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Robin (1991, 1993-2009) #1
Robin, Vol. 1: Reborn
After discovering Batman’s identity, Tim Drake must now endure months of intensive physical training before he can publicly debut as the Caped Crusader’s new partner. Given an all-new hi-tech costume and the encouragement of former Robin Dick Grayson, Tim is finally ready to don the identity he was born for: Robin!
But when his parents are kidnapped by the Obeah Man will Batman be able to save them or will tragedy find Tim Drake?
Then, Robin must survive a final baptism by fire as he travels overseas to learn martial arts from one of the world’s greatest fighters—the deadly Lady Siva. Flying solo for the first time, he comes across a diabolical plot by Batman’s old enemy King Snake and must prove that he is worthy of the mantle of Robin!
ROBIN: REBORN collects in chronological order for the first time ever BATMAN #455-457, DETECTIVE COMICS #618-621, and ROBIN #1-5.
Detailing the journey of fan favorite Tim Drake’s transformation into Robin are classic comic creators ALAN GRANT( BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT), CHUCK DIXON (NIGHTWING), NORM BREYFOGLE (BATMAN BEYOND) and TOM LYLE (STARMAN)!
But when his parents are kidnapped by the Obeah Man will Batman be able to save them or will tragedy find Tim Drake?
Then, Robin must survive a final baptism by fire as he travels overseas to learn martial arts from one of the world’s greatest fighters—the deadly Lady Siva. Flying solo for the first time, he comes across a diabolical plot by Batman’s old enemy King Snake and must prove that he is worthy of the mantle of Robin!
ROBIN: REBORN collects in chronological order for the first time ever BATMAN #455-457, DETECTIVE COMICS #618-621, and ROBIN #1-5.
Detailing the journey of fan favorite Tim Drake’s transformation into Robin are classic comic creators ALAN GRANT( BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT), CHUCK DIXON (NIGHTWING), NORM BREYFOGLE (BATMAN BEYOND) and TOM LYLE (STARMAN)!
296 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2015
40 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,433 books1,034 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 11, 2019
Collecting Tim Drake's early appearances after his first appearance in Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying. Tim goes through some personal tragedy in his first Batman arc. The Obeah Man and the voodoo element seem like they should be out of their element in a Batman comic, but Norm Breyfogle is a master of shadowy, creepy Batman pages. He remains one of my favorite Batman artists and I really enjoyed this arc. Then Robin gets his own miniseries and hits the road to Paris for training. There he comes across King Snake and the Ghost Dragons who return to battle Robin several times over the years. He also picks up some training from the deadliest fighter on earth, Lady Shiva. Dixon and Lyle provide some international flair but this does feel a bit dated at times. Still, I really like the idea of collecting both Tim Drake's appearances in Batman and Detective along with his many miniseries in chronological order. It's like going back to the early 90's to read my floppies again.
December 7, 2024
First half: 1 star (less than if possible)
Second half: 3 stars
Total score: 2 stars
This is hard. DC let Alan Grant write 2 Batman stories where he villainized black people, the poor and poor black people. The first story is one of the most blatantly racist stories I've read in a while and I have been making my way through comics from the 70s and 80s for over a year now. So, I've been in the trenches - this shit is awful.
Let's not even get into the fact that black magic is always viewed as dangerous and dark, in every single mainstream story. Look at American Horror Story: Coven where the white witches are using "good magic" occasionally for bad purposes but Marie Laveau's magic is automatically viewed as "bad" because it's African voodoo magic. Grant's Batman story uses white fear of black "natives" and black "voodoo" to create a villain in Ebeau and it's just awful.
On top of showing Haiti as shanty towns. On top of having Batman and Robin only attacking black criminals in Gotham and in Haiti. It's a story where the only people you see being beat up, hurt and killed are black. They're constantly referred to as "brutes" and treated like savages (as well as being depicted in loin cloths). In a book that doesn't even feature Lucius Fox, these are the only depictions of black people... this is some 1930s bullshit, it doesn't belong in this time period.
Also, not to shit on the dead, but Tim's parents are seen on the plane having an argument about which third world nation to build a factory on (I think that's what they were doing). And Janet Drake argues that they should have "settled" for Jamaica, so Tim's parents didn't have the best view of black nations either.
Robin's hunting down a Robin Hood type figure that's using electronic bank transfers to steal from the rich and give to the poor around the world. You'd think, in a book about a character that has always given some of his fortunes to charity, Grant wouldn't villainize this Robin Hood type character the way he does everyone else. You'd be wrong. Robin has to take him down, violently.
So, I have to wonder why DC let Grant write these stories when he appears to hate black people and the poor.
Anyway, I was so grateful when the writing switched over to Chuck Dixon (as flawed as he is, too). In a way, I felt as though he was hitting back at Grant's writing because Tim makes a point of saying repeatedly that Batman and Robin are meant to stick up for the oppressed. He has a story where he works with an Asian woman and a Black man. And I was so grateful the Black man wasn't a criminal - I mean so fucking thankful. (Again, irl Dixon is also trash)
I always love seeing Lady Shiva - she fascinates me as a character. Clyde Rawlins was your typical black guy in an action movie character, but it worked for the story. I liked seeing him work with Tim and teach him how to fight. I enjoyed seeing Shiva teach him how to fight. It read like an 80s movie, honestly. The plot, the outfits, the training sequences, I've seen this in the Karate Kid. It works.
Tim is still rather annoying to me as a character. He's constantly trying to speak over and boss adults around, and that just doesn't work for me. He's growing on me a bit, but I still feel as though he's my least favorite compared to the rest of the batfamily. But that's okay, he has a fanbase. He's just not for me.
Anyway, one gross moment aside where 13 year old Tim appears to proposition Shiva for sex (I threw up in my mouth a bit), Dixon's story is a recommend. Just stay far, far away from Alan Grant's racist voodoo story, and you'll be okay.
Second half: 3 stars
Total score: 2 stars
This is hard. DC let Alan Grant write 2 Batman stories where he villainized black people, the poor and poor black people. The first story is one of the most blatantly racist stories I've read in a while and I have been making my way through comics from the 70s and 80s for over a year now. So, I've been in the trenches - this shit is awful.
Let's not even get into the fact that black magic is always viewed as dangerous and dark, in every single mainstream story. Look at American Horror Story: Coven where the white witches are using "good magic" occasionally for bad purposes but Marie Laveau's magic is automatically viewed as "bad" because it's African voodoo magic. Grant's Batman story uses white fear of black "natives" and black "voodoo" to create a villain in Ebeau and it's just awful.
On top of showing Haiti as shanty towns. On top of having Batman and Robin only attacking black criminals in Gotham and in Haiti. It's a story where the only people you see being beat up, hurt and killed are black. They're constantly referred to as "brutes" and treated like savages (as well as being depicted in loin cloths). In a book that doesn't even feature Lucius Fox, these are the only depictions of black people... this is some 1930s bullshit, it doesn't belong in this time period.
Also, not to shit on the dead, but Tim's parents are seen on the plane having an argument about which third world nation to build a factory on (I think that's what they were doing). And Janet Drake argues that they should have "settled" for Jamaica, so Tim's parents didn't have the best view of black nations either.
Robin's hunting down a Robin Hood type figure that's using electronic bank transfers to steal from the rich and give to the poor around the world. You'd think, in a book about a character that has always given some of his fortunes to charity, Grant wouldn't villainize this Robin Hood type character the way he does everyone else. You'd be wrong. Robin has to take him down, violently.
So, I have to wonder why DC let Grant write these stories when he appears to hate black people and the poor.
