Tim Drake: Robin, Red Robin, Appreciation 2022

[9th.]

Unfortunately, The Rook is a book published by Dark Horse (well, last published in 2015 but still not long enough to lose a copywrite on it.)

Not sure how copywrite laws work but DC recently had a character called Rook in The Signal Secret Files one-shot

[OBrianTallent]

Not sure how copywrite laws work but DC recently had a character called Rook in The Signal Secret Files one-shot

They can't trademark the name for series or other items, so Tim wouldn't be able to headline a series under that name. Similar reasons as to Shazam and Captain Marvel.

[9th.]

They can't trademark the name for series or other items, so Tim wouldn't be able to headline a series under that name. Similar reasons as to Shazam and Captain Marvel.

Ah ok, that makes sense

[SixSpeedSamurai]

In the 80 years Robin special Tim stated that he wasn't even 20, which implies more that he's 18-19 than 16. Tynion wrote it following his Detective comics run, so I assumed his age was retconned.

That's a stretch though. Tim's age is the least of his issue at this point unfortunately

[Darkspellmaster]

I would say Red Robin for now, as for new name, dig from DC's gold age list. There's a lot of names there not being used.

On a side note...have we even touched on the whole thing with Tim and Bernard since that last reveal or have I missed something?

[Aahz]

On a side note...have we even touched on the whole thing with Tim and Bernard since that last reveal or have I missed something?

There was another story with them in the last issue of Urban Legends.

[Digifiend]

Not sure how copywrite laws work but DC recently had a character called Rook in The Signal Secret Files one-shot

Yeah, a former member of We Are Robin (which makes sense for a Signal story) who face heel turned.

[Digifiend]

I would say Red Robin for now, as for new name, dig from DC's gold age list. There's a lot of names there not being used.

On a side note...have we even touched on the whole thing with Tim and Bernard since that last reveal or have I missed something?

Don't the vast majority of golden age heroes have JSA legacies?

[Frontier]

Don't the vast majority of golden age heroes have JSA legacies?

I think pretty much all of them do.

[Iclifton]

Honestly what role do you want Tim to fill. What niche will he fill in the family? I kind of feel like just being another grown up Robin will do him more harm than good. We already have Nightwing and honestly, speaking for myself, now that Red Hood no longer kills and is a fulltime Batfamily member he feels redundant.

I honestly do not mind there being multiple Robins. The last time I found Tim interesting was when he had the Peter Parker vibe, a kid who waned to be Robin while also leading a separate personal life. I think I`d honestly rather Tim embrace the Robin role permanently and go to college. Make him the first sidekick who plans on keeping the role and growing into a partnership position. An adult Robin. Focus on his personal life. Maybe send him to Hudson University. Red Robin worked becasue Dick was Batman. DC has tried again and again to leave Robin behind. To no avail.

Just slapping a new identity on him won’t lead to anything better than being Drake or Red Robin.

[Lal]

Honestly what role do you want Tim to fill. What niche will he fill in the family? I kind of feel like just being another grown up Robin will do him more harm than good. We already have Nightwing and honestly, speaking for myself, now that Red Hood no longer kills and is a fulltime Batfamily member he feels redundant.

I honestly do not mind there being multiple Robins. The last time I found Tim interesting was when he had the Peter Parker vibe, a kid who waned to be Robin while also leading a separate personal life. I think I`d honestly rather Tim embrace the Robin role permanently and go to college. Make him the first sidekick who plans on keeping the role and growing into a partnership position. An adult Robin. Focus on his personal life. Maybe send him to Hudson University. Red Robin worked becasue Dick was Batman. DC has tried again and again to leave Robin behind. To no avail.

Right now having two Robins created multiple problems leading to mix ups between the two, such in last stories of the multiverse and now Superman son of kal-el. Also, as Dick pointed last issue, Tim needs to grow and leave the Robin mantle to the literal 14 years old kid, like he himself moved on.

Tim can go to college, possibly with Bernard, and get a new codename and supporting cast of civilian friends. It's not too late and nobody else in the batfamily had stories in college settings hiding their identifies from friends there for a long time.

[Iclifton]

Right now having two Robins created multiple problems leading to mix ups between the two, such in last stories of the multiverse and now Superman son of kal-el. Also, as Dick pointed last issue, Tim needs to grow and leave the Robin mantle to the literal 14 years old kid, like he himself moved on.

Tim can go to college, possibly with Bernard, and get a new codename and supporting cast of civilian friends. It's not too late and nobody else in the batfamily had stories in college settings hiding their identifies from friends there for a long time.

