Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet #1

Batman

by Bruce Canwell, Scott E. Peterson (Editor), Lee Weeks (Illustrator)

It's a tale from Batman and Robin's past!

Before Dick Grayson can don the Robin costume as Batman's partner, he must pass a final challenge: elude Batman for an entire night within the confines of Gotham City. But his game of hide-and-seek becomes deadly when Robin stops what appears to be a simple mugging and inadvertently intercepts key information.

Now he's the target of a ruthless mob boss, his deadly gang of thugs, the GCPD and, of course, Batman himself, who races to find his young ward before it's too late.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Comic Book, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evade Batman and you will become Robin...but when Dick finds himself in the middle of a mob hit he may want Batman to find him - before it is too late. The definitive 'Robin test' story - a great compact yet important Batman/Robin bonding tale. You really feel for Robin - test that becomes a life and death reality that you had no way to study for!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dick Grayson has to play a game of hide and seek with Batman before he can be his sidekick, Robin - if Bats doesn’t find him before dawn, he wins! Also, gangsters and junk.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is so lame. Batman doesn’t call it hide and seek but that’s basically what it is - Robin has to elude him during the night to show he’s a competent, albeit unadvisedly brightly coloured, ninja. What a boring test! As a result my attention wandered a lot. Like Robin’s classic outfit - who thought this made any kind of sense: scaly green underpants, bare legs and pixie booties. Was he conceived as gay jailbait?!

Throw in some stereotypical gangsters doing stereotypical gangster shit while Batman and Robin do the usual Batman and Robin shit and you’ve got The Gauntlet. The story is so pointless and boring, I really had a hard time staying awake while reading it.

This hasn’t worked on me for years but I honestly believe if you jangled keys above my head I’d be more entertained than I was reading this crummy book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable story worth reading especially before Robin: Year One. The basic premise is that Batman is doing his own version of hide and seek. Dick has to elude Batman all night as a test if he wants to become Robin. But of course, problems arise when Robin gets involved in a mob hit. Now Batman must stop the bad guys before they hurt Dick.

My only gripe with this story is that I wish it were longer. I just really love Robin and there aren't many stories with him nowadays unfortunately.

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing special, except for Lee Weeks' artwork. This book could have been so much better, building up Batman's and Robin's relationship. It does try to do so, but that moment is average at best.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A test for Dick to see if he is mature enough to handle his own as Robin. What starts out as a training exercise of hide and go seek, quickly turns into a life threatening situation for Dick as he gets involved with Gotham's mafia. I love that the comic shows a young Grayson in the Robin suit holding his own against mafia hit men and showing Bruce moves that he never taught to Dick. An odd test for a young boy but a good story overall.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun coming of age story for Robin.

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed seeing Dick Grayson's Robin out of Batman's shadow and on his own.
You were shown how he would deal with certain situations and problems.

I liked the overall story line plus seeing how impressed Batman was with Robin's skills and how proud he was (I love a fatherly Batman!)

[Jack Quigley · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5. Pretty boring. Robin is a loser.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gauntlet is the fun little adventure of Robin's 'final exam' before the Bat would allow him to be Gotham's Boy Wonder. B's final exam is basically a game of hide and seek, meant to test how well Robin would be able to navigate the city and evade pursuers (presumably as a last resort if anything were to happen to Batman). However, one of the first things Robin does is break up a fight between apparent mobsters having a disagreement, not realizing that one of those apparent mobsters was actually a deep cover cop and the disagreement was over the recorded evidence that the cop had been gathering. Robin leaves the scene with the evidence, not realizing what it is, and this kicks off the entire gang searching the city high and low for him. It turns out to be a different sort of test than what Batman had originally imagined, but one that Robin passes with flying colors nonetheless.

[Louis Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. Essentially about Robin's final test to take on the mantle of a caped crusader, this comic is a crime caper-adventure tale. It doesn't try too hard to be anything more and thus, manages to be plenty of fun while keeping us in suspense.

Also, it is such a relief to read a Batman and Robin comic that isn't all dark and brooding.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, simple story of Dick Grayson's final exam to become Robin which becomes a little more than just a game of elaborate hide and seek with Batman. I would actually have been fine if the game was all that happened and the mob didn't get involved! Art by Lee Weeks is gorgeously Golden Age reminiscent.

[Freder · Rating 5 out of 5]

My good friends Bruce Canwell and Lee Weeks created this. It's much better than anything Frank Miller did with the character, and a terrible thing that DC has allowed it to go out-of-print.

[Sakari · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was cute

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a fun short read about Dick Grayson’s last year before he can become Robin. The arts great.

[Jessica Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet progression of Batman and Robin - just a short quick oneshot almost that I really enjoyed. We got to see more of Dick's personality and I just love the father-son relationship of Batman and Robin. Dick reminds me a lot a lot of Tom Holland's spiderman, especially his relationship with Tony Stark.

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4,5/5)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin is going to be a very good soldier

This book feels very silver age, like it has goons with tommy guns and dialogue straight out of Dick Tracy. So while I enjoy it, there's little hints at how great this could have been.

I know I'm being a bit too hard on a book written twenty years ago, but it's the first time I've read it in awhile so some of the less positive aspects jumped out at me.

One of the exchanges I loved has formed my view of Robin for as long as I can remember. Bruce's justification for taking on Dick as his partner.

When I lost my parents I had no way to release my anger, my-- grief. Though he hides it well, those same emotions are churning away inside Dick.

Robin will be his release valve, a way to exorcise that darkness before it can corrupt his soul.

