Can the Penguin convince Robin to work for him? Or will Killer Croc become an assassin for Oswald Cobblepot instead?

BATMAN: THE AUDIO ADVENTURES #4

Writer: Dennis McNicholas
Artists: J. Bone, Anthony Marques
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Ferran Delgado
Editors: Kaie Kubert, Andrew Marino
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover price: $3.99
Release Date: December 28, 2022

SOLICITATION: It’s a chase through the sewers of Gotham as Batman races to catch Killer Croc, still delusional, and the mighty sword of King Scimitar! Can the Dark Knight retrieve the fabled blade, or will Croc make his escape into the city’s underworld? Meanwhile, Robin is interrogated by the villainous Penguin!

For those fans new to Batman: The Audio Adventures, it can be described as a mostly audio podcast that has had two 10-episode seasons so far on the HBO Max network/app. Yes, there are some visuals associated with it, but they are pretty simple and initially changed only to represent the locale the story has shifted to. It is yet another separate universe for the Dark Knight to battle crime in, not related to any other Batman you’ve encountered previously. The show is often described as “a tale of life and death in Gotham City.”

Of course, with Batman’s popularity soaring right now, DC is taking advantage of each opportunity to tell stories featuring the hero and his supporting cast.  Thus, this comic mini-series was born!

As I listened to the episodes, I saw the images associated with the characters with the various episodes. However, it’s still eye-opening to see the various characters in comic form now!

The current (and fourth) issue in the mini-series features two main storylines going on. First, Batman is trying to help Waylon Jones (otherwise known as Killer Croc) combat psychoactive chemicals in the sewers of Gotham as they fight over the Sword of Scimitar. The alternate storyline is the most intriguing to me, with the Penguin trying to convince Robin to work with him to stop the Scarecrow.

That latter story is really something because Oswald Cobblepot actually works hard to convince Robin that he has good reasons to “change teams” and join his “birds of a feather” group. He tries fast food, humanitarian interests, and some psychological methods to “turn” Robin. That even includes threatening to bomb the Haly’s Circus grand opening!

Is Robin convinced? Honestly, we don’t know because the story blends both stories together when Oswald switches gears to convince Waylon to actually kill for him. But I’m really curious to see how that resolves in future issues! It would be interesting if Robin actually does at least lean into working for the Penguin.

One thing I like about this universe is that many of the happenings in Gotham can be laid at the feet of Dr. Hugo Strange instead of just various weird things developed by a number of mad scientists. Makes more sense to me!

The pacing is pretty quick, slowing down when Oswald is talking with Robin or Batman is trying to reach Waylon. It does fit the pattern of the audio adventures, though!

Also, the dialogue matches the vocals in the aforementioned adventures as well! It’s a worthy addition to this audio universe!

The artwork in this mini-series obviously takes its cues from those images often associated with the several episodes. The Penguin’s facial expressions in particular match the art previously showing Oswald Cobblepott. We also see Killer Croc’s gradual evolution from a bright green lizard to a darker, greyer version with lots of weird bumps on his head!

The most intriguing representations for me, though, are Batman resembling the Darwyn Cooke interpretation and Robin being much more cartoony. The two almost look like they don’t belong together, which is how some people actually see the Dark Knight and his Boy Wonder. Interesting art choices, seems to me!

As I mentioned, most of the issue focuses on the discussions the Dynamic Duo have with their “opponents” as they contrast with each other. Batman is trying to convince Waylon to surrender while the Penguin works to coerce Robin into helping him. The art reflects those interesting contrasts!

While this issue is an “in-between” one in the overall story, it does an excellent job of inserting doubt when it comes to the outcome of both storylines. Will Waylon actually be able to surrender to Batman and begin to heal? Will Robin actually be intrigued and actually turn, possibly partially, to the dark side the Penguin is offering him?

I honestly don’t know! And I like that when it comes to what has been so clearly defined in the Dark Knight’s other universes!

While we are enjoying the second season in the audio adventures, this comic is a great “filler” for us fans to enjoy between episodes! I hope they do this every season!

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Batman: The Audio Adventures #4

80%

80%

It’s a worthy addition to this audio universe!

While this issue is an “in-between” one in the overall story, it does an excellent job of inserting doubt when it comes to the outcome of both storylines.

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