In the wacky, wild world of Earth 2, anything goes. A female Robin who happens to be Bruce Wayne’s daughter? Sure! Why not! DC Comics released this teaser image to show us what Helena Wayne’s Earth 2 Robin costume looked like.

Everybody loves shoulder pads

I like it! It’s modern, it’s stylish and it’s definitely Robin. Though I’ve seen other websites point out that the ‘R’ symbol is positioned directly under her neck, right beneath an opening in her collar, in fact. Not to mention the ‘R’ symbols on her knees. Wouldn’t those make fantastic bullseyes for Robin’s enemies?

Everybody knows that Batman put a bat-symbol on his chest because he could cover his chest in padding and a bullet-proof vest, so he wants to draw the bad guy’s attention to his chest. You don’t want the bad guy aiming for your neck or your knee caps.

So a little misstep there.

Anyway, some of you may be asking, who the hell is this? A female Robin? Earth 2? Have you gone crazy!?

Nope, it all makes some insane sort of comic book sense. Allow me to explain.

In most comic books, there exists the concept of alternate realities. You’ve got the one main reality, where all the normal superhero action takes place. And then you’ve got alternate realities, where things are a little different (or a lot different, as the case may be).

In DC Comics, there is Earth 1, where you have Bruce Wayne as Batman, Clark Kent as Superman, the Justice League and all the usual stuff you know and love. Then there is Earth 2, where things are a little bit different. The main difference, it seems, is that all of the superheroes started adventuring several years before they started in Earth 1. That means in Earth 2, Bruce Wayne is now an old man and his children have taken over for him.

We’re going to learn a lot more about Earth 2 when new comics are launched in May called World’s Finest and Earth 2. In fact, here’s the cover to Earth 2, which features the alternate reality versions of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

They look mostly normal

We don’t know very much about that group yet, but we do know that Batman isn’t Bruce Wayne. DC has teased that there is a ‘Wayne’ under the mask, leading some to guess that it’s an adult Damien Wayne, Bruce’s son and current Robin in Earth 1.

Confusing, I know.

Anyway, the Robin that I posted above is Helena Wayne, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Catwoman). It seems that in Earth 2, she was groomed to be Robin and served under her father, Bruce. That’s going to be her Robin costume in Earth 2. However, when the new comics come out in May, Helena isn’t going to be Robin. She’s going to be the Huntress, all grown up. She’s going to star alongside Power Girl in the comic World’s Finest.

I’ve already written about this.

Here are some quotes from DC creators about Helena Wayne as Robin in Earth 2:

“Helena Wayne has been taught how to be the perfect Robin,” said James Robinson, writer of Earth 2. “Assured as a detective, fighter, scientist, pilot and all around crime-fighter she’s been groomed by Batman to be the perfect caped manhunter (or should we say manHuntress) when she grows up.”

And.

“Before coming to the main DCU Earth and taking up the mantle of Huntress, Helena Wayne fought crime alongside her father as the Robin to his Batman on Earth-2!” said WORLDS’ FINEST editor Wil Moss. “But how did she come to be on this Earth? And why did she decide to become Huntress? You’ll get some clues in next week’s HUNTRESS #6, but for the real scoop, pick up WORLDS’ FINEST #1!”

So yeah, it all sounds kind of neat.