneyBoy]

I disagree!

Dini's story here really captures the fun Harley/Ivy dynamic in a way that teases us, once again, with the idea that no man can (or safely should) get between these two gal pals. There was plenty of sexual tension here, from young-man Robin (shirtless, no less) getting teased by Ivy, to Harley slowly starting to crack from watching Robin play alpha-male against her.

Was it dark or really suspenseful? No. But it was a great character piece marred only by Burchett's angular artwork to a degree, at least for me. His hunched-over Batman really broke with the show's style and I didn't enjoy that. His Ivy, however, always had an interesting face, but like she did in the TMS Harley and Ivy episode, so that's a plus.

PLUS, I think this story is the first time we hear (or rather, read) Harley screaming out for her babies to aid her. Actually, that happened in #1, so I'm misremembering...she does something else here, when they jump out at Batman and he has to swing them in opposite directions using his cape.

Anyhoo...good issue.