Tim Drake: Robin #7 – Meghan Fitzmartin, Writer; Serg Acuna, Artist; Lee Loughridge, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: After a densely plotted first arc that put Tim in the middle of a new mystery centering around the Gotham marina, Fitzmartin is able to pull back and give us a character-focused issue that puts Tim and Bernard at the center—just in time for the series to be canceled with the end of its second arc! I’m not sure what went on behind the scenes here, but I wouldn’t have expected the series to end so quickly. With that in mind, I’m glad we got this “Date night” issue, because the two characters have needed some time to themselves! Bernard is still unaware that Tim and Robin are one and the same as they prepare to head out for dinner, but there are some clouds hanging over their night out—namely, that Bernard is still estranged from his parents, and that Firefly is targeting top Gotham restaurants for an unknown reason. It’s not a surprise that both unwanted guests eventually show their faces.
Firefly is really more of a plot device here, with the villain crashing the party and causing Tim to have to duck in and out to change into his superhero guise. It’s a fun play on classic secret identity hijinx, but the core here is all about Bernard’s troubled family life. We saw a glimpse of it when he first made his return, but his parents are as hostile as ever. In fact, as the restaurant catches on fire and he tries to protect people, their true feelings seemingly come out and it’s rather hard to watch. This comic doesn’t pull any punches about parental rejection, but it also opens the door for some hope towards the end. Fitzmartin is having to make up most of Bernard’s backstory on her own, since the character was fairly nondescript when he briefly appeared previously, and she’s done a good job of making him not just an intriguing character in his own right but one who plays off Tim really nicely.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
