There is always a way out … as long as Robyn leads.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artwork: Babisu Kourtis
Colors: Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
With the newly upgraded hunter bots hot in her trail, Robyn and Golem must figure out a way to escape the hotel they have called home for the past month. Now trapped on two fronts as the hunters move floor to floor from ground and roof, Robyn and Golem are left with only one decision: stand and fight and most likely go down swinging. But unlikely help might be just around the corner. Don’t miss this pulse-pounding issue!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
With the newly upgraded enforcers now fully aware of her presence, Robyn returns to the disheveled hideout she has called home and alerts Emmett they are no longer safe, surprised by her roommate’s upbeat reaction, which is uncharacteristic to his usual somber attitude. However as they wander along the depressing hallway, an ominous rumbling from above warns the pair they are expected company has arrived, and a quick check down the stairwell brings further bad news – more mechanical monstrosities are coming from below. After a swift distraction they run upstairs, and yet Locksley cannot but comment on how much more talkative her friend has become, but their sarcastic banter is soon cut short as one of the enforcers bursts through the wall to bring a rapid stop to their escape. Seeing no other choice, Golem emerges once again and makes short work of the metal roadblock, and then utilizing his massive rocky body serves as a shield as the human police escorts attempt to stop the pair with a hail of gunfire. With no other option for retreat, a distressed Robyn asks Emmett for a way out, to which he responds by tunneling through the floor until they are free of all their pursuers.
But as they were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief with the chase a few floors up, a shy voice from behind a partial opened door beckoned the pair to come inside, introducing herself as Emily, a childhood friend of Emmett. However as the boy tentatively becomes reacquainted with his mysterious girl, Robyn cautions them to keep quiet as she watches a patrol rush past through the peephole, finally able to signal it was time to leave. Although Mei pleads with Emmett to tell what he has been doing since his grandmother died, the dismissive teen quickly brushes her and says it is better if she forgot they were ever here, hurriedly rushing outside after Locksley. And yet as they slowly walk down the barren hallway, it does not take long before the robotic menaces pick up their chase in haste, resulting in a skillfully placed arrow upon a nearby fire extinguisher for a makeshift smokescreen. With no other choice left to them, the pair once again head downstairs, but as mechanicals approach from above and men from below, there is little choice left than for Golem to use brute force to clear a path to the basement. However as Robyn insists she will not hurt the police, their avenues for escape are swiftly dwindling, and with no other options left for retreat, the heroes may have no other venue than to stand and fight for their lives.
In Summary:
With the return of the Vigilante Hunter Squad, finally have what Mayor Nyguen wanted from the beginning of this title: a chance to release her upgraded mechanical monstrosities and put a stop to Robyn once and for all. It is a treat to witness as writer Chuck Dixon allows our favorite vigilante to take center stage within cramped quarters and let loose, all while being careful to not harm the human assistants. But at the same time while the narrative is liberating to permit Locksley novel ways to pacify the robots, at its essence it feels as if we are being shown a high action buddy movie in which the leader directs her destructive partner not to hurt the people – à la Terminator 2. Secondarily, while it understandable for Robyn not to press Emmett as to his change in personality during this time of crisis, when he changes to Golem and this new attitude become prevalent in wanting to smashing everything in sight, I am almost expecting him to quote another rock based hero: “It’s clobberin’ time! Your ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing is comin’ through!” And yet it is refreshing to see this unabashed side from a normally somber teenager, even if readers know this not the true Emmett on display, although it was especially uncomfortable once they run into his childhood friend Emily who offers to help, even though this new persona is immediately rude given to how close she thinks there are when Mei first greets them. Hopefully this difference will be addressed later, but for the time being this issue is freeing in the manner by which our heroes are allowed to have a bit of revenge for what these robots did to the Underground, considering how Emmett considered that place as a second home after he lost his grandmother. To watch Robyn think strategically instead of rushing head long is a bit curious at first, but if you consider her chances to do so in the past it was always while she stalked her prey, never directly in the heat of battle given to how this blonde normally allows her anger to speak rashly instead of rationally. It is this change in tactics which makes this story a genuine pleasure to watch unfold, permitting each scene to run its natural course, either with a stony hand to decide the situation or a steel tipped shaft to change the course of an unsettled battle.
But of course what makes this title a sincere visual treat is to watch the exquisitely tight line technique and exceptional attention to detail which Babisu Kourtis unfolds before a fascinated reader, with this issue being no exception due to his stunning settings all as this wondrous artist depicts our beautiful heroine with alluring teases of flesh, enviable muscle tone and admirable poses of action filled defiance to communicate in no uncertain terms: if you cross Robyn or try to harm her friends, you will receive a painful reminder not to do it again. And while this narrative may be somber or oppressive at times due to the emotional gravitas, one cannot but overwhelmingly be impressed by the manner in which colors and thus the emotional duress of a scene are so subtly and provocatively crafted upon the page by the skilled hand of Juan Manuel Rodriguez, presenting the audience with a constantly shifting scene which is unified by the signature look of our archer, all as were are bathed within a torrent of shifting moods and exhilarating transitions. However even within a constant bombardment of suffocating intensity, this devastating combination of nuanced elements and grounding tonal features continues to surprise within these otherwise drab surroundings of repetitive hallways and dark stairwells, allowing these talented artists to differentiate echoes of past fights with their own uniqueness every time. The manner in which the initial disposition of the opening page is presented allows the audience to know we will be in for a wild roller coaster of Locksley drama, with sharply distinct lines adding to the weight of Robyn’s emotional state, her straining hands and furrowed brow projecting the building anger within, all as an elegant veil of shadows and darker tones settles any optimism that this issue will be an easy climb out for freedom. And yet even as more light is added to the complex graphic mixture of smooth transitions between panels, the increasing magnitude of non-stop violence continues to be a surprise as we watch Golem plow through metallic roadblocks and unimpressive structures such as walls and floors. Each page is a masterpiece unto itself, some even made more sensational as we can almost hear the unnerving screech of steel and stony flesh upon impact, only reminding us that this battle is for more than freedom, but also an inborn need to survive.
Robyn Hood: Justice continues to impress with a sensational escapade of rousing action encased within the introduction of unsettling undertones that someone else is manipulating the unfolding of villainy behind Nyguen’s manipulative schemes. And while it was amusing to see this once haughty woman reminded of who is truly in control, the explosive tension of an impossible escape accents the story even more thanks to fantastic illustrative techniques and brilliantly applied colors which amplify the intensity of the emotional strain of our heroes. And yet as we impatiently wait what will happen next, one cannot but be tempted to reread the past so as we may better understand a quickly approaching and confusing future.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 12, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
