Tim Drake: Robin, Red Robin, Appreciation 2023

[NOCTPHOENIX]

Tim can’t get back with Stephanie ( DC is way too proud of their line of lgbt characters currently )
Unfortunately I’m not even sure he can stop being robin anymore either since him being (lgbt) and (Robin) will be used to sell pride issues forever. We can only hope he get a good team one day and they write a spectacular story, if not cameo and reoccurring appearances will be his fate like Batwoman.

Tim is bi not gay and Constantine is bi but still has a prominent relationship with a woman. The failure of Timber might make DC reconsider closing the door on Timsteph

[Lal]

Tim is bi not gay and Constantine is bi but still has a prominent relationship with a woman. The failure of Timber might make DC reconsider closing the door on Timsteph

I doubt that. Unlike Constantine, Tim is the third Robin, and currently what he brings to the table in terms of "uniqueness" of being Robin is him being bi. Obviously, that's not how it should be, but right now that's his defining trait. Add to that that Dick and Babs already have the ex-Robin and Batgirl niche, and I don't see DC returning Tim and Steph.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

I doubt that. Unlike Constantine, Tim is the third Robin, and currently what he brings to the table in terms of "uniqueness" of being Robin is him being bi. Obviously, that's not how it should be, but right now that's his defining trait. Add to that that Dick and Babs already have the ex-Robin and Batgirl niche, and I don't see DC returning Tim and Steph.

And yet the sales and fan backlash to how things went down between Tim and Steph and Timber not catching on showed DC underestimated how much fans liked them together.

[charliehustle415]

A character that had a solo series last 183 friggin' issues! Can no longer carry a title for 12 is flabbergasting.

The editors, writers, and every corporate big wig no longer know what fans want from Tim.

[Aahz]

Tim is bi not gay and Constantine is bi but still has a prominent relationship with a woman. The failure of Timber might make DC reconsider closing the door on Timsteph

I don't see that before they kick out the editors and writers responsible for the change.

[Lal]

And yet the sales and fan backlash to how things went down between Tim and Steph and Timber not catching on showed DC underestimated how much fans liked them together.

DC has no reason to believe Tim's book failed because he isn't dating Steph. The writing, the art, the lack of direction, all those contributed to the book failure.

As for sales, Tim appeared in last year's pride issue that sold very well, and his coming out issue sold out, so it's clear DC believe he's marketable as the queer Robin. This year, again, Tim is starring in DC's pride issue and appear in two pride variant covers.

So the problem with Tim isn't that he's dating a guy and not Steph. The problem is that he has no sense of direction and has very little defining him at the moment. Once Damian returns to Gotham (as was hinted recently), his position will be even less clear.

But DC teased that Gotham is about to change, so it's possible they will launch a batfamily book or some kind of a team book, and a team book starring Tim, Steph, Cass, and Duke could be great.

[NOCTPHOENIX]

DC has no reason to believe Tim's book failed because he isn't dating Steph. The writing, the art, the lack of direction, all those contributed to the book failure.

As for sales, Tim appeared in last year's pride issue that sold very well, and his coming out issue sold out, so it's clear DC believe he's marketable as the queer Robin. This year, again, Tim is starring in DC's pride issue and appear in two pride variant covers.

So the problem with Tim isn't that he's dating a guy and not Steph. The problem is that he has no sense of direction and has very little defining him at the moment. Once Damian returns to Gotham (as was hinted recently), his position will be even less clear.

But DC teased that Gotham is about to change, so it's possible they will launch a batfamily book or some kind of a team book, and a team book starring Tim, Steph, Cass, and Duke could be great.

DC pride is an anthology so it's hard to say how much Tim contributed to that but his Pride Special alone didn't seel well. He is starring in DC pride but so is Batwoman who doesn't have a book at the moment. A large part of the writing is about his relationship with Bernard which has been throwing his past relationship under the bus.

I agree about the team book but hopefully they get a different writer.

[Factor]

Tim can’t get back with Stephanie ( DC is way too proud of their line of lgbt characters currently )
Unfortunately I’m not even sure he can stop being robin anymore either since him being (lgbt) and (Robin) will be used to sell pride issues forever. We can only hope he get a good team one day and they write a spectacular story, if not cameo and reoccurring appearances will be his fate like Batwoman.

