It was barely a week and a half ago that I was telling you about Robin Rising: Omega, the start of a new story that will see a Robin return to Batman’s side after more than a year. Well now I’m here to tell you about Robin Rising: Alpha, the issue that DC promises will introduce the world to the new Robin. Announced at the C2E2 comic book convention in Chicago this weekend, Batman will have a new Robin this December!

Meaning Robin will now be the first sign of winter.

Good thing they have those silvery winter variant costumes

Of course, the comic con panel didn’t reveal who that new Robin is going to be. It could even be a resurrected Damian Wayne for all I know.

However, considering writer Peter J. Tomasi will be penning the story, and it will take place mostly in his Batman and Robin series, there’s now a greater than ever chance that the new Robin will be his candidate: Carrie Kelley. I don’t think Carrie has appeared all of that often in Tomasi’s series, but he introduced her in the wake of Damian’s death and has been having her try to support Bruce Wayne as a civilian.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of Carrie Kelley as Robin, but I think she could grow on me.

And I think we’ve already seen her in action!

Follow me after the jump to see my new theory!

Like I said, Carrie Kelley is now the leading contender for the new Robin. I don’t like it, but I could learn to live with it. And with that bit of information solidified, we can take a look back at some issues that have already come out, and some evidence that is already out there on the web.

I think the new Robin has already made her first appearance in the pages of Batman #28.

That is the flashforward issue that reveals that Harper Row will become Batman’s new sidekick, Bluebird. There’s no obvious sign of a Robin in that issue, but there is a mysterious character in the Batcave.

So many mysteries!

My first instinct was that the mysterious character was Cullen, Harper’s brother. My theory was that if Harper becomes the new sidekick then Cullen might become a new Alfred figure. But Batman #28 also revealed that even though Harper Row is Bluebird, and is working with Batman, she doesn’t know anything about Bruce Wayne, nor does she care to know.

So that’s not Cullen.

In a different interview with Newsarama, writer Scott Snyder said, “It looks like a girl, I’ll give you that.” So the mysterious figure is probably a girl.

The next clue fell into place at the same C2E2 panel where Robin Rising: Alpha was announced. During the panel, writer James Tynion IV revealed that Batman #28 takes place around the same time as Batman Eternal #35. Considering next week will be Batman Eternal #4, the weekly series will arrive at issue #35 sometime in November or December.

Just in time for Robin Rising: Alpha.

Carrie Kelley is no fighter. She’s in no way ready to be Robin. Which is why she’s still on Cave Duty. And there might even be a new twist to this whole thing. Maybe Carrie Kelley’s Robin won’t be an in-the-field fighter. Maybe Carrie Kelley’s Robin will become the new Oracle. No one said Robin had to be out there fighting side-by-side with Batman. He’s got Bluebird for that now. Maybe Carrie Kelley will become a new kind of Robin.

You’ve heard it here first, folks!