Red Robin (comic book)

Last updated
Red Robin
Red Robin 1.jpg
Variant incentive cover for Red Robin #1.
Art by J. G. Jones.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
ScheduleMonthly
Format Ongoing series
Genre
Publication dateAugust 2009 – August 2011
No. of issues26
Main character(s) Tim Drake
Creative team
Created by Chris Yost
Ramon Bachs
Written by Chris Yost, Fabian Nicieza
Artist(s) Ramon Bachs, Marcus To
Letterer(s) Sal Cipriano
Colorist(s) Guy Major
Editor(s) Mike Marts
Janelle Siegel

Red Robin was an American comic book ongoing series that was written by Chris Yost, with art by Ramon Bachs, featuring Batman's former accomplice, Robin (Tim Drake). [1] The debut of the series follows the events of Batman R.I.P. , Final Crisis , and Battle for the Cowl in which the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid. Of all the characters in the so-called "Batman family", Drake (now using his legal name, Tim Wayne) is the only one who believes Bruce Wayne is still alive and leaves Gotham City to begin a global search for evidence supporting his theory and hope. [2]

Contents

Slated characters

DC Comics Batman line editor Mike Marts revealed characters slated to appear in Red Robin by showing his "wall" of character thumbnails underneath the various Batman titles. Characters slated to appear in Red Robin other than Tim Drake include Gotham City reporter Vicki Vale and one of Bruce Wayne's longtime enemies, Ra's al Ghul. [3]

Azrael

In October 2010, Red Robin tied in indirectly to the Azrael comic by using Ra's al Ghul, who tested those involved with Bruce Wayne to become his ultimate warrior. [4]

Red Robin artist Ramon Bachs left Red Robin to take on Azrael with Fabian Nicieza, in turn, he finished "The Grail" and gave Marcus his debut in DC to draw the next four-issue arc "Council of Spiders". [5] [6]

Despite the backstories of both comics relying heavily on the League of Assassins and both stories converging at times, the initial run of Batman: Reborn did not have the two comics officially having a tie-in. The two eventually tied in the overarching "Gotham Shall Be Judged" storyline when Red Robin would have faced Azrael's Angels of Death.

Plot

The Grail

With Bruce Wayne’s apparent death, Tim Drake takes on the costumed identity of Red Robin. He is determined to find Bruce Wayne, who Tim is convinced is alive.

Drake travels around the world, looking for clues to where Bruce Wayne lives. After rescuing a hostage, he retires to his hotel room, frustrated. A flashback is shown of Drake leaving Wayne Manor after losing the Robin mantle to Damian Wayne. Outside his window, Z, Owens, and Prudence watch and aim at him with a sniper rifle. The three assassins are in league with Ra's Al Ghul, who gives the order to assassinate Drake.

The hotel room explodes from the shot, but Red Robin (Drake) appears and attacks the three. Drake demonstrates his new fighting style and deduces the identities of the assassins before they disappear. Soon after, Red Robin comes into contact with Ra's Al Ghul, who is interested to learn what has happened to Bruce Wayne. Red Robin #3 begins when Drake attempts to steal what appears to be a fossilized Batarang while consulting with Ra's Al Ghul. Another flashback is shown, with Drake standing in front of Bruce Wayne's grave when Wonder Girl approaches to console him and persuade him to return home. Tim, however, deduces that Dick Grayson sent her to check on him and makes her leave him alone.

The last issue of the first arc alternates between Red Robin and Batman fighting each other and Drake's discovery of Bruce Wayne's cave painting at the end of Final Crisis. At the end of the first arc, Red Robin is stabbed by a villain named the Widower, leaving him and Prudence for dead and setting the stage for the second story arc.

Council of Spiders

The second story arc, Council of Spiders, deals with Red Robin having to face off against the Council of Spiders, a group of assassins who have made it their goal to destroy the League of Assassins. Red Robin makes a shaky alliance with the League, and after they have dealt with the council, he destroys the League's global computer system, earning the ire of Ra's al Ghul.

Collision

The third story arc, entitled Collision, sees Red Robin enlisting the help of the new Batman (Dick Grayson), Robin (Damian Wayne), and Batgirl (Stephanie Brown), to stop Ra's al Ghul from destroying the Wayne Family legacy, in which Drake succeeds. Drake is nearly killed by Ra's al Ghul when he confronts him, who, after seeing that his plan has failed, addresses Red Robin as "detective", a title of respect that he had reserved for Bruce Wayne alone. Ra's throws Red Robin off of a building, but Red Robin is saved by the timely arrival of Dick Grayson as Batman.

The Hit List

The next story arc, entitled The Hit List, sees Red Robin working alongside the new Batman and Robin to fight crime in Gotham, but he does it his way. He sets up a list of people he suspects are the biggest threats on both sides. This causes even more tension in the relationship between him and the new Robin. He is seen taking down a new gang leader named Lynx who seems to be his potential Catwoman. The reporter Vicky Vale is on his toes as Tim Drake seems to know what the Bat-families' real identities are. He works hard to fake being shot and now being unable to walk properly simply to put her off his trail. He also has a brush with Anarky and some other low-class villains. He also visits Cassandra Cain. This is also an opening to Batman Inc. showing his involvement in it.

Gotham Shall Be Judged

Following the invasion of Gotham City via Azrael and his Angels of Death, Red Robin teams up with the new Batman, Dick Grayson to fight against Azrael. Drake is tested by Azrael to see if he can save the lives of innocents, a test which he, like Dick, ends up failing. In the end, it is revealed that in revenge for destroying the base of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul was manipulating Azrael to get him to face off with Red Robin.

Despite the Azrael and Red Robin books heavily referencing each other during Batman: Reborn (even having the same backplot involving the League of Assassins), it was not until near the end of the latter's comic that they officially tied in, and the former's was already ended.

Outfit

Red Robin's outfit from comics #1-12 was a black cape and cowl over a red shirt with two bands running diagonally across his chest, containing his symbol in the middle. His belt ran over his shirt and he had black gloves on. He also wore long black pants with black boots. At the end of Red Robin #12, Alfred made some slight changes to his outfit to make it more his own. Alfred updated the gloves and boots and gave him a cape he could glide with alongside a new belt. He also took the ends of the shirt off. However, in September 2011, DC Comics rebooted the main universe. Tim Drake is now the leader of the Teen Titans. His symbol is now on his left shoulder, and he has a wing-like cape to help him glide. He now wears a domino mask instead of a cowl.

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedPublished dateISBN
Red Robin: The GrailRed Robin #1-5May 2010 ISBN   978-1-4012-2619-0
Red Robin: CollisionRed Robin #6-12, Batgirl (vol. 3) #8September 2010 ISBN   978-1-4012-2883-5
Red Robin: The Hit ListRed Robin #13-17June 2011 ISBN   978-1-4012-3165-1
Red Robin: Seven Days of DeathRed Robin #18-21, 23-26; Teen Titans (vol. 3) #92March 2012 ISBN   978-1-4012-3364-8
Batman: Gotham Shall Be JudgedRed Robin #22 and Azrael (vol. 2) #14-18, Batman #708-709, Gotham City Sirens #22;April 2012 ISBN   978-1-4012-3378-5

See also

Notes

  1. Daniel Schmergel (2009-06-10). "Red Robin #1 Review @ IGN Comics". Comics.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  2. "Red Robin #1 Solicitation Information @ DC Comics". Dccomics.com. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  3. Phillips, Dan (2009-05-29). ""Inside the Relaunch of Batman" @ IGN Comics". Comics.ign.com. Archived from the original on 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  4. "DCU | Comics". Dccomics.com. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  5. "DCU | Comics". Dccomics.com. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  6. Fan Expo: Dan DiDio Presents the DCU, Comic Book Resources

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman</span> Comic book superhero

Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe continuity, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. Batman's origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha as a child, a vendetta tempered with the ideal of justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl; allies Alfred Pennyworth, James Gordon, and Catwoman; and foes such as the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and his archenemy, the Joker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin (character)</span> Fictional character

Robin is the alias of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson, to serve as a junior counterpart and the sidekick to the superhero Batman. As a team, Batman and Robin have commonly been referred to as the Caped Crusaders and the Dynamic Duo. The character's first incarnation, Dick Grayson, debuted in Detective Comics #38. Conceived as a way to attract young readership, Robin garnered overwhelmingly positive critical reception, doubling the sales of the Batman titles. Robin's early adventures included Star Spangled Comics #65–130 (1947–1952), the character's first solo feature. He made regular appearances in Batman-related comic books and other DC Comics publications from 1940 through the early 1980s, until the character set aside the Robin identity and became the independent superhero Nightwing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ra's al Ghul</span> DC Comics supervillain

Ra's al Ghul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Created by editor Julius Schwartz, writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the character first appeared in Batman #232's "Daughter of the Demon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: Hush</span> Story arc in Batman comics

"Batman: Hush" is an American comic book story arc published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman. It was published in monthly installments within the comic book series Batman, running from issue #608–619 in October 2002 until September 2003. The story arc was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams, and colored by Alex Sinclair, under the editorship of Bob Schreck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Drake</span> Fictional character

Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman #436 as the third character to assume the role of Batman's crime-fighting partner and sidekick Robin. Following the events of Batman: Battle for the Cowl in 2009, Drake adopted the identity of Red Robin. In 2019, Tim returned to his original Robin persona and briefly used the mononym "Drake".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Todd</span> Fictional character in DC Comics

Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in Batman #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin, Batman's partner and sidekick. He initially shared a similar origin to Grayson, being the son of circus acrobats who are killed by criminals in Gotham and adopted by Bruce Wayne/Batman as his son and protege. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths event and the rebooting of DC's main comics universe, Jason's origin was changed to being a pre-teen street urchin and petty thief who Bruce adopted and took under his wing after finding the boy attempting to steal the tires off of the Batmobile. This origin has since become the standard for subsequent iterations of the character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squire (character)</span> Three fictional characters in DC Comics

