Most integral supporting character in the mythos

[Vakanai]

He's really only lacking in a lot of the film versions (he's shows up in pretty much all the major animation and video game installments), but I wouldn't say that makes a case for him not being the most integral supporting character (or among them). Because not just in Batman films, but CBMs in general, a lot of integral stuff for the characters' mythos don't make it into the adaptations, or can't play out in the same way due to the limitations of live action and run time

Which arguably means that those characters and aspects, while possibly good, aren't integral to Batman at all.

And I think another poster, K. Jones, laid out earlier in this thread why characters like Alfred and Gordon (and Lucius, Vicki and Leslie) are kind of all interchangeable or can come and go in their functions while the Robin identity (especially Dick, but definitely all of them as a whole) have a function in the Bat-verse none of the others can replicate as easily as they do for each other.

Not really - the fact that so many Robins exist say that who is in the role is unimportant. It's just "younger kid sidekick" which isn't a great function, but yeah, old people can't function as young teen sidekick.

Agreed on this, I wouldn't want Reeves to be forced to use him if he doesn't have plans for him, and I also wouldn't want the studio to just have a puppet director who'd let them run all over them with most likely dodgy ideas. Or have a true "auteur" (ugh) who makes changes to the whole concept that it becomes unrecognizable. Some director has to be out there who can adapt and make a good story out of Batman and Robin and actively wants to, but then we have to factor in that they may not want to work with WB to begin with.

True. But whether we ever get someone who can adapt a good Batman and Robin story and wants to is one of those things in the air - we've no control over that. For now, I'm just largely happy we've mostly gotten directors who can do Batman justice. Maybe some day Robin can be included, but as long Batman gets good movies I'm a happy fan.

[Bat-Meal]

For now, I'm just largely happy we've mostly gotten directors who can do Batman justice. Maybe some day Robin can be included, but as long Batman gets good movies I'm a happy fan.

As far as the mythos in the (live-action) films go (and maybe even to some extent the videogames), it's arguable that Catwoman could be more important to the mythos than Robin - she certainly tends to play a bigger role.

It's a different matter with the comics of course.

[DarkViKing]

Makes me wonder again how long it will be until Alfred returns. Or Leslie for that matter, she'll be back too. Maybe they can return to life at the same time.

Isnt Leslie already alive...or wait? when did she die? I missed that seemingly.
I hope we get Alfred back soon, i miss him dearly.
You could do Fun things with the current Batman status quo...also its Alfred.

The sooner we get rid of Kings empty stupid shock value nonsense with Alfred, the better.
The man deserves/deserved better than to be killed for nothing but shock value and then his funeral be about Kings batcat obsession first and foremost.

[Bat-Meal]

She's back already, I think. spoilers:

Apparently she wasn't dead to begin with.

end of spoilers

Isnt Leslie already alive...or wait? when did she die? I missed that seemingly.

Uh, I was sure that she was dead - didn't she die? Oh well, that 'death' hardly lasted.

I hope we get Alfred back soon, i miss him dearly.
You could do Fun things with the current Batman status quo...also its Alfred.

The sooner we get rid of Kings empty stupid shock value nonsense with Alfred, the better.
The man deserves/deserved better than to be killed for nothing but shock value and then his funeral be about Kings batcat obsession first and foremost.

I wonder if Alfred can set some kind of new record with his death - it's like a contest in the Bat-Family.

Longest time dead = Jason - years
Shortest time dead = Kate - minutes
Most deaths = Damian - 3

[adrikito]

I choosed Alfred.

He is here since the begin.. If Batman needed something he had him.

[marhawkman]

As far as the mythos in the (live-action) films go (and maybe even to some extent the videogames), it's arguable that Catwoman could be more important to the mythos than Robin - she certainly tends to play a bigger role.

It's a different matter with the comics of course.

Yes, Talia... sooo much Talia.

[Fergus]

I choosed Alfred.

He is here since the begin.. If Batman needed something he had him.

That incorrect. Alfred was a later addition. Dick Grayson is the only character that still has a presence in the current batman myth to have been there since the beginning.

Dick Grayson and the Wayne's are the only part of Batman that's integral to Batman.

Those two elements are the the things that if you should remove them from the story then the story changes drastically. Everyone else doesn't even Alfred since he wasn't Bruce's original care taker

[Fergus]

As far as the mythos in the (live-action) films go (and maybe even to some extent the videogames), it's arguable that Catwoman could be more important to the mythos than Robin - she certainly tends to play a bigger role.

It's a different matter with the comics of course.

If you were to erase catwoman from the batman story completely how much does that change the story of batman at it's core and what he means

If you were to remove Robin how much does that change the story of batman and what he means to popular culture?

An integral character is a character that can't be erased without drastically changing the story. A movie about batman doesn't need the murder of the waynes but the Batman isn't possible without the Waynes and their death.

Batman's love interest is in no way integral at all to the story of Batman

[Fergus]

Isnt Leslie already alive...or wait? when did she die? I missed that seemingly.
I hope we get Alfred back soon, i miss him dearly.
You could do Fun things with the current Batman status quo...also its Alfred.

The sooner we get rid of Kings empty stupid shock value nonsense with Alfred, the better.
The man deserves/deserved better than to be killed for nothing but shock value and then his funeral be about Kings batcat obsession first and foremost.

The last time he was killed it was for shock value as was his return. Alfred's death sadly is as to be expected

[MajorHoy]

That incorrect. Alfred was a later addition. Dick Grayson is the only character that still has a presence in the current batman myth to have been there since the beginning...

Dick Grayson / Robin wasn't "there since the beginning". Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 while Dick wasn't introduced until Detective Comics #38.

As for who was there since the beginning,

from Detective Comics #27

[Fergus]

Dick Grayson / Robin wasn't "there since the beginning". Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 while Dick wasn't introduced until Detective Comics #38.

As for who was there since the beginning,

from Detective Comics #27

Forgot about Gordon. My bad. Gordon is important but I wouldn't even call him integral can always be substituted by Bullock

[marhawkman]

Or Montoya in some stories....

[Captain Craig]

Alfred. Voting over.

[MajorHoy]

Alfred. Voting over.

Oh, joy.

Another election being won by a dead guy.

[prepmaster]

Oh, joy.

Another election being won by a dead guy.

He wont stay dead forever.