Warning: Spoiler for Tim Drake: Robin #6 reappears in the Tim Drake lore, and the third Robin is poised to take on a new identity. Tim Drake has repeatedly tried to quit the role of Robin in hopes of taking his superhero career to the next level, just as Robins formerly Dick Grayson and Jason Todd eventually upgraded themselves to become Nightwing and Red Hood respectively. Previously, he worked under the pseudonym Red Robin for some time after the Robin era, and then, very briefly, he was known simply as Drake. For some reason, Tim Drake’s attempts at self-evolution failed, so he’s still Robin to this day.
However, Tim Drake: Robin #6 by Megan Fitzmartin and Riley Rosmer hints at another upcoming attempt to move on from Robin and take on a new role for Tim Drake. While battling his newest nemesis, Moriarty, Robin monologues about how he once dreamed of becoming Batman, and even Moriarty suggests that he needs to defeat Batman or become Batman. However, Robin concluded that he couldn’t be Batman when Batman wasn’t right for him, and he “dream” become “New stuff.” He also said, “It’s time for a new Tim Drake era.” The teasing was to elevate him to a new identity.
The beginning of a new era for Tim Drake
It seems like Tim Drake’s latest history is slowly building, making him aware of it. It all goes back to Meghan Fitzmartin and Belén Ortega’s 2021 story “The Sum of Our Parts, Chapter 3” Batman: Urban Legend #6. After years of making it clear that he didn’t want to be Batman, Tim suddenly announced, “I want a cape.” It’s no coincidence that Tim Drake’s Robin also appeared in the same issue when he came out as bisexual and finally confessed his true feelings to his longtime friend Bernard. It’s also no coincidence that Tim’s Robin emblem was cut from his chest during his battle with Moriarty, when he realized he needed to become something new and unique.
It seems that DC is strongly hinting that Tim will be looking for a new identity for himself and not Robin, while also asserting that he has escaped Batman’s shadow. Compared to his previous efforts, this new chapter comes at a good time. Everything about Tim’s current arc is tied to who he is. Not only did he discover who he was, but he also realized the potential of the person he could become.
Now that Tim Drake is slowly but surely mastering who he is as a human and a hero, he needs an identity that reflects that. When the first Robin Dick Grayson was at a similar turn in his life and was no longer Batman’s companion, he ended up becoming Nightwing. It’s been too long for Tim to have his own identity to stick with, but now is where it makes the most sense for his character. Tim Drake has grown from a boy in a Robin costume to an adult, and he needs a new name and new outfit to show his maturity.
Tim Drake: Robin #6 DC Comics is out now.