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Robin (1991, 1993-2009) #14
Robin: Search for a Hero
With Batman gone from Gotham City, Robin must stop the gang warfare that threatens to overrun the city. And what does the mysterious Red Robin have to do with the situation?
Collects Robin #177-#183.
Collects Robin #177-#183.
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2009
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108 people want to read
About the author
Fabian Nicieza
2,022 books424 followersFabian Nicieza is a writer and editor who is best known as the co-creator of DEADPOOL and for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, and Robin.
His first novel, the Edgar Award-nominated SUBURBAN DICKS, a sarcastic murder mystery, is on sale now from Putnam Books.
The Dicks will return in THE SELF-MADE WIDOW, coming June 21st.
His first novel, the Edgar Award-nominated SUBURBAN DICKS, a sarcastic murder mystery, is on sale now from Putnam Books.
The Dicks will return in THE SELF-MADE WIDOW, coming June 21st.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 25, 2022
Solid. It saddens me that there isn't much current DC comics fare that interest me. I am still reading Batman, Green Lantern and the current run of Robin is quite good. Which leads me to this series. There are still so many quality books from before the New 52 era I have not read. Tim Drake aka Robin has always interest me as a character. I grew up enjoying the Batman animated series and was thrill when this younger Robin character was introduced to the series. That Robin was no other than, Tim Drake. For many kids of the 90s and early 2000s Tim Drake is Robin. He is probably in my opinion the best Robin in that he is as just a great thinker/detective as Batman.
This volume of the Robin series collects the issues that lead into the Battle for the Cowl crossover series. I believe we are in the Morrison era of Batman just after Final Crisis. Bruce Wayne is dead and Tim is trying to keep the city from falling into chaos because of the vacuum the Bruce has left behind as a result of his tragic death. This all makes for a nice backdrop into what I feel was a great Robin tale. As much as Tim recognizes that he is not Batman; he knows he must step up and protect Gotham. This is an intriguing era in the Batman mythos as many of DC comics writers were trying to ask the questions: What happens to Gotham without Batman? Can the next generation step up and become what the city needs to fight crime? First , The artwork and coloring on this book is pretty solid. Joe Bennett, who goes on to illustrate the Hulk for Marvel ( just read Immortal Hulk, Vol. 1: Or is he Both?) does a great job capturing the mood and shadowy feel to Gottham. Freddie Williams II does a great job aiding the artwork with the many black shades and dark purples and red. All the characters are written well and really help to build the narrative around the idea that Tim has to be a better Robin. Writer Fabian Nicieza did a great job on these issues and I am looking forward to jumping into the Red Robin series. In short, this was a fun read and I highly recommend it to Tim Drake fans or anyone who is a fan of the Robin character. If you are looking for more solid Robin tales check out these graphic collections: Batman and Robin by Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Omnibus, Robin – Son of Batman, Volume 1: Year of Blood, Robin Vol. 1: Reborn, Robin War, Robin Vol. 1: The Lazarus Tournament, and Robin: Year One.
This volume of the Robin series collects the issues that lead into the Battle for the Cowl crossover series. I believe we are in the Morrison era of Batman just after Final Crisis. Bruce Wayne is dead and Tim is trying to keep the city from falling into chaos because of the vacuum the Bruce has left behind as a result of his tragic death. This all makes for a nice backdrop into what I feel was a great Robin tale. As much as Tim recognizes that he is not Batman; he knows he must step up and protect Gotham. This is an intriguing era in the Batman mythos as many of DC comics writers were trying to ask the questions: What happens to Gotham without Batman? Can the next generation step up and become what the city needs to fight crime? First , The artwork and coloring on this book is pretty solid. Joe Bennett, who goes on to illustrate the Hulk for Marvel ( just read Immortal Hulk, Vol. 1: Or is he Both?) does a great job capturing the mood and shadowy feel to Gottham. Freddie Williams II does a great job aiding the artwork with the many black shades and dark purples and red. All the characters are written well and really help to build the narrative around the idea that Tim has to be a better Robin. Writer Fabian Nicieza did a great job on these issues and I am looking forward to jumping into the Red Robin series. In short, this was a fun read and I highly recommend it to Tim Drake fans or anyone who is a fan of the Robin character. If you are looking for more solid Robin tales check out these graphic collections: Batman and Robin by Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Omnibus, Robin – Son of Batman, Volume 1: Year of Blood, Robin Vol. 1: Reborn, Robin War, Robin Vol. 1: The Lazarus Tournament, and Robin: Year One.
