Posted By Dan Greenfield on Aug 23, 2025 | 6 comments

A wonderful one-shot by Bruce Canwell and Lee Weeks, with Matt Hollingsworth…

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In 2020, we published the TOP 13 ROBIN STORIES EVER — RANKED, for the Boy Wonder’s 80th anniversary. Click here to check it out, but the tale that topped them all was 1997’s Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet, which is essentially “Robin: Day One.” Beyond that, it rarely gets the attention it deserves — the definition of BURIED TREASURE. — Dan

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By PETER STONE

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet is a 46-page story that tells how Batman and Robin become partners. Of course, we’ve seen this story in many different incarnations, but this version is clean, clear, and very enjoyable.

Written by Bruce Canwell, drawn by Lee Weeks, and colored by Matt Hollingsworth, The Gauntlet is a terrific read. Batman is on the edge of letting Dick Grayson become the Boy Wonder, but in order for the kid to graduate from his training, the Dark Knight formulates an exam: The laughing young daredevil must elude him for a night. By himself. Dick Grayson is more than happy to test his mettle.

Bruce Canwell, the writer of this story, channels that early version of Dick Grayson. He’s a bit arrogant, but also rightly so. He’s been trained by the very best martial artist/superhero on this planet. Batman knows that in order to have any kind of effectiveness as a sidekick, Robin has to be almost as good as him. Dick grew up as an acrobat so he has a natural affinity for all the rigors that Batman puts him through.

In The Gauntlet, Batman and Robin are the purest form of the characters: Batman doesn’t brutalize people. Robin tells a joke while kicking a man in the face. The second page of the story, a splash of the Darknight Detective leaping down on some gangsters is absolutely fantastic. Lee Weeks draws the cape in a unique fashion, connecting Neal Adams’ and David Mazzucchelli’s versions. I love that page.

Later in the story, there is a second splash page of Robin taking down a mobster. Also fantastic — crisp and exciting. Weeks gives us a ton of terrific images through the story. At that point — 1997, almost 30 years ago — we didn’t really know who Lee Weeks was, but those of us who were looking for good artists saw what he could be. Neal was one of them. From the moment we first saw him, Weeks shot to the top-five working artists.

The conclusion of the story is heartfelt and wonderful. Batman knows that this is the right moment. He accepts Robin as a partner, not just a wannabe sidekick. In the end, it’s a simple story handled in a delightful manner. It’s not The Dark Knight Returns or Batman: Year One; it’s more in the direction of Leave It to Chance. Just pure fun.

I highly recommend this story for fans of Batman or good, strong art. It’s for adults and kids. You can find it on the secondary market for about $20-25: Check it out if you want to spend a pleasant 25 or 30 minutes reading a good Dynamic Duo adventure.

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MORE

— BURIED TREASURE: James Robinson and Paul Smith’s LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Click here.

— BURIED TREASURE: Superboy and Robin in SUPER SONS. Click here.

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Peter Stone is a writer and son-in-law of the late Neal Adams. Be sure to check out the family’s online Facebook auctions, as well as the NealAdamsStore.com.