Do you want Tim Drake to be Robin again?

[Ascended]

What's the point of Robin? Not the in-universe explanation for the character origins. What's the point of having Robin the character?

Making money, mostly.

Robin is one of the five truly iconic characters in comics. He makes money, he's recognized around the world, and is arguably the first character people will think of when you say "teenaged superhero" (it's him or Parker) and is certainly the character people think of when you say "sidekick." Robin gave birth to the sidekick concept within the superhero genre and everyone from Wally West to Bucky Barnes owes their existence, at least to a large degree, to Robin.

The real question is why *wouldn't* DC want to use the IP? Robin can sell comics on his own, he helps bolster sales for teen team books, he's a draw for cartoons and movies. And he still serves as an audience surrogate, just not in the comics themselves.

Robin has a long and rich history and is older than almost every character currently in print. Mainstream comic readers might not use him as a surrogate anymore, but Robin is still useful and profitable, helps enrich and expand Batman's narrative and can also carry his own stories. No reason *not* to use him.

[FenixdeAlasNegras]

The character has grown enough to now regress. Yes Drake makes a dumb name for me, but it's better than going back to the old.

[king81992]

I personally would like to see Tim become Joker Jr. like in Batman Beyond minus the microchip I'd prefer him to instead get tortured by Joker for months on end and be exposed to so much joker gas that he never fully recovers. I just think it would echo the whole theme of Bruce not being allowed to be happy and it would make sense for Joker to corrupt Tim whose considered so "pure" among the Robins. It would also create some new dynamics with the villains and the Bat Family especially if every now and then there was a glimmer of the old Tim like him having a gun on Spiler but not being able to pull the trigger or something like that.

Return of the Joker was a good movie, but I do NOT want Joker Tim in any comic. We already have the Joker ,Batman Who Laughs, Harley and Punchline. No more clowns!!!

[Celgress]

No, the moment has passed, IMO.

[Flash Gordon]

I'd say there's a stronger argument for Dick Grayson to never give up the mantle of 'Robin' (nothing says 'Robin' has to be a kid), than Tim Drake to come back. There's not much by way of iconic necessity in 'Tim Drake' that can't just be attributed to another character. Dick is the heir, Damien is the actual son, Jason is the prodigal son. Tim is... the next door neighbour?

Dick is 'Robin', Damien is 'Robin, also'. Jason is someone Batman trained who went off on his own or whatever. Bam.

[Frontier]

I also think that as far as post-Dick and Jason partners go, Barbara as Batgirl covers some of the same ground Tim does. Minus the squiky romance Timm injected into things, she'd function just as well as any of the Robins.

Comic Batgirl has never been much of a partner for Bruce though.

Agreed, the costume was designed for Dick as a general update for Robin. he also wore versions of it in high profile stuff like BTAS and Batman Forever in addition to the Titans cartoon, so I'd say he has equal claim to the costume as much as Tim.

The bo staff should just be Tim's, though.

I'd say there's a stronger argument for Dick Grayson to never give up the mantle of 'Robin' (nothing says 'Robin' has to be a kid), than Tim Drake to come back. There's not much by way of iconic necessity in 'Tim Drake' that can't just be attributed to another character. Dick is the heir, Damien is the actual son, Jason is the prodigal son. Tim is... the next door neighbour?

Tim was the detective son.

[Konja7]

Comic Batgirl has never been much of a partner for Bruce though.

Yeah. Batgirl was originally much more independent.

Although their current relationship in comics (after some retcons) seems to indicate that Batman was a mentor to Batgirl and they worked together in the past

That said, we still don't see many flashbacks of them working together.

[Godlike13]

Tim was the detective son.

They are all detectives. Thats a general Bat trait.

[Castiel]

Return of the Joker was a good movie, but I do NOT want Joker Tim in any comic. We already have the Joker ,Batman Who Laughs, Harley and Punchline. No more clowns!!!

Batman Who Laughs now goes by the Darkest Knight now. There aren't that many "clowns" if you think about it.

[Frontier]

They are all detectives. Thats a general Bat trait.

I mean, they all share Bruce traits but some are more emphasized in certain individuals.

Yeah. Batgirl was originally much more independent.

Although their current relationship in comics (after some retcons) seems to indicate that Batman was a mentor to Batgirl and they worked together in the past

That said, we still don't see many flashbacks of them working together.

I think later canons had Babs brought into the fold to some degree and being an independent operator who worked with Bruce and Dick while still working on her own.

[TheCape]

I mean, they all share Bruce traits but some are more emphasized in certain individuals.

I think later canons had Babs brought into the fold to some degree and being an independent operator who worked with Bruce and Dick while still working on her own.

Batgirl Year One?

As for the main theme, in spite the solicits, i still don't really believe that he is Robin again, not permanently anyway, i just don't see then taking that role from Damian.

[Frontier]

Batgirl Year One?

Yeah, going off that and a few other spare flashbacks to Babs as Batgirl during Post-Crisis. I think she was more "part of the family" during the New 52 but there were some flashbacks where we saw in her teen vigilante phase where she was still a little arms length from Batman and Robin despite working with them.

[Restingvoice]

Okay I've seen what fans want, what does Tim want? Would he want to be Robin again? Counting every characterization. I want what makes sense for the character.

[Konja7]

I mean, they all share Bruce traits but some are more emphasized in certain individuals.

I think later canons had Babs brought into the fold to some degree and being an independent operator who worked with Bruce and Dick while still working on her own.

I think this description apply for Dick as Robin too. He was Batman's partner, but he was also independent.

It's complicated because I don't think the writers have a consensus on how close their work was.

The last time I see flasbacks was Batgirl and Birds of Prey Rebirth, she seems to end up working with Batman and Robin there.

[Frontier]

Okay I've seen what fans want, what does Tim want? Would he want to be Robin again? Counting every characterization. I want what makes sense for the character.

Tim has been on record that he's always there for Bruce if he needs him, even if Bruce doesn't want Tim to spend so much of his life trying to be there for Bruce so he pushes Tim away.

I'm not sure if Tim has actually said on-panel if he'd be willing to become Robin again. I feel like Tynion might have written something to that effect, but I can't recall exactly.

I know Tynion prefers him as Robin so he might have had a hand in this.