Tim Drake: Robin #7 is an exciting opportunity to learn more about Bernard while continuing the pacing of the overarching story. Read Full Review

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 centerjust in time for the series to be canceled with the end of its second arc! Read Full Review

This is a wonderful story that has the requisite action of a superhero comic book, but the focus is on one of the supporting characters. This story opens the book on Bernard Dowd, what he knows, feels, and thinks. It also is a positive depiction of gay relationship between two men. Read Full Review

Tim Drake: Robin #7 deals with the astute recognition that, as someone who is important to Robin's storyline Bernard Dowd needs fleshing out. Thankfully Tim is still coming across as assertive and capable. However, while this series has personality, it's yet to find its groove and suffers from some questionable moments in storytelling. Read Full Review

We've made it to the next part in Tim's story. This time Bernard's narration and background development isn't enough to make this any better for fans of Tim Drake and still has a lot of randomness in both the visual and story departments. I think the issues are quite minor when you compare it to the dumpster fire that was the previous arc so maybe this might feel like a breath of fresh air to some readers?Score: 5/10 Read Full Review

While one can appreciate that the issue finally takes the time to flesh out Bernard, it's done very awkwardly. Read Full Review

Comic readers these days are such snowflakes being offended by mediocre books

This issue proves that ANYBODY can become a comic book writer so long as they meet certain "criteria." It's an absolute mess of a "story" with truly incomprehensible plot points. I'm starting to think Fitzmartin is actually trolling everyone. It has to be a joke, right?

Why read it then? Because like Morpheus told Neo: "You have to see it for yourself!"

1. I mean the line about Bernard majoring in physics & biology to be a CHEF. Has to be a joke.

2. Tim thinking Bernard doesn't know he's Robin when he has changed in front of him in the last arc.

3. The "pee" line from Bernard and then his father demanding he apologize to his mother for it. For saying "pee"? Seriously?

4. Both Tim & Bernard leaving Bernard's parents in the burning restaurant to share "a moment" outside.

5. Bernard's "you're my gay awakening" line. It has to be a joke. Who talks like that?

I really think Meghan Fitzmartin is trolling all sides with this series. And probably laughing all the way to the bank. Well, maybe not that last bit. Bizarro-world 2023. more

You can put glitter on a turd all you want, it’s still a turd.

There is so much wrong with this issue from Bernard being a Physics-Biology-Chef, to the lack of any sort of setups to what is going on with Firefly and Phobia to the fact that it appears that Bernard and Tim just walk away from a burning restaurant with people still inside, including Bernard's parents. Fitzmartin just makes things happen because they suddenly need to happen and ruins what could have been a cute date night with Tim and Bernard.

The first three critics are obviously lying.I can't wait for the wokeness to get out of our classic comics.Stop ruining our characters and get back to basic great stories without the woke BS

I realize this was supposed to be some sort of feel-good backstory for these two boys. We got to see more of Bernard and where he comes from. We got to see a cute little date scene despite the villainy hijinks. But when you look back as to how we got here, there's so little foundation that it still felt really flat to me. It's been incredibly frustrating to read, to see the lack of work put into this story, and yet to have these moments that are supposed to draw you in as a reader and the expectation that we are to give accolades for it. We're sitting before a magician, not knowing how the trick works, but tada! look and be amazed at what just happened. And that works for a magic show because we like the wonder, we like the element of the unknown there, but it doesn't work when you build a story and expect investment from the reader. Instead, everyone is looking for the next trick. It's dissatisfying, all the more so when you know what Tim is capable of as a superhero, as a human being, and he's been reduced to the "always-online bisexual." His whole point in this issue was to prop up Bernard, and it came at the expense of him as a capable superhero. We watched him fumble and stumble, making mistakes he never should have made, and yet he did, all to push Bernard's story forward instead of letting Bernard be a natural part of his. DC should have ended this title after the last issue and spared Tim the further deconstruction of his character. more

Bad writing makes a book bad. People giving this a ten do you even read comics?

WTF was this? Yes, Bernard gets fleshed out in this issue but it's just standard garbage. He's gay, his parents disapprove, he's the better person out of the three. Yawn. And the writing is sooooo bad. Bernard's not supposed to know Tim is Robin but Tim is in the bedroom of their tiny boat home changing from his costume to his suit while Bernard is telling him they're late. How did he not see Tim get to the bedroom? Bernard is majoring in physics and biology (has to be amazing of course) but he's going to be a chef? Bernard yells across the restaurant about peeing?! Jesus. The next scene Firefly is burning the place up for no reason other than they won't give him a table (and it said he'd been doing this for a while now and no security or anything?) Then Tim is there in full costume! He clearly had no costume on under his suit and brought nothing to change into and just happened to be in the bathroom when Firefly attacked? Give me a freaking break! Bernard rips a tablecloth off and his dad is worried he will have to pay for it? Maybe that was Phobia's effect IDK. Tim then says he knows Firefly is working with someone. How!? He just showed up, why would Tim assume that? Oh that's right, he's almost as great a detective as Bruce according to Meghan Fitzmartin. Don't explain anything, he just knows....because. Then Tim's back in his suit and they just leave without any explanation of what happened to the bad guy. Suddenly when Bernard mentions fear Tim just knows it's Phobia and rushes back to the restaurant with the lame excuse he forgot his sweater he wasn't wearing. Cut to the restaurant and he's back in costume, trapped in a fire cage and Phobia is explaining how she just likes to cause chaos for shits and giggles. They get Bernard and she then knows all about how his parents were treating him and made sure to mention it to firefly earlier. Yes, all the people she was affecting in the place and she remembers him the most. Gotta make sure to mention he returned for his parents and that makes him the bigger person (even though he just left the place, then when Tim rushes back he's like "My parents are still there!" NO SHIT! Suddenly Tim is free and takes down both bad guys no problem. MY GOD! Thankfully this title has been canceled. Hopefully Meghan Fitzmartin will find work in another field. more