Red Robin #11 – Review

By: Christopher Yost (writer), Marcus To (penciller), Ray McCarthy and Mark McKenna (inkers), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Collision, Part Three of Four: Red Robin, Batgirl and Pru are getting their hats handed to them by the seven deadliest killers of the League of Assassins. In the meantime, Ra’s al Ghul is making his play to hurt Red Robin real bad, by striking at the 10 people most important to him. Batman and Robin show up, but a whole different set of conflicts messes that up, and this becomes a story about trust.

What’s Good: Get back on the roller-coaster! Red Robin is back in the zone! What a fun issue! Red Robin lost a bit of its momentum after issue #7, but baby, it’s back! You want assassin-superhero slapdowns? You want a sausage-shaped torpedo bike running over people? You want snipers and ninjas? Shuriken, staffs, whips, guns, batarangs and grenades, oh my! I’ve got that summer blockbuster feeling again. Thank you, Chris Yost for the action, the great conflict, the boiling tension and awesome dialogue.

Weekly Comic Book Review’s Top Picks

DS’ Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Blackest Night #8 – Just freakin’ awesome! Johns sewed up a tight, cosmic plot in a way that satisfied me intellectually, while delivering some heavy emotional punches! My first epic rating ever!

Most Anticipated: Batman and Robin #11 – Batman versus Robin! What else have you got to say to a Grant Morrison title?

Other Top Picks: Red Robin #11, JSA All-Stars #5, The Flash: Secret Files and Origins #1, Uncanny X-Men #523.

Joe’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: X-Men: Second Coming #1 – It was a close race between this and Blackest Night #8, but Kyle, Yost and Finch pull ahead based on energy alone.  While BN #8 seemed a bit too preoccupied with launching Brightest Day and not enough with finishing Blackest Night, this issue hit all the right beats to make me ravenous for more.

Most Anticipated: Uncanny X-Men #523 – I’m trying really hard not to be a total x-whore here, but I just can’t help it!  I’m eager to find out what happens next in this storyline and this is the place to go!  I only hope the momentum lasts.

Other Picks: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Flash Secret Files 2010, Red Robin #11, Demo #3, Avengers The Origin #1, Deadpool & Cable #25, Wolverine Weapon X #12, Turf #1

Alex’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Unknown Soldier #18 – I said it in my review: this was an easy pick of the week.  This was probably the best issue the series has seen since the end of the first arc.  Emotional and volatile, this hit all the right buttons and came with some really great art as well.

Most Anticipated: S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 – Jonathan Hickman fully unleashed on the Marvel Universe.  In other words, espect insanity.  I am prepared to have my mind completely blown and thus far, having seen previews of Dustin Weaver’s art on the comic, I’m already halfway there.

Other Picks: The Flash: Secret Files & Origins 2010, Wolverine: Weapon X #12, Sweet Tooth #8, Invincible Returns, Batman & Robin #11

Dean’s Top Picks

Pick of the Week: Second Coming #1 – Great start to an event that has been building for years!  I really loved everything about it.

Most Anticipated: Turf #1 – Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards doing a story about 1920’s mobsters and aliens?  Sign me up!

Other Picks: Uncanny X-Men #523, SHIELD #1, Wolverine Weapon X #12, Cowboy Ninja Viking #5