Batman needs a Robin. I already went over that earlier in the week. And it’s also my theory that Bruce Wayne doesn’t really understand why he needs a Robin. He just doesn’t get it. Oh sure, he can recognize the strategic benefits of having a partner. And maybe he even enjoys being a teacher and mentor. But Batman doesn’t really understand the crucial motivations that go into becoming a successful sidekick to the Dark Knight.

The key issue is whether or not the new sidekick wants to be Robin or whether they want to be Batman’s partner. And the difference will determine whether they are a success or a failure as the Boy Wonder.

One big happy family

There have been five different Robins in standard DC continuity. And it is my claim that when you look at the origins and outcomes of each of those Robins, you will see that their success or failure can be predicted based on what role Batman played in how they became Robin, and whether they were in it for the glory of the being Robin or whether they just wanted to help Batman. There’s a big difference between the two, even if it doesn’t sound like it at first.

When Batman picks the Robin, it ell ends in disaster. But when the Robin picks Batman, it works out great!

Join me after the jump as I explain why Batman doesn’t understand his own sidekick. Also, there will be SPOILERS after the jump! So be warned.

The five Robins are Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne. Two of those Robins grew up to lead successful lives as superheroes. Three of those Robins ended up dead. Batman does not have a very good track record, it would seem.

Batman can’t fix everything!

To understand my theory, you’ve first got to understand that Batman and Robin are iconic, that even in the fictional world in which they live, everybody knows that Batman has a Robin. Simple as that. So when the previous Robin either moves on or dies, someone is going to be wondering when Batman is going to get a new Robin. And herein lies my theory.

When a young person becomes Robin, are they doing it simply to fill the iconic shoes, because Batman must always have a Robin specifically? Or are they doing it because Batman shouldn’t work alone, and needs to have a partner, regardless of the name or iconic identity?

I say that the two success stories, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, became Robin because they both recognized that Batman needs help, he needs a partner to keep him balanced and stable. And for his part, Batman was reluctant to accept either of them as Robin. He didn’t want them, but he eventually accepted them as his partner.

The failures, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne, either only wanted to be Robin or were hand-picked by Batman to specifically become Robin. In these instances, Batman was ready and willing to take them on as Robin because he wanted a new Robin.

My theory will become clearer when we explore the characters below.

((And for those wondering, we’re mostly going to ignore the recent reboot because of how awkwardly DC altered the various Robin’s origins. Trust me, it would just get too confusing to explain how the reboot was both good and bad for the Robins. So we’re dealing mostly with pre-reboot continuity here.))

Let’s start things off with the first and most famous of the Robins:

Dick Grayson – Success

Origin: Dick Grayson was a circus acrobat before his parents were killed by a mobster. Bruce Wayne adopted the boy to give him a better life, but had no intention of involving Dick in any of his Batman business. At least not until the boy proved that he was determined to track down his parents’ killer. Recognizing that Dick needed some direction, Batman revealed himself to the boy, but still wasn’t going to let him join. Dick had to design the Robin costume himself and prove his worth as a partner before Batman was willing to make Dick his sidekick. Since then, Dick Grayson has grown up into a respected and well-liked member of the superhero community. He became his own hero, Nightwing, and has even filled in as Batman a few times.

My Theory: Batman had no intention of letting Dick Grayson join his war on crime when he adopted the orphan boy. He just wanted to give the kid a new life after his parents were killed. Dick had to prove himself twice over before Batman was willing to accept him as a partner, and Dick had to design the Robin identity all on his own. Batman didn’t have a sidekick spot that needed filling. Dick recognized that Batman needed help, and he proved that he could be that help. If it had been up to Batman, there wouldn’t even be a Robin to begin with. But Dick fought to become his partner and then absolutely excelled in the role.

Jason Todd – Failure

Origin: Jason Todd was a street urchin whose parents had been killed by drugs and crime. Shortly after Dick Grayson resigned as Robin to become Nightwing, Batman found Jason trying to steal the tires off the Batmobile. Batman immediately decided that Jason would be his new Robin, and he plucked the kid off the street to give him a new home and job. He even dressed Jason in Dick’s old Robin costume. Batman had learned the value of having a partner to watch his back, and with Dick gone, he needed a new one. Jason just happened to be the lucky orphan.

