Tim Drake: Robin, Red Robin, Drake Appreciation 2020

[marvelprince]

I've been sitting on my thoughts after reading it this morning, and I'm honestly pretty upset this is the way they give Tim back his role as robin. This was just such a unclimatic way of doing it for what should be a huge story. I don't know if Bendis was told to do this before joker war and death metal ended, but I'm not a fan of just doing it as a quick mention and quickly moving on to other things.

Seems pretty likely this change was mandated due to editorial but the whole thing kinda ends on a whimper for me. I actually didn't mind characters, particularly younger characters, experiment with their names and switching things up but this was billed as the next stage for the character and I don't think it ever lived up to that.

[DragonPiece]

It is not like the change from Robin to Drake was executed really differently.

But IMO, both should have been big moments. I am sure a lot of this is a combination of editorial issues and also just how Bendis writes, but I’m not a fan.

[Jman27]

so the reason he is robin again is cause of Damien right?

[Konja7]

so the reason he is robin again is cause of Damien right?

In-universe, Tim's reason to be Robin doesn't seem related to Damian at all.

Out of universe, we don't know yet. Damian has problems with Bruce and left the Robin mantle in Teen Titans. However, we don't know if this is a permanent thing or Damian and Bruce could repair things in Detective Comics.

[scary harpy]

alright, i'm resigned to the fact that Damian will get his own alias before Tim will.

but, at least, Tim could get his own distinctive look.

yes, he's still Robin. He could be that Robin.

as is, Damian had a better Robin costume than Tim.

[sifighter]

I mean its not like I was too attached to the Drake costume, its only been around for what 7 issues and only appeared in this, other bendis comics, and I think maybe the digital first batman series? For me if I summed up what this issue just did its basically as though Tim went "I'm going to try this new look and see how it works....oh, my Dad and my girlfriend don't like it. Guess I'll just go back to what worked" It's the same outfit he wore in Detective Comics/Rebirth basically, except no double R for Red Robin.

It's a lazy choice of writing to be fair, but its not the most offensive thing I've seen when it comes to costumes and Identity so it doesn't really matter to me.

[Light of Justice]

In-universe, Tim's reason to be Robin doesn't seem related to Damian at all.

Out of universe, we don't know yet. Damian has problems with Bruce and left the Robin mantle in Teen Titans. However, we don't know if this is a permanent thing or Damian and Bruce could repair things in Detective Comics.

Out of universe reason for Tim becomes Robin again maybe related to 5G and it's cancellation. Adam Glass, writer of TT, said that removing Damian from Robin is editorial mandate and he also said "One step back two step forward". I think his TT run are meant to "build Damian's sins". And I also heard the rumor that Drake are supposed to be long term plan. So maybe at first the plan is to build 5G and make Luke become Batman (and have his own Robin apparently, because honestly both Damian and Tim has more big fanbases more than Luke and I don't think DC can make a story when Robin is more popular than Batman) so to "get rid" of Tim and Damian they made Tim's new identity and built a plot that led to Damian's removal of Robin title. When 5G is cancelled, fans hate Drake, and apparently they already messed up with Damian's character too much (even though actually they can stop on the end of Terminus Agenda but for Damian fans bad luck maybe 5G wasn't yet cancelled on that time), their plan is apparently to resumed whatever their "two step forward" plan on Damian and give Tim Robin title back. So my conclusion is Tim becomes Robin again because fans greatly dislike Drake (which is understandable, I hate Drake too). If Drake is widely accepted (or if Bendis can create new identity which is not his literal surname), I think DC will not make him Robin again even though Damian renounces his role as Robin.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I liked the YJ issue, it was a nice Steph focused issue. Yeah, Tim switching back to Robin was just a afterthought, but it's done at least. So far the Batman solicits after #100 has not mentioned Tim, but I hope Tynion will be using him.

[Digifiend]

Out of universe reason for Tim becomes Robin again maybe related to 5G and it's cancellation. Adam Glass, writer of TT, said that removing Damian from Robin is editorial mandate and he also said "One step back two step forward". I think his TT run are meant to "build Damian's sins". And I also heard the rumor that Drake are supposed to be long term plan. So maybe at first the plan is to build 5G and make Luke become Batman (and have his own Robin apparently, because honestly both Damian and Tim has more big fanbases more than Luke and I don't think DC can make a story when Robin is more popular than Batman) so to "get rid" of Tim and Damian they made Tim's new identity and built a plot that led to Damian's removal of Robin title. When 5G is cancelled, fans hate Drake, and apparently they already messed up with Damian's character too much (even though actually they can stop on the end of Terminus Agenda but for Damian fans bad luck maybe 5G wasn't yet cancelled on that time), their plan is apparently to resumed whatever their "two step forward" plan on Damian and give Tim Robin title back. So my conclusion is Tim becomes Robin again because fans greatly dislike Drake (which is understandable, I hate Drake too). If Drake is widely accepted (or if Bendis can create new identity which is not his literal surname), I think DC will not make him Robin again even though Damian renounces his role as Robin.

