Originally Posted by
DACSHeyes
The only Robin's who has actually successfully graduated to another identity is Dick Grayson, and that was pre-Crisis. He had moved beyond just being Robin, so Jason Todd was created to be a new Robin, so the successful formula of Batman and Robin could continue and Dick's character could continue to develop without being regressed.
Jason didn't graduate - he died, and then was brought back fully formed as the Red Hood. He didn't actually develop naturally to get to that point, his resurrection and actions afterwards were created with the end point already in mind.
Tim's graduation was forced - they wanted Damian to be Robin, so Tim couldn't be Robin anymore (Making Damian Robin was absolutely the correct move, incidentally). It could have worked too, if they hadn't saddled him with Red Robin as a name permanently. It would have worked as a temporary one - Tim using it to protest his removal for his attempted murderer, before accepting the change when he sees how Damian changed for the better as a result of being Robin and finally deciding on a new name and costume.
As a permanent graduated identity, it doesn't provide a separation from the Robin identity or actually signify graduation the way Nightwing does. He was literally still Robin, just not THE Robin. Which is why Tynion could essentially make him Robin again during Tec by literally giving him a Robin costume with two Rs, which Bendis could finish by removing the Red from the name. And also probably why he's still 16, the name Robin is associated with youth in comics, so they couldn't make him too old.
Course, even if Tim hadn't been called Red Robin, we could still would up in this situation with a perennially 16, back to Robin Tim. I do feel it'd be less likely though.
As for a new identity for Tim, if this was circa 2009/10 ish, I would've said Redwing:
1) Tim used it as an online handle both as Robin and Red Robin, so the name wouldn't come out of nowhere.
2) Would've continued his red/black colour scheme.
3) Brings to mind Nightwing and thus Dick and Tim's brotherly relationship.
4) Would've continued Tim's naming trend - Redbird, Redboard, Redwing.
Now, any graduation Tim makes is probably going to be associated with Kon - there's two Robin's and two Superboy's. They're not going to have Damian stay Robin and have Jon change, or Tim change but Kon stays Superboy. So I think they'll do the YJ4 as a set and have all four choose new names together, though I've no idea what they choose for Tim now, or what would be a good choice. Redwing doesn't feel appropriate any more, with the retcons and backpedalling and different character relationships.
And Tim should never be Batman. Ever. If there's a list of "Who Should Be The Next Batman After Bruce Wayne?", Tim shouldn't be on it. Any stories you could tell with him in the role would either not be different enough from the same story told with Bruce to matter, or be better told by someone else in the Batfamily. Also, Tim has never wanted to be Batman and found the growing similarities between him and Bruce disturbing, so why do people WANT him to be Batman?