I will quite happily admit that before I discovered DC's New 52 reboot, my batman experience was limited to the movies. I'd re-watched the Burton Batman's dozens of times, and got my hands on all the Nolan films on Blu-Ray. The sheer scope of the DC universe, the 75 years of complex history and interwoven story lines made my head hurt. I mean, how does someone decide where to start? With Bob Kane in 1939? With the Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns? Ugh! Luckily, DC has realised that there was a whole gigantic audience just like me out there, and created a jumping off point for newbies, that, most importantly, DID NOT discard everything.It wasn't just clever (brilliant) marketing, but it gave a whole new scope for expansion and character development. Characters who had aged and grown cynical and calloused were reborn young and hopeful. They were allowed to have greater liberty with gender and sexual stereotypes and mores. There was debate (argument, disagreement, contretemps, and feuding) about certain of these changes, but it worked. DC made a gigantic buttload of money, and a lot of changes in comic book marketing. Marvel attempted their own reboot with Marvel Now, but didn't really manage the same kind of return to start. I mean, some of the Marvel Now titles are FREAKING AMAZING, but it still requires too much previous knowledge to really get it.
Anyway, Batman.
The Bat Family titles take some things for granted. They assume that the reader knows Bruce Wayne's history. Unchangeable facts about fictional worlds and characters who go through multiple incarnations are commonly known as "canon". The Batman canon has as these facts, the Wayne's were murdered in an alley when Bruce was a child. He was raised by the family's butler Alfred Pennyworth. He adopted and trained Dick Grayson as his sidekick. He interacted with Commissioner Jim Gordon, Gorgon's daughter Barbara, Wayne enterprises Lucias Fox, and would ALWAYS find himself running into Selina Kyle (catwoman), Harvey Dent (Two Face), Edward Nygma (The Riddler), Oswald Cobblepot (The Penguin) and the always mysterious and unknown Joker, arguably one of the most fascinating, complex and thought-consuming character in comic book history.
However, the new 52 reintroduces the history of all of these characters in ways that don't impede enjoyment, or coherent storytelling.
Anyway....Batman?
There are three separate, straight up Batman titles. Batman, Batman: The Dark Knight, and Batman: Detective Comics. It would help if there was a straightforward time or story-type distinction, but there isn't. All three are first wave titles, and there are even cross-overs. It gets more complicated.
Richard "Dick" Grayson, the original Robin, and the only one that most people are aware of, has grown up, left home, an gotten his own book. Now known as Nightwing, he has his own story lines and territory, but still comes home to Gotham to play side-kick, best friend, big brother, ex-boyfriend and voice of reason when needed. *spoiler alert* He later gets un-masked and outed. Unable to be a masked vigilante, he becomes a spy and goes undercover in 'Grayson". He's currently two volumes in, and doing a good job.
Did you know that there was more than one Robin? Did you know that there was a whole lot?
The Second Robin, Jason Todd, was a street kid, taken in by Bat's after the drug overdose death of his mother. However, Jason always had too much anger, too much recklessness, and never had the discipline that Batman wanted from his, um, disciples. After being tricked into thinking that his mother was still alive, he went after the Joker alone, and was beaten to death. Actually to death. Dead, buried, and mourned. This being DC, he is brought back to life by Batman's ex/ enemy Talia Al Ghul (we'll come back to her later). Understandably pissed that Batman declined to avenge his death, he goes on a bit of a violent, pouty sulk for......well....a few years. He takes up with a few other misfits, and goes looking for trouble in Red Hood and The Outlaws, then post futures end Red Hood and Arsenal (an ex-Green Arrow character, Roy Harper).
Joker history has one of his first appearances as a crime boss known as the Red Hood. It says a lot about Jason's state of mind post rebirth that he takes on both the name Red Hood, and the actual red mask of the guy who killed him, He also makes the decision to use guns instead of non-lethal means to take on bad guys. There is a strong rumour that the upcoming Suicide Squad's Joker, played by Jared Leto, may actually be Jason Todd. I'm half-way convinced. I'd get quite a kick out of it.
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk5nqqWK6_I)
The third Robin, Tim Drake, actually volunteered, and kind of manipulated his way into Robin status.
Bruce was pretty torn up over Jason, and didn't want a new young man to be responsible for. Tim, however, being quite a fantastic detective, ended up putting himself in the way of Batman's enemies, leaving Bat's with the choice to take him in, or let him die. So he Took him in. Whether it was out of respect for Batman's losses, or individualism, Tim was known from the beginning as Red Robin, never just Robin. After a while, he takes off to start his own young Justice League, known as the Teen Titans, but always maintains his ties to Batman. Teen Titans comes under the "Young Justice" family, but Tim makes appearances throughout.
Then there is the current Robin, Damian Wayne. Yes, Wayne. And you know what? I think he is going to need a whole separate blog post, because he is.......complicated.
Bat Family: Part 2 to be continued.
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