Whats the deal with Robin??

[RazorBats79]

I finally have to ask. What is the attraction to Robin? I just cant get a handle on why everyone likes Batman with Robin. Batman is much cooler alone, imo of course.
Its the one thing that I absolutely cant stand, Robin the BOY wonder.
Please help me understand.

[Vidocq]

Robin was created because Batman was so awesome that he seem unreachable. But you can be a kid who is being trained by him. In other words people know that they coud never be Batman but you could be Robin.

[MythicBrawn]

He'd be even cooler if he would get rid of the outside-underwear look and make his pants all black. As it is now, he looks kind of ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as the bikini shorts but he sure is close, IMHO. His revamp got rid of the outside-underwear and now he's regressed.

[RazorBats79]

Robin was created because Batman was so awesome that he seem unreachable. But you can be a kid who is being trained by him. In other words people know that they coud never be Batman but you could be Robin.

I could be Robin?! Robin is the name of one of my ex-girlfriends.
I still dont see the attraction. Lets not discuss the 60's Batman and Robin show....that might was well have been from another planet.
To each his own I guess. I mean that.
But anyway, my only real hope is that they dont revisit Batman and Robin in a movie. That would be it for me. In reality as good as BB and TDK was, I doubt criminals would be too scared if Robin dropped down in his pixie shoes and tights.
Any other thoughts?

[nepenthes]

What if YOU got to hang out with the Batman? that would be badarse. that's essentially what Robin is.

Batman is 'human' and all, sure, but he's also pretty unrelatable most of the time. He doesn't talk, he's better than everyone around him, he's torn up inside yet driven by compassion for his fellow man, That's hard to get across without a foil. Apart from just being a valuable narrative device the Robins also make perfect sense thematically, for a number of reasons. He believes in his mission so much that he would like it to become a legacy. There are no les than 10 characters who hbave been 'bat-family' at one time. With Dick and Jason he wanted to 'save' them from misery and revenge and potentially becomiong criminals themselves. With Tim he simply realised he needed a partner to keep him stable and positive, and Tim was perfect for the job. Some argue he's emotionally stunted (like a cooler version of Michael Jackson) and lhe responbds better to the friendship of adolescants instead of adults.

Thinking of Robin as automatically gay or silly is the problem. His costume is bright for a reason and the way he was in the 60's show or the movies are deliberate jokes out of context, forget them. Personally I find it quite ballsy to wear rainbows while you beat the crap out of guys in back alleys; I think Miller has picked up on how cool that is as well in his ASBR. Consider that Robin IS essentially just another Batman, a dude inspired to go to extreme lengths. Bruce was a teenager when he began his training, but Dick and Jason were children,, that's the main difference. I find it kinda cool that they're whole lives have been leading up to what Bruce did for them. I also like to think of Bruce as a almost a Fagan like character, except he's helping youth not ripping them off. But he's someone who attracts wild youngsters around him.

Sure it's cool to see Batman working alone, the "weird figure of the night" or as a rookie in his early stories. But it's not the only version of Batman that exists, a HUGE part of the histroy and mythos is wrapped up in him nurtering a legacy as well as special people he thinks need help, and can help him in return.

[rwe1138]

And what's with these airline peanuts?

[FreeFallin]

And what's with these airline peanuts?

a female orgasm is like the batcave, very few people know where it is and if your lucky enough to see it you can't find your way back after you leave ~jerry sienfeld

[RazorBats79]

Thanks to Nepenthes I'm starting to understand. Thanks for a more in depth answer dude. I was wondering why, if Batman is a "symbol" that they dont just go with there being BatMEN? That would make more sense in a mythical sense. Though after a second thought that might not work at all.
It seems odd to me that Batman would take on a younger partner in fighting crime. He is a little self-destructive (or a lot!), but is also driven by guilt. Therefore putting Robin, a child, in the "line of fire" seems strange. Again, this is my introduction to Batman AND Robin. I get it eventually.

[protege]

What if YOU got to hang out with the Batman? that would be badarse. that's essentially what Robin is.

Batman is 'human' and all, sure, but he's also pretty unrelatable most of the time. He doesn't talk, he's better than everyone around him, he's torn up inside yet driven by compassion for his fellow man, That's hard to get across without a foil. Apart from just being a valuable narrative device the Robins also make perfect sense thematically, for a number of reasons. He believes in his mission so much that he would like it to become a legacy. There are no les than 10 characters who hbave been 'bat-family' at one time. With Dick and Jason he wanted to 'save' them from misery and revenge and potentially becomiong criminals themselves. With Tim he simply realised he needed a partner to keep him stable and positive, and Tim was perfect for the job. Some argue he's emotionally stunted (like a cooler version of Michael Jackson) and lhe responbds better to the friendship of adolescants instead of adults.

