Detective Comics #940

"Rise of the Batmen" concludes with our team of heroes taking down the Colony thanks to the quick thinking, and risk taking, of Red Robin who makes himself the target of all the Colony's drones. His sacrifice saves the lives of hundreds in the city, but to do so Tim Drake will have to make the ultimate sacrifice... or so it would appear.

Detective Comics #940 allows Tim to go out in a blaze of glory while showcasing his loss to both Batman and Spoiler. Even if the epilogue clues readers in on the fact that our hero was transported out before his death, and is now the prisoner of an unknown enemy, as far as his teammates know Red Robin made his last stand. As big heroic sacrifices go, this one works pretty damn well.

Even if the loss is a a bit slight of hand (and there's that eerily similar panel to "Death in the Family") which undercuts its emotional impact to a degree, the story still works well in how writer James Tynion IV and artist Alvaro Martinez allow the characters to mourn their friend's loss. As to how long it will take before they learn the truth, we'll have to wait and see. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]