After the epic, soul-sucking darkness of Final Crisis, Grant Morrison needed to make some kindler, gentler comics. Enter Batman and Robin, his clever revision of one of DC Comics' most storied relationships.
The new series, which hits shelves Wednesday, takes yet another stab at the Caped Crusader and his young sidekick. Based on Robin Hood and originally created to attract a younger readership than the mature fans of a take-no-prisoners Batman, Robin has seen his share of ups and downs. The character's 1940 debut in Detective Comics No. 38 was a hit, and spawned the successful solo series Star-Spangled Comics throughout the '40s and early '50s.
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Grant Morrison Talks Brainy Comics, Sexy Apocalypse
But once so-called psychiatrist Fredric Wertham singled out Robin as Batman's gay lover in his infamous, paranoid, anti-comics screed Seduction of the Innocent, published in 1954, all rainbow hell broke loose.
The campy Batman TV series didn't help matters, and neither did Joel Schumacher's rancid blockbuster Batman & Robin. By the time that film poisoned the malls — and almost broke the Batman franchise's back until Christopher Nolan's 2005 hit Batman Begins saved its spine — Robin had gone through several incarnations, including Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake.
Morrison's new, patently strange contribution to the canon follows the events of his dark series Final Crisis and Batman R.I.P. and finds Batman's cowl taken up by one-time Robin Dick Grayson, with the new Robin mantle shouldered by Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's surviving son. In other words, it should really be called Robin and Robin.
DC Comics provided Wired.com with some panels to show off the latest installment of this storied relationship. Take a peek and ping us in the comments section below with your thoughts.
See also:
- Grant Morrison Talks Brainy Comics, Sexy Apocalypse
- Grant Morrison's Surreal Seaguy Comic Resurfaces
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold Returns With Babes, She-Males
- Neil Gaiman Writes a Final Love Letter to Batman
- Batmanime Is a Blast in Batman: Gotham Knight
- Chip Kidd’s Batman Fandom Gets Arty in Bat-Manga
