Category Archives: Comics

I Think Tim Drake is Robin Again…For Now

Something is happening at DC Comics regarding Robin and I’m not sure what. They haven’t made any formal announcements. They haven’t done any big events. The status quo is simply and quietly changing.

Just last week, Damian Wayne, the current Robin, made a big show in Teen Titans Annual #2 that he was finished being Robin. I made a blog post about it just yesterday!

Well today, in Young Justice #18, it looks like Tim Drake is going back to being Robin.

Notice how Superboy specifically tells them not to talk about it

A year ago, it seemed like Tim had graduated to a new identity: Drake. That seemed pretty permanent. Why wouldn’t it be? DC had been struggling for years as to what to do with Tim Drake, and giving him a new identity seemed like the most logical solution.

But a lot has changed in a year. Dan DiDio was fired. That rumored “5G” project was cancelled. A lot of other people have been fired. Warner Bros is tightening their belts. A new video game was announced with Tim Drake as Robin.

What is happening? Are we really living in a world where Damian Wayne is no longer Robin and Tim Drake gets to assume the mantle again? Are we living in my dream come true?

I guess we’ve just got to take this one step at a time. I’ll stay with this story all night if I have to!

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I Think Damian Wayne Just Quit As Robin…For Now

I am a huge Robin fan. I like the character even more than Batman. But more than any individual under the domino mask, I like the Robin mantle the most. I just love the idea that the dark and brooding Batman has this young, colorful, capable protege sidekick helping him out.

So it’s big news that the current Robin, Damian Wayne has quit maybe? He says as much in the final pages of Teen Titans Annual #2 from last week.

That’s his only costume

Is this real? Is this permanent? We simply don’t know. I haven’t heard any news anywhere that DC announced Damian stepping away from the role. Perhaps this is just a temporary tantrum.

But if this is real, I’m pretty excited. I’ve never liked Damian in the role of Robin. Damian was always Damian first, Robin second. I’ll grant you that he’s was a great foil for Dick Grayson as Batman, but I don’t think we’ve ever had any real Bruce/Damian team-ups in a long time. Have Bruce and Damian ever really worked together as a classic Batman and Robin team? Has Damian appeared regularly in any of the main Batman comics in years?

Instead, Damian has been showing up in either Super Sons or the latest volume of Teen Titans. I haven’t been reading the comic, but apparently Damian has been getting more and more ruthless with his villains. He’s accused of killing Brother Blood and he tries to kill Deathstroke in this new annual issue. When Batman confronts him and offers redemption, Damian punches him and fights for his freedom.

Robin al Ghul!

And that’s where we leave off for now. I am 100% in favor of Damian moving on to a new identity and leaving the Robin mantle open for somebody new. Damian has been Robin since 2009, so it’s been more than a decade. I’m ready for the character to move on.

Hopefully this is for reals!

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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/29/20

Man, RIP Chadwick Boseman. That’s just…so tragic, so terrible. I’m no good at memorializing, so I guess let’s just get on with the comic book reviews…

This week, I read the likes of Hellions, X-Factor and Power Rangers! And the Comic Book of the Week: Legion of Super-Heroes #8. There were a lot of good comics this week, but the Legion issue had a fun art gimmick that makes it pretty special.

Legion Assemble!

Meanwhile, I did not read Three Jokers. I don’t care about the Joker, and I think this retcon is dumb. Maybe when it’s all over, and I can read it all at once, I’ll check it out.

Comic Reviews: Hellions #3, Legion of Super-Heroes #8, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #53, X-Factor #2 and X-Men #11.

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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/22/20

Welcome to DC FanDome weekend! Or at least the first of them. I guess there’s a second one coming next month? We’ll see! At least we have some DC Comics this week…or at least one, Batman! We’ve also got more Power Rangers spin-offs and just a bit of Spider-Woman, maybe?

Comic Book of the Week goes to Thor #6, though I don’t really want to praise it as such. Still, it’s a big, momentous comic that looks gorgeous, so at least there’s that.

Epic

Meanwhile, I finished the novel Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis and it’s fine. I’m a huge Lindsay Ellis fan and love her work, but I don’t think her debut novel is anything special. It’s OK, with a fun, casual writing style. But nothing I can actively recommend unless you, like me, wanted to support her and needed something new to do in the pandemic.

Comic Reviews: Batman #97, Drakkon: New Dawn #1, Empyre: X-Men #4, Spider-Woman #3 and Thor #6.

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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/15/20

We’re back! Back again! More comic reviews! Because why not? It’s a mild day in the middle of August and we’ve only got a couple of comics to review this week, mostly X-Men books.

Comic Book of the Week goes to The Green Lantern: Season Two # 6 because it’s a fun comic and I wanted to shake things up a bit this week.

Hal Jordan: Reporting for duty

Meanwhile, I’ve decided to read the entirety of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible. The compendiums are at a price I can afford on Amazon and my birthday is coming up. So I’ll let you know how it all goes in a year or so!

Speaking of letting you know how things are, I also read the second volume of Green Lantern: Earth One this week and it was pretty fun! On par with the first volume. It’s a quality GL re-imagining.

Comic Reviews: Empyre: X-Men #3, The Green Lantern: Season Two #6 and Marauders #11.

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