The Origin of Robin's Name

[GregComicFan]

Hi,

Just curious.... have the comics ever explained the origin of Robin's name? I remember Batman Forever gave an explanation for it, but have the comics? This might be a stupid question, but I don't think I've ever heard of a comic that said why Dick Grayson was named Robin by Batman or whoever...

 

[hippie_hunter]

He chose the name because his mom called him that.

 

[GregComicFan]

So basically the Batman Forever explanation isnt much different from the comicbook explanation?

 

[yenaled]

I know you're asking for a in-canon reason but he was called Robin by Jerry Robinson because of Robin Hood.

 

[GregComicFan]

I know you're asking for a in-canon reason but he was called Robin by Jerry Robinson because of Robin Hood.

Yeah, I knew that. Also I know he was colored the way he was in order for his costume to contrast against Batman's... but yeah I was wondering in in-canon comics have ever explained why in the world Batman would call his sidekick a robin. Kinda an odd choice.

Batman Forever's explanation, I thought, was pretty good.

Thanks any ways.

 

[Camisado]

I think it's because a Robins a bird?
Bats are kinda like birds. IDK

 

[Jochimus]

IIRC the old explanation (which has been referenced even as recently as All-Star B&R) was that Robin derived his identity from Robin Hood - which in its way is kind of appropriate when you consider the acknowledgement of Zorro in influencing Batman's career. Certainly, the original time frame of the characters' respective introductions would lend itself to this: according to the comics, Bruce's parents were murdered at the time of Fairbanks' Zorro, which opened in 1920 (which, if you go by the classic notion of Bruce being eight or nine at the time, would actually make him at least 27 years old when he becomes Batman); the Graysons were killed in 1940, which would have been only two years after the Errol Flynn Robin Hood was released.

Granted, Flynn's costume doesn't really match up to Dick's that well, although many storybook versions of the Robin Hood legend at the time - and indeed some publicity stills and shots from the film that were re-touched by the studio marketing department - have Flynn wearing a mixture of red and green.

 

[Cobblepot]

In the secret origin of the Batman it is explained as following:

Young Bruce is traveling around the globe and has different mentors. I think it's England where he meets a detective, Bruce wears the Robin costume when rescuing this guy. Who in turn names the unknown "Robin" after the bird, because of the red vest he's wearing.

 

[spiderfan970]

I really like the idea of Zorro and Robin Hood being Batman and Robin's counterparts.

 

[Laplace_Zombie]

I'd kill to see a Robin Hood / Zorro team up.

 

[Bat-Gasm]

Yeah I never knew that about Robin Hood.

I should have, it makes sense.


hhmm....that really makes see him in a whole new light...

 

[sto_vo_kor_2000]

In the secret origin of the Batman it is explained as following:

Young Bruce is traveling around the globe and has different mentors. I think it's England where he meets a detective, Bruce wears the Robin costume when rescuing this guy. Who in turn names the unknown "Robin" after the bird, because of the red vest he's wearing.

Actually that was "The Untold Legend of the Batman".

 

[fifthfiend]

I'd kill to see a Robin Hood / Zorro team up.

...****, that's an awesome idea.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I like the Batman Forever explanations a lot more.

The name is Dick's mother's nickname for him.

And his costume is a variation of the Flying Grayson costume.

 

[spiderfan970]

I like the idea of him being based off of Robin Hood the most. If you go back to the Robin origin 2 parter of Batman the Animated Series, there's a giant mural of Robin Hood in the room that Dick Greyson stays in.