I guess that the first time I saw Roger Robinson's art was way back when he worked on some of the Ultraverse books. Then I'd see his art pop up on issues of Spider-Man and the Flash before he finally landed on Azrael, which is where his art really started to shine. I absolutely loved his take on Jean-Paul Valley, and I enjoyed it whenever he got to draw other members of the Bat-Family as guest stars. So it was no surprise when Roger moved on to Batman: Gotham Knights and rocked it on that book, as well. Since then, I've continued to buy Roger's comics work wherever I'd see it, from Doctor Solar to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents to Noble. So yeah, I've wanted a commission from Roger for some time, and I was delighted to be able to get this one of Karate Kid vs. Azrael from him! Roger packed this piece with action! I love the energy coming off where Karate Kid's kick is meeting Azrael's strike. And I really dig how he has Azrael's cape surrounding both characters. Simon Gough then came in and worked his usual brilliance, elevating the commission even further in quality. I really dig what Simon did with the flames and how their light affected the color on the characters. I mean, look at the detail of how Karate Kid's hand throws a shadow across his eyes! This is why I love Simon so much! Anywho, yes, this commission is great, and my hat is off to both Roger and Simon for their outstanding work here!

Jean-Paul Valley was genetically engineered by the Order of St. Dumas to be a perfect warrior and assassin. He is much stronger and faster than a normal human, and has been trained extensively in martial arts. He has beaten Batman, Nightwing and Bane. That all being said, he'll probably last a good minute or two with Val Armorr (which is more time than I give most opponents). The main thing Val has to do is avoid and disable Jean-Paul's flaming blades while breaking through his armor. This won't be easy while Jean-Paul is giving him a proper fight. But Karate Kid has defeated tougher opponents, and he'll beat Azrael. After the fight, they can talk about their dads and their training.

If you like this piece then please do go buy some books featuring Roger's work in either physical or digital format.

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