Red Robin #14

My love for Tim Drake continues to grow. I like what Nicieza's been doing, so far.

Damian...meh. I wish that the Demon Spawn was more someone who I could see growing into Ibn al Xu'ffasch from Kingdom Come. Mostly because I really like that character. And he's not, which makes a little nerd part of me weep, because there is not enough Ibn love in the world. Anyway, Damian's grown on me since he first showed up, and he and Tim are going to be smacking each other up and down Gotham City forever. That's quite all right with me. :)

The hit list, both of them, are very Tim. And in being very Tim, why is anyone surprised at the fact that it is also very Bruce? It's been said before, and will be said again, Tim is more Batman than Batman.

You take a kid who was what? Four? And his entire life becomes about *one* thing - Batman. We've seen what the loss of his parents did to Bruce, and he was older. Tim's entire world is Batman, and the Mission. That's all. He's made himself *useful*, and any part of himself that's not useful, he shunts off to one side and either makes it useful, or keeps it battened down. I'd almost call him sociopathic, except that it's not that he doesn't feel emotion and understand it, but that he has no use for it, and so has managed to compartmentalize himself so much that it's effectively the same thing.

*Except*, for his one, big, gaping blind spot. It's vaguely Dick Grayson shaped. I mean, really, Tim, no file on Dick? I don't believe it. You know better. Heck, I'd almost bet that the files Damian found are dummy files, and his real stuff is elsewhere. I mean, no, Conner is another blind spot, but not like Dick. Tim loves Conner, they're best friends, and his death killed something in Tim (but he got better!). Dick...Dick was Tim's...everything, for so long, I don't think that Tim even thinks about it any more. Which is weird for someone like Tim.

As for the Tim/Damian fight, well, hell yeah! Let's not forget, much as Damian was trained by the League of Assassins, he's *ten*, and Tim's first teacher was *Lady Shiva*. He cut his teeth fighting King Snake, Joker, Two Face. Tim has beaten all of them. He beat Lady Shiva the last time they fought. He's spent time all over the world, with masters of all sorts. And don't tell me he didn't just pick up some new moves from Ra's and the League. (Which, okay, Tim and Ra's together? Makes me a happy camper. I want evil-Timmy! Give me an Elseworlds!)

Also, don't think I've forgotten that Ra's wants Tim to father his new heir. I haven't. Bloody well get on with that story line already! I want more Ra's/Tim interaction.

On a completely non-comics related front, Parker and Hardison are *so cute*. And Parker is jealous. So cute! It's like she's a real girl!

'You don't like it when he talks to other women.'

'I don't care who he talks to.'

'What you're feeling is called jealousy, Parker.'

'*snort**laughter* I'm not jealous, no. I'm not jealous. It's just that when I see them together...I. Don't. Like. It.'

Oh, crap, the 'pretzels'! Freaking kiss already, damn you two!

Hey, preview for next week, it's Jo from Supernatural! And John Schneider! Hi, Pa! I haven't seen you since you died on Smallville!