Preferred status of classic, original Robin costume?

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: This thread was started in May of 2016.

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A few people have added their votes since I bumped up the thread this morning, so with 58 people having voted,

* Leave it in the past: it's part of history, but don't ever revive it = 43 votes (+ 4)
* It should be retconned out of history - NOBODY ever wore that suit = 12 votes (+ 2)
* It should be revived for active duty = 3 vote (+ 2)

[Godlike13]

I don't see a good reason to retcon in trousers. This derision of men's legs showing (something generally not extended to women) is an extremely annoying facet of both fiction and reality to me. And don't get me started on the extra-derisive (and totally inaccurate) tendency to use the term "panties." Hell, the entire "it's unmasculine" bugs me (again, IRL, as well, when it comes to shorter shorts, tighter pants, etc.) and that goes hand-in-hand with associating said things with homosexuality (which is also all to often used as an "emasculating" thing). And feminizing being insulting is also annoying.

They aren't an appealing look to today's children. Robin exists to help market to children.

[MajorHoy]

They aren't an appealing look to today's children. Robin exists to help market to children.

You're thinking last century.

How the hell is Damian Wayne suppose to "help market to children"?!?

[Restingvoice]

if they're insisting and keep portraying that Gotham at night has the same temperature as New York, the answer's no

Yeah, there's Bat thermal underwear and stockings but unless you wanna mention them every time... because it's invisible... I'll just go with pants since that's a simpler visual cue

but if it's supposed to be a cartoon, then I want the tone to apply for everything, the tone of the series, the enemies, the level realism, not half cartoon half realistic all inconsistent.

[Godlike13]

You're thinking last century.

How the hell is Damian Wayne suppose to "help market to children"?!?

Let me turn on Cartoon Network real quick. Ya, no I’m thinking this century. Even Damian is meant to appeal to a new generation of desensitized kids.

[Alan2099]

They aren't an appealing look to today's children. Robin exists to help market to children.

I don't remember anyone having a problem with them the last time they appeared in a major motion picture.




And yes, that wasn't a serious movie by any means, but who says everything has to be super serious all the time?

[Agent Z]

I don't remember anyone having a problem with them the last time they appeared in a major motion picture.




And yes, that wasn't a serious movie by any means, but who says everything has to be super serious all the time?

I will counter this by saying that no one has an issue with long pants on Robins either.

[Godlike13]

I don't remember anyone having a problem with them the last time they appeared in a major motion picture.




And yes, that wasn't a serious movie by any means, but who says everything has to be super serious all the time?

No one. But they aren’t always selling spoofs.

[RobinGA]

Robin should wear shorts.

I know we are getting into the weeds here.

But the other essential part is that R circle.

[Ascended]

I voted for "keep it in history but never revive it."

The shorts are fine for comedies like Lego Batman, or stories that are retro and/or period pieces (like Yang's recent Batman-Superman run, which was inspired by the old 40's material).

But in the main canon, the suit should be hanging in the Cave, officially recognized as the suit Dick wore in his first year as Robin, and otherwise be ignored.

We shouldn't be ashamed of history and because we're talking about Robin, one of the only truly iconic superheroes on earth, the original suit deserves some respect. But it shouldn't be active now, or even used in flashbacks outside of being Dick's early phase, proto costume.

For stories set after Dicks year 1, take the exact same costume but add green tights. Don't redesign the whole damn thing, just replace the shorts for pants and call it good.

[MajorHoy]

A reply to an old (five years ago) post:

. . . Batman and Robin operate at night so wouldn't you get cold at night with your bare legs out while swinging across rooftops?

I would think having long sleeves and/or a thicker jacket that cover more of his upper torso would be more important.


from Batman Annual #13 (1989)

[Blue22]

Just retcon it away at this point. Given the person Bruce is now, I just can't envision him being okay with sending a kid out in that. Aside from it just looking goofy as hell, even by superhero standards, it suggests that Bruce was alright with a 9 year old going out to fight crime in Gotham wearing less protection than him. So okay with it that he even used it again for the second Robin.

[BatmanJones]

I vote leave it in the past but I sure would like to see it in flashbacks, where we always get some updated costume instead.

[Aahz]

That thing makes maybe sense as something as Circus kid like Dick would have designed for himself, but even than he should have likely gotten an updated costume once he got older.

And I don't think that the costume really fits (post crisis) Jason, they should really design a distinctive Robin design for him, and stick with it.

[charliehustle415]

The way Quitely illustrates it makes the classic out look great