Dr. K's Waiting Room

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In April 1940, about a year after the debut of Bruce Wayne/Batman, DC Comics introduced “the sensational find of [that year]”, Richard “Dick” Grayson/Robin. Since then, many have assumed the mantle and the Dynamic Duo have become an iconic staple of DC Comics.

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Quick Facts:
Initially created to literally replace Dick Grayson as Robin, readers came to dislike Jason Todd when he was reimagined as a bratty street kid, leading Jim Starlin and Dennis O’Neil to dramatically kill the new Robin off in the iconic “A Death in the Family” (1988). While Jason’s death haunted Batman for years, a new Robin debuted almost exactly one year later in this five-issue crossover story. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick as the opposite of Jason and possessing keen deductive skills to rival Batman, Timothy “Tim” Drake saw a dramatic redesign for the character and was popular enough to not only get his own solo book, but also be widely considered the best incarnation of Robin.

The Review:
Our story opens with the Batman in bad shape and tussling with the Ravager, a sadistic masked psychopath who’s been on a killing spree. Although the Batman’s cut and bruised from the Ravager’s attacks and knives, he turns the killer’s golden chain against him and sends him plummeting off dam. Limping to the Batmobile. Batman stumbles back to Wayne Manor, where his faithful butler and father figure, Alfred Pennyworth, cares for him as he struggles against a fever, exhaustion, and his wounds. In his frazzled state, Batman completely missed that a mysterious individual photographed his fight and has been following his career for some time. An avid fan of Batman and the Dynamic Duo, this individual notes that Batman’s been getting more reckless and violent since Jason’s death and longs for the confident, compassionate Batman of old. These concerns are echoed by Alfred, who candidly expresses worries for Bruce’s mental health, which has severely impeded his judgement and impacted his physical health, though Bruce ignores these concerns and suits up for another night’s patrol. Following the Ravager’s failure, his shadowy employer, baited by a voice from a radio that’s actually his own delusions, arranges a trap for the Dark Knight by manipulating mob boss Gerry Syke. Naturally, the Batman shows up, triggering a firefight. While dispatching Sykes’ mooks, Alfred’s words rattle around Batman’s head (“think with our heads, not with our fists”) and he realises he’s been too distracted to see the obvious clues (everything related to the Ravager and the break-in points to the number two in some way) and that former district attorney turned scarred crime boss Harvey Dent/Two-Face is back in town! Meanwhile, Batman’s mysterious teenage stalker tries to contact Dick Grayson/Nightwing, learning from a concerned Princess Koriand’r/Starfire that Nightwing left the Teen Titans, leading him to discover that Dick returned to Haly Circus.

Dick is heartbroken to learn from Harrison “Harry” Haly that the circus has been struggling financially and suffered some bizarre accidents, though he jumps at the chance to be part of their swansong show. Although the teen briefly panics when hot-headed lion tamer Wilhelm is suddenly killed by a lion, he’s amazed when Dick swoops to ensnare the beast, though it’s the final straw for Haly. While pondering the strange “jinx” cursing the circus, Dick spots the teen as he’s chased by some of the staff and is amazed to learn the boy not only knows his true identity but also suspects drunkard Harry the Clown doped the lion. However, Dick masquerades as Harry and tricks little person Pedro and circus strongman Samson/Mister Muscles into revealing they were behind everything as part of a plot to buy the circus for peanuts. After helping Haly out by becoming a co-owner, Dick confronts the teen, who shows him pictures of Batman and begs him to return to his mentor’s side as Robin, concerned that Bruce is on a downward spiral without him. Back in Gotham City, Batman and Two-Face brood over how best to lure each other out, with Two-Face stressing over the best way to concoct a scheme related to the number two that will both kill his foe and net a profit, vetoing every suggestion with a flip of his coin. Simultaneously, Batman mulls over Two-Face’s possible targets, ruling out the obvious and trying to think of an enticing target for the villain. Ironically, Two-Face settles on kidnapped twin child actors Alan and Richard Wright and flips out when he learns that Club Gemini is holding a poker tournament with a $22 million grand prize. Thus, the two are compelled to abandon their plans to address the other situation, unable to deny their obsession towards justice and greed, respectively, resulting in the kids being saved and Two-Face missing out on the cash thanks to a coin toss.

Meanwhile, Dick brings the boy, Tim Drake, to Wayne Manor, where Alfred is as amazed by the boy’s knowledge as Tim is awestruck by the opulent abode. Encouraged by them, Tim reveals that he first met Dick on the day his parents were killed. Though traumatised by the murder, Tim was fascinated by the Batman, who comforted the grieving Dick, and had recurring nightmares of that night. Thus, when Tim saw Robin performing Dick’s patented quadruple somersault on television, he realised that Bruce and Dick were Batman and Robin and avidly followed their careers, inspired to hone his body and mind. Believing Batman and Robin need to live again, Tim begs Dick to reclaim his mantle but Grayson refuses, having established himself as Nightwing. Indeed, Nightwing is angered at the suggestion and races off to Batman’s aid, believing Robin should stay dead, much to Tim’s dismay. Although Alfred’s rattled by Tim’s probing questions, he can see how much Batman and Robin mean to the boy and shares some insight into Bruce and Dick’s tumultuous relationship, revealing the two are as stubborn as each other. This stubbornness is what drives Batman to lead Nightwing to him through surreptitious means rather than simply asking for help, though he orders Nightwing to hold back when he (as in Batman) scopes out Two-Face’s possible location. Inside, Batman’s disturbed to find the house literally turned upside down. Struggling to figure out what it means, and constantly snapping at Nightwing and almost calling him “Robin”, Batman refuses to rest until he figures out what’s going on, meaning they walk right into Two-Face’s trap and become so distracted by the mystery that they’re caught off-guard by the bombs Dent planted in the house, leaving them trapped beneath the rubble and Two-Face practically giddy with manic glee.

