Summary

• Batman: Dark Age #3 reinvents Robin's history by merging elements of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd to create a unique backstory.
• In this alternate continuity, Batman's struggle against the False Face Society takes a dark turn, intertwining with American history.
• The story gives a more grounded version of Dick Grayson, presenting a new origin and introducing a different take on Batman's famous sidekick.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman: Dark Age #3!Batman's sidekick Robin has just gotten a new origin that amalgamates two of his most infamous sidekicks. Batman: Dark Age centers around a Bruce Wayne shaped by the events of American history. His lore takes an interesting turn when he meets quite a different version of the future Boy Wonder.

In Batman: Dark Age #3 by Mark Russell and Michael Allred, Bruce Wayne has returned from Vietnam and has taken to patrolling Gotham as Batman. The False Face Society's grip on the city has only grown tighter as the gangster cabal is also running Wayne Enterprises, which is sucking the resources out of Gotham to line its leaders' pockets.

After rescuing Jim Gordon from the False Face Society, Batman discovers that one of the is a young man who turned to crime after having no other option. Years later, Bruce recalls the name of his old ward: Dick Grayson.

Robin's New Origin is a Tragic Spin on Dick and Jason's Backgrounds

Batman: Dark Age is a sequel to Superman: Space Age and follow's the Caped Crusader's history through decades of real-life American history. In this continuity, Bruce has found himself targeted by the False Face Society, who have infiltrated the Wayne Enterprises Board and have tried to eliminate Bruce to take total control of Gotham. After Bruce was arrested and sent to Vietnam, the False Face Society began operating under the mysterious Pariah, who helped Wayne Enterprises succeed and become one of the most profitable businesses around. Meanwhile Bruce honed his skills in Vietnam, training under his commander Ra's al Ghul.

Though not officially made a Robin yet, Batman takes Dick Grayson's body back to Bruce's home, intent on putting him on a better path. But what's fascinating is that this is far from Dick's usual backstory. Of course, Batman did have a sidekick that he helped rescue from a life of crime. But that was Jason Todd. Batman: Dark Age is an alternate continuity and doesn't necessarily need to adhere to the history of the Prime DC Universe. By fusing the two together, the story has given Batman a more grounded version of Dick Grayson.

Batman: Dark Age Reinvents the First Robin's History

Dick Grayson is arguably the most well known Robin, but his history as an orphan from the circus is one that's a bit of a hard sell. Jason's origin as a youth impacted by criminal element in Gotham is far more relevant and goes well with the narrative presented in Batman: Dark Age. Amalgamating the two creates a unique backstory for the Dark Knight's sidekick in this take on Batman's mythos and helps bring Bruce's most famous Robin into the story in a more apropos manner.

Batman: Dark Age #3 is available now from DC Comics.