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| Tim Drake, the third Robin |
The Third Robin
The third Robin came in the form of Tim Drake, destined to live a life mirroring the life of Batman, his mentor and father figure. Tim Drake was a youngster full of life and exuberance who, unlike his predecessors, had parents alive and well when Batman entered into his life. Within Tim, Batman saw the same childhood and happiness Bruce Wayne had before that fateful night his parents were shot. Tim was a mirror of the boy Bruce was before the vengeance took hold. Eventually the violence of the world found its way to Tim’s life as his parents were murdered in DC Comics miniseries Identity Crisis. At that moment, Batman sees a son in Tim who has endured all of the happiness and tragedy that he himself endured. Robin is a son trying to learn from his father’s mistakes and wisdom without making the same mistakes. There can be no greater statement of how alike these two were. Eventually, Tim would “graduate” to go on to become a crime fighter on his own in the guise of Red Robin. The third Robin was another success for Batman but at the terrible cost of Tim’s parents.
The Modern Robin
Damien Wayne is the present incarnation of the sidekick Robin and he is the ultimate evolution of the father-son relationship of the partnership. As explained in the Batman story Son of the Demon, Damian Wayne is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul and thus the grandson of Batman’s archenemy Ra's al Ghul. Batman was unaware of his son's existence for years until Talia left Damian in his care. Damian is violent and lacking in discipline and morality, and was trained by the League of Assassins. Learning to kill at a young age, Damian's murderous behavior created a troubled relationship with his father, who vowed never to take a life. Originally conceived to become a host for his maternal grandfather's soul as well as a pawn against the Dark Knight, Batman saved his child from this fate. Batman keeps this son close, working time to time with Dick Grayson now fully graduated in role of another Batman himself.
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| Damien Wayne, son of the Batman |
The sadistic violence displayed by Damien Wayne is also reflected in society as well. On July 20, 2012, a masked, armored gunman open fire during an opening-night showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado. Twelve victims died and many more suffered wounds at the hands of this costumed, pink-haired psychopath. This senseless violence is reflected within the pages of the Batman comic as Damien Wayne explodes from time to time into blood-splattering, death-dealing berserker states. According to comic shop veteran employee Jesse Baumann, “the audience expects that kind of [violent] experience now.” Damien is simply a sign of society and the violence of Batman’s world.
Though this new Robin can be an extremely violent and sadistic killer at times, this finally does represent a true father-son relationship in the dynamic of Batman and Robin. As violent as he may be, Robin is truly now Batman’s son and history shows that fathers still love even their flawed children.
Batman and Robin have changed a great deal over the course of the past seventy years just as society did. One cannot help but see the progression of Robin from an idealistic youngster of the golden age of comics to the cold-blooded killer that now inhabits the role. This is a change that reflects society itself but the foundation in the comic has always been the partnership of Batman and Robin. From gangsters to super-villains, the dynamic duo took on many foes and the storylines have revealed ideals of family bonds and duty that all audiences can identify with. Batman is the story of son who seeks a better world for his sons. Bruce Wayne carries this vow and seeks the success of his sons, the different Robins over the years. The success though measures in the amount injustice that they can prevent and to carry on the vow of justice in name of a pair of loving parents gunned down in a back alley of Gotham City. This is the Batman family.
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