The Robin King made his first appearance in Death Metal #2. His initial cover appearance is making serious waves...and it has not even be released yet.

WHICH IS THE ROBIN KING'S FIRST OFFICIAL APPEARANCE?

The short answer is Dark Nights: Death Metal #2.

Although it is only for a couple of panels, the resurrected Batman Who Laughs - now merged with a Bruce Wayne version of Doctor Manhattan - says he needs a second in command. (On a side note, this new look for the BWL makes him a clear copy of the Mouth of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings.) He takes a knee and a Groblin whispers to the BWL, which seemingly leaves him almost speechless for a moment. The Groblins typically have just one word, "Crow." But this Groblin says, "Crow...n." From there, the BWL promises to crown him as the Robin King.

Debate over, right? Not necessarily. After all, this is the land of comic book collecting. Where first appearance arguments are the fodder of social media everywhere.

In many collecting circles, this is being considered the cameo first appearance for the Robin King. While he was clearly anointed with the title and given the ability of speech, we have yet to see him in his full regal attire. According to writer Scott Snyder, that is coming very soon.

During a Comic-Con@Home 2020 panel, Snyder confirmed that Death Metal #3 will be the full reveal for the Robin King. "In [Dark Nights: Death Metal #3], you meet the Robin King. He's kind of born in #2, but in #3 you get to see him interact for the first time with the heroes. I love him because I'm just writing his dialogue now – his whole history, his secrets, you'll learn who he is, what he is. I've seen a lot of speculation."

 

WHAT TO BUY

When it comes to comic collecting, those first appearances boil down to the covers. There is no question that Robin King's true debut is in Death Metal #2. New character aficionados will want that issue (and all the variants if that suits you). However, he will get his first full appearance in a spin-off series. That is where the investment dollars are inflating rapidly.

Snyder may have mentioned Death Metal #3, but the issue that is already earning big figures is the 1:25 Dark Nights: Legends of the Dark Knights #1 variant. It is only available for pre-order, and already it is consistently selling for $85-$100. Those numbers are increasing by the day. On the other hand, if you just want a piece of the action for the Robin King's first full appearance, the standard cover is in the $10-$20 range.

ROBIN KING'S POTENTIAL

Snyder's latest creation certainly has a strong upside, especially for that 1:25 variant. How much of a role he will play in the future of the DC Universe is yet to be seen. Though, Snyder has touted him as a major player. He has even said the Robin King is more evil and twisted than the Batman Who Laughs, which is saying something. Even if the variants are out of your price range, it will still pay to collect the standard covers.