Anyway, I was so grateful when the writing switched over to Chuck Dixon (as flawed as he is, too). In a way, I felt as though he was hitting back at Grant's writing because Tim makes a point of saying repeatedly that Batman and Robin are meant to stick up for the oppressed. He has a story where he works with an Asian woman and a Black man. And I was so grateful the Black man wasn't a criminal - I mean so fucking thankful. (Again, irl Dixon is also trash)
I always love seeing Lady Shiva - she fascinates me as a character. Clyde Rawlins was your typical black guy in an action movie character, but it worked for the story. I liked seeing him work with Tim and teach him how to fight. I enjoyed seeing Shiva teach him how to fight. It read like an 80s movie, honestly. The plot, the outfits, the training sequences, I've seen this in the Karate Kid. It works.
Tim is still rather annoying to me as a character. He's constantly trying to speak over and boss adults around, and that just doesn't work for me. He's growing on me a bit, but I still feel as though he's my least favorite compared to the rest of the batfamily. But that's okay, he has a fanbase. He's just not for me.
Anyway, one gross moment aside where 13 year old Tim appears to proposition Shiva for sex (I threw up in my mouth a bit), Dixon's story is a recommend. Just stay far, far away from Alan Grant's racist voodoo story, and you'll be okay.
July 6, 2017
Finally, I've gotten around to reading the beginnings of Tim Drake, my favorite Robin.
This was a nice mix of 80s exposition and more current dialogue/action mixes.
Read if you're a fan of Tim.
This was a nice mix of 80s exposition and more current dialogue/action mixes.
Read if you're a fan of Tim.
September 16, 2018
Yay, it's Tim!
Look at those smiles! :)
I want to say I'm a Tim fan, but I've never really read anything (or watched anything) with Tim playing a substantial/substantive role...
I was so happy to give this a go and read his origins and get to know early 90's Batman a bit. Or is it really 80's Batman written in the early years of the 1990s? (A sample of the dated sexist language in reference to Lady Shiva: "Honey", "Killer Bimbos", "Fairer Sex", and "Shoot, who let the girls in the clubhouse.". Not to mention the weird/implied sexual tension between Shiva and Tim.
Yeah, he thought she was coming to take his virginity. Awkward.
...
So, this 80's Batman... he's a little different than my late 90's Batman, and very different from my current, never smiling, brooding, and dumped at the altar, Batman.
This Batman is still damaged and angry by the murder of his parents, but is also kind of nurturing and protective of his ward. Quick to smile when Tim says he's going to watch a Sherlock Holmes re-run on TV. Quick to apologize for rushing off to track the trail of the MoneySpider first on the computer when Tim finds out about his parents. And then quick to jump in and personally deliver the tea set Alfred was bringing to Tim.
Batman: "Don't brood too much, son. For your parents' sake, be strong. Always remember --life has to go on. Do you want me to take the day off to be with you?"
Who is this Batman, and what have you done to my angry, detached vigilante?
Art wasn't too bad. I can see that this was probably pretty advanced art for the time. The colors are very...colorful. All shading is done in black lines and everything else is blocks of colors.
Batman is drawn with a lot of emotion, which I liked.
In Rite of Passage, Part Four: Trial By Fire on page 15 Batman's face is contorted in rage and despair and agony. He's whipping around beating everyone up, and his face is just an insane canvas of emotions.
I very much did not like the Obeah Man storyline. It was weird. My Batman storylines rarely leave Gotham city, but 2/3 of this book takes place abroad. It felt a little like exoticizing the Caribbean (Haiti) and I was thrown off guard by Tim's parents being crazy rich business execs. I didn't know Tim becomes another Dick (and Jason) by joining the dead-parents-Bruce-Wayne-ward club. Poor Tim. :(
Tim has a varied (and alarming) reaction to both Batman's cowl and Robin's costume. At first, Batman's cape and cowl represent "death" and "monsters". Tim has nightmares about Nightwing's mask and Batman's cowl. He's afraid and angry and the Robin costume represents that to him.
Tim: "I hate him! I hate him! I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They want to fill the hole that's burning inside them!
Bruce: "There's more to it than that, son."
Tim: "I know."
Bruce: "Much more."
The suit also represents serious responsibility and hero worship. Dick created the Robin symbol, and Jason died wearing the costume. So Tim is stuck the rest of the Identity Crisis storyline both wanting to put on the suit, and not wanting to put on the suit.
BUT! As Tim says "(Fear) It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just because you're afraid --doesn't mean you can't act!".
And Batman is just so...supportive. He thanks Tim for saving his life and offers him the role of Robin, giving him his own new costume so he doesn't have to bear the weight of the OG Robin-costume's history.
To become Batman's true partner, someone who can watch his back on the streets, Robin goes off alone to train in Paris. He gets totally side-tracked by an ex-DEA agent named Clyde, and Lady Shiva, to stop a big bad blind and crazy white British colonialist wackjob (who's so entitled he buys and moves a Spanish historical landmark water tower clock thingy) who would rather murder and destroy all of Hong Kong than see it "returned" to China later that decade. (This book also has fun 90's references to the "impending" European Union too.) Interesting motive, but less than "noble" when he plans his own escape route to survive the slaughter.
There's a lot of great stuff during this last storyline. I would give this third of the book about 4/4.5 stars all on its own. During one of the bad-guy takedowns, there's an assist by actual bats (lol). There's a Nazi bio-weapon, and a Chinese gang leader who flirts with Tim, and also Tim finally gets his martial arts training! First from Clyde, who tries to teach him to fight angry, and then Lady Shiva, who teaches him to not fight angry.
Cool training montage moment: Clyde tells Tim "On the street, there're no rules. No second chances. No warnings. Graveyard's full of nice guys."
And Lady Shiva tells Tim: "You are nothing. You are less than nothing. You are a child. That is how your opponents must see you. They will underestimate your skills because of your age and size. That is your advantage. But you must never see yourself that way."
The only reason I wouldn't give this storyline a full 5 stars is because there's a weird bit with Tim, where he says it's important to do good, and he's adverse to murder (of course), but then he lets the bad guy fall off a skyscraper to his death, which was kind of passively murdery.
Tim: "We're supposed to be the good guys. They're motivated by revenge and hatred. We're supposed to be better than that."
Also Tim: "I won't fight murderers by becoming one."
Also Tim: Leaves the bad guy hanging off a building with Lady Shiva. Hears his screams as he falls to his death. Walks away.
...
This was a hefty volume. I liked some parts better than others, but mostly I was super taken by the last story of Tim's solo trip and training.
Tim goes through some crazy doubting of himself, and of Batman & Robin. But he made it! He's now wearing the Robin costume, and he's swinging off into the night with (a smiling!) Batman. <3
Look at those smiles! :)
I want to say I'm a Tim fan, but I've never really read anything (or watched anything) with Tim playing a substantial/substantive role...
I was so happy to give this a go and read his origins and get to know early 90's Batman a bit. Or is it really 80's Batman written in the early years of the 1990s? (A sample of the dated sexist language in reference to Lady Shiva: "Honey", "Killer Bimbos", "Fairer Sex", and "Shoot, who let the girls in the clubhouse.". Not to mention the weird/implied sexual tension between Shiva and Tim.
Yeah, he thought she was coming to take his virginity. Awkward.
...
So, this 80's Batman... he's a little different than my late 90's Batman, and very different from my current, never smiling, brooding, and dumped at the altar, Batman.
This Batman is still damaged and angry by the murder of his parents, but is also kind of nurturing and protective of his ward. Quick to smile when Tim says he's going to watch a Sherlock Holmes re-run on TV. Quick to apologize for rushing off to track the trail of the MoneySpider first on the computer when Tim finds out about his parents. And then quick to jump in and personally deliver the tea set Alfred was bringing to Tim.
