Dear Batman #2--The Great Robin Debate Of 1974

It's 1974, and Dick Grayson has "grown up" and gone off to college at Hudson University. But being rich and bored, he still manages to make it back to Gotham fairly regular on "weekends" or "school vacations" to team up with his old chum Batman.

Well, some folks thought brightly-colored, wise-cracking Robin clashed too much with the new, darker direction on Batman. Which lead to a letter in Batman #256 (1974) calling on DC to not bring Robin back anymore!!

Well, that caused a furor of responses, pro and con, so DC dedicated and entire second letters page in Batman #258 (1974) to this issue. Let's listen in ,shall we?

"The Magnificent Manling"?? Really? Thank heaven that never caught on...

OK, there's a pro-Robin!

All right, I'm convinced!! No mustache for Dick!

"Once every three or four years"?!? That would be a good rule for the Joker, perhaps...

You have to respect the capitalized AND...

So you want Batman by himself, and you think Robin solo stories "smell." Is this Dan DiDio in disguise?

Fair and reasoned, Marla Cummings. Although  you really, really shouldn't have phrased it "done away with," as that would become DC's preferred method for dealing with the Robin end of the partnership...Ouch.