Tim Drake: Robin, Red Robin, Appreciation 2023

[SixSpeedSamurai]

Maybe, settled down with Steph, a couple of kids, and works as a private eye?

That would not work without aging Jason in my opinion.

[Digifiend]

Honestly, I would much prefer Tim gets back with Stephanie.

Despite what Fitzmartin has written lately, I found their relationship to be "cute".

Especially Tim laughing at her weird laugh, to me, they were written with great chemistry.

The logic for them breaking up in the first place didn't make sense. Steph was perfect in every way... except for her being female? Then there's no reason for someone who's only bisexual, not homosexual, to dump her!

Well, it's not like some of the other bi characters at DC don't have main love interests of the opposite sex.

I have a hard time seeing a love interest who only seems to exist for the sake of having Tim date a guy supplanting Steph (especially when it seems like that's all he's really there for and to get mentioned or briefly appear in media to give Tim a gay romance). Maybe if they used Superboy but it doesn't seem like DC allowed Fitzmartin to bite that bullet. Maybe Bunker? But I doubt anyone can beat the history and development Steph got.

Conversely they're pretty much depicting him like he's fully gay right now.

Which would probably be more reasonable if Bernard felt like an actual, fleshed out, and memorable character and not someone who seems to just exist so Tim can date a guy which I think is part of the problem.

Very much this, Fitzmartin writes Tim as just gay, not bi. And Bernard is just bland. No personality, and worse, he's a liability who's been captured by the baddies at least once. Jon Kent doesn't have that worry with his boyfriend Jay, who has phasing powers. Tim likewise needs a partner who can handle themselves in a fight. Like Steph! Conner would work but for two problems - he's not gay (he's actually quite a shameless flirt with the ladies), and I don't think the Bat office wants any of the Robins to have non-Bat family superhero partners - which is why they push Dick/Babs nowadays instead of having Nightwing with Starfire.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

The logic for them breaking up in the first place didn't make sense. Steph was perfect in every way... except for her being female? Then there's no reason for someone who's only bisexual, not homosexual, to dump her!

Very much this, Fitzmartin writes Tim as just gay, not bi. And Bernard is just bland. No personality, and worse, he's a liability who's been captured by the baddies at least once. Jon Kent doesn't have that worry with his boyfriend Jay, who has phasing powers. Tim likewise needs a partner who can handle themselves in a fight. Like Steph! Conner would work but for two problems - he's not gay (he's actually quite a shameless flirt with the ladies), and I don't think the Bat office wants any of the Robins to have non-Bat family superhero partners - which is why they push Dick/Babs nowadays instead of having Nightwing with Starfire.

Tim's actions don't support the idea he found her "perfect" as he gave her little to no thought throughout UL, it took Steph being in danger and him meeting her by accident to properly talk with her issue 1 of his solo describing Bernard as showing that there is more than what he 'settled for' and helps define himself outside of the Batfam when Step did that and in DC YJ when evil Batman implies Steph is shallow and only likes Tim for his hero identity he doesn't defend her.

Also the speed in which Tim falls for Bernard in universe and out of universe and doing more romantic things with him early on than he did with Steph along with him being pushed as the "one" at this speed as well makes his entire relationship with Steph look like a joke.

I believe that given how poorly Steph was treated throughout Urban Legends and how their entire relationship was dismissed, had it not been for the backlash for her treatment, she would have just been ignored entirely.

[Aahz]

Tim likewise needs a partner who can handle themselves in a fight.

The wired thing is, in the Urban Legends story he was actually fighting along side Tim (even if I'm not sure how he was able to do that) but in the solo series he is really completely useless.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

The wired thing is, in the Urban Legends story he was actually fighting along side Tim (even if I'm not sure how he was able to do that) but in the solo series he is really completely useless.

Answer: He's a mary sue. He's too perfect. Like he can fight at Tim's level for uh reasons and so quickly, he's majoring in physics and biology and is a good chef, everyone seems to like him in Tim's circle especially Steph (ugh) and Tim so into him despite things being so quick.

[ChangingStation]

While I hesitate to call any character a Mary sue, especially given how overused that term is, I will say that Bernard has been poorly implemented and badly sold enough that those qualities feel more forced.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

While I hesitate to call any character a Mary sue, especially given how overused that term is, I will say that Bernard has been poorly implemented and badly sold enough that those qualities feel more forced.

It is forced as none of them were even hinted at back in the Robin series. Hell in the Robin series he was portrayed as a joke and the narrative even mocked him and was supposed to make it clear he wasn't to be taken seriously by anyone