Batman: "Don't brood too much, son. For your parents' sake, be strong. Always remember --life has to go on. Do you want me to take the day off to be with you?"
Who is this Batman, and what have you done to my angry, detached vigilante?
Art wasn't too bad. I can see that this was probably pretty advanced art for the time. The colors are very...colorful. All shading is done in black lines and everything else is blocks of colors.
Batman is drawn with a lot of emotion, which I liked.
In Rite of Passage, Part Four: Trial By Fire on page 15 Batman's face is contorted in rage and despair and agony. He's whipping around beating everyone up, and his face is just an insane canvas of emotions.
I very much did not like the Obeah Man storyline. It was weird. My Batman storylines rarely leave Gotham city, but 2/3 of this book takes place abroad. It felt a little like exoticizing the Caribbean (Haiti) and I was thrown off guard by Tim's parents being crazy rich business execs. I didn't know Tim becomes another Dick (and Jason) by joining the dead-parents-Bruce-Wayne-ward club. Poor Tim. :(
Tim has a varied (and alarming) reaction to both Batman's cowl and Robin's costume. At first, Batman's cape and cowl represent "death" and "monsters". Tim has nightmares about Nightwing's mask and Batman's cowl. He's afraid and angry and the Robin costume represents that to him.
Tim: "I hate him! I hate him! I know why they do it now. Why they put on the suits, and the masks, and go out into the night. They want to fill the hole that's burning inside them!
Bruce: "There's more to it than that, son."
Tim: "I know."
Bruce: "Much more."
The suit also represents serious responsibility and hero worship. Dick created the Robin symbol, and Jason died wearing the costume. So Tim is stuck the rest of the Identity Crisis storyline both wanting to put on the suit, and not wanting to put on the suit.
BUT! As Tim says "(Fear) It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just because you're afraid --doesn't mean you can't act!".
And Batman is just so...supportive. He thanks Tim for saving his life and offers him the role of Robin, giving him his own new costume so he doesn't have to bear the weight of the OG Robin-costume's history.
To become Batman's true partner, someone who can watch his back on the streets, Robin goes off alone to train in Paris. He gets totally side-tracked by an ex-DEA agent named Clyde, and Lady Shiva, to stop a big bad blind and crazy white British colonialist wackjob (who's so entitled he buys and moves a Spanish historical landmark water tower clock thingy) who would rather murder and destroy all of Hong Kong than see it "returned" to China later that decade. (This book also has fun 90's references to the "impending" European Union too.) Interesting motive, but less than "noble" when he plans his own escape route to survive the slaughter.
There's a lot of great stuff during this last storyline. I would give this third of the book about 4/4.5 stars all on its own. During one of the bad-guy takedowns, there's an assist by actual bats (lol). There's a Nazi bio-weapon, and a Chinese gang leader who flirts with Tim, and also Tim finally gets his martial arts training! First from Clyde, who tries to teach him to fight angry, and then Lady Shiva, who teaches him to not fight angry.
Cool training montage moment: Clyde tells Tim "On the street, there're no rules. No second chances. No warnings. Graveyard's full of nice guys."
And Lady Shiva tells Tim: "You are nothing. You are less than nothing. You are a child. That is how your opponents must see you. They will underestimate your skills because of your age and size. That is your advantage. But you must never see yourself that way."
The only reason I wouldn't give this storyline a full 5 stars is because there's a weird bit with Tim, where he says it's important to do good, and he's adverse to murder (of course), but then he lets the bad guy fall off a skyscraper to his death, which was kind of passively murdery.
Tim: "We're supposed to be the good guys. They're motivated by revenge and hatred. We're supposed to be better than that."
Also Tim: "I won't fight murderers by becoming one."
Also Tim: Leaves the bad guy hanging off a building with Lady Shiva. Hears his screams as he falls to his death. Walks away.
...
This was a hefty volume. I liked some parts better than others, but mostly I was super taken by the last story of Tim's solo trip and training.
Tim goes through some crazy doubting of himself, and of Batman & Robin. But he made it! He's now wearing the Robin costume, and he's swinging off into the night with (a smiling!) Batman. <3
May 11, 2016
3.25/5 I did like this book, I really wanted to get a look into the story of tim drake and I plan on continuing this series, but this book can be very lack luster it starts out good then slows down for like 5 issues I almost didn't want to finish it but it picked back up towards the end so that saved it. the problem I find with these older books is that they have way too much pointless dialogue. also this book takes place outside of Gotham and lacks an intense villain who we would be used to seeing in the batman universe.
April 1, 2022
Another very good "year one" type story. To begin with, I really loved the narration, I for one really love the journal narration that a lot of the Batman stories have got going on, and in this specific book it was really effective. Some amazing one-liners and descriptive work.
Tim Drake is my favourite Robin yet, I really like the fact that he's completely separate from the other two, that he's not sure he'll be able to be a good Robin, the fact that he doesn't have any prior training which is something that scares him. The fact that he's afraid to disappoint Batman. The fact that he listened to Alfred when he told him that he should do what his heart tells him is right, which in the short term was falling for a gangster at the ripe age of 13 and getting his ass handed to him, but in the long term meant stopping a nation-wide bioweapon from being used. The fact that he's a hacker is great in my eyes, since it's a whole new skillset that we haven't seen any of the other Robins be good at (aka using their brains). I also realllllyyyyyy like the fact that he plays in to this idea that he is a child. He's the one that takes no murder the most seriously (to a certain extent, RIP guy thrown off a cliff), and he uses weapons that everyone undermines. The flute staff is by far the best thing that has ever happened.
Now. SHIVA. YES. She's what I've been wanting to see in a woman comic book character. The characters are scared of her, and for a good reason. Tim goes as far as to even say that he thinks she might be better than Batman, and on that same line of thought, the fact that she also does the disappearing act which is hilarious. Her using Robin, training him, and then in a reversal showing him that he's her weapon: she managed to defeat the strongest man in the world without lifting a finger, all she had to do was train him and let him do all the work. Amazing. Who is she. I love her.
Tim Drake is my favourite Robin yet, I really like the fact that he's completely separate from the other two, that he's not sure he'll be able to be a good Robin, the fact that he doesn't have any prior training which is something that scares him. The fact that he's afraid to disappoint Batman. The fact that he listened to Alfred when he told him that he should do what his heart tells him is right, which in the short term was falling for a gangster at the ripe age of 13 and getting his ass handed to him, but in the long term meant stopping a nation-wide bioweapon from being used. The fact that he's a hacker is great in my eyes, since it's a whole new skillset that we haven't seen any of the other Robins be good at (aka using their brains). I also realllllyyyyyy like the fact that he plays in to this idea that he is a child. He's the one that takes no murder the most seriously (to a certain extent, RIP guy thrown off a cliff), and he uses weapons that everyone undermines. The flute staff is by far the best thing that has ever happened.
Now. SHIVA. YES. She's what I've been wanting to see in a woman comic book character. The characters are scared of her, and for a good reason. Tim goes as far as to even say that he thinks she might be better than Batman, and on that same line of thought, the fact that she also does the disappearing act which is hilarious. Her using Robin, training him, and then in a reversal showing him that he's her weapon: she managed to defeat the strongest man in the world without lifting a finger, all she had to do was train him and let him do all the work. Amazing. Who is she. I love her.
