In Detective Comics #1052, a Batman villain makes a sinister observation about one of the Dark Knight’s preferred methods of fighting crime.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1052, now on sale from DC Comics.
The concept of Robin has been one at the heart of Batman stories since almost the very beginning. Becoming the sidekick and partner of the Dark Knight has been a primary motivator for multiple characters over the years, and is usually treated as a noble idea. However, when viewed in a certain light, the entire practice gains a terrifying edge.
The story “House of Gotham: Chapter 6” from Detective Comics #1052 (by Matthew Rosenberg, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Rob Leigh) sees the young man who’ll one day become Nero XIX accusing Batman of creating a child army with his sidekicks. While he’s missing some key details, the child who will become Nero XIX actually has a point about the Caped Crusader’s habit of recruiting and training young proteges.
“House of Gotham” has focused largely on the development of Nero XIX, and how growing up in Gotham City on the wrong side of the law defined him at a young age. After witnessing his family killed by the Joker, he briefly ended up under the guidance of the Scarecrow. During that time, the future villain encountered Dick Grayson while he served as Robin. Eventually taken in by Penguin and gaining employment at the Iceberg Lounge, Nero eventually encountered another Robin, Jason Todd. While trying to escape from an attack by Batman, he ran into Jason in costume as Robin. But having encountered the previous wearer of the costume years earlier, Nero realizes it’s not the same boy.
As Nero is taken into police custody, he starts ranting and raving about how Batman is making an “army of boys,” calling on the authorities to stop him. While Nero’s understanding of Batman and Robin isn’t the full picture, he’s not entirely wrong in what he says. The Dark Knight has a habit of taking young people under his wing and teaching them to become heroes in their own right. But part of that includes training them, and at times even referring to them as soldiers in his war on crime. In a way, Batman has been creating an army of young people, with allies all over the globe. He’s instructed them all in combat and given them a strict code of conduct akin to soldiers. When viewed in a certain light, his aspirations could be seen as creating a global army with young people at the heart.
It’s an uneasy concept to consider and paints the recruitment of every Robin or Batgirl in a much darker light. Notably, none of the former sidekicks see themselves in that light. Heroes like Dick Grayson and Barabra Gordon have gone on to inspire others and become leaders of a new generation. They also resist operating in the same way as their mentor, encouraging their partners and being more supportive and understanding of them. The Robins are often utilized best as friends and helpers in emergencies, not jumping into the line of fire alongside the Dark Knight. In this sense, his “army of boys” is more akin to a volunteer organization that contributes services as needed.
While it’s difficult to refute the inherent darkness of Batman training children in his crusade, it’s ultimately treated as a more noble endeavor because he genuinely hopes they all end up better than he did. While Nero XIX isn’t entirely wrong in his assessment, there is much more to the story than he realizes.
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