EW: Detective Comics writer on that big Robin twist (SPOILERS!)

[Stormcrow]

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY talked to James Tynion IV about how the twist in this week’s Detective Comics #940 originated and the future of the book, highlighting that it's all part of a bigger story and that it's maybe the biggest story Tim has ever been a part of in DC comics history.

Spoiler alert!

[The Whovian]

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY talked to James Tynion IV about how the twist in this week’s Detective Comics #940 originated and the future of the book, highlighting that it's all part of a bigger story and that it's maybe the biggest story Tim has ever been a part of in DC comics history.

Spoiler alert!

Reading that helps understand what Tynion is doing with his story and what is coming. Thanks Stormcrow for posting that.

[Caivu]

Reading that helps understand what Tynion is doing with his story and what is coming. Thanks Stormcrow for posting that.

It also shows that this was planned pretty much from the beginning. If that's the case, there's totally a plan in place, even if this does seem like an out-of-nowhere twist.

[Frontier]

It definitely seems like they're setting up Tim as another key figure in Rebirth like Wally, in that he can renew memories and connections between characters that have been forgotten after Flashpoint.

Grayson - The Dark Heir posted a theory that this might be related to the Rebirth of the Young Justice generation, and given how central Tim was to that generation, it seems very plausible. Especially when most of that generation is currently in limbo right now and one of the only major parts of the DCU missing from Rebirth (particularly given it's emphasis on legacy).

Even the last panel, with the two other cells next to Tim, seem to be a clue to that effect. Tim says "my friends will come," and who were Tim's best friends? Conner and Bart.

It also shows that this was planned pretty much from the beginning. If that's the case, there's totally a plan in place, even if this does seem like an out-of-nowhere twist.

I think it probably would have helped if there was some indication Oz was keeping tabs on Tim in an earlier issue, maybe watching him and Steph together since that seems to be part of why he's taking Tim "off the board."

[Caivu]

I think it probably would have helped if there was some indication Oz was keeping tabs on Tim in an earlier issue, maybe watching him and Steph together since that seems to be part of why he's taking Tim "off the board."

But that would've completely ruined the surprise of what happened. It's a totally valid choice to not set up something like this in order to surprise people. To use a smaller-scale example, it'd be like someone complaining about Darth Vader being Luke's dad because "there were no hints about it beforehand".
Is what happened a deus ex machina? Yes. But that's a narrative tool just like any other, and has appropriate uses. I think this was one of them, because while Tim does get out of one type of danger, he's still not really safe.

[Atlanta96]

Guys, Tim Drake teaming up with Wally West to solve the Rebirth mystery. It could totally happen, how awesome would that be? Throw in Nightwing and it would be the greatest thing ever.

[Drake&West]

Guys, Tim Drake teaming up with Wally West to solve the Rebirth mystery. It could totally happen, how awesome would that be? Throw in Nightwing and it would be the greatest thing ever.

That would be great and is pretty much all I want at this point. They did team up in an issue of Robin back in the '90s so it would be awesome to see it again. I feel really lucky that my two favorite characters are now at the center of the Rebirth plot.

[Atlanta96]

That would be great and is pretty much all I want at this point. They did team up in an issue of Robin back in the '90s so it would be awesome to see it again. I feel really lucky that my two favorite characters are now at the center of the Rebirth plot.

Me too, almost like I'm dreaming and none of this is real

[Lhynn]

It definitely seems like they're setting up Tim as another key figure in Rebirth like Wally, in that he can renew memories and connections between characters that have been forgotten after Flashpoint.

Grayson - The Dark Heir posted a theory that this might be related to the Rebirth of the Young Justice generation, and given how central Tim was to that generation, it seems very plausible. Especially when most of that generation is currently in limbo right now and one of the only major parts of the DCU missing from Rebirth (particularly given it's emphasis on legacy).

Aye, never thought about it this way, but its true, Tim was the leader the 4th generation of heroes, right? Basically the lost generation.
Him and his friends basically carved out their own place from young justice.

