Tim Drake

Tim Drake
Tim Drake on the cover of Robin #0 (September 1994).
Art by Tom Grummett and Ray Kryssing.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceAs Tim Drake:
Batman #436 (August 1989)[1]
As Robin:
Batman #442
(December 1989)[2]
As Red Robin:
(cameo appearance)
Robin (vol. 2) #181 (February 2009)
(full appearance)
Red Robin #1 (August 2009)
Created byMarv Wolfman (writer)
Pat Broderick (artist)
In-story information
Full nameTimothy Jackson Drake[3][4][5]
SpeciesHuman
Team affiliationsBatman family
Teen Titans
Young Justice
Wayne Enterprises
Batman Inc.
Outsiders
Justice League
PartnershipsBatman
Nightwing
Spoiler/Batgirl
Superboy
Impulse/Kid Flash
Sparrow
Wonder Girl
Notable aliasesRobin
Red Robin
Batman
Drake
Abilities
  • Genius-level intellect
  • Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
  • Highly skilled acrobat and gymnast
  • Master detective
  • Master strategist, tactician, and field commander
  • Utilizing high-tech equipment and weapons

Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero 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 Batman's crime-fighting partner and sidekick Robin. Following the events of Batman: Battle for the Cowl in 2009, Drake adopted the identity of Red Robin. In 2019, Tim returned to his original Robin persona and briefly used the mononym "Drake".

As a young boy, Tim was in the audience the night Dick Grayson's parents were murdered and later managed to discover the identities of Batman and the original Robin through their exploits. After the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, and witnessing Batman spiral into darkness, Tim attempted to convince Dick to resume the role of Robin, stating that "Batman needs a Robin". However, Dick refused to return to being Batman's sidekick, and instead, Tim was appointed as the third Robin. Neal Adams redesigned the entire Robin costume specifically for Tim Drake's character, with the sole exception of the redesigned "R" logo by the Norm Breyfogle.

Subsequent stories emphasize Tim's superior detective skills compared to the previous two Robins, which make him more similar to Batman. He succeeded Dick as the leader of the Teen Titans, and later led his superhero team, Young Justice. He was briefly followed in the role of Robin by Stephanie Brown, and later for a longer period by Batman's biological son, Damian Wayne, during the time Tim operated as Red Robin. Tim has been shown to have a close friendship with Superboy. He has had romantic relationships with superheroes Stephanie Brown and Cassie Sandsmark, and more recently his former schoolfriend Bernard Dowd.

In 2011, Tim Drake was ranked 32nd in IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes. He has also been featured in various adaptations, including several television series, such as those set in the DCAU, Young Justice (2010–2022), and Titans (2018-2023) as well as the Batman: Arkham video game series.

  1. ^ Wolfman, Marv (w), Broderick, Pat (p), Beatty, John (i). Batman, no. 436 (August 1989). DC Comics.
  2. ^ Wolfman, Marv (w), Aparo, Jim (p), DeCarlo, Mike (i). Batman, no. 442 (December 1989). DC Comics.
  3. ^ Thomas, Brandon (w), Williams II, Freddie E. (a). Robin, vol. 4, no. 167 (December 2007). DC Comics.
  4. ^ Yost, Christopher (w), Bachs, Ramon (a). Red Robin, no. 1 (August 2009). DC Comics.
  5. ^ Nicieza, Fabian (w), To, Marcus (p), McCarthy, Ray (i). Red Robin, vol. 1, no. 15 (October 2010). DC Comics.