DC Just Proved Which Robin Is the Bat Family’s Real Heartthrob

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A surprising member of the Batman Family might just be Gotham City’s secret heartthrob.

“To Live and Date in Gotham” by Brendan Hay, Stephen Byrne, and Carlos M. Mangual opens to find Tim Drake and his boyfriend Bernard enjoying a quiet evening at their houseboat just off the shores of Gotham City. Though things seem tranquil, Tim quickly picks up on the presence of some unseen intruder, one who just so happens to be Damien Wayne. Fortunately, Damien hasn’t come looking to start a Robin-on-Robin brawl, but rather in search of some much needed dating advice. And, while Tim might not seem like the first person Damien would go to, his track record with relationships is far better than that of any other member of the Batman Family when stacked up against each other.

Written by SINA GRACE, MAGGIE TOKUDA-HALL, JONATHA RIVERA, CHARLS SKAGGS, BRENDAN HAY, SABRINA FUTCH, CALLIE C. MILLER, and DAVE WIELGOSZ

Art by SINA GRACE, LESLIE HUNG, MICHAEL AVON OEMING, SERG ACUÑA, STEPHEN BYRNE, M.L. SANAPO, LISA STERLE, and HOWARD PORTER

Colors by NICK FILARDI, RACHAEL COHEN, ALEX GUIMARÃES, STEPHEN BYRNE, ARIF PRIANTO, MARISSA LOUISE, and HI-FI

Letters by PAT BROSSEAU, TAYLOR ESPOSITO, ARIANA MAHER, JOSH REED, CARLOS M. MANGUAL, TROY PETERI, JAIME MARTÍNEZ, and DAVE SHARPE

Main cover art by AMANDA CONNER & SABINE RICH

Variant covers by SAOWEE and SOZOMAIKA

Introduced in the pages of 1989’s Batman #436 by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, Tim Drake is the third young hero to take up the mantle of Robin. Born to the wealthy Jack and Janet Drake, Tim grew up in a relatively affluent household in which he had plenty of time to hone his innate detective skills. At the age of only thirteen, Tim picked up on the shift in Batman’s tactics and demeanor from rote observation, ultimately deducing that Bruce Wayne was behind the cape and cowl and that Robin was no more. After effectively forcing his way into Batman’s life, Tim was begrudgingly bequeathed the mantle of Robin, which he more than proved himself worthy of almost immediately.

Tim’s current romantic interest, Bernard Dowd, made his DC Comics debut in the pages of 2021’s Batman: Urban Legends #4 in Meghan Fitzmartin and Belén Ortega’s story, “Tim Drake: Sum of Our Parts, Chapter 1.” In his childhood, Bernard was a close friend of Tim Drake, though the two grew apart when the latter was adopted by Bruce Wayne. In the years that followed, Bernard became fascinated with the then latest Robin, who he tried to model himself after as closely as possible. All the while, Bernard had no clue that the Boy Wonder he looked up to was the same kid he had grown up alongside, at least not until the two reconnected later on in life.

While Tim Drake is showing Damien Wayne the ropes of romantic relationships in DC’s Lex and the City #1, a whole host of other iconic characters have been given the chance to step into the spotlight for themselves throughout the anthology. Among these are Tim’s fellow Teen Titans, Gotham City mainstays such as the Riddler, Mister Freeze, and Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, as well as classic Justice League heroes like the high-flying Hawkman. Lex Luthor himself even gets a shot at a whole new kind of romance in the title’s opening story, even if it is a far different Lex Luthor than the one currently courting Mercy Graves in the pages of Superman.

DC’s Lex and the City #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics

“}]] One Robin in particular has a better track record with relationships than any other member of the Batman Family, and it isn’t who you think.  Read More