Batman 2.0 and the Many Faces of Robin

During the Batman R.I.P. saga a few months ago I did a recap of the various incarnations of Batman over the years. Since the disappearance/death(?) of Bruce Wayne the Battle for the Cowl has been waging in Gotham with the heaviest contenders for the mantle being Nightwing (Dick Grayson/Robin #1), Tim Drake (Robin #3) and Jason Todd (Robin #2/Red Hood/Red Robin).

The final images of the story reveal a mysterious new Batman who is almost certainly Dick Grayson (with a very slight chance of it being Tim Drake, but that's unlikely).

We also get our first glimpse of the new Robin, Damian Wayne.

With this I decided it's time we recap the history of Robin and have a look at who's been wearing the green speedos and elf boots .

Robin #1 - Dick Grayson
After eventually hanging up the Robin costume, Dick went on to become his own vigilante hero Nightwing. After Bruce Wayne died(?) recently he took over the mantle and is currently the new Batman 2.0, and rightly so I say.

Robin #2 - Jason Todd
Jason was a more free spirited and violent Robin and eventually got himself killed by the Joker in the Death in the Family storyline.

In true DC fashion he is resurrected in a bizarre space/time ripple caused by Superman Prime and stumbles his way from the grave to eventually become the troublesome Red Hood and eventually Red Robin. After Batman R.I.P. he crowns himself the new Batman wearing an armoured suit,using guns and killing criminals. After Dick beats the shit out of him he pisses off to become Gotham's new crime lord Black Mask.

Robin #3 - Tim Drake
Tim Drake was the latest Robin up until the Battle for the Cowl story. He retired breifly at his father's request, leaving a gap to be filled by the 4th Robin (below) but returning soon after to continue as Robin. After Bruce's apparent death he briefly donned the Batsuit if only to keep the symbol alive to the Gotham citizens but once Dick officialy became the new Batman, Tim stepped aside to take over the Red Robin role that Jason had previously used.

Robin #4 - Stephanie Brown
Stephanie hit the Gotham scene as a rogue vigilante named Spoiler who pushed to join Batman's team. After Tim retired, Bruce reluctantly brought Stephanie in as the first female Robin. She proved to be uncontrollable and Bruce eventually fired her, offering the role back to Tim. Defiantly she ventured out again as Robin only to be killed in the process. Naturally, however, she manages to return from the grave (apparently her death may have been staged) and continues fighting crime as Spoiler.

Robin #5 - Damian Wayne
After Bruce Wayne's brief love affair with Ra's Al Ghul's daughter Talia, she gives birth to Damian who is raised by Ra's as a member of the Assassin's League. During the recent events Damian battled his way through the Bat team in an attempt to claim his birthright as the new Batman, eventually becoming the latest Robin alongside Grayson's Batman. The new Bat duo is born.

Robin #6 - Carrie Kelly
Carrie becomes the second female Robin in Frank Miller's brilliant story the Dark Knight Returns. As a fan of the original Robins, she makes her own costume and saves the life of the aging Batman (Bruce Wayne) who takes her on as his new Robin. This story is a kind of 'what if' idea and therefore doesn't technically fit into the official storyline of the mythos.

So there you have it, 5 Robins (and a hypothetical 6th) with the current one being Bruce Wayne's son Damian. Whew :)