Tim Drake

The third Robin who proved that 'Batman needs a Robin'.

Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in Batman #436 (August 1989) as the third character to assume the role of Robin. As a young boy, Tim witnessed Dick Grayson's parents' murder and later deduced the identities of Batman and the original Robin. After Jason Todd's death left Batman spiraling into darkness, Tim convinced Dick Grayson to return as Robin; when Dick refused, Tim was appointed the third Robin. Following events in Batman: Battle for the Cowl (2009), he adopted the identity of Red Robin. In 2019, he returned to his original Robin persona and briefly used the mononym "Drake".

Quick Facts

Publisher

DC Comics

Creators

Marv Wolfman (writer); Pat Broderick (artist)

Full name

Timothy Jackson Drake

Species

Human

Alliances

Batman family
Teen Titans
Young Justice
Batman Incorporated
Justice League

Partners

Batman
Spoiler/Batgirl
Superboy (Conner Kent)
Wonder Girl
Kid Flash
Static
Batgirl/Black Bat
Sparrow
Blue Beetle

Also known as

Robin
Red Robin
Batman
Drake

Lore & Background

Tim Drake was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick to succeed Jason Todd as Robin after DC killed off Todd in their story A Death in the Family. Named after director Tim Burton, he first appeared in Batman: Year Three before his origin was detailed in Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying. In this crossover between Batman and New Titans, written by Wolfman with art by George Pérez and Jim Aparo (inks by Mike DeCarlo), Tim introduced himself to Dick Grayson and impressed him with his skills. Bruce Wayne, unwilling to repeat the mistake made with Jason Todd, subjected Tim to an intensive training period never given to predecessors. For his first year of regular appearances in Batman titles, Tim operated mainly as a non-superhero supporting character from the Batcave. Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle later authored storylines that emphasized his high intellect and strong sense of justice. The "Rite of Passage" storyline saw him transition from preadolescence to adolescence while matching wits with Anarky, dealing with his mother's murder by vilified cult leaders, and overcoming recurrent nightmares about a ghoulish Batman.

Reader's Guide

Tim Drake distinguishes himself through superior detective skills compared to previous Robins, making him more similar to Batman. Created with high intellect, a strong sense of justice, and family outside Batman's circle, he deduced the identities of Batman and Robin on his own. He was appointed third Robin after convincing Dick Grayson that "Batman needs a Robin". Neal Adams redesigned the entire Robin costume for Tim, except for the "R" logo by Norm Breyfogle. In 2011, IGN ranked him 32nd in their Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. His adaptations include television series set in the DCAU, Young Justice (2010–2022), and Titans (2018–2023), as well as appearances in the Batman: Arkham video game series. Tim has been shown to have a close friendship with Superboy and his most high-profile romantic pairing is with Stephanie Brown.

Did You Know?

Tim Drake was named after Tim Burton, director of the then-upcoming 1989 film Batman.
The only exception to Neal Adams' redesign of Tim's costume was the "R" logo and staff designed by Norm Breyfogle.
Alan Grant noted in 2007 that after the 1989 Batman movie, sales for Detective Comics jumped from around 75,000 to about 675,000.