The Dark Knight Rises Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake IV

[Kar]

I personally didn't like the fact his name was Robin but after looking at it again along with all of your points it sits fine with me. I just look at the name "Robin" as a nod, not that he's going to be Robin but a sidekick/successor like Robin. Seeing him as an amalgam of all the Robins (and possibly Azrael due to the broken back storyline) works well especially in Nolan's verse. He managed to slip in Robin without actually slipping him in and I find that clever.

 

[Rowsdower!]

Yeah, I think it does work and I do look at Blake as an amalgam of at least Dick Grayson and Tim Drake (Jason, not so much). Dick, because Dick served as a cop, and Tim, because only one of Tim's parents was murdered and because Tim figured out Bruce Wayne was Batman. And yeah, I guess you could throw Azrael in there to, to some extent. Giving him the name Robin was clever; I probably would have preferred giving him the name Dick Grayson, but it's just a name. Changing Roland Daggett to John Daggett didn't bother me either.

 

[xwolverine2]

the only purpose this character served in the story was to be robin...

 

[Chris M]

I saw the movie And I think it was great


But the discovery of John Blake, real name being Robin John Blake was stupid

And I have reasons to think It was stupid is not just being a fan boy

1- There is no damn good reason for him keeping his First name a secret

Now Provide my case for why his name should be Richard Grayson

Without changing anything of his background Grayson was a circus boy his family was killed by Zucco he was Put in the Witness protection program and his name was changed to John Blake

Like Shifty said, staying "my real names Dick Grayson" would be lost on half the audience."

And then you'd need to devote more screentime to establish the Robin connection. Robins a tough character to handle and a little risky - I think just the nod was enough

 

[CapedCrusader14]

I'd be fine with him taking up the mantle, but I hate the reference.

 

[kit1982]

I liked him more than I ever would have guessed. Loved that final shot. Hell, I'd watch his movie.

Completely sums it up for me, when I read the ending on here I had major issues with it and the importance of Blakes character. But in the end I was probably more invested in him than any other character.

 

[MultipleJesuses]

I really don't want him becoming Batman. That story has been told. The legend has ended as they say. I'm all for JGL taking up some sort of crimefighting role but not as Batman.

And he definitely had more of a Tim Drake vibe which I love.

 

[Chris M]

And he definitely had more of a Tim Drake vibe which I love.

agreed - when he was telling Bruce how he worked out hid identity it reminded me of Lonely Place of Dying.

 

[doobie]

With all the reasons given in the mythos over the years of figuring out who Batman is...Blake's was pretty thin.

I agree, not sure how he made the leap from seeing Bruce had pain to knowing he was Batman.

 

[MultipleJesuses]

Same. When the lady said about his birth name I genuinely thought it would be Tim Drake.

 

[arman200]

I can't wait for people to start pretending

Spoiler

They always liked Robin.

I don't think there needs to be pretending, though it depends on the Robin. Dick Grayson as Robin, not so much. When he became Nightwing, I started to like him. Jason Todd I never really liked until he died, because of the impact it had in the universe(even though he gets brought back). Tim Drake was pretty awesome, and I honestly always liked him, and he was the first Robin that I actually did like. And Damian is just badass.

I was kinda hoping that since Blake

Spoiler

essentially took so much from Tim Drake's history, they would just call him Tim in that scene. I understand the general audience wouldn't understand, but maybe there'd be something else that explains it.

 

[tekken]

I think Nolan handled the John Blake character very well. It worked for me on all levels. I know there are cats out there who are saying his name should have been Dick Grayson, or Tim Drake, or not at least not "Robin" - but I really think if he had done those alternative things, it wouldn't have felt like a proper representation of the respective character. We have to see John Blake as a new character derived from the multiple Robins, and that's exactly who he was. He might not have been the "Robin" we deserved, but he was the one we needed. Yikes, sorry for that one guys, :P.

Seeing as this trilogy was Bruce Wayne's story, I think combining elements of the different Robins into one character was a smart move.

