As much as we all like to believe that Batman is the greatest detective around, there’s one person he believes makes a much better sleuth than him. I think we all can agree that when it comes to mystery-solving, Batman is the best detective in fiction. Thanks to a keen set of skills that he’s honed for decades, Bruce Wayne has solved some of the most impressive and perplexing cases the DC Universe has ever seen. And over the years, Bruce has done his best to pass on the skills he’s acquired to his most trusted allies, his Robins.
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And speaking of his Robins, Batman has been seeing the strengths and weaknesses of all his partners as he faces a series of challenges in DC K.O.: Knightfight. The Heart of Apokolips didn’t take kindly to Bruce cheating his way through the tournament and has subjected him to various simulated realities where all his Robins have grown up to become Batman themselves. Now, Bruce is seeing his closest partners in ways he never has before and recognizing that one Boy Wonder in particular has the potential to be the greatest detective the DC Universe has ever seen.
Batman Admits It: Tim Drake is the Better Detective
In DC. K.O.: Knightfight #3 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Triona Farrell, and Tom Napolitano, Batman is in one of the Heart’s simulations where he’s fighting Jason Todd. To get an advantage, Batman leans into the simulation, which gives Batman Clayface’s powers and lets him throw Jason off his game. However, Batman refuses to hurt Jason and saves him when he falls. This starts to convince Jason that Batman is telling the truth about this world not being real, which angers the Heart and causes it to remove Batman from this false reality.
The Heart tells Batman that he needs to take his challenges seriously because if he does, the Heart will return Bruce to the tournament to help his allies. But it warns Bruce that from here on out, the challenges will test Bruce mentally as much as physically. It sends Bruce to a new reality, one where Tim Drake has become Batman. He wraps up another case, and we discover that Tim has solved every mystery and cold case in Gotham. Tim retires to the Batcave, where he discovers a suspicious code embedded in his computer.
The code is actually Bruce, who’s conscious has been digitized. Though Tim believes this is a trick, Bruce manages to make his presence known to Tim. Utilizing a holographic projector, Batman is able to have a more direct conversation with Tim, where he tells his former Boy Wonder how proud Bruce is of him. Bruce tells Tim how much he admires him for solving every case in Gotham. Batman even pays Tim the ultimate compliment by saying that Tim is smarter than Bruce ever was and makes a much better Batman than him.
Batman’s Right, Tim Has the Potential to be the World’s Greatest Detective
This isn’t just Batman blowing smoke; he knows exactly how great a detective Tim actually is, and not just because of this simulation, either. Tim is one of the few people who was able to deduce Batman’s identity, and that was before he had any formal training, too. Not to mention, when Bruce disappeared after Final Crisis, Tim was the one person who (correctly, by the way) figured out that Batman wasn’t actually dead, but lost in time. All the Robins excel in one way or another, and Tim’s greatest strength has been his keen sense of deduction.
Now, the simulation isn’t real, obviously, and Tim is a long way from being Batman or supplanting him as the World’s Greatest Detective. But it doesn’t make what Batman said any less true. Bruce knows each of his boys well enough to know where their respective strengths lie. He’s seen Tim solve tough cases, even for him, and knows that were Tim ever to become Batman, he’d easily thrive in the role. Even though the Heart was just trying to mess with Bruce, it doesn’t make what he believes about Tim any less true.
We all know Tim isn’t going to replace Batman, at least on any permanent basis. But it’s always good to see Tim’s amazing deductive prowess recognized. He’s a great detective, and nothing’s more validating than seeing the person considered to be the World’s Greatest Detective say that Tim is even better. Simulation or not, Batman knows just how smart and cunning Tim is, and though he may never get to take on the Batman mantle for himself in the Prime DCU, it’s nice to know Bruce thinks so highly of Tim.
What do you think of Tim being a better detective than Batman? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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