The REAL Robin Begins Story

[The Rusty Lantern]

Read Legends of the Dark Knight #100. 'nuff said.

[saintsaucey]

If that was nuff said then we wouldn't have to read LOTDK 100 why don't you tell us the story.

[The Rusty Lantern]

Best take on the classic Dick Grayson origin I've ever seen. Batman has no intentions of taking Dick on as a sidekick; it's only after Dick confronts the thugs himself and is then sorry for the death of the mob boss responsible (died of a heart attack induced by the fear of Batman and exertion of trying to escape Dick) that Bruce reveals who he is. Bruce had only taken Dick in temporarily because of the connection he felt between them as they both witnessed their parents' brutal deaths.

It's clear that Robin's role is to serve as a foil for Batman; at one point we see an interchange between Dick and an out of control Batman:

DICK: Mister, he's out cold. Do you have to keep hitting him?
BATMAN (after long pause): No.

The story ends with Dick putting the Robin costume on for the first time as Bruce promises he will be "a mentor, a teacher, but never a father."

BTW, there's even a nice tip of the hat to the Tim Drake origin, as a very young "Timmy" is crying because his father forgot his wallet and cannot pay for the tickets to get in. Bruce, trying to build his rep as a zany millionaire (he's actually there investigating leads on a mob boss), buys tickets for the Drake family and everyone else in line; as he walks away, he wistfully remembers a happier time for himself shared between a young boy and his mother and father on an evening outing ...

[saintsaucey]

Is it a multi issue arc or is it one issue?

[Rexi]

whats with all these robin begins origins? were u not happy with BB? putting robin in along with the villians that u have to have in there just streches the movie out, which is what made BB great- character development.

[Armless Penguin]

whats with all these robin begins origins? were u not happy with BB? putting robin in along with the villians that u have to have in there just streches the movie out, which is what made BB great- character development.

Did you even read the thread?

Anyway, great, great story

[Rexi]

Did you even read the thread?

Anyway, great, great story
i took it that the threat starter wanted to use this as the premise to put robin in a movie. hence the 'begins'. i guess it could have just been appreciating a good robin origin story in the comics. my mistake...

[The Rusty Lantern]

What I'm saying is that YES, IF (and that's a big IF) filmmakers were to introduce Robin into the Begins franchise, LOTDK #100 would be the story to use-- it's a Robin origin with some real grit and darkness to it-- much more in the Begins vein than any I've really seen. However, these are the biggest obstacles I see to translate to film:

1. Story lacks a classic Batman rogue as central villain-- as it SHOULD for the Robin origin (just like Batman's parents were NOT killed by the pre-Joker Joker or pre-Metallo Metallo)-- but I think directors would feel the need to insert a "real" villain like Two-Face or the Riddler, etc., someone besides Tony Zucco.

2. Robin is a kid. Very few child actors (and he would have to be 12/13 MAX) could carry the kind of weight this character needs to be done seriously.

3. The story's end, while works in the comic, would probably seem "anti-climactic." Your main bad guy dies of a heart attack? Again, film makers would feel it necessary, I think, to use a Bat rogue to "heighten" the suspense and danger.