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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.
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.
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.
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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We’re Getting a Robin Video Game (Among Others)!
Holy guacamole! I wasn’t sure how I was going to share the various DC FanDome trailers we’re going to get today. Do I flood my blog with trailers? Do I space them out over the next few days so that I can digest them all? Well there’s no point in holding onto this one because I’m freaking out.
Gotham Knights is the next game in the Arkhamverse series and it will focus on the Bat-Family: Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl and Robin! I’m getting a Robin video game!
This is beyond my wildest dreams. I love the Arkham games, and Batman is great…but a game that focuses on the Bat-Family instead?! A game where Robin and the former Robins (and Batgirl) are the stars? Where you get to play as all of them throughout the game?!
Here’s some gameplay footage from an early build of the game! It’s got two-player co-op!!!
I am salivating. This is a dream come true. I was so prepared for another game where Arkham Batman fights the Joker. But a game where Robin and the Family have to take on the Court of Owls?! Are you kidding me?!
Somebody pinch me.
Now all I need is confirmation of Tim Drake as Robin and not Damian. He looks short and young in the trailer, but he’s taller, seems older and is dressed as Red Robin in the gameplay footage (though is called just “Robin” in the HUD). Could Red Robin just be a skin? Alternate costumes seems like a pretty common thing in these games.
UPDATE: Robin has been confirmed as Tim Drake!
Here’s the flavor text for all of the characters:
- Batgirl, also known as Barbara Gordon, is a determined fighter and a skilled hacker. As the daughter of deceased Gotham commissioner, Jim Gordon, she had helped Batman as Oracle in the past. Now, after years of recovery and preparation, she is ready to step into her new role, wielding her melee tonfa, and harnessing her training in kickboxing, capoeira and jiu-jitsu.
- Nightwing is Dick Grayson, the first Robin, who was Batman’s protégé before becoming a hero in his own right. He’s a natural leader and the eldest and wisest member of the Batman Family. Nightwing’s mastery in acrobatics is complemented by his expertise use of his signature dual Escrima Sticks, making him proficient at taking out enemies.
- Red Hood, formerly known as Jason Todd, is an intense and volatile anti-hero, which stems from his death and forced resurrection by one of Batman’s most dangerous foes. Red Hood has trouble keeping his temper in check but will not hesitate to step into the line of fire when a friend is threatened. His training has given him peak human strength and proficiency in multiple combat techniques with all manner of weapons – both traditional and high-tech.
- Robin is Tim Drake, the young prodigy and genius of the team, who is a master of deductive reasoning. As a true believer in Batman’s mission, he is motivated by the conviction that Gotham City needs protecting and hopes to be the type of hero Batman personified. An expert fighter armed with his collapsible quarterstaff and skilled in a variety of stealth techniques, Robin also possesses a background in combined psychological warfare and behavioral sciences.
Anyway, game is due out in 2021. Looks like this might be my Playstation 5 upgrade game.
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