Even DC Heroes Are Making Fun of Robin’s ‘Drake’ Codename

The entire roster of Batman family heroes have united to save Gotham from the Joker War, but it has also provided a fantastic chance for them all to get their shots in about Tim Drake’s new superhero nickname, “Drake.” While Drake looks to returning to his old Robin/Red Robin moniker, the Bat-Family gathering allows Bat-characters to deliver a ribbing that echoes many readers’ thoughts on the choice, with Harley Quinn getting in the best burn.

Joker War continues in Batman #99, and after Nightwing #74, Dick Grayson is back and he has helped bring the Bat-Family back together again. The Bat-Family fell out after a series of events, one of them being the death of Alfred Pennyworth. During the time the Bat-Family was not talking to each other, one character underwent an unpopular name change: Tim Drake began fighting crime as Drake following his adventures in the Young Justice series.

In Batman #99, Tim Drake throws a verbal attack Harley Quinn’s way, to which she replies, “Nobody asked your opinion, Duckboy.” A drake, while also being a synonym for “dragon,” is more usually the name for a male duck. Red Robin (which seems to be the confirmed name that Tim Drake will be going by) reacts with confusion.

Jabs like this have been seen recently in Bat-character connected books, such as Young Justice #18, where it was mentioned that Batman and Spoiler dislike the name. The Bat-Family’s estrangement, as well as Drake’s Multiverse-hopping adventures, have stopped much interplay between these fan-favorite characters of late, but with bridges being mended, fans may see more commentary on Tim Drake’s poor name choice. “Drake” may be the new “Disco-wing” joke, following a longstanding tradition of fan teasing about Nightwing’s first outfit. The Tim Drake character is no stranger to mocking due to his design choices, with references to his first Red Robin outfit looking like Dr. Midnight, and the addition of wings to his New 52 Red Robin costume. Not only is the name “Drake” mocked, but his outfit choice added to the jibing, due to the relatively drab yellow and brown color choice.

The Batman Family (and fans) don’t seem like they will forget Tim Drake’s misstep anytime soon. Hopefully, the willingness of writers to acknowledge reader derision for Drake’s naming choice is a sign that he will be given a consistent name for at least a few years. Red Robin will be working with the Bat-Family and Harley to end Joker’s reign of terror in Batman #100, coming out on October 6th.