Cover to Cover: Little Dick Grayson Sat In a Corner

As any parent knows, young children tend to like repetition.  Familiar routines bring a sense of order, predictability, and security to little ones who are trying to make sense of the big world around them.

However, Batman's boy sidekick Robin took the repetition thing just a little too far.  You see, on an astounding number of late 1950's and early 60's covers, Dick Grayson could be found in the lower left or right-hand corners looking stunned and/or providing color commentary...often with a raised arm bent at the elbow. Granted, Robin served as a kind of "proxy" for kids who read Batman comics, so this spectator-like role makes a certain kind of sense, I suppose...but at the same time, the sheer repetition of the "corner commentary" shtick gave 

the Boy Wonder an oddly passive presence in situations he would normally be participating in.

Happily, like any kid growing out of a phase, Robin eventually abandoned his spectator status and rejoined the action...but to fully understand the repetitive rut Robin found himself in, let's take a look back at those Corner Commentary covers, shall we?

(Click on the covers for a larger view)

Comments

[Ivan Wolfe]

Now I know the real reason for the name "boy wonder." He was always staring or gasping in wonder.

I'm sure this is a deleted scene from an old comic:

Batman: I wanted to call you the Boy who helps out, but since all you do is stand off to the side in amazement and wonder, I'll call you the Boy who stand in wonder instead. Actually, I'll just make it "boy wonder" for short.

[Rich]

That, or Befuddled Boy was already an obscure member of the Legion.

[Mark Engblom]

Well, when you think about it, the stand-offish look of shock and/or fear is probably a more accurate reaction for a young boy facing a rampaging caveman, purple dinosaur, his mentor twisted into bizarre forms before his very eyes, or any of the thousand other traumatic spectacles Robin has witnessed for nearly 70 years.

[PAUL SAETHER]

DEAD RIGHT - SHELDON MOLDOFF WAS THE WORST CULPRIT - BUT HOW COULD AN EDITOR ALLOW HIM TO GET AWAY WITH 4 OR 5 CONSECUTIVE ISSUES OF DETECTIVE WITH A CORNER POSE SO UNCHANGED THAT THEY MAY AS WELL HAD USED A RUBBER STAMP FOR THE ROBIN COVER!
ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT THOSE SAME COVERS INVARIABLE HAD A WORD BALLOON READING "GREAT SCOTT! A WEIRD CREATURE!" AND YOU BEGIN TO SUSPECT THAT THEY WERE NOT EVEN TRYING TO GIVE THEIR READERS ANY VARIETY.

PAUL SAETHER

[Mark Engblom]

You're right....there were often consecutive covers with nearly the same corner image of Robin...as if, like you say, they used a rubber stamp or something. Pretty lazy.

[Michael Jones]

Hey, at least he alternated between the left and right bottom corners!

[Mark Engblom]

I guess we could say that Robin could go both ways.

[Aspen]

There are also a few covers with Batman in the same pose, leaning slightly back with a "surprised" pose. Check out the covers with the frozen caveman guy and below and to the left you see Batman in the same exact pose. I'm guessing it didn't take long to do new covers that way :P