If you were perplexed by the Robin design released last month for Batman: Arkham City by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment, you weren't alone. Some Robot 6 commenters referred to the look as "Eminem" and even (shudder) "horribly Schumacher-esque," while at the Batman: Arkham City Community forums the discussion continued at length.

Now, however, Rocksteady Studios senior concept artist Kan Muftic has stepped forward with "the final word on Robin," providing some insight into the game's version of Tim Drake and revealing an additional piece of color concept art.

"We wanted to create a Robin that players would identify as a contemporary character and move away from the traditional 'Boy Wonder' image that most people know," Muftic wrote in a message posted on the forum. "Our vision of Robin is the one of a troubled young individual that is calm and introverted at times but very dangerous and aggressive if provoked. The shaved head is inspired by cage fighters, because we thought that Robin might be doing that in his spare time to keep him on his toes. Still, we kept all the classic trademarks of Robin’s appearance, such as the red and yellow colors of his outfit, the cape and the mask. We really hope that people will discover our Robin as one of their new favorite characters in the Batman universe. He is back and he means business."

Batman: Arkham City, the sequel to the bestselling 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, is set inside the newly constructed fortified walls that have transformed part of Gotham’s slums into a sprawling maximum-security prison for the city’s gangsters, thugs and criminally insane. Robin will be available as a playable character in the challenge mode to those in North America who pre-order the game from Best Buy.

Arkham City will be released Oct. 18 in North America and Oct. 21 in Europe.