Carrie Kelley made her first appearance in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The rambunctious teenager became enamored with Batman after the caped crusader saved her life his first day out of retirement. The retirement being brought on by the gruesome death of Jason Todd.
Batman had no intention of carrying on with a sidekick, before realizing the immense talent that Carrie had within her. Carrie cashed in what little money she had to buy a Robin suit, and followed Batman around until she was accepted as the new sidekick of The Dark Knight. These are 10 things to know about Carrie Kelley, the Robin of the future.
10 Carrie Has Parents
Unlike the Robins that preceded her, Carrie Kelley did not come from a home of missing parents. Carrie is not an orphan by any means, she has two parents that care about her, and essentially were hippies in the 1960s. Through her dialogue, Carrie explains that her parents were once activists and had since become stoners without a care in the world. Of course, Carrie's actions are the opposite of what her parents would likely approve of, or rather they might not really care what their daughter is up to at night.
9 Carrie Saves Batman's Life
Carrie Kelley did everything she could to try and win over Batman's acceptance. It wasn't until she saved his life that Batman would start to warm up to the newly coined Robin. During The Dark Knight Returns, an older and worn out Batman took on the leader of the new mutant gang that rampaged through the land. After a brutal and violent fight, the mutant leader was defeated by Batman with help from Carrie's surprise attack. If it wasn't for Carrie's quick thinking and affinity for healing, Batman would have fell victim to his wounds.
8 Carrie Becomes Catgirl
A few years after the events of The Dark Knight Returns, Carrie Kelley takes on a new superhero persona, Catgirl. Ditching the Robin duds for a new leopard print outfit, Carrie would take on a more authoritative role within the ranks of Batman's new army.
This new army referred to as the "batboys" would be used to take down criminals that Batman could not attend to himself. Armed with an arm cannon and roller skates, the new Catgirl also found herself fully trained in martial arts by Batman. Catgirl could have rightfully taken on a solo hero role of her own, but it makes sense why she would stay at the side of Batman.
7 Carrie Is The First Female Robin
Contrary to popular belief, Carrie Kelley was in fact the first female to be known as Robin. The Dark Knight Returns introduced Carrie Kelley as Batman's inaugural sidekick long before the job was passed to Stephanie Brown. Unfortunately for the continuity of Batman, Frank Miller's masterpiece is not seen as canon to the rest of the story arcs in the Batman mythos. The designation then lies squarely with Stephanie Brown. Carrie Kelley saw action as the first female Robin back in 1986, whereas Stephanie Brown did not become Robin until 18 years later in 2004.
6 Carrie Battles Dick Grayson
In The Dark Knight Strikes Back, the second installment in Frank Miller's Batman epic, Carrie Kelley finds herself going toe to toe with Batman's former Robin. The unknown assailant resembles The Joker in many ways, except with a regenerative ability that was unknown to Carrie.
After their first battle, Carrie explains her usage of all weapons to try and kill the mysterious attacker but fails in defeating him. It is later revealed in the story that the mystery attacker is none other than Dick Grayson. In a sort of poetic justice, Carrie and Batman must take down the former boy wonder.
5 Carrie Becomes Batman (Batwoman)
After years of being the hero behind the bat, Carrie Kelley finally gets her crack at dawning the cape and cowl. In Frank Miller's triumphant return to the legend of Batman, Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, Carrie Kelley becomes everything she was always meant to be. After years of training under Bruce, Carrie finally is able to set out on her own as the hero she had always been. Instead of being the obvious Batman, she takes on the moniker of Batwoman. Carrie becoming the bat is one of the best success stories in all of DC.
4 Carrie Kelley Is The Inspiration For LEGO Robin
With her iconic green shaded glasses, yellow cape, and throwback Robin costume, there is no mistaking that Carrie Kelley's popularity has traversed multiple mediums in Batman. The LEGO Batman Movie proved that Carrie Kelley's popularity as Robin has reached heights that no one thought would be possible. Although the Robin in the film is named after the original, Dick Grayson, it is without question that the look is completely supposed to look like Kelley. This speaks volumes to the Robin that most people want to see, regardless of the name given. Carrie Kelley is the Robin that everyone needs in their life.
3 Carrie Pushes Batman To Be Better
Carrie Kelley has succeeded where most Robins before her have failed. Carrie immediately pushes Batman to be a better version of himself. Carrie's natural talent and unabashed moral compass allowed Batman to come out of retirement, and to seek another sidekick to battle crime.
It is no surprise that Batman holds Carrie in such high regard, often referring to her as the "daughter he never had." Carrie fights with gusto and has battled her way to becoming the newest version of the caped crusader. She even had Batman say, "I can learn a lot from her."
2 Carrie Kelley Is Part Of Current DC Continuity
Although the Frank Miller Batman storylines have all been labeled non-canon, Carrie Kelley still holds a place in the current DC continuity. Carrie was created by Frank Miller but has since been reintroduced in the Prime Earth storylines. She is currently is a college sophomore and has even befriended Damien Wayne. Carrie takes on the task of teaching Damien how to act so that he can see what it is like to be "somebody else." This bodes well for Carrie, as she can be brought into several other future Batman titles.
1 Carrie Has A Limited Backstory
Normally when a character has a limited backstory, they can then be easily written off in whatever man the creator sees fit. This has not been the case for Carrie Kelley. Although Carrie's parents are briefly mentioned in The Dark Knight Returns, they later become an afterthought for the remainder of the plot. This limited backstory that Carrie possesses benefits her overall characterization. She can be made into whatever hero the DC Universe allows her to be. If Frank Miller making her Batman is any indication of Carrie's character plans, then she will have a very bright story to tell for the foreseeable future.