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They’re Baaaaack…
Holy Harbinger 🦇 Batman! We’re sure ❄️ Winter ❄️ is over when the Robins turn up again. There’s nothing like a blush of Robins to make you feel like 💐 Spring 🌷 is already here…
A Cage?
A robin redbreast in a cage / Puts all heaven in a rage. ~William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, c.1803
Absolutely! Robins are such joyous little birds because they are as free as the wind.
What we absolutely love about the warmer days is for these jaunty little harbingers of the coming season to be bouncing around our yards.
As much as I can’t stand going outside, when I do go out, these cheerful little birds actually make it worthwhile.
Now that it’s getting warm and basically staying that way, I will have to start taking walks again.
Redbreast
Why are American Robins So Deeply Connected to Spring?
Naturally, two things jump to front of mind when I hear “Robin”.
I think of the bouncy little embodiments of springtime perching, hopping and flying all over the place in the warmth of the changing season.
I think of the classic Batman sidekick, particularly as portrayed in the campy 60s TV series by Burt Ward.
Both versions are ludicrously cheerful. The birds have a lovely song and Burt has his signature “Holy ____, Batman!” exclamations.
SUPERCUT Every “Holy…” in Batman (1966-1968)
🦇 Bats & Birds 🐧
Robin is an essential part of the Batman mythos. ~Dennis O’Neil
Robin gets a bad rap from a lot of people.
There are the aspects of child-endangerment that give people qualms.
Despite how bad that is on its face, comic books have always been about wish fulfillment.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have super strength, laser eyes, flying around, swooping around the dark bopping bad guys, throwing fireballs or popping unbreakable metal claws?
Solving crime in spandex and a cape? Cool!
Teaching a kid whose parents were killed by organized crime to become the dark fist of justice? Cool!
Having your “ward” face certain death in the struggle against psychotic villains or ruthless gangsters? Cool!
In fact, it’s so cool that a 900-number poll of comic book readers resulted in a gladiatorial thumbs down for Jason Todd.
It was actually posed as a live/die question and a slim majority said, Die!
Poor Jason got thrashed by the Joker with a crowbar.
A kid got murdered by the Clown Prince of Crime because the readers demanded it.
We all know a kid has no business conducting a vigilante campaign of violence against crime.
It’s bad enough when you’re facing murderous criminals as a minor, but it’s even worse for kids to have to face bloodthirsty readers.
It’s the opposite of plot armor.
Fortunately, Jason isn’t Uncle Ben or Ferro-Lad, so he got to come back as the Red Hood.
Coming back from the dead didn’t seem to have improved the personality that got his reading audience to vote for his demise.
Be that as it may, just damn…
I’m striving not to write any characters who my readers would overwhelmingly vote to die horribly.
Hopefully for their sake, I succeed. Just because you’re abrasive, shouldn’t be a death sentence. Jeez…
That’s all for today. See you back on Saturday for frosted 🥧…