The Gotham Knights trailer, a new game from WB Montreal, introduced a Batman game with no Batman. Instead, players are given the reins for four other notable members of Batman’s vigilante family. With Robin being one of those main characters, it is likely that the game will introduce Red Robin, a character many may not be familiar with but one that is definitely worth getting to know better! Here is what this caped crusader is all about.
Who is Red Robin?
Red Robin has been the superhero moniker for a few characters throughout DC’s history. First appearing in the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, Red Robin was used by an older Dick Grayson attempting to get back into the crimefighting business.
Red Robin was next used, briefly, by Jason Todd during the Countdown to Final Crisis event in DC history. After Todd, the Red Robin persona would be donned by the villain Ulysses Armstrong. Under the suit Armstrong would commit crime and torture then-Robin, Tim Drake.
Finally, the Red Robin moniker would fall into the hands of Tim Drake. Tim would use the suit to separate himself from Gotham in his search for a missing Bruce Wayne. Drake would remain Red Robin and pop up throughout many DC properties like Teen Titans as the Red Robin. Drake would go on to star in an ongoing series titled Red Robin that detailed his exploits under the cowl.
Besides Armstrong, the Red Robin persona was only helmed by former Robins. As such, the suit is generally depicted as a more mature take on the Robin attire, with a more utilitarian vibe. The Robins that wore the suit maintained their martial arts fighting styles and used many of the gadgets that Batman and Robin used.
Red Robin and Red Hood
Jason Todd would only hold the Red Robin persona briefly before reverting back to his Red Hood costume. However, in DC’s Countdown event, the Red Robin costume would reemerge with Todd being revealed as the man behind the cowl (Countdown to Final Crisis #14). He would fight alongside Earth-51’s Batman as Red Robin until that Batman is killed. This deeply affects Todd, who would seek vengeance through the murder of an alternate timeline Joker. Once returned to his timeline, Todd would dispose of his Red Robin garb and would not be seen in it again.
As Red Hood, Todd developed an obsession of sorts with Robin, particularly his replacement Tim Drake. As such, the hooded vigilante would often come to blows with Batman’s sidekick as both Robin and Red Robin. Though Todd would eventually overcome the brainwashing by the Joker and his antagonism for Batman, Robin has never had a great relationship with Red Hood.
Tim Drake as Red Robin
Once Dick Grayson is given the title of Batman, he chooses Damian Wayne as his Robin sidekick, Tim Drake. Instead, Grayson claims that Drake is his equal not his sidekick and Drake takes on the mantle of the Red Robin.
As Red Robin, Drake would spend a lot of his time searching for the presumably dead Batman and facing off against Ra’s al Ghul. He would also form a working relationship with the new Batman (Dick Grayson) and work through his adverse feelings against Damian Wayne’s Robin. For a time, Drake would also use the Red Robin persona to rejoin the Teen Titans (part of DC’s The New 52 initiative).
In Batman: Arkham City, the Red Robin suit would pop up as an alternative costume for Drake’s Robin in DLC.
Red Robin in Gotham Knights?
With Batman presumably dead in Gotham Knights and with Drake being the Robin of this Gotham, it is safe to say that the Red Robin suit may come into action. In fact, one Twitter user has seemingly caught its appearance in the trailer. However, with Todd’s Red Hood and Grayson’s Nightwing also in the mix, is it possible for these former Robins to work together or will there be bad blood amongst the Bat-family?
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