‘‘HOT WINDS BLEW OVER MY FACE. I FELT LIKE A MILLION PIPING HOT PANCAKES. FRESH OFF THE STOVE. SERVED HOT. AND THE LEAST BIT OF A DAD (FATHER).’’

Far from the powers of being super and extraordinary, beyond the shades of black, what makes Batman is Bruce Wayne. That is, the other side of Batman. The highly intelligent playboy billionaire, philanthropist, Bruce, was in his quest to become a good father. Although he remained unmarried.

Engaged in the thrills of circus acrobatics, oblivious to the clear and present danger that appeared in the form of his parents’ deaths - a high tension trapeze sabotage witnessed by the Caped Crusader, Dick wasn’t sure if he saw a Bat on the horizon.

Batman soon realized being a father might be a bit more challenging than being a vigilante.

Dick sought revenge. Bruce knew he wasn’t ready. He trained him and together they became the crime fighting dynamic duo. Robin showed the light for all the future superhero sidekicks.

Every father would like his son to follow in his footsteps. Dick Grayson came closest in that sense, and it made Batman human.

Perhaps, Bruce must be happiest with Dick Grayson as Robin. He eventually emerged from the shadows and became Nightwing, patrolling the streets of Bludhaven.

Nightwing and Batman resolved their differences and came to an understanding over the reasons for their emotional separation. Bruce Wayne embraced Grayson as his son and asked him to temporarily adopt the Batman guise in the Prodigal storyline.

It was tough to win the heart of a teenager as a good father. As a young adult, Robin went through many changes. Even a sex change. Fortunately, no physical or irreversible change. It is as real as it gets in a comic book.

Jason Todd was unlike Dick Grayson. Yet there were many similarities. Like Dick, he came from a circus family – Flying Todds.

Comparisons kill. He shouldn’t be compared to Grayson. He was a typical problem child. Nothing changed much even after the entry of the Caped Crusader.

Jason was an anti-hero. He violated the code of honor. Some readers believe Todd’s Robin brought Batman closer to the kill, a new series of violence. A role reversal in the ‘father and son’ situation. The many infamous villains of Gotham would never cease to exist, and the cycle of violence never stops. Ironically, Batman brought in Jason realizing he might fall into crime without a guardian. There was bad blood. The fans wanted him dead. In Joker’s words: “You’ve been a BAD BOY. You must be punished. Prepare yourself for a severe spanking, young man.” He met his end at the hands of Joker. However, it left a scar in Batman’s shade of black. It took time to heal.

This made it hard to welcome the next Robin to the cave. As fate would have it, Drake, the next Robin, had figured it all out. He was the hacker of a Robin. The techie guy who figured out Batman’s true identity.

Tim Drake had to prove his worth as a Robin every time. He could have walked out anytime, but he didn’t. His outsider’s perspective made him unique compared to any other and allowed him to see things those other heroes didn’t. It made him insecure and a free thinker.

When the world gave up on Bruce after Jason’s death, Tim didn’t. He went the extra mile and proved them wrong. Deep inside, he felt he had to work twice as hard to keep up with the other Robins. Maybe, he knew his father better than the other sons. Although, Bruce never really accepted Tim as his own.

Stephanie Brown aka Spoiler was the most talkative Robin ever. She could handle stunts as well. What really made her stand out in the pack is the constant chatter. It made Batman realize the importance of human connections, that working in a cave and being a lone ranger is just a part of being a vigilante. It’s hard to tell what kind of a father he would have been to Spoiler. This Robin is significant in Batman connecting to Bruce like no other and Stephanie’s transformation to Batgirl.

Son of the Demon catches the eye for Damian Wayne. He was the son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul. Trained by Talia and Ra’s Al Ghul’s League of Assassins, ten-year-old Damian earned the reputation of world’s deadliest killer groomed to become the ultimate warrior. There is only one standing on his path. Bruce Wayne. When Damian wanted to know about his father, Talia didn’t object. It was the boy’s right.

Bruce sensed Damian’s murderous instincts. He accepted the boy to train and guide him on the right path. This was the Robin that had brains and brawn. Unfortunately, his arrogance and disregard for human life made him a poor fit in Batman’s universe.

Following Bruce Wayne’s short visit to the land of nod and Dick Grayson taking over, Damian found a new mentor in the new Batman. He liked it under the watchful eyes of Bruce. This was short lived for Bruce. Talia didn’t want Damian to follow his father. In the game of death, nobody is a real winner.

Bruce was left alone in the darkness. He was deeply saddened. In the many combinations, there is no clear prize-winning Batman & Robin pair.

In the trials and tribulations of the Caped Crusader, Robins make shiny cracks on Batman’s Black for light to enter.

Does the world need a hero? Or is it just that America needs a Dad?