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Batman and.... Robin?!

Trekker4747

Trekker4747

Boldly going...
Premium Member
Batman! A symbol of fear and evil amongst the criminal element. Taking on the persona of a bat one of the most feared mammals in the animal kingdom. It hunts by night, dwells in caves, flies and eats its unsuspecting live prey by sinking it's fang-like teeth into their warm, pulsing flesh. Symbolizing a holiday like Halloween, mythological creatures like vampires, it's truly something to be feared.

Robin! A pretty bird that sits on your porch harmless eating seeds and commonly seen as being a sign that spring is coming, a time of warmth and new life.

....

What?!
 
I assume you're attempting to figure out why the need for Robin...Tim Drake made it quite clear why Bruce needs a Robin. Bruce lives in shadow and darkness. He needs a Robin (your descriptions are accurate why) to keep him grounded and human. We know what happens when Bruce doesn't have a Robin at his side. He becomes an ass hole to everyone around him and borderline pushes his own guidelines to the limit. Robin is that grounding character. There is no mystery here.
 
I think he's asking why the name Robin as Batman's sidekick instead of Scorpion or Python or Tarantula or something like that.
 
Trekker4747 said:
Batman! A symbol of fear and evil amongst the criminal element. Taking on the persona of a bat one of the most feared mammals in the animal kingdom. It hunts by night, dwells in caves, flies and eats its unsuspecting live prey by sinking it's fang-like teeth into their warm, pulsing flesh.
Click to expand...

Trekker4747 = Calvin
 
It still hardly fits the "theme" of Batman. (And I always took it to be more of the bird that Robin hood given other than name there's little similar about the two characters.)

Eitherway, I'd think a more "fearsome" name for a sidekick would have been better as opposed to either one centered around a bird or one who "steals from the rich and gives to the poor" given that a) Batman doesn't do that and b)Batman is rich.

Batman's a name and symbol that strikes a degree or two of "fear" (like I said, bats are seen as a bit of a "fearsome" or "scary" creature), I'd think his sidekick would have a similar name.
 
Robinwas introduced to to make Batman less scary and more kid-friendly. Robin wears a tunic and "elf boots". Green is one of his costume's colors. Things that are associated with Robin Hood.

Like Batman, Robin Hood fought the powerful and the corrupt. Some versions show him as rich man who's fortune was stolen and was branded an outlaw. Zorro, one the inspirations for Batman was called "the Robin Hood of the West". Batman is also seen as an outlaw by some of those in power.
 
I see it as kind of a Doctor Who thing. The Doctor can do his bit solo, but he loses perspective without a companion to remind him of another side of life.

And anyway, Robin is basically bait. Look at the pretty bird and then BAM! They never see it coming.
 
Trekker4747 said:
It still hardly fits the "theme" of Batman. (And I always took it to be more of the bird that Robin hood given other than name there's little similar about the two characters.)

Eitherway, I'd think a more "fearsome" name for a sidekick would have been better as opposed to either one centered around a bird or one who "steals from the rich and gives to the poor" given that a) Batman doesn't do that and b)Batman is rich.

Batman's a name and symbol that strikes a degree or two of "fear" (like I said, bats are seen as a bit of a "fearsome" or "scary" creature), I'd think his sidekick would have a similar name.
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no. Robin is the contrast to Batman. Robin is youthful energy, hope and fun. it isn't required that Batman's sidekick have a 'fearsome' name.
 
^ Exactly as I pointed out in my response. The intention was not to make Robin another dark character, but someone that contrasted Batman, yet still complimented his style and mission.
 
the concept of Robin doesn't work well, because it involves Batman knowingly putting a minor in danger just to help him out in his personal war. The "child endangerment" angle is pointed out in TDKR by the new commissioner, and it's meant to not be taken seriously, but it is kind of jarring.


The Burton and Nolan movies are better for not having Batman with a kid tagging along.
 
sonak said:
the concept of Robin doesn't work well, because it involves Batman knowingly putting a minor in danger just to help him out in his personal war. The "child endangerment" angle is pointed out in TDKR by the new commissioner, and it's meant to not be taken seriously, but it is kind of jarring.


The Burton and Nolan movies are better for not having Batman with a kid tagging along.
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Its a comic book. A fantasy. Kids in danger have always been an element of children's fiction. Be it Dorothy, Alice, Peter Pan, Harry Potter or Dick Grayson.

Comics in the 40s were full of kids fighting criminals and the Axis. Not just sidekicks but kid gangs like the Boy Commandos and the Newsboy Legion.
 
Had to suck at the meetings of the All-Star Squadron. Poor Stripesy had to sit at the sidekicks table with the kids.
 
Robin was just a gimmick, intended to give kids reading superhero comics a character they could more easily identify with than the adult hero. This was ridiculously unobservant of the intended audience, as Jules Pfeiffer pointed out - kids identified with and wanted to be Batman; nobody wanted to be Robin. :lol:
 
Nerys Myk said:
Had to suck at the meetings of the All-Star Squadron. Poor Stripesy had to sit at the sidekicks table with the kids.
Click to expand...

True nuff. That said, it did give us (in an indirect way) one of my favorite episodes of the Justice League series when they were the only available heroes (or their analogues like Stargirl).
 
My Name Is Legion said:
Robin was just a gimmick, intended to give kids reading superhero comics a character they could more easily identify with than the adult hero. This was ridiculously unobservant of the intended audience, as Jules Pfeiffer pointed out - kids identified with and wanted to be Batman; nobody wanted to be Robin. :lol:
Click to expand...

Sort of the problem a lot of movies and stuff have (see: Anakin in TPM) reading and watching these things we didn't want to be kids in this universe hanging out with the heroes we wanted to BE the hero.
 
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