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The argument over who is the best Robin is a classic one among comic book fans, including here on the Popverse team. Batman is always at his best when he has a Robin to balance him out, which is no less true when we dive into the brutal future of The Dark Knight Returns. Here, Frank Miller introduced the world to Carrie Kelley, who not only serves as Batman’s sidekick after his return from retirement but also as a foil for the darkness and anger he carries with him.

In the world of The Dark Knight Returns, Carrie Kelley serves as a welcome point of lightness. That is intentional, as Carrie’s run as Robin in that story sets her up as a foil for Batman in multiple ways. “I love Carrie because she represents what I love about children,” Frank Miller told us in our recent interview with him. “They are smarter than most people think they are. Carrie is the one human being that Batman has encountered who is as brilliant as he is yet untainted by bitterness, anger, or personal trauma.”

That last bit is important not just for The Dark Knight Returns and the way it highlights the dark side of Batman, but also for how most sidekicks function in comic books. They are reflections of their heroes. In the case of Carrie Kelley as Robin, she is the person that Batman could have been if he hadn’t had to live through so much personal tragedy and pain. She is his reflection, and that’s what makes her work within the comics.

Need more? Here's our picks for the best DC Comics stories of all time, and here's a list of all the free DC comics you can look forward to as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 and Comics Giveaway Day 2026.