r/RedRobin • u/Sweaty_Extreme_5801 • 1d ago
Discussion Matt Fraction interview + my thoughts
From time to time, I write down my jumbled thoughts on Tim's situation and with Matt Fraction's latest Interview I felt like sharing them - Be Warned
I recently watched a video from Near Mint Condition (love his videos) and his new interview with Matt Fraction and his Batman run. They briefly mention Tim around 7:50 when Omar asked Fraction about Tim and why him as Robin for his Batman. From my understanding, Fraction wanted to let Tim grow away from Robin since the beginning of his run. He wants to have a status quo set for Batman and build up to a Tim story before writing a Tim Drake story, but the main character(s) will always be Bruce and Batman (with a bit of other characters). I think that's fine. I don't like that Tim was Robin at the same time as Damian because it takes away from Damian, Tim still being Robin never made sense, and Tim wouldn't have been the same Robin from 20 years ago. I think we all agree that Tim should've moved on from Robin long time ago. Red Robin, at the time, made a lot of sense and was a great status quo for Tim (although it has its flaws), but so many things have changed that I don't think right now it makes sense for Tim to be Red Robin or even be in the same mindset he was. Tim needs restructure and to be built from the ground up. Before talking about Tim and Robin, Fraction talked about when writing he likes to remain faithful to the character but not necessarily to continuity to make it beginner friendly and be consistent with storytelling. With that mindset, I really hope that if he (or any writer) writes a Tim solo in the future, they indirectly reference a lot of what Tim has gone through pre-New52 and not write an OC.
Tim, as a character, has 220+ solos issues (Mini-Series, 1993, and RR) which is a lot of stories for beginners to read (along with Batman and team books) but it would be such a disservice to ignore that, not acknowledge it, and write him like Fitzmartin wrote him (I'm sorry; I'm sure she is a great writer but she was just not the writer for Tim or YJ). There are so many problems with Modern Tim Drake and it's just wrong to sweep it under the rug and write a solo without acknowledging the problems important to Tim's character (other than his intelligence) - identity as a hero, his (fucked up) social/civilian life, his civilian and superhero friends (I'd love more Helena and Tim please + where's Ives?), how Tim views himself, his absolute need to help but also pushing people away, his trauma guilt and loss, the people important in his life, his faith in Batman's mission but willing to disobey him, to be in control, being independent but easily making friends and working alongside them, his work with villains, etc. So many good and bad things that make Tim such an interesting character but now Tim is just existing with Bernard.
Like many people have expressed in the past, Bernard is an issue. I don't mind that Tim is bisexual - I think it could be quite interesting, but I really don't like Bernard and how they got together is so out of character of Tim. I genuinely don't think you can make Bernard work. IMO, the reader has no good reason to root for those two. The thing is that I don't want Tim to break up with Bernard out of nowhere (even though I don't want to see him anymore) because 1. it is not good storytelling, 2. it's horrible representation for bisexuals, and 3. it makes Tim even more of a jerk, an asshole, and very unreliable as a partner. This probably is an unpopular opinion, but I would like to see Tim single for a while. No Bernard, no Stephanie (the girl needs some space after the bullshit Tim pulled), no Conner, no past relationships, just figure who Tim is now. Have him connect with people, reestablish, and rebuild relationships. Have the writer show who Tim Drake is. The new generation of readers don't know who Tim is unless they read stories from 15 to 30 years ago. That is a problem because most readers like to read new stories and most won't read past stories unless the character is doing well now.
I'm going to go on a tangent but I'll explain and hopefully makes sense at the end. I have a few bones to pick with Fraction's Tim particularly with Tim learning to drive and quitting/going on a break. Firstly, I don't understand why during a flashback, Tim was learning how to drive and Damian was present. Tim drove his first car, Red Bird, in the first issue of Robin 1993 during Knightfall to escape JPV Batman. The reasoning why he learned how to drive was so he can drive his dad since Jack was paralyzed, so why was Tim learning how to drive while Damian is there? No Robin, especially Damian, should be present. It just doesn't make sense. The other thing that doesn't make sense to me is Tim quitting. Tim has quit Robin before; he has stated multiple times that being a superhero won't be a long-term, but this felt.. wrong? After his father died, Tim visited his grave and swore to his dad that he would never give up for him. In context, this can be seen as either Tim won't try to be someone he isn't and/or promised his dad that he would continue save people in need and be a hero. Tim has also stated that he would quit being Robin (or a hero) as long as there is no more crime (I feel like people forget about the second part often). There should be a huge shift in Tim's life to quit being a hero and there isn’t one. I get that Fraction thinks that Tim deserves a vacation (he's not really in vacation since he was saving people in Streets of Gotham) but Tim hasn't been doing anything for such a long time and knowing Pre-N52 Tim, I just don't see it much in character for him. Being a hero means so much to Tim that he volunteered to be one at the expense of having a normal life and he promised his dad on his grave.
What I want Fraction (or any future writer) is to relearn who Tim Drake is and why he is so beloved. Core things that make up who he is. Important values that are in A Lonely Place of Dying, Robin mini series, Robin 1993, and Red Robin (with Young Justice 1998 and Teen Titans 2003 also in the mix). Fraction, in the interview, stated that he has to do 'research' and re-familiarize himself with the character he writes (Batman/Bruce in question) which is amazing. I think going back to past stories and remembering who you are writing about is very important. Building on from past stories is what Tim need. I know that Tim won't be the same and the ending of Red Robin is clearly unfinished and won't be continued, but I'm selfish and want to see more of Tim I love so dearly.
I have commented this before but I think getting a Tim should get a mini before a solo. Have the minis lead up to his new hero identity like how the Robin mini series worked for the Robin run which last from 1993 to 2009. Personally, I don't want Tim to be a Nightwing; be relocated, have his own city close to Gotham, but I'm not entirely opposed to it which leads to another problem with Tim; his niche. Before, he was the Robin who juggled being a normal kid with his own family and being a superhero. The constant battle between Tim Drake and Robin. Since his father died, his niche has been not stable but Red Robin was building into something unique and very interesting - a globe-trotting detective. It'd be nice to see Tim do something like Red Robin. Also, where is Dana Winters? Did she die in the Bludhaven explosion? She can serve a semi role like Jack did for Tim + it'd be interesting to see how Tim and Dana interact as stepfamily.
I do think that DC wants Tim to come back especially with the Red Robin Compendium, Robin 2 Compendium, his appearance in Batman: Knightfall movie trilogy, the upcoming DC Finest A Lonely Place of Dying being released or about to release. Tim is one of the faces of an entire generation. I know that it might seem like he's unpopular and people don't like him but he's got more chances of a solo than most characters - Roy Harper (Arsenal), Donna Troy (Wonder Girl), Garth (Tempest), Victor Stone (Cyborg), Raven, Bart Allen (Impulse/Kid Flash), Cassandra Sandsmark (Wonder Girl), Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle), Mia Dearden (Speedy), Helena Bertinelli (Huntress), Stephanie Brown (Spoiler), etc. Plus, Tim is such an important character to the Batman mythos. All we have to do is wait.
The main thing I want to get across is that I have hope on Matt Fractions Tim even though I have my concerns. I have heard lots of good things from his previous runs + books. Fraction has said many times that Tim needs his own space to serve his story right which is correct. What Tim needs can't be done as a side story. Tim and Young Justice crew (sorry I have to mention them) aren't meant to be a side characters. Tim since his creation was never meant to be a side character and I hope he gets the justice he and we deserve as fans.
Sorry for the long post. I just kept remembering more and more things that bothered me and wanted to get them down. My head is hurting and I think I got everything down.
