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Showcase Presents #43
Showcase Presents: Robin the Boy Wonder, Vol. 1
Collects comic books starring Robin the Boy Wonder, the Dark Knight's young partner.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2008
4 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Francis Fox
1,192 books90 followersGardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer known best for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic book historians estimate that he wrote more than 4,000 comics stories, including 1,500 for DC Comics.
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
Fox is known as the co-creator of DC Comics heroes the Flash, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and the original Sandman, and was the writer who first teamed those and other heroes as the Justice Society of America. Fox introduced the concept of the Multiverse to DC Comics in the 1961 story "Flash of Two Worlds!"
Pseudonyms: Gardner F. Fox, Jefferson Cooper, Bart Sommers, Paul Dean, Ray Gardner, Lynna Cooper, Rod Gray, Larry Dean, Robert Starr, Don Blake, Ed Blake, Warner Blake, Michael Blake, Tex Blane, Willis Blane, Ed Carlisle, Edgar Weston, Tex Slade, Eddie Duane, Simon Majors, James Kendricks, Troy Conway, Kevin Matthews, Glen Chase
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 22, 2022
Nice collection of these Boy Wonder stories. comics from this era are always a fun ready. Reocmmended
June 9, 2018
In 1940, a year after Batman debuted, he gained the first superhero kid sidekick in comic books. Robin aka Dick Grayson served several functions. Kid appeal, merchandising, lightening up the tone of the stories a bit, and giving Batman someone to have dialogue with to explain what was going on in the plot. Robin was a success, inspiring many kid sidekicks for decades to come.
This volume opens with a revamp of the origin published in 1969. The Flying Graysons are a family of acrobats and trapeze artists working for the Haly Circus. When Mr. Haly, the owner and ringmaster, refuses to pay “protection money” to Boss Zucco, the gangster has the Grayson parents murdered in an “accident.” Dick wants revenge, but is approached by Batman, who’s been investigating Boss Zucco.
Orphaned by crime himself, Bruce Wayne takes in Dick and as Batman trains the boy in crimefighting. Armed with his new knowledge, Robin is able to assist Batman in ensuring Zucco is convicted for his crimes, and gets the closure Batman himself wouldn’t receive for years. Dick chooses to stay Robin, both out of a sense of justice, and because he likes being a caped crusader.
Robin had a number of solo adventure in the Golden Age comics, but none of them are reprinted here. Instead we pick up in 1964 as Dick teams up several times with Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s pal in the pages of World’s Finest. Both Robin and Jimmy had what might be called “vague age”, varying between junior high age and nearly college age depending on the needs of the story.
Shortly thereafter, Robin started having sporadic solo outings as a backup feature in the Batman comics. His age was firmed up as being in late high school, and Dick got his own supporting cast. In 1969, as the Batman comics were going through one of their periodic revamps, Dick finally graduated from high school and went to Hudson University across the state from Gotham City.
For the most part, these stories are decently written and have okay art. A few are quite clever. One running theme is Robin’s tendency to jump to conclusions and having to correct course mid-story. Which has its good points as a way to move the plot along, but you’d think Dick would learn.
Another noticeable theme was that as DC’s products entered their “relevance” phase, Robin’s solo stories were used to highlight issues relevant to “the youth.” Except that since most of DC’s creative and editorial staff had been working in comics since the 1940s, they really weren’t much in tune with the actual teens and college students of the time. This resulted in stories where the establishment was misunderstood by the rebellious youth rather than being the cause of the problems. (In one instance, it turns out student protesters are the dupes of foreign agents trying to destroy faith in America’s educational system!)
The better stories acknowledge that Dick Grayson isn’t really representative of youth culture, having spent most of his adolescence training in and participating in crimefighting, and otherwise insulated from most of the country’s ills by his mentor’s wealth. Robin’s a good person, and a hero, but he’s a square. He too has to learn what’s really going on.
Clashing with this direction for Robin is the story in Justice League of America #91-92, which is one of the periodic Justice League/Justice Society team-ups. It has both the current Robin and the Robin of Earth-Two (who had had all the Golden Age adventures in the continuity of that time) being patronized by their respective teams. This made a little sense for the JLA as their Robin was officially barely college age, despite having been in the hero business longer than several of them, but not so much for the JSA, since that was a group of men in their fifties and early sixties denigrating a man in his forties.
There are a couple of appearances from members of the Teen Titans, though not as a group as it had been disbanded, and wouldn’t reform until after the last story in this volume printed in 1975. One resolves a short-lived subplot about a girl with psychic powers, but not in a satisfying way. “Now that we’ve found each other, we must not ever be in the same place!”
Dick Grayson would eventually drop the Robin moniker in deference to other Batman sidekicks, and mature into a new identity, Nightwing.
This volume is primarily for Dick Grayson fans on a budget; check out your local libraries for copies to see how the character has evolved over the years.
This volume opens with a revamp of the origin published in 1969. The Flying Graysons are a family of acrobats and trapeze artists working for the Haly Circus. When Mr. Haly, the owner and ringmaster, refuses to pay “protection money” to Boss Zucco, the gangster has the Grayson parents murdered in an “accident.” Dick wants revenge, but is approached by Batman, who’s been investigating Boss Zucco.
