Robin, the Boy Wonder was a story published in Detective Comics #38 on March 6th, 1940 with a cover date of April, 1940. This issue marks the first appearance of Dick Grayson, the first (and most famous) Robin and eventual solo hero Nightwing.
The story begins proper in a travelling circus where the young Dick Grayson and his parents live and work. One night, the circus' owner Mr. Haly, is confronted by a group of thugs who order Mr. Haly to pay a "fine", but he refuses to pay. That same night, his bestselling attraction, the Flying Graysons, are killed in what seems to be an accident while performing that night. Dick is heartbroken and lonely from this turn of events, but things change when he overhears an incriminating conversation between Blade, the killer of his parents, and his employer Boss Zucco, who premeditated the "accident" purely to spite Mr. Haly. Dick plans to call the police, but Batman, who by sheer chance had attended the show as Bruce Wayne, takes in Dick Grayson under his wing, instead of immediately pursuing the thugs. Batman then trains Dick, already an excellent acrobat, how to become a crime-fighter. When a period of training is over, Dick is given a red, green, and yellow costume and adopts the identity of Robin, the Boy Wonder.
Dick debuts as Batman's sidekick, and the Dynamic Duo hunt down the extortion gang, and their leader, Boss Zucco. Zucco's new plan is to demolish a skyscraper construction site (the Canin Building), but Robin and Batman defeat the gang in a dangerous battle on the high girders, during which Robin uses a sling to knock one thug off a steel beam and kicks a second gunman off another girder. Zucco is recorded by Robin in the act of pushing Blade to his death with a camera and this evidence is given to the police, leading to Zucco's conviction for murder. In the end, Robin eagerly agrees to become Batman's partner against crime.
Tropes:
- Asshole Victim: Blade, the man who directly murdered the Graysons under Zucco's orders, is brutually killed by Zucco by stabbing him and kicking him off a building for throwing him under the bus by saying he ordered the murders. Zucco, meanwhile, isnt killed but will likely rot in prison for the rest of his life thanks to Robin catching him in the act of murdering Blade with a camera he had on hand.
- Brutal Honesty: A somber Mr. Haly admits to a grieving Dick Grayson that yes, his parents really did die in the trapeze "accident".
- Death by Origin Story: The murder of Dick Grayson's parents by mobsters is the mainspring for what ends up uniting him with Batman and entering a life of fighting crime.
- Evil Is Petty: Zucco orders the murder of Haly's star performers, which not only robs him of his biggest attraction but orphans their innocent son, purely out of spite because he refused to pay an arbitrary "fine" to them.
- Fat Bastard: Zucco, the mobster responsible for ordering the murder of Dick Grayson's parents, has a grotesquely obese physique and repulsive facial design to match his utterly vile personality.
- Hate Sink: Boss Zucco, for what little panel time he gets, is made out to be as utterly repulsive of a human being as possible. It doesnt get more low than orphaning an innocent kid and murdering a circus' star attraction in cold blood purely to spite them for not forking over money for an arbitrary "fine". On top of that, he's completely disloyal to his own men, going as far as murdering Blade (who he ordered to kill the Graysons) for ratting him out as the man who put out the hit on the Graysons. Batman is so disgusted with him that, while not stooping as low as killing him, growls that he hopes Zucco gets the Electric Chair for what he did.
- Kid-Appeal Character: Robin was undoubtably introduced into the series at this point in an attempt to soften up the image of the series and draw in more kids to read it.
- Kid Sidekick: Robin (Dick Grayson) is introduced as one to Batman here, being the Ur-Example of the trope, at least for superhero comics.
- Knight of Cerebus: While the Batman comics were no stranger to murderous, threatening or greedy crooks before, Boss Zucco especially stands out for his chilling and petty mafioso persona, being perfectly willing to take the lives of two innocent people and ruin the life of their young son purely to stick it to Mr. Haly for not giving in to his attempt at extortion.
- Lighter and Softer: A more nuanced example. While there are still some grim moments like Dick's parents getting killed in a sabotaged trapeze act and Zucco murdering one of his goons in cold blood, Robin's presence provides much more levity to help offset Batman's more serious personality, and Batman notably does not kill anyone like he did in previous issues—the closest thing he comes to it is telling Zucco to his face that he'll likely get the Electric Chair for his crimes.
- Shout-Out: The opening text spells out that Robin derives his name from the merry old Robin Hood of yore.
- Superhero Origin: The comic serves as one for Dick Grayson, the first Robin.
- Thrills thrills and more thrills...is what that amazing character the Batman and the sensational find of 1940 Robin the Boy Wonder of the comic strips...give you in every issue...with their astounding exploits! Watch for next month's thrilling episode!
