The History of Tim Drake as Robin


This article is to serve as a recommended reading list for anyone interested in reading stories of Tim Drake as Robin.  This is not an exhaustive list of every single appearance.  The list does not include alternate timelines.  The list provides links to the appropriate story as available digitally on ComiXology.  Some titles are not currently available digitally...legally.  Take it up with DC Comics.  But if you are comfortable sailing with Stede Bonnet, I can provide a treasure map.

Tim Drake was created to be a reader insert.  He was the ultimate Batman fanboy at a time when I was just getting into Batman comics.  Tim was a quiet, smart, nerdy latch-key kid. He had doubts about his role as a son, a student, and as Robin. As a 13 year old kid plagued with self doubt, existential angst, and depression, I ATE THAT SHIT UP. 

Tim’s life was a funhouse mirror reflection of my own.  He was wealthy, I was definitely not. He lived in a huge city, I lived in the middle of nowhere.  Our parents ignored us, for the most part. We each had few friends. There were parts of ourselves that we kept hidden from those closest to us. 

1.Batman: Year Three, Tim Drake’s first appearance, a cameo, is available in Batman: The Caped Crusader vol 2, PP 149-246

2.Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying, in Batman: A Death in the Family, PP 147-267

3. New Titans #65 - Dick Grayson trains Tim in the art of detective work.

4. Rites of Passage - Detective Comics 618-621; Identity Crisis - Batman 455-457; Robin #1-5, first miniseries, in Robin vol 1: Reborn

5. Batman 465-470; Robin II: The Joker's Wild #1-4; Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1-6 in Robin vol 2: Triumphant. Batman 466 and 470 for some reason are not collected here, but are in Batman: The Caped Crusader vol 5. 

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Caped-Crusader-Vol-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B08R5GT9N4/

6. Detective Comics 635-637
https://www.amazon.com/Detective-Comics-1937-2011-Louise-Simonson-ebook/dp/B00KGLL8DQ/

7. Batman 480
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-1940-2011-480-Alan-Grant-ebook/dp/B00J9YIS6G/

8. Detective 644-649 (Spoiler debuts in 647. Get 650, too; it's pretty fun.)
https://www.amazon.com/Detective-Comics-1937-2011-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B00KMZYNYW/

9. Superman: The Man of Steel #14, Superman #70 - Tim & Superman vs Vampires.
https://www.amazon.com/Superman-Man-Steel-1991-1991-2003-ebook/dp/B00CU06ZKW/

https://www.amazon.com/Superman-1986-70-Dan-Jurgens-ebook/dp/B00QJ4EUZ2/

10. The nine volumes of Knightfall:
    Prelude to Knightfall
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Prelude-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07CQ78PVX/

    Knightfall vol 1
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightfall-Vol-25th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B07GQ61PG7/

    Knightfall vol 2
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightfall-Vol-25th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B07H3BF8HY/

    Knightquest: The Crusade vol 1; This volume leads directly into the ongoing Robin series
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Crusade-Vol-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07HGHMYD5/

    Knightquest: The Crusade vol 2 (optional)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Crusade-Vol-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07HKP6JQN/

    Knightquest: The Search
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightquest-Search-Knightfall-ebook/dp/B07K71DYKG/

    KnightsEnd
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Knightsend-Knightfall-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B07KJLTLVZ/

    Prodigal
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Prodigal-Knightfall-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B07LC3J3ZR/

    Troika
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Troika-Knightfall-Doug-Moench-ebook/dp/B07MSL6SPT/

11. Robin vol 3: Solo; Robin vol 4: Turning Point; Robin vol 5: War of the Dragons. The first 14 issues of the Robin series are deeply intertwined with the Knightfall crossover throughout the Bat-Books of the time. Following this, there are other crossovers: Contagion, Legacy, Cataclysm, Road to No Man’s Land, No Man’s Land, Officer Down, Bruce Wayne Murderer, Bruce Wayne Fugitive.  Writer Chuck Dixon loses his steam and in issue 100, is replaced by Jon Lewis, who injects a good deal of life into the series. Then Stephanie takes over as Robin, and the awful War Games/War Crimes series starts, and I quit reading.  Writer Fabian Nicieza steps in #170, where I started reading again.


https://www.amazon.com/Robin-1993-23-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B014RZS08W/
The Crossovers as listed above:

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Contagion-1940-2011-Chuck-Dixon-ebook/dp/B01BLZX1DU/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Legacy-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B06XT89ZYQ/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Legacy-Detective-Comics-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B0799C6L3Y/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Cataclysm-New-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B00YB296K8/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Road-Mans-Land-Vol-ebook/dp/B015EVLB8O/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Road-Mans-Land-Vol/dp/1401260632/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Mans-Land-Vol-New-ebook/dp/B0097JVVGM/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Mans-Land-Vol-New-ebook/dp/B0099BGYLK/
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-No-Mans-Land-Vol-ebook/dp/B009POHIF2/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Bruce-Wayne-Murderer-New-ebook/dp/B00IE06NMC/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Bruce-Wayne-Fugitive-New-ebook/dp/B00KWNBAFY/

12. Superboy & Robin: World's Finest III (not available on Comixology)

13. Robin Plus #1: Impulse (not available on Comixology)

14. Robin Plus #2: Fang (not available on Comixology)

15. Robin & Argent Double Shot (not available on Comixology)

16. Robin 80 Page Giant (not available on Comixology)


While all the Bat-books and the various team books were Very Serious Business, Young Justice was for the most part FUNNY.  Self-aware absurdity and pun-based humor was exactly what I, and Tim, needed. Eventually, poor sales demanded a shakeup in the status quo, and the end of Young Justice.  That gave us the Very Serious Teen Titans. While the stories weren’t bad, they just weren’t what I wanted at the time. Luckily, Young Justice has recently been revived.

