backgroundFormerly known as a boy wonder, Robin has moved beyond sidekick status to become the gung-ho leader of the Teen Titans. With no superpowers of his own, Robin relies on his daring, intellect and a fully-loaded utility belt to carry him through the challenges he and his team face. Robin is also highly-skilled in the martial arts. He makes quick decisions and barks orders when the going gets tough, but still treats the team like his best friends; he takes the time to explain the intricacies of life on Earth to Starfire. Robin is extremely competitive, whether he's dueling with bad guys or playing video games against Cyborg. Robin became obsessed with discovering Slade's secret plan; He even assumed the identity of Red X in an attempt to learn more about his arch-foe. He eventually learned that Slade wanted him as his apprentice - and Slade blackmailed the young hero by threatening the lives of his friends. The Titans soon learned the truth, and Robin was freed from Slade's thrall.
funfactRobin is the very first super-hero sidekick. His first appearances dates back to DETECTIVE COMICS #38 in 1940. In the comic book series, Robin and Starfire had a serious romantic relationship. They almost got married - until an evil version of Raven halted the ceremony. Robin almost got a solo animated series of his own after the success of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. The Robin series would have detailed the boy wonder's heroic exploits as he juggled fighting crime with a college career. TEEN TITANS producer Glen Murakami even worked up some Robin redesigns for the series. The series was in development, but the FOX network ultimately passed on it.
creater commentary Producer Glen Murakami on Robin: "I didn't want Robin to just be the little kid who gets into trouble. I don't want him to seem like he needs the father-figure. I don't want him to just be the sidekick. So when we talked about him, we talked about how we could make him really cool. And I made everyone to look sort of awkward, like teenagers. They have big hands, big feet and big heads - they're kind of gangly and scrawny. I thought that awkwardness made them look kind of anime. I just didn't want them super-buff like the Justice League characters. I wanted them to have a clumsy quality about them. And like all teenagers, they would really be into footwear. Big clod-hopper shoes. That's why I gave him the metal [steel-toe] combat boots. The spiky hair. I wanted to get rid of the shorts. I just wanted him cooler. Like a Bruce Lee or something like that. I just didn't want him to copy Batman. I wanted him to be his own person."
shermolinaopo1 · Mon Apr 13, 2009 @ 01:24pm · 0 Comments |