He is bi. Getting back with Steph won’t change his sexual orientation.

[Drako]

DC should make a Batfamily Anthology book with Tim, Kate, Steph, Cass and maybe one or two more. Maybe combining all of them in one book can make it sustain sales.

[Factor]

DC should make a Batfamily Anthology book with Tim, Kate, Steph, Cass and maybe one or two more. Maybe combining all of them in one book can make it sustain sales.

Gotham Knights, starring Tim Drake, the Batgirls, Signal, Batwing, Azrael and Batwoman.
Gotham Knights should be such a strong IP... Granted, the TV show probably won't help matters, but it has a lot of name recognition and DC should explore it more as an umbrella for its several Bat characters that don't have their own books anymore.

Have a main feature starring the whole team and rotating back-ups to focus on individual members. A way more focused version of Urban Legends.

[Drako]

Gotham Knights, starring Tim Drake, the Batgirls, Signal, Batwing, Azrael and Batwoman.
Gotham Knights should be such a strong IP... Granted, the TV show probably won't help matters, but it has a lot of name recognition and DC should explore it more as an umbrella for its several Bat characters that don't have their own books anymore.

Have a main feature starring the whole team and rotating back-ups to focus on individual members. A way more focused version of Urban Legends.

Yeah, Gotham Knights is a recognizable brand with a game and a tv show now. Also, these characters might not be able sustain consistent sale anymore, but they have loyal fan bases that want to see them thrive. Now sprinkle Batman in their stories every now and then and i think the book could be a success.

Or even if not a anthology, one book with this cast should be able to sell. Well, at least if they gave it to a good creator. Repeating the Fitzmartin experiment would not be ideal.

[Morgoth]

Gotham Knights should be such a strong IP...

Currently, Gotham Knights is associated with failed game and really bad TV show, so, it doesn't look good for its' IP, at least using this title.

[ZuLuLu]

DC pride is an anthology so it's hard to say how much Tim contributed to that but his Pride Special alone didn't seel well. He is starring in DC pride but so is Batwoman who doesn't have a book at the moment. A large part of the writing is about his relationship with Bernard which has been throwing his past relationship under the bus.

I agree about the team book but hopefully they get a different writer.

It is just DC pride but issue 10 of Urban Legend had increased sales when Tim came out in that issue, they also saw an increase in sales in the issues that started the story, which is why they put the collection for sale in the Tim Drake Pride Special but by that time the majority of people who were interested already bought these issues.

From the outside, we don't always see everything that the company is looking at but I guess if DC didn't see a positive response from Meghan Fitzmartin's Future State stories and Urban Ledgen stories she would not have gotten the Young Justice book and the Tim Drake solo.

DC has no reason that the failure of this book has anything to do with Tim's sexuality, love interest, or even Fitzmartin's writing the loudest criticism from the start of the book was the art everything else was secondary.

[Frontier]

Tim can’t get back with Stephanie ( DC is way too proud of their line of lgbt characters currently )
Unfortunately I’m not even sure he can stop being robin anymore either since him being (lgbt) and (Robin) will be used to sell pride issues forever. We can only hope he get a good team one day and they write a spectacular story, if not cameo and reoccurring appearances will be his fate like Batwoman.

I doubt that. Unlike Constantine, Tim is the third Robin, and currently what he brings to the table in terms of "uniqueness" of being Robin is him being bi. Obviously, that's not how it should be, but right now that's his defining trait. Add to that that Dick and Babs already have the ex-Robin and Batgirl niche, and I don't see DC returning Tim and Steph.

If they're going to really promote him as Bi then they can't take Stephanie off the table, especially when she's way more compelling than Bernard.

[WebLurker]

If they're going to really promote him as Bi then they can't take Stephanie off the table, especially when she's way more compelling than Bernard.

While that may be true, to play devil's advocate, resetting things to Steph could be taken as a form of bi erasure (e.g. "we're going to say Tim's bi, but only pay lip service to the idea), if that makes any sense.

Guess it depends on how committed DC is to the Bernard relationship and all that. (Also not sure that Steph is that iconic as Tim's girlfriend that she can't be replaced as the OTP, but time will tell on that.)