Batman Names the 1 Detective from Another Franchise He Respects - & Wants to Recruit

Warning: Spoilers for The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #5 ahead!

Summary Batman offers Velma the role of Robin, impressed by her detective skills and potential as a crime-fighter.

Velma shines as a detective, complementing Batman's skills well and earning his respect.

Velma turns down Batman's offer due to lack of martial training, greatly disappointing Batman.

Batman may be a world-class sleuth and expert tactician, but he is also infamous for expecting everyone else to live up to his standards. That attitude is why it is so surprising to see him in a recent Scooby-Doo crossover all but begging a detective with a much less serious reputation to become his next partner.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #5 by Matthew Cody and Puste sees the teens of Mystery Inc. teaming up with Batman to scour Dr. Jekyll's haunted mansion for any research that could help Batman find a cure for Kirk Langstrom's monstrous Man-Bat alter-ego.

While Daphne and Fred search upstairs and Shaggy and Scooby search the basement, Batman and Velma comb the foyer while discussing all the clues that suggest the mansion isn't as abandoned as it would seem. Impressed by Velma's deductive skills, Batman casually mentions that "Robin is getting older, and someday I'll need a new sidekick," essentially offering Velma the position of Robin right then and there.

Related Gotham's New Robin Makes Their Canon Debut, with Official Costume & Mission Batman is joined by a new Robin, making them the sixth person in DC Comics canon to take up the iconic role of the Dark Knight's sidekick.

Scooby-Doo's Velma Has What It Takes To Be The Next Robin

Batman Declares Velma Ready for the Role

This isn't the first time that The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries has suggested that Mystery Inc. has what it takes to join the Bat-Family. Issue #2 of the 2024 series has Fred and Daphne realize just how well Velma and Batman work together as detectives; meanwhile, the 2022 series has Daphne subbing in for Batgirl on the sly. Although the cast of Scooby-Doo is often played for laughs, each member of the team shines in their specialized role, and even hard-boiled detectives like Batman have to give them their due.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2 by J. Torres, Scott Jeralds, Strachan, and Temofonte is available now from DC Comics.

Despite this, none of the team get along with Batman quite like Velma. As a natural detective, she follows perfectly in Tim Drake's footsteps, and her technical and computer know-how likewise means she complements Barbara Gordon's work as Oracle. The only thing preventing Velma from having a meaningful career as Robin is her lack of martial training; lamenting her innate clumsiness, she's quick to point out to Batman that "when I jump around, I mostly just lose my glasses."

Velma Easily Earns Batman's Hard-Won Respect

Batman and Velma Make for the Perfect Team-Up

Despite her clumsiness, the fact that Velma is such a skilled detective that Batman would immediately offer her a role as Robin is an incredible compliment. On top of this, Batman looks visibly disappointed when Velma turns down the offer due to how physically taxing the role of Robin would be, showing just how highly Batman thinks of her skills. Batman and Scooby-Doo may be an unlikely team-up, but it's clear each time they work together just how highly the Dark Knight respects Velma's skill as a detective.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #5 is available now from DC Comics.

THE BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #5 (2024) Writer: Matthew Cody

Artist: Puste

Colorist: Carrie Strachan

Letterer: Saida Temofonte

Cover Artists: Puste, Carrie Strachan