Thanks to Mark Waid, Batman and Robin’s The first year the Dynamic Duo is being reimagined like never before, breathing new life into old traditions while uncovering exciting, never-before-seen details. Among these revelations is the identity of the first villain Batman and Robin ever faced together – and it’s a twist you wouldn’t imagine.
Batman and Robin: Year One #2, by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and Giovanna Niro, is scheduled for release on November 20, 2024. Until then, fans can take a peek at the first pages of the issue, which feature Dynamic Duo’s first enemy – CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
The pages show several social workers gathered together, taking bets on how long they think it will be before Bruce Wayne loses custody of his new ward, Dick Grayson. At this moment, it is clear—Batman and Robin face more than just crime; they have a group of people actively rooting and looking for reasons to tear them apart.
DC Reveals Batman and Robin’s First Enemy – Child Protective Services
Card variant of cover B by Mikel Janín for Batman and Robin: Year One #1 (2024)
Not only does Child Protective Services provide a unique spin on the identity of the Dynamic Duo’s first nemesis, it also makes perfect sense. As a single man with another single man – Alfred Pennyworth – in his home, Bruce Wayne would have immediately raised red flags for CPS. Add to that Bruce’s reputation as the incompetent, party-loving “Brucie” Wayne, and his role as guardian of a recently orphaned boy becomes even more suspicious in their eyes. While readers know that Bruce is a good man, CPS, from a narrative standpoint, does not – and their eagerness to place Dick in another home is completely understandable.
However, their interference will no doubt complicate Bruce and Dick’s nighttime activities as Batman and Robin. Now, the Dynamic Duo will not only fight Gotham’s villains, but they will also have to face the suspicions of the CPS. While the CPS’s intentions may seem good in the narrative, they remain a clear enemy of Bruce and Dick, as they have the power to take away Bruce’s guardianship. Since the CPS would be involved from the beginning of Dick coming to live with Bruce, this solidifies them as Batman and Robin’s first enemy. Fortunately, fans already know that this is an enemy that the Dynamic Duo will eventually defeat.
Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth prove how right the CPS is about them
Card variant of cover B by Kevin Nowlan for Batman and Robin: Year One #2 (2024)
While we know that Bruce will ultimately retain guardianship of Dick, it will still be intriguing to see the complications that CPS introduces and how the Dynamic Duo will deal with them. Waid adds humor to the situation, as pages showing CPS questioning Bruce’s fitness as a father are immediately followed by a scene in which Bruce and Alfred unload a machine gun firing rubber bullets at Dick as he navigates an intense obstacle course. The funny thing here is that CPS is, in some ways, right about Bruce being an inadequate guardian. Hence, anticipation is high as fans wait to see how Batman and robin confront this well-intentioned but misguided enemy.
Batman and Robin: Year One #2 is available November 20, 2024, from DC Comics!