"A Matter of Family" is the first episode of the fourth season of The Batman.
Plot
After a young circus performer named Dick Grayson loses his parents to a criminal named Tony Zucco, Bruce adopts the boy, since he knows what it feels like to lose family. Batman then sets out to bring Mr. and Mrs. Grayson's killer to justice. Once Bruce's secret is revealed, Dick joins Batman as his new sidekick, Robin.
Summary
The Grayson family is having dinner when they decide it's time to practice. After they enter the circus tent, they are "greeted" by the mob boss Tony Zucco. Zucco tells Mr. Grayson that he and his brothers will protect the circus, for a fee. When Mr. Grayson questions Zucco as to why they would need protection, Zucco says if they aren't paid the Graysons will have to deal with a strong man, a lion tamer, and a juggler. When Zucco indirectly threatens Dick Grayson while squeezing his shoulder. John then fights the brothers before being knocked out by the strong man.
Mary and Dick stand in fear after seeing John get knocked down. Zucco tells John that they couldn't afford not having his protection, but Dick says they can because he had called the police several minutes. This causes Zucco to become concerned, only for things to get worse when Batman appears behind him. Batman fights the lion tamer while Zucco and the other brothers escape. Batman defeats the lion tamer. Batman looks at the Grayson family happily together. When Dick smiles at Batman, Batman smiles back at him. Zucco says the brother's family has been divided and that they should return the "favor".
Later it is the circus's opening night and Bruce Wayne comes to watch the show. The Graysons are changing into their new costumes. Dick is not pleased with his new costume, asking why it is so colorful. Mary says she made the costume colorful because Dick makes her think of a little robin when she sees him on the trapeze. Dick does not like the nickname, but the family shares a laugh about it anyway. In then cuts to the ringmaster introducing the Graysons performing without the safety of a net. John starts the performance off. Zucco and his brothers, minus the lion tamer, in the audience. Zucco hands the strong man a popcorn bucket with two of the trapeze wires nuts in it.
Mary begins her part of the performance, and the trapeze wires start to come loose. The ringmaster introduces Dick. Dick is about to start his part of the performance when he hears a noise above him. He looks to see the trapeze wires coming undone above him. The wires come undone, and John and Mary Grayson fall to their death. The circus audience stares in shock. Bruce looks up at Dick and sees the boy crying. A funeral for Dick's parents is held later. Dick thanks Bruce for paying for all of it. After Dick states that he misses his parents, Bruce has a brief flashback of being a kid and crying over his parents' graves. As Dick walks off Bruce reveals to Alfred that he's decided to adopt Dick as a foster son and takes Dick to Wayne Manor.
Later that night Dick is having dinner and asks Alfred where Bruce is. Alfred tells the boy that Bruce's work demands much of his time. Alfred enters the batcave and tells Bruce that the boy is asking for him. Bruce says he's not going to wait for the police to link the Zuccos to the crime because he won't let Dick carry the burden of his parents' killer getting away. Bruce discovers that the brand of tooth pick that Zucco had can be found at the Ice Pick Club and he promptly heads there. Batman busts into the club and demands to know where Tony Zucco is. The thugs attempt to take Batman on, but he easily subdues them all. Batman asks one of the thugs where Zucco is. The thug says Zucco is laying low, but his brothers are shaking down parts of old Gotham. Batman tells the thug to tell Zucco that he's coming for him and his brothers.
Dick is playing a video game while sitting on some steps in the manor. Alfred calls for Dick and shows him a big picture that had been made of Dick's parents. After briefly looking at the picture happily Dick says that Zucco will pay for what he did. Alfred tells Dick it is time for dinner and that Bruce might join them this time, but Dick doubts that. Zucco's two brothers are robbing a bakery when Batman intervenes. Batman asks the strong man where Zucco is. The strong man says he wouldn't rat out family, but he unintentionally does when Batman notices the bag of circus peanuts that he was carrying.
Dick is unable to sleep and goes to view the picture of his parents. He is about to fall asleep in the chair in front of the picture when he hears something behind him. He sees Alfred coming out of a passage behind the clock and closing the passage. Dick waits for Alfred to leave before opening the passage himself. Dick discovers the Batcave, only for Batman to return to the cave and find him. Batman reveals his true identity as Bruce Wayne to Dick. Alfred and Bruce decide to talk to Dick about what he saw. Bruce tells Dick that he doesn't want Dick's childhood to be consumed by revenge like his was. Dick realizes Bruce is going after Zucco and says that's for him. Bruce says it's late and that they should finish the conversation in the morning, but Dick knows that he's really going to find Zucco.
Batman enters the circus tent, asking for Zucco to come out, only to be knocked out by a sandbag. Dick is in the Batcave trying to find out where Batman is, knowing that if he finds Batman then he will find Zucco. Dick learns that Batman is at the circus. He knows he can't go to the circus dressed in his pajamas when he remembers the mask Bruce wears and the costume that his mother made for him. Batman awakens at the circus only to discover that Zucco has tied him to a board. Zucco reveals to Batman that he and his father used to be in the circus, Zucco was the knife thrower, and his dad was the one tied to the board. While telling Batman the story Zucco throws knifes at Batman that hit the board he's tied to. Batman asks Zucco why he gave the career up and Zucco reveals that one day he "missed", to Batman's shock.
Zucco throws a knife at Batman's face, only for a falling sandbag to intercept the knife. Dick jumps down from the rafters wearing the costume his mother made him, as well as a mask and a cape. Zucco comments that it's cute that Batman also has family. Dick and Zucco fight while Batman starts rubbing his binds against the knives in order to free himself. Zucco knocks Dick out with a bowling pin. This greatly angers Batman. When Zucco is about to strike Dick once again with the bowling pin, Batman breaks free and kicks Zucco away from Dick. Dick regains consciousness as Batman fights Zucco.
When the fight takes Batman and Zucco to the trapeze platform, Zucco falls off only to be saved by Dick. Later the police arrest Zucco. Batman asks Dick why he saved Zucco because he thought Dick wanted Zucco to get what was coming to him. Dick says Zucco did get what was coming to him, justice. Batman says that "Bruce" might not have what it takes to raise Dick properly. When Dick asks him about Batman raising him, Batman says they'd have to give him a name. Dick looks at the 'R' on his costume and chooses for his superhero name to be "Robin", stating that it's a family name.
Voice Cast and Characters
- Rino Romano as Bruce Wayne/The Batman
- Alastair Duncan as Alfred Pennyworth
- Evan Sabara as Dick Grayson/Robin
- Mark Hamill as Tony Zucco
- Maurice LaMarche as Bruiser
- Kevin Conroy as John Grayson
- Grey DeLisle as Mary Grayson
- Killer Croc's tooth
Trivia
- When the Flying Graysons Poster with their first costumes is shown, the Graysons are shown wearing costumes similar to the costumes from the 2-part "Robin's Reckoning" of Batman: The Animated Series, only on Mary's leotard, her bare legs and feet are fully covered by grey leggings.
- Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill guest star in this episode. The pair previously played Batman and Joker in the 1992 animated series. Conroy is given the heroic role of Dick Grayson's father while Hamill plays the killer of the Grayson family.
Errors
- When Robin comes to save Batman, the yellow part of his bat symbol on Batman's suit is removed.
- Barbara/Batgirl name was shown in the end credits even though she didn’t show up in this episode.
Links
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