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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Robins #2, on sale now.
Batman has always been a harsh taskmaster. He expects nothing less than the best from his proteges and does not accept failure. It can be the difference between life and death in Gotham City. Still, his methods often raise eyebrows. For example, giving tests for his potential Robins to prove they are ready to patrol alongside him seems like a good idea. However, the means of examination he chooses are not only disturbing but extremely dangerous.
In Robins #2 (by Tim Seeley, Baldemar Rivas, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Steve Wands)), while reminiscing about their past “gauntlets,” Tim Drake revealed that he was Damian’s gauntlet. More specifically, Damian’s test came down to whether he’d show Drake mercy or murder his predecessor in combat. The implications of this alone are staggering. The gauntlets each of the former Robins faced were unique to them, challenging them in some way that would expose their true character to Batman.
Batman neglected to tell any of them that the tests often happened without planning. In those cases, the Dark Knight would retroactively evaluate his proteges. The only primarily planned trial seemed to be Dick Grayson’s gauntlet. He passed it with flying colors by evading Batman all night and leaving clues for Batman to find to undo a criminal organization.
Batman seemed to learn the wrong lessons from this result. Rather than come away from the experience seeing the importance of a well-planned evaluation, he instead focused only on the judgment aspect. As a result, the gauntlets became more random, seemingly spur of the moment.
Batman made his critiques on each candidate, yet his conclusions may not always be sound. For example, he allowed Jason Todd to pass despite possibly murdering someone. On the other hand, he “failed” Stephanie Brown because he disobeyed her. Nevermind that she did so in the name of saving his life. Only his judgment of Tim’s gauntlet seems to make sense, a passing grade for rescuing an abducted Batman. Still, the crisis was a grueling one and forced Drake to arguably grow up on the job a lot more quickly than his fellow Robins.
Damian’s test was the worst of them. Right from the start, he knew what his son’s upbringing meant for his personality as well as his capacity to kill. As a result, Batman never intended to let him be Robin. Then Damian pressed the issue by fighting and defeating Tim Drake to prove his worth. Batman allowed the fight to go on to determine if the boy had any capacity for restraint or mercy. This not only put Tim’s life in peril, but could have added another kill to Damian’s ledger. It may have caused additional weight on his conscience if he ever shook his upbringing or another step down the path towards being an assassin.
Even more concerning is the implication that Batman was aware of the fight the whole time, knew the risk, and allowed it to proceed anyway. The only thing more disappointing than Batman’s callous attempt to test his son’s integrity is the appalling lack of concern for Tim’s life. Damian had more than proved how lethal he was by that point. Hell, the very trigger for the fight was Damian revealing he murdered a criminal in cold blood. This fight could just have easily ended with Tim dying. Batman was willing to let it, to let a defacto son die in the name of testing a biological one.
This, of course, is looking at it from the worst possible angle. During each of the gauntlets, Batman was there. He may not have been at his most effective, but that could have been a deception on his part to see how his potential partners would operate when pressed to take the initiative. If Batman knew the fight between Tim and Damian was happening, then it’s conceivable he only allowed it to continue because he knew that he could stop it before things ended in a fatal blow.
At the end of the day, though, each Robin made their own decisions. Damian was no different. He chose to instigate the fight, to push Tim to an extreme Drake was neither used to nor willing to go. However, Damian also decided to spare his predecessor. Maybe it was, as Batman suspected, a way to ingratiate himself to his father rather than a true display of mercy. He made it clear to Tim enough times that he would happily kill Drake, so a growing respect for his predecessor hardly seems a likely explanation.
Yet even if it wasn’t mercy that motivated him, the simple act of showing restraint put him on the path to a better life. Each of the Robins has suffered in their own way, but they also managed to triumph over the various tests Batman has placed before them. Even more impressively, they managed to conquer the difficulties that the city itself threw at them — endless catastrophes and tragedies, homicidal villains hellbent on destroying them, every horror imaginable.
Yet each of the Robins, no matter their test, pass or fail, managed to become worthy in Batman’s eyes because they kept at it. They understood they dedicated themselves to a dangerous and endless fight. They know they fight not for themselves but so that others may not have to suffer the things they have.
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