Thinking of Robin as automatically gay or silly is the problem. His costume is bright for a reason and the way he was in the 60's show or the movies are deliberate jokes out of context, forget them. Personally I find it quite ballsy to wear rainbows while you beat the crap out of guys in back alleys; I think Miller has picked up on how cool that is as well in his ASBR. Consider that Robin IS essentially just another Batman, a dude inspired to go to extreme lengths. Bruce was a teenager when he began his training, but Dick and Jason were children,, that's the main difference. I find it kinda cool that they're whole lives have been leading up to what Bruce did for them. I also like to think of Bruce as a almost a Fagan like character, except he's helping youth not ripping them off. But he's someone who attracts wild youngsters around him.

Sure it's cool to see Batman working alone, the "weird figure of the night" or as a rookie in his early stories. But it's not the only version of Batman that exists, a HUGE part of the histroy and mythos is wrapped up in him nurtering a legacy as well as special people he thinks need help, and can help him in return.

Now you're making me think Superman needs a sidekick to make HIM relateable.

[AdamYJ]

It keeps Bruce relatable. Batman may be "badass" by himself, but he also comes across as an uptight, unapproachable, jerk a lot of the times. Robin softens him. It gives him someone to care about who is not his servant or one of the faceless masses of Gotham City.

Personally, I think there's a thematic importance to the inclusion of Dick Grayson, if not the actual costumed "Robin". Basically, by taking in Dick, Bruce takes on the role of a father figure. It's a full circle move. He loses a father, then he eventually becomes a father. It shows Bruce growing up and getting out of that "child with survivor's guilt" phase. I think it would be something that Nolan and company would be wrong not to explore in some way or form down the line in their Batman movies.

Then again, I'm one of those rare people who likes Robin more than Batman.

[Vidocq]

Now you're making me think Superman needs a sidekick to make HIM relateable.

I think Kara (The first one) fits that role. A sidekick is supposed to link the reader and the Hero, It could also be an adult or teenager, as long as is more human than the Hero.

[dreyga2000]

I think Kara (The first one) fits that role. A sidekick is supposed to link the reader and the Hero, It could also be an adult or teenager, as long as is more human than the Hero.

Actually, I believe Jimmy olsen better fits that role.

[Captain Jim]

I could be Robin?! Robin is the name of one of my ex-girlfriends.

He was named after Robin Hood.

[Sean Whitmore]

There are lots of reasons to like Robin, and a lot of opinions about what he does for Batman specifically and the mythos in general. Some of them, honestly, are a bit mutually exclusive, but they're all valid.

One of the more interesting ones I've heard was from (I think) Paul Dini. He said, well, this is an extremely capable young man who just suffered a traumatizing experience, and those kinds of people in Gotham only go one of two ways.

By teaching Dick about justice and focus, there's every chance in the world that Batman halted the creation of his own future worst enemy.


SEAN

[Mia]

It keeps Bruce relatable. Batman may be "badass" by himself, but he also comes across as an uptight, unapproachable, jerk a lot of the times. Robin softens him. It gives him someone to care about who is not his servant or one of the faceless masses of Gotham City.

A wife or girlfriend could easily fit that role and make him more softer and less self destructive. Like the Phantom or Blackbolt.

I actually find Batman very easy to relate to. I can understand wanting to better yourself and training yourself to be wiser and smarter, and refusing to be a victim of life.


Personally think that Robin should have been done away with when Dick became Nightwing. To me the notion that a guy like Batman, who is a loner and not a people person, would want to hang out and put him in harms way completely ridiculous.

[Xybernauts]

One of the more interesting ones I've heard was from (I think) Paul Dini. He said, well, this is an extremely capable young man who just suffered a traumatizing experience, and those kinds of people in Gotham only go one of two ways.

By teaching Dick about justice and focus, there's every chance in the world that Batman halted the creation of his own future worst enemy.


SEAN

I agree with the Paul Dini interpretation.

Now you're making me think Superman needs a sidekick to make HIM relateable.

