Tim Drake's Robin Just Got A Major Costume Upgrade
*Contains spoilers for "Batman #134 by DC Comics*
Tim Drake's Robin is on a personal mission to travel across space and time to find Batman following the hero's recent demise at the hands of the villain Failsafe. While The Dark Knight's sidekick has been told his search will be difficult, as his mentor could quite literally be in any timeline, Drake just acquired a brand-new suit of armor in "Batman #134" from DC Comics that will help him in a major way during his search for the hero.
In Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimenez, and Matt Hawthorne's "Batman" run, Bruce Wayne was transported to an alternate reality after battling Failsafe, a near-unbeatable android created by Batman to stop him in case he ever turned evil — with the machine being activated after he was framed for killing The Penguin. Waking up in a new parallel world with no Batman in sight, the Caped Crusader learns about a villain named Red Mask, who uses dangerous experiments to command power and build his own army. In "Batman #134" by Chip Zdarsky, Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles, Batman discovers Red Mask has experimented on his Earth's Flash and Superman, turning them his own soldiers, as he reveals they're all part of his quest to travel the Multiverse and become the Joker he saw in his visions, the man he believes he was meant to be. As the events unfold, Tim Drake is traveling the Multiverse himself to search for Batman, and he just got a serious upgrade to aid his searches.
Tim Drake gets a new look to save Batman
In previous chapters of the Tim Drake-starring backup story in "Batman," Robin teamed up with Mr. Terrific, and the genius-level hero built him a suit tethered to the main DC Universe in order to find Batman somewhere in the Multiverse. After bringing a version of the villain Toyman to his timeline, Tim revealed he was going to help them find Bruce Wayne. In "Batman #134's "The Toy Box: Part 4" by Chip Zdarsky, Miguel Mendonca, Roman Stevens, and Clayton Cowles, Toyman helps Robin and Mr. Terrific in building another new suit with a neural link to Batman, making it easier to track down his true location. In addition, Robin's new costume features a large glowing R logo on the front, which is said to let Batman know he's coming to help.
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Before finding Batman, Tim Drake makes a detour to a reality where his mother is still alive. He tells her all about his time as Robin and the mission he's on in a heartwarming scene before re-entering The Bleed and looking for Batman once and for all. The final page of the backup story features Robin surrounded by different versions of Batman, including the version from "Red Son," the classic Golden Age Batman, and the iteration from the groundbreaking "Kingdom Come" storyline. However, with none of those Dark Knights being the version Robin is looking for, Robin has to continue his search.
Tim Drake's Robin's arrival could change the main DC Universe
Tim Drake, who will also star in DC's upcoming Pride celebrations, may be on a mission to save Batman and bring him back to his Earth, but his travels through the Multiverse could lead to a major change to the main DC Universe. With Red Mask looking to become The Joker from his visions and pulling on different threads of the Multiverse to make it a reality, it seems possible he could come back to Batman's timeline alongside him. If that happens, Batman would add another terrifying rogue to his long list of Gotham City villains. With Red Mask looking to take on Joker's madness, it could set up a new Clown Prince of Crime for the hero to battle with.
Regardless of what happens with Red Mask, Drake is determined to find Batman and return him to his reality. With a newly powered armor with a bold look courtesy of Toyman and Mr. Terrific, Robin is equipped to continue his adventures through the Bleed to find Bruce Wayne. It's only a matter of time before Drake finds Batman. However, it remains to be seen what comes with him from the world without Batman. The Tim Drake-focused story from "Batman #134's "The Toy Box: Part 4" by Chip Zdarsky, Miguel Mendonca, Roman Stevens, and Clayton Cowles from DC Comics is in comic book stores now.