Robin #152
I continue to like how Tim is written with the new post-IC writer (although don't get me started on the mess with Cass from the last storyline- I'm sure much of that is editorially mandated anyway). Now we're into the second post-IC storyline, which so far seems to be focusing more on Tim himself.
The main plot has to do with Captain Boomerang II trying to talk to Tim. (Yes, he's really called "Captain Boomerang", although if you think a boomerang-themed character is silly, remember what batarangs are designed after). Boomerang II is the son of the original, who killed (and was killed by in self defense) Tim's father Jack during Identity Crisis (which happened maybe 2 years before Infinite Crisis). Boomerang II has since joined Nightwing's team the Outsiders and is more-or-less a good guy (although not the nicest one around). So hopefully we'll get some interesting character materials as the two sons of the killed fathers meet in person for the first time. Although it would really be nice if a storyline brought up *some* show of remembrance/emotion about Stephanie, but whatever.
My favorite part about this issue, though, was the brief scene with Tim's school-mandated tutor, Zoanne. We met Zo in a one-page scene in issue #150 where she complained about getting stuck with the quiet, creepy new kid as her tutor assignment (which she's only doing to bolster her Ivy-League college applications). Here, Tim actually turns up for the first session, and they quickly establish intellectual parity (Tim's behind due to going on a gay cruise with travelling the world with Dick and Bruce on top of all the death and family trauma that he had even before Infinite Crisis, and the school insists on him having a tutor).
So Tim and Zoanne agree to just treat it as a study session so Zo can get the activity on her applications and Tim can convince the school he's a serious student. But what makes the scene so great is how much Tim is flirting with her as part of his "let's just not worry about this" game. He shows up wearing a form-fitting black mock-turtleneck shirt- quite a change from a guy who usually wore loose t-shirts so it wasn't obvious that he's in absolutely incredible physical shape. And there's a panel of him running his hand through his hair and looking out from under it in this total "gosh aren't I cute so won't you agree with what I just said" way.
While on the one hand I'm sure Tim's quite sincere when he tells Zo that it will be nice to have someone to talk to "on the school side" (interesting phrasing there, Timmy), on the other I can't help but suspect that somewhere in Tim's devious little mind it was all part of a calculated effort to make his mandatory tutor more likely to excuse his inevitable Robin-related absences. I can just see Tim thinking "Dick always acts like this around women, and women love him, so I'll just apply some that to this situation".
I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with Zoanne, and hope she doesn't become another potentially-interesting character who quickly falls by the wayside (i.e. Bernard, who I initially hated but now quite miss). It's been established that Zo's quite smart so Tim had better be on his toes when making up excuses with her.
The main plot has to do with Captain Boomerang II trying to talk to Tim. (Yes, he's really called "Captain Boomerang", although if you think a boomerang-themed character is silly, remember what batarangs are designed after). Boomerang II is the son of the original, who killed (and was killed by in self defense) Tim's father Jack during Identity Crisis (which happened maybe 2 years before Infinite Crisis). Boomerang II has since joined Nightwing's team the Outsiders and is more-or-less a good guy (although not the nicest one around). So hopefully we'll get some interesting character materials as the two sons of the killed fathers meet in person for the first time. Although it would really be nice if a storyline brought up *some* show of remembrance/emotion about Stephanie, but whatever.
My favorite part about this issue, though, was the brief scene with Tim's school-mandated tutor, Zoanne. We met Zo in a one-page scene in issue #150 where she complained about getting stuck with the quiet, creepy new kid as her tutor assignment (which she's only doing to bolster her Ivy-League college applications). Here, Tim actually turns up for the first session, and they quickly establish intellectual parity (Tim's behind due to going on a gay cruise with travelling the world with Dick and Bruce on top of all the death and family trauma that he had even before Infinite Crisis, and the school insists on him having a tutor).
So Tim and Zoanne agree to just treat it as a study session so Zo can get the activity on her applications and Tim can convince the school he's a serious student. But what makes the scene so great is how much Tim is flirting with her as part of his "let's just not worry about this" game. He shows up wearing a form-fitting black mock-turtleneck shirt- quite a change from a guy who usually wore loose t-shirts so it wasn't obvious that he's in absolutely incredible physical shape. And there's a panel of him running his hand through his hair and looking out from under it in this total "gosh aren't I cute so won't you agree with what I just said" way.
While on the one hand I'm sure Tim's quite sincere when he tells Zo that it will be nice to have someone to talk to "on the school side" (interesting phrasing there, Timmy), on the other I can't help but suspect that somewhere in Tim's devious little mind it was all part of a calculated effort to make his mandatory tutor more likely to excuse his inevitable Robin-related absences. I can just see Tim thinking "Dick always acts like this around women, and women love him, so I'll just apply some that to this situation".
I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with Zoanne, and hope she doesn't become another potentially-interesting character who quickly falls by the wayside (i.e. Bernard, who I initially hated but now quite miss). It's been established that Zo's quite smart so Tim had better be on his toes when making up excuses with her.