April 23, 2020
Robin: Search for a Hero is a trade paperback that collects the last seven issues (Robin #177–183) of the 1993 series and covers two storylines "Search for a Hero" and "Robin Dies at Dawn!" with a backup in "Origins and Omens".
"Search for a Hero" is a six-issue storyline (Robin #177–182) and has Tim Drake as Robin struggles to protect the city in Batman's absence. Jason Todd returns and begins enlisting gangs to start a gang-war, including the Blackgaters and the Sprang Bridge Soldiers. Robin confronts Todd, but someone in a Red Robin costume stops Todd from executing him. This Red Robin is finally confirmed to be Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong formally The General and recreated to become Anarky.
"Robin Dies at Dawn!" is a one-issue storyline (Robin #183) has Lady Shiva arrives in Gotham and challenges Tim Drake as Robin to a fight to the death, which he must accept. Tim prepares for dying, and tries to make peace with those in his life. He worries about becoming closed off and obsessive like Batman, but that might be the only way to match the mania of his villains. Robin finally confronts Shiva, and she breaks three of his ribs in the first strike. However, he reveals that he poisoned her food earlier in the day.
"Origins and Omens" is a back-up story (Robin #183) has Tim Drake as Robin traveling to Haiti when the Obeah Man finally gets out of prison. He plans on taking revenge against Obeah for killing his birth mother. Unfortunately, Obeah has already killed again and is practicing voodoo rituals. The hallucinogen he uses causes Robin to see his parents, Jack and Janet Drake. They taunt Tim and ask him why he couldn't save them. Robin easily overcomes this and takes Obeah down.
Fabian Nicieza penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Nicieza has penned an interesting look at a Gotham City without a Batman. Dick Grayson as Nightwing takes on the rouge gallery that was once Batman and Tim Drake as Robin took care of the minor, albeit rising threat. Nicieza also gives a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to a long-winding series.
Freddie E. Williams II penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style, despite that his outlining the characters could be distracting at times.
Overall, the Robin series is rather difficult to rate as it is a long-winding series with nearly 183 issues. It started off rather strongly with Chuck Dixon who had penned all three Robin miniseries and the first one hundred issues of the series. Afterwards, several teams try to immolate Dixon's style while trying to make their own mark on it, which usually had a mediocre outcome. Unfortunately, not all issues were bounded into trade paperbacks as about a hundred issues are missing, which is quite significant chunk, which renders it difficult and problematic to grade the entire series.
All in all, Robin: Search for a Hero is a good and satisfying conclusion to an equally good, albeit uneven series with a caveat that not all issues have been read as over half of the series has yet been collected into trade paperback.
"Search for a Hero" is a six-issue storyline (Robin #177–182) and has Tim Drake as Robin struggles to protect the city in Batman's absence. Jason Todd returns and begins enlisting gangs to start a gang-war, including the Blackgaters and the Sprang Bridge Soldiers. Robin confronts Todd, but someone in a Red Robin costume stops Todd from executing him. This Red Robin is finally confirmed to be Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong formally The General and recreated to become Anarky.
