Robin. The Watson to Batman’s Sherlock. The Mustard to his Hot-Dog. The young tight acrobatic boy to his lonely brooding homoerotic recluse…

Robin is the quintessential superhero sidekick, he’s the reason that superhero’s have sidekicks he’s the cause for good or ill of that staple in this medium. Created to attract young readers, his introduction ended up doubling the sales of Batman books then with the pop culture phenomenon of the William Dozier Batman show from the 60’s that sent Batman into the public consciousness so too did Robin swing into the minds of everyone and became synonymous with Batman – turning the Caped Crusader into the Dynamic Duo.

We’ve seen many different boys and girls take up the mantle though, both in mainline continuity and in numerous elseworld tales and while they all wear the red and green, some wore it better than others – so without further ado, here’s my ranking of the main 5 Robins (I’m not doing Stephanie Brown as I’ve literally just read I think 3 issues with her as Robin and only vaguely know her as Batgirl but am currently enjoying her as Spoiler in Detective Comics)

TIM DRAKE

Tim Drake is to me a little bit of a “meh” Robin he’s sort of the middle child in that he isn't particularly spectacular (Thanks Mum!) there’s good stuff to him, he’s often around but really he’s not so remarkable or memorable at least not to me.

There’s something to be said for him being the first Robin after the loss of Jason Todd  and therefor how different his relationship with Batman is because of that which is fascinating, also what’s interesting is the fact that Tim’s parents are alive and well and in some instances are aware of his vigilante activities. What isn’t interesting about Tim Drake is pretty much everything else. Which is why he quit being Robin and instead founded a series of casual burger chains around Seattle – I think that’s how that went.

That may be a bit too harsh, I mean he supports more the detective angle of The World’s Greatest Detective which is nice, he’s also obviously the Robin in The New Batman Adventures though I was always more of a fan of the first incarnation of Timm and Dini’s universe, Batman The Animated Series I wasn’t a huge fan of the change in art style either but this post isn’t about that, I feel as though he’s serviceable and is a good enough vessel to say some Robin lines at Batman but for me and it may be by the virtue I’ve not read a great deal with Tim as Robin or if I have I’ve found him indistinguishable from other Robin’s and so didn’t know I was.

JASON TODD

 I’ve always loved Jason Todd, though in fairness I’ve spent little time with him actually as Robin those moments reserved for flashbacks in Red Hood storylines and obviously Death in the Family which is why I often and still say that the best thing Jason Todd is good for is getting beaten to death with a crowbar – spoiler alert.

Yes he can be a little bit obnoxious, I mean he’s a 1980’s street kid of course he’s going to be [frick]ing insufferable. He meets Batman by stealing the hubcaps off of the Batmobile, I’m surprised he wasn’t wearing a leather jacket, finger-less gloves and had a baseball cap turned backwards… though come to think of it he bloody well might have.  He’s a more ruthless Damien. He’s Dick if he didn’t have Bruce as early as he did and he’s the kind of guy to push a rapist off a 22 story balcony which really can you blame the guy?

He questions the efficiency of Batman and what he’s doing, he’s the meta argument of what’s the point when everyone will just break out of Arkham – he’s Punisher’s reflection of Daredevil but it hits home even more because he’s a child and a student of our protagonist. I’d put Jason Todd higher on this list but (and this will directly contradict something I say later) Jason Todd is more Red Hood to me and his character is I feel better in retrospect by what he is now not as who he was as Robin.

Boy can sure take a crowbar to the ribs though.

CARRIE KELLY

More so than any Robin (except from perhaps crazy Frank Miller’s Robin in All-Star Batman & Robin) Carrie Kelly is a soldier in a war. She’s the Robin that reminds Bruce of all the good in all the ones that came before. She’s the one that gets him back on his feet. His little soldier. She chose the mantle, galvanized by Batman’s resurgence she takes it upon herself to dress as Robin and fight crime before even encountering Batman and she does so in his time of need and while she only briefly held the mantle of Robin, exchanging it in The Dark Knight Strikes Again for the role of Catgirl.

Yes. That’s a thing.

And it looks like this:

I know. I know. Rob Liefeld likes it, because of course he [frick]ing does. I’ll eventually do a post on it, don’t worry.

She wore it the Robin suit well though and she does in the surprisingly not terrible (considering its post 1980’s Frank Miller) Dark Knight III: The Master Race don the mantle of The Bat and is great in it, a woman obsessed with a man driven by obsession – the first female Robin and also arguably the first Robin after Jason’s demise (though it hadn’t happened yet and his fate is only alluded to in The Dark Knight Returns) also that original Jerry Robinson costume sits a little bit better on a girl than it does a boy – not that I don’t love men in tights. Both the Mel Brooks film and the – well let’s not get into it.

DAMIEN WAYNE

Upon reading the new DC Rebirth Nightwing title, I was struck by how Damien was less of a – how should I put it? Murdering [frick] Head Sociopath and instead just a normal if not slightly sheltered kid and by sheltered I of course mean by a League of Assassins and then a Vigilante who made him a highly trained fighting machine.

One of my favourite Batman runs ever is Grant Morrison’s post-RIP, Batman & Robin title with Dick Grayson as Batman and this little shit as his sidekick, it’s such an interesting dynamic of having Bruce’s illegitimate son being mentored in the ways of his father by Bruce’s adopted son and all the conflict and animosity that comes along with that – the resentment from Damien the sense of responsibility and maybe even guilt from Dick is fascinating and I like a little bit of a psychopath Robin I mean Batman’s a [frick]ing crazy person anyway but Batman & Robin being a poppy colourful 60’s Batman viewed through a violent and weird David Lynch prism is bloody genius.

What could easily have become cliche and a little asinine – Bruce having an actual biological son – turns into a fresh and original take on a staple relationship of the character.

DICK GRAYSON

Probably to no-one’s surprise as it is in fact the right answer. Dick Grayson. He is the gold standard by which all other Robins are measured – I know what I’m going to say next may undermine this entire list and any real credibility some may hold for me voicing opinions but if you thought I had any already you’re a schmuck – Is he more interesting as Nightwing? Yes. Is he more interesting as Batman? Yes. Is he more interesting as an Agent of Spyral? Yes. Is he more interesting fighting people topless in a Sauna with Midnighter? [frick] yeah he is!

But while we don’t see Dick Grayson undertake a Gauntlet or be beaten to death what we did see him be is Robin. Through and through.  We see him have Batman’s back, aid him in his quest of scaring villains and not children, he is a constant. A boy whose origins align with Bruce’s but who managed to be kept from the same darkness and torture he retains some joy, humanity and humour but loses none of that duty and drive. I might do another post sometime looking at his relationship with Batman and I will definitely do one about Nightwing’s butt which has become a main staple of the character. Seriously follow any past or present Batman writer or artist on twitter.

But I digress, Dick Grayson: he is Bruce’s son and brother and partner. He is Nightwing and Batman and Agent 37 – He is Robin the Boy Wonder.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. MY RANKING OF THE ROBIN’S. WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE? FEEL FREE TO ADD, COMMENT AND CRITICISE BELOW. OR DON’T. I'M NOT YOUR MOTHER.