Orphaned by crime himself, Bruce Wayne takes in Dick and as Batman trains the boy in crimefighting. Armed with his new knowledge, Robin is able to assist Batman in ensuring Zucco is convicted for his crimes, and gets the closure Batman himself wouldn’t receive for years. Dick chooses to stay Robin, both out of a sense of justice, and because he likes being a caped crusader.
Robin had a number of solo adventure in the Golden Age comics, but none of them are reprinted here. Instead we pick up in 1964 as Dick teams up several times with Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s pal in the pages of World’s Finest. Both Robin and Jimmy had what might be called “vague age”, varying between junior high age and nearly college age depending on the needs of the story.
Shortly thereafter, Robin started having sporadic solo outings as a backup feature in the Batman comics. His age was firmed up as being in late high school, and Dick got his own supporting cast. In 1969, as the Batman comics were going through one of their periodic revamps, Dick finally graduated from high school and went to Hudson University across the state from Gotham City.
For the most part, these stories are decently written and have okay art. A few are quite clever. One running theme is Robin’s tendency to jump to conclusions and having to correct course mid-story. Which has its good points as a way to move the plot along, but you’d think Dick would learn.
Another noticeable theme was that as DC’s products entered their “relevance” phase, Robin’s solo stories were used to highlight issues relevant to “the youth.” Except that since most of DC’s creative and editorial staff had been working in comics since the 1940s, they really weren’t much in tune with the actual teens and college students of the time. This resulted in stories where the establishment was misunderstood by the rebellious youth rather than being the cause of the problems. (In one instance, it turns out student protesters are the dupes of foreign agents trying to destroy faith in America’s educational system!)
The better stories acknowledge that Dick Grayson isn’t really representative of youth culture, having spent most of his adolescence training in and participating in crimefighting, and otherwise insulated from most of the country’s ills by his mentor’s wealth. Robin’s a good person, and a hero, but he’s a square. He too has to learn what’s really going on.
Clashing with this direction for Robin is the story in Justice League of America #91-92, which is one of the periodic Justice League/Justice Society team-ups. It has both the current Robin and the Robin of Earth-Two (who had had all the Golden Age adventures in the continuity of that time) being patronized by their respective teams. This made a little sense for the JLA as their Robin was officially barely college age, despite having been in the hero business longer than several of them, but not so much for the JSA, since that was a group of men in their fifties and early sixties denigrating a man in his forties.
There are a couple of appearances from members of the Teen Titans, though not as a group as it had been disbanded, and wouldn’t reform until after the last story in this volume printed in 1975. One resolves a short-lived subplot about a girl with psychic powers, but not in a satisfying way. “Now that we’ve found each other, we must not ever be in the same place!”
Dick Grayson would eventually drop the Robin moniker in deference to other Batman sidekicks, and mature into a new identity, Nightwing.
This volume is primarily for Dick Grayson fans on a budget; check out your local libraries for copies to see how the character has evolved over the years.
January 9, 2014
A lot of small time crooks being busted up in the 70's. Minimalist writing but it's pretty clever sometimes.
The old issues of Batman are pretty slow and cheesy, the Jimmy Olsen issues are better, but sub par compared to some ideas that that acid-trippy magazine created.
Any team-ups in Brave and the Bold or Superman Team-Ups are solid. It's generally solid, and of course the JLA two issue thing was awesome.
The old issues of Batman are pretty slow and cheesy, the Jimmy Olsen issues are better, but sub par compared to some ideas that that acid-trippy magazine created.
Any team-ups in Brave and the Bold or Superman Team-Ups are solid. It's generally solid, and of course the JLA two issue thing was awesome.
July 19, 2016
For fans of this era, this collection represents the evolution of the character from its origin to the mid 1970s. Especially interesting to read the take on issues of the day such as the generation gap, college protests and the role of women. Interesting to catch a couple of Marvel references as well as Robin's questioning of his relevance as a hero. For historical purposes and fans of a simpler era it was worthwhile.
July 10, 2014
I love reading these Showcase books because you get over 500 pages of older comics that would take forever trying to find. The stories ranged from Robin being in high school to him being in college.
December 6, 2010
It was very long and good.
August 23, 2014
a fascinating collection, captures the transition between silver age zaniness and bronze age social awareness.
June 24, 2020
My love for Robin is well documented, but despite the title, this is not a great showcase for the character. It is dated and not in the fun ways. The Jimmy Olsen team-ups are goofy Silver Age and the "hip" college stories are impossibly 70s.
Nice to see some Elliot S. Maggin stories thought and the Mike Grell art was cool too.
I interviewed comic book legend Elliot S. Maggin for a special episode of the All the Books Show:
https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
For a spotlight on all things Robin, try this one:
https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
Nice to see some Elliot S. Maggin stories thought and the Mike Grell art was cool too.
I interviewed comic book legend Elliot S. Maggin for a special episode of the All the Books Show:
https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
For a spotlight on all things Robin, try this one:
https://soundcloud.com/allthebooks/ep...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews