Batman Finally Admits He Can Save Robin with “Counseling, Not Training”

Warning! Contains Spoilers For Batman: City of Madness #3!Batman and Robin are perhaps comics’ most iconic duo. That said, Batman has often been criticized, rightfully, for taking in traumatized kids and pitting them against criminals. While this is a perfectly reasonable decision in a comic book world, DC did recently show what would happen if Batman did the sane thing, giving Robin counseling, instead of training.

Batman: City of Madness #3 – written by Christian Ward, with art by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou – features Batman finally approaching the idea of helping a traumatized Robin in a more healthy, reasonable way. When Jeyvone’s father was murdered by a corrupt cop, Jeyvone was pushed to take revenge by the Batman Below. Batman was able to reach out to Jeyvone and save him.

After Batman and Jeyvone escape the Gotham Below, Bruce pays for Jeyvone’s counseling. By putting the boy therapy, and ultimately helping him address his trauma, he rescues the boy in a far healthier way than training him to become Robin.

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Jeyvone Almost Succumbed To The “City Of Madness” & Became DC’s Darkest Robin

Over the years, the different characters who have taken the mantle of Robin have used the role to fight their way out of the darkness they were trapped in. Bruce was someone who suffered great tragedy as a child, and wallowed in that darkness for decades. When he sees a child going through a similar trauma, he tries to give them the guidance and protection he didn’t have. While this is certainly noble, it usually ends up with the child donning a Robin outfit, and fighting against lunatics with guns. While this mostly works in an absurd comic world, both readers, and some characters, have called Batman out for this habit in the past.

When someone goes through a great tragedy, what they need isn’t just understanding, but also professional help. For all of Batman’s abilities, he’s not a trained psychologist, or therapist. Dick Grayson hunting down his parent’s killer did provide some closure, but counseling would’ve likely achieved a far healthier form of resolution, and been far safer in the process. In Batman: City of Madness, Jeyvone desperately wanted to kill the man who murdered his father. Instead of helping Jeyvone hunt the man down, Batman was able to get the murderer arrested, and subsequently put Jeyvone into counseling, which helped him far more than a Robin suit.

Batman Was Able To Save Jeyvone In A Unique Way

Jeyvone could’ve been a dark Robin, succumbing to his worst impulses under the control of the Batman Below. While Bruce was able to save him, the resolution to Jeyvone’s story was about more than Batman – it truly depended on Bruce Wayne. This is important, because throughout Batman’s long history, it has never actually been Batman that saved any of the Robins; it was always Bruce Wayne. Bruce was the one who gave them a home and a family. Batman gave them the training and the direction, but they never needed that part, and Jeyvone’s story proves it.

Batman: City of Madness #3 is on sale now from DC Comics!

Batman: City of Madness #3 (2024)
	Writer: Christian Ward Artist: Christian Ward Colorist: Christian Ward Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou Cover Artist: Christian Ward