May 26, 2016
DC has been releasing some bigger trades, often collecting two previously released trades into one. First with Nightwing, and now with Birds of Prey and Robin. This volume collects some tales involving Tim Drake from Detective Comics and Batman, prior to Tim donning the Robin mantle. Then there is the first Robin mini-series, where he travels to Paris for some training and ends up teaming up with Lady Shiva, of all people, to stop a madman from releasing a deadly bio-weapon on the world.
The stories from Detective and Batman are by Alan Grant, with Norm Breyfogle and Steve Mitchell on the art. The mini is by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle. Stylistically, the art looks good, if definitely from the early 90s, and both Grant and Dixon pen some good stories with a lot of emotional heft that never go overboard into melodrama.
There is a second "new" volume already out, but here's hoping DC collects as much of this iteration of Robin as possible.
The stories from Detective and Batman are by Alan Grant, with Norm Breyfogle and Steve Mitchell on the art. The mini is by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle. Stylistically, the art looks good, if definitely from the early 90s, and both Grant and Dixon pen some good stories with a lot of emotional heft that never go overboard into melodrama.
There is a second "new" volume already out, but here's hoping DC collects as much of this iteration of Robin as possible.
September 15, 2021
A really boring start.
Robin has to lose family members because of course...then he gets his own storyline but it's kind of boring? Some cool moments with Shiva can't save this one for me. I was completely bored reading most of it. A 2 out of 5 at best.
Robin has to lose family members because of course...then he gets his own storyline but it's kind of boring? Some cool moments with Shiva can't save this one for me. I was completely bored reading most of it. A 2 out of 5 at best.
December 18, 2022
Talk about something that didn't aged well, to me Tim does nothing as Robin.
December 8, 2022
Olha, na sinceridade, difícil.
As primeiras edições são da fase do Alan Grant e do Norm Breyfogle no título do Batman e são bem ruins, só a arte salva. Bom, Tim Drake descobriu o segredo do morcego e não sabe se vai ser o Robin ou não, enquanto isso, os pais do Tim Drake - milionários, eu suponho - estão em férias Caribe - estranhamente, usando o uniforme de explorador inglês do início dos anos 20 com direito a chapéu redondo e tudo mais - e são raptados por um estereótipo ofensivo do vudu, e vudu é pra jacu, o Batman salva os pais do Tim, mas a tragédia acontece; eles são envenenados porque pararam para tomar um gole d'água e a jarra d'água do vuduísta estava envenenada. E o Batman não tem um Bat-anti-veneno.
O vudu pode ser pra jacu, mas tem bem mais preparo que o Batman.
Já a próxima história, além de superar a morte da mãe e o péssimo estado de saúde do pai, o Tim Drake precisa ajudar o Morcegão a enfrentar um inimigo oculto e secreto - é o Espantalho. Eu achei bem ruim, mas eu entendo que um jovem milionário só pode se vestir de algum animal para combater o crime se superar alguma tragédia pessoal, então é isso aí. Tudo isso porque o cara do vudu tava mais preparado que o Batman.
Já a mini do Chuck Dixon tem outra pegada, o Robin tem dúvidas sobre a sua capacidade marcial, então mandam para Paris estudar com o último mestre de uma arte marcial secreta. Só tem um problema. Isso mesmo, uma gatinha.
E ela é bem bonitinha.
É assim que elas nos pegam, Tim. É assim que elas nos pegam.
Como o Tim quer "salvar" a gatinha, ele vai se meter numa confusão com uma guerra e gangues internacionais, armas biológicas nazistas, agentes rebeldes do serviço secreto e a Lady Shiva, a mulher mais mortal do Universo DC. O vilão da história, o Rei Cobra, vai se tornar um vilão recorrente pro Tim e a Lady Shiva, uma espécie de contra-mentora do guri em minis futuras, mas o mais interessante é que o Dixon sabe escrever esse tipo de história -a formação de um novo jovem herói e coisa parecida - e, mesmo com vários comentários reacinhas no meio do caminho, funciona; apresenta o herói, o inimigo, o mentor, os caminhos que ele pode seguir e, ao menos para aquela época, quem ele quer se tornar.
As primeiras edições são da fase do Alan Grant e do Norm Breyfogle no título do Batman e são bem ruins, só a arte salva. Bom, Tim Drake descobriu o segredo do morcego e não sabe se vai ser o Robin ou não, enquanto isso, os pais do Tim Drake - milionários, eu suponho - estão em férias Caribe - estranhamente, usando o uniforme de explorador inglês do início dos anos 20 com direito a chapéu redondo e tudo mais - e são raptados por um estereótipo ofensivo do vudu, e vudu é pra jacu, o Batman salva os pais do Tim, mas a tragédia acontece; eles são envenenados porque pararam para tomar um gole d'água e a jarra d'água do vuduísta estava envenenada. E o Batman não tem um Bat-anti-veneno.
O vudu pode ser pra jacu, mas tem bem mais preparo que o Batman.
Já a próxima história, além de superar a morte da mãe e o péssimo estado de saúde do pai, o Tim Drake precisa ajudar o Morcegão a enfrentar um inimigo oculto e secreto - é o Espantalho. Eu achei bem ruim, mas eu entendo que um jovem milionário só pode se vestir de algum animal para combater o crime se superar alguma tragédia pessoal, então é isso aí. Tudo isso porque o cara do vudu tava mais preparado que o Batman.
Já a mini do Chuck Dixon tem outra pegada, o Robin tem dúvidas sobre a sua capacidade marcial, então mandam para Paris estudar com o último mestre de uma arte marcial secreta. Só tem um problema. Isso mesmo, uma gatinha.
E ela é bem bonitinha.
É assim que elas nos pegam, Tim. É assim que elas nos pegam.
Como o Tim quer "salvar" a gatinha, ele vai se meter numa confusão com uma guerra e gangues internacionais, armas biológicas nazistas, agentes rebeldes do serviço secreto e a Lady Shiva, a mulher mais mortal do Universo DC. O vilão da história, o Rei Cobra, vai se tornar um vilão recorrente pro Tim e a Lady Shiva, uma espécie de contra-mentora do guri em minis futuras, mas o mais interessante é que o Dixon sabe escrever esse tipo de história -a formação de um novo jovem herói e coisa parecida - e, mesmo com vários comentários reacinhas no meio do caminho, funciona; apresenta o herói, o inimigo, o mentor, os caminhos que ele pode seguir e, ao menos para aquela época, quem ele quer se tornar.
March 21, 2017
This collection of stories from 1990-91 tells the story of how Tim Drake became Batman's third sidekick. The individual issues are solid to good, although most of them skew towards solid and the collection as a whole feels like a necessary (and not terribly original) set of boxes to check in order to establish Drake as the new Robin.
Useful reading for Bat-Fans to complete Tim Drake's origin story, but otherwise just OK. 3.0 stars.
Useful reading for Bat-Fans to complete Tim Drake's origin story, but otherwise just OK. 3.0 stars.
August 22, 2022
This collected trade features three main arcs:
Detective Comics #618- #621 which is 'Rite of Passage'. I think this is the weakest arc in collection. It contains some important moments of character development for Tim Drake but is heavily dated and slightly problematic (90s Batman for you).
Batman #455 - #457 sees Tim Drake officially become Robin and features a Christmassy story set in Gotham.
and finally.. the main arc:
Robin #1-5
Tim's training as Robin takes him from Paris to Asia and introduces the Snake King as the main villain. Interesting story. I wouldn't class this as essential reading but does offer some interesting key moments. It really cements Tim's ideologies. I think all of the Robins have interesting character traits that are unique to them. Tim has a dedication to justice, something that is echoed throughout this trade paperback.
Detective Comics #618- #621 which is 'Rite of Passage'. I think this is the weakest arc in collection. It contains some important moments of character development for Tim Drake but is heavily dated and slightly problematic (90s Batman for you).
Batman #455 - #457 sees Tim Drake officially become Robin and features a Christmassy story set in Gotham.
and finally.. the main arc:
Robin #1-5
Tim's training as Robin takes him from Paris to Asia and introduces the Snake King as the main villain. Interesting story. I wouldn't class this as essential reading but does offer some interesting key moments. It really cements Tim's ideologies. I think all of the Robins have interesting character traits that are unique to them. Tim has a dedication to justice, something that is echoed throughout this trade paperback.
November 24, 2025
The Robin mantle is akin to the AO3 curse bc DAMN none of these boys can catch a break. The tragedy of being a hero.
May 7, 2016
Tim Drake is my Robin. By the time I started to get into comics, Dick Grayson was already Nightwing. It was 1998 and we were right on the heels of the upcoming Cataclysm and No Man's Land storylines. And, Tim Drake was everything I wanted to be back then. Cool, calm, extremely smart, and tough.
Well, "Robin: Reborn" was everything I hoped for and more. Starting off right on the heels of Tim learning Batman's secret identity, we get a couple issues of pre-Robin and the lead in to his own mini-series.
The early Detective Comics and Batman storylines, while a bit different, were flawless and entertaining. Alan Grant's writing paced so well.
Well, "Robin: Reborn" was everything I hoped for and more. Starting off right on the heels of Tim learning Batman's secret identity, we get a couple issues of pre-Robin and the lead in to his own mini-series.
The early Detective Comics and Batman storylines, while a bit different, were flawless and entertaining. Alan Grant's writing paced so well.
December 26, 2016
2.5 It was good to meet Tim and learn his history, but this comic has not aged well. The Drakes' fate in Haiti...woof. In fact, not one of the three stories doesn't have super problematic race elements.
November 1, 2015
I'm so thankful that Robin finally got his own book series. Granted, it's a mini, and it's not Dick Grayson; but this has been long overdue.
January 29, 2025
some of the art is a little weird, like Tim’s haircut is wack in the second half of the collection (he looks 33 sometimes, not 13), but all the other art is good. It was so cool seeing the proposed designs for Tim’s costume and what they ended up going with, and I totally ate up the “blueprint” of the suit with descriptions of where all the gadgets and gizmos are hidden.
One of the not so great things about this collection is a weird moment btwn Shiva and Tim— like I think it’s meant to be a joke? Well it’s a joke I think the writers should’ve cut. Tim is 13, bro.
Anyway, other than that, I did love the story and I enjoyed learning more about Tim Drake. There’s a lot of misconceptions surrounding this character that I think would be solved by more people reading the comics, so yeah, would recommend this.
One of the not so great things about this collection is a weird moment btwn Shiva and Tim— like I think it’s meant to be a joke? Well it’s a joke I think the writers should’ve cut. Tim is 13, bro.
Anyway, other than that, I did love the story and I enjoyed learning more about Tim Drake. There’s a lot of misconceptions surrounding this character that I think would be solved by more people reading the comics, so yeah, would recommend this.
December 28, 2024
rite of passage (detective comics #618-621) - meh about this, it's kind of weird but yikes the name of the series is kinda dark in context 💀
identity crisis & master of fear (batman #455-457) - the plot was ok, i thought it was interesting that tim was worried about letting down batman because of how dick made robin a symbol and jason died for it 😭 otherwise this was not that interesting rip
robin i - i liked this!! it was cool how it moved from paris to hk and also getting trained by lady shiva
identity crisis & master of fear (batman #455-457) - the plot was ok, i thought it was interesting that tim was worried about letting down batman because of how dick made robin a symbol and jason died for it 😭 otherwise this was not that interesting rip
robin i - i liked this!! it was cool how it moved from paris to hk and also getting trained by lady shiva
February 17, 2022
There was a lot more colonial overtones within this run than I expected. Dare I say, too much.
June 29, 2025
This reads like a Tim Drake year one story. Solid storytelling and a fun adventure.
April 24, 2023
An unofficial “Year One” for best Robin, Tim Drake. I was excited to finally read an origin (post A Lonely Place of Dying) for my boy, and I was not disappointed. This story begins shortly after Tim has begun his training as Batman’s aide, but before he’s started donning the Robin uniform. As expected from a book titled “Robin”, Tim’s character is at the forefront. He’s shown to be fiercely intelligent, determined, and loyal. He’s sensible and driven, but not without fault. For all his intelligence, he can be naïve, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. His struggles with anxiety are a thoughtful throughline throughout the book that manifests in different ways. As he’s barely a teenager at this point his need to prove himself can make him come off as immature. This feels like a great, full-bodied characterization.
The book is divided into three stories. The first focuses on the disappearance of Tim’s parents when their plane goes down over Haiti. The character work for Tim, Bruce and Alfred is strong, especially with developing both men’s relationship with Tim. We get a good look at Tim’s psyche and what drives his desire to take on the role of Robin. His fears and hopes, and the way he idolizes the image of his predecessors, is endearing. Bruce, though not the primary focus, also has a strong character. Compared to the near-suicidal attitude he recklessly embodied in the precursor story (“A Lonely Place of Dying”), this Bruce shows exceeding amounts of compassion towards his new charge, and a vested interest in not only his safety, but his mental well-being. This is a far cry from his volatile relations with both Dick and the recently deceased Jason. It feels like a natural progression for his character and I really liked watching him awkwardly fumble around their relationship, fighting his natural inclination to make it “my way or the (bat)highway” to be encouraging and more open with Tim that he was with his previous comrades.
The character work of the first tale is the strongest part, but the plot isn’t without interest. The situation with the Drakes held captive reads like a good thriller. I had anticipation knowing something was going to happen. How it all wraps up may be a surprise for the uninitiated in the Drake lore, but it felt like a thrilling, bittersweet conclusion. On the flip side, the story relies heavily on stereotypes which portray voodoo (and the Black practitioners) as evil. In a vacuum, having a villain utilize voodoo isn’t necessarily bad, but here it ends up being a story about two Righteous White Guys trying to save Unfortunate Rich White People from the evils of Poor Black Men.
It's a choice, is all I’m saying.
The second story basically picks up right where the first left off, dealing with the aftermath and Tim’s response. Still in a trial period prior to donning the Robin suit, Tim takes on an ancillary role to assist Batman in a baffling new mystery. Across Gotham, completely “ordinary” people are suddenly donning skull masks and committing mass murders. They show a lack of inhibition, and when questioned they only respond that it was “on a whim”. The crime scenes are often framed like a slasher movie, with a mysterious, weapon-wielding assailant appears in the background of a shot before unleashing fury on unsuspecting victims. The actual acts are tastefully cut away from, but the panel composition and art do an excellent job at making what your mind comes up with to be far more horrific than anything they could depict.
More of a detective story, the moving parts lead to a satisfying conclusion. I had deduced the main antagonist before the reveal, and felt satisfied I ended up being correct. Meanwhile, the character work for Tim continues to be excellent. No negative notes to give, except Vikki Vale gets a pretty cheesecakey shot where she’s developing film with a seductively unbuttoned shirt, and clearly not wearing a bra underneath. But hey, it could’ve been worse. Oh, and there’s a moment where Batman thinks to himself that he must protect Vikki, or Bruce Wayne would never forgive him, and I was like “oh is that a thing right now?” that kind of made me smile.
Vikki’s no Lois, but I enjoy her nonetheless. I don’t think this was so far removed from her appearance in the first Batman film, and there’s a pretty strong physical resemblance between how Vikki is drawn to Kim Bassinger’s likeness.
