Does Batman need a Robin?
The character of Robin is one of the most sharply divisive elements of the Batman mythos, with some adaptations emphasizing his contributions and others refusing to include him (or her) at all. At first glance, Robin in his brightly colored circus outfit is admittedly a little harder for some new fans to accept than Batman in his dark and simple cape and cowl. Were Bob Kane and Bill Finger out of their minds when they first introduced the character in Detective Comics 38 (1940)?Far from it, as a matter of fact. Robin was created as a means of drawing in younger readers to the darker Batman stories. The move was an early success and raised the sales of the Batman books by 100. It’s important to remember, though, that Batman was originally created simply because National Publications wanted to add another superhero to its titles to mimic the success of Superman.Just as Batman’s character developed over time, so too did various writers take the time to add depth to Robin over the years. Finger and Kane introduced the first version of the character’s tragic origin story, which obviously mimicked Batman’s. Acrobat Dick Grayson was born into a circus family, only to have his parents murdered by a crime boss when he was 10. Bruce Wayne took the boy in as a ward and, as Batman, trained him with the skills necessary to bring the mobster to justice. Grayson then joined Batman in his never-ending crusade against crime.Grayson served as Robin from 1940 to 1984, when Grayson took on the role of the independent superhero Nightwing. By this time, though, the character of Robin was so entrenched in the Batman mythology that a new character “had” to be created, or so the editors believed. Thus, Jason Todd was born. Although initially very similar to Dick Grayson, Todd soon introduced a number of twists into the Batman universe.First, Todd showed that the costumed character could continue, even if the face behind the mask changed. Second, Todd gave writers a chance to show a more “rebellious” Robin, at least after the Crisis on Infinite Earths series. Todd was shown as the orphaned son of a drug addict and hired thug who first meets Batman while trying to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. While Todd was eventually taken in by Batman, he didn’t give up his rebellious ways, including smoking, swearing, and even being involved in the suspicious deaths of certain criminals.However, it was not the beginning, but the end of Todd’s career that highlighted how times had changed in the comics world, and perhaps serves as the best highlight of Robin’s importance. After discovering that his biological mother is still alive, Batman and Todd track her down to Ethiopia, only to discover that she’s being blackmailed by the Joker. Handed over by his mother to the villain, Todd is beaten with a crowbar and then left to die (with his mother) by a time bomb. Although Todd attempts to shield his mother’s body from the blast, he is killed instantlyhis mother survives long enough to speak with Batman, who arrives too late for either of them.Todd’s death was even more controversial because of the fact that it was voted on by readers through a 1-900 number. His death was approved by 72 votes. After the fact, it was revealed that this was likely the result of someone who had programmed a computer to dial the number every few minutes. By then, though, the dead had been done.Simply speaking, the death of Jason Todd broke Batman long before Bane ever touched him. The event is considered one of the darkest moments in Batman’s career, and it was assumed that ever bringing Todd back would be unthinkable. Years later, writers did just that, but that’s an entirely different article.After Todd’s death, a new Robin was introduced named Tim Drake, and he was followed by Stephanie Brown (the first female Robin) and then Damian Wayne (Bruce’s biological son). Robin’s come a long way from his early, kid-friendly roots, and there’s sure to be a Robin story that will appeal to almost every reader. This means that the character will continue to change to stay relevant, so if Robin’s not working for you now, the best thing to do is to just check back in a few years.