Carrie Kelley in Batman and Robin?! :O

So even though I’m feeling ill today, I decided to talk about some news going around that apparently, Batman and Red Robin will have a special guest character. Remember that note in Batman in Robin #18 that was addressed to come from someone named C.K.? And yes, I know about that even though I didn’t read it. We all thought that C.K. meant Clark Kent. But nope, turns out Damian had a friend by the name of Carrie Kelley.

Dunno who that is? Slap yourself…Okay, I’ll tell you. Carrie Kelley was Robin in Frank Miller’s Elseworlds title, The Dark Knight Returns, and of course the recent direct-to-DVD animated movie adaptation. I should this book was written before he went nuts, so while stuff happens in it that I don’t necessarily agree with, overall it’s a good helping. So where does Carrie Kelley fit in? Well, she’s kind of like Tim Drake in that she sees Batman going out without a Robin and getting hurt and decides he needs help. Also like Tim, she doesn’t do this out of any kind of desire for vengeance or to overcome some great tragedy in her life, she’s doing it because Batman needs help. And sure enough, she arrives just in the nick of time to save Batman’s life, thus earning her position as Robin.

Not quite that iconic image from The Dark Knight Returns, but I’ll take it. 🙂

So, where does she fit into this world if The Dark Knight Returns isn’t in canon? Well, it’s not completely clear. In the two images revealed of her in the comic thus far, she’s in the Robin costume, but Peter Tomasi has informed people she won’t exactly be “the new Robin”. What does this mean? I don’t have a frigging clue. Is he hinting that she WAS Robin at some point and gave the title up? Was she an understudy of Damian’s? How did they even know each other? Well, I’m assuming we’ll find out soon enough.

Well, considering we can actually see physical music notes leaking from the room, I’m gonna say YES. lol

And I know, everybody’s expecting me to be all “Why can’t it be Stephanie Brown? She could fit this role just as well, and plus she already knew Damian in continuity before Flashpoint happened!” Look, am I upset that Stephanie Brown isn’t around? You’re damned right I am. But at some point, I just gotta say to myself “Jeff, for whatever reason, Dan Didio refuses to let her be in a story, and the writers are doing their damnedest to give us good stories however they can and introduce characters that are still awesome in their own way, so why don’t you just get over yourself and give them a chance?” And that’s what I’m gonna do here. And frankly, so long as they don’t put her in that idiotic Catgirl outfit from The Dark Knight Strikes Again (which was written AFTER Frank Miller went completely bonkers), I’m fine with her being around.

Anyway, I’ll for sure be reading next week’s Batman and Red Robin, so you can be sure I’ll let you guys know what the deal with her is in the New 52…Or rather, the New 49 since we’re already two titles short as of June, and in July, Batman Incorporated is getting cancelled…Umm…Ja né!

Related articles

• DC Comics Teases Carrie Kelley Appearance in ‘Batman and Robin’ #19 (comicsalliance.com)
• DC Names the New ROBIN… Maybe (newsarama.com)
• Carrie Kelley Joins DCU In “Batman And Red Robin” #19 (comicbookresources.com)
• DC Reveals First “Girl Robin” of the New 52 and She’s Not that New (dcwomenkickingass.tumblr.com/)
• Carrie Kelley Returns To Batman, Is She The New Robin? (geek-news.mtv.com)
• WTF Batman and Robin #19 (thedynamicbuzz.com)
• Carrie Kelley Returns? DC Tease a New Robin (comicsbeat.com)