Not long ago, there was a series of fan edits of Batman's cowl which were called "ridiculously silly" because they removed the pointed ears, but in reality, this is a genuine comic look for Robin. The four-issue comic miniseries, Kingdom Come is an iconic 90s story and it introduced a new look for Dick Grayson. This costume and name would return in the future - making this edit a bit less absurd than originally thought.

Kingdom Come released in 1996. It is a deconstructionist comic by the team of Mark Waid, Alex Ross, and Todd Klein that depicts an alternate future in which DC's superheroes have lost sight of their role in society. It's arguably one of the best examinations of the DC Trinity: Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. However, it also is responsible for introducing some iconic costumes that would inspire future ones, such as Red Robin and even Wonder Woman's golden eagle armor seen in Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

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This Elseworlds story shows Dick Grayson reclaiming the mantle in a new way, with a cowl all his own and the altered name Red Robin. His cowl is similar to Batman's, but like the recent edits shared by Ryan George, it lacks ears. This is an iconic look for Batman's sidekick that has been tweaked and re-used in later comics, with Jason Todd and Tim Drake both using the name, and with Jason Todd being gifted a similar cowl from an alternate universe's Batman.

Kingdom Come Robin

This version of Robin sided with Superman when addressing the problem the world was facing regarding superhero behavior in Kingdom Come. He is no longer working with his former mentor, though the two reconcile by the series' end. The costume he wears is a symbol of who he is, who he used to be, and who helped him become who he is. It employs Batman's cowl and cape, keeping the general shape of Batman's, but removing the bat-ears. He maintains his traditional red and yellow color scheme, but changes up his symbol and makes adjustments to its placement. This all makes a lot of sense since robins have smooth heads, but not visible ears. After all, Robin isn't Bat-Boy.

While Batman's cowl may look silly without its ears initially, it is actually a legitimate superhero look - and an iconic one at that, from one of DC's best Elseworlds stories. First glances may not do it much justice and this may not be a fan's initial thought when thinking about Robin, but it is an epic look nonetheless. This persona, like Grayson's Nightwing one, captures the journey that Robin makes from sidekick to independent hero. Where the edits go wrong, is leaving the cowl on Batman. It is much more fitting on Robin. However, these edits do capture a sort-of transitionary moment. This is one version of his outfit that Batman can't pull off, because he isn't meant to do it. Batman needs to leave the altered cowl to the Robins for their future and keep his trademark one - though this isn't as ridiculous a look as Batman fans may have initially thought when seeing this edit.

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Source: Ryan George