That Moment When Red Robin Upstaged Batman

Rare is it when the Batman is upstaged.

This is the mere mortal man who, on a bad day, is six steps ahead of everyone and has defeated titans with little more than cunning, and imagination.

The Dark Knight performs feats that often make him appear more godlike than his meta-powered Justice League comrades. He is one third of D.C.’s Trinity for a reason.

In 2010’s Red Robin #12, something extraordinary took place where Red Robin/Tim Drake executed a power play that even the Caped Crusader wouldn’t have entertained.

The setup: Taking place in The Return of Bruce Wayne storyline, after Tim finds proof that Bruce is still alive but lost in time following his battle with Darkseid, he cripples Ra’s al Ghul’s League of Assassins, from within.

In response, Ra’s travels to Gotham and sends his forces to eliminate everyone close to the Wayne Family.

As Ra’s put it, Red Robin wouldn’t be able to save everyone simultaneously and someone would die by night’s end.

Or so Ra’s thought.

This scene was special because it distinguishes Bruce and Tim.

Bruce would’ve attempted to save everyone he loves alone in one night and chances are, he would’ve succeeded. But as Tim stated, he’s not Bruce. Asking friends for backup is a simple and yet purely unexpected move in the grim world of Gotham.

A common trope in many comic book stories is to transform a brighter hero into a dark loner. The brooding and edgier hero will prove victorious by “channeling their inner Batman.” Red Robin subverted that trope and defeated one of Batman’s greatest foes by channeling his inner Tim Drake.

Although Tim has repeatedly displayed that he has the makings of being a master detective and strategist, this was the moment when he truly came into his own.

Of course, knowing Bruce, he probably planned for all of this when he first recruited Tim and the rest of us are just catching up. Six steps ahead on a bad day and all of that.

Tim, and for that matter Cass, prove a point Clark made in the Superman animated series episode, Knight Time:

I’ve got to say, for a guy who’s supposed to be such a loner, you sure know how to pick a partner.