Tim Drake: Robin #6 – Meghan Fitzmartin, Writer; Riley Rossmo, Artist; Lee Loughridge, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Tim Drake has been through a lot of changes over this last year, but now he’s found himself in one of the most familiar positions for a superhero—the kidnapped love interest. Bernard has been taken by the mysterious shape-shifting villain Moriarty, who fashions himself as Tim’s new arch-nemesis and challenger. Unmasked as Tim’s landlord James—who may have never been a real person—Moriarty proceeds to take Tim through a series of bizarre tests designed to make him doubt himself, shifting not just into disturbing Clayface-like monsters but into Batman himself—perfectly designed to get under Tim’s skin. Riley Rossmo’s art is an odd fit for the characters, with neither Tim nor Bernard looking much like they did in Fitzmartin’s previous stories, but he is a GREAT choice for Moriarty’s various forms—lending a bizarre and surreal touch to this final showdown.
But this series wouldn’t work nearly as well without Fitzmartin’s deft writing when it comes to Tim’s character. The character has obviously been through a lot over the years, including multiple origins that conflicted with each other, and Fitzmartin has had the job of sorting that out. She neatly makes Tim’s coming-out story part of a larger narrative about deciding who he wants to be and who he wants to follow in his life. She has a handle on the character that was sorely lacking in the rest of the Young Justice crew in her YJ mini last year. The ending nicely sorts out exactly where Tim and Bernard stand, as next issue is going to be a done-in-one date night for the duo. The book will also be getting a new artist next issue, so it’ll almost be a full fresh start. Overall, this is the first real focus Tim has gotten in years outside the orbit of the larger Bat-family, and while the first arc wasn’t perfect, it shows a lot of potential for something great.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
