DC Reveals Official Design for Batman’s First New Robin in 20 Years

Bruce Wayne’s Batman is getting a new version of Robin the Boy Wonder – the first since DC introduced his son Damian Wayne in 2006. Now, the publisher has given fans their first look at the new character’s design, and it’s a huge shock.

First introduced in 1940 (just one year after Batman), Robin is the iconic sidekick of the Dark Knight, with a persona based on folk hero Robin Hood. There have been five versions of Robin in DC’s mainstream continuity and countless more elsewhere. Usually, the character is a skilled acrobat who counters Batman’s grim attitude with some levity, however it doesn’t look like that’s DC’s intention this time…

Remember to fill in our reader poll at the end of the article, to tell us how you want DC to handle Absolute Robin.

Batman Is Introducing Multiple Robins, Including a Mysterious Guy in a Tuxedo

Via Instagram, Absolute Batman artist Nick Dragotta recently revealed a cover for Absolute Batman #19, promising “no hyperbole our biggest arc yet.” The cover justifies the claim, showing the Absolute versions of Scarecrow, Deathstroke, the Court of Owls, Jim Gordon and of course Batman. However, there’s also a mysterious guy in a tuxedo wearing the Robin logo as a lapel pin.

This imposing character appears to be Absolute Batman‘s take on Robin. Fans already knew that the character would star in Absolute Batman #20, with the issue’s summary reading:

A TRAGIC LOSS ROCKS GOTHAM CITY! As the dust settles in the city of Gotham after the loss of [redacted], Robins enter the scene ready to hunt and more than one secret will be revealed in this seminal issue.

Similarly, Dragotta’s main cover for the issue utilizes a giant Robin logo that’s identical to the one worn by the man in the tuxedo.

Of course, an apparent adult being Robin is unusual enough – Batman tends to recruit them as teens – but this guy looks decidedly villainous. So… what’s going on with DC’s Absolute Robin?

Is the New Robin Actually a Villain?

A ‘Batman Who Laughs’ Type Character Would Make a LOT of Sense In This World

Batman #20‘s summary states that “Robins enter the scene ready to hunt.” That makes it sound like ‘Robin’ will be a title in the Absolute Universe – one possessed by multiple members of an incoming group. Given the authority of the guy in the tuxedo, it makes sense that he’ll be the head of the Robins fans will see in that issue.

That’s dark news, because DC has a long history of corrupting the Robin name by turning it into a title. The Batman Who Laughs famously leads around his Robins on chains as brainwashed attack dogs, while comics like Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham have shown darker versions of Batman training academies full of Robins as a private army.

It’s also a primary tactic of Batman’s evil opposite over on Earth-3, Owlman, who has a roster of Talons, simply swapping a new sidekick in when he loses the current version.

The Absolute Universe is canonically a world built on top of Darkseid’s evil, where the natural order is that heroes are punished and villains win. An evil Robin group makes perfect sense in this world.

Indeed, with Joker carrying out human experiments in his Ark M facility, these Robins may be brainwashed or even have powers to carry out their role. With the Court of Owls recently entering the story as rebel heroes, it would make sense to turn the idea of Robin dark. But what does this mean for Absolute Batman’s chances of a real sidekick?

Will Absolute Batman Get a ‘Real’ Robin?

If the Robins are villains, will Batman actually get a trustworthy sidekick? There’s evidence on either side. On one hand, it would be against the nature of the Absolute Universe. The new versions of DC’s heroes introduced in the Absolute line start without their classic allies and advantages.

However, it’s also something fans have made it clear they want. Absolute takes on Nightwing, Red Hood and more would be fascinating to explore, and there are lots of way to make them fit this continuity. Plus, two years into Absolute Batman‘s run, he’d actually be getting his sidekick later in his story than the mainstream Dark Knight.

So what are the chances of seeing one of the classic Robins take up the mantle?

Where Are Batman’s Mainstream Robins in Absolute Continuity?

While fans have been speculating about Absolute Robin from the beginning, Absolute Batman #9 gave them real reason to hope. That issue introduced Dick Grayson – Batman’s first Robin in mainstream canon – as an EMT dealing with the fallout of Batman’s war on organized crime.

The issue set up Dick in a perfectly Absolute way – the first words of Batman’s traditional ally were “$%& Batman”, and it seems unlikely that a medical practitioner would start prowling Gotham’s streets breaking bones. So what about Batman’s other mainstream Robins?

Where Is Each Mainstream Robin in Absolute Continuity?
Mainstream Name and Codename	First Introduced	Created by	Absolute Universe Status
Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing	1940’s Detective Comics #38	Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson	Dick was introduced to Absolute Canon in Absolute Batman #9, as an EMT who sees Batman as a negative for Gotham
Jason Todd, aka the Red Hood	1983’s Batman #357	Gerry Conway and Don Newton	Jason hasn’t been explicitly introduced, but Absolute Batman #12 introduced Harley Quinn’s Red Hood Gang. Absolute Batman #17 shows a gang member questioning Harley’s decision to work with Bruce, and this may well be Jason.
Tim Drake, aka Robin, aka Red Robin, aka Drake	1989’s Batman #436	Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick	Tim Drake has yet to be introduced, but at 2025’s Dragon Con, writer Scott Snyder promised the Absolute Universe would eventually introduce every version of Robin except Damian Wayne.
Stephanie Brown, aka Spoiler, aka Batgirl	1992’s Detective Comics #647	Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle	Stephanie Brown is yet to be introduced, and neither has her supervillain father Cluemaster. She should be covered by Snyder’s promise, but Stephanie is often forgotten as an official Robin due to her incredibly short tenure.
Damian Wayne, aka Robin	2006’s Batman #655	Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert	Scott Snyder has ruled out Damian appearing in Absolute Batman. That’s likely because his mother Talia al Ghul and grandfather Ra’s al Ghul are major antagonists over in Absolute Superman, with Ra’s obsessing over siring a worthy successor. However, if Absolute Batman runs long enough, don’t be surprised to see some version of Damian used eventually – Snyder said all versions of Robin but Damian already exist somewhere in the Absolute Universe, not that they couldn’t be introduced.

As the above shows, Dick Grayson remains the most likely ‘true’ Robin, and he recently returned in Absolute Batman #17, reconsidering his attitude to the Dark Knight.

Fans assumed they’d be meeting the new Robin in Absolute Batman #20, but it now seems like he – or at least their leader – will make his debut an issue earlier, at least according to Dragotta’s cover.

Let us know in our reader poll below how you want DC to handle Absolute Robin, and check back with Screen Rant when Absolute Robin arrives for our coverage of this exciting new take on the Batman mythos.

Absolute Batman #19 is coming April 15, followed by Absolute Batman #20 on May 13.

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Bob Kane, Bill Finger

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