The latest gameplay trailer for Gotham Knights focuses on Tim Drake's Robin, but it also shows him using a weapon that belonged to a different incarnation of the character. Developer WB Games Montréal has been releasing character trailers based on each of Gotham Knights' four playable DC heroes, with Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson, receiving his during June's Summer Game Fest. This new trailer is the first to hone in on the game's version of Robin, however, and it shows him wielding not only his iconic staff from the comics, but also the trademark slingshot made famous by Carrie Kelley's Robin in Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley's seminal The Dark Knight Returns comic book.
Gotham Knights is WB Games Montréal's first full title since 2013's Batman: Arkham Origins, and takes place in a continuity separate to that of the Arkhamverse. The story's focus is on the Bat Family, who are forced to pick up the pieces and take on the Court of Owls following the death of Batman. Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), Red Hood (Jason Todd), and Robin (Tim Drake) are all playable, with each boasting their own unique gadgets and playstyle. This has led to Gotham Knights departing from the comics in several aspects, mainly along aesthetic lines. However, Montréal has also taken some creative liberties when it comes to gameplay, making Red Hood a bulky bruiser and giving Nightwing a jet-powered glider as opposed to the suit-wings used in other incarnations.
This same mantra has also been applied to Tim Drake's Robin, who can use the Justice League's Watchtower Satellite to navigate Gotham Knights' massive open world. WB Games Montréal has clearly taken inspiration from other Robins for Drake's new arsenal as well, with the most recent trailer showing him deploying a slingshot in combat. Drake's staff is a staple of the character and is the weapon most heavily spotlighted in Gotham Knights' Robin-focused trailer, but the addition of a slingshot is another example of where the game has divested from the source material and used another interpretation as inspiration, as the Robin most famous for using a slingshot in the comics was Carrie Kelley. Kelley was a central character in The Dark Knight Returns, and is the first to assume the mantle of Robin in that story since Jason Todd, who was murdered by the Joker years prior. Despite not featuring significantly in mainstream comics continuity, Kelley is still one of the most iconic incarnations of the Robin character, with her unique green goggles and red hair distinguishing her from Batman's other sidekicks, and Gotham Knights demonstrates that her influence continues.
Robin's Gotham Knights Slingshot References Dark Knight Returns
It's clear that WB Games Montréal's latest effort isn't going to be a traditional Batman game, so it only makes sense that its version of Robin takes inspiration from an untraditional Batman comic. Gotham Knights' version of Tim Drake's Robin looks to be staying true to his comics self, with the press release for the new trailer keen to emphasize his detective skills being on par with - if not better than - Batman's, which is an established element of his canon DC Universe backstory. It's along aesthetic and gameplay lines where Gotham Knights begins to diverge, with Drake zapping himself around Gotham like a tech-powered Nightcrawler while wearing outfits unlike those the Boy Wonder has sported in the comics. While those visual reworks leave much to be desired (the majority of the game's outfits are sadly overdesigned and garish), the gameplay tweaks should go some way in setting WB Games Montréal's new title apart from Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series.
That said, much like there's a case to be argued that Gotham Knights has the wrong Batgirl, it would've possibly been cooler to see Carrie Kelley's Robin in the game over Tim Drake. Drake is absolutely the most iconic Robin (with Dick Grayson now having established himself as Nightwing), and so his inclusion in Gotham Knights makes sense. Even so, including Carrie instead of the third Robin could have diversified the game's roster while also further distinguishing it from other interpretations. If Gotham Knights is already diverging from mainstream depictions along aesthetic lines, then it makes sense that it could do so narratively by adopting another Robin. There's still time for that to happen, with the potential for more Batman heroes to arrive to Gotham Knights via DLC, but for now, Carrie Kelley fans will have to make do with this small component of Tim Drake's arsenal.
Source: Gotham Knights/YouTube