17. Young Justice books 1-5 (issues 44-55 are NOT collected.)
https://www.amazon.com/Young-Justice-Book-One-1998-2003-ebook/dp/B06Y3MX18S/

https://www.amazon.com/Young-Justice-Book-Two-1998-2003-ebook/dp/B079GDPQMX/





18. The Outsiders by Judd Winick vol 1 for the Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day miniseries, PP 1-115. Just...don't read this until after you've finished the entire Young Justice series.
https://www.amazon.com/Outsiders-Judd-Winick-Book-2003-2007-ebook/dp/B07RYX83MH/

19. Teen Titans by Geoff Johns vols 1-3.
https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Titans-Geoff-Johns-2003-2011-ebook/dp/B06XHMK85P/

https://www.amazon.com/Teen-Titans-Geoff-Johns-2003-2011-ebook/dp/B07934F8MF/

https://www.amazon.com/Titans-Geoff-Johns-Three-2003-2011-ebook/dp/B07RNMQ1B5/

20. Batman/Two-Face: Face the Face
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Two-Face-Face-Deluxe-1940-2011-ebook/dp/B06Y3GVBZQ/

21. Detective Comics #826
https://www.amazon.com/Detective-Comics-1937-826-1937-2011-ebook/dp/B00LMOW80S/


22. Robin/Spoiler Special #1 (Not on ComiXology)

Grant Morrison sure knows how to deconstruct and destroy the status quo, turn the multiverse upside down, and rebuild almost everything back to the way it was before.  I could have used another ten years or so of Tim as Robin, but I do like what transpires here.

 Still not sold on the name “Red Robin”.


23. Batman by Grant Morrison
    Batman and Son
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Son-New-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B00HVH15YU/

    Batman RIP
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-R-I-P-Grant-Morrison-Book-ebook/dp/B0064W64I0/

    Final Crisis (optional)
https://www.amazon.com/Final-Crisis-Batman-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B00J4ZT9Y0/

    Batman and Robin vols 1-3 (optional)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Robin-Vol-Reborn-Morrison-ebook/dp/B0064W64K8/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Robin-Vol-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B0064W65GG/

https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Robin-Vol-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B0064W66G0/

    The Return of Bruce Wayne (optional)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Return-Bruce-Deluxe-Morrison-ebook/dp/B0064W67AU/

    Time and the Batman (optional)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-1940-2011-Time-Grant-Morrison-ebook/dp/B009POHJX8/

    Batman Incorporated vol 1
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Incorporated-Vol-1-Deluxe-ebook/dp/B0097JUB2C/

24. Red Robin #1-16. This series begins at the same time as Morrison’s Batman & Robin.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJYGF2N?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

25. Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Red Robin #1
https://www.amazon.com/Bruce-Wayne-Road-Home-Robin-ebook/dp/B07XRJSX3T/

26. Red Robin #17-26
(see #23 above for link)

27. Batman: Gates of Gotham occurs at the same time as Batman Inc. vol 1.
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Gotham-Deluxe-Kyle-Higgins-ebook/dp/B07K1LKLDV/


The New 52 is not kind to Tim Drake. Editors don’t know what to do with him, and the writers he gets stuck with aren’t my cup of tea.  The timeline is all messed up. He gets a new origin that is far less interesting, and a terrible costume. Aside from the below series, it’s best ignored.

28.    Batman Incorporated (New 52) vols 1-2 (The conclusion to Grant Morrison’s Batman run.)
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Incorporated-Vol-Demon-Star-ebook/dp/B00BUSN8FK/

29. Batman & Robin Eternal vols 1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Batman-Robin-Eternal-2015-2016-Vol-ebook/dp/B01AIXM6T6/



And then, there is Rebirth.  Things are kinda put back the way they were, but it’s still kinda wibbly-wobbly.

30. Detective Comics (2016-) Rebirth Deluxe editions vols 1-4





31. Young Justice (2019-) vol 1-3




32. Not related to Tim Drake in any way, but really great on its own: Robin 3000, a 2-issue miniseries, in Batman: Elseworlds vol 1 PP 115-198
https://www.amazon.com/Elseworlds-Batman-Vol-DC-ebook/dp/B01D40MJ7E/

2022 update!  Tim has recently come out as bisexual, and I couldn't be happier:  

33. DC Pride: Tim Drake Special #1



34. Dark Crisis: Young Justice #1-2


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