Warning: Spoilers for Tim Drake: Robin #6Once again in the lore of Tim Drake, the third Robin is ready for a new identity. Over the years, Tim Drake has tried a couple of times to break out of his role as Robin in the hopes of ascending to the next level in his superhero career, in the same sense that previous Robins Dick Grayson and Jason Todd eventually upgraded themselves to become Nightwing and Red Hood, respectively. Previously, he spent some time post-Robin working under the pseudonym Red Robin, and then, very briefly, he was known simply as Drake. For one reason or another, none of Tim Drake's attempts at evolving himself have stuck, hence why he's still Robin to this day.
However, Tim Drake: Robin #6 by Meghan Fitzmartin and Riley Rossmo hints at another impending attempt to move on from Robin and into a new role for Tim Drake. While fighting his latest enemy Moriarty, Robin monologues about how he used to dream of being Batman, and even Moriarty suggests he needs to either beat Batman or become Batman. However, Robin concludes that he can't be Batman when it doesn't fit who he is, and he's been "dreaming" of becoming "something new." He also says, "It's time for a new era of Tim Drake." The tease is there for him to ascend into a new identity.
The Beginning of a New Era for Tim Drake
It feels like the latest history of Tim Drake has slowly been building towards him coming to this realization for himself. It all dates back to the 2021 story "Sum of Our Parts, Chapter 3" by Meghan Fitzmartin and Belén Ortega from Batman: Urban Legends #6. After years of explicitly saying he doesn't want to be Batman, Tim suddenly declares, "I want the mantle." It is no coincidence that that moment comes in the same issue that Tim Drake's Robin comes out as bisexual, finally admitting his true feelings for his long-time friend, Bernard. It also can't be a coincidence that Tim's Robin logo gets sliced off his chest during his fight with Moriarty as he realizes he needs to become something new and unique.
It feels like DC is strongly hinting towards Tim finding a new identity for himself beyond being Robin and one that affirms him as out of Batman's shadow. More than in his previous attempts to do so, this new chapter couldn't have come at a better time. Everything regarding Tim's current arc has been so closely tied to his identity. Not only is he discovering who he is, but he's also realizing the potential for what he's capable of becoming.
Now that Tim Drake is slowly but surely coming to grips with who he is both as a person and a hero, he needs an identity that reflects it. When the first Robin, Dick Grayson was at a similar crossroads in his life and stopped being Batman's sidekick, he eventually became Nightwing. Tim is long overdue to have an identity of his own to stick around long-term, but now it arrives at a time that makes the most sense for his character. Tim Drake has grown up from being the boy who stepped into the Robin outfit and now as an adult, he needs a new name and costume to showcase that growth.
Tim Drake: Robin #6 is on sale now from DC Comics.