Wave 3 - Robin (Tim Drake)
Tim Drake is the third hero to wear the costume of Robin. He follows Dick Grayson and Jason Todd as the teenager chosen to serve as partner and sidekick to Batman. Unlike Grayson and Todd, however, Drake actively sought out the role of Robin, and was not merely given the opportunity to take on the responsibility.
Growing up, young Tim Drake was enamored with Batman and Robin. He lived to hear of their exploits on the nightly news or read about them in the morning papers. It was his fascination with the dynamic duo that led to him correctly deducing Robin's secret identity as Dick Grayson, and Batman as Bruce Wayne. As Tim grew older he continued to follow Batman's story and after the death of Jason Todd - the second Robin - he decided to assert himself into the Bat family.
Tim sought out Dick Grayson and urged him to consider becoming Robin again, arguing that Batman needed a partner in his fight against Gotham's most dangerous criminals. Dick, still trying to establish himself as his own hero, was reluctant to take a step back, but he agreed to assist Batman as Nightwing. Dissatisfied with Grayson's reluctance to resume full duties as Batman's sidekick, Tim decided to try to take on the role himself.
He coaxed Alfred into letting him don Jason Todd's old Robin outfit, and then set out at night to follow Batman and Nightwing. Surprisingly, Tim's assistance proved invaluable in the capture of Two-Face and both Batman and Nightwing recognized that he was deserving of the uniform. But Batman wasn't willing to take on a new partner so easily. He sent Tim through months of rigorous physical and mental training to prepare him for the role. Tim was already possessed of a brilliant, analytical mind, but he required much martial training to hone his fighting prowess.
Eventually, Tim was ready to be Robin. As such, he became more than just Batman's sidekick - he became everything that the Robins before him had become. He joined both Young Justice and the Teen Titans, eventually becoming looked towards as the tactical leader of those teams in the same way that Batman is viewed by the JLA.
Sculpt: Robin, for many, will probably end up being the "hit" of the wave. His sculpt is absolutely perfect. There were a lot of reservations when he was announced and promo pics first showed up. Mattel and the 4H have a penchant for body reuse and it started to look like Robin was going to turn out way too big and muscular. But in this production release all of those fears were assuaged. Robin gets a brand new, unique sculpt and it is perfectly fitting for a teenager character of his stature! Robin's face is equally perfect, with his spiky, chunky hair and slim chin with a fierce look. His hands are sculpted to hold his weapons well and his cape looks great and is soft enough to be flexible and not restrict his poseability.
Paint: Robin probably has the best paint job of this series. Every detail is crisp and perfect. From the yellow fasteners on his chest to his oversize utility belt to the inner yellow lining of his coat, everything gets full, precise coverage. This is a relief, since figures with yellow paint apps (Red Tornado and Firestorm) so far in this line haven't turned terribly well. Good work, Mattel!
Articulation: Robin has the same breakdown as all the other figures. He gets a good range of motion out of his arms and legs, and his ab crunch is pretty effective too. The only place he's limited is in his neck where his coat's collar restricts any up down or side to side movement, leaving him with pretty much just a neck swivel.
Accessories: He's no Deathstroke, but Robin is hooked up with plenty of accessories. He gets two batarangs and a long fighting stick. His hands hold his staff well and you can get him into some pretty neat fighting stances with the it. He doesn't hold his batarangs well, though. There doesn't seem to be a good way to fit them into his sculpted hands.
Quality: I have no quality nit-picks with Robin. Due to his smaller size and the "softening" of the plastic for this series I had concerns that his joints would feel week or rubbery but that isn't the case. He is a solid, well-made figure. This is definitely the best action figure version of Robin to date.