Actually I think Batman needs a sidekick because unlike Superman, Batman is just a human being. Batman's not immortal or even superhuman so he needs an apprentice to carry on his legacy for when he's gone. Robin fills in that role. Batman stares his mortality right in the face everyday. Maybe at some point he realized he needed an apprentice to continue to carry the torch for him when he's gone. Even if Batman doesn't die, he'll eventually grow too old to be Batman. Superman may never grow old.

Unlike Bane, or Ra-Al-Ghul, Batman won't use artificial means to make himself strong or preserve his life, so as a consequence he needs an natural way to preserve his life's work. That's where Robin comes in.

The story of Batman isn't just the story of a Crime-fighter, but it's the story of Master and the Apprentice (Yoda and Luke Skywalker) (Morpheus and Neo).


For those of you who question, why someone/anyone would thrust a kid into such a dark world, I think the mistake your making is you think Batman is completely 'good'. He isn't. I think the 'Batman: Unmasked' documentary put it best when they said...

"Batman embodies the shadow side. He looks evil, he operates like an evil person. He operates outside of society. His values are the values of a virtuous man. He is a perfect union between the two sides, the good and the evil. Coexisting. "
" In most cultures a bat is a treat. It comes out at night. It's something you can't really see but can bite you. Can suck your blood. What batman does is he takes the iconography of evil . Look at medieval paintings of devils demons; they have often horns and batwings. Bats in every culture except the Chinese are symbols of evil of the darkside. Of death of Satan. People are always fascinated by evil partially because it's a part of everyone of us. And Batman puts that in your face. "

Batman isn't completely moral. He does do things that are shocking and illogical to the common man. If you try and cast Batman in a perfect light like he's Superman, yes it makes no sense, but if you see him for what he represents then it may paint a clearer picture.

Yes, in the US we don't send kids to war, but in some places like Africa they do. They carry guns as soon as there old enough. Drug dealers let kids sell drugs and join gangs. I think Alfred put it best in BB...


"Endure take/contain your hatred for it. That's the point of Batman. He can be the outcast, he can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice."

A regular man couldn't subject a kid to the horrors of the Gotham underworld, but Batman can. And maybe he does it because it is the right choice. I mean if you really consider how Robin has been portrayed, he clearly is skilled at what he does. With the exception of Jason Todd, all the Robins have been relatively. successful as superheroes.

Maybe Batman saw something special in each Robin that he doesn't find in the average adult. Maybe the skills he teaches aren't things adults can learn. You can't teach an old dog new tricks right.

I mean can a kid really take on an adult, no, not in real life. But then again if you really want to nitpick, can any man really take on several mafias as well as several serial killers without even a gun all by himself and win almost everytime. It's all relative.

[AdamYJ]

A wife or girlfriend could easily fit that role and make him more softer and less self destructive. Like the Phantom or Blackbolt.

I actually find Batman very easy to relate to. I can understand wanting to better yourself and training yourself to be wiser and smarter, and refusing to be a victim of life.


Personally think that Robin should have been done away with when Dick became Nightwing. To me the notion that a guy like Batman, who is a loner and not a people person, would want to hang out and put him in harms way completely ridiculous.

For some reason, having a significant other has never really worked with Batman. Whether it's Vicki Vale, Silver St. Cloud or whoever, it always ends up falling apart.

Another way of looking at the whole Robin thing is that they were going to head down that path anyway. It's been suggested in some media (cartoons, etc) that Batman doesn't find his allies, they find him. Dick never even had a normal life. He lived with the circus. What are the chances he'd just settle into being a regular circus performer or any sort of normal life after what happened to his parents. Tim deduced who Batman and Robin were when he was 14. Odds are he would have grown up to be some sort of masked detective type of character. Not sure about Jason. The one thing that changes with Batman in the mix is the training of a professional.

[spiderman_rj]

I guess the point that many guys don't like to assume is...they like dick. XD .
I grew with batman and robin,and departed to spider-man with them still toguether so i can't comment on how better a batman is without a robin.But to me it feels as if bruce needs robin so himself doesnt disvirtue,to keep him "human" ,giving him the notion that his mission is right.

[nepenthes]

a guy like Batman, who is a loner and not a people person,

See this is a problem. He is simply NOT a loner. People see a guy who sits in an empty cave and doesn't talk much and automatically assume he's heartless and totally disinterested in humanity, and he's simply not. Once people understand that then Robin makes a lot more sense.