All that said, I now wish for a Robin-focused trilogy for the reboot that explores Dick's evolution from Robin to Nightwing, and even Jason Todd and Tim Drake if they have talented enough writers to make it work in a trilogy (if and only if Batman Beyond is out of the question though).

 

[doobie]

Yeah, I think it does work and I do look at Blake as an amalgam of at least Dick Grayson and Tim Drake (Jason, not so much)..

well, jason did care about his old boy's home.

 

[MultipleJesuses]

I'll admit, I hated the idea of JGL becoming Robin when it was speculated and I rolled my eyes when he said "This is my birth name..." but it was handled so well that I'm glad it happened. JGL is a very likeable actor and he seems to fit the character.
Just please don't make him Batman.

 

[Blu3H3ll]

This is probably a shot in the dark and Nolan would have told us but maybe (Robin) John Blakes father was called John and since his death Robin wanted his name to live on?

 

[LostSon88]

I really don't want him becoming Batman. That story has been told. The legend has ended as they say. I'm all for JGL taking up some sort of crimefighting role but not as Batman.

And he definitely had more of a Tim Drake vibe which I love.

Well its not like they're going to continue the Nolan arc anyway so you have nothing to worry about.

For me, I recall the rumors back in the day that there was something more to JGL as "John Blake" than they're letting on. With the idea being, you don't hire an actor of JGLs caliber and give him a "bit" part in a blockbuster movie.

The rumors that he was Batman's successor I read about but scoffed at because the only way they'd do that is if they kill off Batman…which of course, I also scoffed at.

Then as the movie goes on and you get to learn about John Blake, it became clear that this is all leading to something…

-Orphaned.
-Figured out Batman's identity.
-Good cop, strong morals.
-Ally to Bruce and Gordon.
-Throws the gun away after killing two men.
-Throws his badge and quits the force.

I gotta say, when the Bat blew up I was shocked. I honestly thought that they killed off Bruce Wayne.

Then the subsequent scenes of Blake picking up the bag, revealing his real name is "Robin" and having the location of the Batcave…it had me smiling.

Just the idea that Batman is more than just a man, he's an ideal and a symbol and is represented in that final shot of Blake in the cave just put me at a loss for words. The perfect ending.

Would he be Batman? Robin? Can't say. Doesn't matter…we'll never find out.

(my bet would be Nightwing though, haha.)

 

[LostSon88]

I saw the movie And I think it was great


But the discovery of John Blake, real name being Robin John Blake was stupid

And I have reasons to think It was stupid is not just being a fan boy

1- There is no damn good reason for him keeping his First name a secret

Um…unless he hates his first name among other various reasons?

Now Provide my case for why his name should be Richard Grayson

Without changing anything of his background Grayson was a circus boy his family was killed by Zucco he was Put in the Witness protection program and his name was changed to John Blake

Frankly, that's a little more far fetched to belive that he had a false identity the entire movie and that his real name was something completely different.

And you would expect them to randomly mention that he was in the Witness Protection Program for no apparent reason other than to explain why he was going by "John Blake" throughout the entire film despite his name truly being Dick Grayson?

Jeez man, it was a FAN SERVICE. Nolan's throwing you a bone. He created a character for his movie with the characteristics of all 3 Robins as a wink and nod to the fans.

And yet its still something that needs complaining apparently...

 

[Spuzz]

the only purpose this character served in the story was to be robin...

 

[KalMart]

Just saw it....


....although I think they did a fairly good job with the character of Blake,

Spoiler

I still think if they should have gone completely with a Grayson/Robin instead of a surrogate.

...and what kinda' exacerbates it, the movie really seemed to feature him more than Batman/Wayne. It's basically like saying

Spoiler

"I REALLY didn't want the comic aspects of Robin...Catwoman, Joker...that's fine But a young sidekick in bright colors......."

I also felt it should have been more of a surprise at the instead of all intents and purposes being there from the start, it that's minor. They did an okay nice job with Blake the character, if not a bit forced at times, but they still ended up only going for a field goal instead of a risky but probably more rewarding touchdown.

 

[Silvermoth]

I wonder if there's a part of me that would have liked the Robin reveal to arrive a bit earlier, so we could have seen him, Batman and Catwoman all kick ass!

