Tim Drake fans are constantly arguing that it’s time for the most popular version of Robin to outgrow his sidekick identity and take on a new codename, and awesome art from Sebastián Píriz imagines exactly the evolution Tim needs to finally follow Dick Grayson and Jason Todd out of Batman’s shadow.
The refrain that Tim needs to move on from his time as Robin has been a constant among fans for years, and DC has made several attempts, rebranding Tim first as ‘Red Robin’ and later as ‘Drake.’ However, none of these concepts have been as iconic as Nightwing or Red Hood, and Tim keeps returning to the ‘Robin’ moniker, despite having more than earned his own identity as an impressive crime-fighter and one of the few detectives capable of out-thinking Batman. Encouraged by the debate around Tim’s codename, comic creator Sebastián Píriz (We Ride Titans and Exorcists Never Die) has redesigned the hero as ‘Black Bird.’
Tim Drake Gets Orange & Black Costume as ‘Black Bird’
Tim was the third of the five Robins, seeking out Batman after the Dark Knight grew increasingly cruel following the death of Jason Todd. Tim quickly became a beloved character, but the arrival of Bruce’s biological son Damian saw him ousted from his role. For several years, DC effectively shunned Tim, complete with an attempt to retcon it so he had never actually been Robin, but rather the hero ‘Red Robin.’ Tim’s time in the wilderness ended recently, with Drake’s Robin getting his own series, rejoining the Dark Knight in the pages of Batman, and coming out as bisexual thanks to a new relationship with Bernard Dowd. With Tim back at the forefront of DC comics but no apparent plans for Damian Wayne to abandon the Robin name, fans are once again calling for Tim – like the Robins before him – to graduate to a new solo identity.
Tim Drake Gets the New Look He Deserves
On March 23, Píriz shared a mock-up idea of Tim Drake in a black and orange ‘Black Bird’ costume, with plans to explore the idea more fully at a later date. Now, Píriz has shared this promised art, and it’s an amazing look for Tim Drake, drawing on the coloring of the red-winged blackbird. It’s an incredibly cool look and, crucially, gives Tim his own orange color which isn’t used by any other major member of the Bat-Family.
Tim Drake Has More Than Earned The Next Step
Tim Drake has never been the best fighter in the Bat-Family, but he may well be its greatest detective. He is the only person other than Batman to earn the ‘Detective’ nickname from Ra’s al Ghul, and the Dark Knight has branded him the most brilliant mind he’s ever trained. Indeed, even in the dark future where he becomes the killer hero Savior, Tim Drake is known for taking Batman’s preparation to the next level, carrying an arsenal of weapons which can take down both the Justice League and their deadliest foes.
Tim joined Batman to lift him up from despair, so the bright, sunny coloring of this orange costume is the perfect encapsulation of how Drake constantly makes all those around him better, but the black also complements his stealthy, investigative strengths. DC would be smart to snap up this new codename and costume for Tim Drake’s Robin, especially since the awesome design is likely to make fans even more eager to see him finally get his own lasting identity.
Source: Sebastián Píriz
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