Review: Tim Drake: Robin #6

Overview: In Tim Drake: Robin #6, Robin faces his final fight, while Bernard’s life and the marina hang in the balance.

Synopsis (spoilers ahead): As Tim Drake: Robin #6 begins, Moriarty continues to goad Robin trying to make him his nemesis.  Robin quickly relives his life from when he first hit the scene, saying that Batman needs a Robin, to his own donning of the mantle of Robin.  His initial desire to become Batman to his understanding of who he is.  He is not afraid of Moriarty.  He demands the villain tell him where Bernard is, and Moriarty changes into Batman.

The fight between the two begins, and Robin notices that Sparrow and another woman are being held hostage nearby.  He can free them before the Bat-Moriarty makes his next attack.  Robin sustains a chest injury, but that does not stop him.  He wraps his adversary in ropes and rips off his “mask.”  Williams, who is nearby, joins the others.  Sparrow notices Robin’s injury but Robin says that there is a bomb on one of the boats.  He, unfortunately, does not know which one.  He is interrupted as Moriarty makes another attack.  Robin still has to contend with this threat while the others search for the bomb.

The thing becomes more grotesque as the battle continues, but Robin is able to force him off the pier into the harbor.  Robin leaves the others to deal with the police and search for Moriarty.  He has an idea of where the bomb and Bernard are. Sparrow and Robin find Bernard, and Robin defuses the bomb with a second to spare.

Later the characters debrief.  They could not find Moriarty, but Robin explained to everyone what was happening with the discs.  While this conversation is happening, we find that someone has found Moriarty and got him out of the area.

A week later, Tim and Bernard are chatting.  The marina has returned to normal, or as normal as the marina can get.  Tim asks Bernard if they are boyfriends.  Bernard tells him that that is what he is calling Tim, and the two kiss.

Analysis: There is no change to the art in Tim Drake: Robin #6.  My issues continue to persist.  I do not like the design of Bernard.  He continues to look like a female and not a male.  I do not like the design of Robin in this either.  He is shown very cartoony, this time with a very small nose.  The type of style that does not suit this genre.  I did find the drawing of the creatures interesting, but they are supposed to be monstrous and out of this world.  For them, this style suits their depiction.  Overall this art does not speak to me and takes me out of the story.

The art does, however, detail the horror elements of Moriarty and his ability to change form.  It looks like his entire look, including any “clothing” he wears, is organic in nature.  This is shown well in the drawing, it looks like Robin ripped off parts of Moriarty’s face when he removed his “mask.”  This is not my art style, but it does portray this type of action very well.

The main emphasis of this story is the final fight with Moriarty.  Again things happened off-panel.  For example, the capture of Sparrow and the other character was not shown in the previous issue, but here they are tied up on the dock.  Nightwing, who was present in the previous issue, is nowhere to be seen here.  What happened to him?  Did he get bored and go home?  Batwoman’s absence can be explained in that she was checking on Clayface and making sure he was not involved in any way.

I did find it appropriate and poetic that Moriarty would take the form of Batman in this fight.  It visually illustrates the internal struggle of Tim.  He is trying to forge his own way and legacy, and in a sense, it can be seen that Batman is holding him back and preventing him from moving forward.  In his internal monologue throughout the fight, Tim tells the reader that, at one point, he saw himself becoming Batman.  Now, however, he wants to be his own person.

It can be inferred that Batman is the symbol of maturity, and it is assumed that all characters want to become Batman.  This theme has been explored in other stories, but this story, however, is Tim’s story.  Tim admits that he does not know the plot, but the elements are there.  Seeing Tim and Bernard kiss on the dock is a great ending to this story.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Comixology through Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.