"If there's one thing I've always been sure of, it's that Batman will need a Robin, and Robin will need a Batman"
- Alfred Pennyworth (Batman and Robin: Born to Kill)
Robin has been an integral part of the Batman mythos ever since Dick Grayson appeared in Detective Comics vol.1 #38. The Boy Wonder started out as a buffer to Batman. After 10 issues, creator Bob Kane and co-creator Bill Finger realized that Batman is dull since he has no one to talk with.
The introduction of Robin made the dialogues more organic. He can talk to Robin and tell him his plans to catch the criminal. Robin is an essential addition to the development of Batman stories. Just imagine, do you think The Dark Knight Returns or Batman Year One will be great if Batman, only conversed with himself?
Last year we celebrated Robin's 75th year anniversary. The year-long celebration culminated when DC Comics published Batman and Robin Eternal which ran every week for 26 weeks. And for today's Countdown to Batman Day, let's revisit how four of the most influential Robins changed the life of the Dark Knight.
4. Tim Drake / Red Robin
Of all the Robins, Tim Drake was the only one who deduced Batman and Robin's (Jason Todd) secret identities. When Jason died, Tim was so concerned that the unhinged Dark Knight needed a new Robin that he volunteered himself to become the third Robin. The exchanges between Tim and Batman made a lot of fans realize that Batman always needs a Robin.
In Identity Crisis, Captain Boomerang murdered Jack Drake leaving Tim an orphan. Tim found a new home in Wayne Manor as Bruce's adopted son. As Robin, Tim led the Teen Titans and proved himself in combat and as a detective.
3. Jason Todd / Red Hood
Jason Todd first encountered Batman when he was caught trying to steal the Batmobile's tires--and their relationship has been a tempestuous one ever since. For a time, Jason adventured as the second Robin, but his rebelious nature made him a problematic partner for Batman. He met his brutal end when the Joker took his life in a time-bomb after a vicious beatdown with a crowbar.
Batman never forgave himself for the death of Jason. He has carried this burden until he saw Jason come back to life.
Batman never forgave himself for the death of Jason. He has carried this burden until he saw Jason come back to life.
2. Dick Grayson / Nightwing
Dick Grayson proved that Batman's fight against crime didn't need to be a lonely one. Already a star acrobat as a child, Dick became an orphan the day a gangster sabotaged his parents' high-wire act--all becuse their employer, Haly's Circus, refused to pay insurance for the show.
Bruce Wayne took the boy into his home, and soon after, the two were a crime-fighting double act, with Gotham headlines heralding the sensational exploits of the Caped Crusaders. When he grew from a boy to a man, Dick found a new identity as Nightwing, but he left Batman with a firm belief in the power of a partner.
Bruce Wayne took the boy into his home, and soon after, the two were a crime-fighting double act, with Gotham headlines heralding the sensational exploits of the Caped Crusaders. When he grew from a boy to a man, Dick found a new identity as Nightwing, but he left Batman with a firm belief in the power of a partner.
1. Damian Wayne / Robin
Damian Wayne is the legitimate heir to Bruce's legacy. Despite such fact, he didn't even know he had a son until he met Damian Wayne face-to-face. The child of Bruce and Talia al Ghūl grew up in the care of the League of Assassins and received genetic augmentation to make him the perfect fighting machine.
He was killed by his mother to gain a leverage her beloved Dark Knight. The death of Damian has torn Batman apart in a way we've never seen before. Of all the things Batman has gone through, the death of his son is the most painful thing he dealt with.
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