Yes but the real world dilemma is giving him a new identity won’t help. It hurts. Being Robin makes Tim more marketable. When Dick left the role of Robin to become Nightwing it was fresh and exciting. The original Robin all grown up leaving Batman’s shadow. During a landmark run no less. When Jason came back as Red Hood it made an impression because he was an anti-hero/villain.

What makes Tim story unique? Like I said just slapping a new identity on him won’t help. He will just come off as a lesser version of Dick. Tim’s main problem is he comes off as redundant.

Maybe even give him a radical status quo, like Grayson. Except for Tim it might be able to stick.

[ZuLuLu]

I have to agree with leaving him as Red Robin. A few years ago I was a big advocate against the Red Robin name, but I think DC has stumbled with having him go from Robin to Red Robin to Robin to Drake to Robin and then to Robin while Damian is out of town to the point that it has become rediculous.

Another unpopular opinion I have is that having Tim go to college is a bad idea after a while readers will expect him to "grow out" of college or writers will want him to graduate. If you want him to have a Peter Parker vibe I think using Peter's time at Horizon lab may be a better template.

Tim can work as an intern at Wayne Enterprise in the Research and Development department. His J. Jonah Jameson could be a supervisor who doesn't like him because he only got the job because he is the bosses' son. To keep the cast young and vibrant have other interns that were given genius grants by the Wayne Foundation. This will allow the audience to see a side of the Batman mythos that does not get a lot of focus so it is new yet not too unfimilar. The premise of him starting to work there could be that Bruce suspects that someone is stealing ideas from WE and he needs someone on the inside to investigate. This would put both his detective skills and tech skills to use.

[Lal]

Yes but the real world dilemma is giving him a new identity won’t help. It hurts. Being Robin makes Tim more marketable. When Dick left the role of Robin to become Nightwing it was fresh and exciting. The original Robin all grown up leaving Batman’s shadow. During a landmark run no less. When Jason came back as Red Hood it made an impression because he was an anti-hero/villain.

What makes Tim story unique? Like I said just slapping a new identity on him won’t help. He will just come off as a lesser version of Dick. Tim’s main problem is he comes off as redundant.

Maybe even give him a radical status quo, like Grayson. Except for Tim it might be able to stick.

In outer adaptations, Tim is still Robin for the time being. He's Robin in Titans, YJ, and Gotham Knights, but DC are also pushing Damian in their animated movies and their future super sons project, and Duke in the new pre-schoolers tv show, so I don't think he'll be the main Robin in outside adaptations for long.

And in the comics - let's face it, Damian is DC's main Robin. He's the one teaming with Bruce now, the one fighting Deathstroke, the one forming a new team around him. It's him in the spotlight right now.
Tim would be redundant in his position as the secondary Robin. He lost being Robin over a decade ago and trying to cling to this identity when it no longer comes with the perks of being Robin just makes him seem even more redundant. And Tim should really be better than playing second fiddle to a kid.

A radical status quo could maybe work with him. It would probably split his fan base, but it's better than being a secondary Robin.

The idea of him working as an intern scientist in WE could definitely be interesting. Much more believable than him being the CEO, to be honest.

[Iclifton]

In outer adaptations, Tim is still Robin for the time being. He's Robin in Titans, YJ, and Gotham Knights, but DC are also pushing Damian in their animated movies and their future super sons project, and Duke in the new pre-schoolers tv show, so I don't think he'll be the main Robin in outside adaptations for long.

And in the comics - let's face it, Damian is DC's main Robin. He's the one teaming with Bruce now, the one fighting Deathstroke, the one forming a new team around him. It's him in the spotlight right now.
Tim would be redundant in his position as the secondary Robin. He lost being Robin over a decade ago and trying to cling to this identity when it no longer comes with the perks of being Robin just makes him seem even more redundant. And Tim should really be better than playing second fiddle to a kid.

A radical status quo could maybe work with him. It would probably split his fan base, but it's better than being a secondary Robin.

The idea of him working as an intern scientist in WE could definitely be interesting. Much more believable than him being the CEO, to be honest.

Character wise, scientist or college student works. But to be honest, just switching to a new code name and costume with that status quo will not be enough. Hardcore Tim fans may like it but I think to the general audience it will just come of as a knock off Nightwing. Sure plot specifics are different, but same general role. Robin all grown up going solo as a superhero. Better to be a secondary Robin than a secondary Nightwing. At least Robins name carry’s value. That’s why I think you might as well just keep him as a Robin who decides to do something different with the role.

I do think best option is to give him a radical status quo. Everyone was anti Grayson at first to. Now Nightwing fans won’t stop complaining that his book isn’t more like that.