A series of amazing Robin cosplays suggest what the future would have held for the Boy Wonder had he never distanced himself from Batman to become Nightwing.
Introduced in Detective Comics #38, Dick Grayson is most famously known as Batman's first Robin. Like Batman, Dick’s motivation to become a hero stems from a place of tragedy. As a child, Dick’s parents were brutally murdered by the mafia when the circus they performed with failed to pay protection money. After witnessing the murder, Bruce Wayne saw himself in the Graysons' surviving son and took the orphan in as his ward. Bruce would later reveal himself as a vigilante, inspiring Dick to become Batman’s perfect sidekick as Robin. However, Bruce and Dick's time as the Dynamic Duo ultimately came to an end with Dick leaving Gotham to become Nightwing as his own adult hero.
Although Batman always planned for Dick to become Gotham’s protector when he was gone, Bruce never intended to pass on the Robin mantle so that Dick could be Batman. Instead, Bruce had always planned that Dick Grayson would remain Robin and replace Batman. A new set of cosplay photos by Visionarts on Instagram pays homage to this early perception of an adult Robin taking over for Batman. With battered armor that shows a more mature take on Robin's classic costume, Visionarts cosplay does a wonderful job of depicting the hero Nightwing would be had he never left Batman's side as the Boy Wonder.
Visionarts' Robin cosplays depict a possible future for Nightwing had he never left Batman and distanced himself from the Robin mantle. These cosplays show an older Robin as his suits are heavily armored and covered in scratches, indicating that this former Boy Wonder has seen his fair share of fights. Additionally, by building off classic Robin designs to create more worn versions, Visionarts suggests that this Robin may even work alone, falling in line with Batman's original plan for Dick Grayson's future.
Given that Dick never planned to pass on the Robin mantle and Bruce never intended for him to become Batman, Visionart’s depiction of an adult Robin is fitting. Had Dick never left Gotham, he likely would have chosen to remain Robin, protecting the city in Batman's place. Visionarts' cosplay plays into this idea, making Robin look as intimidating and battle-hardened as his predecessor. As such, it's easy to look at this series of cosplays and see an adult Robin who, instead of becoming Nightwing, took Batman's place as Gotham’s greatest protector.
Visionarts' fantastic cosplays remind fans what Dick Grayson's future may have held had he remained Batman's sidekick. Of course, it is hard to imagine a Gotham without Batman, but Dick Grayson is a worthy successor whether he inherits the cowl, remains Robin, or becomes Nightwing.
Source: @Visionarts