Bat-Family Resemblance

The concept of familial resemblance has fascinated me for a long time. Mostly this is because my siblings and I look so very different. I’m always shocked when I see siblings who look almost identical. It makes me feel almost if I am adopted. Now I know I’m not adopted. I can see a bit of my mom in me and there is a picture of my dad at twelve that looks almost identical to pictures of me from that same age. However, how would someone account for familial resemblance if they, in fact, were adopted?

I bring up this issue of familial resemblance and adoption to ask a very simple question: How can Bruce Wayne and all four Robins look so much alike if they’re not related? For those who are unfamiliar with Batman, there have been four young men (well, there was a girl Robin but for the purpose of this essay I’m just focusing on the dudes) who have worn the identity of Robin. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and the current Robin, Damian Wayne.

With the exception of the last one (the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul), the first three Robins were all orphans taken in by Bruce Wayne. But if not for the fact that brief changes to the costumes were made with each new incarnation, you would not be able to tell which Robin was which. There were also personality differences, which caused each incarnation to be written differently. But physically all the Robins have been the same. Same build, hair color, eye color, completely indistinguishable from each other. Even creepier, they’re also indistinguishable from Batman. In fact the only Robin who is related to Bruce Wayne, Damian, is the one Robin who resembles him the least.

Bruce Wayne has the same physical characteristics as the young boys he trains to be heroes. This fact was made most notable in the Young Justice: Sins of Youth crossover story in which all the adult heroes became kids and all the kid heroes became adults. During this switcheroo, Batman and Robin (Tim Drake at the time) switched costumes, so essentially Bruce was Robin and Tim was Batman. For the most part none of their close friends and family noticed any difference between the two.

There was an explanation for this resemblance in the comics once. During Grant Morrison’s run on Batman and Robin, the writer tried to suggest that Jason Todd (Robin #2) was actually a redhead but Bruce forced the young boy to die his hair in order to look like original Robin, Dick Grayson. Yes, I know, straight out of Vertigo, it added a creepy aspect to the character of Batman. A little too creepy because as soon as a new writer came on the title and also with the New 52 reboot, everyone completely forgot about Jason Todd’s impersonation of Kim Novak.

When it all comes down to it, I’m sure the desire to have Batman and Robin be physically identical is one purely out of artistic aesthetic and not some creepy psychological aspect of the character. Of course there is lots that can be written on the fractured psyche of Batman, but in the end part of me really doesn’t care about the dark and damaged mind of this hero. I just want to see him punch the Joker.

Author's Note: The recent issue of Batman and Robin #10 actually featured the beginning of a storyline entitled War of the Robins and featured a scene where Bruce Wayne was having a family portrait commissioned featuring him, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Alfred, and Damian Wayne (later in the issue Jason Todd wonders why he was not invited). Will have to do a sequel blog after this storyline concludes perhaps about the Bat-family dischord.