For earlier generations, their Robin was Dick Grayson, while newer and younger comic book readers today have Damian Wayne. Those that grew up in the 90s and early 2000s with comics had the third Robin: Tim Drake. Tim was a response to the death of Jason Todd, who was killed off because fans disliked him.
Since his debut in 1990, Tim Drake has had many ups and downs in DC comics over the years, but even to this day, Tim Drake remains a member of the Bat-Family. He’s also shined in different comics that helped define his character over the decades.
Robin: Unmasked (2004)
Whilst Tim Drake is trying to protect Gotham from the likes of a new killer and Johnny Warlock, he is trying to balance that with his life as a normal teenager. As if that’s not trouble enough, Tim’s father learns the truth about Robin and tries his hardest to make Tim give up the mask and cape.
The result is a fun coming-of-age story that helps set up the introduction of the fourth Robin (Stephanie Brown) while also allowing Tim to shine. The only slight flaw against this story is that Batman is portrayed as a little too comedic, but it still remains a solid Tim story that spans from Robin #121 to #125.
Rise Of The Batmen (2017)
In this story, Tim Drake is part of a new team that consists of a few familiar faces including Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and Kate Kane AKA Batwoman. Along with a reformed Clayface, this team works with Batman to stop a rogue force that is modeled after the Dark Knight.
The dynamic of this team was something fresh compared to the typical Bat-Family approach. Tim Drake was finally able to shine as Robin again, especially after the New 52 sidelined him almost completely.
Teen Titans: Titans Of Tomorrow (2008)
For a long period, DC was pushing the idea that Tim Drake would end up being the one who would take the mantle of Batman from Bruce Wayne. It was somewhat prophesized in Teen Titans: Titans Of Tomorrow which shows dark futures for all of the famous and powerful Teen Titans members.
This story gives Tim a view of his future as the Dark Knight, although he is more of an antagonist. Both the Titans of the past and alternate future clash, but it’s less about the action and more about the characters and how they react to their counterparts.
Identity Crisis (1990)
Not to be confused with the Identity Crisis from 2004 that was highly controversial. Robin’s Identity Crisis is a story that spans between Batman #455 and #457 which shows Tim struggling with the loss of his mother. He becomes haunted by that and the Robin uniform.
In a way, this is the ending of Tim Drake’s origin story as he finally evolves into the new Robin. It’s Tim’s new Robin design that would end up inspiring future Robin incarnations, including Chris O’Donnell’s suit in Batman Forever.
Future State: Robin Eternal (2021)
Like all Future State stories, Robin Eternal went in a drastically different direction. Tim Drake is murdered by the Magistrate but thanks to Lazarus Resin moving through his veins, he is resurrected a la Jason Todd.
Not only does he fight the Magistrate with his bare hands, but he has to keep his now-fragile psyche intact. The Lazarus Resin has poisoned his mind, but fortunately, he has friends such as Spoiler (who was one of the many versions of Batgirl) at his side.
Batman: Face The Face (2006)
After a whole year without them, Gotham City sees the return of Batman and Robin after the Infinite Crisis event. This return results in encounters with an army of Batman’s most iconic foes: Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Ventriloquist, The Penguin, Killer Moth, The Mad Hatter, Orca, and so much more.
The story itself is not directly about Tim Drake but it features a famous Tim Drake event with the ending. It’s a heartfelt ending that shows Bruce Wayne officially adopting Tim Drake as his son; making it one of the rare comics where Batman shows his human and emotional side.
Chuck Dixon’s Robin Trilogy (1991-1992)
Much like he did with Nightwing, Chuck Dixon shined in making a story about Tim Drake’s Robin. Dixon crafted a trilogy of stories for the character, each providing something different. The first story, Robin Reborn, is more about Tim training to perfect his skills as Robin.
The second and often considered the best is a story where there is no Batman around and Tim has to fight The Joker, the same villain that killed the previous Robin. Obviously, Tim is afraid, but the third Robin proves himself and outmaneuvers the villain that is Batman’s ultimate nemesis. Cry Of The Huntress, the third story focuses on Tim’s rough life at home and has his branching out with the Bat-Family.
Red Robin: The Grail (2010)
With Bruce Wayne gone and Dick Grayson as the new Batman, Tim Drake is not taking things well. He even abandoned the regular Robin moniker and is now the new Red Robin. While on the hunt for his father and mentor, Red Robin encounters Ra’s Al Ghul and the League Of Assassins.
Tim has always been the more bright and optimistic of the Robins, but this story puts him in a much darker light. He’s more brutal because of the loss of Bruce, and he’s far more merciless than before. In a way, he’s more like Batman than he’s ever been, which makes The Grail into an interesting character study of Tim as well as a fun superhero adventure.
A Lonely Place Of Dying (1990)
This is the story in which Tim Drake made his first appearance. He is a young boy trying his best to live in the crummy streets of Gotham. He grew up as a huge fan of Batman, even becoming a detective for his neighborhood. However, his biggest accomplishment is that he was able to deduce who Batman and Nightwing are.
Marv Wolfman did a stellar job in creating Tim to not only be likable but believable as well. Tim is the only Robin to willingly volunteer for the role; as shown when he tells Batman that he needs a Robin and Robin needs a Batman after he and Nightwing worked together to help Batman. It’s one of the best first impressions of a Robin, arguably even stronger than Dick Grayson.
