- September 28, 2022
Tim Drake: Robin #1 Review
Written by: Meghan Fitzmartin
Art by: Riley Rossmo
Coloring by: Lee Loughridge
Lettering by: Tom Napolitano
Editing by: Jessica Berbey, Arianna Turturro, Ben Abernathy
I have a strange relationship with Tim Drake. I never liked him as Robin, he just never interested me when he wore the Robin mantle. But, I fell in love with the character during his solo series as Red Robin after Battle for the Cowl. During that series, DC cemented that Tim Drake is the smartest Robin and a better detective than Bruce Wayne.
This series is not using that Tim Drake. This Tim Drake is a softie rather than a character with a hard exterior and soft insides. Now, this isn’t inherently bad, it just isn’t my taste. Tim’s detective work here isn’t as serious or as subtle as some fans would like. Even if that was something the creative team was interested in, I don’t think it would work with Riley Rossmo’s art style.
This book is wacky instead. Here, we have Tim solving mysteries about glowing orangutans rather than playing 5d chess with Ra’s Al Ghul. Rossmo’s art style has a specific tone about it that brings life into every scene. It brings characters down to size and has no time for self-seriousness. This does seem like a strange choice for who can be the most serious Robin. Even Damian’s self-seriousness can be funny, but Tim Drake always walked a safe line between serious and kind.
Ultimately, this was not the Robin book for me, but it may be for someone else. After Damian’s solo made him join Mortal Kombat, Tim’s solo might just be a breath of fresh air. One of our bat books should be solely upbeat, hopefully, people will enjoy that it’s about Tim.
Who’s your favorite Robin? Is Robin your favorite mantle for Tim? Let me know in the comments below.