My original intention this morning when I pulled out my copy of the Golden Age classic "Bruce Wayne Loses the Guardianship of Dick Grayson" was to excerpt some panels ripe for satire, snark on Michael Jackson, and make some Wertham-like digs about Bruce's NAMBLA membership.
But instead, I cried.
Not "oh a tear glistens in the corner of one of my eyes" cried.
CRIED.
Maybe some other day I'll get back to laughing at them as if they were Gary and Ace. But in my heart I know they weren't. They were the father ever boy wanted and the son every boy wanted to be. They were the original "family of choice" long before it was fashionable.
I looking forward to them finally after 65 years getting their own title, the forthcoming Batman & Robin. I look forward to the forthcoming Heroclix Icons set with its Unique Dick Grayson Robin figure. And I look forward to seeing him in the movies, because, as you'll learn tomorrow night when you see "Batman Begins" we now have a cinematic version of Bruce Wayne for whom adopting Robin wouldn't seem strange but only natural.
Robin is STILL a sensational character find.
This one's a tearjerker, all right...one of my faves of the Golden Age.
ReplyDeleteSay, is the cover of this issue the very first time we have the theme of "the heroes destroy/rip through the cover of their own comic book"?
"we now have a cinematic version of Bruce Wayne for whom adopting Robin wouldn't seem strange but only natural"
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could elaborate on this? I'm interested in why you think this as it's the opposite to how I feel.
The film Batman is less stubborn than our comic book friend, and I'm not sure Lucius Fox for one would sanction putting a child in the line of danger, even if he could get it past Alfred. Bale's Bat is more likely to listen to their advice and thus not train a Robin.
"Family of choice"?
ReplyDeleteI love that. The essence of adoption or the taking of a ward. The last person to talk about this in such a true manner was Michael Reagan. He was adopted, according to the legal terminology, but he was chosen.
That Reagan reminds me more of the 40th POTUS than Ronald Reagan, Jr. The chosen son was more like the father than the biological boy.
This is why Wertham's theory digusts me and more importantly why every dude who puts the two on a shirt and using Batman and Robin as symbols of homosexuality disgust me. These people are entertaining notions that a father would... would.... with his own son? and that's a good thing?
Robin was Batman's son in nearly every way. Which is why the story of Bruce losing Dick was sad enough to affect even me. I'm getting overly sentimental.
Some day I'll have my own son.... huh. The world is screwed.
Goodness, there is really much worthwhile data in this post!
ReplyDeletemetal building