Do you remember Tim Drake? It’s understandable if you don’t; sometimes it feels like neither do the people making comics. Believe it or not, he used to feature pretty heavily in a lot of Batman stories. That is, until around 2011 where he’s sort of been without a home for the most part. Different writers have tried different approaches, but nothing quite seems to stick. I even wrote a whole piece about it. Back in 2022 when Zdarsky launched his run on Batman, Tim was promised to play a major role in the run, though that eventually somewhat fell to the wayside. Well, they say second time’s the charm (right?) so Fraction’s giving it another go by giving us a story all about Tim.
Not only is this issue centered almost entirely around Tim, it also gives him plenty of opportunities to show off his quick thinking and fighting skills. If any fans feel that he hadn’t been given a fair shake in recent years, this I think is a clear step in the right direction. He’s more than able to handle his own, and when Batman does arrive they act as equal partners. I would maybe even go so far as to say that it maybe goes a bit far in dialing down Batman’s competency so that Tim can have his big moment, but it does a good job showing what Tim can do in a crisis. It reminds me in a lot of ways of Paul Dini’s excellent Detective Comics #826: “Slayride”, where Tim has to find a way to escape the Joker while tied up in his car.
This issue also highlights both Tim’s and Bruce’s lighter sides. We get and extensive flashback sequence to where Bruce is teaching Tim how to drive a stick shift before he can be allowed to drive the Batmobile, (or “Batmo” as Tim calls it) and it feels very “slice of life”. It serves a narrative purpose because Tim later needs to drive the Batmobile to save the day, but much of it is them having a good time and goofing around with Damian. In the present day, Tim makes quips while taking down the muggers, and even Batman cracks jokes during tense moments. It certainly feels closer to the all around lighter tone the series is going for than “I don’t think bad people can change” from the first issue.
The flip side to this is that Tim almost feels infantilized in some ways. The car scene is a good example. Tim has been driving since his early teens and even had his own version of the Batmobile called Redbird way back in 1993. It’s not clear how long ago the flashback is meant to be, but if Damian’s around then presumably Tim is at least in his late teens if not an adult. Then in the present day when Tim overcomes his fears and drives the Batmobile, it’s framed as this coming of age moment. The whole sequence is fun in isolation, but feels somewhat out of place for someone who is supposedly a very well established and proficient vigilante.
The “villains” of the issue reemphasize just how much of a problem the new GCPD will be under Commissioner Savage. From police brutality to shooting someone in the back to all but declaring war on Batman, there can be no doubt what the ongoing conflict will be in the foreseeable future. Tim might be directly fighting the criminals, but it’s the police who set him up to get hurt and resort to murder. It’s a set-up that is perhaps more familiar to stories set during Batman’s early days, but it makes sense that we’d go back to that with Gordon being replaced by Savage (a name you can trust).
Despite the relatively low-level threats that the police and street criminals pose, Jiménez’s art makes the action feel as tense and exciting as with most any supervillain. Tim’s fight inside the police van is especially tense, as the cramped space get exacerbated by the claustrophobic layouts. The use of bright neon colors also contrasts well with the nighttime backdrop so that everything pops. Sometimes the faces can feel a bit off, but when everyone’s masked up and fighting it looks great.
Recommended If
- You’re a fan of Tim Drake
- Small scale stories are a type of comic you enjoy
- You like your Batman and Robin on the more lighthearted side
Overall
Batman #2 is a treat for Tim Drake fans who have had scant reason to celebrate in recent years. The (former?) boy wonder takes the lead by confronting the villains and even rescuing Batman himself. The writing can at times make him come off as more inexperienced than one would expect from someone with his tenure, but the fast paced action really gives him a chance to shine.
Score: 8/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.
English (US) · 