The third story rounds out Tim’s training time. Throughout this entire book, Tim’s development is written very naturally. Even under different writers, I believe Tim at the start is the same boy at the end but having grown through his experiences. He’s got both victories and tragedies under his belt, and it’s time for him to make his way. Finally featuring as Robin, we leave Gotham behind for a globetrotting adventure so that Tim can find “Robin” the way Bruce found “Batman” all those years ago. While Tim’s character development is still at the forefront, the overall plot feels like a big 80s action movie in the best way. There’s more leather-wearing gang members and gritty action set-pieces than you can throw a batarang at. Not to mention multiple training montages. You can just hear ‘Eye of the Tiger’ when Tim’s getting his ass beat.
Without giving much away, Tim teams up with Clyde Rawlins, who’s a fairly by-the-book Black action movie guy. He’s a supporting player through-and-through who has a role to serve in the plot, which he does well, and he lacks the overbearingly racist overtones of the Haitians from the first story, so he was fine with me. I felt like he had a good rapport with Tim, and I wouldn’t have minded him moving on to become part of his supporting cast.
The most exciting supporting member, to me, is Lady Shiva. Dangerous as she is mysterious, she clearly has her own goals but allies herself with Tim (and, to a much lesser degree, Clyde). The dynamic between Shiva and Tim is interesting. She seems to have a genuine fondness for him, and their moments of interaction are laced with a level of humanity. At the same time, there’s no forgetting that Shiva is in this for her own reason, and she’s not going to babysit. She gives Tim attention because she seems to think he’s worthy of her time, and when she offers him a weapon as a gift it feels like a genuine act on kindness on her behalf. I really loved the way they interacted. I especially loved this bit:
Tim: I’ve taken a pledge to my mentor and myself that I won’t kill. Even to save my life.
Shiva: How Christian of you. How white of you.
There’s also a moment near the end where, while watching their quarry, Shiva puts her hand on Tim’s shoulder. It’s a little moment that isn’t given attention in the dialogue, but it’s one of a handful where Shiva gently touches Tim. It feels almost motherly, as much as Shiva is capable, and symbolic of how she is acting as his “guiding hand” during his training. I’d love to see more of these two.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time following Tim’s growth into the role of Robin. Lady Shiva cameo and Batman being a Good Bat Dad is just the icing on the (bat)cake. My only other criticism? The cover art is nice, but Tim looks like he’s in his late twenties instead of thirteen or whatever. Batman’s frowny face is definitely thinking “who da fuq is this dude?”.
The book is divided into three stories. The first focuses on the disappearance of Tim’s parents when their plane goes down over Haiti. The character work for Tim, Bruce and Alfred is strong, especially with developing both men’s relationship with Tim. We get a good look at Tim’s psyche and what drives his desire to take on the role of Robin. His fears and hopes, and the way he idolizes the image of his predecessors, is endearing. Bruce, though not the primary focus, also has a strong character. Compared to the near-suicidal attitude he recklessly embodied in the precursor story (“A Lonely Place of Dying”), this Bruce shows exceeding amounts of compassion towards his new charge, and a vested interest in not only his safety, but his mental well-being. This is a far cry from his volatile relations with both Dick and the recently deceased Jason. It feels like a natural progression for his character and I really liked watching him awkwardly fumble around their relationship, fighting his natural inclination to make it “my way or the (bat)highway” to be encouraging and more open with Tim that he was with his previous comrades.
The character work of the first tale is the strongest part, but the plot isn’t without interest. The situation with the Drakes held captive reads like a good thriller. I had anticipation knowing something was going to happen. How it all wraps up may be a surprise for the uninitiated in the Drake lore, but it felt like a thrilling, bittersweet conclusion. On the flip side, the story relies heavily on stereotypes which portray voodoo (and the Black practitioners) as evil. In a vacuum, having a villain utilize voodoo isn’t necessarily bad, but here it ends up being a story about two Righteous White Guys trying to save Unfortunate Rich White People from the evils of Poor Black Men.
It's a choice, is all I’m saying.
The second story basically picks up right where the first left off, dealing with the aftermath and Tim’s response. Still in a trial period prior to donning the Robin suit, Tim takes on an ancillary role to assist Batman in a baffling new mystery. Across Gotham, completely “ordinary” people are suddenly donning skull masks and committing mass murders. They show a lack of inhibition, and when questioned they only respond that it was “on a whim”. The crime scenes are often framed like a slasher movie, with a mysterious, weapon-wielding assailant appears in the background of a shot before unleashing fury on unsuspecting victims. The actual acts are tastefully cut away from, but the panel composition and art do an excellent job at making what your mind comes up with to be far more horrific than anything they could depict.
More of a detective story, the moving parts lead to a satisfying conclusion. I had deduced the main antagonist before the reveal, and felt satisfied I ended up being correct. Meanwhile, the character work for Tim continues to be excellent. No negative notes to give, except Vikki Vale gets a pretty cheesecakey shot where she’s developing film with a seductively unbuttoned shirt, and clearly not wearing a bra underneath. But hey, it could’ve been worse. Oh, and there’s a moment where Batman thinks to himself that he must protect Vikki, or Bruce Wayne would never forgive him, and I was like “oh is that a thing right now?” that kind of made me smile.
Vikki’s no Lois, but I enjoy her nonetheless. I don’t think this was so far removed from her appearance in the first Batman film, and there’s a pretty strong physical resemblance between how Vikki is drawn to Kim Bassinger’s likeness.
The third story rounds out Tim’s training time. Throughout this entire book, Tim’s development is written very naturally. Even under different writers, I believe Tim at the start is the same boy at the end but having grown through his experiences. He’s got both victories and tragedies under his belt, and it’s time for him to make his way. Finally featuring as Robin, we leave Gotham behind for a globetrotting adventure so that Tim can find “Robin” the way Bruce found “Batman” all those years ago. While Tim’s character development is still at the forefront, the overall plot feels like a big 80s action movie in the best way. There’s more leather-wearing gang members and gritty action set-pieces than you can throw a batarang at. Not to mention multiple training montages. You can just hear ‘Eye of the Tiger’ when Tim’s getting his ass beat.
Without giving much away, Tim teams up with Clyde Rawlins, who’s a fairly by-the-book Black action movie guy. He’s a supporting player through-and-through who has a role to serve in the plot, which he does well, and he lacks the overbearingly racist overtones of the Haitians from the first story, so he was fine with me. I felt like he had a good rapport with Tim, and I wouldn’t have minded him moving on to become part of his supporting cast.
The most exciting supporting member, to me, is Lady Shiva. Dangerous as she is mysterious, she clearly has her own goals but allies herself with Tim (and, to a much lesser degree, Clyde). The dynamic between Shiva and Tim is interesting. She seems to have a genuine fondness for him, and their moments of interaction are laced with a level of humanity. At the same time, there’s no forgetting that Shiva is in this for her own reason, and she’s not going to babysit. She gives Tim attention because she seems to think he’s worthy of her time, and when she offers him a weapon as a gift it feels like a genuine act on kindness on her behalf. I really loved the way they interacted. I especially loved this bit:
Tim: I’ve taken a pledge to my mentor and myself that I won’t kill. Even to save my life.
Shiva: How Christian of you. How white of you.
