Well, I've read Teen Titans #0. Utter mess of a first reaction behind a cut because of spoilers.
I wasn't a fan, so if you did like it and want to avoid a less than flattering review, I'd keep scrolling.
"Tim was as focussed and determined a young man as- well, as I was at his age."
Tim is already mini Bruce. Joy.
"He was already amazing before I met him. Tim pushed himself because he wanted to be the best. The best gymnast. The best student. The best at everything. And he was."
Ok, Lobdell, we get it. Your Tim is flawless.
"[Tim's parents] were front row and centre in his life."
See, this I liked. I liked that Tim had parents who cared and were there to show it. The thing is, as soon as they showed up you just knew they were never going to stay. Without the opportunity offered by his parents' constant absence, Tim needed another way of being able to be Robin. So they were gone, guaranteed.
"His innate detective skills rivalled my own."
Reiterating the perfect, mini Bruce theory, just in case you missed it.
"Take a new Robin after what happened to... to the last one."
"How is a man a man when his heart has been torn out?"
How the hell do these two things go together? Even if he's trying to smother the hurt, Bruce would never refer to Jason as "the last one". Does Lobdell even understand how dismissive that is? Then again, given what we saw with Dick, where he didn't even live in the Manor, we can no longer guarantee Bruce's feelings towards any of his Robins. You'd be hard pressed to call them sons at this point.
"You don't get to decide my life for me, Batman! You need me- as much as I need you!"
Tim is doing it for himself and not for Batman? Did you even read Tim's first canon appearances? It was never about himself, it was all about Batman.
"He was motivated to be worthy of the pride his mother and father had in him."
You realise that makes very little sense, right, Lobdell? Their kid is perfect in academics and sports. Why is being a vigilante going to make them proud of him?
Also, can someone explain to me how Tim stealing money from Penguin is Batman's fault? Doing it to get Bruce's attention doesn't make it Bruce's fault. Tim was the one who pulled a ridiculously thick stunt and got himself into trouble. Tim's the one who nearly got his parents killed because he was arrogant enough that he didn't even consider that he'd get caught.
He's the thickest genius I've ever seen.
And the worst part? Tim's the one who got exactly what he wanted after doing all of that. He fucked up in epic style, and he gets to be Red Robin. The hell?
Actually, that's a point: when Bruce said Tim's parents left Tim with him, did they leave Tim with Bruce or Batman? Cos he was still in costume when he said it. They really need to clarify that, because I might have to retract my opinion of Tim's loving, now totally absent parents if they thought leaving their kid with Batman was a good idea.
"Out of respect for Jason- I won't be wearing that uniform. I think it benefits no one."
Do you ever get the feeling that Tim is just a mouthpiece for Lobdell's opinions? That's what that bit felt like. Straight from the mouth of God Sod.
So, what I have taken from this: Tim is now middle class; he has loving, supportive, present parents; he's perfect at everything and is arrogant as fuck, yet still ends up getting exactly what he wanted. Two of these things are ok. Can you spot which ones?
That's not my Tim. That's no one's Tim except Lobdell's.
