#batman 457

[timdrakeinorder]

Batman #457: Identity Crisis, Part Three: Master Of Fear

Released: December 1990 Story: Alan Grant Pencils: Norm Breyfogle Inks: Steve Mitchell Lettering: Todd Klein Colors: Adrienne Roy Editing: Dennis O'Neil

Part Two

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

Gotta love that very clear gay subtext of old comics

Batman 457 || Scanned at 300dpi

[weenieman25]

i found this in my gallery nd im crying what was i on abt😭🙏

[diligence]

Though most don't notice the change in Robins, you do. It's the subtle differences that draw your attention posthumous because that's when your attention matters.

That's when someone is needed to point out that Batman needs a Robin. It's the differences that help you know that the original Robin isn't dead—that he can take the job.

He, all teeth and a taut leash, doesn't take the job, of course, so you take it instead.

You become the third Robin, picking up a legacy that's scratched like an uncared for vinyl that you didn't listen to before buying.

Dick is everything you imagine a Robin should be—at least, most of the time. Others, you can't believe he thought it was a good idea to leave Batman, even if he was getting old (you're thirteen and can't imagine what it's like to be almost twenty yet), but you suppose it's a good thing he did or else you wouldn't be standing in the cave yourself.

Sometimes when you're standing in that cave you look at Jason's suit—displayed like it would be in a museum but for only Batman and Alfred who always spoke of the second Robin with a furrowed brow and sometimes Dick when he could stomach being there and now you to view—and wonder if he would have left if he had a choice. If he hadn't died, would he have stayed by Batman's side longer than Dick?

You don't know. You don't have to know. You swallow down the part of you that supposes it's a good thing you don't have to take that gamble, either, because you don't like that thought of yours and you know Bruce wouldn't either.

Even if Jason isn't exactly a topic that the two of you broach often, you come to understand Bruce enough to know when he's thinking of him, which is almost always the first few months. Sometimes there's tells, like when he holds a glassy glance too long as if he's observing a ghost behind you, one that he's afraid of. Sometimes you don't need a tell at all—sometimes you're just Jason. Sometimes you're not allowed to go on missions you can handle because he's afraid of losing you, even though that's unspoken, and you know that really means he's afraid of losing Jason again.

Dick doesn't see Jason in you any more than he sees himself in you, you think, but there's always been an unreadable quality to him that most people wouldn't be able to notice unless they were trained by the World's Greatest Detective. Luckily for you, you were, and that's how you know that it isn't that you don't remind Dick of Jason, but that Dick doesn't like thinking of Jason at all.

The guilt runs too deep. You don't know where it's sourced, but that's okay. You wouldn't fault Dick anyway; he's practically your older brother. Your only brother.

That only makes your wonder deepen, your imagination more vivid—more hopeful—as a kid than it will be in the future. You know that if Jason had lived, you would never have become Robin in the first place. You're too close in age and you still don't know if he would have given up Robin, but there could be a world out there where he did and you do.

In that world, you assume you would get along. Again, you're close enough in age that you'd probably like the same things, and you'd only have a few years gap in school subjects. You're smart enough that you could keep up with his homework, and if you couldn't, he could give you tips on yours. You'd roll your eyes at the same Bruce comment, which is something you already do with Dick, but it'd be different.

Dick's your role model, the kind of guy you aspire to be, but he's older than you and away from home more often than not. Even still, you're closer with him than you are with Bruce in almost every way but strategically, so you can only imagine having a former Robin around more often. You can't help but wonder if you'd be closer—Jason and you.

You think about him and the life he didn't get to live a lot because it's the life you're now living. You think about it every time you pass his memorial in the Batcave, even if it's only a brief thought that acknowledges he existed. You think about how the legacy of Robin isn't the only legacy that rests on your shoulders. You 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 that if he were alive, you'd be doing him proud.

But he's not, so you mourn him. You mourn him with Bruce and Dick in silence, each in your own different ways, because it's not like any of you to express these feelings aloud. If it used to be, it isn't anymore, because that isn't the way of the bat, and God knows you need to be the bat.

Sometimes you mourn the imaginary version of him more than the one that existed, the one you could relate to and look up to. You like to think it's not that far from reality, so you mourn the real him, too.

You mourn him, and you mourn him, and you mourn him, and he tries to kill you.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 you mourn him more.

