“Yesterday’s” Comic> Batman & Robin Adventures #4

“Do you know how much that T-Shirt cost? It’s a Comic-Con exclusive!”

The Batman And Robin Adventures #4

DC Comics (February, 1996)

The Penguin takes people in the zoo hostage but makes no demands besides to stay away. Batman sneaks into the zoo, but the Penguin’s trained birds are waiting. The plan is to use some mind-control gadgets (bought from the Mad Hatter since they only work on animals) to free rare birds from the zoo’s cages. These controllers were also used to rob jewelry stores to pay to smuggle them back to the lands they would have come from. When he learns there are no hostages, he take the Penguin down, but some of the birds were still smuggled back to their “homes”.

What they got right: While I will still put down the plan, it does show that Penguin is not only done with humans (based on events in the show, I’d wager, but show continuity and this tie-in don’t always agree) but is getting tired of being arrested. It’s a bit more into his character.

What they got wrong: Even Batman points out that they were born in captivity. Unless someone is going to raise them, their chances aren’t very good. Plus I think they clip their wings so they can’t fly off. I’m not certain about that one. What I AM certain about is that Robin is nowhere to be found despite being in the title. This wouldn’t bother me so much except that, like the show (which would also have Robin-less stories despite the name change), there are no Robin stories without Batman. Remember, the show bible said that Robin was having his own adventures at college. Well, if we’re getting Batman’s adventures without Robin, why not Robin’s adventures while at college without Batman?

Recommendation: Not a must-own story but not really one to avoid, either. Grab it if you see it I guess.