Thanks to Mark Waid,BatmanandRobin’sfirst year as the Dynamic Duo is being reimagined like never before, breathing new life into old lore while uncovering thrilling, 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 won’t see coming.
Batman and Robin: Year One#2, by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, and Giovanna Niro, is set to release on June 10, 2025. Until then, fans can get a sneak peek at the first few pages of the issue, which introducethe Dynamic Duo’s very first enemy—CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
The pages show various social workers gathering around, betting on how long they think it will be before Bruce Wayne loses custody of his new ward, Dick Grayson. In this moment, it’s clear—Batman and Robin are up against more than just crime; they have a group of people actively rooting and looking for reasons to separate them.
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DC Reveals Batman & Robin’s First Enemy–Child Protective Services
Cover B Card Stock Variant by Mikel Janín forBatman and Robin: Year One#1 (2024)
Child Protective Services not only provides a unique twist on the identity of the Dynamic Duo’s first enemy, but it also makes perfect sense.As a single man with another single male–Alfred Pennyworth–in his household, 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 the guardian of a newly orphaned boy becomes even more suspicious in their eyes. While readers know that Bruce is a good man, CPS, from a narrative perspective, does not—and their eagerness to place Dick in another home is completely understandable.
However, their interference will undoubtedly complicate Bruce and Dick’slate-night activities as Batman and Robin. Now, not only will the Dynamic Duo be battling Gotham’s villains, but they’ll also have to contend with the suspicions of CPS. While CPS’s intentions may seem good in the narrative, they remain a clear enemy to Bruce and Dick, as they have the power to strip away Bruce’s guardianship.Since CPS would have been involved from the very beginning of Dick coming to live with Bruce, it solidifies them as Batman and Robin’s first enemy.Fortunately, fans already know this is one foe the Dynamic Duo will ultimately defeat.
Bruce Wayne & Alfred Pennyworth Prove Just How Right CPS Is About Them
Cover B Card Stock Variant by Kevin Nowlan forBatman and Robin: Year One#2 (2024)
While we know Bruce will ultimately keep his guardianship of Dick, it will still be intriguing to see the complications CPS introduces and how the Dynamic Duo will handle them. Waid adds humor to the situation, as the pages showing CPS questioning Bruce’s fitness as a parent are immediately followed by a scene where Bruce and Alfred unload a machine gun firing rubber bullets at Dick while he navigates an intense obstacle course. The humor here is that CPS is, in a way, right about Bruce being an unfit guardian. Hence, the anticipation is high as fans wait to see howBatmanandRobinconfront this well-intentioned yet misguided enemy.
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Batman and Robin: Year One #2is available July 19, 2025, from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
