Tim Drake: Robin, Red Robin, Appreciation 2022

[Restingvoice]

Tim actually got iirc a sling along with the stall from Shiva in his first mini, but unlike the staff it wasn't used much after that.

I also don't see Damians costume, the only element from Damian is the hood, but there have been designs of Robin costumes with hood way before Damian, they just never made it into the comic.

His default costume is Damian's Rebirth costume by Jim Lee with the longer red tunic/vest that makes it looks like a coat. The difference is if I remember correctly, Damian has his belt over the coat.
There's also the gold-decorated hooded costume that's similar to Damian's winter costume for Dark Nights Metal, but that one I only saw a glimpse

[lefthanded]

DC didn't even know. The creative team, at least I think up until the book editor, pitched and approved it, then send it to print while the higher ups were in a meeting. They only found out when they got back and the book's already on print. The team got reprimanded, though the higher up approve, they wish they told them first. It was likely the reason why the follow up story took so long and got delayed to Christmas. I think the team said the next story was supposed to be immediate.

As for how long the creative team thought about Bernard, I have no idea. Tynion, the head Bat writer at the time, only said he had plans for every member of the family, but that could also only mean that he's assigning Tim to Urban Legends, with the detail up to the creative team in charge. (He hinted in his tweet after he left DC that something happened that would make his teen self really happy)

If they're rushing the pitch and it only goes as far as Batman family editorial, it's likely they won't be able to get Bunker (or Conner for that matter) if they're under different editorial. Conner definitely, Bunker I don't know who's in charge of him now. Tim and Bunker used to be under the Young Justice (New 52) editorial.

Interesting. So it essentially was a fan fiction that was printed and became canon.
It makes sense as to how jarring the transition was, and the lack of immediate follow-up.

I think if this was better planned and executed, the reception would have been much better.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I saw this concept art of Tim's "Drake" identity and now I am pissed we didn't get any of them.

Attachment 122266

F and G reminds me Nightwing's new 52 look.

[ohfellow]

Interesting. So it essentially was a fan fiction that was printed and became canon.
It makes sense as to how jarring the transition was, and the lack of immediate follow-up.

I think if this was better planned and executed, the reception would have been much better.

That timeline can't quite be right. I mean, there are pitch meetings and discussions, story outlines and then scripts gets approved, then art start trickling in as pages are finished, usually every day, then pages have to go on to coloring and lettering, there is a final proof apparently called something like "lettering proof," regular books have to have cover art and that needs to be cropped and logos put in place and colored, ad pages need to be placed... in the case of Urban Legends, the table of contents listing the stories has to be composed. The story sequence in the book has to be planned. Two months in advance, the solicit was released and DC Connect published. So well before then, DC Connect was put together as a PDF, and well before then, the solicit text would have been composed to turn over to the people putting DC Connect and the online solicits together. So I would say the solicit text was written a month before it appeared in print, which is two months before the book got published. Very long lead time.

The solicit for the first Tim Drake story reads "TIM DRAKE has returned to the streets of Gotham City and is seeking a new purpose, but what he finds is a string of young adult kidnappings committed by someone known only as “the Chaos Monster.” Will Tim be able to get to the root of the kidnappings, or will he fall prey to them? Critically acclaimed Future State Robin Eternal writer Meghan Fitzmartin returns to tell this Tim Drake story with rising star artist Belén Ortega."

So that much was all known many months before Urban Legends #4 hit the stands. It doesn't mention Bernard, but it's the same story that was finally released.

There are a few dozen opportunities to review a story over a period of months, so the idea that higher ups were in a meeting - well, maybe if the meeting lasted for several months!

I did also hear, though, that Fitzmartin pitched it and the editors liked the idea, and that no one ran the story beyond higher-ups. Could that have happened when DiDio was micromanaging and Bob Harras EIC was also around? Maybe Marie Javins doesn't want to be bothered with too many details. And I don't think Jim Lee gets involved in much of anything. But perhaps there's been a lot of politics going on about this and we don't know most of the story. And no writer that wants to keep getting work from DC is ever going to say a word that they weren't allowed or told to say.

[Matt Rat]

WOAH!

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/anot...-125-spoilers/

[Digifiend]

Damn... Batman #125 doesn't start well for Tim.

[OBrianTallent]

Considering he is getting, what DC has touted as his own ongoing again, I doubt there will be much in the way of long term ramifications from this outside of this story.

[Matt Rat]

Considering he is getting, what DC has touted as his own ongoing again, I doubt there will be much in the way of long term ramifications from this outside of this story.

Or the ramifications are the catalyst for the ongoing, just as developments in Tynion's Batman informed Ram V's take on Catwoman...which in turn is now having Tini Howard's current status quo for Selina impact the Batman book.

You don't know.

[Timekeeper]

This is an entirely baseless theory, but wanted to post here... just in case... for all the talk of Tim returning to Red Robin or finding his own identity, could the stars be aligning for Tim Drake: Batman by this time next year?

DC's getting mileage out of Tim as 'The Bisexual Robin' and they're getting solid results with Jon Kent taking on the Superman mantle. If (for any number of reasons) DC wanted to introduce an LGBTQ Batman (with apologies to Kate Kane), bringing Tim back into the spotlight and 'graduating him' from (one of the multiple active) Robin to (a) Batman would be the best way to accomplish that goal and see what kind of sales numbers it could bring in. It also resolves Tim Drake's identity crisis in a way that would generate sales - two birds one stone.

Zdarsky and Jimenez have both hyped up Tim's presence in the new run starting with #125, Zdarsky is known for making relatively big status quo changes, could what happens to Tim in #125 be the inciting incident that sets him on the path to embracing the Batman mantle in a way he has previously shunned? If Failsafe (the character) is indeed a worst case scenario Batman successor in the form of a Terminator-style robot... Tim could be positioned as a healthier successor?

Jace Fox is proof positive that we can have two simultaneous titles/characters using the Batman moniker (and, this is a stretch, but would explain the real world logistics of reintroducing Tim Fox Batman as Tim 'Jace' Fox if a Tim Drake Batman was even vaguely being considered.) The return of Batman Inc. is timely in this regard as well. Even mild movie synergy with a younger, slimmer build Batman relying on tech and making mistakes as he figures out what kind of Batman he wants to be.

Over in Future State Gotham we're seeing just about everyone take on the Batman mantle... except Tim. Personally I'd rather see another DickBats run in main continuity, but cynically Dick is too bankable for DC as Nightwing, especially if a Nightwing solo film is on the horizon. If played correctly, Tim stepping up to embrace the Bat mantle could be a reflection of his duty to Bruce and Dick's legacies just as he originally stepped up to become Robin.

Less tin-foil hat is the notion that the Tim Drake: Robin title is purely to separate the book from Damian's Robin solo which is ending right as Tim's book hits shelves. At least he's getting his own book again! And if the first Zdarsky arc takes place before Dark Crisis, then Dark Crisis: Young Justice suggests Tim's just fine. Robin Eternal indeed.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

This is an entirely baseless theory, but wanted to post here... just in case... for all the talk of Tim returning to Red Robin or finding his own identity, could the stars be aligning for Tim Drake: Batman by this time next year?

DC's getting mileage out of Tim as 'The Bisexual Robin' and they're getting solid results with Jon Kent taking on the Superman mantle. If (for any number of reasons) DC wanted to introduce an LGBTQ Batman (with apologies to Kate Kane), bringing Tim back into the spotlight and 'graduating him' from (one of the multiple active) Robin to (a) Batman would be the best way to accomplish that goal and see what kind of sales numbers it could bring in. It also resolves Tim Drake's identity crisis in a way that would generate sales - two birds one stone.

Zdarsky and Jimenez have both hyped up Tim's presence in the new run starting with #125, Zdarsky is known for making relatively big status quo changes, could what happens to Tim in #125 be the inciting incident that sets him on the path to embracing the Batman mantle in a way he has previously shunned? If Failsafe (the character) is indeed a worst case scenario Batman successor in the form of a Terminator-style robot... Tim could be positioned as a healthier successor?

Jace Fox is proof positive that we can have two simultaneous titles/characters using the Batman moniker (and, this is a stretch, but would explain the real world logistics of reintroducing Tim Fox Batman as Tim 'Jace' Fox if a Tim Drake Batman was even vaguely being considered.) The return of Batman Inc. is timely in this regard as well. Even mild movie synergy with a younger, slimmer build Batman relying on tech and making mistakes as he figures out what kind of Batman he wants to be.

Over in Future State Gotham we're seeing just about everyone take on the Batman mantle... except Tim. Personally I'd rather see another DickBats run in main continuity, but cynically Dick is too bankable for DC as Nightwing, especially if a Nightwing solo film is on the horizon. If played correctly, Tim stepping up to embrace the Bat mantle could be a reflection of his duty to Bruce and Dick's legacies just as he originally stepped up to become Robin.

