Red Robin #26

"Red Robin" #26 marks the end of Tim Drake's solo title and it does so in a very fitting fashion. Captain Boomerang was probably never accused of being the coolest DC villain. From his title to his early costume, he serves as a fun, nostalgic reminder of the rather loose creative standards of the past. Yet Captain Boomerang's impact is most strongly marked by one act that changed Tim Drake's life forever - the murder of his father, Jack Drake. 

This issue focuses on a revenge-fueled Tim preparing to kill Captain Boomerang for his father's murder. But it's not as if Tim isn't struggling with the idea of giving in to revenge. In fact, his almost absurdly thorough plan requires Boomerang to make numerous bad choices in order to meet the demise Tim has planned for him. He hopes this will ease his conscience since it's Captain Boomerang making the actual choices even though Tim set everything in place. 

Writer Fabian Nicieza does a really nice job conveying this inner conflict within Tim. We watch his plan unfold as we hear him rationalizing his actions in his mind. It's a neat approach to telling his story and Nicieza pulls it off. The ending was equally satisfying but not in the traditional sense. There's no happy, ride off into the sunset kind of finish but it completely works here. There are some moments in the book where things feel a little too convenient and tidy, but overall it's a well written issue. 

As for the art, I really enjoyed Marcus To's work. He uses a clean, classic style that produces fantastic character depictions and some really strong and energetic action panels. I did have a little trouble deciphering what was happening on one of his more creative page layouts. But other than that the book looks great. 

This is a solid final issue that really does the Tim Drake character justice. It features some good storytelling and deals with some genuine human emotions. Marcus To's art is wonderful and really helps tell the story. As a whole, this was a nice way to end a series.