Moments That Changed Batman Forever – From Robin to Batman
Following the supposed death of Bruce, Dick Grayson stepped up and donned the cowl. Maybe the ten year old Dick had once dreamed of taking over from his mentor but it was now the last thing he wanted. However, with Gotham falling fast; criminals becoming bolder; and his own family threatening to tear the Batman legacy apart Dick did what was expected of him. Putting aside his own grief and personal doubt he became the Batman needed to fill the void Bruce had left behind.
I include this moment (and this awesome pic) because it was a huge moment for Dick’s character. It really was the last thing he wanted and in the beginning he did his best to avoid it. But Gotham has to have a Batman and Dick was the only one who could take up that legacy. In many ways Dick took the cowl out of loyalty to his family and to Bruce’s memory. None of his brothers (all of whom were willing) would have survived and so it fell to Dick. It wasn’t easy for him and with it came the new responsibility of being head of the family, as he tried to reconcile taking over raising Damian while keeping ties with Tim.
In the end Dick found balance, found a place where he could be Batman, could honor what Bruce had left behind, but not lose himself in the mantle. He went on to be a different but excellent Batman and if he did step up out of lack of choice he still dedicated himself to it
In many ways Dick’s Batman is an homage to duty in the way Bruce’s was a homage to loss.
Dick has remained my favorite fictional character since I was six or seven, and reasons like this are why. The character has been through an enormous amount and always manages to remain rational and grounded; a lot like Batman, but whereas Batman is flawless, Dick is perfectly flawed. He trusts his gut and is willing to make the hard decisions so that no one else has to.