Less tin-foil hat is the notion that the Tim Drake: Robin title is purely to separate the book from Damian's Robin solo which is ending right as Tim's book hits shelves. At least he's getting his own book again! And if the first Zdarsky arc takes place before Dark Crisis, then Dark Crisis: Young Justice suggests Tim's just fine. Robin Eternal indeed.

Tim doesn't want to be Batman though and that is a central part of his character.

Also they have Jace just introduced as a replacement. Introducing another one would be too soon and undermine Jace. Though I wouldn't be surprised if people were more excited and showed more enthusiasm for an LGBT Batman than a black one.....

[skyvolt2000]

This is an entirely baseless theory, but wanted to post here... just in case... for all the talk of Tim returning to Red Robin or finding his own identity, could the stars be aligning for Tim Drake: Batman by this time next year?

DC's getting mileage out of Tim as 'The Bisexual Robin' and they're getting solid results with Jon Kent taking on the Superman mantle. If (for any number of reasons) DC wanted to introduce an LGBTQ Batman (with apologies to Kate Kane), bringing Tim back into the spotlight and 'graduating him' from (one of the multiple active) Robin to (a) Batman would be the best way to accomplish that goal and see what kind of sales numbers it could bring in. It also resolves Tim Drake's identity crisis in a way that would generate sales - two birds one stone.

Zdarsky and Jimenez have both hyped up Tim's presence in the new run starting with #125, Zdarsky is known for making relatively big status quo changes, could what happens to Tim in #125 be the inciting incident that sets him on the path to embracing the Batman mantle in a way he has previously shunned? If Failsafe (the character) is indeed a worst case scenario Batman successor in the form of a Terminator-style robot... Tim could be positioned as a healthier successor?

Jace Fox is proof positive that we can have two simultaneous titles/characters using the Batman moniker (and, this is a stretch, but would explain the real world logistics of reintroducing Tim Fox Batman as Tim 'Jace' Fox if a Tim Drake Batman was even vaguely being considered.) The return of Batman Inc. is timely in this regard as well. Even mild movie synergy with a younger, slimmer build Batman relying on tech and making mistakes as he figures out what kind of Batman he wants to be.

Over in Future State Gotham we're seeing just about everyone take on the Batman mantle... except Tim. Personally I'd rather see another DickBats run in main continuity, but cynically Dick is too bankable for DC as Nightwing, especially if a Nightwing solo film is on the horizon. If played correctly, Tim stepping up to embrace the Bat mantle could be a reflection of his duty to Bruce and Dick's legacies just as he originally stepped up to become Robin.

Less tin-foil hat is the notion that the Tim Drake: Robin title is purely to separate the book from Damian's Robin solo which is ending right as Tim's book hits shelves. At least he's getting his own book again! And if the first Zdarsky arc takes place before Dark Crisis, then Dark Crisis: Young Justice suggests Tim's just fine. Robin Eternal indeed.

We have folks having FITS over Jace.

How do you think they would react to a LGBTQA+ Batman??

Though I wouldn't be surprised if people were more excited and showed more enthusiasm for an LGBT Batman than a black one.....

If that happened-lets just get rid of every black character at DC. Nothing they do is good enough and someone always has an issue.

Jace is in his OWN book. Tim as Batman would have the main title and Detective.

We got folks screaming Bruce is Batman the MOMENT the rumor of Jace as Batman was tossed out there. Some are STILL doing it. Even AFTER being called out on every other guy from Dick to Gordon to Jean Paul who wore that suit to very little pushback.

Jace is NOT even in the main book.

[Digifiend]

Tim as Batman would have the main title and Detective.

Don't count on it. Jon only inherited the Superman book, Clark's still the star of Action Comics. They could either do the same with Tim (he gets Batman, Bruce keeps Detective), or he could just be a satellite book like Jace's is.

[Lal]

Don't count on it. Jon only inherited the Superman book, Clark's still the star of Action Comics. They could either do the same with Tim (he gets Batman, Bruce keeps Detective), or he could just be a satellite book like Jace's is.

Tim having a Robin solo makes it incredibly unlikely he'll become Batman in this run, or anytime soon in main continuity.
We know Bruce isn't going anywhere, and DC are marketing Tim as the bi Robin. That's very, very different than being Batman.

[Digifiend]

I know. Just saying, if it did happen, it doesn't mean he'd take over both main books as Skyvolt suggested. Jon didn't when he became Superman.

[Aahz]

Jace Fox is proof positive that we can have two simultaneous titles/characters using the Batman moniker

It is imo way to early to judge if Jace really has worked. His Book hasn't even run for a year at this point.

And Tim becoming Batman while Dick is still around as Nightwing would also be wired.