Red Robin #12

  *Spoiler warning EXTREME SPOILER WARNING*

Ras awaits word from his assassins on the hits when Tim comes in. They talk a bit with Ras gloating that Tim may have found him BUT he can’t save everyone because he’s wasted time. Tim reveals that eh has effectively checkmated Ras on all fronts. Everyone has been saved he also reveals that he knew where to find him because of the access Ras gave him during the “council of spiders arc”. Ras is shocked and realizing Tim wont attack he does and we get a fight between the two. Tim takes the worst of it but still doesn’t back down. Ras realizes something else is up, that’s when Tim reveals he now own Wayne Tech and Hush and Ras plan has also been stopped.

Begrudgingly Ras acknowledges Tim’s great work before knocking him through the window. Tim gets saved by Dick and wakes up in the batcave. He tells the batfam about Time lost Bruce before seeing the newspaper heading about him and Tam. He gets a customized suit and zips through ’s sky.

Ras at an unknown location meets with the mysterious women he has been communing with and tells her Tim has passed the test and will produce a worthy heir.

Then there is a finale flashback.

The Good:

Ok allow me to gather myself together since I’m all misty eyed. This was an absolute gem to read especially after re reading the whole run. This issue has been called a character piece but I think that is much too mundane a title as Red Robin as a series was already that. Instead this issue is epicness given paper!

First off I salute Mr. To and his art, it is a perfect fit for this story as he has perfect proportion control and you can certainly see the age difference in each an every character. The action panels flow seamlessly and the more story driven portions also still have a punch to them. Mr. To you da man!

Next up I tip my hat yet again to Yost. I have followed this man as he breathed life into x23, shook up the new X-men/ academy X as he made arguably the best X-book out right now in X-force and I must say I have had my doubts after all he’s a marvel guy particularly an X-men guy BUT he gets Tim! And that is a beautiful thing. I’m actually going to miss him now that’s he’s no longer on this book but look forward to whatever DC does with him in the future now on to the stuff you guys recommend me for :)

Ok the thing I most love about the issue is it puts Tim back into his once crumbling life. In issue #1 he was lost emotional and isolated and now we have him coming full circle he’s done the “walkabout” and come back a more mature level headed person with his roots firmly replanted not just in Gotham but with his friends.  His characterization is very much in the same vein as he has always been portrayed as a mirror of Bruce BUT unlike his mentor he still has many ties with the superhero community “Friends” if you will. Sure Bruce has associates but there are not a whole lot of people who can get behind his facade. With batman he IS batman with Red Robin he’s Tim first and Tim is who wins the day.

He manages to save everyone dear to Bruce because he was selfless and thought along the very lines that Bruce would. I thought the resolution was shocking if not just groundbreaking everything you thought could happen up to this point has been thrown out the window and a new Status-qo now exists in Tim’s Life; I can’t wait for things to kick off next issue!

The fight between Ras and Tim was also quite engaging to watch sure we all knew Tim cant beat Ras and unlike the Shiva fight when he was still Robin he had no time really to put a secondary plan in motion he has to do everything in the here and now and yes it put him at deaths door BUT for men like Tim and Bruce those are the stakes that make them transcend the paper they occupy.

Also of Note is the mental game that has been played out between Ras and Tim from Issue #1, which incidentally is also a great bit of continuity from the “resurrection of Ras al Ghul arc” written by Morrison. Ras sees in Tim the same thing he saw in Bruce greatness, an equal quality if you will. Ras has lived forever and personally as a character I sometimes get a bored feeling from him but when engaging “the detective” it excites him it gives him reason to live to fight to kill. The entire run has been Ras trying to convert Tim to his side to get that worthy Heir he has been searching for since forever.

When Tim reveals to him how he has saved everything that belongs to Bruce and has control of Bruce’s empire Ras turns to him and says “good work detective”. Many a reviewer will overlook this one very defining character specific quote. Tim thinks he’s won BUT infact Ras has won he has found his heir or heir producer in Tim someone equal to Bruce in his eyes. Sure Ras tries to kill him afterwards BUT that’s the very nature of Ras! Tim doesn’t realize but he passed this all important test of his skills and abilities he has taken onto himself everything that was Bruce Wayne/Batman he is the protector of , of Bruce’s loved ones his family he is the Heir and for Timothy…..the stakes just got so much higher!

Beautiful issue!

Also of not was the enormous weight lifted off him after the fight ended and he is in a freefall, he is happy knowing he was able to keep the batfamiy, Gotham and Wayne enterprises the things that encompass “Batman” safe. I also liked how things ended we learnt why Lusious sent for Tim in the first place, we get a good deal of jealously from Steph towards Tam and we also get Vickie vale getting that story she has been tracking down since day one, Tam and Tim being engaged!   Oh yes Timbo your life just got complicated :)

Finally when all that was over Tim got a customized Red Robin suit distinguishing his version from anarky and Jason Todd no longer is his mantle about punishing himself its about who he has become and growing up.

A finale flashback rings things out and ! Is it a rocker! I like it so much I wont spoil it :P     all I can say is it gives a whole new meaning to Tim’s initial journey.

The Bad:

Nitpicky as I am I really enjoyed everything.

The Ugly:

10/10 stars cause 5 isn’t awesome enough for this series and this issue!