Thanks to a computer simulation, Stephanie Brown became the leader of the Teen Titans in Robins #5 but its disastrous ending doesn’t do her justice.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Robins #5, on sale now from DC Comics.
Stephanie Brown stands unique among past and present Robins as the only one who has never been a member of the Teen Titans. She served with Young Justice, but a tour of duty on DC’s premier teen team has eluded her. Robins has rectified this thanks to a computer simulation, giving her not only a place on the team but a leadership role.
Too bad her tenure ended in disaster.
Steph faced a totally different life in this simulation in Robins #5 (by Tim Seeley, Baldemar Rivas, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Steve Wands). Herself, Dick, Jason, and Damian experienced the lives they could have lived without Batman thanks to an immersive VR experience. While the others faced the likes of being a famous racecar driver or returning to a life of spy work, Steph’s other life was as the leader of the Teen Titans. Unfortunately, the only way to win the simulation as designed was for everything to end in disaster.
Steph’s hypothetical time as a Titans leader proved to be the absolute worst in Titans history. Even before everything went wrong, there were difficulties in controlling the team. Supergirl didn’t listen to Steph’s instructions, which meant that the former Robin had to catch the bad guy while her teammates collected themselves. Following the simulation set path led Steph’s Titans team to go to war with the Justice League. She told Superman to go to hell and, after losing to the League, no one trusted her. This is a tragic end, but there’s no way this would happen for real.
Everyone was in the same boat. Damian’s simulation had him fail to find inner peace and become a willing participant in Ra’s al Ghul’s evil schemes. After failing to get enough money from driving to fund his health clinic, Jason Todd reverted to a life of crime. Of course, none of these scenarios reflected reality. They just landed so close to real that they’d break the Robins.
The reality is that, if given a chance, Steph would be a great Teen Titans leader. So far, she’s never really had an opportunity to be in a leadership position. However, there is one big reason why she would be great at it – her people skills. She was able to win over Batman, someone who was adamant she couldn’t join the Bat-Family. She went from Spoiler to Robin to Batgirl, and she already has experience on a team, thanks to Young Justice. The idea that her time as Titans leader ended in no one trusting her is entirely against the ethos of her character. Everyone trusts Stephanie Brown, even if it does take some time.
Robins tend to make great Titans leaders. Dick’s time as the team’s leader is often highlighted, both as Robin and Nightwing. Steph is arguably most like Dick out of all the Bat-Family. She’s friendly and outgoing, and everyone learns to love her eventually, even if she is often underrated. She’s capable of bringing out the best in everyone. The idea that she couldn’t do that with the Teen Titans is absurd. Even Damian Wayne led his Titans team, and he’s terrible when it comes to working with others. Imagine what Steph could do.
There is some truth to the sentiment that adults have never been on Steph’s side. Her father, the Cluemaster, opposed her far more than he ever supported. There’s also Batman’s seeming lack of faith in her, as both Spoiler and Robin. However, that’s all the more reason why she would be a great leader to the Teen Titans. She could be the adult that listens to the younger heroes, finally doing what nobody did for her. She may even be capable of bringing the qualities out in them that no one else could. Then, perhaps, she could finally prove to everyone that she has always been worthy of the legacy of Robin.
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