Dark Victory

I just finished reading 'Dark Victory,' a great little graphic novel that introduces Robin into the mythic cycle of the Dark Knight (not that little actually; it comes in just under 400 pages). It's written and drawn by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, two of the best talents to tackle the character of Batman, in my opinion. It's a few years old, but if you are a fan of comics or graphic novels or just Batman than you should definitely pick it up.
At first I wasn't sure I wanted to invest the $20 bucks into it. Reason being is that I'm not that big of a Robin fan. My favorite Batman stories are the ones that focus on him as a dark and ruthless loner, forced to shut out everyone but Alfred as he hunts the twisted streets of Gotham for the evil and corrupt. I'm a Frank Miller kinda man. Robin has always seemed so goofy and pointless to me, more Burt Ward than viable sidekick. Why would a dark avenger like the Batman enlist the help of a spunky pre-teen like Dick Grayson?
But this volume actually deals with that problem very well. Artist Tim Sale even describes his own Robin anxieties before they were assuaged by Loeb's great story and writing. And to be fair, Robin doesn't even make an appearance until well into the book, probably two thirds in.
This is a really great murder mystery that centers around the organized crime families of Gotham and the emergence of Two-Face (one of my personal favorite Bat-villians). And it just happens to get all the great baddies involved as well in roles that are much more believable than the ones presented in a Joel Schumacher film. The Joker, Penguin, the Riddler, Catwoman, Scarecrow: they're all here. Hell, even Solomon Grundy makes an appearance!
All in all, this a great pick-up for even the casual Batman fan. If you're looking for something to read and enjoy a good graphic novel now and again, be sure to put this on your list.