"Robin Dies at Dawn!" is a one-issue storyline (Robin #183) has Lady Shiva arrives in Gotham and challenges Tim Drake as Robin to a fight to the death, which he must accept. Tim prepares for dying, and tries to make peace with those in his life. He worries about becoming closed off and obsessive like Batman, but that might be the only way to match the mania of his villains. Robin finally confronts Shiva, and she breaks three of his ribs in the first strike. However, he reveals that he poisoned her food earlier in the day.
"Origins and Omens" is a back-up story (Robin #183) has Tim Drake as Robin traveling to Haiti when the Obeah Man finally gets out of prison. He plans on taking revenge against Obeah for killing his birth mother. Unfortunately, Obeah has already killed again and is practicing voodoo rituals. The hallucinogen he uses causes Robin to see his parents, Jack and Janet Drake. They taunt Tim and ask him why he couldn't save them. Robin easily overcomes this and takes Obeah down.
Fabian Nicieza penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Nicieza has penned an interesting look at a Gotham City without a Batman. Dick Grayson as Nightwing takes on the rouge gallery that was once Batman and Tim Drake as Robin took care of the minor, albeit rising threat. Nicieza also gives a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to a long-winding series.
Freddie E. Williams II penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the main penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, I enjoyed his penciling style, despite that his outlining the characters could be distracting at times.
Overall, the Robin series is rather difficult to rate as it is a long-winding series with nearly 183 issues. It started off rather strongly with Chuck Dixon who had penned all three Robin miniseries and the first one hundred issues of the series. Afterwards, several teams try to immolate Dixon's style while trying to make their own mark on it, which usually had a mediocre outcome. Unfortunately, not all issues were bounded into trade paperbacks as about a hundred issues are missing, which is quite significant chunk, which renders it difficult and problematic to grade the entire series.
All in all, Robin: Search for a Hero is a good and satisfying conclusion to an equally good, albeit uneven series with a caveat that not all issues have been read as over half of the series has yet been collected into trade paperback.
August 21, 2016
In my journey into the world of Batman and Comic books I’ve come to two conclusions, 1. I have an obsession with Tim 2. I am practically destined to read the story in reverse order. If you have been following my adventures in the world of Batman following the character Tim, you know I started toward the end by reading the Red Robin series before slipping back and reading Battle for the Cowl which occurs just before the start of Red Robin. Well I stumbled upon a Robin comic book that focuses on Tim and it was an instant must read for me because it featured my favorite young detective, Tim Drake Wayne. It turns out that this random Robin book is the precursor to Battle for the Cowl.
When first looking at the book I admit I wasn’t that amazed by the art work. I found the work of Marcus To in the Red Robin comics to be far superior. The position of Robin’s mask changed depending on the angle that he is drawn and the lines are a lot more angular and rough. I admit I wasn’t sure on the book because of that alone but as I delved into the story the short comings of the art work were quickly forgotten. This story quickly drew me in and I found myself having a hard time putting it down.
The story of Search for a Hero is about the fall out of what happens when Batman is gone. Nightwing is left to deal with the major villains such as Penguin and Two Face while Robin found himself in charge of dealing with the up and rising gangs. In addition to trying to control such a volatile group, Robin has to face issues with betrayal from people that he has trusted in the past, facing off against Jason Todd a former Robin as well as someone parading around as Red Robin and a young man that wants to become his own personal Joker. Everything seems to be unraveling and doing so quickly for Tim and you wonder how he is going to get through it all.
I was gripped by the mystery and intrigue of the story. Also the humor that is played throughout the story was phenomenal as well. The humor wasn’t over the top where I was rolling with giggles nor was it under played, it was woven in beautifully with the story and didn’t break the pace ever but had me actually laughing out loud a bit. I think the best reference was when Tim compared the three Robins to the Brady sisters.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the read and will happily give this comic book a 4 out 5 pages and recommend this was a good read for any Robin or Tim fan. In general it is a good story and it doesn’t expect you to know everything as most of it is explained in the story.
When first looking at the book I admit I wasn’t that amazed by the art work. I found the work of Marcus To in the Red Robin comics to be far superior. The position of Robin’s mask changed depending on the angle that he is drawn and the lines are a lot more angular and rough. I admit I wasn’t sure on the book because of that alone but as I delved into the story the short comings of the art work were quickly forgotten. This story quickly drew me in and I found myself having a hard time putting it down.
The story of Search for a Hero is about the fall out of what happens when Batman is gone. Nightwing is left to deal with the major villains such as Penguin and Two Face while Robin found himself in charge of dealing with the up and rising gangs. In addition to trying to control such a volatile group, Robin has to face issues with betrayal from people that he has trusted in the past, facing off against Jason Todd a former Robin as well as someone parading around as Red Robin and a young man that wants to become his own personal Joker. Everything seems to be unraveling and doing so quickly for Tim and you wonder how he is going to get through it all.
I was gripped by the mystery and intrigue of the story. Also the humor that is played throughout the story was phenomenal as well. The humor wasn’t over the top where I was rolling with giggles nor was it under played, it was woven in beautifully with the story and didn’t break the pace ever but had me actually laughing out loud a bit. I think the best reference was when Tim compared the three Robins to the Brady sisters.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the read and will happily give this comic book a 4 out 5 pages and recommend this was a good read for any Robin or Tim fan. In general it is a good story and it doesn’t expect you to know everything as most of it is explained in the story.
January 31, 2020
Robin #175-183, by Fabian Nicieza and (mostly) Freddie Williams II.
Had a really, really great time with this run. This whole block of issues dealt with the idea of Tim needing to grow and adapt and make his own rules in the face of Bruce's absence. They also focus on Tim's intelligence above all else, which has always been an essential element of the series.
Nicieza's first two-issue arc suffers a bit from needing to both tie into the RIP arc while also telling a story of no consequence to the RIP storyline. It's a weird balance that he doesn't quite strike, but it at least set up the next story.
The 6-part "Search for a Hero" story is wonderful, a chaotic story that doesn't feel like chaos for the sake of chaos. Nicieza brings in so many disparate elements -- Spoiler, Nightwing, Jason Todd, Lynx, Scarab, The General, Anarky, Jason Bard, Officer Harper, crooked cops Wise and Cavallo, and a half-dozen street gangs -- and he somehow manages to make it all work together in one big epic story. There was one plot beat regarding Steph that I wasn't a fan of, though that didn't ruin the story for me, and that's really my only complaint about the story. It's a fascinating, character-centric test for Tim, the guy who prides himself on his logical thinking. Freddie Williams II returns to the art duties, with a style that is more detailed but also a bit more busy than before. I preferred his prior style, but the differences are mostly cosmetic; the essential elements of his style that I liked before, the mix of realistic anatomy and architecture with expressive figure work, are still here.
The final issue, #183, "Robin Dies at Dawn," is a fitting end to Tim's time as Robin. There are send-offs for his brothers Dick and Jason, as well as for Harper, Bard, Zoanne, and Ives. And best of all, there's a final rematch against Shiva, who appeared in Tim's very first miniseries, and a short epilogue with The Obeah Man, an antagonist from before Tim even officially donned the Robin mantle. The issue had the essential "finale" feel, and I'm so glad things ended with this.
(Final fun note: the final issue was actually the 200th single issue of Robin, if you count the 15 issues of the three miniseries and the 0 and 1000000 issues. A happy coincidence.)
Had a really, really great time with this run. This whole block of issues dealt with the idea of Tim needing to grow and adapt and make his own rules in the face of Bruce's absence. They also focus on Tim's intelligence above all else, which has always been an essential element of the series.
Nicieza's first two-issue arc suffers a bit from needing to both tie into the RIP arc while also telling a story of no consequence to the RIP storyline. It's a weird balance that he doesn't quite strike, but it at least set up the next story.
