Batman has had plenty of Robins. Between the 5 canon Robins (from Dick Grayson to Damian Wayne) and the Robins from parallel stories, Batman has had a series of partners. In the 1950s, a comic even saw a young Bruce Wayne become Robin to a Bruce Wayne in full possession of his means. And this week, DC introduced Batman’s new Robin.
/! Warning, the following contains spoilers for The Brave and the Bold #12 /!
DC makes Batman’s new Robin official
Batman’s faithful partner, Robin was also at the origin of legendary comics. Many people have donned the mask, leaving a more or less lasting impression. But a Batman without Robin is a Sunday lunch without a roast chicken, a well-organized 2024 Olympic Games, an SNCF train on time or even a technically successful Pokémon game. In short… An incomplete duo. But the Robins come one after the other over the years, and it is in April 2024 that DC decided to formalize the arrival of a new Robin.
It’s in The Brave and the Bold #12 by Karl Kerschl, released on April 23, that Batman welcomed his new partner. In this issue, Bruce Wayne continues to fight against a vampire epidemic. But these creatures of the night are not the only threats to the Black Knight’s morale. And for good reason, Bruce Wayne is also undermined by a love affair doomed to failure with Isla, the last woman in his life. Luckily, the orphaned vigilante can count on the support of Maps Mizoguchi, a student at Gotham Academy.
But Bruce and Maps aren’t the only ones fighting crime, as good old Alfred Pennyworth also wears a costume to help them in the field. And at the end of the issue, while Bruce has publicly left Gotham, Maps continues to watch over the victims of the plague. It’s at this point that Bruce calls him Robin repeatedly, firmly anchoring Maps’ identity in the costume of Batman’s iconic partner. A surprise to no one given the history of Maps, whose existence as Robin exists in fits and starts in the DC canon.
First appeared in Gotham Academy #1 in December 2014, Maps Mizoguchi was created by Becky Cloonan, Brendan Fletcher and Karl Kerschl, Maps. A student at Gotham Academy, Maps is an avid superhero fan. This outstanding investigator already has a good share of adventures under her belt, notably investigating alongside Batgirl in “We Are Robin“. And now, Maps is DC’s new Robin.
After a Master’s degree in Journalism at the IEJ, I permanently joined the Hitek editorial team in 2017. Passionate about video games, new technologies, science fiction and pancakes, I take pleasure in sharing my interests with the biggest number. Always up for a Jägerbomb on the terrace.
