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Super-charged with Lazarus Resin, Tim Drake battles every Robin's biggest insecurity while single-handedly dispatching the best the Magistrate has to offer in Future State: Robin Eternal #2.
Written by Meghan Fitzmartin
Art by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas
Lettering by Pat Brosseau
Published by DC
'Rama Rating: 8 out of 10
Writer Meghan Fitzmartin turns Tim Drake into a goo-dripping demon here, haunted by a specter of Batman who whispers Tim's inadequacies into his ear. Immediately, this is much more compelling stuff than the last issue, ably assisted by Eddy Barrows' and Eber Ferreira's visceral and trippy artwork.
Adriano Lucas matches their pace with kaleidoscopic color that brings to life the effects of the Lazarus Resin. Barrows' layouts are a highlight here, especially on a page where the silhouette of the Bat forms in the negative space below the panel borders, with the target of Tim's hallucination at dead center of the abyss. Again, this stuff doesn't necessarily play to Tim's natural strengths as a character, and instead, Fitzmartin aims for an ur-Robin that could comfortably work with anyone who has ever worn the domino mask.
Fitzmartin wisely keeps most of the story in Tim's head. His Lazarus-induced paranoia is not necessarily new or fresh, but it's solidly done and adds a bit of x-factor that was missing from that all too straightforward first issue. She has a natural flair for the broadly dramatic, used to great effect in that very last panel. "NEVER THE END!" proclaims the page as Tim's hand erupts from the water.
It's as much an affirmation for superhero comics as it is for this story, ending Robin Eternal #2 on a high note.
Tim Drake is one of the best Robins in DC comic books - but who is the best? Check out our list of the best incarnations of Robin.
