What is it about Robin that makes so many Batman movies fail? Did anyone see Batman and Robin? For lack of a better description, let’s just say that movie sucked. Robin seems to doom Batman on the screen, at least when it comes to box-office revenue, yet in every Batman comic I’ve seen, Robin plays an important role–and does so without ruining the story or the Dark Knight’s mysterious, tough, dark aura. The fact that DKR features a Robin–and a girl Robin, no less –got me to thinking about Robin’s role in the Batman story because regardless of whether you like the caped crusader’s tights-clad companions or not, they’re a part of the story.
In DKR–and other post-DKR Batman stories (I’m not so sure about the ones that come before as I’m not nearly as versed), I think Robin helps remind us of the moral ambiguity that permeates the Batman universe. As we see in the newscasts, Batman is accused of using a child to shield himself from bullets. This helps thrust him further towards the criminal vigilante side of things. Who is this monster who would do such a thing to a child? It also helps shed light on the media, as we the readers know they don’t know the full story about how this Robin joined Batman in his fight. Robin helps make the Dark Knight imperfect: after all, he’s willing to put a teenager in harm’s way, and why? Does he really need the help? Or is he lonely and desperate for companionship? This imperfection–or should I say ambiguity–is a key in Batman stories. Right and wrong, good and evil, are generally presented more as questions than answers, and Batman’s use of Robin helps muddle the lines between absolute truths.
Batman appears to know the risks that accompany Robin–as he hasn’t spoken to Dick in seven years (12), implying a falling out of sorts. He also mentions James, while thinking about his promise not to let” him free” (him=batman, robin?), as he stares at the illuminated Robin costume in an otherwise dark, abandoned bat cave (19). Yet despite his promise, or the dangers that come with being a Robin, it won’t take much convincing to convince him to pick up a new sidekick in DKR.
I also think Robin plays an important role on revealing Batman’s own mortality.
Batman may appear to live forever in comics, but he’s definitely human. In DKR we see him get banged up, revealing his old age and vulnerability. Despite these bruises and scrapes, it’s usually Robin who reminds us of the real odds. Robins get kidnapped. Robins get seriously hurt. Robins die. These things happen to Robin even as Batman manages to avoid them.
But when Robin–a Batman-in-training of sorts–gets hurt, we remember that Batman is also mortal. Being the namesake of a very sucessful comic (the 400th Batman comic was released the same year as DKR) franchise, Batman can’t die. This is where Robin comes in. The Dynamic Duo frequently face off against armed thugs and supervillains using nothing but agility, cunning and a belt full of gadgets. They usually come out on top, but sometimes the bullets find a mark and the seemingly immortal duo takes a hard hit–or should I say Robin takes the hit. Batman may be immortal for his namesake, but the “Batman lites” that accompany him on his crusades get harmed, and in so doing, do they remind us that the same fate could await the man in the cape? Or do the serve as a warning against all the would-be Batmans of the world? A warning that may read: Batman may be lucky when it comes to avoiding serious harm, but before you put on your mask and cape and hit the streets of NE DC, you should think about Robin.
I know this is only the tip of the role-of-Robin iceburg. What are some of your thoughts? In writing this I also can’t help but wonder: despite Batman’s written mortality, can he ever really die? Is being a successful comic character enough to guarantee the type of invulnerability usually tied to Superman? Or is it simply the threat of death (as seen in his injuries and Robin’s death) that help make Batman relatable as a person who can die, but probably never will?