Robin III Part 66: Robin III #1 (of 6) (December, 1992)

There’s talk of a gang war coming to Gotham, and a sudden influx of out-of-towners…along with a growing body count...are proving it.

I have this issue.

Tim and Bruce break up a meeting of a biker gang called the White Wolves when a helicopter shows up and turns the place into a shooting gallery. Bruce pulls him to safety, and in the aftermath orders him to stay off the streets for a few days while Bruce looks into what’s happening.

The next day at school, Tim’s friend Ives invites him to his birthday party that night in a restaurant in Little Odessa – Gotham’s Russian neighborhood. While there, Tim finds himself looking into a back alley where a mob enforcer’s attacking a man as his daughter looks on. It ends before Tim has a chance to react and he helps the young woman, Ariana Dzerchenko, bring her father into their store. Tim and Ariana want to call the police. Her father refuses, but she tells Tim that she’ll keep trying to convince him, and Tim returns to the party.

Ives drops Tim off at home, and Jack is there waiting for him. Tim tells his father that he wants to go next door to Bruce Wayne’s house to use his computer, but it’s a school night, and Jack wants him to stay home. Tim waits until his father falls asleep and sneaks over to the Cave to suit up and watch over the Dzerchenko’s store.

His gut feeling pays off, because a car drives up to the place and several men armed with guns and a flamethrower break in. Tim fights off the thugs, but gets caught by another person that was in the car…the KGBeast.

Notes of Interest:

1) Despite everything that Tim’s been through, he’s still learning how to handle certain situations.

2) Obviously, Tim meets Ariana this issue.

3) Also obviously, this is where Tim faces KGBeast for the first time.

4) We learn that thanks to Harold, Tim can get from his house to the Cave in roughly five minutes.

WTF? Moment: Chuck Dixon is a great writer, and I love how he handles Tim. Dixon has him struggle with disobeying both Bruce and his father while getting into trouble with a major Bat-villain. And, naturally, there’s a girl involved.

WTF? Moment #2: I’ve said it before – Tom Lyle is the artist to draw Tim. Nothing against other artists, but whenever I think of Tim, he looks how Lyle draws him.