Bruce Wayne finds in hard to relate to most people, that is all. So when he finds people he can feel a kinship with, he keeps them close by. Very close. He's not flippant about these relationships at all. When he has falling outs with these people he goes mental. They're very important to him.


The story of Batman isn't just the story of a Crime-fighter, but it's the story of Master and the Apprentice (Yoda and Luke Skywalker) (Morpheus and Neo).

Yep, and this has always been true. People who say Robin is silly or unnecessary are ignoring a major chunk of Batman history and lore.

Overall Batman has a been Mentor story far more than it has ever been tale of One Man and his Obsession


For those of you who question, why someone/anyone would thrust a kid into such a dark world, I think the mistake your making is you think Batman is completely 'good'. He isn't....Batman isn't completely moral. He does do things that are shocking and illogical to the common man.
e
This is a very good point, one that bears repeating often. Batman is not normal, that much is obvious. He's an extremist and fascist and the fact that training children is morally questionable should be confronted directly, that's part of the package. This is the guy who keeps takedown files on Earth greatest champions, who spies on friends and breaks into homes of elected officials so he can terrify them into submission. Robin is so much cooler when you look at it as a kid who's out of his depth, possibly being exploited, but still loving it and gonna keep doing it no matter if it's healthy or normal.

And I guess it's really not healthy, loved ones die because of it, your life is full of violence and tragedy. But by the time they can really question it Bruce has warped their heads so much it's the only life they can bare to live.

[AdamYJ]

See this is a problem. He is simply NOT a loner. People see a guy who sits in an empty cave and doesn't talk much and automatically assume he's heartless and totally disinterested in humanity, and he's simply not. Once people understand that then Robin makes a lot more sense.

Bruce Wayne finds in hard to relate to most people, that is all. So when he finds people he can feel a kinship with, he keeps them close by. Very close. He's not flippant about these relationships at all. When he has falling outs with these people he goes mental. They're very important to him.

Humanity is a social animal. The funny thing about loners is that, a lot of the time, they want to be part of the crowd.

[fred10]

I like Robin. The addition of this colorful youngster just makes Batman all that more twisted. It's almost like he's saying, "I'm Batman. You thought you knew me. You were wrong." It sets him apart even more. It keeps you asking questions, 'how?', 'why?', seeking answers.

[Mia]

See this is a problem. He is simply NOT a loner. People see a guy who sits in an empty cave and doesn't talk much and automatically assume he's heartless and totally disinterested in humanity, and he's simply not. Once people understand that then Robin makes a lot more sense.

But that's not what a loner is. A loner is a solitary person who prefers their own company, or who doesn't feel the need to be around people all the time. It has absolutely nothing to do with being heartless or having a disintrest in humanity.

I think in the first episode of the Justice League, Batman flat out stated that he wasn't a people person. Given that attitude it really makes no sense for him to want to hang around a teenager.


Bruce Wayne finds in hard to relate to most people, that is all. So when he finds people he can feel a kinship with, he keeps them close by. Very close. He's not flippant about these relationships at all. When he has falling outs with these people he goes mental. They're very important to him.


Sorry I disagree. With the exception of Alfred, Bruce has never kept anyone close. Sure there's Dick and Tim. But they are more like his little brothers who he looks out for and takes care of.


I personally just think that he is content and happy with what he has. Being Batman running a business empire, and probably enjoying the company of a hot woman from time to time. Batman is essentially un-domesticated, and I think that any sort of permanence would make him feel stiffled and suffocated. For him that would be boring, and for Bruce being bored is like a living death.

[Mia]

For some reason, having a significant other has never really worked with Batman. Whether it's Vicki Vale, Silver St. Cloud or whoever, it always ends up falling apart.
.

Very true. But I am just saying that a woman being used as a means of softening him up or making him more caring would make much more sense than a teenage boy.


From what I have seen the relationships Bruce/Batman has had seems to fall apart for three reasons. 1. The woman was a duplicitous coniving bitch who was out to ruin him. 2. The woman got in danger/too close and Bruce did something to sabotage the relationship.3.The woman was self-absorbed and could not stand the fact that he opperated as Batman and did not fawn over her.

The first two reasons I understand. However the last one I never understood due to the fact that Bruce seems to be mainly attracted to strong, sexy and very powerful women with a strong sense of self. I can't see any of them having a problem or not being able to deal with the fact that he has a part time job as a vigilante.

I think that Bruce's being single is editorially mandated. DC wants Superman to be the domesticated family man and husband, and Batman to be the single bad boy.

[kardel]

A lone hero is not as cool as a hero with a sidekick is :P . One think it allows is some conversation to reveal what's in the hero's mind. It's called a plot device .

[Kissyboots]

I finally have to ask. What is the attraction to Robin? I just cant get a handle on why everyone likes Batman with Robin. Batman is much cooler alone, imo of course.
Its the one thing that I absolutely cant stand, Robin the BOY wonder.
Please help me understand.

Maybe because of a lot us grew up with the classic Robin and we lived vicariously through the character. I mean how cool would it be to hang out with Batman and beat the snot out of adults twice your size. Sure the original outfit and the (tired IMO) homophobic reaction is a negative in a cynical era but I always thought Robin worked best as a puckish balance to the moody Batman. He's supposed to be a colorful, laughing trickster not the junior Nightwing he has become.

[RazorBats79]

This is defiantly more like it! Cheers to everyone that posted!
The reasons Batman has Robin with him seem to many and are seen differently by people. But ultimately I do prefer Batman alone. That way its much more tragic and hard to understand. I would think that it would keep Batman as sharp as a razor too. Everyone finds something to relate to in characters that were like, but Batman is maybe one of the hardest to actually maintain an understanding with, to me anyway.
I am now a little less "anti-Robin" thanks to everyones replies.

[The Xenos]

Chis Nolan.. is that you? Heh.

[RazorBats79]

Chis Nolan.. is that you? Heh.

10 points to The Xenos, it is me!
No really, has Nolan spoken about Robin?

[Kissyboots]

10 points to The Xenos, it is me!
No really, has Nolan spoken about Robin?

I am not sure but I believe he is not a fan. I think the next step in the film franchize would be to tell the story of Batman's legacy- perhaps choosing a young person to carry on. Maybe not Robin per se but more like Nightwing or Batman Beyond.

[Exitmat]

Batman is SO much more interesting alone. I understand that Robin brings with him a certain dynamic that Bruce/Batman doesn't have without him, but I think Robin is still doing more bad than good, and that what is lost by taking Robin out of Batman is more than worth the sacrifice for what is gained by doing so vs. what is lost by not.

More often than not, Robin just kills the atmosphere of (the world of) Batman and muddies things up by distracting from what are the really more interesting aspects of Bruce/Batman. Sometimes he enhances them, but most often I find he's more of a distraction.

Robin is one of the top reasons I'm not reading Batman now.

[fsartono]

What if YOU got to hang out with the Batman? that would be badarse. that's essentially what Robin is.

Batman is 'human' and all, sure, but he's also pretty unrelatable most of the time. He doesn't talk, he's better than everyone around him, he's torn up inside yet driven by compassion for his fellow man, That's hard to get across without a foil. Apart from just being a valuable narrative device the Robins also make perfect sense thematically, for a number of reasons. He believes in his mission so much that he would like it to become a legacy. There are no les than 10 characters who hbave been 'bat-family' at one time. With Dick and Jason he wanted to 'save' them from misery and revenge and potentially becomiong criminals themselves. With Tim he simply realised he needed a partner to keep him stable and positive, and Tim was perfect for the job. Some argue he's emotionally stunted (like a cooler version of Michael Jackson) and lhe responbds better to the friendship of adolescants instead of adults.

Thinking of Robin as automatically gay or silly is the problem. His costume is bright for a reason and the way he was in the 60's show or the movies are deliberate jokes out of context, forget them. Personally I find it quite ballsy to wear rainbows while you beat the crap out of guys in back alleys; I think Miller has picked up on how cool that is as well in his ASBR. Consider that Robin IS essentially just another Batman, a dude inspired to go to extreme lengths. Bruce was a teenager when he began his training, but Dick and Jason were children,, that's the main difference. I find it kinda cool that they're whole lives have been leading up to what Bruce did for them. I also like to think of Bruce as a almost a Fagan like character, except he's helping youth not ripping them off. But he's someone who attracts wild youngsters around him.

Sure it's cool to see Batman working alone, the "weird figure of the night" or as a rookie in his early stories. But it's not the only version of Batman that exists, a HUGE part of the histroy and mythos is wrapped up in him nurtering a legacy as well as special people he thinks need help, and can help him in return.

I've always regarded Robin as second class until the story lines mentioned above but still I can't see a Batman & Robin Nolan movie just yet.

