Originally published on Patreon
So, I had some mixed feelings about this book before going into that I shouldn't really let colour my views of it; but then I'm not perfect, so it has. I don't like that Robin was cancelled to make room for this book. Or at least, it looks like it was. There are two Superman books for two different Supermen. There are multiple Batman titles, and two people with that name. There's a book that has three Batgirls in it. There are two Aquamen. Why can't we have two Robin books for two Robins? Especially as the title of this one is indicating which Robin it is. I loved the Damian book, and seeing that go and getting this in its place feels kind of shitty if I'm honest.
But, I shouldn't really hold that against this book, so let's talk about this title on its own then.
If you've been reading Batman: Urban Legends, DC Pride Special, and the DC Pride: Tim Drake Special, you'll know that Tim has gone through some changes recently. Tim has come out as bisexual, and is dating a guy called Bernard. He's also split away from Batman for a bit and have moved into a house boat in Gotham harbour. It's here that we catch up with Tim, where he goes on a date with Bernard, and we get introduced to the people who make up his new neighbourhood.
Shortly into the night, two of this neighbours are found very, very dead. Tim calls in one of the GCPD detectives he knows he can trust, and along with former We Are Robin ally Sparrow, begins to investigate the scene. Tim realises there's a connection to the detective story Murder in the Rue Morgues, and is immediately attacked by a giant, glowing orangutan.
Remembering a similar incident (in the DC Pride: Tim Drake Special) he tracks down the object making controlling the creature, and destroys it. He then figures out a way to bring the story to a close, and the ape vanishes. The next day it looks like the person behind it has left a mysterious package in Tim's boat.
So, I don't really like this if I'm being honest. I don't really like the fact that this is an issue one, but it's not the start of the story. If you've not read the previously mentioned special where he fought another glowy detective story animal it feels like you're missing out on some stuff here. I'm not talking about the usual kind of background stuff that comes with every issue one, this feels like jumping on in issue two and having missed the start.
I also didn't find a whole lot to this story to grab me. The Damian series was big, over the top, and dramatic, filled with wild characters and big action. This felt incredibly flat in comparison. It feels like nothing really happens in this issue, and I was left pretty bored through most of it. It didn't help that I had a hard time connecting to the characters, as this didn't feel a whole lot like Tim to me.
I've been reading Tim Drake for close to fifteen years now, he was my first Robin, and I love him, but none of the things that make him a great character were here. He did some detective work, but it didn't feel like Tim. Tim has an intensity when he goes into investigative mode that the other members of the Bat family, other than Bruce, lack; but here he felt no different to Cass or Steph over on Batgirls.
The new relationship is given a lot of time here, which I love because I am all here for queer Tim, but it felt like so much of who Tim is has been removed to make way for 'crazy in love' Tim. Hopefully this is just a 'he's in the honeymoon phase' kind of thing, and he'll get his head in the game soon, because he came across as a bit ditsy and air-headed, and that's not Tim for me.
I also didn't really like the art style used on this book, by Riley Rossmo and Lee Loughridge. I don't know the best way of describing it, but It feels kind of loose. Things look like they've been drawn quickly, with more flow and movement to them. Straight lines and hard edges are rare here, and it's very stylised. I also had a hard time with the character's faces, and people looked a bit weird for me. If you'd have shown me a picture of this out of context I'd never had said that it was Tim, and that level of detachment prevented me from really connecting with the character. I've also seen online that someone said Tim looks like the handsome Squidward meme, and now I can't un-see it.
I really wanted to like this book. I love Tim Drake, and I wanted it to feel like this was worth losing the other Robin book for, but I came away from this feeling a bit deflated. I'm hoping that things improve in the coming issues, but if it stays like this this might be my least favourite Robin centred book I've read.
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