Bruce saved Dick by giving him an outlet to vent his anger and frustration at the world. Without Bruce, he could have easily turned into a petty criminal, so while people complain (quite validly) about Batman's child army, it isn't about Batman, it's about them.

So, aside from some corny dialogue from Batman, I really like the characters here. Dick is set up as being good at puzzles and riddles, and I love Bruce's admiration for Dick, even though he may never admit it publicly.

The artwork is nice, it reminds me of Batman: Year One and Robin: Year One, and considering it takes place in a similar era, it totally suits.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is a one-shot written by Bruce Canwell and illustrated by Lee Weeks. It centers on Dick Grayson as Robin and his final test to see if he is ready to become the partner of Bruce Wayne as Batman.

Before Dick Grayson can become Batman's partner, he must pass a final challenge: elude Batman for an entire night within the confines of Gotham City. However, this test goes astray when Robin stops what appears to be a simple mugging and inadvertently intercepts key information. Now he's the target of a ruthless mob boss, his deadly gang of thugs, the Gotham City Police Department and, of course, Batman himself, whom he has to avoid until dawn or fail the test.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is written and constructed rather well. The premise of a final exam seems rather interesting and logical, despite it being just a big game of hide 'n' go seek. The added danger that Dick Grayson as Robin had to face inadvertently complicates matters a tad. Weeks' penciling is a tad dated, but well done nevertheless.

All in all, Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is an interesting narrative about the final exam that Dick Grayson as Robin has to take in order to become the partner for Bruce Wayne as Batman.

[JD Comics · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is a 48-page story in prestige format, which Bruce Canwell wrote.

This story occurs before Dick Grayson’s first meeting with Jim Gordon as Robin. Batman has already trained Robin to the best of his ability. However, before he can bring Robin with him in his nightly patrols, Robin must first prove himself worthy by passing Batman’s field test on his own. During the field test, Robin gets embroiled with the mob.

This is an excellent street-level story, which I appreciate since there are not a lot of modern-age Dick Grayson Robin stories before he transitioned to Nightwing. In this book, we see Robin’s fun personality and the trust Batman has placed in Robin.

I love the art in this book. Lee Weeks’ art is super clean, and I like how he drew Robin. Matt Hollingsworth’s colors look great as well. I love how he colored Robin’s costume.

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[Dan Hensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this. The only con is that its very short, there's not enough of it. That being said, it doesn't feel rushed and the story isnt a grand epic- i just enjoyed it enough that I could of used a good 20 more pages. While in Dark Victory, I saw Dick put on the costume for the first time, this story is about the Robin persona being born. Hes quippy- but not too campy..just enough to juxtapose Batman's grim nature. He also shows that his detective skills and fighting techniques are similar to Bruce's and I love seeing him get respect for that. This book is about the gauntlet to prove Robin deserves to fight alongside the Bat, and like young Dick Grayson, this book succeeds.

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haré un review sin rodeos.
Es la historia del examen que Batman le hizo a Robin (Dick Grayson) para que éste pudiera ser su escudero en las calles de Gotham.
Realmente es una historia común y corriente pero a los nostalgicos nos gusta ver historias del pasado de nuestros personajes favoritos.
Es una lectura que sin duda todo aficionado debe realizar.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect read for any fan of The Boy Wonder. It includes: Batman's final test for Robin to prove he's ready to take to the streets; a twisting, turning game of cat-and-mouse among Robin, Batman, and an angry mob; and some strong moments establishing and building the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Seriously, this comic has everything. A must-read.

[Kristel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The damn cursive font cost this a star. Aside from that, this is great.

[Renan Fontes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into Bruce & Dick as characters and their relationship.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Good story.

[Emilce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good story about Dick's trial before becoming Robin. As someone who wants to learn more about the Robins, I found this very entertaining. It was brief and simple, but it was great to see Dick's inner monologues. Something else that was great about this was Batman's feelings about Dick as his son ward.
The only thing I disagreed with was Batman calling Robin a soldier. It doesn't feel right, but at the same time I'm not surprised.
I wouldn't say it is a must-read, but I would recommend this to Robin's fans.

[Tefi ⟡♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

“Robin is going to be a very good soldier. A very good soldier.”


Dick yendo a su última prueba de esconderse de Batman por casi un día entero para probar que ya está listo fue interesante de leer, aunque él metiéndose a un caso de mafiosos fue muy ok??? JAJAJAJAJA q random

Pero a ver, primero me quedé uh poco uhMmm cuando le dice soldado, pero luego vemos un poco más de familiaridad entre ambos y ¿Batman orgulloso de Robin? our favorite thing abt this 🥺

[Gabriela Motta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma história bem construída e fluída. Eu gostei da arte e amei ler mais sobre o Dick no começo dos seus dias de Robin. Gostei também de ver as lutas e suas acrobracias e
ver ele tendo autonomia e pensando rápido!

[Rizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little story. I really love the few comics there are showcasing the early relationship of Bruce and Dick.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story itself is a little disappointing based on how interesting the premise is. Batman's test that determines if Dick Grayson can be Robin or not should have felt... heavier. The biggest criticism here is that it is just too short to do any real justice (no pun intended) for the dynamic duos growing relationship. There are bits that work well such as Alfred and Bruce's conversation about whether this is too dangerous and how helpful it actually is for Robin's grief over his parents death as well as Batman witnessing how impressive and capable is young ward is ("I never taught him that" and "He'll be a good soldier..." stand out) but these moments are rare, these ideas faint and not given the time to develop.