In comic book history, there exist characters who make a lasting mark on the industry and future of fiction. Superman was the forefather of superheroes, Batman was the first superhero without superpowers, and Spider-Man was the first costumed teenager who wasn't subjugated to being a sidekick. Wait now, we missed a step. Sidekicks, an important part of comic books that was kicked off (sidekicked off?) by one colorfully-clad crime stopper, Robin: The Boy Wonder. Today I'll be giving you a tour of each young hero to take this mantle.
Now I've already done posts about the first two Robins, but I'll give a quick summery. The first Robin was an acrobat named Dick Grayson who's parents were killed when their trapeze act was sabotaged by gangsters. Fearing the criminals would come for Grayson next, billionaire Bruce Wayne adopted Dick Grayson to keep him safe. He also did this because he too had witnessed his parents death when he was a child. When Dick Grayson discovered Bruce was secretly the vigilante Batman, Grayson joined his side as Robin the Boy Wonder to stop crime and avenge his parents. Grayson eventually outgrew his role as Robin and became the vigilante Nightwing, leaving the Robin position open. Batman gave the role of Robin to a street punk named Jason Todd, believing the angry youth could benefit from having an outlet for his rage. Jason turned out to be far too violent and arrogant for the job, even killing a criminal while out on patrol. After kicking him out of the Wayne Family, Bruce attempted to rescue Jason Todd who had been captured by The Joker. Batman was too late as The Joker had killed Jason Todd by triggering explosives in the complex Jason was being held in. Jason would return back to life as the villain/anti-hero, The Red Hood.
Now on to the third Robin, Tim Drake. First created in 1989, Tim Drake was a young prodigy who had a high society upbringing, as a kid he met the circus group known as The Flying Graysons and befriended Dick Grayson. By age nine Tim had already deducted the identities of both Batman and Robin, years later after Grayson would retire the role and Jason Todd would be killed Tim saw how brutal Batman was becoming out of his remorse. Knowing this, Tim came to Batman offering to be the new Robin. Despite his first arguments, Batman was convinced of Tim's potential and physically trained him. Batman saw no use in intellectually training Tim as the boy had already acceded the mental prowess Batman had when was a teenager. Most people these days recognize Tim as the quintessential Robin because he was more pro-active and experienced than his predecessors, he led teams like Young Justice and The Teen Titans, and even had his own sixteen year long solo series. Out of all the Robins, Tim is regarded as the heaviest thinker and most superb detective, even rivaling Batman. Tim would also migrate away from his Robin role and upgrade to Red Robin. Not the restaurant!
Finally we come to the most recent Robin, Damian Wayne. Damian's first appearance was in 2006, he is the illegitimate son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, daughter of villain Ra's al Ghul and member of The League of Assassins. Batman had slept with Talia, but was not aware of Damian's birth or the ten years Damian would live being raised as an assassin. When Damian finally learned about his father, he was sent to aid Batman as his new Robin by Talia. Because Damian grew up both pampered and disciplined, his arrogance gave a rough impression on readers as Damian was bratty, egotistical, and downright disobedient. He even believed the only way to be worthy of the Robin mantle was to kill it's last holder, Tim Drake. Batman would eventually teach Damian how to be less violent and more compassionate. Out of all the Robins, Damian had the most different origin and steepest climb to redemption. He continues to fight crime alongside his father to this day.
Other Robins like Carrey Kelly, Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas would come and go, but these four characters have carried my interest in the Robin mantle for years. For as similar as they may look, these four sort-of-brothers are all different. Grayson is the light-hearted acrobat, Todd is the furious brute, Drake is the tactical detective, and Damian is a home-brewed weapon. But despite how different they might be, they represent the same idea: that anyone of any age is capable of any good. No matter what happens to any of them, they're committed to upholding what is right. They are all worthy to stand next to Batman, but as the first legacy of sidekicks they are important enough to stand on their own. Thanks for reading!
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