In spite of not having Dick Grayson’s charisma or Damian Wayne’s fighting ability, Tim Drake could arguably be considered the best Robin. The consummate student, his multi-faceted approach to crime-fighting makes him a perfect sidekick to Batman.
However, as time rolls on and Bruce Wayne finds out he has a son, one who is content to take over the Robin-persona, Tim is pushed out of the crime-fighting family and forced to create a whole new alter ego to fight baddies.
Enter Red Robin.
“Red Robin:Collision,†written by Chris Yost and illustrated by Marcus To and Ray McCarthy, takes us on Drake’s initial journey to get comfortable in his new costume. Working alongside Ra’s Al Ghul, Drake is the only person who believes Bruce Wayne is still alive and is using any resources he can to get his adopted father and former crime-fighting companion back home.
Filled with small moments of wit, cunning and intrigue, Drake, thanks to the writing of Yost, comes into his own quite quickly. And why wouldn’t he? Unlike Grayson, Todd and Wayne, Drake actually listened to his teacher. As a result, you have a trade that feels a lot like a Batman story, but is unmistakably Drake. Anyone who thinks this trade was going to be a quick cash-in on a new character will be won over after the first few chapters, where Drake shows amazing detective skills and a fighting style that Batman himself would be proud of. Add in a nice little love story, or two and there’s plenty of drama here to keep you reading.
Rich fighting scenes by To and McCarthy bring the writing alive and showcase this young hero that needs to make every moment count. Smaller and younger than all of his enemies, Drake constantly has the odds stacked against him. However, thanks to his training, he usually comes out on top. The ways he does though never get old, thanks to Yost and the art team, who could have made fight after fight repetitive and bland.
Instead, you have a trade that never lets up and ends up making the crime-fighting family of the caped crusader a little bigger, but in the process stronger than ever.
Red Robin has arrived.
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