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About This
Series:
Issues:
Before we get started, let me make something clear. There were
three limited series for Robin before he had a regular series.
The limited series' were called "Robin" (1991), "Robin II" (1991), and
"Robin III: Cry of the Huntress" (1992). After these proved to
sell well, a regular series, titled "Robin", was started in 1993.
This is actually the second series called "Robin", even though it's
fourth in a line of successive Robin titles.
Robin has always been a great character! In my opinion, Batman is NOTHING without Robin. Absolutely nothing! The fact that they keep trying to do Batman movies without Robin is stupid. A couple of those were still good, but still missing the attitude and energy that Robin could give them. Robin was a long time coming in his own comics.
This version of Robin is actually the third incarnation of the character. In DC Comics' continuity, the first Robin, Dick Grayson, grew up, became Nightwing, and is pretty much exclusive from Batman comics save for guest appearances and other tie-ins. The second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed in action by The Joker. Tim Drake became the third Robin.
What is interesting about the Tim Drake Robin is that this really reenergized Batman comics. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, was overdone and ran out of steam. To make his character more interesting, DC aged him up, changed him into the superhero Nightwing, and pretty much let him fly on his own. Batman was Robin-less for quite a while, and that just wasn't cool. Jason Todd debuted in "Detective Comics" #524 (1983), but didn't become Robin until #526 of that series (also 1983). Although initially popular, mainly because Batman fans wanted Robin back, he soon became very unpopular with many fans of the comics. Jason Todd's Robin was not a bad character...just a little dry. I don't think his character was very fresh, or realized. Instead of trying to write the character more interesting, DC held a telephone poll to determine whether Robin would die at the hands of The Joker in the 1988 storyline, "Batman: A Death in the Family". It was a narrow vote (5,343-5,271), but, sadly, a harsh public won out and Robin was killed. This may not have been wise, but it sure did generate publicity. A beloved superhero getting killed in comics was still novel back then (in later years, it became the standard)...especially one on the level of Robin's popularity.
DC rallied beautifully from this stunt...most of their gimmicks backfired...and ushered in a whole new era of the "dark" Batman. This Batman was wracked with guilt over not preventing Jason Todd's death. And it had audiences wondering if Robin would EVER return. Well, people with brains finally won out, and Robin was brought back...this time in the form of Tim Drake. He first appeared, as Tim Drake, in "Batman" #463 in 1989. He became Robin for the first time in "Batman" #442, also in 1989. The rest, as they say, is history.
This particular series of "Robin" lasted a respectable 185 issues, from 1993-2009. This is actually numbered #1-183, with a #0 published (as part of the "Zero Hour" crossover gimmick), and an issue #1,000,000 (during the "One Million" gimmick).
Tim Drake/Robin made Batman comics a bit lighter, but still helped retain the seriousness of Batman's character. But when Batman comics started to dip too heavy into the "dark" end again, Robin was pretty much spun off into his own, easier-to-digest stories. He was still Batman's partner, but he had his own adventures. For all intents and purposes, this was still a Batman comic, but Robin was the highlighted character.
Robin has always been a great character! In my opinion, Batman is NOTHING without Robin. Absolutely nothing! The fact that they keep trying to do Batman movies without Robin is stupid. A couple of those were still good, but still missing the attitude and energy that Robin could give them. Robin was a long time coming in his own comics.
This version of Robin is actually the third incarnation of the character. In DC Comics' continuity, the first Robin, Dick Grayson, grew up, became Nightwing, and is pretty much exclusive from Batman comics save for guest appearances and other tie-ins. The second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed in action by The Joker. Tim Drake became the third Robin.
What is interesting about the Tim Drake Robin is that this really reenergized Batman comics. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, was overdone and ran out of steam. To make his character more interesting, DC aged him up, changed him into the superhero Nightwing, and pretty much let him fly on his own. Batman was Robin-less for quite a while, and that just wasn't cool. Jason Todd debuted in "Detective Comics" #524 (1983), but didn't become Robin until #526 of that series (also 1983). Although initially popular, mainly because Batman fans wanted Robin back, he soon became very unpopular with many fans of the comics. Jason Todd's Robin was not a bad character...just a little dry. I don't think his character was very fresh, or realized. Instead of trying to write the character more interesting, DC held a telephone poll to determine whether Robin would die at the hands of The Joker in the 1988 storyline, "Batman: A Death in the Family". It was a narrow vote (5,343-5,271), but, sadly, a harsh public won out and Robin was killed. This may not have been wise, but it sure did generate publicity. A beloved superhero getting killed in comics was still novel back then (in later years, it became the standard)...especially one on the level of Robin's popularity.
DC rallied beautifully from this stunt...most of their gimmicks backfired...and ushered in a whole new era of the "dark" Batman. This Batman was wracked with guilt over not preventing Jason Todd's death. And it had audiences wondering if Robin would EVER return. Well, people with brains finally won out, and Robin was brought back...this time in the form of Tim Drake. He first appeared, as Tim Drake, in "Batman" #463 in 1989. He became Robin for the first time in "Batman" #442, also in 1989. The rest, as they say, is history.
This particular series of "Robin" lasted a respectable 185 issues, from 1993-2009. This is actually numbered #1-183, with a #0 published (as part of the "Zero Hour" crossover gimmick), and an issue #1,000,000 (during the "One Million" gimmick).
Tim Drake/Robin made Batman comics a bit lighter, but still helped retain the seriousness of Batman's character. But when Batman comics started to dip too heavy into the "dark" end again, Robin was pretty much spun off into his own, easier-to-digest stories. He was still Batman's partner, but he had his own adventures. For all intents and purposes, this was still a Batman comic, but Robin was the highlighted character.
Issues:
#1: November,
1993. As far as timing goes, this was a perfect time for DC to
give Robin his own series. In Batman comics of the time, Bruce
Wayne was out as Batman, Jean-Paul Valley was his successor. The
new Batman was psychotic, mentally deranged, and an unrelenting
killer. He didn't want Robin for a partner so they parted
ways. Robin had a chance to prove himself to readers as a solo
character. Later in Batman comics, Bruce Wayne reclaimed his
Batman identity, and Robin teamed with him, again.
#2: December, 1993. This is the beginning of a storyline that continues through issue #5. It involves a criminal trio composed of leader Cluesmaster, second-in-command Electrocutioner, and muscle-bound idiot Czonk, who later names himself to Headbanger. Entering the fray as a new crimefighter is beautiful teenage girl The Spoiler, who happens to be the daughter of Cluesmaster. She gets a crush on Robin, who already has a girlfriend. Spoiler does not come into the story until issue #3.
#3: February, 1994.
#4: March, 1994.
#5: April, 1994.
#6: May, 1994. Great story, but I wish it didn't conclude in "Showcase '94" #6. I never did approve of the jumping around DC did with their comic stories, starting a story in one title and continuing it into another. Robin teams up with sexy heroine The Huntress to stop a deranged gunman called Deathangel who kills "for God".
#7: June, 1994. "Knightquest: The Conclusion". Another crossover issue of the initially cool, but ultimately overdone fall of Batman/return of Batman storyline.
#8: July, 1994. "Knightsend" Part 5. Like I've said, it's hard to follow a series issue by issue when the story jumps around through different titles. Bruce Wayne puts on his Batman costume again for the first time in a long time. Happens at the end of this issue. Also featuring superhero Nightwing.
#9: August, 1994. "Knightsend: Aftermath".
#10: September, 1994. A "Zero Hour" crossover. I normally despise the whole "Zero Hour" crossover story-arc in DC Comics, but it did produce a few good stories here and there. This is one of them. Due to time being warped, or whatever, the first Robin (Dick Grayson) teams up with the third and current Robin (Tim Drake) to catch a crook. This is a neat, stand-alone story.
#2: December, 1993. This is the beginning of a storyline that continues through issue #5. It involves a criminal trio composed of leader Cluesmaster, second-in-command Electrocutioner, and muscle-bound idiot Czonk, who later names himself to Headbanger. Entering the fray as a new crimefighter is beautiful teenage girl The Spoiler, who happens to be the daughter of Cluesmaster. She gets a crush on Robin, who already has a girlfriend. Spoiler does not come into the story until issue #3.
#3: February, 1994.
#4: March, 1994.
#5: April, 1994.
#6: May, 1994. Great story, but I wish it didn't conclude in "Showcase '94" #6. I never did approve of the jumping around DC did with their comic stories, starting a story in one title and continuing it into another. Robin teams up with sexy heroine The Huntress to stop a deranged gunman called Deathangel who kills "for God".
#7: June, 1994. "Knightquest: The Conclusion". Another crossover issue of the initially cool, but ultimately overdone fall of Batman/return of Batman storyline.
#8: July, 1994. "Knightsend" Part 5. Like I've said, it's hard to follow a series issue by issue when the story jumps around through different titles. Bruce Wayne puts on his Batman costume again for the first time in a long time. Happens at the end of this issue. Also featuring superhero Nightwing.
#9: August, 1994. "Knightsend: Aftermath".
#10: September, 1994. A "Zero Hour" crossover. I normally despise the whole "Zero Hour" crossover story-arc in DC Comics, but it did produce a few good stories here and there. This is one of them. Due to time being warped, or whatever, the first Robin (Dick Grayson) teams up with the third and current Robin (Tim Drake) to catch a crook. This is a neat, stand-alone story.