Batman’s Best Sidekick Isn’t Robin
Batman has had a lot of sidekicks over the years. There have been at least five canon Robins alone, to say nothing of the extended Bat-family like Batgirl, Oracle, and Huntress. But of all the allies that have come and gone, only one member of Batman’s adopted children has ever had the guts to take on the entire Justice League, and that’s Jarro.
Introducing… Jarro!
Jarro is the genetic offspring of DC villain Starro the Conqueror a giant space starfish that can shoot out spores shaped like little baby Starro’s capable of mind-controlling anyone they attach to. Batman once acquired some of Starro’s genetic material and grew a whole new organism from it that he kept in a jar and nicknamed Jarro. He made his first official appearance in 2018’s Justice League #10 and immediately captured the hearts of DC fans everywhere.
A More Hug-Friendly Batman
Jarro fully considers himself Batman’s child and even refers to the Dark Knight as “Dad.” Meanwhile, Batman, not exactly known for his soft and friendly demeanor, actually reciprocates the love Jarro feels for him and even gives the alien a hug in Justice League #29. If that doesn’t seem all that impressive, just remember, this is Batman we’re talking about; he’s the reason the phrase “grimdark” was coined.
Batman giving Jarro a public display of affection is a huge deal—just ask all of the Robins that would kill for a pat on the shoulder and an “Attaboy!” let alone an actual embrace.
Jarro, Jar Wonder
Jarro dreams of someday becoming not just a Robin but Batman’s favorite Robin. Justice League #20 features an extended dream sequence where Batman and Jarro have a series of adventures. At one point in his dream, Jarro throws a Batarang while exclaiming, “For justice, you turds!” and it couldn’t be more adorable.
Jarro Vs. The Justice League
Jarro is so enamored of his adopted father that when the Legion of Doom begins growing too powerful for the Justice League, he tries to hypnotize the team to stay away from them. Jarro briefly took on the monstrous qualities of the original Starro when he became a giant and started mind-controlling various league members through his starfish-shaped spores. It took an impassioned speech from Batman to get Jarro to shrink back down to his original size, leading to the aforementioned hug.
Jarro Is A Symbol Of The Redemption Batman Believes In
Jarro might seem like just a cute little gag character, but he’s actually much, much more. Jarro represents Batman’s whole ideology, the reason the Caped Crusader continues sending his rogues to Arkham for help rather than burning them in an underground prison somewhere. Batman believes that with the right help, anyone can change for the better.
The fact that Batman was able to take a version of Starro—an alien whose whole reason for existing is to turn all other sentient beings into its mind-controlled slaves—and turn it into a loving, feeling creature who dreams of fighting alongside his dad and making the world a better place is proof that Batman’s guiding philosophy can work. Batman might seem like a cynical doomsday prepper, but Jarro is proof that deep down, he’s actually an optimist who sees the good in people, even when others don’t.
