Batman Guide: The Evolution of Robin | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Batman Guide: The Evolution of Robin

Happy 80 Years Robin!

419
Batman Guide: The Evolution of Robin

March marks the superhero sidekick Robin's eightieth anniversary. Since Detective Comics #38 in 1940 – the most famous sidekick in the history of comics has leaped across the rooftops of Gotham City alongside the Caped Crusader, The Batman. And like anything in comics, there have been countless individuals who have worn the Robin mask. Each individual brings a new twist to the character that either leads to a positive or deadly end for them. This listicle is here to showcase the main five Robins that have been established in the main continuity. When the term Main Continuity is thrown in, it means that we are only going to be focusing on the main timeline of events for the Batman comics. We will not be discussing the different realities that other robins have existed in, as that can be very confusing to non-comic book fans.

1. Dick Grayson

Batman Forever (1995)

Giphy

Dick Grayson is the first and most famous Robin. He first appeared in Detective Comics #38 all the way back in 1940 and is the son of the Flying Graysons. A family of circus trapeze and acrobat artists that would travel around preforming shows. Their show stopped in Gotham where they became the targets of a mob ring. Long story short, the mobster sabotaged the ropes and Dick's parents fell to their death. Bruce Wayne/Batman was in the audience and saw himself in the boy and took him in, eventually revealing himself to the Batman. Dick would soon suit up as his ally, Robin and the two went on many adventures over the years. Dick Grayson's Robin is one of the most recognizable Robins in not only Robin lore, but in Batman lore, nevertheless. He appeared in tons of Batman adaptations over the years like Movies, tv shows, and of course comics. In the 1980s, Dick would leave the Robin persona behind and soon became a crimefighter of his own, Nightwing.

2. Jason Todd

Titans (2018-)

Giphy

Jason Todd is the second Robin who appeared in Batman #357. His original counterpart was written to be a complete copy of Dick but that was later retconned, and his new origin showed him to be a homeless street kid on the streets of Gotham. Jason would have a rough upbringing with his broken household and do side gigs. On day, Batman found Jason trying to take the tires off the Batmobile to sell them. Batman took him in and decided to help Jason channel his rage as Robin. Jason was vastly different from Dick as Robin. He was brutal with opponents and sometimes struggled to show restraint. Batman would constantly get frustrated with the boy. Eventually, Jason grew so unpopular that a contest was held with DC Comics readers to vote whether Jason would live or die by the hands of the Joker. Readers called in and Jason was ultimately beaten with a crowbar by the clown prince and blown up. Jason would remain dead for years until being resurrected in the mid 2000s soon becoming the anti-hero The Red Hood.

3. Tim Drake

Arkham City (2011)

https://giphy.com/gifs/batman-robin-137oOQbrcTE6go

Tim Drake appeared shortly after Jason's death in Batman #436. He was written to be a huge fan of Batman and Robin throughout the years, even being present at Dick's parents death as a young boy. Being a huge fan of Batman, he would notice Batman's brutal nature he adopted after Jason's death. Tim would spend months investigating who Batman truly was, soon discovering both his and Dick's secret identities. He would plead with Dick in order to try and get him to suit up as Robin once again, but Dick was not fond of that idea. When he finally met face to face with The Batman, he explained that "Batman needs a Robin". Bruce would make Tim the third Robin and extensively trained him in order to prevent another Robin's death. Tim regarded as one of the most capable Robins in the history of the mythos. With his intense training both physically and mentally, he has used his intellect and ingenuity to save the day more times to count. Tim was eventually written to drop the Robin name and became Red Robin.

4. Stephanie Brown

Young Justice (2010-)

https://www.wattpad.com/766762817-spoiler-alert

Stephanie Brown is an odd ball. She first appeared in Detective Comics #647 (1992) and for years was known as Spoiler, a vigilante determined to take down her villain father, Cluemaster. She is the off and on love interest of Tim Drake and the two would fight crime together from time to time during Tim's years as Robin. Her time as Robin came in the early 2000s when Tim was unable to fulfill the role for a short time and she became the first female Robin (In main continuity as Carrie Kelley appeared in the 80s.). Stephanie was skillful as Spoiler but was not the sidekick Batman was looking for as Robin. After not following his orders on several occasions she was fired as Robin – only lasting 70 days in universe. Stephanie was killed off shortly after and came back to life near the end of the 2000s. She would suit up as the third Batgirl for a short while before the universe reboot known as The New 52.

5. Damian Wayne

Batman vs. Robin (2015)

https://tenor.com/view/damian-wayne-combo-damian-wayne-practice-punching-gif-12144668

Damian Wayne officially appeared in the Son of Batman story Arc in the mid 2000s as the illegitimate son of Batman. After a one-night stand with the assassin Talia al Ghul, Bruce would discover that Talia manipulated the night in order to have a son of the Batman. Damian was essentially a test tube baby and would be trained in the ways of an assassin. Eventually, Damian would be placed in the care of Bruce who struggled to train him properly and holdback his bloodlust. Damian is the current Robin and is known for his snappy personality. He is critical of almost everyone and thinks himself better than most. However, in the last couple of years Damian would become humbler – even questioning if he is the one to truly replace The Batman.

So, there you go, there's a short guide to the Robins. It's crazy that Robin has been able to stand the test of time for so long while other superhero sidekicks have been kicked to the side or rewritten. As Tim Drake said it best, Batman needs a Robin.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

Pros And Cons Of Having A Birthday Near The Holidays

The truth of what it is like having a birthday around the holiday season.

281
Christmas decoration
Flickr

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! But for some people, including myself and my Dad, it can have its ups and downs when it comes to having a birthday near and around the holiday season. I personally share a birthday with my Dad two days before Christmas. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve is our birthday. Here are a few pros and cons for having a birthday near the holidays.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas Tree Lights
Pixabay

It is that time of year again. Christmastime. It is one of my favorite seasons for a myriad of reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I love Christmas. This list is in no order of importance.

1. The Christmas decorations

I am that person who will decorate directly after Thanksgiving is over. This year, my roommates and I put the tree up in our apartment before we even left for Thanksgiving break. It is a great stress reliever for me to just sit in my living room and work on the huge amount of work I have before the semester is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
mistake
Project Eve

Mistakes are something we all make, no matter how old we get. Most of the time, the mistakes we made are little and sometimes due to something out of our control. Yet, there are mistakes that are bigger than others. Personally, I have mistakes that I wish I could go back and undo. Here they are:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

12436
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments