Robin II The Joker’s Wild #2 follows Robin (Tim Drake) protecting Gotham alone while Batman is away. The Joker has escaped Arkham Asylum and hatches a plan to take down Gotham's technology. He kidnaps a woman to distract authorities so he can infiltrate the phone company. Robin battles the Joker but he escapes. Throughout the issue, themes of the struggle between good and evil and Robin working alone are explored through Scott McCloud's principles of visual storytelling.

1. Robin II The Joker’s Wild #2
Austin Karper

2. Abstract
• The comic book Robin II The Joker’s Wild is a four-part series. The comic
book being analyzed is part two. In this issued Robin, Timothy Drake, is in
control of watching over Gotham while Batman, Bruce Wayne, is away. We
find out that the Joker has escaped Arkham. To make it appear as though
Batman is still in Gotham Robin and Alfred transport a hologram machine
to project Batman. Jokers plan is to create chaos by taking down the
technological infrastructure of Gotham. To gain access to the telephone
company to start his plan, he kidnaps a woman to create a distraction, by
placing her on a building to simulate a suicide jumper. As the Joker leaves
the facility he notices the hologram and shoots at it. Robin notices Joker
and takes him out, but ultimately the Joker escapes and figures that
Batman is not in Gotham and that Robin is all alone.

3. Theme
• The theme of Robin II The Joker’s Wild # 2 is the constant struggle
between good and evil. This can be seen in the main story line of the
Joker working on a new plan to cause havoc in Gotham. Another
theme is being a one man team. Batman is away and Robin is on his
own to watch over Gotham, and this duty takes its toll on Robin as
the nights are longer due to the amount of crime.

4. This series of panels shows Robin
saving a woman who fell, relating to
the theme of Robin being on his own
watching over Gotham.
The McCloud principle
at work here is action
to action, which is a
single subject in a
series of actions.

5. This series of panels shows a
woman entering a dark room
with a single light, showing the
outline of the Joker. This relates
to the theme by showing Joker
working on his plan.
The McCloud principle at
work here is moment to
moment. You see the
woman opening the door
and walking into the
room with the Joker

6. This series of panels shows Robin
confronting two guys with Batman
looking down. It then transitions
to Robin turning off the Batman
hologram, leading the the theme
of Robin being alone.
The McCloud principle at
play here is scene to scene.
There is a jump from
seeing Batman to learning
it’s a hologram. Before this
the reader did not know
that was not actually
Batman

7. This panel shows Robin
swinging in to rescue that
woman, while showing the
grandeur of the building
standing on. This relates to the
theme of Robin being alone.
The McCloud principle
at play here is choice of
frame with the main
principle being rising
above, showing the
environment.

8. This panel shows Robin turning
off the Batman hologram, giving
the theme of the book that
Robin is alone.
The McCloud principle at
play here is another
choice of frame, but is
the worm’s eye view,
with Robin looking up at
the hologram

9. This panel is the start of the
sequence of the Joker
kidnapping the woman for the
distraction. This furthers the
theme of the Joker being on the
loose.
The McCloud principle
at play here is an
establishing shot.

10. This panel shows a woman
holding what appears to be a
business card. On the card is a
joker symbol, advancing the
theme of Joker being on the
loose
The McCloud principle
at play here is choice of
image, especially with
being specific in details

11. This series of panels shows the
effects of a long night on Tim
Drake, Robin, during school.
This shows the how the theme
of being alone is taking its toll
on him
The McCloud principle
at play here is choice of
flow. The panels shown
flow in a general left to
right basis.

12. The panels shows a shadowy
figure, being Joker, sitting in a
dark room. This advances the
theme by showing Joker in a
dark manner.
The McCloud principle
at play here is the use
of intensity with
regards to graphic
contrast.

13. This panel shows the character
design of the Joker, making him
his own individual character.
The McCloud principle at play
here is character design, with
a focus on visual distinction.
The Joker is instantly
noticeable based on his
unique appearance.

14. This panel shows the facial
expression of the women when
she finally sees the Joker. This
shows Jokers plan starting to
unfold.
The McCloud principle in
play here is facial
expressions, with fear
being the clear expression
on the woman’s face.

15. This panel shows Robin after his
night alone. He is in class and is
hunched over falling asleep.
The McCloud principle
at play is body
language. This allows
the reader to see how
the character is feeling

16. This panel shows Joker
medicating, Dr. Pellinger, in
order to get want he wants
from him. This advances the
theme of joker on the loose.
The McCloud principle
at play is intersecting
word choice. The words
give details separate
from the details given by
the picture.

17. This panel shows the aftermath
of Joker throwing down a gas
bomb in order to get away from
Robin. Robin was alone in his
attempt to stop the Joker
The McCloud principle
in play here is a duo-
specific word choice.
The words and the
picture are telling the
same story.

18. This panel shows the woman
that Joker kidnapped falling off
the building. Joker used her as
a distraction to enact part of his
plan.
The McCloud principle
in play his picture
specific word choice.
The words offer more
to the picture.

19. This panel shows the woman
that was kidnapped when she
first sees Joker. The focus for
this is her screaming.
The McCloud principle
in theory is different
font associations. The
timbre style is
associated with a rough
scream.

20. This panel shows the Joker
shooting at the Batman
hologram. This ties the themes of
the joker being loose and Robin
being alone with the Joker finally
realizing that Robin is alone.
The McCloud principle
in play here is world
building without word
bubbles. This event
created the world for
the remainder of the
four part mini-series
that is Robin II The
Jokers Wild

21. Conclusion
• Robin II The Jokers Wild issue number 2 has many principles Scott
McCloud’s Making Comics. Throughout the comic the reader can
dissect each page, going down to each panel. The use of character
building, word choice, and the way the comic was draw, give the
reader all the necessary elements to make this a well rounded comic.
Lastly one of the biggest things this issue did was build up the world
for the remainder of the miniseries.