“Yesterday’s” Comic> Batman & Robin Adventures #2

“Careful, boys. The Dynamic Duo could be anywhere.”

The Batman & Robin Adventures #2

DC Comics (December, 1995)

Batman and Robin tear through Gotham’s criminal element looking for Two-Face, but he’s been waiting to kidnap Dick Grayson at his college. He has Bruce give himself up as Two-Face plans to blow up Gotham Gardens, a scenic place Bruce owns, with Bruce and Dick on it, convinced he’s rescuing Grace from Bruce so they can be together. Bruce and Dick escape and Batman & Robin take down Two-Face, while both Batman and Grace see that they Harvey they knew is gone. Grace appears to break up with him over this incident and Batman/Bruce must finally deal with not being able to save him.

What they got right: The final story why Grace never resurfaces in Harvey/Two-Face’s life and what happened to her. Plus for once Robin’s more cynical view of the villain is right. He can’t reform, like so many of Batman’s villains. “Big Bad Harv”, the angry part of Harvey’s persona basically responsible for Two-Face, is too strong for Harvey to break and both Grace and Bruce have to deal with that. Robin’s right, if he could be pushed over this easy he was never cured or even close.

What they got wrong: Nothing. The story is good enough to have been an episode and the art, while not looking like lost screen captures, still strongly resembles the art style of the show better than I’ve seen it thus far.

Recommendation: Both parts of this story was a good starting point for fans of the show, but if you’re coming straight from the comics you may not know who Grace or Harley Quinn are (although by now everyone who cares probably knows who Harley Quinn is). It’s still worth giving this comic a look as it does make a good example as to why the show and this comic tie-in are such fan favorites.

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