Still not a Tim I recognize.
Standard Spoilers apply -- obvious speculation at the end.
I'm going with a 2.5 on this comic.
Because, really, is there a more mismanaged character then Tim Drake, right now?
One of the things I appreciate about the Joker is that he's insane and violent, but oddly poignant in his deductions. He's no slouch in the intelligence department. So, am I supposed to think that Tim is that narcissistic? That he really feels like he's better then everyone else?
Because that is not the Tim I know. Tim who idolized Bruce and Dick and Jason. Who gave Damian credit for his skill. And supporting Steph during her tenure of Robin.
Tim definitely is a confident guy in his skill set, but he's far from egotistical, which is what Joker was alluding too (ie - stating it out right).
And one other thing that bothered me was the use of 'prodigal son' to describe Tim. First off, Tim is not really Bruce's son. Tim's tie to the Batfamily is tenuous at best and non-existent at worst. For some reason, Tim was benched/self-benched at the beginning of Teen Titans, working on just computer/Oracle type tasks. This hasn't been addressed again. Basically, this is reading as an employee/employer relationship and there is nothing familial about it.
Why would Tim feel like he should have to return to Bruce? Tim doesn't even where the bat-symbol.
And also, in a biblical sense, and the origin of the freaking term, means a son that leaves the home, loses his inheritance, and then comes back with shame to a family that takes him back in.
I fail to see how this applies to Tim in a way that isn't deeply insulting to both Bruce and Tim in question.
If you don't understand a term, do some research on the etymology before you use it.
I'm sick of being treated like a dumb reader by Mr. Lobdell and Mr. Nicieza, like I don't know literary references and thematic motifs.
Remember that Dini solo issue with Tim and the Joker? Remember how intelligent it was? And how it ended with a Marx Brother's joke? I miss *that* Tim.
I feel like the heart of who Tim is/was is missing. I miss his dorkery/nerdery. His kind heart and fifteen second hissy fits that he had and then let go of because... Tim always needed to freak out for, like a second, before he got down to business.
But mostly? I'm sick of just being in the dark about Tim Drake in general. It really hurts, as someone who has been reading Tim Drake for 10+ years, to see every other former Robin get all of this great character development in 16 issues, and we still know next to jack about Tim.
I'm just so frustrated. And I'm sad that people who are new to comics get this shell of a character and don't get to read about the Tim that grew up with me.
My inference and deductive reasoning tells me that Jason and Tim are going to wind up half-brothers. But, while I'd be interested in reading about a Tim and Jason who are familial with one another, I'm more interested in why Tim was benched at the beginning of Teen Titans. I'm more interested in why he doesn't seem close to Bruce or Dick and why *Babs* was the one (that Tim states in this issue) would be the only one okay with helping him. I want to know why Tim is so far removed from the rest of the family that it feels like he shouldn't be there at all.
Am I the only one who want Chris Yost for Tim Drake back? I'm just tired of this over-pompous character we've been reading who has next to know emotion. I'm ready for some real character development.
The only thing making me care about Tim at all is the fact I read him for so long. This new Tim is just kind of a jerk for the sake of being a jerk. Which is *fine*, but you have to give me a reason for why he's like that!
The rest of the comic:
The art is consistent - not really my style, but it works well for an action book like Teen Titans.
The other characters are way more enjoyable then Tim, Cassie or Superboy (who wasn't in the issue). IE, Bunker, Solstice, and Bart were perfectly charming.
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