Robin III Part 26: Robin #4 (of 5) (April, 1991)

Tim gets a lesson or two about justice versus vengeance.

I have this issue in the Robin: A Hero Reborn Trade Paperback.

Tim, Clyde and Lady Shiva reach Hong Kong ahead of King Snake’s plane and locate the landing site. It arrives, and they watch members of the Ghost Dragons load the virus into a van. Tim argues that they should stop the Dragons here, but Clyde and Lady Shiva want to follow the gang to their hideout. Outvoted, Tim goes along, and the virus leads them to King Snake’s building…in the middle of the city.

Lady Shiva has a place nearby where they crash. Tim continues his training – this time with her – and gets his ass kicked. Again.

Tim uses his skills to get the security layout of Dorrance’s building, and while the trio prepare for their attack he has another training session with Lady Shiva, and this time manages to knock her down.

Notes of Interest:

1) This is the first time Tim adds a staff to his arsenal.

2) Tim has made a vow not to kill – even to save his own life.

WTF? Moment: The bit about Shiva waking Tim in the middle of the night for “training” was funny. You know there’s some fanfic of this floating about the net.

WTF? Moment #2: I don’t know the history between Lady Shiva and Bruce Wayne, but I’m betting that the first time they fought, Shiva kicked Bruce’s butt. The second time they fought, however, had a different ending – because that’s how Batman operates: learn from the first fight to win the second. Tim does the same here…a future Batman-in-training perhaps?