Batman Gets Batgirl

Batman Gets Batgirl by jackcrowder

Batman and Robin are the Dynamic Duo, the vigilante crime-fighting aliases of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne and his youthful ward Dick Grayson.  Batman starred in his own DC comic book series since 1939, and Robin was introduced in 1940.  Batman and Robin were played by Adam West and Burt Ward, respectively, in the 1966 television series on ABC.

Batgirl is best known as the crime-fighting alias of Barbara Gordon, a librarian and daughter of Police Commissioner Gordon.  After initially appearing as Betty Kane from 1961 to 1964 in the DC comic book series, she was reintroduced in 1967 in both the comic book series and the 1966 television series, with Yvonne Craig as Ms. Gordon.

The picture "Batman Gets Batgirl" was commissioned from the artist jackcrowder through DeviantART.  

This picture explores a whimsical rivalry between Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin in season 3 of the 1966 television series over Batgirl.

While Burt Ward was able to gather a large fan following as Robin, with his youthful enthusiasm, his athletic, acrobatic build, and his colorful, flamboyant costume, he was clearly outmatched by the older, more mature Adam West as Batman.  The Caped Crusader significantly and consistently got more screen time and story lines, and his fan base was larger than the Boy Wonder's.  Ward may have been somewhat competitive with West, both on the set and afterwards, but he would have to concede that Batman was the star and the alpha male, while Robin was the sidekick and the beta boy.

With respect to the characters, the Boy Wonder was clearly the weak link in the Dynamic Duo.  While he is strong and tough for his size, he lacks the finishing abilities of the Caped Crusader and weakens more quickly under attack.  His advantages in speed and endurance are squandered by his apparent preference for close-range combat, emulating his mentor Batman.  In short, his tendency to copy Batman's fighting style, without possessing Batman's fighting abilities, frequently gets the Boy Wonder into trouble.

To repeat, Batman was the star and the alpha male, while Robin was the sidekick and the beta boy.


This picture is fan art and is intended to promote the appreciation of Burt Ward's portrayal of Robin in the 1966 television series "Batman".  This is an original scene and did not appear in the movie, the television series, or any other derivative material.

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