Robin Has Been Confirmed For The Next Batman Story

DC Comics' Absolute Universe has been one of the publishing giant's most interesting series in years. Now, Absolute Batman is preparing to introduce a crucial member of the Batfamily — again.

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta have confirmed that Robin will be included in Absolute Batman, though details as to when exactly he'll make his debut in the Absolute Universe will be. Reports indiciate that Robin will appear in the next arc of Absolute Batman, with specifics about how the Absolute Universe may re-approach him remaining to be undisclosed by the creative team. Snyder and Dragotta haven't specified exactly who this Boy Wonder will be, leaving the identity of Robin to be revealed once he hits the pages of the comic itself. During the League Of Comic Geeks Absolute Batman AMA, Dragotta was asked, "Any chance that Bruce will start teaming up with a Boy Wonder in the future?" and replied, "Next arc… Ah, but which one?"

Robin won't be the only Batman icon being folded into the Absolute Universe, which was created by Darkseid, and re-imagines heroes as underdog counterparts to their alteregos. Per Bleeding Cool, Poison Ivy and Scarecrow have been confirmed to play roles in Absolute Batman. In the League Of Comic Geeks Absolute Batman AMA, Snyder teased an interesting future for both Scarecrow and Poison Ivy.

"Scarecrow is something VERY different than the other villains we've seen so far. Ivy is coming up again very soon and you'll see that she has extremely powerful abilities. While she isn't exactly a monster like Mr. Freeze or Joker where she'd be strictly terrifying, she's also kind of wondrous and dazzling while not strictly being human. Scarecrow is human. He is a man obsessed with the power of fear. He has all of the gases and the things from history, a full kind of museum of fear that he loves to keep, but he's very modern. He's someone who uses fear to bring down government, to topple rulers. He's like a hired gun or a shadow that moves behind the scenes. I did some reading on the history of scarecrows, and some of the originals in ancient times contain nets that would catch birds so they could be killed, not just scare them away, but genuinely scare them to death. This Scarecrow is very dark in that way, but, he's a man rather than a monster," Snyder said.

Is The Absolute Universe Better Than DC's Mainline Comics?

DC Comics has been in dire need of a refresh for years as the tales of titular heroes threaten to grow stagnant over time. Batman, for example, stands as a stark example that DC must revamp its heroes and villains in order to become significantly more interesting. As the Absolute Universe dives deeper into itself, its reputation as a crowdpleaser that keeps critics satisfied speaks for how refreshing Snyder and Dragotta's take on Gotham truly is. The redirection of DC's most iconic characters has promised a rich, engaging take on a piece of pop culture that's cried out for bold, new iterations for far too long.

Absolute Batman, Absolute Flash, and Absolute Superman can be read on DC Universe Infinite. Physical copies of Absolute Universe comics can be found at book stores, comic shops, or ordered online.