[JasonTodd428]

But that would've completely ruined the surprise of what happened. It's a totally valid choice to not set up something like this in order to surprise people. To use a smaller-scale example, it'd be like someone complaining about Darth Vader being Luke's dad because "there were no hints about it beforehand".
Is what happened a deus ex machina? Yes. But that's a narrative tool just like any other, and has appropriate uses. I think this was one of them, because while Tim does get out of one type of danger, he's still not really safe.

I agree that having Oz keeping watch on Tim would have been too obvious but I don't think anything would have been ruined by having Oz make an appearance in some issue before this one and that's all it would have taken to make this feel at bit more believable. He wouldn't even have had to say anything or interact with anyone. Despite Tynion and Johns planning this out the execution of it was clumsy and it felt like it was coming out of left field, which makes it appear to be entirely unplanned at least to me. The build up to this could have been handled better IMO. As for Darth Vader there were plenty of clues dropped along the way that he and Luke were connected just not specifically how they were. Same with the connection between Leia and Luke.

[oasis1313]

Guys, Tim Drake teaming up with Wally West to solve the Rebirth mystery. It could totally happen, how awesome would that be? Throw in Nightwing and it would be the greatest thing ever.

That would be an interesting idea, but nobody working for DC is smart enough to think of it.

[Godlike13]

Isn't part of the point of the Titans is for them to team up with Wally and help him with the Rebirth mystery.

[berserkerclaw]

I really liked the issue. So cool to have Tec conne t to the rebirth plots

[joybeans]

It definitely seems like they're setting up Tim as another key figure in Rebirth like Wally, in that he can renew memories and connections between characters that have been forgotten after Flashpoint.

Grayson - The Dark Heir posted a theory that this might be related to the Rebirth of the Young Justice generation, and given how central Tim was to that generation, it seems very plausible. Especially when most of that generation is currently in limbo right now and one of the only major parts of the DCU missing from Rebirth (particularly given it's emphasis on legacy).

Even the last panel, with the two other cells next to Tim, seem to be a clue to that effect. Tim says "my friends will come," and who were Tim's best friends? Conner and Bart.

I think it probably would have helped if there was some indication Oz was keeping tabs on Tim in an earlier issue, maybe watching him and Steph together since that seems to be part of why he's taking Tim "off the board."

I think the underlying issue is that Detective Comics has been established as something of a street-level story, with human threats and villains. It's a story about vigilantes who brandish the Bat symbol through their own will fighting against the militarization of that symbol. The first six issues have been free of cosmic or interdimensional entities and the like, thus laying onto reader expectations that they wouldn't show up during the resolution of the seventh.

And that's always a tricky thing when writing stories that take place in shared universes. A writer has to establish the confines in which their series interacts with the greater universe as a whole, and then work within those confines. Mike Grell and Kevin Smith both wrote definitive runs of Green Arrow, but while magic fits well in Smith's narrative, it would be incredibly out of place in Grell's. Likewise, you wouldn't expect the Green Lantern Corps to show up to save the day in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, or Green Arrow to suddenly start using the Speed Force to solve his problems.

[darkseidpwns]

Isn't part of the point of the Titans is for them to team up with Wally and help him with the Rebirth mystery.

Apparently not I guess LOL. It's given even more reason to not take that book seriously, at the end of they day the Rebirth story is Johns baby. The characters that will be central to it will be the ones that Geoff has an insane crush on. Some like Barry and Hal seem like permanent crushes, others will depend on his mood. Remember this is the same man who promised big things for Dick in Forever Evil and his whole JL run is littered with abandoned plot points.

If Tim is lucky he'll be reunited with his YJ friends and DC will launch a new book with them. I dont see him playing a central part in Johns script, maybe just maybe Tynion will write a tie in series to the Rebirth story line when it eventually happens. Ofcourse whether it even happens is also a big if, Johns is insanely busy these days and he had no problem shelving the Pandora story and replacing it with the massively diluted Trinity War.