Robin 3000 (Elseworlds: R3K #1)

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Title: Robin 3000
Series: Elseworlds: Robin 3000 #1
Author: Byron Preiss, et al
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Comic
Pages: 59
Format: Digital scan

It is the year 2999, Earth has been taken over by the Skulp and Bruce Wayne’s descendant continues the fight for freedom using the Batman mythos. Unable to escape the Skulp, Wayne passes on the torch to his nephew and assistant, Tom Wayne, aka Robin.

Escaping from the Skulp, Tom must hook up with the resistance. The Skulp however, have created a cyborg of Tom and have it publicly collaborating with them and decrying the Wayne name.

This was a big disappointment. Batman the 30 eleventieth talks for  2 pages about being a martyr, then gets blown up. But he has enough time safely set Tom down.

Tom is not Robin. He gets a cyborg hand part way through this volume, but he’s not a detective, he’s not martial and he certainly hasn’t been trained by a Batman, any Batman. He’s just the Wayne heir. And no costume.

This was simplistic in the bad way. Things just happened, because. Meeting the scientist who gave him his new hand was the perfect example.

Tom’s pilot friend:”My friend needs a new hand, here’s our crashed spaceship in payment.”

Dr: “Ok”

Tom upon awakening: “I am Tom Wayne, I can figure this hand out easily”.

Dr: “Drat, a Wayne. But don’t worry, I won’t turn you in to the Skulp, because I don’t feel like it.”

That is a slight exaggeration, but not much and the whole tone of the book felt like a Hardy Boys in space. And no costume.

There are 2 volumes to this little Elseworld story, but after making it through this volume, I need a week before I want to tackle the next volume.  I’m disappointed in the simplicity of the story [with all the attendant weaknesses and lack of full bodied thinking] and the fact that “Robin” doesn’t show up in his phracking costume!

Even this guy would have been better: