Well, that was disappointing. Tim Drake, my all-time favorite DC superhero, has a completely new origin. I thought writer Scott Lobdell was only changing his name, but it turns out Lobdell decided to change almost everything. Tim Drake is not even Tim ‘Drake’ anymore. All of his clever origin quirks from the original continuity have been altered for no good reason. Seriously, there was no reason to change Tim’s origin. His old origin fit in just fine with what’s been happening in the New 52 so far. These changes are completely superfluous, and because of that, they’re more disappointing than actually anger-inducing. It’s not like he did anything drastic that would warrant or justify the changes.

Teen Titans #0

DC has made me care less about my favorite character. I don’t think that’s what they want to accomplish in selling their comics.

Comic rating: 3/5: Alright.

If I’m being fair, this issue of Teen Titans is alright. It’s not a bad issue. If I’m being extremely generous and unbiased, it’s mediocre. The origin and its changes aren’t all that exciting, but it doesn’t defy logic – for the most part – or take a crap on the English language. There are a lot of stupid changes, which I’ll mention in the full synopsis. Overall, the issue is OK. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody. I wouldn’t tell a person that they’ve got to read about this really cool guy named Red Robin. None of these changes alter Tim Drake as a person or a character. He’s still pretty much the same guy. So that just means these changes are pointless. I can’t imagine anyone being excited by the new changes.

But I can definitely picture a lot of disappointed and even angry Tim Drake fans. I realize that comic book companies just want to get a rise out of their fans. But couldn’t they have been a little more creative this time? Couldn’t they have tried to do something original?

Just look at what they did to Jason Todd’s origin. Same writer even, with Scott Lobdell penning Jason’s altered origin. So why did he drop the ball in rewriting Tim’s origin? Join me after the jump for more.

Allow me, before we begin, to tell you Tim Drake’s original origin story. Tim was raised by wealthy parents, and when he was a little boy, they went to see Haly’s Circus in Gotham City, the same circus where Dick Grayson’s parents were killed by a mobster. As we all know, Dick was then adopted by Bruce Wayne and went on to become the first Robin. Well when Tim saw footage of Batman and Robin on TV, he was smart enough to recognize Dick’s trapeze skills, and he deduced, all on his own, that Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne were Robin and Batman. Tim Drake was a smart kid, and Batman became his hobby.

A few years later, the second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed in action. Tim started to notice a change in Batman’s fighting style. Suddenly, Batman was rougher with criminals. He became more reckless. And Tim decided that Batman needs a Robin to keep him balanced and grounded. So Tim, being a young go-getter, tracked down Dick Grayson and asked him to return as Robin, to help Batman. Dick turned him down, but then everybody realized that Tim would make a great Robin – everyone except Tim and Batman. It took some time, and some training, before Tim was ready.

But then he became the third Robin. My favorite Robin.

What lurks in the shadow of Batman?

Tim was Robin while I was getting into comics. I already loved Robin as a character, and Tim became my Robin. He was young, he was fun, he was cool, and he was a competent superhero and great at his sidekick job. I loved that the most. Plus his original costume was just awesome. From the old pixie boot number to this new look was the best superhero costume change ever. There was a lot to love about Tim

I never read his solo series when it started, because I wasn’t reading DC comics at the time. I wish I was. I bet I would have loved the series. One of the great things about Tim’s time as Robin, that separated him from the others, was that Tim wasn’t an orphan like Batman or Dick or Jason. His parents were still alive when he became Batman’s partner…at least for a little while. Early in his superhero career, Tim’s mother was killed while his parents were on vacation. His father went into a coma, which gave Tim plenty of time to hang out with Batman and become Robin. But his dad eventually recovered, and for the longest time, Tim’s dad was a supporting character in his comic. He had a parent to go home to at the end of a long night of crimefighting. In time, though, Tim’s dad died as well, and so he was adopted by Bruce Wayne.

And that all makes a long story…still kind of long. Forgive me, I’ve discovered that I love explaining things. But now you know the origin of Tim Drake. He was a very intelligent kid who, all on his own, deduced that Bruce Wayne was Batman. And when he realized Batman needed a partner, he selflessly tried to get Dick Grayson to do it first, only later realizing that he himself would make a good Robin. His father was a big part of his life, though in time, both of his parents died. This all made for a pretty cool guy.

Now let’s meet the new version of Tim Drake.

We start off with the fact that Tim is now an expert gymnast, with parents who seem far more blue-collar.

A star gymnast! Sure, why not!

Batman narrates the story, explaining how Tim Drake was excellent at everything he did even before Bruce found him. Plus Tim had loving and dedicated parents, something Bruce never got to experience. We learn that Tim was still trying to figure out Batman’s secret identity, though we’re not told why. Random obsession, perhaps? There’s no mention of Haley’s Circus. We’re also shown that Batman spends some of his time spying on Tim, and that he’s doing so because Alfred seems to be recommending Tim to be the new Robin. Jason is already dead, and Batman is reluctant to find a new Robin. Plus he doesn’t want to take Tim away from his parents.

Though Tim appears to be doing a fine job of that himself. His parents want to go out for ice cream after the meet, but Tim goes off on his own to work on his attempts to learn Batman’s identity. So there’s a big change. Tim never figured out Batman’s identity on his own anymore, though he came closer than anyone. Plus, it wasn’t Tim who approached the Bat-Family. Alfred and Bruce were already scouting him to be the new Robin. When Tim returns home that night, his dad is waiting up for him. And is kind of cryptic. He tells his son that he’s always believed Tim was destined to leave the family, to move on to something greater.

It’s not damaging at all to find your father sitting in the dark in the middle of the night, then for him to tell you that you’d be better off without him

Who tells their child that? Especially in that manner, sitting in the darkness and surprising them in the middle of the night? Is his dad drunk? There’s no indication.

Tim, like any healthy boy, tells his dad that he loves him and then goes to bed. But he sneaks out before the night is through to follow the latest lead he has on Batman. The narration reveals that Tim has still noticed how different Batman has been acting since the death of Jason Todd. So at least there’s that.

Tim visits the Gotham Aviary, where he has tracked a series of companies and owners to a man named ‘Enrique Fluente’, who Tim believes is Batman. In actuality, that whole paper trail was put together by Bruce Wayne to purposefully throw Tim off the trail. Batman confronts Tim and tells him to drop this foolishness.

Tim tells Batman he wants to be the new Robin.

It’s just as simple as that, kids!

Tim’s very professional about it. But a very chatty Batman tells him to go home and be with his parents. Because nothing will convince a kid to stop searching for Batman than to actually have Batman show up to talk to you. Tim thought this ‘Fluente’ guy was Batman, and that he was operating out of the Gotham Aviary. Tim went to the Aviary that night to prove his theory correct. But it wasn’t correct. It was all a fabrication designed by Batman. So imagine if Batman hadn’t shown up just to rub the failure in Tim’s face. Tim would have gone to the Aviary, found out that his theory was totally wrong and would have been back at square one. It wasn’t like they showed him in any danger at the Aviary. He climbed in just fine on his own, he could probably get out on his own, sadly convinced that he was no closer to finding Batman.

Instead , Batman decides to show up in the flesh and point out to Tim that he’s close, but has not yet uncovered the secret. His very presence there teases Tim with the fact that he still has work to do to uncover Batman’s secret identity. And what teenager is going to just give something up when an adult tells him to?

It’s like you have a scientist who is trying to invent the jetpack, and then you show up to tell him to stop by showing him a working jetpack.

So obviously, Tim doesn’t give up the search. But Batman still keeps track of him. In one silly moment, Batman actually contacts Tim via instant messenger to tell him to stop. He’s even got a little Batman buddy icon and everything.

Batman should have thrown in a few of those winking smilies

And then Tim makes an incredibly stupid move. He uses his hacking skills to steal $100 million from the Penguin and then give it to the poor. Alfred believes Tim has done this to get Batman’s attention, so he sends Bruce out to save Tim from the armed henchmen that go to Tim’s house and start shooting up the place. The Penguin doesn’t make an appearance, but his nameless masked goons do. They arrive at Tim’s home and open fire.

This was a particularly stupid move. Was Tim really that dumb to get caught by the Penguin? And then just hang out around his house like it was no big deal? They catch him as he’s going to the fridge for a drink of milk like it was any normal night. What a moron.

Anyway, Batman shows up to save the day, telling Tim to stay put while he cleans up the mess Tim made. Tim doesn’t stay put…but he also doesn’t foolishly go help Batman. Tim crawls into his parents’ room to make sure they were OK. Fortunately, everybody survives Tim’s ridiculous and dangerous attempt to get Batman’s attention. Unfortunately, Lobdell doesn’t use this as an opportunity to teach Tim a lesson. Peter Parker’s hubris accidentally got his Uncle Ben killed, and he’s been carrying that guilt his entire life. Tim Drake nearly got his parents killed, and all that got him was exactly what he wanted.

