Summary
- Robin gets a retro upgrade in Batman: Dark Age #4 with a cool new costume reimagining his origin story.
- The Boy Wonder's tactical armor features a redesigned helmet and cape, but fans know he'll die in the role.
- Gotham's heroes and villains also get new designs in this '60s-centric tale, giving a fresh take on Joker, Batman, Catwoman and more.
Warning: contains spoilers for Batman: Dark Age #4!The Boy Wonder just got one of his coolest costumes yet, as DC completely rewrites new miniseries Batman: Dark Age tells the iconic story of the Dark Knight starting in the 1960s, with real-world events shaping Bruce's journey as he ages in real time over the years. The series has given iconic artist Mike Allred the chance to think up new designs for Gotham's heroes and villains rooted in real historical periods.
In Batman: Dark Age #4, fans get to see Robin's new costume, as former criminal Dick Grayson agrees to work with the Dark Knight. Fans had glimpsed Dick's costume on the cover announcement for Dark Age #5, but it turns out that's a stripped-down version of the costume that introduced in issue 4.
Robin charges into battle with red, green and black tactical armor, noticeably reinforced around the elbows and knees, and with an extended logo that stretches across his chest. However, he also has an expansive wing-shaped cape (similar to that of Tim Drake's Red Robin) and a red helmet with feathered details. Dick only loses his unique headgear after fighting Carmine Falcone's False Face gang, using it as an impromptu weapon.
Dark Age already let fans know that Dick is heading for tragedy, with an older Bruce Wayne confirming his ward died after becoming Robin.
Batman: Dark Age #4 (2024) |
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Nightwing's Son Had Maybe the Coolest Robin Costume in DC History
DC Comics' multiverse is host to a number of different superhero variants, with Nightwing's son from Earth-2 getting one of the best Robin looks ever.
Robin's Dark Age Costume Gives the Boy Wonder a Retro Upgrade
But This Version of Dick Grayson Is Headed for Tragedy
In the continuity of Dark Age, Dick Grayson was a criminal before meeting Batman, working with the gangster Carmine Falcone out of desperation. However, when Falcone chose to try and kill off Dick, Batman rescued him and made the young brawler his ward. From there, Dick works alongside Batman against Falcone, giving him the extra muscle he needs to topple the mobster.
Dick Grayson's Robin first appeared in 1940, sporting a bright red and green costume with a bellowing yellow cape. The costume aged poorly, mostly because of Robin's trunks and pixie boots, which have become an object of mockery for fans (and even the Bat-Family themselves in modern comics.) Dick later became Nightwing, starting out with an equally regrettable 'disco suit' costume before eventually nailing it with one of the simplest, most streamlined and stylish permanent looks in comics. However, most of this happened before the modern trend for superheroes showcasing new costumes as often as possible, making Dark Age a great opportunity to give Dick a new look as Robin.
Grant Morrison's Rejected Robin Concept Art Was Damian Wayne's Best Costume
Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly's rejected Robin design for Damian Wayne was one of the Boy Wonder's best costumes and deserves to be seen in comics.
However, it's not all good news. Dark Age is told around the framing device of an older Bruce Wayne with a failing memory trying to write his memoirs, with Bruce referring to Dick as "My ward. The one who died." Fans don't yet know how Robin will in this continuity, but it's a fair bet he'll die in costume. It's most likely that Dark Age will merge all the different Robins into one, giving Dick Grayson some version of Jason Todd's iconic death at the hands of Joker - beaten and then blown up by the Clown Prince of Crime.
Batman's all-black costume is a major success story among Dark Age's wealth of character redesigns.
Robin Isn't the Only One With a New Design
Batman, Joker, Penguin, Riddler and Catwoman Get New Looks
While Dick is getting a new look in the '60s-centric tale, he's not alone, and Gotham's major villains also get new looks. Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin, Mad Hatter and of course Joker all get new looks, with eccentric costumes that are right at home in the era of the story and tied to real events - Penguin and Riddler heist a Warhol painting, while Mad Hatter preys on the burgeoning hippy movement (watched by an undercover Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl.) Batman himself has also gotten some new looks, including a jaw-dropping all-black costume for the issue 5.
Robin Gets New Codename & Costume in Fanart DC Can't Afford to Ignore
Tim Drake's Robin gets his own identity in new art, complete with a huge costume redesign. It's the change fans have demanded for years.
Allred also worked on the comic adaptation of Adam West's Batman TV show, titled Batman '66. While the majority of the series required Allred to replicate the iconic appearances of Cesar Romero's Joker, Vincent Price's Egghead and Julie Newmar's Catwoman, there were also opportunities to design new, era-appropriate versions of Bane and Harley Quinn.
While Allfred's art was characteristically on-point for Batman '66, it's great to see him fully unleashed in another '60s setting, putting his own spin on Gotham's villains during this particularly flamboyant era. Riddler, Penguin, Mad Hatter and Joker all come across as beginner villains just breaking onto the scene, while Catwoman gets one of her greatest costumes of all time.
Bruce's son Damian Wayne has gotten many new costumes over the last few years, including a jaw-dropping red and black vampire hunter costume.
It's Been a Great Few Years for Robin's Wardrobe
Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne and Tim Drake All Debuted New Robin Suits
While Allred's Robin costume is a great look, it's only the latest awesome new take on the Boy Wonder in the last few years. Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov's 2021 Robin series made the smart choice to give Damian Wayne's Robin an actual wardrobe, with multiple costumes over the course of the series, playing up darker shades with bursts of color. Bruce's son also got a dark new look in DC vs. Vampires, where he remained on the side of the angels despite being turned undead, wearing an armored costume with strong red and black themes.
Robin Gets Perfect New Costume & Codename in Fanart Based on Bat-Family Lore
Tim Drake has struggled with his identity over the years, but one fan artist just provided a major new look for Tim that DC should take note of.
Damian even got an 'evil' Robin costume while uniting with his mother Talia al Ghul, showing who he'd have become if he hadn't embraced his father's mission. Damian also got several new looks thanks to Wonder Woman's adopted daughter Lizzie messing with the timeline, transforming him into various new forms including robot and bird versions of the Boy Wonder.
The third Robin Tim Drake has also had some major transformations. The main Batman series saw him wear special armor to rescue Batman from the multiverse, with a gigantic, glowing 'R' on his chest that crackled with energy as he surfed the timestream. Recent issues gave him his own black costume to fight a creepy, orange-clad new Robin, who turned out to be a brainwashed clone of Bruce Wayne created by the imposing Batman of Zur-En-Arrh.
DC's New Robin Is Officially More Tragic Than Red Hood, As DC Reveals How He'll Die
Red Hood might have had a grim death, but DC Comics paints a terrifying and tragic picture of what the future holds for its newest Robin.
2023's Batman: City of Madness (Christian Ward) introduced a new Robin in Jevoney, who was chosen by the twisted Batman Below but saved and rehabilitated by Bruce Wayne. Even Dick Grayson got a new outfit, as Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's Robin & Batman retold his story and gave him an updated look with an armored vest. Meanwhile, Mark Waid and Dan Mora's Batman/Superman: World's Finest #26 gave Dick a temporary Superman-style upgrade, as Mr. Mxyzptlk gifted him Kryptonian-level powers.
The Robin mantle has long been a proud one in DC comics, with five official holders of the title so far (at least in DC's main continuity.) Like any hero, Robin's story will be told again and again with new creators finding new facets of the character to explore and celebrate, and it's great to see Dark Age feature its own unique Robin, firmly ensconced in its unique vision of the Dark Knight's story.
Batman: Dark Age #4 is available now from DC Comics.
