DC's New Robin Is the Darkest Boy Wonder Yet (With a Vicious New Costume)

Summary Robin of Zur-En-Arrh is a dangerous new sidekick created by the twisted new Batman.

Zur-En-Arrh's plan for an army of Amazos could have massive implications for the DC Universe.

The new Robin is under Zur-En-Arrh's complete control and may play a key role in upcoming events.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Batman #147!There's a new Boy Wonder in town and this Robin could be the most dangerous one yet. Zur-En-Arrh, DC's new Batman, has big plans to eradicate crime in all its forms and if he wants to see it through, he's going to need a Robin by his side.

Zur-En-Arrh thought Damian Wayne was the sidekick he needed and manipulated the young hero to work alongside him. But in a moment of rebellion, Zur-En-Arrh swaps him out for a new Boy Wonder. With Absolute Power on the horizon, this Robin could be a crucial asset in Zur-En-Arrh's plot to control the Earth.

DC's Twisted New Batman Reveals the Robin of Zur-En-Arrh

In Batman #147 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles, Zur-En-Arrh continues to take Gotham under control. Robin approaches Zur-En-Arrh, who is spying on every listening device in Gotham. After catching wind of an assassination attempt on newly-appointed Police Commissioner Vandal Savage, Zur-En-Arrh heads out to stop it. However, Zur-En-Arrh’s actions catch Amanda Waller’s attention and she dispatches a team to Wayne Manor to bring this Batman in by any means necessary. Unfortunately, Waller’s team is greeted by Robin, who easily takes them all down.

Waller warns Zur-En-Arrh that it won’t be long before DC’s heroes come after 'Batman'.

At the same time, Zur-En-Arrh arrives at Waller’s base on Gamorra to have a conversation regarding Waller’s spying on him. Zur-En-Arrh threatens to imprison Waller if she doesn’t leave him alone, but Waller tries to appeal to Zur-En-Arrh’s senses and tells him that they both want control in the world. Zur-En-Arrh rebuffs Waller over her attempts to take down the heroes of the world, but Waller warns Zur-En-Arrh that it won’t be long before DC’s heroes come after 'Batman'.

Worried that Waller is correct, Zur-En-Arrh informs Robin of the next phase of his plans: An army of Amazos, each one uploaded with the mind of a Batman from the multiverse. Damian suddenly realizes that the Batman he’d been following is Zur-En-Arrh and not his father, causing Robin to attack Zur-En-Arrh. Unfortunately, Zur-En-Arrh had been planning for this. Realizing that Waller was correct and total control is the only option, Zur-En-Arrh reveals a new Robin, one dressed in a garish costume, that Zur-En-Arrh has made.

Zur-En-Arrh Has Taken Over Every Part of Batman's Life

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As part of a devious, long-term plan to help Zur-En-Arrh take over Batman’s body for good, the Joker convinced the Penguin to fake his death and frame Batman for it. This stunt activated Failsafe, a contingency developed by Zur-En-Arrh in the event that Bruce ever takes a life. Failsafe relentlessly hunted Batman and the stress wound up bringing Zur-En-Arrh to the surface. Unfortunately, even the more dangerous Batman wasn’t enough to stop the android from shooting Bruce with a gun that sent him to an alternate universe.

The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh returned in Batman #126 (2022)!

While Batman struggled to find a way home, Zur-En-Arrh was still in Bruce’s mind. The Dark Knight's multiversal excursion saw him travel from world to world and along the way, Zur-En-Arrh picked up variants of the backup persona. After arriving home, the Prime Zur-En-Arrh had his consciousness transferred into Failsafe’s body, while also storing the additional Zur-En-Arrh minds for later use. Now in a powerful, nearly indestructible body, Zur-En-Arrh offered Batman the choice to retire peacefully. But Batman fought back and Zur-En-Arrh imprisoned him in Blackgate Prison.

With Batman out of the way, Zur-En-Arrh hit Gotham City and began arresting any law-breaker in his path. The rest of the Bat-Family knew it wasn’t Bruce, but Damian Wayne believed Zur-En-Arrh when he said he was what was left of his father. Zur-En-Arrh and Robin began taking down every criminal and supervillain in Gotham and sending them to Blackgate without trial. Robin eventually discovered that Zur-En-Arrh had bigger plans after he discovered the new Batman had acquired several Amazos to create an army.

What Zur-En-Arrh's Robin Means for DC's Future

The idea of a ‘Robin of Zur-En-Arrh’ might seem surprising, but it's been teased as far back as Batman #127 when Tim Drake discovered that Zur-En-Arrh’s secret Batcave. In a display case, Zur-En-Arrh had an incredibly garish Robin costume, though there was no indication as to who it was actually for. This costume later reappeared in Batman #136’s backup story, a tale set in the past. The costume was seen by Failsafe and it appeared to set the android off, saying Batman had “gone too far”.

Zur-En-Arrh almost certainly has plans for his wicked new Robin...

It’s hard to tell what exactly this new Robin is exactly. Given his resemblance to Damian, he could be a clone that Zur-En-Arrh made. The new sidekick could also be an advanced android, which would fit in with the Amazo army that Zur-En-Arrh is building. Whatever this new Robin is, one thing is clear: Zur-En-Arrh has complete control of him and judging by the look on the Robin of Zur-En-Arrh’s face and the bladed weapon he’s holding, he’s far more dangerous than the average Boy Wonder.

While it remains to be seen what this new Robin can do, one must remember that Absolute Power is just a few months away. Zur-En-Arrh is going to be leading his Amazo army to hunt down the heroes of the world. While this new Robin has yet to appear in any promotional material for Absolute Power, Zur-En-Arrh is one of the most hyper-prepared Batmen that has ever existed. Zur-En-Arrh almost certainly has plans for his wicked new Robin, whether he's meant to help Zur-En-Arrh take down DC’s biggest heroes or assist him in other nefarious ways.

The Robin of Zur-En-Arrh Could Be the Start of a Terrifying New Bat-Family

Zur-En-Arrh is quickly learning that he needs assistance if he wants to eliminate crime on a worldwide scale. While the Amazo robots will go a long way in doing that, Zur-En-Arrh knows he needs others the same way that Bruce needs the Bat-Family. Zur-En-Arrh tried building such a team with Damian, but the new Batman needs complete and utter control, which is what he has with the new Robin of Zur-En-Arrh. Though he hasn’t shown what he’s made of just yet, this intimidating new Robin could be just the first wave of some big changes in the DC Universe.

Batman #147 is available now from DC Comics.