But Jason was a very unpopular Robin. He was a surly, angry young man who was very rough around the edges. Jason’s arrogance eventually got him into hot water when the Joker lured him away from Batman and into a trap. Joker beat Jason to death with a crowbar, and Batman was too late to save him. The new Boy Wonder was dead.

My Theory: With Dick gone, Batman decided that he needed a new Robin, so he grabbed the first able-bodied kid that came across his path and practically forced him into the position. He didn’t let Jason pick his own identity or even give him a new costume. Jason was simply the new Dick, as far as Batman was concerned. It’s not like Jason was mature enough to recognize that maybe it wasn’t a good fit for him. He was probably just excited that Batman had just shown up and promised to give him the world. Batman clearly couldn’t see what made Dick Grayson work so well when he tried to force Robin on a new kid.

Tim Drake – Success

Origin: When Tim Drake was a young boy, he managed to figure out all on his own that Bruce Wayne was Batman and Dick Grayson was Robin. Then after Jason was killed, Tim noticed that Batman suddenly became more violent and reckless when fighting crime. Tim rationalized that Batman needs a Robin to keep him balanced and grounded. Tim tried to get Dick Grayson to go back, but Dick decided Tim would be the better choice. Batman was opposed to the idea. He didn’t want a new sidekick after Jason was killed. But Tim persisted and even helped Batman in the field a few times, though only as Tim Drake. Eventually, Batman reluctantly consented to letting Tim become Robin, and the boy would go on to be the best of all the Robins, before eventually becoming Red Robin, leader of the Teen Titans.

My Theory: Just like with Dick Grayson, Batman did not want a sidekick when Tim came around. Even with Tim knowing his secret identity and wanting to help, Bruce would not let him become Robin. Tim had to prove himself, and he showed everyone that he just wanted to help and give Batman the support that he needed. Tim Drake figured out exactly why Batman needs a Robin even though Bruce couldn’t see it for himself. That’s practically my whole theory right there. And once Tim became Robin, he did it to help Batman. He wasn’t in it for glory or fame, he did it because Batman needed a partner. Even when Tim moved on, he still kept the name ‘Robin’.

Stephanie Brown – Failure

Origin: Stephanie Brown was a teenage girl who became the superhero Spoiler in order to help stop her super-villain father. Batman never approved of Spoiler, but she got along famously with Tim Drake. Then during a brief time when Tim stepped down as Robin, Stephanie decided that she wanted the job. She made her own Robin costume and presented herself to Batman as Tim’s replacement. Despite never liking Spoiler in the past, Batman gladly accepted Stephanie as the new Robin and started training her.

But she didn’t last long. Stephanie broke too many of Batman’s rules and he fired her. That would be failure enough right there. But Stephanie immediately returned to being Spoiler and set out to prove that Batman was wrong for giving her the boot. She tried to take on the Gotham City gang problem, only to be kidnapped by the super-villain Black Mask, who then tortured Stephanie to death.

My Theory: Just like with Jason Todd, Stephanie was chosen to be the new Robin because Batman had an opening. Stephanie specifically wanted to be the new Robin. Rather than joining Batman as Spoiler, she made her own Robin costume. Batman, being Batman, and still not understanding what made Dick and Tim special, gladly accepted Stephanie and put her to work. She didn’t see Robin as a dutiful sidekick to the Dark Knight. She saw Robin as an iconic role, and she felt it was her time to shine.

Damian Wayne – Failure

Origin: Damian is the illegitimate son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, conceived in treachery and raised in secret by his mother. Bruce didn’t even know that Damian was alive until the kid was 10-years-old. Talia raised Damian as an assassin, but when she introduced him to Batman, Damian switched sides to join his father’s war on crime. Damian wanted to be his father’s Robin, believing it to be his position by birthright. He went so far as to dress up like Robin and try to kill Tim Drake in order to take over.

Damian eventually calmed down, but not before Bruce Wayne was believed to have died in action. Dick Grayson took over as Batman, and he gladly welcomed Damian as his Robin. Then when Bruce returned and Dick stepped down, Bruce welcomed Damian as his Robin. Until this week, when Damian met his end in a battle between Batman and Talia.