Oh well, it was brilliant seeing a Robin in these Batman films. Bravo Nolan!

 

[slevinkelevra]

Well its not like they're going to continue the Nolan arc anyway so you have nothing to worry about.

For me, I recall the rumors back in the day that there was something more to JGL as "John Blake" than they're letting on. With the idea being, you don't hire an actor of JGLs caliber and give him a "bit" part in a blockbuster movie.

The rumors that he was Batman's successor I read about but scoffed at because the only way they'd do that is if they kill off Batman…which of course, I also scoffed at.

Then as the movie goes on and you get to learn about John Blake, it became clear that this is all leading to something…

-Orphaned.
-Figured out Batman's identity.
-Good cop, strong morals.
-Ally to Bruce and Gordon.
-Throws the gun away after killing two men.
-Throws his badge and quits the force.

I gotta say, when the Bat blew up I was shocked. I honestly thought that they killed off Bruce Wayne.

Then the subsequent scenes of Blake picking up the bag, revealing his real name is "Robin" and having the location of the Batcave…it had me smiling.

Just the idea that Batman is more than just a man, he's an ideal and a symbol and is represented in that final shot of Blake in the cave just put me at a loss for words. The perfect ending.

Would he be Batman? Robin? Can't say. Doesn't matter…we'll never find out.

(my bet would be Nightwing though, haha.)

EVERYONE LISTEN TO THIS GUY. They did not put Blake in here solely to be Robin. People are missing the point. He was the character that anyone could relate to. That was you in the movie. The point of him discovering the cave at the end was to symbolize how anyone can become the Batman of their own life. The ending was Nolan's way of letting the audience step into Batman's shoes.

THINK ABOUT IT. And listen to this guy!

 

[Chris M]

EVERYONE LISTEN TO THIS GUY. They did not put Blake in here solely to be Robin. People are missing the point. He was the character that anyone could relate to. That was you in the movie. The point of him discovering the cave at the end was to symbolize how anyone can become the Batman of their own life. The ending was Nolan's way of letting the audience step into Batman's shoes.

THINK ABOUT IT. And listen to this guy!

Nicely put - and that's ironically the entire point of the outdated kid-sidekick concept. To put the reader alongside their superhero.

And Nolan says he didn't understand the need for a Robin in his universe....

 

[Superboy-Prime]

Well its not like they're going to continue the Nolan arc anyway so you have nothing to worry about.

For me, I recall the rumors back in the day that there was something more to JGL as "John Blake" than they're letting on. With the idea being, you don't hire an actor of JGLs caliber and give him a "bit" part in a blockbuster movie.

The rumors that he was Batman's successor I read about but scoffed at because the only way they'd do that is if they kill off Batman…which of course, I also scoffed at.

Then as the movie goes on and you get to learn about John Blake, it became clear that this is all leading to something…

-Orphaned.
-Figured out Batman's identity.
-Good cop, strong morals.
-Ally to Bruce and Gordon.
-Throws the gun away after killing two men.
-Throws his badge and quits the force.

I gotta say, when the Bat blew up I was shocked. I honestly thought that they killed off Bruce Wayne.

Then the subsequent scenes of Blake picking up the bag, revealing his real name is "Robin" and having the location of the Batcave…it had me smiling.

Just the idea that Batman is more than just a man, he's an ideal and a symbol and is represented in that final shot of Blake in the cave just put me at a loss for words. The perfect ending.

Would he be Batman? Robin? Can't say. Doesn't matter…we'll never find out.

(my bet would be Nightwing though, haha.)

Exactly how I felt, he even went through the same "initiation" Bruce did with the bats.

But at the same time, it was a grim reminder that no matter what Gotham will ALWAYS need a Batman.

 

[TheWatcher]

I loved Blakes character in this movie. I've always been a Dick Grayson fan and a lot of his character came from him.

 

[MultipleJesuses]

I loved Blakes character in this movie. I've always been a Dick Grayson fan and a lot of his character came from him.

I get about 60% Tim Drake.
I get about 30% Dick Grayson.
10% Jason Todd (Orphanage stuff)