For you see, as a result of this attack, Tim’s parents are going into witness protection while Tim is going with Batman. It’s actually discussed by all of these characters like a proper civil arrangement.

Batman has a lot of sway with Child Protective Services

First of all, witness protection? That implies there is some kind of prosecution against the Penguin, and that the parents are needed to testify. Tim’s the one who stole from the Penguin! He’s the criminal! Granted, Penguin shouldn’t have responded with guns, but still! The parents aren’t going into witness protection, they’re going into hiding, ostensibly forever, since the Penguin is never going to get charged. And are you telling me Batman doesn’t have the resources to fake their deaths and set them up with a new life somewhere? All three of them?

Nope! Apparently Batman has spoken with Tim’s family and they agree that it would be best if Tim went with Batman.

WHAT!?

How is that OK? Who authorized this? Surely some police agency is involved in protecting the parents, but did they sign off on the boy joining Batman? Why is Batman OK with this? Why is he cool with rewarding Tim for all the reckless crap he just pulled? At the start of the comic, he was reluctant to take on a new Robin. But a bit of persistence and then one incredibly reckless and dangerous stunt later, and Batman is on board with this kid? It wasn’t even an audition to be Robin. It was a stupid move designed to force Batman’s hand, to draw him out. Tim wasn’t even a good hacker, since the Penguin fingered out who he was immediately! And we don’t even see the Penguin. Why use the Penguin as a key figure in Tim’s origin if we’re not even going to see him?

This is just silly. Tim’s parents willingly abandon him to the strange, mysterious, vigilante and everybody’s comfortable with separating them from him on a permanent basis. Makes no sense.

There’s a brief scene with his parents where they tell him he already makes them so proud. Then they leave their teenage son to be raised by the dangerous masked man while they go into hiding.

Bruce then takes Tim to the Batcave, where he makes some half-hearted excuse about not wearing Jason’s old costume or using the name ‘Robin’.

Rather than use and honor Jason’s superhero name, Tim decides he’s going to make it gaudier

No real reasoning behind calling himself ‘Red Robin’, he just throws the color red in there for no particular reason whatsoever. Though considering how much red clothing Tim wears on his own, can we assume it’s simply his favorite color? Not wearing Jason’s uniform is one thing, but not even taking up the name as a way to honor Jason? Heck, in the costume he does wear, it still has only one ‘R’ on the chest. Probably stands for ridiculous. If you’re going to call yourself ‘Red Robin’ from the beginning, why not two ‘R’s? Oh that’s right, because Lobdell didn’t decide on this ‘Red Robin’ thing until long after the New 52 had started and they’d already shown pictures of this original costume.

We end with two quick scenes. First, Bruce is looking at some early news reports of Bunker and Skittles, I guess so they can justify why the two of them were on the cover. Then the comic reveals that Tim is now ‘Tim Drake’, which implies the name ‘Drake’ is the witness protection name. If you read this interview with Lobdell, he says this was an editorial change. Fine, so we can blame them. First of all, Tim never went with his parents into witness protection, so why would he use their new fake name? He’s not in hiding, so why go around blabbing that name everywhere? Second of all, why keep the first name ‘Tim’? Third of all, why make this stupid, ridiculous, unnecessary change!?

God dammit, I didn’t want to get too angry at this issue. But c’mon, people. My favorite individual DC character has had his origin and a lot of the reasons for being Robin utterly replaced! His origin is almost completely different now! They took away the fact that Tim, on his own, deduced that Bruce was Batman. They took away his parents (who we’re told are going to show up again eventually, so at least there’s that). They took away both the name ‘Robin’ and the name ‘Tim Drake’. God dammit! He’s just not the same character anymore. He’s a new, inferior reboot.

I find myself caring less and less about my favorite DC character. That is not a good thing. That is bad. I read comics for the characters, and if DC takes away the characters that I love, why should I keep reading? I’m not yet ready to drop Teen Titans, but this issue isn’t helping. These stupid, ridiculous changes aren’t helping.

But I guess this is how fans of Superboy, Wonder Girl or Kid Flash must have felt. These characters were all wiped clean of their past continuities and stories, as were dozens of other Teen Titans and Young Justice members.

Well, a whole year after DC launched this New 52, I’m finally ready to say this: fuck the reboot.