This run of "Tim Drake: Robin" continues to get more exciting. The creative team here seems to really hit a great stride for this Boy Wonder, which is impressive since this is their first issue together. This next arc is one to keep an eye on! Read Full Review

In the opening to the latest and final arc of Tim Drake: Robin, the story seems to find its footing as a limited series with what could have had a bright future; that said, this issue is another strong entry for all to enjoy. Read Full Review

This issue is good and is the shot in the arm this title should have had from the jump. Read Full Review

Overall, this series is still strong, particularly in its lead character, but it doesn't feel like it was nearly as much about Tim as it should be. While he's going through some huge changes in this series, it often feels like the story is happening around him rather than to him. Read Full Review

The final arc of Tim Drake: Robin has a strong start. I don't want to see this book disappearing but if this is how it ends then I'm looking forward to seeing what Meghan Fitzmartin has in store. Read Full Review

Fitzmartin's been writing Tim Drake's journey since Batman: Urban Legends and in Tim Drake: Robin #8 it's great to see her ideas developing their potential. With exciting artwork and plotting, this issue has action and a genuinely intriguing mystery which is deepened by the cliffhanger ending, one that also manages to heighten the stakes. Phew. Read Full Review

A new artist and a new story breathe some stronger life into this Robin comic, even as it nears an unfortunate cancellation. Read Full Review

This issue starts off so rough and already carries with it the many failures of its past. So even though the art isn't terrible and the second half is a bit more exciting I just can't imagine people being that excited to check out the rest when this is one of the best issues of the series. It's still overly wordy and self congratulating. It's still lacking development that feels natural or characters with interesting dynamics. All in all, I just don't feel too strongly about any of it. Read Full Review

Tim Drake: Robin #8 is another mess of an issue in a series filled with them.  Fitzmartin once again neglects any setup, which turns everything in this book into a mystery... except the actual mystery she is trying to tell.  There is a laundry list of reasons this book failed, but the biggest one is the writing.  Hopefully, DC realizes this and doesn't blame Tim Drake. Read Full Review

Okay, Nikola Cizmesija should have been the artist from the get go. This art style is much more fitting to Tim’s character and better communicates the “puzzle” element of the paneling. I finally understand what Riley Rossmo was trying to do in the first arc. While Nikola is no Belen Ortega, it does feel very reminiscent of the Urban Legends tales where her artwork shined. And I will give credit to Fitzmartin, there is actually a plot here, and I am genuinely curious to see how this will end. I was thinking maybe I finally have most good things to say…..but sadly I started thinking some more and noticed all the flaws.

So we start on the boat where Darcy & Bernard are wondering why the hell Tim lives on a boat (I’ll get to that), Tim thinks to himself that it’s not the type of life for a person who makes rational decisions and how it’s the hardest place he’s ever lived. Then Bernard and Darcy do the “it’s a bird, it’s a plane..” bit when Batwoman crashes onto the boat. Darcy decides the best way for Bernard to leave is to remind him of a soufflé he needs to make. Tim notices blood on Kate’s glove and she has partial amnesia.

….where the hell do I start? Firstly, Tim is easily the most rational of ALL the Robins. Him making irrational decisions is the last thing he would do, but then again we’ve established Fitzmartin doesn’t understand Tim (see my issue 6 review). Second, Tim has not once ever shown any interest in boats, he’s been on boats a few times but nothing to indicate he would want to live on one. I always felt that was such an odd setting choice, that is until I discovered on an interview where Fitzmartin mentioned how she lived on a boat once. Then it made more sense why she chose it, but it still does not fit Tim’s character. However I had an epiphany, the boat house should have been Bernard’s home. Boat life is framed as a life for the oddballs, which Bernard was originally framed as being a conspiracy nut and all. It would make sense why he would want to live on a crappy boat given his family situation and you could incorporate his love of cooking by having him work at a local restaurant. It’s like no thought was put into any of this. A boat being the hardest place Tim lived? Yes Tim comes from an Uber wealthy family even before Bruce adopted him, but he once lived on his own in BLÜDHAVEN of all places, not to mention trotting around the globe dealing with the League of Assassins, and the time he had to leave Gotham behind to live in Keystone City during No Man’s Land while his friends and then pregnant girlfriend stayed behind. Tim is more than capable of handling a boat.

