On This Day 42 Years Ago, the Worst Robin Suited Up for the First Time and the Dark Knight’s Biggest Mistake Was Born

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September 14th, 1983, marked a turning point in Batman’s history. Issue #366 of *Batman* reintroduced Robin to the comics, but this wasn’t the Robin fans were used to. It wasn’t Dick Grayson, who was thriving as Nightwing with the *New Teen Titans*. Instead, it was Jason Todd, a character often considered the least successful Robin. Since Robin first appeared in 1940, the character had become essential to the Batman story, and after Dick Grayson joined the Teen Titans, there was a void. Jason Todd was intended as a fresh start, but ultimately, his time as Robin would end in failure.

As a longtime Batman fan, I’ve always felt Robin was essential to the dynamic, but Jason Todd… well, he just didn’t quite *fit*. It’s wild to think it’s been over four decades since he first donned the costume, and even more shocking that fans actually voted to kill him off after just five years as Robin! When *Batman* #366 hit the stands, it promised a fresh start, but looking back, that hope feels misplaced. Honestly, Jason Todd seemed destined to fail from the beginning. I think DC made a mistake even putting him in the role. The various Robins are so important to Batman’s story, but Jason never felt like his own person, and that ultimately did him in.

Jason Todd Put on a Mantle Bigger than He Was

Batman #366 is interesting because it’s full of irony. It marks the first appearance of Jason Todd as Robin, and his debut happens during a fight with the Joker – the very villain who would eventually kill him. From the start, Jason Todd was a difficult character, and his initial appearance as Robin contained a crucial flaw that ultimately led to his fate. To understand this, you need to know his backstory before the ‘Crisis’ event. Essentially, Jason Todd was a repeat of Dick Grayson’s origin story. Both were children of circus performers, both lost their parents to criminals, and both were taken in by Batman. DC Comics didn’t try to create anything new with this Robin; they simply reused Dick Grayson’s story, changed a few details, and moved forward. Jason never really caught on with fans, and his first comic as Robin highlighted why. He wasn’t an original character; he was meant to fill the role Dick Grayson had previously occupied, and there wasn’t much reason for readers to connect with him.

Dick Grayson became a very popular character in the 1970s and early 80s, largely thanks to his role in *New Teen Titans*. When DC decided to introduce a new Robin, they made a significant misstep. Jason Todd was essentially created as a copy of Dick, and his initial appearances reflected that – he acted like a lighter, more jovial version of the previous Robin. He lacked a unique identity, and that was intentional. It seems DC aimed for minimal differentiation, perhaps hoping readers wouldn’t notice the similarities. Because Dick Grayson still appeared as Robin in animated series, DC likely feared confusing young comic book readers. This lack of distinction was a core issue with Jason Todd’s introduction, and DC eventually recognized it. A memorable moment highlighting this comes from Alan Moore’s *For the Man Who Has Everything*, where Moore playfully acknowledged the difficulty in telling Jason and Dick apart – a problem that plagued early portrayals of Jason Todd.

Jason Todd Wouldn’t Become Important Until He Died

Forty-two years ago, Jason Todd first became Robin, a pivotal moment in DC Comics history. This eventually led to the famous storyline “Death in the Family,” which marked the end of Jason Todd’s time as Robin for many years, until stories began exploring his past. Jason never achieved the same popularity as the first Robin, Dick Grayson, and struggled to establish himself as a fully developed character. As a result, fans gradually lost interest in him.

It’s easy now to criticize the choice of Jason Todd as Robin and suggest DC should have taken the character in a different direction. But 42 years ago, when the decision was first made, fans didn’t have the benefit of hindsight, and many were likely thrilled with the change. It’s ironic to consider how many of those same fans later voted to have him killed. That’s a question we’ll never be able to answer.

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2025-09-14 14:11