The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 6

Robin II #1(of a 4-issue Limited Series)
“The Funniest Thing Happened...”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

It was a no-brainer for DC Comics to follow-up their successful Robin miniseries. Considering the first one was a hit, they milked this cow for all its worth, in the form of variant covers, with holograms to boot. The quality of these so-called 'enhancements' leave a lot to be desired though, since the holographic image was processed from a 2-D drawing instead of a sculpted image. The result is a flat, boring image. The artists they chose to do the variants are also very hit-and-miss. However, the regular, un-enhanced covers are brilliantly done by Kevin Maguire, ably stepping in for Brian Bolland. Okay, enough marketing talk. What about the story? I gotta admit, the concept is very cool: Tim's first encounter with the Joker, who, remember, murdered Tim's predecessor Jason Todd. For the umpteenth time, the Joker escapes Arkham Asylum and kidnapped Osgood Pellinger, a computer genius, in order to plunge Gotham into a technological-induced Chaos. The story takes place during the “Idiot Root” storyline in which Batman went to South America. So, Robin's alone. This issue also introduced us to Ives and Hudson, Tim's nerdy high-school buddies, along with Karl Ranck, the residentjock. You can't tell from their appearance here, but all three would play a huge part in later stories. Anyway, Tim investigates Dr. Pellinger, and his first meeting with the Joker is unsettling indeed. The issue ends with Tim wondering what would happen if the Joker realize that Batman is not in Gotham...
A solid effort for a first issue. In fact, with an interesting premise and better production values, i'd say its better than the previous mini. Once again, it's always good to see Tim interacting with Batman's supporting cast, and remember, he was still a newbie, so Commisisoner Gordon's 'disappointment' to see Robin without his mentor is understandable, especially since there's a Grade-A wacko on the loose. Tim's banter with Alfred never fails to amuse. Tim's a reasonable enough fella to realize that he's not prepared to deal with a heavyweight like the Joker. (It's good, now and again, to see a hero readily admitting he's way over his head) And this is probably the first time we see a psychoanalysis of the Tim/Robin identity (which Dixon would explore more fully in the ongoing series) Yeah! The Dixon/Lyle/Smith team returns! Great story, great art. The only complaint I have is the shameless marketing strategy.

Classic Moments:






that Joker…. What a crazy guy

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 5

Robin #5 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Dark”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

King Snake's preparation for the germ is coming along, and Robin, Shiva and Clyde is ready to move. Clyde wants Robin out of this, but Shiva insist Robin can make his own decisions. Tim gets into the building from the sewers, though he got discovered by security only a few minutes later. Clyde's the first one to meet King Snake, though needless to say, his anger does not do much good against him. Robin makes sure the germ-weapon is safe, then gets to the penthouse, only to discover that Clyde is already dead. Once again Robin uses his whistling-staff for misdirection, and Sir Edmund winds up holding on to the building's scaffold (Did I make this sound easy? It's not though, and kudos to Tom Lyle for a terrific fight scene) . Shiva instructed Robin to kill King Snake, but he declined. We hear a scream. I guess Shiva killed him herself. After obtaining info that there's a money shipment to Gotham, Tim goes back home to prevent the money being received and fights Lynx, who now sports an eye-patch due to a punishment by King Snake because she failed to kill Robin. Batman shows up on the last two pages. Robin's education is just beginning.
This issue is a satisfying ending to a great miniseries. The demise of sir Edmund is left ambiguous (he'll return later in Batman #467-469, also done by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle). On the whole, what this mini established is Tim's strength as a character. We find out that, on his own, without Batman's supervision, he's still a strong, principled person with good, solid core values. He respects his elders, he's shown his creativity in defeating his opponents, and he gets along with other people quickly and easily (quite the opposite of his predecessor, who seemed to rub the worst way with everyone). While the mini was well-received, it seemed DC was reluctant to go the whole hog and give Tim his own book immediately (we have to wait until the events of Knightfall for that) In retrospect, I think this is a good move. This way DC took their time in making sure that the readers really love Tim for who he is. They do keep the fans' appetite sated by releasing some Robin annuals and a few miniseries later on. And considering this one was such a hit, they came across a gimmick to make sure the next mini will be even more profitable... but that's another story.

Cool Panel:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 4

Robin #4 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“Strange Company”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

Robin, Shiva and Clyde intercept the arrival of the plane containing the plague. Robin's selfless motivation [he just want to stop the plague] is at odds with the others. Clyde wants revenge, while Lady Shiva is along mostly for sport [she's a homicidal maniac]. We feel Tim's loneliness in this situation. Once they arrive in Hong Kong, Lady Shiva took it upon herself to teach Robin. Once again, Tim chooses a non-violent weapon, a collapsible Bo staff (“It collapses to fit under my cape”). Shiva mocks him for being so naïve. Tim's still holding on to his ideals (“I'm not looking for lethal”) but got whupped good by Shiva. The way Shiva sees it, only a fool fights with anger (the opposite viewpoint of Clyde). I guess Robin is confused which opinion is the best. At this point, I really do become more interested in what makes Tim tick rather than the plot itself, which is basic action-thriller stuff. Anyway, Tim tricks King Snake's security advisor by phone to give him the details concerning his building (using a pinched nose and a British accent. Cool.) On another training session with Shiva, Robin managed a good hit by distracting her with a whistle built into his bo staff. “So, the little bird has found his song”, said Shiva. An applause is in order! Once again Tim demonstrates his thoroughness and problem-solving skills. Well done, that boy. To be concluded next issue!

Classic Moment:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 3

Robin #3 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Destroying Angel”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

The plot thickens. Shiva has her own reason for chasing King Snake. Since he's frequently referred as the most dangerous man in the world, Shiva thinks it's fitting that he met his female equivalent. Tim put his computer skills to good use and discover an old fortress that he thinks is a front for a secret lab.
There, Tim discovers that Lynx is not the helpless little girl he thought she was. Clyde and Tim hijack a motorcycle with a sidecar and puts his sling to good use. We found out the lab is used to create a biological weapon. Another bad news: it's Bubonic Plague. Uh oh.

Great action scenes on this one. Other than that, it's a decent issue that moves the story along very well. Sir Edmund is a bad-ass villain, with his plans involving the plague and all. Another fantastic cover by Brian Bolland.

Outstanding panel: Tim's inner child shows through:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 2

Robin #2 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Shepardess”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

We pick up exactly where we left off. Tim and Clyde are busting heads. The gang retreats (they took the girl), and Robin tried to go after them, but Clyde is in bad condition, so Tim stays. The gang meets up with what appears to be their boss: some Euro-trash blonde dude with glasses and ponytail. This is Sir Edmund Dorrance. He's bad news, folks. He's dealing heroin and , we're told, is one of the most feared men in Asia. He's also known as King Snake. Robin took Clyde to his hotel. When he woke up, we're told that he's a DEA agent. Shiva shows up, just in time, since the gang (known as The Ghost Dragons) is about to ambush them. After a cool getaway scene (as shown in the cover), Tim rented a farmhouse where Clyde can recuperate. We found out the reason for Clyde being there: His wife and kids were murdered by King Snake. He went AWOL to avenge them. Clyde then taught Tim some new moves, but Lady Shiva pops in again, to tell Tim that he needs some elegance in his tutelage. The Asian girl with the gang? She's Lynx, and she's no ingenue.

Another solid issue. There's nothing to complain, except maybe that Tom Lyle's depiction of Shiva and Lynx, aside from the height and hairstyle, is kinda hard to distinguish. Being a Robin solo book does not mean there's no room for a supporting cast though. With a few information bits, Clyde became a very interesting character, and it's hard not to sympathize with him. This series is the first time i've seen Lady Shiva, and Dixon evidently likes her a lot, since she will become an important presence in the Bat-titles later. I admit, the main strand of this plot brings to mind action movies starring Van Damme or Steven Seagal, but as always, it's Robin's personality and character that shines through, no matter what situation he's in. He's a decent, level headed fella.

Outstanding panel: Tim's other endearing trait: his honesty.

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 1

Robin #1 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“Big Bad World”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker


This is it, folks. After more than a year of preparation, our boy Timothy Drake officialy becomes the new Robin. Wait, no. The first appearance of Tim in the new costume is actually on Batman #457, but that was only a single-page tease (definitely worth getting though, since it was part of the “Identity Crisis” storyline. Not the Brad Meltzer one!). The opening scene of this issue picks up exactly from Batman #457. Turns out Tim doesn't exactly have the utmost confidence in being Batman's sidekick yet, but Bruce assures him that he'll do okay, he just needs an edge. Scene change : we see the appearance of Madame Shiva in Tokyo. She'll be an important part in the series (and Robin's life) later on, so pay attention. Then we see that Tim is actually going to Paris to learn an ancient form of Tibetan martial arts. He says his goodbye to his father (still in a coma) and visits his mother's gravesite.
After arriving in yhe City of Love, Tim starts training under the Rahul Lama. Actually he starts training with the Lama's grandson Shen Chi., since the Lama is a rickety old man whose sole knowledge of English is “Have a Nice Day”. Aside from the punching and kicking stuff, he learns healing arts as well. When told to pick a weapon to be taught, Tim picks the sling. The reason? “It's clean” (Shen Chi's retort? “Just like a kid. What do you expect to hit with that?” “Oh, I might do all right”, said Tim. How cool is this guy?). After that they both go to a nightclub where they met an Asian girl, who is a member of a gang of some sort. He gets beaten up a bit then changes into Robin to investigate further. He encounters a beating by the same gang on a black dude named Clyde Rawlins. They both fight the gang, not realizing that Lady Shiva is watching on the background.

My thoughts : Okay, first of all, I never thought that DC would give Robin his own mini-series! Remember, this was the early Nineties, we dont have the internet back then, so the appearance of this issue on the comic shop was a fantastic surprise. And whoo, such an excellent read. Initially, when I read the credits, I was disappointed that it's not done by Alan Grant or Marv Wolfman (his creator). Who are these Dixon and Lyle dudes anyway? I need not have worried, though. Dixon is a very good writer, and his almost-100-issues tenure on the title proved that the fans embrace his take on the character very much. Tom Lyle did a decent job too. He immediately made his mark on Tim by giving him The Hair: the cool whacked out hairstyle that distinguishes him from the previous Robin's clean-cut 'dos. (Does anyone knows who actually came up with the idea though? I'm assuming it's Lyle because in the previous appearance Tim still has that ordinary style). We got an initial taste here of what will be the golden standard for issues to come: the building rapport between Tim and Bruce (and Alfred), Dixon's fast-paced, economical story-telling, and the moments of humor.
All this, plus a brilliant Brian Bolland cover and a neat Neal Adams poster.!

Outstanding panel:
The conversation between Alfred and Tim was good, but this one made me chuckle: