Because I'm an obsessive comic fan...
I went to CW's website and sent in some feedback. This is what I wrote:
Dear CW,
I just read in Variety magazine about the possibility for a TV show called "The Graysons" and I have to say this is probably the worst idea I've seen on this network. Dick Grayson is an iconic DC character (he was the first sidekick in comics ever), and this "new take" undermines every aspect of his character that was established since 1940 when he first showed up in comics.
First, his parents died when he was 8 and he was taken in by Bruce Wayne. To have him as a teenager (which was implied in the article) with his parents still alive takes away from everything that made him Robin. Second, if he's not taken in by Bruce Wayne, he would not become Robin. Batman put him on that course, so to take that element out of the show takes away everything about the evolution of Robin.
Dick Grayson has a huge fanbase in comic book circles, and if you don't believe me, ask Dan Didio, editor of DC comics. He wanted to kill Dick Grayson in the comics and was inundated with hate mail and protests. He, smartly, changed his mind and let his character live. But it just proves the point that Dick Grayson has very passionate and very loyal fans.
This series will most definitely not be what Bob Kane and Bill Finger had in mind when they created Robin. If you're trying to follow up on the success of Smallville, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
1. Dick Grayson is not Clark Kent. Clark Kent was an alien growing up on Earth. He had to cope with his developing powers and the problem of keeping them a secret. Dick Grayson has no powers. He is a normal kid who just happened to grow up under a circus tent.
2. Dick Grayson's parents died when he was 8. Clark Kent never knew his biological parents, who died on Krypton, but he did have a family on Earth. Dick Grayson's family is Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Without Bruce Wayne and Alfred, you don't have a show. And if Dick Grayson is a teenager, you've strayed from a very important trait of his character. When he was a teenager, he was living with Bruce Wayne and training to be Robin.
3. Dick Grayson's full name is Richard John Grayson. His nickname is Dick, not DJ. This may seem like a small point, but a character's name, especially one this well known, is important. What if you'd begun calling Clark Kent "CJ"? Would anyone know who the heck you were talking about in the show, especially if they hadn't seen the show from the very beginning? I don't think so.
4. Dick Grayson's home is not Gotham City. That's Bruce Wayne's home. He eventually stayed there with Bruce, but that's not where he's from. He was born into the circus and has never had a hometown. Clark is a farm boy, Dick Grayson is a nomad. He was never in the same place for very long as a kid and therefore didn't have any friends (aside from an elephant at the circus). Clark had friends.
There are more points, but I think you get the idea. I really hope you'll reconsider this "new take" on a beloved comic character. Smallville, despite its strays from the background of Clark Kent, I could stomach. This, I cannot. I don't think this one letter will change your mind, but I can say with some certainty that most comic fans would agree with me. Please keep this in mind.
Thank you,
[Me]
I don't think that'll stop them, but at least I did my part.
Dear CW,
I just read in Variety magazine about the possibility for a TV show called "The Graysons" and I have to say this is probably the worst idea I've seen on this network. Dick Grayson is an iconic DC character (he was the first sidekick in comics ever), and this "new take" undermines every aspect of his character that was established since 1940 when he first showed up in comics.
First, his parents died when he was 8 and he was taken in by Bruce Wayne. To have him as a teenager (which was implied in the article) with his parents still alive takes away from everything that made him Robin. Second, if he's not taken in by Bruce Wayne, he would not become Robin. Batman put him on that course, so to take that element out of the show takes away everything about the evolution of Robin.
Dick Grayson has a huge fanbase in comic book circles, and if you don't believe me, ask Dan Didio, editor of DC comics. He wanted to kill Dick Grayson in the comics and was inundated with hate mail and protests. He, smartly, changed his mind and let his character live. But it just proves the point that Dick Grayson has very passionate and very loyal fans.
This series will most definitely not be what Bob Kane and Bill Finger had in mind when they created Robin. If you're trying to follow up on the success of Smallville, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
1. Dick Grayson is not Clark Kent. Clark Kent was an alien growing up on Earth. He had to cope with his developing powers and the problem of keeping them a secret. Dick Grayson has no powers. He is a normal kid who just happened to grow up under a circus tent.
2. Dick Grayson's parents died when he was 8. Clark Kent never knew his biological parents, who died on Krypton, but he did have a family on Earth. Dick Grayson's family is Bruce Wayne and Alfred. Without Bruce Wayne and Alfred, you don't have a show. And if Dick Grayson is a teenager, you've strayed from a very important trait of his character. When he was a teenager, he was living with Bruce Wayne and training to be Robin.
3. Dick Grayson's full name is Richard John Grayson. His nickname is Dick, not DJ. This may seem like a small point, but a character's name, especially one this well known, is important. What if you'd begun calling Clark Kent "CJ"? Would anyone know who the heck you were talking about in the show, especially if they hadn't seen the show from the very beginning? I don't think so.
4. Dick Grayson's home is not Gotham City. That's Bruce Wayne's home. He eventually stayed there with Bruce, but that's not where he's from. He was born into the circus and has never had a hometown. Clark is a farm boy, Dick Grayson is a nomad. He was never in the same place for very long as a kid and therefore didn't have any friends (aside from an elephant at the circus). Clark had friends.
There are more points, but I think you get the idea. I really hope you'll reconsider this "new take" on a beloved comic character. Smallville, despite its strays from the background of Clark Kent, I could stomach. This, I cannot. I don't think this one letter will change your mind, but I can say with some certainty that most comic fans would agree with me. Please keep this in mind.
Thank you,
[Me]
I don't think that'll stop them, but at least I did my part.