My Theory: Damian’s origins are a little tricky, but I think he still fits my theory. First of all, when Damian was introduced, he wanted to become Robin. He wasn’t in it to help his dad or to be his partner. He saw Robin as the squire to his father’s knight, so that’s what he wanted to be. There was no discussion of Batman having two sidekicks or Damian making his own identity. Nope, Damian wanted to be Robin and wasn’t about to put up with having Tim Drake in his way. And sure enough, that’s how Damian became Robin. They pushed Tim Drake out of the role and told Damian he could be Robin, just like he’d always wanted. And when Bruce Wayne came back, he eventually welcomed Damian as his partner.

Conclusion:

To be a successful Robin, you have to do it for the right reasons. Being Robin can’t be the only motivation. Sure it’s glamorous to be Batman’s sidekick and the costume is cool, but there’s a lot more to being Robin than just dressing the part. Dick Grayson and especially Tim Drake knew this. They saw that Batman needed a partner, he needed someone to balance his darker, meaner instincts. But Bruce Wayne couldn’t see it for himself. When Dick and Tim came around, Bruce didn’t want them. He resisted their help until after they’d proven themselves.

But that was not the case with the other Robins, for the most part. As soon as Batman had openings when Dick and Tim quit, he immediately snatched up Jason Todd and Stephanie Brown. Batman knew that having a partner was a great help, so he picked the replacements on his own, and both turned out disastrously. Stephanie, especially, was a problem, because she only wanted to be Robin for the glamour. It wasn’t about helping Bruce or supporting Batman. She wanted to be Robin. And it got her killed.

Damian, like I said, is trickier. But in the beginning, Damian wanted to be Robin. He didn’t know anything about his father or what his father needed in a partner. Damian just knew that he wanted to be Robin because that was a position of honor with his father. It could be argued that Dick Grayson made the same mistake as Bruce when picking Damian as his sidekick. Dick didn’t choose Damian to be Robin because he himself needed a partner. He did it because Damian needed to be put to good use, Damian needed the discipline that the role might bring. But rather than let Damian make up his own identity, they made him Robin. So I say Damian still fits my theory.

And I think it’s clear that Batman just doesn’t understand that special spark that leads to success, that specific motivation that makes for a good Robin. Instead, he just wants a partner. And whenever Bruce picks the partner himself, rather than the partner picking him, it ends in disaster.

Still don’t believe my rambling? Well how about this evidence:

Frank Miller Totally Gets It

Frank Miller is one of the premiere Batman writers of the past 30 years. In the 80s, he almost single-handedly turned Batman into the grim Dark Knight that we all know and love. He’s written a lot of great Batman stories…and some really crappy ones. As such, all of Frank Miller’s Batman stories inhabit their own alternate reality. Batman: Year One, All-Star Batman and Robin, The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again tell one long story from the beginning of Batman’s career to the end.

And in Frank Miller’s stories, there are two Robins: Dick Grayson and Carrie Kelley. And between the two of them, they are perfect examples of how Batman’s decision-making is just plain terrible.

In All-Star Batman and Robin, Dick Grayson’s origin is a little different than normal continuity. In Frank Miller’s story, Batman doesn’t just happen upon the circus one day, but instead is actively scouting Dick as a partner even before the young boy’s parents are killed. And once they are, Batman kidnaps Dick from the crime scene and forces him into a life of hardship and training. Batman doesn’t even let Dick design his own costume and name. In Frank Miller’s version, Dick is forced to become Robin.

And so in The Dark Knight Strikes Back, it’s revealed that Dick grows up to be a psychotic mass murderer who kills all of Batman’s friends.

Welcome to Hell

Carrie Kelley, on the other hand, is a perfect example of my Robin theory. In The Dark Knight Returns, Bruce Wayne comes out of retirement and takes on the evil mutant gang. But he’s in way over his head. Fortunately, Carrie has decided that she’s going to be the new Robin, and she shows up in the nick of time to help Batman. She saves him. Bruce doesn’t pick Carrie to be his new Robin. She picks him. Bruce accepts Carrie’s help and accepts her as his partner. And Carrie proves to be a very good partner, helping Batman take down the Joker and Superman. When she returns in The Dark Knight Strikes Back, Carrie has switched to Catgirl, and she remains a true and loyal partner to Batman.

She don’t shiv

So there you have it, the gospel according to Frank Miller. When Batman picks the Robin, it all goes horribly wrong. When the Robin picks Batman, it works out perfectly!

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