Robin #162
	Story Title: 'Paid in Full' Writer: Adam Beechen Artist: Freddie E. Williams II Colorist: Guy Major Letterer: John J. Hill Cover by: Patrick Gleason & Wayne Faucher Editor: Peter Tomasi Published by: DC Comics
	Reviewed by: Bruce Logan

This issue was a nice one…almost. Starting off in the usual (passable) Beechen i.e. by trying to present the ‘human’ side of the story, or at least some of the people involved, it soon devolved into an out and out, no-heads-or-tails fight. It even had its very own cliché moment when realizing that the love of his life was dead of the (unsuspecting) villains, the leader of the Lords of the Avenue gang went crazy for one last fight. It doesn’t matter that only seconds before he was all but dead himself with his skin literally melting off of him. Kudos to Freddie E. Williams II and Guy Major for the excellent art…to bad the writing/story wasn’t half as good.

The proverbial cherry on the Cliché-cake came in the form of a return visit of Dark-Elektra, I mean, Talia, nah, Lady Deathstroke, sorry, wrong again, by Cassandra Cain. Flogging a dead and rotten horse for all he’s worth, writer Adam Beechen doesn’t seem to be ready to let go of a (character) ‘development’ that has all but been rolled back on him. Although she might not have had a return to glory, Cassandra Cain has nevertheless had her character turned away from the path Beechen set her on, all thanks to an editorial mandate from DC’s head honchos. One does wonder which genius came up with such a brilliant idea. As for her appearance here, even though the dialogue did not say it, the ‘beloved’ word was all but present, (ala Talia’s ‘beloved’ to Batman).

As mentioned earlier, the art is the best thing here. The only weak points were a couple of wonky panels and the lady reporter coming across as way too young for her age.

Conclusion: With the upcoming ‘Return of Dodge’ arc my interest in Robin (the title) is at an all-time low with this issue/arc only pushing it even further down.

RATING: 7/10