Although Alfred insists that they must stay in the Batcave and trust that the heroes will overcome the situation, Tim refuses and dons Dick’s old Robin costume, convincing the grieving manservant to help. After overcoming his self-deprecating madness, Two-Face exits the building and blows up another charge only to be attacked by the new Robin. Though amazed to see the Boy Wonder alive, Two-Face spitefully fights back with a brick and a piece of scrap metal, compelling Alfred to intervene. This allows Robin to send Two-Face slinking away with a punch and to shift the wreckage and free Batman and Nightwing, though Batman is unimpressed and chastises the boy. Once outside, however, Alfred and Nightwing praise Tim’s deductive instincts, bravery, and physical skill, though Batman refuses to endanger another youth. When Tim stresses the importance of Robin to keep Batman from being reckless and to send a message to the underworld that the Dynamic Duo are more than just flesh and blood since “Robin” is as much a symbol for justice as Batman or even regular police officers. Tim then further proves his worth by revealing he slipped a tracking device on Two-Face, allowing the three to confront Dent at a scrap yard, where Batman reveals he truly does care as he freaks out when it seems like Robin and Nightwing are killed and seemingly accepts Tim as part of the team after apprehending Two-Face. Back at Wayne Manor, the four discuss the situation further, with a reluctant Bruce begrudgingly admitting that Tim made some good points and agreeing to take it one day at a time since Tim still needs to earn their trust, despite all his enthusiasm. The story ends by revealing that the voices Two-Face was hearing were not only real, but belonged to a bed-bound Joker, who relishes the chance to kill Robin again…

Final Thoughts: 
I’m somewhat biased towards “A Lonely Place of Dying” as the fifth part was the first Batman comic book I ever owned outside of the annuals and collections I picked up here and there. Consequently, while I was aware of Dick’s tenure as Robin, I had little experience with Jason and this was my first, true Robin origin story, meaning Tim has a special place in my heart as perhaps the best to ever don the pixie boots. I was very invested in this era of Batman, meaning Jim Aparo is the artist I most associate with “classic” Batman adventures. While his art is as sublime as ever here, I am disappointed by how rigid everyone, especially Batman, appears at times. When the characters leap into the action, they pop off the panels but, when at rest or pondering Two-Face’s next hit or what’s to do about Tim, they often appear lifeless and stilted. I’m also a little confused about the age gap between Dick and Tim. Tim states he’s thirteen years old and that he met Dick when they were both kids. The art makes it seem like there’s only a couple of years between them in the flashback, yet Dick is a full-grown adult, and Tim is somehow a teenager. Still, “A Lonely Place of Dying” has some fascinating insight into the nature of Batman’s relationship with Robin, with it being explicitly stated that Batman has become more reckless and violent since Jason died and that he needs a partner to keep him from driving himself into an early grave. Batman’s reluctance to take another partner is understandable given what happened to Jason, but his pig-headedness is fuelled by this guilt, blinding him to how close he’s come to death in the time since Jason died and how the legend of the Batman has grown beyond his control to make Batman and Robin a necessity.

“A Lonely Place of Dying” is another great example of how Two-Face is often a litmus test for new Robins, being just dangerous enough to be a formidable threat but not as dangerous a challenge as, say, the Joker. I loved how obsessed Two-Face was by his compulsions, how he drove himself to madness figuring out the perfect bait for Batman and couldn’t fight the urge to flip his coin or chase a more enticing target. I liked that he was duped into thinking he’d gone mad and that his scarred side was talking to him and how close he came to ultimate victory thanks to how distracted Batman is by his grief and arguing with Nightwing. Naturally, this story is a showcase for newcomer Tim, who’s depicted as the polar opposite of Jason and even Dick, being a more cerebral and emotionally stable youngster thanks to being inspired by Batman and Robin and coming from a normal (if somewhat wealthy…and crucially alive) family. Tim may have fantasised about being Robin, but never dreamed it would be possible; his goal is simply to reunite Bruce and Dick. However, Tim doesn’t hesitate to take up the mantle when his idols are in danger and argues passionately for the role, easily winning over Alfred and Dick and, eventually, convincing Bruce, too. As much as I like Tim, though, he does come across as a bit too perfect here. It’s impressive that he deduces Batman and Robin’s identities, but he only does this because he has personal experience with both so that gave him an edge. Tim says that he’s kept up with his studies and worked out a bit, but Alfred compares him to Dick in his prime at one point, which seems a bit ridiculous as Tim’s no circus acrobat and only bests Two-Face by sheer luck and determination. Still, he’s shown to be likable, capable, and enthusiastic and greatly impresses Nightwing, making Tim a far better fit than the rebellious Jason. While Tim wouldn’t get his iconic custom costume until he passed Bruce’s trials, this was a great introduction to the new Robin and went a long way to establish Tim as one of the best to serve in the role.

My Rating:

Pretty Good

Did you enjoy “A Lonely Place of Dying”? Were you disappointed to see a new Robin debut just a year after Jason’s death? Did you like Tim at the time or did you think he was a little too perfect? Do you like seeing Two-Face used as a litmus test for Robins? What do you think of the idea that Batman needs Robin to keep him from going off the deep end? Which Robin is your favourite? Whatever your thoughts on “A Lonely Place of Dying”, and Tim Drake, leave a comment below and donate to my Ko-Fi to suggest other Robin stories for me to cover in the future.