A good mentor can change everything. If this were an academic paper, I would cite some impressive-sounding study about the positive effect an active mentor can have on at-risk youths, but this is DC.com, so I’ll spare you the bibliography and ask you to take my word for it. Besides, who needs a study when you have over eight decades of Batman media? The Dark Knight’s mythology contains numerous examples of how a good mentor can improve your life.
Absolute Batman is currently exploring this idea, but from another angle. We’ve had decades of Batman stories that look at the positive influence Bruce Wayne has had on Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and all of his allies. We’ve seen how his role as a father figure has impacted their lives. Who can say where they would all be without Bruce Wayne?
We meet the Absolute Robins (yes, Robins) in Absolute Batman #19 and see them in action in Absolute Batman #20, and it’s an entirely new take on the characters. Absolute Batman #1 dared to ask us what kind of person Bruce Wayne would be if he grew up with his mother and without his generational wealth. Now DC is asking who Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas would be without Bruce’s guidance. And what if their mentor was someone like Jack Grimm?
That’s right, this is a reality where the Joker took the Robins under his wing. The Absolute Universe doesn’t play around.
The Robin Program is a special task force formed by Jack Grimm and trained by Slade Wilson. Their mission objective is to keep Gotham safe and take Batman down. Oh, and they fly around in giant mech-like battle armor and use advanced weaponry. During a press conference announcing the team to the city, Wilson explains where the members came from, and what he says speaks volumes.
“Mr. Grimm’s sustained and extraordinary support for Gotham’s youth—especially its least fortunate children—is well-known,” Slade states. “He has sheltered, mentored and guided countless numbers of challenged young men and women over the years. He takes the misunderstood, the wards of the state, the ones who’ve turned to criminality or fallen through the city’s many cracks, and helps them find their way.”
If Slade hadn’t said Jack Grimm’s name, this speech could have easily been about the DC Universe version of Batman. However, Grimm is a sadistic serial killer, so the fact that he’s molded the Robins is an unsettling thought. We’re still getting to know these versions of the well-known sidekicks, but some of Jack’s influence can already be seen. For example, in Absolute Batman #20, Jason impulsively opens fire on Batman with little regard for where he’s aiming and almost hits his teammates in the process. Now, Jason Todd has always been trigger happy, but he would never endanger his family this way. But that’s the difference between being raised by a psychotic serial killer and being raised by Bruce Wayne.
Slade’s speech about the group also implies that some of the Robins have criminal records, indicating that without Bruce’s guidance, they would have turned to a life of crime. As out-of-character as that may seem, it’s a sad reality of life. Youths without active parents or positive influences are more susceptible to joining gangs, violent behavior and criminal acts.
Think of Stephanie Brown. In the mainstream DC Universe, her father is a criminal and her mother is battling a drug addiction. It would have been very easy for her to slowly turn to a life of crime. In fact, Batman has to talk her out of murdering her father in Detective Comics #649, an act that surely would have led her down a dark path, possibly with no coming back.
We do see Dick Grayson holding a dog in Absolute Batman #19, so we can take solace in the fact that Haley still exists. I hope the Absolute Universe has been kind to her.
Absolute Batman #20 ends in an interesting place, as Batman prepares to battle all five Robins. We’ve seen Batman fight his allies before, but it’s always been under the context of their previous relationship. The battle we’re going to see in Absolute Batman #21 puts us in uncharted territory as the Dark Knight faces Robins whom he has no relationship with, and who were raised by the Joker. We’ve never seen a Dark Knight as brutal as the Absolute Batman prior to this series, and we’ve never seen Robins quite like these ones, so I have a feeling the brawl is going to be one to remember (and Absolute Batman has had some memorable brawls).
I’m also looking forward to learning more about how these Robins are different during the fight. We already saw Jason almost get his teammates killed, so it will be interesting to see what Stephanie or Duke’s actions reveal about who they are and how they’re different from their DC Universe counterparts.
Nature hates a vacuum, and when a troubled youth doesn’t have a mentor, they’ll instinctively seek one out. These Robins didn’t have Batman, they had the Joker, and now the Dark Knight is about to pay the price. Buckle up, because something tells me Absolute Batman #21 is going to be a chapter to remember.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