Squire is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in media published by DC Comics. Percival Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Young All-Stars #21, and was created by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair. Cyril Sheldrake debuted as the Squire in Batman #62, and was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang. Beryl Hutchinson debuted as the Squire in JLA #26, and was created by Grant Morrison and Howard Porter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Robin (identity)</span> Fictional superhero in DC Comics

Red Robin is a name that has been used by several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The identity was first used in the future timeline of the 1996 miniseries Kingdom Come, where a middle-aged Dick Grayson reclaims the Robin mantle and becomes Red Robin. His uniform is closer to Batman's in design than any previous Robin uniform. Red Robin then reappeared in promotional material for the DC Countdown miniseries; eventually, it was revealed that this Red Robin was not Dick Grayson, but rather Jason Todd, who appeared under the cape and cowl. This was the first time the identity had been used in the main DC Universe reality. During the "Scattered Pieces" tie-in to the "Batman R.I.P." storyline, Ulysses Armstrong briefly appears as Red Robin. In 2009, a new ongoing series was introduced titled Red Robin starring Tim Drake in the role. Drake was the third Robin before assuming the Red Robin persona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman and Son</span> 2006 DC comic book story arc

"Batman and Son" is a 2006 comic book story arc featuring the DC Comics character Batman. Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Andy Kubert, the story was published in four parts in the comic book Batman starting in #655 and ending in #658. The story was the beginning of Morrison's run in the Batman comic as well as their long-term take on the character of Batman through multiple titles over the next seven years. The arc introduced Batman's son, Damian Wayne, bringing him into the mainstream continuity of the DC Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damian Wayne</span> Fictional character

Damian Wayne is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul and the potential inheritor of Wayne and al Ghul's families' wealth and resources. With the al Ghuls citing Bruce Wayne as the optimal successor to their empire, after faking a miscarriage to his father and calling off their marriage, Talia has kept his existence hidden from Batman until Batman #656 (2006). In turn, the character is revealed to have originally been intended to "kill and replace his famous father," as well as serving as a host body for Ra's al Ghul, thus, in theory, unifying the Wayne and Demon factions as intended by the al Ghuls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin in other media</span> Superhero Robin in non-comicbook media

In addition to DC Comics books, the superhero Robin also appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne are examples of the characters who use the name Robin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: Legacy</span> Crossover story arc

Legacy is a crossover story arc in the Batman comic book series, which is a sequel to another Batman story arc, Contagion and also serves as a follow-up to the Knightfall story arc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Paul Valley</span> Comics character

Jean-Paul Valley Jr. is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada, and Peter Milligan, and debuted in Batman: Sword of Azrael #1 as an ally of the superhero Batman, after which he would go on to make appearances in several Batman titles. He is the first character to assume the identity of Azrael, a member of a group of assassins who were created by the Order of St. Dumas to bring justice to Gotham City. He is also the second character to take the Batman name for a short time during the Knightfall storyline, known to be a more brutal incarnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul</span>

"The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul" is the name of an eight issue comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics in 2007 and 2008. It involves the return of notable Batman villain Ra's al Ghul, and is his first appearance since his apparent death in Batman: Death and the Maidens in 2003. It also connects back to the "Batman and Son" storyline, which introduced Damian as the son of Batman and Talia al Ghul.

<i>Batman: Battle for the Cowl</i> 2009 Batman comic book story arc

"Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, three-issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in Gotham City following the "Batman R.I.P." and "Final Crisis" story arcs, due to Batman's absence. His disappearance is caused by the character's apparent death at the hands of Darkseid in Final Crisis, which causes dissension in the ranks of his allies and enemies who fight for the right to become the new Batman.

<i>Batman and Robin</i> (comic book) American comic book ongoing series

Batman and Robin is an American comic book ongoing series, created by Grant Morrison and featuring Batman and Robin. The debut of the series followed the events of "Batman R.I.P.", Final Crisis, and "Battle for the Cowl" in which the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, apparently died at the hands of DC Comics villain Darkseid and features the winner of the "Battle for the Cowl" as the new Batman. The conclusion of Battle for the Cowl shows Dick Grayson ascending to the role of Batman, while Damian Wayne becomes the new Robin.

This article is about the publication history of the DC Comics fictional character Dick Grayson, who has been portrayed in comic books alternatively as Robin, Nightwing, and Batman.

<i>Azrael</i> (comic book)

Azrael was an American comic book ongoing series, published by DC Comics based on the character Azrael. The name, inspired by the Judaic Angel of Death, is primarily associated with two characters: Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane. Valley was primarily featured between 1992 and 2003, while Lane was the star of a comics series which ran from 2009 to 2011.

<i>Bruce Wayne: The Road Home</i>

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home is a month-long event comic published by DC Comics in December 2010. The event was intended as a conclusion to Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne limited series and as a bridge to the ongoing story of the Batman family.

<i>Batman: Death in the Family</i> American animated interactive film

Batman: Death in the Family is a 2020 American animated interactive superhero film that explores alternate outcomes of the 1988 comics storyline of the same name, in which Jason Todd, the second character to bear the mantle of Batman's sidekick Robin, was murdered by the Joker. It is a spiritual sequel to Batman: Under the Red Hood, and was released on Blu-ray on October 13, 2020.

References