The 6-part "Search for a Hero" story is wonderful, a chaotic story that doesn't feel like chaos for the sake of chaos. Nicieza brings in so many disparate elements -- Spoiler, Nightwing, Jason Todd, Lynx, Scarab, The General, Anarky, Jason Bard, Officer Harper, crooked cops Wise and Cavallo, and a half-dozen street gangs -- and he somehow manages to make it all work together in one big epic story. There was one plot beat regarding Steph that I wasn't a fan of, though that didn't ruin the story for me, and that's really my only complaint about the story. It's a fascinating, character-centric test for Tim, the guy who prides himself on his logical thinking. Freddie Williams II returns to the art duties, with a style that is more detailed but also a bit more busy than before. I preferred his prior style, but the differences are mostly cosmetic; the essential elements of his style that I liked before, the mix of realistic anatomy and architecture with expressive figure work, are still here.
The final issue, #183, "Robin Dies at Dawn," is a fitting end to Tim's time as Robin. There are send-offs for his brothers Dick and Jason, as well as for Harper, Bard, Zoanne, and Ives. And best of all, there's a final rematch against Shiva, who appeared in Tim's very first miniseries, and a short epilogue with The Obeah Man, an antagonist from before Tim even officially donned the Robin mantle. The issue had the essential "finale" feel, and I'm so glad things ended with this.
(Final fun note: the final issue was actually the 200th single issue of Robin, if you count the 15 issues of the three miniseries and the 0 and 1000000 issues. A happy coincidence.)
February 28, 2022
Can Tim get a REST and some credit for basically single-handedly dealing with a gang war that his gf started?? Also surprised at the lack of Damian. Loved how he dealt with Jason just by breaking his leg like "I don't have time to deal with you rn" and then promptly breaking him out of prison out of respect for Bruce. (of course he unfortunately goes even more crazy in Battle for the Cowl but yknow Tim believes in him). Becoming Red Robin is also pretty fun, even if the costume change was just out of convenience
December 29, 2024
This was super bad and not the finale this character deserved. The storyline is all over the place, makes little connection to what was going on in the bat books in general, and Tim was written very out of character. This tried to tie up a bunch of loose ends but only short changed nearly every aspect of the series. Spoiler acted ridiculously oft kilter. Fabian Nicieza has written some very fun books but this wasn't one of them. Freddie Williams did a nice job on the art side of things. Overall, this was an unfortunate ending.
November 21, 2020
This review is for the entire 15+ year, 185 issue series. Going into the series I didn't know much about Tim Drake's Robin. Now that I've read the whole thing, I've become a huge Tim Drake fan and am convinced that he is the best Robin. Loved the whole series except the part where Batgirl Cassandra Cain becomes a villain. That one issue story was a nonsensical mess.
While I was doing this deep dive on Robin I also read the entire Nightwing series, the Batgirl series and the original Birds of Prey series. Much thanks to DC Universe, the streaming service. I'd read the Batgirl series and the Birds of Prey series previously but the Robin and Nightwing series were virgin territory for me. All I can say is that this is my favorite period of the Bat Family books. And I wish all these series were in fat omniboo.
While I was doing this deep dive on Robin I also read the entire Nightwing series, the Batgirl series and the original Birds of Prey series. Much thanks to DC Universe, the streaming service. I'd read the Batgirl series and the Birds of Prey series previously but the Robin and Nightwing series were virgin territory for me. All I can say is that this is my favorite period of the Bat Family books. And I wish all these series were in fat omniboo.
April 12, 2018
3.5 Stars
August 23, 2019
ROBIN #175 -183 2008ish
January 31, 2024
Fantastic Tim Drake-Robin story. Shows Tim’s greatest qualities and contributions as Robin. Love his planning and execution he takes in this story. Left me wanting to read more Time Drake stories.
May 19, 2024
⭐️3.5 me sentindo triste com esse fim
March 23, 2015
Things are extremely unsettled in Gotham City, Batman is missing and may be insane, so the people of the city are looking for a replacement that will strike a similar fear into the criminal elements. Robin is the logical choice as a replacement, but he must earn the position in many ways. He must be able to generate fear in the criminals, trust among the population and work well with Police Commissioner Gordon.
