First Robin: Shorts or No Shorts?

First of all, let’s set the record straight: they aren’t short shorts, they’re a leotard. Dick’s an acrobat. It makes sense.

Second, you wanna put Jason’s Robin in pants? Fine. He’s not an acrobat. The only reason they did in the first place was to make him look like Dick. I’m talking about the original Robin.

It just always seemed strange to be to put the first Robin in pants, at least in the comics. The leotard fits with his profession and allows greater flexability. Plus, it’s classic. Maybe have him grow into the idea of pants when he’s older to transition him into Nightwing, but a younger Dick Grayson should have a leotard.

That’s just my opinion. What’s yours?

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Jason was an acrobat…until the Crisis, at least. :stuck_out_tongue:

But yeah, I expect Dick Grayson’s Robin to stay in hot pants during his tenure at the Bat’s side. Maybe he can get some leggings once he hops over to Hudson U.

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Really, they’re skin colored leggings, not bare legs? I never knew that! I not only like the look on young Robin, I like it on adult Dick! It’s such a distinct, original costume. Now he just wears a boring black bodysuit.

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I like the original Robin costume for what it is, particularly for Dick (given that he is, as you pointed out, an acrobat). However, in opposition to my stance on superheroes in trunks (Superman wears his undies on the outside or he isn’t Superman, IMO) I don’t think it’s mandatory for the look. That said, the New 52 attempt to “fix” the old Robin costume looks absolutely abysmal. The only time that I can think of where “modernizing” an old superhero design (i.e. getting rid of trunks and/or tights, etc.) worked was Tim Drake’s costume from the ‘90s, which looks pretty good, actually.

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I’ve toyed with my own personal redesigns of classic costumes, and for Robin I go with red pants and green trunks to roughly preserve the classic color scheme (ugly as it is), but account for the fact that Gotham is cold and he’s got a lot more to worry about from guns and knives than he does from lack of flexibility.

Though I guess now that I think about it, he probably wouldn’t be wearing a ton of armor on his legs anyway, so I guess it’s not the worst thing in the world.

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It’s also worth noting that pre-Crisis Jason Todd initially sported a pretty decent-looking acrobat costume with green tights–that is, until everyone inexplicably decided that he should be disguising himself as Dick Grayson’s Robin instead of having his own unique identity. But with Dick himself, I take a staunch stance: the Teen Wonder better be wearing the booty shorts.

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I think the leotard and pixie boots are classic, and Dick’s background and starting age can support a more fanciful costume. As Dick transitions to adulthood and Nightwing, I don’t really mind if he adds some pants and/or armor. However, I do think something should differentiate the Robins to readers. That something could even be subtle like the color/shape of the mask (Dick’s is the classic black, while Jason’s is a red domino).

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Gonna say the best suit is Tim’s black and red one

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That first Robin costume is God awful.

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No leotard

No pants. I get why people want to give him pants, but the no pants look is ingrained in my head. It’s a classic. You can say he only did it for a year or two and then upgrade him, but I think tossing it out entirely looses some good cheesiness and respect for comic history.

I do get that in this day and age that costume is peculiar to say the least.

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Boxers, or, preferably the same leg covering as Bats. The shorts are so 40s.

Keep Robin, every one, complete badasses. Because they are.

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Sometimes I wish Robin 66 had pants, then it wouldn’t be as awkward when they zoomed in on their seatbelts.

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