Detective Comics

I've never been overly fond of the Robin character - any of them. The Batman character conception, by it's very nature works best as a loner. Allies are fine, but as soon as you introduce a sidekick, the grim, solitary war on crime scenario changes dramatically. But this issue of Detective Comics, goes even further than that - introducing not just a sidekick, but a perpetually smiling youth in a bright red and yellow costume. Great... so much for lurking in the shadows.

Now, we can't blame the Comics Code Authority for this shift to a lighter tone; Seduction of the Innocent still wouldn't be written for nearly another decade and a half. No, already in the months leading up to this issue, Batman had begun to change in tone - slipping in the occasional one-liner before punching out a baddie. But this issue really seems to be the entrance ramp to what will be the more lightweight, cheerful Batman stories of the coming decades. Robin seems to have a goofy grin on his face, which is mostly just annoying, but at times (such as when he is avenging the deaths of his parents) comes of as way too flip for the situation at hand.

This isn't helped by the writing style of the story which seems to be overly florid, as if the creators wanted to seem epic because they knew the story would be reprinted time and again. For example, not just on the cover, but twice within the book (at the story's beginning and end) Robin is referred to as:

The Sensational character find of 1940, Robin - the Boy Wonder

Still, the issue maintains it's focus on organized crime, and a ruthless protection racket. Boss Zucco may talk a little too clichéd, but at least he's a believable villain. And with Dick Grayson doing some undercover work, this is still Detective Comics. It's still one of the good Golden Age stories, even if it will inevitably lead to some unwelcome changes down the road. Fortunately, Bob Kane and Bill Finger still had some surprises up their sleeves in the coming months that would impact Batman stories in a great way.