For this block, I’m breaking my reviews up into two “chunks,” if you will. First up will be Robin # 173, # 174, and the Robin-Spoiler Special. Next up will be the two “Batman R.I.P.” tie-in issues, Robin #175 and Robin #176.

Chuck Dixon continues his excellent run on Robin with issue #173. First we catch a glimpse of Tim Drake’s personal life as he visits his sick buddy, Ives. Then, when he’s out as Robin that night, he runs into a couple of bent cops that are trying to blackmail him to help them bust a huge counterfeiting operation. It’s always very interesting to see how the Boy Wonder handles these kinds of situations as opposed to Batman; sometimes he does things his way, and others you can really see the Batman side come out of him. Anyway, both Robin and Violet track down the counterfeit bills, and as they’re fighting each other, Spoiler crashes the party, and a furious Robin wonders where this imposter came from. However, before Robin can think too much about it, the North Korean mafia busts in, ready to reclaim their phony cash…

Robin # 174 picks up exactly where the previous issue left off; Robin, Spoiler, and Violet form a reluctant truce as they work together to escape their stand-off with the mafia. A couple of swift kicks and a remote-control Redbird (Robin’s version of the Batmobile) do the trick. Spoiler escapes before Robin can question her, but he teams up with Batman himself to track her down. It turns out that this Spoiler imposter isn’t an imposter after all—Stephanie Brown is alive and well. Dixon cleverly crafted both Batman and Robin’s reaction to this, as well as giving us a reason why there’s no Stephanie/Robin memorial in the Batcave.

And finally, the Robin/Spoiler Special sadly wraps up long-time writer Chuck Dixon’s short-time return to the title. The first story in the special, “Puddles,” is your basic “a night in the life of a superhero” story. First, Tim and Stephanie bust some teens illegally partying in a warehouse. While there, they discover a doll that belongs to a recently kidnapped girl, and they spend the rest of the night as Robin and Spoiler to find her. The story basically sets everything right in the Robin universe, bringing Spoiler back into the mix. The second story, “Katavi,” fills in the missing gaps between Spoiler’s death/disappearance and now. While with Leslie Thompkins at a hospital camp in Africa, Stephanie masquerades as an African god to stop a group of killers trying to slay the injured individuals. The event convinces her that she can’t escape from her Spoiler persona, and she heads back to Gotham.

Chuck Dixon’s short-lived return to the title was a very good one. It will probably best be remembered for successfully bringing Spoiler back into the Batman (and more importantly, Robin) universe. It was a mistake to eliminate such an interesting and powerful character in Tim Drake’s life, and it’s a good thing that she’s back. Fabian Nicieza begins his time on the title with a couple of “Batman R.I.P.” tie-ins, starting with Robin # 175. Hopefully, it will be a meaningful addition to both series.