Tim Drake: Robin #6 Preview

[Hypo]

Tim Drake: Robin #6 Preview
Writer: Meghan Fitzmartin
Artist: Riley Rossmo

[Frontier]

How many nemesis' does Tim have at this point? 3? 4? I guess now this one has Clayface powers.

Also you look at just that Bernard panel on the second page and I swear most people would assume he was a girl. Although now he's filling the classic love interest role of being a hostage for the bad guy to get to the hero.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

This series stills keep beating it over our head how much "in love" Tim is with Bernard and he's the love of his life or something.....without showing it.

[OBrianTallent]

This series stills keep beating it over our head how much "in love" Tim is with Bernard and he's the love of his life or something.....without showing it.

That's what the hideously ugly cover is for.

[Frontier]

That's what the hideously ugly cover is for.

Doesn't quite beat some of the most iconic TimxSteph kisses...

[NOCTPHOENIX]

Doesn't quite beat some of the most iconic TimxSteph kisses...

Twitter/tumblr think this is the greatest comic cover in existence

That's what the hideously ugly cover is for.

Why do you think it is ugly?

[Hypo]

Why do you think it is ugly?

• Tim's nose looks weirdly sharp, like you could slice deli meat with it.
• The, I dunno what to call it, mesh point of their mouths? Looks weird, feels like Ortiz hasn't had much practice drawing people kissing?
• And I know it's an artifact of the mask but looks like Bernard has his eyes closed while Tim is just looking at him.

[Frontier]

• Tim's nose looks weirdly sharp, like you could slice deli meat with it.
• The, I dunno what to call it, mesh point of their mouths? Looks weird, feels like Ortiz hasn't had much practice drawing people kissing?
• And I know it's an artifact of the mask but looks like Bernard has his eyes closed while Tim is just looking at him.

At least there you can see that his eyes seem to be moving downward like they're slowly closing, which isn't very realistic for a domino mask but those have never been realistic .

[WebLurker]

Also you look at just that Bernard panel on the second page and I swear most people would assume he was a girl. Although now he's filling the classic love interest role of being a hostage for the bad guy to get to the hero.

Well, it is a "prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition."

[9th.]

This series stills keep beating it over our head how much "in love" Tim is with Bernard and he's the love of his life or something.....without showing it.

Im still trying to figure why Bernard is the guy they're so hyper focused on.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

Im still trying to figure why Bernard is the guy they're so hyper focused on.

The author clearly shipped them back in the day. Why? I have no idea (cuz it would look 'cute' to her)

[Username taken]

Im still trying to figure why Bernard is the guy they're so hyper focused on.

My thoughts exactly.

[The Lucky One]

Im still trying to figure why Bernard is the guy they're so hyper focused on.

It would help to know which came first: the decision to make Tim bisexual, or the decision to put him in a relationship with Bernard (which, obviously, necessitates him becoming bisexual).

If it’s the latter, that’s more likely to be author-driven… maybe Meghan Fitzmartin liked Bernard for whatever reason back in the day, head-shipped them as a couple, and now as a writer is able to make that canon. (To be clear, that’s not suggesting DC opposed it, just that it would be originally stemming from the writer, and thus more likely to be specific to Bernard himself, obscure though he undoubtedly is.)

Whereas if it’s the former — DC wanted to make a high-profile character LGBTQ and decided Tim fit the bill — then they were always going to be a bit limited in terms of relationship options. They probably either couldn’t or didn’t want to use Kon, both because there’s already a bi Superboy and because he just doesn’t have any real implications of leaning that way. Tim’s supporting cast is pretty limited… Steph is by far the most prominent, but obviously she doesn’t work for this. Ditto Tam Fox. Chuck Dixon gave Tim some school friends (Ives, Callie), but no one’s really used them since Dixon last wrote Robin. (Plus Callie’s a girl.) Who is there to use if you want Tim dating a male civilian (so no Impulse, etc.) and not an adult with weird power dynamics (Azrael, etc)? Either you create a new character (which they could’ve done) or reintroduce a supporting character so obscure that they’re effectively a new character, but at least you can throw a minor nod to the idea that there was always a spark back in the old days, Tim just didn’t realize it was romantic till years later.

Basically, if it was DC’s idea, Bernard is just the best of a very limited number of options. If it was Meghan Fitzmartin’s idea, maybe she just read the run with Bernard in it at a formative age and saw something in him that almost nobody else did. Who knows?

[Frontier]

Well, it is a "prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition."

I guess that might be one reason Bernard's drawn so feminine in this run .

[NOCTPHOENIX]

It would help to know which came first: the decision to make Tim bisexual, or the decision to put him in a relationship with Bernard (which, obviously, necessitates him becoming bisexual).

If it’s the latter, that’s more likely to be author-driven… maybe Meghan Fitzmartin liked Bernard for whatever reason back in the day, head-shipped them as a couple, and now as a writer is able to make that canon. (To be clear, that’s not suggesting DC opposed it, just that it would be originally stemming from the writer, and thus more likely to be specific to Bernard himself, obscure though he undoubtedly is.)

Whereas if it’s the former — DC wanted to make a high-profile character LGBTQ and decided Tim fit the bill — then they were always going to be a bit limited in terms of relationship options. They probably either couldn’t or didn’t want to use Kon, both because there’s already a bi Superboy and because he just doesn’t have any real implications of leaning that way. Tim’s supporting cast is pretty limited… Steph is by far the most prominent, but obviously she doesn’t work for this. Ditto Tam Fox. Chuck Dixon gave Tim some school friends (Ives, Callie), but no one’s really used them since Dixon last wrote Robin. (Plus Callie’s a girl.) Who is there to use if you want Tim dating a male civilian (so no Impulse, etc.) and not an adult with weird power dynamics (Azrael, etc)? Either you create a new character (which they could’ve done) or reintroduce a supporting character so obscure that they’re effectively a new character, but at least you can throw a minor nod to the idea that there was always a spark back in the old days, Tim just didn’t realize it was romantic till years later.

Basically, if it was DC’s idea, Bernard is just the best of a very limited number of options. If it was Meghan Fitzmartin’s idea, maybe she just read the run with Bernard in it at a formative age and saw something in him that almost nobody else did. Who knows?

The thing is with Bernard you can't even say there was a spark on Tim's end as Tim didn't even like him that much. Like the last time he mentioned him he considered him an idiot:

tim hate.jpg

Sure there are moments where they are friendly but these are some of their last interactions

tim hate 3.jpg

tim hate 4.jpg