Thanks to Alternatural art for the image.
Caption from Alternatural art reads:
The Robin Army: Robin times 20! Boy and girl wonders from all over the DC Multiverse.
Upper row: Barbara Gordon (Thrillkiller), Robin Redblade (Batman Chronicles), Stephanie Brown, “Tengu” (Robin Elseworlds Annual), Richard Grayson (Pre-Crisis Earth 2), Robin (Detective No. 27), Redbird (The Blue, The Grey, The Bat), Carrie Kelly (Dark Knight Returns), Richart Graustark (Thrillkiller), Jason Todd, Tom Wayne (Robin 3000)
Lower row: Richard Grayson (Dark Knight of the Round Table), Tim Drake, Boy (Return of Bruce Wayne), Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Tris Plover (Legends of the Dead Earth), Robin (Just Imagine Stan Lee), Robin the Toy Wonder (Robin 1,000,000), Robin Drake (JLA: Riddle of the Beast).
Honestly, I have never been much of a fan of Robin. First, Batman ought to be a loner. Second, there is something fundamentally wrong with kid sidekicks in any event. What adult takes a kid into a potentially dangerous situation?
ReplyDeleteThird, there is the fact that Robin's costume, traditionally red, yellow and green, doesn't exactly scream "blend in with the night and scare criminals."
That's not to say that Robin cannot be an interesting character. Plenty of writers have used him to good effect. I just always got the sense that they were expending extra effort to do that.
Robin was always my fav over Batman in the Silver and Bronze, a lot due to the 60s TV show. It was his energy that sparked the 'New Look' in part, and really sold them as a team.
ReplyDeleteSidekicks weren't new at that time, and Robin ultimately became the most famous of all comic sidekicks due to his exposure, and the success of the 60s show. I always loved the Cardy renditions in Titans, followed by Carmen and Curt Swan, which were also excellent in Silver Age Worlds Finest issues.
I recall thinking the addition of Jason Todd as the 'new Robin' when Dick switched identities was a novel idea, like when I was struggling to stay interested in the Titans title after Perez left the first time. The kid was WAY out of his league.
I regard Todd's 'death' was the first of sensationalized publicity regarding 'monumental hero deaths' (unlike Mar-Vell), and I saw it as a cheap ploy even at that time.
Anything after that carried no interest for me.
I knew Robin from tv first.Then, when I first read Batman comics, the Silver Age B&R team was on hiatus as the Dread Batman made his debut,but my "default" position is Batman and Robin as a partnership of adventurers.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed any story with the grown-up Robin of Earth-2 and I also liked Carrie Kelly. I missed the whole Jason debacle: to me, he's the red-haired kid whose parents were killed by Croc.
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to get a ticket for "Batman Live" which retells the origin of the Dick Grayson Robin. It was absolutely compelling (and the circus acts were spectacular).
I don't care much for Robin,I agree with just everything
ReplyDeleteInstained said, especially this part:
"That's not to say that Robin cannot be an interesting character. Plenty of writers have used him to good effect. I just always got the sense that they were expending extra effort to do that."
It's true, I remember a Batman writer(sorry,can't recall who) did an interview and said that he loved writing scenes where Robin has a conversation with Alfred. They're the only people in the world who really know Batman and act as his connection to "normal" people.
I like Robin okay in tv shows (animated and live action) but not so much in the comics(don't care much for him in Teen Titans either, as Robin or Nighwing).
And I like the later Robins even less. The only thing worse than 'Death In The Family' was the resurrection of Jason Todd.
"They resurrected Jason Todd..??"
ReplyDeleteGeez, surely they don't resuurect dead people to increase comic sales.., that's just plain goofy.
I'm sorry, but like Inkstained Wretch stated, there's always been something about the dark avenging hero of the night towing along a young boy in a bright red, green, and yellow outfit that just didn't ring true for me. Even when I was the Boy Wonder's age, it seemed that way to me. All of the young sidekick types rang untrue to me.
ReplyDeleteDarpy
Dick Grayson is Robin. Always has been, always will be.
ReplyDelete"Batman ought to be a loner" is a silly myth that modern comics readers buy into. The general public knows Batman's best buddy is Robin and that Batman without Robin is like peanut butter without jam.