Batman is arguably one of the most well-known superheroes, known worldwide by comic fans and regular people alike. In pop culture, we've seen countless iterations of the Dark Knight in movies, tv shows, animated shows, it seems like Batman's everywhere.
What we haven't seen much of is his supporting cast. The heroes who dress up and take on some form of the bat mantle or have worn tights and trained under him. Unlike many of his fellow Justice Leaguers, Batman doesn't have any superpowers and often has to rely on his Bat-Family for support in his missions. Here are 10 facts about the Bat-Family you probably didn't know.
Damian’s Crush
Damian Wayne may be a list rough around the edges, showing a maturity that we sometimes forget he’s only 10 years old. As the fourth kid to take on the Robin mantle, the Bat-Family already had established members, but for this entry, we’re gonna jump into a member of the Super-Family, Supergirl or Kara Zor-el.
It was a schoolboy crush as Supergirl was about 16 years old and nowhere near interested in the much younger Damian, but it didn’t stop Dick Grayson from teasing him and giving him a hard time for it.
Tim Drake Was There The Night Dick Grayson’s Parent’s Died
Tim Drake was the third Robin after Dick Grayson and Jason Todd and unlike his two predecessors, Drake actually wanted to be Robin. In fact, he somewhat auctioned for the role when he single-handedly discovered that Bruce Wayne was Batman and that Dick Grayson was the first Robin.
How did he do that? By witnessing the death of Dick Grayson’s parents in their circus act. He was able to study Robin and noticed that he had moves only Dick Grayson was able to perform in his circus act and was able to deduce it from there. And he did this all being less than 13 years old.
Damian Doesn't Play Well With Others
Part of what makes Damian Wayne unique is not only that he's the only Robin to actually be related to Bruce but that he had been trained to kill from a very early age. It was his time with the League of Assassins that made him a cold and distant child, often rubbing people the wrong way with his lack of empathy.
It was this fact that Damian has managed to get in an all-out brawl with every member of the Bat-family from Nightwing to Alfred. Yes, even Alfred! It's no secret that Damian is confrontational and erratic but why try to fight the lovable Alfred?
Dick Grayson Killed The Joker (sort of)
It is well known that Batman lives by a code, a code that he doesn't kill. This code is passed down to every member of the Bat-Family and although some members like Jason and Damian disagree, they all tend to follow it. With Dick who is considered the most empathetic of the bunch, it's assumed that he would take the rule the most serious but in a fit of rage after Tim Drake goes missing Nightwing does the unthinkable. He beats the Joker to death and after doing so immediately regrets it.
Luckily for him, Batman was able to bring him back to life, saving Dick from feeling the regret but it's still unexpected Nightwing would almost commit such a crime.
The Joker Hates Dick Grayson The Most
It's no secret that the Joker loves to traumatize Batman and his sidekicks, killing Jason, capturing and torturing Tim, putting Damian against his father, and many other disturbing things but what he has never been able to do is scar Dick for life.
It's a feat that the Joker has always wanted to accomplish but has never been able to due to Dick's mentality and his elusiveness has prevented the Joker from really getting to him. Even when he kills the Joker in anger, he soon goes back to his normal self after the Joker is brought back to life.
Best of The Bunch
When you think Robin, you probably automatically think Dick Grayson due to the fact he was the first and arguably one of the most well-known members of the Bat-Family. But it's Tim Drake who has proven to be the best of the Robins as he had some skills and talent that no other Robin could even compare. He wasn't the best fighter or the best sidekick, but he was the best detective by far.
Dick himself even said Tim was the best of the bunch and Batman himself said Tim was going to be a better detective than him and was well on his way to taking the Batman mantle after Bruce. This is something many Batman fans might argue as Dick or even Jason Todd seem like better candidates but none have been as loyal to Batman as Tim Drake.
Jason Todd Is The Tallest Robin
When it comes to height, it's hard to judge the Robins as most are still young and are not fully grown up yet. but in Dick, Jason, and Tim's case, they have reached full maturation and are currently adults or at least fully grown in the current comic book arcs.
With Tim Drake standing at 5'7'' he's one of the shortest, and Dick is average height, about 5'10'', making Jason the tallest at 6'0''. Don't let that fool you, each and every one of these Robins and the other two could easily take on people twice their size.
Stephanie Brown Is The Only Bat-Family Member That Was Robin And Bat-Girl
There have been four Batgirls and five Robins, each excelling in their own way. Although most of the characters that have taken the mantle have graduated to bigger and better things, Stephanie Brown is the only hero to take on two big sidekick roles.
Stephanie Brown is an interesting character, becoming a member of the Bat-family after a romance with Tim Drake. She starts off as Spoiler, attempting to kill her father before she is convinced by Batman to let him live. She trains as Batgirl for a few years before becoming Robin after Tim Drake left the mantle behind and is shortly fired after Batman is angered by her disregard by his rules.
Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) Could Beat Batman In A Fight
Batman is arguably one of the best fighters in DC comics, mastering hundreds of different types of martial arts and going toe to toe with some of the best. But tow of the only characters who could match Batman's skills is Lady Shiva, who trained Batman and David Cain.
So it's only natural the offspring of both of them inherits their skill for fighting and in turn becomes the best of both of them, being able to take on just about anyone in the DC universe, including her mentor Batman.
Cassandra Cain And Jason Todd both Led The League Of Assassins
Both Casandra and Jason Todd have had troubling past and disregard for the rules before being taken on by Batman. but did you know that they both led one of the deadliest groups of all time? Yes, Bruce spent some time in the League of Assassins and was set to lead himself by Ras Al Ghul but Bruce turned down the offer due to their murderous ways. So why do his prodigies take part in leading this murderous group?
Well, Batgirl was brainwashed and made to lead the League while Jason was amnesiac and didn't really know what he was doing. They are both expert fighters and arguably the best among the Bat-family so its safe to say they deserved to be the best of the best just not for a group of killers.