If You Were Batman, Which Robin Would Best Suit Your Personality?

When we look to comic icons like Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman, we see stunning examples of individual traits we wish were part of us. But when we look at the people who surround these heroes: Alfred, Jimmy Olsen, or Lois Lane, we see people we could actually be. Supporting characters and sidekicks are the bread of the burger when it comes to comic books and the most likely place for us to see ourselves in action. No where is that more evident than Robin. According to The DC Comics Encyclopedia, Robin appeared on the scene in 1940 and has been some part of Batman's life ever since. Golden Age kids reading the comics could marvel with awe at Batman, but they could imagine themselves as Robin. The question for modern comic readers isn't the question, "Could you be Robin?" It is, "If you were a Robin, who would you be?"

Dick Grayson

The first, and to some the only, Robin was a lovable little boy orphaned by a tragic crime. He came to live with the Dark Knight when his circus performing family was killed and soon used his acrobatic training to provide much needed comic relief and companionship to the lone vigilante.

If you're that Robin, you are jovial and faithful, ready with a smile and able to do what is required. You've had a loss in your life that changed you - maybe a parent, friend or job; you've had a hero in your life that saved you - a lover, teacher or guru. You're a team player in a supporting role for the people in your life and you marvel that the rest of society can't find a way to be happy, just like you. People like you, even if they do think you're a little old fashioned, and sometimes corny.

We know the little happy boy grew up to be a restless, moody young adult who left Batman and became Nightwing. Don't let him take away from your experience. The joy of the first Boy Wonder still lives in all of us.

Jason Todd

During the series Crisis on Infinite Earths, which changed many of the characters and origins, Jason Todd emerged as the new Robin. Jason was an angry young orphan whom Batman meets when he is stealing the tires off the Batmobile. His stint as Robin was a short one, however. Immature and unable to control his feelings he struggled with the discipline Batman imposed. Batman struggled with him and half of the comic's fans didn't want him around. Dennis O'Neill wrote in the 1988 postscript to a graphic novel version of A Death In The Family, "We weren't sure how readers felt about him. Some seemed to like him and some didn't." DC held a phone-in poll to decide whether or not Jason Todd would live or die after receiving one of the Joker's deadliest beatings. O'Neill reports the vote was 5, 271 for his survival, and 5,343 for his death. Goodbye, Jason Todd. He died heroically, shielding his newly-found mother from an explosion.

If you're that Robin, you're a frustrated leader who has been put in with the pack of sheep and you're bitter about it. You hate injustice and love to see someone get what's coming to them. You understand what its like to see mediocre people doing things you could do better, and you know exactly how things should be done, whether it is protocol or not. You are not patient, but you have a passion and energy that drives you forward. In the end, you really are good person at heart. People just seem to give up on you before they see it.

Jason Todd returned to the multiverse in 2006 as the scary anti-hero, The Red Hood. Even in his "afterlife" he doesn't seem to have gotten much peace.

Tim Drake

Jason's death threw Batman into a full blown moral crisis. A teenager in his charge had been killed, and he vowed to work alone forever. That was, until Tim Drake showed up telling Batman he had figured out the secret to his identity and wanted to help him. Scott Beatty's The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight says Tim wanted to be the new Robin to give Batman hope. That he has accomplished along with leading Young Justice and anchoring the Teen Titans. Tim is the first Robin with parents who love him, and normal things like school, friends, and homework. Still he manages to train and has learned quickly to follow the Dark Knight's orders to the letter.

If you're this Teen Titan you are well balanced and responsible in nature. You lead when you have to, but are content to take a follower position as long as there is work to do. You don't like to sit around, but are willing to take the time to do things right. You reach out in friendship to people who seem like outcasts, and you want more than anything to make a difference in the world. People like you, but more importantly, people respect you.

Tim Drake continues to work well with the Titans, enjoy his own comic title, and grow his detective skills every day. Good things do happen to good guys, too.

Carrie Kelley

Only a mind as brilliant as Frank Miller could envision a post-modern female Robin with the raw appeal of Carrie Kelley. In his alternate DC series The Dark Knight Returns, often cited by critics as one of the most influential works in the come-back of comics in the modern age, an embittered retired Batman returns to fight crime and saves 13 year old Carrie Kelley in the process. She becomes hero-struck, buys a costume Robin suit with her lunch money, and goes about tailing Batman. Saving his life, she ends up in the Batcave and is accepted as the new Robin. She's young, vibrant, untrained and unmonitored. Unlike Dick and Jason who were orphaned and Tim who had a family that loves him, Carrie has parents who simply don't care and spend their time getting stoned and remembering the "good old days". Carrie becomes socially aware in the arms of a brutal society and, not surprisingly, finds her solace with the Dark Knight.

If she is your Robin, you are one of a kind. You have strong feelings and impulsive reactions which lead you to experience a world most people don't even know exists. You're adventurous and realistic at the same time. You might not be the fastest, smartest, or most polished person on the planet but you get the job done anyway. You aren't a leader or a follower. You are just you, and that's just fine.

The Dark Knight Returns ends with Batman leading Carrie and others to an underground cave to prepare for a war on crime. The long awaited follow up, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, shows she went up the food chain being Robin to being Catgirl. No one knows where Carrie's future leads, but it will definitely be exciting.

Obedient, delinquent, responsible, emotional - the Robins in Batman's life have run the gamut. They have made him smile, broken his heart, stood by his side and saved his life. No matter what Batman has been or will be, each Robin is a part of him, and us.