[The Tomorrow Knight]

I've always viewed the Robin character as a sort of "darkness suppressor" to Batman. It's him that keeps Batman from obsessing too much and going over the edge to the point where he's lost his sanity because he's completely devoted to his war on crime. It's thanks to the three main Robin's that his mind's tied to earth and not borderline madness. I like to cite Batman Beyond when I talk about this, as we see what happens to Bruce because he's completely alone now, without any of his sidekicks to keep a positive attitude going.

That's why he appeals to me anyway. My opinion could be wrong on that one but oh well. Aside from that, I've liked all the Robins pretty well. Many people bash him (them really but not too many know there is more than one) when they haven't even picked up one comic as they simply think he's Batman's kiddy sidekick. So much more to the character when you look at what hero Dick Grayson becomes, all the stuff that happens to Jason Todd, and all the trials Tim Drake goes through. I must sound like a Robin fanboy, but I'm not, aside from Nightwing being one of my favorites, it's just Robin doesn't deserve all the crap he gets.

[fred10]

Robin plays Michael Corleone to Batman's Vito Corleone.

[Sean Whitmore]

Robin plays Michael Corleone to Batman's Vito Corleone.

So was Jason Todd Fredo?


SEAN

[fred10]

So was Jason Todd Fredo?


SEAN

Definitely. But then, is Dick or Tim Michael? Despite Dick being older, I think he would make the better Michael. It fits, b/c Michael only grudgingly took on the role of Don after his older brother, Sonny, died. Tim really makes a better Sonny than Dick, because Tim has always been so eager to get into the 'business'. I can totally see Tim becoming Batman, but then getting knocked off, and Dick stepping into the role he never wanted, and owning it.

So, in the final analysis, I would have to say:

Bruce = Vito
Tim = Sonny
Jason = Fredo
Dick = Michael

[Your Imaginary Pal]

Think of it this way as well. Batman probably feels like he let Robin down, in some accounts he(Bruce) was there when the Graysons died. Not one his watch as batman so much, but he wasn't able to stop another child from seeing his parents killed. Amplified for Grayson in that they were killed in a very public way. So Bruce feels gulty/responsible for the loss and he also feels obligated to making life easy for Dick Grayson, and maybe guiding him through a life experience they share. It also works that where Batman is a symbol of fear and vengeance, Robin is a symbol of hope and justice. I think the Animated Series Handled it well.
Also I don't think Robin was any stranger to life threatening situations, he was a world class trapeze artist before Batman had anything to do with him. His job was to defy death and gravity on a daily basis.

[princesa]

I like Robin. I don't know how I feel about Nightwing...

[tlunning]

Thinking of Robin as automatically gay or silly is the problem. His costume is bright for a reason and the way he was in the 60's show or the movies are deliberate jokes out of context, forget them. Personally I find it quite ballsy to wear rainbows while you beat the crap out of guys in back alleys; I think Miller has picked up on how cool that is as well in his ASBR.
I can get behind you on all this. Although I think the Fredric Wertham "Batman and Robin are obviously gay" ideation is most-often homophobic, but it's also hilarious! DC will never let anyone portray them as such, but I love the idea, and I love that people get so worked up over it on both sides (Seduction of the Innocent & fanboy flaming).

I accept Robin (Dick embodies this the most) as a humorous and sometimes silly sidekick. I suppose he was portrayed that way for a long time (especially in the 60s tv show, or as the helpless Boy Hostage). Cracking jokes and wearing a funny outfit is all a part of the superhero biz! And that's okay, right? I guess I see his costume and demeanor as maybe like Spider-Man's red-and-blues and his sense of humor.

(Bruce) was there when the Graysons died. Not on his watch as batman so much, but he wasn't able to stop another child from seeing his parents killed. Amplified for Grayson in that they were killed in a very public way. So Bruce feels gulty/responsible for the loss
I've always felt that Dick Grayson's tragedy provided an outlet for empathy to Bruce/Batman. Both had their parents killed and left orphaned, they're remarkably similar situations. So it seems logical to recruit Dick and work together as crime fighters.


P.S. AND I'm okay with undies on the outside!!

[tlunning]

How about Robin in Arkham Asylum (Morrison/McKean)?
I've read that Dave McKean was absolutely against Robin being in it, but Morrison talked him into a dressed-up (or dressed-down) Robin in a detective-style raincoat rather than his typical red-and-green tights. I don't have the book or source handy, but I thought that was interesting.