BOOK ONE: It has been about a month since SUBZERO, and Robin (Grayson) is beginning to question himself as a crime-fighter. He's starting to get on Batman's nerves (and vice versa). During a routine crime-busting Robin majorly disobeys Batman and ticks him off and them Batgirl shows up and that ticks off Robin. This is only the beginning. Soon crime-fighting is interfering with Robin's social life.
It seems to Dick that crime-fighting is all Batman cares about, and he even more strongly believes this when Batman misses his graduation because he is out guarding the streets. This is too much for Dick, so he decides to go for a long walk. Batman believes he knows why Robin has been stressed out and decides to show Barbara Gordan his secret, and Batman reveals that he knew she was Batgirl all along.
BOOK TWO: The Joker strikes and it's Batman and...Batgirl(!?)...to the rescue! Yup! While Robin is out pondering about his future Batman decides to take Batgirl along to help him stop the Joker -- which could turn out to be a fatal mistake. Robin makes his decision and heads back to the cave to find out that both Batman and Barbara are gone! He heads out to find them.
Meanwhile Batman and Batgirl are cleaning up the Joker's gang. Batman is pretty impressed with how she's doing, but the Joker is able to knock her off the roof and into Robin's arms who arrives just as she is hit off of the roof. Robin cleans up and lectures Batman about how he forced Barbara into this situation and how he can't take crime-fighting anymore. He leaves Batman, Batgirl, the Cave, and Gotham behind.
BOOK THREE: It has been almost a year since the events in BOOK TWO, and Gotham has been relatively quiet. Dick Grayson has been off training -- traveling from culture to culture learning new techniques and learning new martial arts abilities. He also acquires the emblem that will soon be placed on his NIGHTWING costume. With no money he has to work his way from destination to destination, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Meanwhile in Gotham it's been exactly a year since Dick left (about a month passes in this issue), and Batman is remembering what things used to be like with Robin. Dick returns to Gotham. BOOK FOUR: This issue is basically the adaptation of SINS OF THE FATHER but with some additions. We go back to the night when Batman, Batgirl, and Robin were fighting the Joker. A few buildings over we see a small pint sized Tim Drake, a Batman fan, peering through binoculars watching the fight. During the fight there was an explosion which a batarang blew over to Tim's roof, which he kept. Later that night Tim's father appears and reveals that he has to leave because of TWO-FACE. He leaves a note with a key attached.
A few months pass and Tim has been living by himself. Coming home one day Tim is confronted with two of TWO-FACE'S henchmen who take him hostage. Tim is tied up, and TWO-FACE has taken the key from him. Tim is about to be killed when Batman comes to the rescue, but Batman is greatly injured and Batman must use Tim's help to get in the Bat-boat and back to the cave. Tim soon finds out Batman's identity (along with Batgirl's) Tim sees the old Robin suit and begs to wear it but not until he's earned it. Batman and Batgirl head off to stop TWO-FACE from killing off Gotham, but they are in trouble and then Robin arrives...wait...isn't he training in Europe? Oh wait it's Tim Drake! Tim Drake is able to help Batman and Batgirl beat TWO-FACE but Tim went against Batman's wishes and ticks him off. Batman and Robin agree to practice everyday to hone Robin's skill.
BOOK FIVE: It has been two years now and Dick is finishing his training. He only has one more secret to learn which is the secret of flight. He is able to go up the THE MONKS OF FLIGHT's monastery with a group of mercenaries, but that greatly backfires when he is almost killed when he finds out the real reason the mercenaries are going to the monastery: TO GET A PRICELESS AND VALUABLE STATUE BACK TO RA'S AL GHUL!
Dick is soon encased in 10 feet of snow and is running out of air. Two days pass before he is rescued by a mysterious man in a blue suit who shows him the gift of flight (which is actually manipulating air currents to keep him 'floating and gliding'). Dick returns to Gotham to get the statue back. He fights head to head in his new blue suit. He is successful in getting the statue back. Once he returns back to Gotham, he alters his suit one final time.
Cut to the Bat-cave during a grueling training session between Batman and Robin. Just as the match ends Dick Grayson walks into the cave and suprises everybody. But their reunion is cut short by the Bat-signal. Dick puts on his new NIGHTWING costume and heads out to the streets of Gotham with Batman, Robin and Batgirl!
This mini-series was done very well and showed a lot of what happened during the 'Lost Years' of Animated Batman Continuity but it also didn't explain a lot. What's with the new looks of Batman's rogue gallery? Paul Dini explained Batman's new look (Batman saw no point in wearing bright colors anymore), Batgirl's (the original intention of Batman's 'old' costume which was to draw fire to the bulletproof bat-insignia), and Robin's (cut out the green added black and darkened the red).
There are going to be more episodes next season (the 1998-99 season) to explain more about the missing years and what wasn't shown. Another reason why the looks were redesigned was because WB didn't want people believing that they were just rehashing the original FOX series and wanted to give Batman a new updated, stylized look.
All in all I'd give this mini-series about a 4/5. This mini-series wasn't perfect and had its bad stops, but it was also a noble attempt at explaining Batman's lost years.