There’s also a moment near the end where, while watching their quarry, Shiva puts her hand on Tim’s shoulder. It’s a little moment that isn’t given attention in the dialogue, but it’s one of a handful where Shiva gently touches Tim. It feels almost motherly, as much as Shiva is capable, and symbolic of how she is acting as his “guiding hand” during his training. I’d love to see more of these two.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my time following Tim’s growth into the role of Robin. Lady Shiva cameo and Batman being a Good Bat Dad is just the icing on the (bat)cake. My only other criticism? The cover art is nice, but Tim looks like he’s in his late twenties instead of thirteen or whatever. Batman’s frowny face is definitely thinking “who da fuq is this dude?”.
December 12, 2016
The first volume of this collected Robin series covers a period shortly after Bruce Wayne decides to accept the young man as his partner in crime-fighting. Tim Drake is a scion of a wealthy young family who is unique among the inner-levels of the Batfamily for having a relatively normal, well-adjust life free of tragedy. But all of that is about to change.
When horrific tragedy strikes, Tim questions a great deal of things in his life as he wonders what it means to be a crime-fighter, and if personal tragedy is a necessary part of the struggle. Some of this is the obvious spiral of a young man dealing with intense grief. But even here, it is useful and something that, while horrible, the boy turns to the good.
Shortly after this, he must train to be capable - he is already judged more than worthy by Batman, Nightwing and Alfred - of fighting crime at Batman's side without getting killed. But even here things are not as simple as they seem, and Tim is about to undergo his first foray as Robing in a trial by fire in which the untold lives are at stake.
I think that Tim is my favorite of the Robins. He is not the agile pro that Dick Grayson is or the powerhouse that Jason Todd is. He is capable with training, but his greatest asset, even more so than with Batman, is his brain. He is intelligent, and thinks things through in a way that makes him the obvious choice for leader in any situation (when not around Batman that is, who is his leader).
The art won't impress folks by today's standards and tastes. It's not bad art at all, but the palette chosen and the manner of illustration is just not, to my mind, in line with current aesthetic tastes. Nonetheless, it is good art and at times very detailed and beautiful.
The story is a tight one that while it opens up and goes a bit all over the place, still makes sense. It's an action-oriented mystery worthy of the student of the "world's greatest detective".
Only thing I wish we'd gotten more info on were Lady Shiva's motives for wanting to corrupt Tim. What's her deal? I wonder if future collected volumes of this former series will illuminate this for us. Maybe she wanted revenge on Batman? Or maybe she just wanted a talented partner of her own? Who knows.
When horrific tragedy strikes, Tim questions a great deal of things in his life as he wonders what it means to be a crime-fighter, and if personal tragedy is a necessary part of the struggle. Some of this is the obvious spiral of a young man dealing with intense grief. But even here, it is useful and something that, while horrible, the boy turns to the good.
Shortly after this, he must train to be capable - he is already judged more than worthy by Batman, Nightwing and Alfred - of fighting crime at Batman's side without getting killed. But even here things are not as simple as they seem, and Tim is about to undergo his first foray as Robing in a trial by fire in which the untold lives are at stake.
I think that Tim is my favorite of the Robins. He is not the agile pro that Dick Grayson is or the powerhouse that Jason Todd is. He is capable with training, but his greatest asset, even more so than with Batman, is his brain. He is intelligent, and thinks things through in a way that makes him the obvious choice for leader in any situation (when not around Batman that is, who is his leader).
The art won't impress folks by today's standards and tastes. It's not bad art at all, but the palette chosen and the manner of illustration is just not, to my mind, in line with current aesthetic tastes. Nonetheless, it is good art and at times very detailed and beautiful.
The story is a tight one that while it opens up and goes a bit all over the place, still makes sense. It's an action-oriented mystery worthy of the student of the "world's greatest detective".
Only thing I wish we'd gotten more info on were Lady Shiva's motives for wanting to corrupt Tim. What's her deal? I wonder if future collected volumes of this former series will illuminate this for us. Maybe she wanted revenge on Batman? Or maybe she just wanted a talented partner of her own? Who knows.
August 18, 2016
Four stars to the first half of this, collecting issues of Detective that introduce Tim Drake and his transformation into the new Robin. Norm Breyfogle's art is sharp and moody as ever, and it was a nice refresher to see the much more human Batman I remember from the '80s, written here by Alan Grant. He has doubts, he makes mistakes, and he has more expressions on his cowl than just grim determination and anger. The second half, collecting the first few issues of the stand-alone Robin comic scores lower as the writing gets weaker, relying on too many racial and national stereotypes (the sultry and inscrutable Asian, the angry Black man, the rapacious English aristocrat). Chuck Dixon's weaknesses are made up for to some degree by Tom Lyle's art, but too often one can see that '90s Liefeld style in the character designs. I don't imagine I'll be picking up volume 2, which features that same creative team of Dixon and Lyle.
October 2, 2020
Not a bad read. Tim Drake is a solid character. The title perfectly captures the YA perspective yet the stories and world atill feel very Batman. I wish they would have done more with the tragedy surrounding his parents. It pales in comparison to the focus on Tim contemplating how he can replace and live up to Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. The pages where he imagines talking to them are great. But its the second arc that really gets things going. Seeing him train to be Robin, get caught up in a country-spanning crime, and connecting with Lady Shiva and Henri Ducard. Good stuff, fun read. But not great. Looking to see if the next volume can pick things up.
April 10, 2016
Transitioning from current comic book medium back to early 90's print can be difficult. Story boarding is vastly different as is the general flow and tenor of the story. In Robin vol. 1: Reborn, I feel like this is less of a problem making the book hold up quite well. It still lays down some heavy cheese but it is surprisingly dark at times. Additionally, Norm Breyfogle is just a master of his craft. His artistic style and sensibilities are wonderful. I'd prefer to give the book a 4.5 but because I'm feeling generous it gets a 5.
November 13, 2024
The first part where Tim actually becomes Robin was great, I would have been tempted to rate this volume 5 stars if it stopped there. But the second story featuring a group of Chinese-French gangsters, a blind heroin dealer and a fucking NAZI PLAGUE was embarrassingly bad. It kept escalating, too, and becoming even dumber by result.
March 21, 2022
Tim Drake being trained by Shiva is something I need current DC writers to remember
October 7, 2022
“And why am I here? I guess I don’t know the answer to that one.” —Robin
These issues are professionally done: clearly paneled, well drawn, and crisply written. There are a few arcs here that hold tie the issues together and are well paced. This is what you would expect from any issues in DC’s top franchise.
What they lack is any sense of Tim Drake. Yes, his mother was killed and his father was left paralyzed by the Obeah Man, but other than that, there is very little character development. Besides, there’s already one rich son in Gotham who became a vigilante after his parents were crime victims, so Tim’s origin isn’t that unique. Worse, it borrows from Bruce Wayne, thereby making Batman’s origin story less special.
Tim’s main concern is whether he is worthy of wearing the Robin costume. This plays out in the “Identity Crisis” issues. He is haunted by the spirits/essences of Jason Todd and Dick Grayson, who encourage him. This was odd because they both appear as ghosts in Tim’s mind, but I think only one of them is dead, and I am not sure if Tim has met either.
In any case, he rises to the occasion in spite of Batman’s instructions to not get involved. Batman rewards him anyway, in a bit of confusing parenting or warding, because, as the back cover screams, “BATMAN HAS TO HAVE A ROBIN.”
In the Dorrance arc, Tim is contrasted with Shiva and Clyde, who are both motivated by revenge. Tim is not, because he superheroically pledged to Batman to never take a life. However, Tim otherwise has no reason to be driven to kill Dorrance so there is no real moral tension there, either internally or between the characters.
