Robin in "Batman: The Animated Series"
>> Robin in Batman: The Animated Series
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Robin in "Batman: The Animated Series"
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Original Robin Design by Bruce Timm |
As Described in "Batman: Animated" by Chipp Kidd and Paul Dini:
In 1992, the birth of Warner Bros. "Batman: The Animated Series"
changed the Batman Universe forever. The dynamic series spawned a new technique
in animation using black backgrounds that would eventually be dubbed "Dark
Deco." Dark Deco gave every scene within Gotham an extraordinary look,
redefining the image of the city. The series also revamped the classic characters,
casting a unique perspective on their origins and personalities. The series
included all the popular characters and even created some new ones.
The most significant change was the transformation of the Dick Grayson/Robin
character in the "new" 90's costume, resulting in a hipper more
adult representation which the character has never seen. The Batman character
continued to embody the dark image fans have come to love while maintaining
the heroic qualities identified with the character.
Grayson was born into a circus family. As part of the Flying Graysons, he
excelled even as a child at all forms of acrobatics. When his parents were
murdered by a gangster trying to extort money from the circus, Dick was adopted
by Bruce Wayne. Having lost his own parents to crime, Wayne felt a kinship
with the young orphan and trained him to be his assistant and partner, Robin.
Robin enjoys the thrill of crime fighting, but Batman sometimes has to restrain
him from charging into action without considering every deductive angle first.
This is indicative of their relationship as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson as
well.
Although Dick lost his parents to crime, he is not driven by the same demons
as Batman. Batman uses the Bruce Wayne persona as a mask, but Dick Grayson
and Robin are pretty much the same young man. In rethinking Robin for the
animated series, it was our intention that Dick Grayson would be older than
the traditional depictions of his character, about twenty, and operating on
his own as a solo crime fighter. We resisted the idea of making the Boy Wonder
Batman's constant sidekick because we felt having him around all the time
would diminish Batman's role as a brooding, solitary hero. Yet we recognized
Robin's important role in Batman's world, and tried to make a special event
out of each of his rare early appearances. The two-part episode "Robin's Reckoning,"
apart from winning the Emmy Award for outstanding animated prime time program
in 1993, still stands as one of the series' shining moments.
Robin: The Character
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A Warner Bros. Animation Cel |
From the Official WB Batman: The Animated Series Website:
Bound together by the tragedy they share, Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson's
lives are distinctly similar. As part of the traveling circus's high wire
act "The Flying Graysons," Dick Grayson witnessed his parents' death while
they performed at the Haley Circus. A two bit extortionist, Tony Zucco, cut
the wire to gain kickbacks from the circus owner. Bruce Wayne, who was in
the audience, felt an instant connection to the boy and took him in.
Shortly thereafter, Grayson became the ward of Bruce Wayne. Wayne provided
him with a home, solid financial support and taught him new skills, adding
to his tremendous gymnastic abilites. Eventually, Bruce Wayne allowed Grayson
access to his most private world as his partner, Robin.
Dick Grayson attends Gotham State University causing him to spend less time
as his alter ego. But thanks to semester breaks, Dick returns to Wayne Manor
where he dons his famed red and green costume whenever the need arises.
The Adventures of Batman and Robin
As Described in "Batman: Animated" by Chipp Kidd and Paul Dini:
The Fox Network, on the assumption that kids won't watch a kid's show unless
kids are in it, soon began insisting that Robin be prominently featured in
every episode. When Fox changed the title from Batman: The Animated Series
to The Adventures of Batman & Robin, they laid down the law - no story premise
was to be considered unless it was either a Robin story or one in which the
Boy Wonder played a key role. Out were underworld character studies like "It's
Never Too Late"; in were traditional Batman and Robin escapades like "The
Lion and the Unicorn."
A potentially intriguing Catwoman/Black Canary team-up was interrupted in
midpitch to the network by their demand, Where's Robin?" When the writers
asked if they could omit Robin from just this one episode, Fox obliged by
omitting the entire story. Looking back, there was nothing drastically wrong
with Robin's full-time insertion into the series - after all, kids do love
him. Our major gripe at the time was that it started turning the series into
the predictable Batman and Robin show people had initially expected it would
be. For the first season, Batman had been an experiment we weren't sure would
work. We were trying out different ways of telling all kinds of stories with
Batman as our only constant. For better or worse, having a kid forced him,
and the series, to settle down.
In Fall 1995, the final five episodes aired (85 total episodes were produced)
and the curtain closed on Batman: The Animated Series.
Key Robin Episode Appearance's
* Fear of Victory
* Robin's Reckoning - Part 1
* Robin's Reckoning - Part 2
* The Demon's Quest - Part 1
* House and Garden
* Second Chance
* Batgirl Returns
Batman: The Animated Series Episodes
[in original production order]
1. On Leather Wings
2. Christmas with the Joker
3. Nothing to Fear
4. The Last Laugh
5. Pretty Poison
6. The Underdwellers
7. P.O.V.
8. The Forgotten
9. Be a Clown
10. Two Face (I)
11. It's Never Too Late
12. I've Got Batman in My Basement
13. The Cat and the Claw (I)
14. Heart of Ice
15. See No Evil
16. The Cat and the Claw (II)
17. Two Face (II)
18. Beware the Gray Ghost
19. Prophecy of Doom
20. Feat of Clay (I)
21. Feat of Clay (II)
22. Joker's Favor
23. Vendetta
24. Fear of Victory
25. The Clock King
26. Appointment in Crime Alley
27. Mad as a Hatter
28. Dreams in Darkness
29. Eternal Youth
30. Perchance to Dream
31. The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy
32. Robin's Reckoning (I)
33. The Laughing Fish
34. Night of the Ninja
35. Cat Scratch Fever
36. The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne
37. Robin's Reckoning (II)
38. Heart of Steel (I)
39. If You're So Smart, . . .
40. Joker's Wild
41. Tyger Tyger
42. Moon of the Wolf
43. Day of the Samurai
44. Heart of Steel (II)
45. Terror in the Sky
46. Almost Got 'Im
47. Birds of a Feather
48. What is Reality?
49. I Am the Night
50. Off Balance
51. The Man Who Killed Batman
52. Mudslide
53. Paging the Crime Doctor
54. Zatanna
55. The Mechanic
56. Harley and Ivy
57. Shadow of the Bat (I)
58. Blind as a Bat
59. The Demon's Quest (I)
60. His Silicon Soul
61. Shadow of the Bat (II)
62. Fire From Olympus
63. The Demon's Quest (II)
64. Read My Lips
65. The Worry Men
The Adventures of Batman & Robin
[in original production order]
66. Sideshow
67. A Bullet for Bullock
68. Trial
69. Avatar
70. House and Garden
71. The Terrible Trio
72. Harlequinade
73. Time Out of Joint
74. Catwalk
75. Bane
76. Baby-Doll
77. The Lion & the Unicorn
78. Showdown
79. Riddler's Reform
80. Second Chance
81. Harley's Holiday
82. Lock-Up
83. Make 'Em Laugh
84. Deep Freeze
85. Batgirl Returns