Now as for Batwoman’s entrance, why would you use a Superman reference for Batwoman? And it was so poorly executed. Like when Bernard & Darcy notice something in the sky, neither one of them are looking up in the sky. Bernard is the one to notice something instead of Tim, unintentionally making Tim look incompetent. Then Darcy pulls Bernard away by reminding him of a soufflé to make. I feel like a normal person would have called the paramedics. No wonder Bernard figured out Tim’s identity. He’s making zero effort to maintain it. Oh and having Robin & Sparrow in costume on the boat, with Kate in costume but no mask WHILE THE CURTAIN IS WIDE OPEN!!!!! PUT SOME GODDAMN EFFORT INTO KEEPING THEIR IDENTITIES A SECRET!!!! They all look like morons!

Then we establish the old cliche amnesia plotline, Kate saying how she doesn’t the pasts few months so Tim reveals all the things that happened. And those things that happened SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK!!! This was a problem back in Urban Legends, all the important character moments and moments to establish this setting all happen off-panel. Tim’s struggles with his sexuality, coming out to his family, moving to the marina. Those are NECESSARY steps to take, but instead this books skips past all of it. If that wasn’t bad enough. In one panel we show that Kate took Tim & Bernard out to celebrate his coming out along with Batgirl. It’s not established which one, but we see the Batgirl and it is either Barbara or Stephanie. If it is Barbara it is the fault of the art and coloring that makes it difficult to tell, if it’s Stephanie then it’s a huge writing problem. I am inclined to believe it is Stephanie, considering her portrayal in the Pride special, establishing how totally okay she is with being dumped and having her ex date a guy. It’s out of character and incredibly unrealistic. DC you are allowed to show Steph not being okay being dumped, if it’s better that you do!

Short personal anecdote, when I was going through my questioning phase I came across stories of guys coming out, one was of one guy coming out as bi to this girl he was getting serious. He felt that he was comfortable finally telling her, but not long after she called it off. She later revealed to him that the last guy she was with realized he was gay and dumped her. She still wasn’t over it and didn’t want to put herself through something similar again, despite the fact that the main was bi and not gay. By having Steph be okay with this, it’s sets unrealistic expectations to people going through this, and it also removes so many potential character drama that could be used for plotlines.As Sophia Petrillo once said: “You’re heart is in the right place, but I don’t know where the hell your brain is.”

Back to the issue at hand, I do think there may have been a communication error between Meghan & Nikola, because when we get to the Chaos Monster fight, the paneling feels off. Like I can’t tell which panel I’m supposed to read first at several instances. There is one moment where the team is rushing on their motorcycles, stop to get off to talk to Detective Williams, then the next panel they are on their bikes again. It felt very jarring. Just like when Darcy got stabbed. It just came out of nowhere and quite frankly I don’t really care about her. We never established how she knows Tim personally, she was retconned to be part of “We Are Robin” which Tim did not really interact with a lot. We don’t know why Darcy is allowed to know Tim’s identity, the comic constantly forgets she supposed to be deaf, and lastly she’s a cheap stand in for Stephanie Brown, blonde hair, purple hoodie and all. She’s completely pointless, why not just have it that Detective Williams gets shot instead? But to be fair I think it’s just a bait and switch and Darcy will be fine

*Sigh* There is improvement here, but it’s still not enough to save this whole set up, because there was no set up. I’m not angry with this book anymore, just profoundly disappointed that DC gave a book to someone who did not have the proper experience to handle this task, despite her best intentions.

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wakizashireviews - Apr 26, 2023

I enjoyed reading your review. I always appreciate reviewers who take the time to write a thoughtful review that points out what they like or dislike about a comic. Instead of just giving an issue a low (or high) score with no reasoning behind their rating.

SomeRandomSmartA55 - Apr 27, 2023 (edited)

Lord knows I’m guilty of that type of scoring too but I’m not angry anymore just profoundly disappointed

wakizashireviews - Apr 27, 2023

Me too. If I give a very high or very low score, I will point out why I think so, the same as you. A lot of "reviewers" on here just hand out 1s and 10s with zero explanation. I can't take those reviews seriously.

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So, yes, the art is better, and the plot proved a little more linear, with fewer distractions, but the writing still leaves a whole hell of a lot to be desired. Fitzmartin continues to struggle with understanding who Tim is, with showing genuine character interactions, and the continued failures here render me completely underwhelmed with this new arc. I still don't feel much for the characters, even with all the angst we got here and that cliffhanger we ended on. Honestly, it's a tired plot with the whole amnesiac "killer" sporting blood they can't explain on their body. The only remotely interesting thing about it was her falling from the sky (and somehow not breaking or fracturing a single thing or receiving a concussion or any other sort of bodily injury - how far did she fall from that only her shadow was noticed and nothing else?). I know this thing is limping toward its end, but honestly, DC should have called this at issue #6 and saved everyone the further damage and pain. more