This is of course difficult, but Robin has allies such as loyal butler Alfred, Nightwing, Spoiler and Bard. He also has the vast resources that are in the batcave, the advanced computers and other high tech equipment give him an advantage over his adversaries. Many different villains also make their appearance along with several warring street gangs and a couple of arrogant, crooked cops.
This mix makes for a complicated tale that is further muddled by the hints of behind the scenes machinations by both the forces of good and evil. The story is further complicated by the appearance of short snippets of dialog that often trail down the page. At times it is easy to miss them and that can make the subsequent action a bit confusing.
I found myself wishing that there were fewer characters involved in the story, there are times when it is very difficult to follow all the convolutions. If the number of characters and plotlines had been reduced, this would have been a much better story.
This review also appears on Amazon
This is of course difficult, but Robin has allies such as loyal butler Alfred, Nightwing, Spoiler and Bard. He also has the vast resources that are in the batcave, the advanced computers and other high tech equipment give him an advantage over his adversaries. Many different villains also make their appearance along with several warring street gangs and a couple of arrogant, crooked cops.
This mix makes for a complicated tale that is further muddled by the hints of behind the scenes machinations by both the forces of good and evil. The story is further complicated by the appearance of short snippets of dialog that often trail down the page. At times it is easy to miss them and that can make the subsequent action a bit confusing.
I found myself wishing that there were fewer characters involved in the story, there are times when it is very difficult to follow all the convolutions. If the number of characters and plotlines had been reduced, this would have been a much better story.
This review also appears on Amazon
February 13, 2010
After the events of R.I.P. Batman, Tim and Dick are splitting Gotham between them. Robin takes care of a fomenting gang war on his own, making it clear that the city will always have him even if it doesn't have Batman. Things really come together in the final issue of the trade, Robin Dies At Dawn when Robin totally beats Lady Shiva, if not by using his hand to hand combat skills. It is so clear that everything has been a holding action for him while he waits for Nightwing to take the Cowl so that he can be Robin for a whole new Batman.
There is so much awesome here, I really wish I didn't know what happens next.
There is so much awesome here, I really wish I didn't know what happens next.
October 15, 2015
Robin, Nightwing, Red Robin, Jason Todd, Spoiler, Anarky, this one has got it all. Guys and girls in tight spandex jumping off roofs and swinging on ropes and punchin' bad guys in the face!
This book finds Gotham in the middle of a gang war and chaos and anarchy run rampant. Yah, I know...this pretty much seems like any other story arc with Gotham in it and it kinda is. This book is about Robin though and how he deals with all the mess. Is he following in Batman's footsteps or is he his own man? Even though it was really cheezy, I thought it was great Robin finally got his own spotlight! Shame that after this we'll probably never see it again.
This book finds Gotham in the middle of a gang war and chaos and anarchy run rampant. Yah, I know...this pretty much seems like any other story arc with Gotham in it and it kinda is. This book is about Robin though and how he deals with all the mess. Is he following in Batman's footsteps or is he his own man? Even though it was really cheezy, I thought it was great Robin finally got his own spotlight! Shame that after this we'll probably never see it again.
August 4, 2013
Well crafted, but empty: Nicieza's scripting fits the arc, but the character really misses scripting by Chuck Dixon, who handled at least a hundred or more issues. The art by Williams is professional, too.
July 28, 2010
Very well-written, if not very original. Nicieza does a great job maturing Robin beyond his sidekick role, but the void left by Batman is felt throughout.
July 24, 2012
A weak, last gasp from a book series that quite honestly deserved better.
July 22, 2014
It's a 3.5-star book, but I bumped it up because of the general fabulousness that is Stephanie Brown. Jason Todd is also at his best here, and his interactions with Tim are pretty satisfying.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews