Warning: contains preview images for Robins #5!
DC’s of the Teen Titans. And while they enjoy their fulfilling lives, it is clear something is wrong—namely the lack of Batman’s presence. The issue is on sale in stores March 15.
The new Robins title was the winner of DC’s Round Robin contest last year. The book, written by Tim Seeley and illustrated by Baldemar Rivas, unites all of the previous Robins: Nightwing, Red Hood, Tim Drake, Spoiler and Damian Wayne. The miniseries has been a celebration of Robin’s legacy, but in a preview for Robins #5, readers get a look at what the lives of Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne might have looked like if they never crossed paths with the Dark Knight. Tim Drake is currently being held hostage so he doesn't get a vision, but the looks at what these other Robins' lives could have been is quite eye-opening.
The preview opens in Thailand, where Damian Wayne, adorned like a monk, is sweeping the floor of the monastery where he lives, chanting mantras all the while. Readers learn that Damian, here called “Brother Al Ghul,” is living a simple, yet fulfilling life. Next, Spoiler is seen ably assisting her teammates in the Teen Titans. Readers meet Jason Todd, in this world is a champion race car driver who dedicates his winnings to help fund drug treatment centers as a way to honor his mother’s memory. Finally, Dick Grayson has seemingly returned to his life as a secret agent, working with Helena Bertenelli on a case in Markovia, where he picks up a mysterious briefcase from Zealot of WildCATS fame.
The preview ends with Dick Grayson seeing a vision of the Robin logo in the sky, leaving readers to wonder what exactly has happened to him and the other former Robins. One thing is clear, however, from the previews: Batman is not a factor in any of these alternate lives; Damian is a novice in a monastery, Stephanie has the heroic career she always wanted, Jason Todd is a world class racer and Grayson is a secret agent. For the most part, these former Robins are doing well for themselves—but what does that say about Batman’s influence in their lives? Is his presence destructive? Batman feels he has saved each of them from far worse fates, but in reality, has the Dark Knight done more harm than good?
The answer to this question is obviously no. If not for Batman, Dick Grayson and Jason Todd would have been shuffled off into orphanages and the foster care system. Stephanie Brown would still be under her father’s dark influence and Damian Wayne would be a remorseless killing machine. Batman did indeed save them, making these visions a sign of something more ominous at work.
Someone has it in for the former Robins, forcing them into seemingly better lives, ones free of Batman. While the unknown perpetrator may be trying to turn them against their former mentor, it shows how positive an influence Batman was on his proteges.