[6kate1bishop6]

trying to read through all of tim’s appearances in order and i’m only 27 issues in but i think it’s fundamentally changing my brain chemistry

[fandom]

Ships

Week Ending January 6th, 2025

Jayvik Jayce & Viktor, Arcane

Gelphie Glinda & Elphaba, Wicked

Stobotnik Agent Stone & Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonadow Sonic & Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog

Timebomb Jinx & Ekko, Arcane

Caitvi Caitlyn Kiramman & Vi, Arcane

Destiel Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural

457 Seong Gi-hun & Hwang In-ho, Squid Game

Byler Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things

Phan Daniel Howell & Phil Lester, YouTubers

Megop Megatron & Optimus Prime, Transformers

Hannigram Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal

Odypen Odysseus & Penelope, EPIC: The Musical

Superbat Superman & Batman, the DC Universe

Billford Bill Cipher & Stanford Pines, Gravity Falls

Stolitz Stolas & Blitzo, Helluva Boss

Zaundads Zander & Silco, Arcane

Buddie Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1

Ineffable Husbands Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

Jegulus James Potter & Regulus Black, the Harry Potter universe

[batbaffle]

as opposed to:

[phantobats]

No, Crime Alley doesn’t need a vigilante like Red Hood. In fact, Jason Todd’s approach is exactly what Gotham must avoid to break free from its cycle of crime and despair.

I've seen increasing rhetoric amongst Batfamily spaces that Jason Todd's approach to ruling Crime Alley with an iron fist is the preferable one. He's been painted as some sort of hero for perpetuating violence and controlling the drug trade instead of dismantling it, as seen here:

user iheartdeadmen79 on tiktok:

Contrary to popular fan rhetoric, Batman doesn’t avoid Crime Alley. He confronts its darkness, honoring his parents’ memory and striving to improve the lives of its residents.

Batman frequently patrols Crime Alley, protecting its people from gangs and criminals ("Just Another Kid on Crime Alley!"). His mere presence is a deterrent to crime and a reminder that justice exists.

As Bruce Wayne, he addresses the root causes of Crime Alley’s plight. Through the Wayne Foundation, he funds infrastructure projects, clinics, scholarships, and other resources that empower the community (Detective Comics #457).

Batman collaborates with figures like Leslie Thompkins, whose clinic provides healthcare and shelter to Gotham’s most vulnerable. Together, they tackle crime at its roots—poverty, neglect, and systemic injustice.

Batman’s approach is about more than fighting criminals; it’s about building a foundation for a better future.

Jason Todd’s Red Hood represents the antithesis of progress. His iron-fist approach perpetuates the very cycles of violence he claims to stop.

In "Batman: Under the Red Hood", Jason attempts to take over Gotham’s underworld, including parts of Crime Alley, by using lethal force. This creates power vacuums, incites gang wars, and leads to collateral damage among innocent civilians.

Jason targets criminals but ignores the systemic issues driving crime. Killing gang leaders may seem effective, but it does nothing to address the poverty and lack of opportunity fueling the problem.

Residents of Crime Alley already distrust authority. Jason’s violent reputation only worsens this, making him seem like another dangerous figure instead of a protector.

Jason’s “kill to prevent crime” mentality sends a harmful message. It glorifies violence as the only solution to complex social issues, desensitizing the community to brutality and ensuring the next generation grows up in the same cycle of trauma.

The Bigger Problem: Romanticizing Red Hood

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: much of the fandom romanticizes Jason Todd’s methods without critically examining their consequences. Posts praising Red Hood for “taking control” or “cleaning up Crime Alley” ignore how his actions destabilize the community, alienate the people he claims to help, and perpetuate the very violence he fights against.

Jason isn’t a hero for Crime Alley—he’s a cautionary tale. By normalizing his ideology, fans risk promoting a toxic mindset that equates justice with unchecked power. Crime Alley doesn’t need fear and bloodshed. It needs hope, investment, and the belief that change is possible.

Batman embodies the hard, often thankless work of building a better Gotham. Red Hood, though well-intentioned, embodies the dangers of quick fixes and violent rule. Gotham, and especially Crime Alley, doesn’t need more fear. It needs heroes who understand that real change comes from compassion, collaboration, and addressing root causes—not from perpetuating the same cycles of pain.

Fans need to move past the idea that Jason Todd’s methods are heroic. They’re not. They’re destructive. If we want Gotham to heal, it’s time to embrace hope, not more violence.

