Before Dick Grayson wore the mantle of Robin in DC Comics, Batman had the name himself. Detective Comics #226 revealed that the codename and costume did not originate with the Boy Wonder in terms of the comic universe. While Robin debuted with his costume and moniker first chronologically, it was a role created by his mentor.
Robin debuted a year after Batman, appearing in Detective Comics #38, while his mentor debuted in Detective Comics #27. Fans know that the first iteration of the fan-favorite sidekick was Dick Grayson, but the character has faced lots of confusion regarding why he has the name he does. This could largely be due to Batman and early comic stories that loosely adjusted these heroes’ identities and origins.
Detective Comics #226 was published in 1955, and it featured a story about Batman’s childhood titled “When Batman Was Robin.” It had the creative team of Edmond Hamilton, Dick Sprang, and Charles Paris. This story reveals that Batman was the first Robin within the DC comic universe, and he based the idea around the bird. This likely helped lead to the confusion about Robin’s name, which DC recently cleared up. Leading up to his debut, Robin’s name and outfit was inspired by particular representations of Robin Hood. However, this vintage issue likely caused some of the sidekick’s name discrepancies and skewed fans perception of his creative inception.
Batman’s discipline and years of training are well-known. He didn’t become the world’s greatest detective overnight. In his youth, Bruce looked up to other detectives, including one who would become his mentor—Harvey Harris. When interacting with the detective directly, Bruce would conceal himself in a suit of his own creation—the Robin suit. Like many other heroes at the start, he used a homemade costume to hide his identity. Harris gave Bruce the name “Robin,” because Bruce’s intellect reminded him of the bird. However, Dick Grayson would not wear this original costume until many years later. Bruce gave that suit to Detective Harris as a promise and Harris had made arrangements to have it sent to him following his death.
While it isn’t strange to believe that Bruce would have had a secret identity preceding Batman, it is bizarre to think of him as a Boy Wonder. His demeanor is so different from those of the sidekicks he has taken under his wing, particularly the Robins. Additionally, Batman’s tragic past usually lends to a stereotypically darker appearance in alternate iterations of his early years as a hero. To have him wear such a bright suit early on contradicts the present version of the character that fans know. In terms of publication and creation, Dick Grayson will always be the first Robin. However, thanks to some of the random stories from the Golden Age of DC Comics, Batman can also claim to be the first Robin.