These Robin issues are further weakened by odd moments. Robin’s use of his costume starts to draw attention to itself after a while. This is so because he is out of his usual context. So, in Paris, he somehow quickly changes into his costume before urgently escaping to the rooftops with Shiva and Clyde. Or, he dons it during the final raid in Hong Kong. These moments seem weird because both Shiva and Clyde never don a mask, so it’s not clear why Tim is worried about hiding his identity when the adults are not. He could have just as well used a ski mask—or no disguise at all, like his compatriots.
Given this, the fact that Tim is open about his real identity with Clyde is doubly strange. This is neatly solved by the ending, which played out in an undramatic way. Robin finds all the guards, but Clyde does not, and how Shiva got where she did is a mystery; the lack of teamwork in the heroes’ final assault is kind of striking and no doubt contributed to the outcomes. In any case, the interplay between all three characters could have led to some more revealing exchanges. Instead, the dialogue was often very tactically focused on either getting to the next plot point or demonstrating Tim’s development as a martial artist.
This collection was suggested as a prelude to the Knightfall series. Other than understanding a little more about Tim Drake and his parents, it isn’t very enlightening or entertaining.
These issues are professionally done: clearly paneled, well drawn, and crisply written. There are a few arcs here that hold tie the issues together and are well paced. This is what you would expect from any issues in DC’s top franchise.
What they lack is any sense of Tim Drake. Yes, his mother was killed and his father was left paralyzed by the Obeah Man, but other than that, there is very little character development. Besides, there’s already one rich son in Gotham who became a vigilante after his parents were crime victims, so Tim’s origin isn’t that unique. Worse, it borrows from Bruce Wayne, thereby making Batman’s origin story less special.
Tim’s main concern is whether he is worthy of wearing the Robin costume. This plays out in the “Identity Crisis” issues. He is haunted by the spirits/essences of Jason Todd and Dick Grayson, who encourage him. This was odd because they both appear as ghosts in Tim’s mind, but I think only one of them is dead, and I am not sure if Tim has met either.
In any case, he rises to the occasion in spite of Batman’s instructions to not get involved. Batman rewards him anyway, in a bit of confusing parenting or warding, because, as the back cover screams, “BATMAN HAS TO HAVE A ROBIN.”
In the Dorrance arc, Tim is contrasted with Shiva and Clyde, who are both motivated by revenge. Tim is not, because he superheroically pledged to Batman to never take a life. However, Tim otherwise has no reason to be driven to kill Dorrance so there is no real moral tension there, either internally or between the characters.
These Robin issues are further weakened by odd moments. Robin’s use of his costume starts to draw attention to itself after a while. This is so because he is out of his usual context. So, in Paris, he somehow quickly changes into his costume before urgently escaping to the rooftops with Shiva and Clyde. Or, he dons it during the final raid in Hong Kong. These moments seem weird because both Shiva and Clyde never don a mask, so it’s not clear why Tim is worried about hiding his identity when the adults are not. He could have just as well used a ski mask—or no disguise at all, like his compatriots.
Given this, the fact that Tim is open about his real identity with Clyde is doubly strange. This is neatly solved by the ending, which played out in an undramatic way. Robin finds all the guards, but Clyde does not, and how Shiva got where she did is a mystery; the lack of teamwork in the heroes’ final assault is kind of striking and no doubt contributed to the outcomes. In any case, the interplay between all three characters could have led to some more revealing exchanges. Instead, the dialogue was often very tactically focused on either getting to the next plot point or demonstrating Tim’s development as a martial artist.
This collection was suggested as a prelude to the Knightfall series. Other than understanding a little more about Tim Drake and his parents, it isn’t very enlightening or entertaining.
February 19, 2019
Robin was a five-issue limited series published in 1991. This is the first time in DC Comics history, that any variation of the Robin character has been spotlighted in his own title. This series featured Tim Drake, the third person to assume the costumed identity of Robin. Robin: Reborn collects Batman #455–457, Detective Comics #618–621, and all five-issues from the 1991 eponymous limited series.
Robin: Reborn covers three stories: "Identity Crisis/Master of Fear", "Rite of Passage" and the Robin limited series.
"Identity Crisis" is a two-issue story with Master of Fear serving as a one-issue conclusion (Batman #455–457). It has Batman battling the Scarecrow and has Tim Drake, before he was officially made Robin as he struggles with what it means to be Robin and the legacies that he had to live up to in Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. In the end, he was made Robin – the third in succession.
"Rite of Passage" is a four-issue story (Detective Comics #618–621) has Batman trying to save Tim Drake's parents who were kidnapped by Obeah Man. It furthers developed the origin story of Tim Drake as the new Robin. Batman manages to rescues his parents, but Janet Drake is killed and Jack Drake was paralyzed. It is for the first time that Tim Drake questions if he truly wants to be the next Robin, as they seem to have sad back stories.
Robin is a five-issue limited series that has Robin travelling abroad to learn martial arts from one of the world's greatest fighters – the deadly Lady Siva. Flying solo for the first time, he comes across a diabolical plot by Batman's old enemy King Snake and must prove that he is worthy of the mantle of Robin – it is a baptism of fire for this new Robin.
Alan Grant (Batman #455–457, Detective Comics #618–621) and Chuck Dixon (Robin #1–5) penned the entire trade paperback, and for the most part, I rather liked the storyline, although I may be a tad biased being a huge Robin fan. It is really interesting fleshing out Tim Drake back story, since his introduction in "A Lonely Place of Dying". The limited-series is a wonderful tale of Tim Drake as Robin in his first solo adventure to further his education as being Robin.
Norm Breyfogle (Batman #455–457, Detective Comics #618–621) and Tom Lyle (Robin #1–5) penciled the entire trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling style complements each other rather well, yet still distinct, which makes the flow of the trade paperback somewhat smooth – artistically speaking.
All in all, Robin: Reborn is a wonderful start to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
Robin: Reborn covers three stories: "Identity Crisis/Master of Fear", "Rite of Passage" and the Robin limited series.
"Identity Crisis" is a two-issue story with Master of Fear serving as a one-issue conclusion (Batman #455–457). It has Batman battling the Scarecrow and has Tim Drake, before he was officially made Robin as he struggles with what it means to be Robin and the legacies that he had to live up to in Dick Grayson and Jason Todd. In the end, he was made Robin – the third in succession.
"Rite of Passage" is a four-issue story (Detective Comics #618–621) has Batman trying to save Tim Drake's parents who were kidnapped by Obeah Man. It furthers developed the origin story of Tim Drake as the new Robin. Batman manages to rescues his parents, but Janet Drake is killed and Jack Drake was paralyzed. It is for the first time that Tim Drake questions if he truly wants to be the next Robin, as they seem to have sad back stories.
Robin is a five-issue limited series that has Robin travelling abroad to learn martial arts from one of the world's greatest fighters – the deadly Lady Siva. Flying solo for the first time, he comes across a diabolical plot by Batman's old enemy King Snake and must prove that he is worthy of the mantle of Robin – it is a baptism of fire for this new Robin.
Alan Grant (Batman #455–457, Detective Comics #618–621) and Chuck Dixon (Robin #1–5) penned the entire trade paperback, and for the most part, I rather liked the storyline, although I may be a tad biased being a huge Robin fan. It is really interesting fleshing out Tim Drake back story, since his introduction in "A Lonely Place of Dying". The limited-series is a wonderful tale of Tim Drake as Robin in his first solo adventure to further his education as being Robin.
Norm Breyfogle (Batman #455–457, Detective Comics #618–621) and Tom Lyle (Robin #1–5) penciled the entire trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling style complements each other rather well, yet still distinct, which makes the flow of the trade paperback somewhat smooth – artistically speaking.
All in all, Robin: Reborn is a wonderful start to what would hopefully be an equally wonderful series.
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