Who was the best robin?

[anrrd_2]

pretty simple guys and girls... place your vote and speak your peace...

Dick Greyson: 1st robin, nightwing, current batman

Jason Todd: 2nd robin, current Red Hood, not a fan of crowbars...

Tim Drake: 3rd robin, current Red Robin

Stephanie Brown: 4 robin, former Spoiler, Current Batgirl

Damian Wayne: Current Robin, Bruce's son

 

[Mr. Earle]

I like them all, each one for different reasons.
I think Dick is my favourite Robin with Damian coming second, even though he is best suited as Dick's Robin. I doubt he'd make a good team with Bruce.

Also, in b4 this thread derails to either "Dick vs Tim", "who deserves the cowl the most", "Tim vs Damian", or some other ****storm.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

Dick is definitely the greatest. He's freakin' Batman now. But Damian is the coolest and my favorite. Jason gets a bad rep, but he's the one who took out Mongol in the Alan Moore story. Tim, ehh. Stephanie, never read any of her stuff.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

Dick. Floolow by Damien.

 

[The Joker]

It's a case of the original being best here. Dick Grayson is the definitive Robin.

Though I do love Tim, too.

 

[Cain]

Dick is definitely the greatest. He's freakin' Batman now. But Damian is the coolest and my favorite. Jason gets a bad rep, but he's the one who took out Mongol in the Alan Moore story. Tim, ehh.

I agree with this and you didn't miss out on much at all when spoiler became Robin IV that ended up being one of the most inconsistent runs in Batman history.

 

[union_jak]

I liked how Stephanie was drawn in that issue where she's up against Zsasz, rather than in the picture above. She should have been Robin for longer, I think.

I hope Carrie Kelly eventually comes into continuity, it was already hinted at in Teen Titans once.

I'm gonna go with Tim Drake though.

 

[Drz]

Tim Drake for me. Dick Grayson really has surprised the whole "2nd to Batman" and become his own man... Then again right now Tim Drake is also his own man, but hey it was Tim who carried his very own comic title for almost 20 years. That says something. Then again it was Dick-Robin which saved the Batman franchise to begin with.

 

[anrrd_2]

I liked how Stephanie was drawn in that issue where she's up against Zsasz, rather than in the picture above. She should have been Robin for longer, I think.

I hope Carrie Kelly eventually comes into continuity, it was already hinted at in Teen Titans once.

I'm gonna go with Tim Drake though.

have to agree about how they drew steph as robin war drums... they did not flatter her AT ALL lol. Luckily, the artist who is working on the current batgirl comic is doing a MUCH better job.


also, i considered adding CK to the list... i went back and forth on it for a while.

 

[boywondernerdDC]

Tim has got it in the bag for me. I loved reading him as Robin in the ongoing and now I love reading him as Red Robin. I love that Dick has been able to live up to the Batman name. I was initially extremely sad when they

Spoiler

killed Bruce

but now I am really happy about how everything is going.

 

[Silk Spectre]

I like Damian Wayne, he's more off a bad ass than the previous Robins. So far they are writing him to be a really good fighter, but for whatever reason I like his bad attitude. He reminds me more of how a real teenager would act.

 

[Mr. Earle]

Actually, he isnt that good a fighter yet because he's only had only a few years of training so far and of course he lacks experience. He gets beaten up more often that he beats someone.

 

[Motown Marvel]

tim and dick tie for my favorites. i almost dont even count stephanie brown. its like, she was in training for robin but at the end didnt get the job. damian has been a lot of fun though.

 

[conjob_89]

Dick - legendary

Jason - never been given a chance due to the readers blind hatred (plus Jim Starlin's writing making it worse)

Tim - Fantastic!

Stephanie - I'd rather have her as Robin now instead of Damian.

Damian - Rubbish, rubbish, RUBBISH!!!!

 

[Young Superman]

Dick Grayson and Tim Drake are the beat Robins.

 

[Confusious]

I think Tim Drake was the best ROBIN, but Dick Greyson is by far the best character of all the Robins. If that makes sense.

I mean, Dick had to leave and become Nightwing and eventually BATMAN to really develop as a character. Drake was just fine as a Robin. That's what I'm thinking.

 

[Cain]

Damian - Rubbish, rubbish, RUBBISH!!!!

*chortles*

 

[anrrd_2]

ah, good ole fashion chortling... you just don't see enough of it these day's...

 

[Two-Face]

Tim Drake is a good Robin but I prefer Dick Grayson as Robin.

 

[Ipodman]

Red Robin my fav.

I kinda hate damian but his stories are good I guess

 

[theMan-Bat]

Of those listed, Dick Grayson - the original Boy Wonder. The laughing young daredevil who scoffs at danger like the legendary Robin Hood whose name and spirit he adopted.

My favorite Robin is Carrie Kelley.

The young girl Carrie Kelley, inspired by Batman coming back into action, announces to the world that she is Robin through her actions, and goes out in action and learns on the streets.

And she eventually hooks up with Batman and saves his life more than once. She's a fun character. I love that she's a girl because it's such a boys club in superhero land. The idea of a Robin who is a 13 year old girl is just adorable. I love how Batman takes her in and accepts her as his new Robin without any "this is no job for a girl" sexist nonsense. The childhood enthusiasm of a young girl as a cheerful, spunky, resourceful helper counterbalances the dark grim nature of Batman perfectly, providing the human touchstone that prevents his inner demons from swallowing him whole. And she provides some much needed comic relief.

It's adorable how she looks at the classic Robin costume in the Batcave in awe like it's so sacred to her like her Holy Grail.

The firecracker in the gamblers pants is hilarious!

The slingshot harkens back to Dick Grayson in the original Bill Finger/Bob Kane classics.

 

[Robin91939]

Never been a fan of Carrie Kelly.

Didn't like seeing Stephanie in the role either....she was always better suited as Spoiler and a foil for Tim. I guess that's why she was "made" Robin, to get him to want to come back.

My list is:

1.) Tim Drake
2.) Dick Grayson
3.) Jason Todd
4.) Damian Wayne

Tim has been the best character, especially when we talk about "in continuity" stories. He has been a tremendous detective, solid fighter and just a really great character. His personality and humor is all very likable and he has been there for some of Batman's best stories in the last 20 years. Off the top of the head: A Lonely Place of Dying, Hush, Legacy, Cataclysm, Fugitive, Knightfall, RIP, Under the Hood, Contagion, Face the Face, Unmasked!, War Games, As the Crow Flies, and Battle For the Cowl.

Dick has been around the longest, but as Robin, only has a few great story arcs to call his own in continuity. He is the original, and in skill--the best. His best stories include: Dark Victory, Robin: Year One, The Gauntlet, and Fortunate Son. However, he was a proven hero and great character in the original Teen Titans and in the 40 plus years of out of continuity stories.

Jason, while not the most likable character may have left the largest impression on Bruce's life. As the only Robin who was killed, he surpassed Harvey Dent as Bruce's greatest failure and was as much a casualty in his war as his parents were. He affected the entire Batman universe. Personally, I think his worth as a character was far greater dead than it has been since his resurrection, but...who am I to know? His best stories, well--were few and far. His best story by far was A Death in the Family but he was also good in Batman: Year Three the story that showed him being taken in, as well as background to Dick Grayson's time as Robin through some flashbacks. His best story as a "living/not being killed" character was probably, Batman: The Cult.

Damien has had only months to have the role so I cannot compare him to much.

The same can be said for Stephanie, who was only Robin for a handful of issues, in a known ploy to get Tim Drake back in the red and green tights.

Carrie Kelly, she was only Robin for one story--hardly anything to compare her to the "big three" who are legends in the comic book world for years.


For me it's: Tim out in first, followed closely by Dick, then a little further back is Jason.

-R

 

[theMan-Bat]

Carrie Kelly, she was only Robin for one story--hardly anything to compare her to the big three who are legends in the comic book world for years.

That legendary story Caroline Keene Kelley is Robin in is generally ranked by many as either the greatest or the second greatest Batman story in the comic book world, many rank it second only to Batman: Year One. Bruce Timm likes Carrie Kelley so much that he asked Frank Miller's permission to homage Dark Knight Returns in the episode "Legends of the Dark Knight" of the animated Batman series for television in 1998.
[YT]QoZLPwRCjcQ[/YT]
According to the DVD commentary for the episode when Bruce Timm asked for permission Frank Miller said something along the lines of "Go ahead, I'm in good hands." On the commentary of "Legends of the Dark Knight" and in the Modern Marvels book Bruce Timm said Frank Miller's response was that he called back three times to Bruce Timm, leaving three messages, each were raving about that episode, and each were longer than the previous. Saying things like "That was great!", "Watched it again, you did a good job!" and "Lynn saw it; she went 'Hey, that's Carrie Kelley!'"
I find Carrie Kelley more entertaining and endearing than any of the Boy Wonder's in their stories. I don't like the event story arcs A Lonely Place of Dying featuring Dick Grayson trying to get Batman to accept Tim Drake as his new Robin and Batman is very reluctant, Knightfall featuring Batman getting his back broken, Contagion featuring a disease, Legacy featuring the return of the disease, Cataclysm featuring an earthquake destroying Gotham City and all of it's Gothic expressionistic architecture that gave Gotham City such character and atmosphere, Bruce Wayne Fugitive featuring Bruce charged with the murder of Vesper Fairchild (a character I liked), War Games featuring the torture of Stephanie Brown (ugh), As the Crow Flies featuring a Kingpin-wannabe Penguin, Hush featuring a money-loving scumbag childhood friend of Bruce's seeking revenge against Bruce for his jealousy of Bruce inheriting his dead parents money and falling to kill his own parents so he could inherit their money, Face the Face featuring the killing of the KGBeast, Magpie and the Ventriloquist (all villains I liked), R.I.P. featuring Batman foolishly getting coned by Jezebel Jet and then drugged and makes himself a costume out of red, yellow, and purple and takes advice from Bat-Mite, and Battle For the Cowl featuring a bunch of people fighting over who gets to play Batman. I don't like any of those event story arcs. My favorite Tim Drake Robin stories are Batman #485 (1992) "Faces of Death" written by Doug Moench featuring Tim Drake in control as Batman is undercover as one of Black Masks gang members and Tim is keeping in contact with both Gordon at Gotham Police Headquarters and Bruce through Bruce's mini-transmitter, and keeping watch of the stakeout as Bruce sleeps and Tim keeps track of time and Tim wakes Bruce up when it's time and Tim rescues Lucius Fox. My other favorite Tim Drake Robin story is Batman #543 (1997) "Faceless Part II Postmarked: Murder" written by Doug Moench featuring Tim doing detective work in the Batcave helping Bruce figure out who the serial killer is, comes to Bruce's rescue and helps Bruce defeat the serial killer Joseph Zedno. My favorite Dick Grayson Robin stories are the originals by creators Bill Finger and Bob Kane which are in the Batman: Chronicles volumes, especially Detective Comics #41 "Master Murderer" (1940) written by Bill Finger featuring Dick enrolled in a private school called Blakes School for Boy to solve a murder mystery after a young boy was found murdered on the grounds. My favorite Jason Todd Robin story is Batman: The Cult. For me the best Robin is Caroline Keene Kelley in The Dark Knight Returns. She's spunky, cleaver, funny. She's not a Batman junior at all, she has a completely different personality. She surprises him and earns his respect.

 

[Robin91939]

I know the stories. I know the history, I've seen the episode.

It still doesn't change the fact that she has appeared in ONE out of continuity story. No matter how great it was, it doesn't compare to the YEARS of continuous publication and stories that Dick, Jason, and Tim have had....sorry.

No matter how likable, spunky or fresh her character was, her impact in the comic book world, and in Batman's world, just doesn't compare to these characters who have survived DECADES in HUNDREDS of stories.

-R

 

[Brother Jack]

Carrie Kelly is probably my favorite, but that has a lot to do with my love of DKR. To me she best exemplified how Robin is the inverse of Batman in many ways. She was a young girl, spunky, bright and colorful, he was an old ornery warrior draped in darkness. THey fit each other very well.