5G wasn't cancelled yet when Terminus Agenda was published... it hadn't even been officially announced. Remember, it was rumoured at Bleeding Cool for about a year. Then they finally solicited Generation Zero and Generation One for May 2020. Then Didio got kicked out in February, and Generation Two was missing from the June solicits released in March. That's the point 5G was cancelled. Of course, COVID then messed things up further.

Damian was to stop being Robin, because Bruce would no longer be Batman. Because 5G is gone, they altered Teen Titans' ending, but still had Damian give up the mantle. And then they told Bendis to make Tim revert back to Robin.

[9th.]

I'm not attached to the Drake name or costume either but I'm highly disappointed at him being bounced back to Robin again for like the 3rd time.

[DragonPiece]

I'm not attached to the Drake name or costume either but I'm highly disappointed at him being bounced back to Robin again for like the 3rd time.

If it felt like there was a story reason behind it, I'd be more excited by him being robin again. But just randomly giving him the name and costume again right after damian loses his status as robin just seems weird. Hopefully post death metal, we are getting a tim drake robin solo book and that's why they decided to do this.

[Bikkun]

Keep in mind, we're lacking context. He's still called Drake in Batgirl despite wearing the Robin costume and young Justice says "Batman and Spoiler made him". There's a vital piece of the story we haven't seen yet.

[Digifiend]

No there isn't. In #17, Batman called Tim over for a chat, and called him Robin. We didn't see what they said. Then in #18, we're reminded that Steph's not a fan of the Drake costume (as mentioned previously). Clearly after the fight against Cluemaster, they had a talk. And so we get that scene at the end of the issue, with Tim back in the Robin suit. The remaining two issues are just going to deal with Wonder Girl's situation and then wrap everything up, the Drake story is finished.

As mentioned already, in Nightwing (not Batgirl - you're confused because Babs was involved in the story too), he is called Drake twice. The first time, it's when he ends a radio call, using his name. Saying Robin there wouldn't make sense as it could mean Damian. And the other time... is Jason saying it when they meet up... Tim calls Jason by his first name, and Jason calls him Drake. Knowing Red Hood, he's just using Tim's surname - which he essentially points out shouldn't be used as a codename when he says to call him Red Hood on the field. I think we chalk that up to Jason not knowing Tim had already switched back to Robin.

[Konja7]

No there isn't. In #17, Batman called Tim over for a chat, and called him Robin. We didn't see what they said. Then in #18, we're reminded that Steph's not a fan of the Drake costume (as mentioned previously). Clearly after the fight against Cluemaster, they had a talk. And so we get that scene at the end of the issue, with Tim back in the Robin suit. The remaining two issues are just going to deal with Wonder Girl's situation and then wrap everything up, the Drake story is finished.

As mentioned already, in Nightwing (not Batgirl - you're confused because Babs was involved in the story too), he is called Drake twice. The first time, it's when he ends a radio call, using his name. Saying Robin there wouldn't make sense as it could mean Damian. And the other time... is Jason saying it when they meet up... Tim calls Jason by his first name, and Jason calls him Drake. Knowing Red Hood, he's just using Tim's surname - which he essentially points out shouldn't be used as a codename when he says to call him Red Hood on the field. I think we chalk that up to Jason not knowing Tim had already switched back to Robin.

Or Tim still use Drake alias with the Robin suit. It is another possibility.

The dialogue in Young Justice #18 implied Tim is Robin again, but it wouldn't be the first time Bendis dialogue is misleading.

The dialogue implied Tim was Robin in the first issues of Young Justice (although Tim doesn't say it directly). However, Tim says he is still Red Robin in Young Justice #8.

[Digifiend]

It's not misleading. Bendis was almost certainly editorially mandated to make Tim Robin again. When he showed issue 20's cover on Instagram, he made sure to point out that Tim was Robin on it.