So, is DC trying to write off Tin Drake?

[Godlike13]

Being a detective is not really a defining feature though. Not for Bat characters. Not really. All the Bat characters are detectives. Trying to play up a feature they all more or less share doesn't really set Tim apart. No matter how hard they try to play it up.

[Professor Bazinga's C-Men]

I suspect DC has succeeded in writing off Tin Drake. I've never even heard of the character. Is that some orphan that Mother found and tried to turn into Tim Drake's superior replacement?

[Sacred Knight]

Being a detective is not really a defining feature though. Not for Bat characters. Not really. All the Bat characters are detectives. Trying to play up a feature they all more or less share doesn't really set Tim apart. No matter how hard they try to play it up.

I agree. He needs something more now, as he's the only Robin without a niche. What that might be could prove challenging though because I'm not seeing how it can be something organic out of what's already been established of him. To me he might need more of an overhaul to be saved. But we know how that goes over with fans, usually.

[Flash Gordon]

Than neither should have Jason or Damian.

True, Damian easily could be brought over though.

I stand by the notion that Dick should have been the only Robin post-Flashpoint. He would have served for quite a long time and eventually went off on his own. We could have brought a new Robin in later (Damian could easily show up in a replay of BATMAN AND SON, or someone new). I think the idea of Robin as Batman's literal son is too much fun to waste.

Plus Damian Wayne and Cass Cain as, the son and daughter of the Bat, seems like it writes itself.

[Aahz]

Tim should definitely be the leader / mastermind or even mentor to Duke instead of Bruce imo.

Please don't kill off Tim DC! don't you dare to replace Tim with Duke.

Duke is really very similar to the early pre flashpoint Tim.

- he is appearently a genius, and a natural detective and leader

- still goes to highschool and has kind of a normal live

- parents were poisoned by villain

- and he seems to be a girl magnet for some reason

And they gave him a very close relation with Bruce by having Duke allready help him before Dick appears for the first time.

[Aahz]

True, Damian easily could be brought over though.

I stand by the notion that Dick should have been the only Robin post-Flashpoint. He would have served for quite a long time and eventually went off on his own. We could have brought a new Robin in later (Damian could easily show up in a replay of BATMAN AND SON, or someone new). I think the idea of Robin as Batman's literal son is too much fun to waste.

Plus Damian Wayne and Cass Cain as, the son and daughter of the Bat, seems like it writes itself.

In a logical 5 year continuity it doesn't make much sense to have Damian arround imo (maybe as a Toddler who goes on imaginary adventures with his pets ...).
They should have probably started with Dick going form Robin to Nightwing and brought in a new Robin or several new "Robins", I wouldn't have had a problem with Tim and Jason sharing the position, and maybe even form some kind of "We Are Robin"-team with Steph and co.

[darkseidpwns]

Duke is really very similar to the early pre flashpoint Tim.

- he is appearently a genius, and a natural detective and leader

- still goes to highschool and has kind of a normal live

- parents were poisoned by villain

- and he seems to be a girl magnet for some reason

And they gave him a very close relation with Bruce by having Duke allready help him before Dick appears for the first time.

Yet WAR says that his academic record is lacklustre. In that series he depicted as the natural leader but not the smart guy of the team,Batman series tells us that he's a smart guy,his mother was White in Endgame but Black now,he's Robin except he's not. If DC had any sense they would ask the writers to bury this character permanently,he is blatant case of lets randomly throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. The only thing his continued existence does is aggravate other fan bases and threaten more profitable characters.

[ZuLuLu]

Yet WAR says that his academic record is lacklustre. In that series he depicted as the natural leader but not the smart guy of the team,Batman series tells us that he's a smart guy,his mother was White in Endgame but Black now,he's Robin except he's not. If DC had any sense they would ask the writers to bury this character permanently,he is blatant case of lets randomly throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. The only thing his continued existence does is aggravate other fan bases and threaten more profitable characters.

They have always stated that Duke was always smart but he has been under performing at school due to recent events in his life. Plus, I think with him it might be he more academically incline in some areas and weaker in another.

[Aahz]

Yet WAR says that his academic record is lacklustre. In that series he depicted as the natural leader but not the smart guy of the team,Batman series tells us that he's a smart guy,

I was taking about all his appearances, and in Batman it was said that he was a candidate for genius grant. And in WAR it was iirc said at somepoint that he was good with puzzles.

And Tim was also not always depicted as a genius, and had iirc at least one story were he had problems at school due to his activities.

Anyway my point is still that Duke is very similar to Tim. And most of the WAR-kids have a similar problem Dre is very similar to Jason, Dax reminds me on the new 52 Roy Harper and Izzy reminds me a little bit on Renee Montoya.

[KrustyKid]

Being a detective is not really a defining feature though. Not for Bat characters. Not really. All the Bat characters are detectives. Trying to play up a feature they all more or less share doesn't really set Tim apart. No matter how hard they try to play it up.

Agreed. Most everyone in the Bat Family is a detective, as are they fighters. There is overlapping across the board in the Bat fam, which is understandable since a majority of everyone learned from the same guy. It's not his feature so much as direction that has been the problem. I think you and I both can agree that with the New-52 if any of the Robin's should have been leading a team it should have been Grayson. As I pointed out before with Tim's parents alive and with them knowing and accepting him being Red Robin there is an angle to work with there already that doesn't overlap with any of the other bat kids.

[scottsummer]

I might be wrong but Duke was depicted to be a smart bright kid but not a genius like Tim.

Anyway at this point I would not be surprise if DC cast Tim away just to make him "more interesting" to the wider audience.

[Aahz]

I might be wrong but Duke was depicted to be a smart bright kid but not a genius like Tim.

Pre flashpoint Tim was also not really depicted as genius. This child prodigy thing was added with the reboot.

An example: Post flashpoint it was for example shown that he could easily get the perfect score on a SAT test when he was still in middle school. Pre flashpoint he had at some point (I think it was during the time his father forced him to quit as Robin) after missing a lot of school to make test to get into the eleventh grade, he learned hard for the test and in the end he got "only" around 95% of points, while his best fried Ives made 1% point more.

[ZuLuLu]

I was taking about all his appearances, and in Batman it was said that he was a candidate for genius grant. And in WAR it was iirc said at somepoint that he was good with puzzles.

And Tim was also not always depicted as a genius, and had iirc at least one story were he had problems at school due to his activities.

Anyway my point is still that Duke is very similar to Tim. And most of the WAR-kids have a similar problem Dre is very similar to Jason, Dax reminds me on the new 52 Roy Harper and Izzy reminds me a little bit on Renee Montoya.

I agree that Duke is similar to Tim in terms of background and you could pick off the WAR kids and find similarity to other but that because most writers tend to fit their characters into basic tropes. However Duke doesn't have a similar personality to Tim (both pre 52 and new 52 versions). Also they have different reasons for involved with Batman, Tim felt Batman need a Robin to prevent him for going over the edge whereas Duke had more personal and selfish reasons, in that he felt he need Batman to help find is parents.

Again, Tim's problem have less to do with the new characters but him being replaced by Damien and not finding a new niche. Dick and Jason can been seen as two Robin who grew up and took different paths,yet Tim lost his role as Robin while he was still a teenager but there is no focus on his teenage life.

This is why I argue that the WAR books would have been a good fit for him. While the book had it problems, it did show that they were just kids with parents. Tim would have been a better fit for the role that Alfred character played in that book.

While the book was launched to have more diversity, I think that it would have done better if they had a popular character involved. I think Tim as the mentor of a team of non powered teenaged heroes,while still balancing being in high school would have been good for his character.