And I do know that the creator of the Tiktok I mentioned wrote their POV off as just being fanon, yet because it isn't explicitly stated in the caption and you have to dive into the comment section to even figure it out, it perpetuates the idea that this is how things actually are in canon, instead of being something fans with no real idea about social issues made up to praise their favorite white guy of the month.

[aliteralchicken]

accidentally deleted a message about where to start with Tim without reading everything so I’d go with:

• a lonely place of dying (Tim’s origin)

• rite of passage (Tim’s first case)

• batman 455-457 (Tim becoming Robin)

• robin 1991 (Tim’s first solo)

it’s also very important to me that you know that despite Red Robin being an absolutely amazing comic under no circumstances should you ever start with it, if anyone ever tells you to that’s the devil talking

it’s a love letter to all of Tim’s history and requires the knowledge of what had happened to Tim and those close to him recently and what was happening currently at that time, Tim acts very differently than he does normally and he has a very good reason to, if you read Red Robin without reading Robin 1993 you will be shooting yourself in the foot

[a-bad-case-of-the-stephs]

Stephanie Browns time as Robin serves as a direct foil to multiple aspects of Tim Drake’s introduction as Robin and what that accomplishes narratively:

1. Alfred vs Bruce Reactions

When Tim first arrives, Alfred is right there trying to convince an extremely reluctant Bruce to allow Tim to become Robin.

Batman #442

In contrast with Steph, where Alfred is giving his best effort trying to convince a resolved Bruce not to allow Steph to become Robin

Robin #126

Tim and Stephs introductions as Robin have Bruce and Alfred directly switch roles in their relation to Robin: the reluctant becomes the advocate, and the advocate becomes the reluctant.

2. Breaking Explicit Orders to Save Batman

Let’s look at the story which ends with Tim donning his own Robin costume for the first time and being referred to as “Robin” for the first time by Bruce, the story where Tim officially becomes Robin.

Tim is told not to go into the field or put on the Robin costume, but Tim chooses to fight the Scarecrow himself and enter a situation he was told explicitly to stay out of by Batman to save Bruce’s life (and also Vicki Vale’s).

Batman #456 & #457

Bruce tells him sometimes rules are meant to be broken, and immediately afterwards, he is recognized as Robin.

Stephanie’s firing as Robin occurs when she is told explicitly to stay out of a fight, but which she still enters, as she believes Batman was in danger.

Robin #128

Tim’s entrance into being Robin is tied directly to his disregarding orders to save Batman.

In contrast, Stephanie’s exit as Robin occurs once she disregards orders and attempts to save Batman.

3. Secret Identity Knowledge

Tim enters the manor already knowing everyone’s secret identities. He knows “The Secret” from literally before day one.

Batman #441

In stark contrast, not only does Stephanie enter her time as Robin without knowing Batman’s real identity, she leaves her time as Robin none the wiser as to Bruce’s secret.

Despite working as a sanctioned member of the team for a substantial amount of time beforehand as Spoiler, she doesn’t know Batman’s identity when she is Robin and she still doesn’t know when she “dies” in war games.

Tim represents a totality of knowledge in his introduction, he knows everyone’s identity and relationships far before he becomes Robin.

And Stephanie represents a total lack of that same knowledge: she enters and exits the Robin role with no knowledge of “The Secret”.

The entirety of Stephs time as Robin is overshadowed by the unavoidable fact that the normally intensely trust based partnership that is the Batman and Robin dynamic is being subverted and used as a blunt tool. A tool to leverage Tim back into the role of Robin.

Is it any wonder then that Stephs time as Robin foils Tims introduction as Robin?

The contrast serves as a way to explain to the reader why Stephanie cannot be Robin: Steph is the “bad” Robin who portrays an opposite to the “good” Tim Drake Robin introduction. She is in opposition to the “norm”.

Stephanie serves as a reversal, a perversion of how Tim Drake became Robin, allowing Tim to return to the role.

The core tenets of the Tim Drake Robin Introduction Myth must be reversed, deconstructed and undone, so that there is room and opportunity for Tim Drake to rebecome Robin afterwards. So that he can reestablish himself and the norms that Stephanie’s time as Robin has upset and undone.

[zahri-melitor]

Nothing like a DC Christmas story with parallels nobody at the time intended to start you crying.

And in the Depths - Christmas With the Super-Heroes #2 (1989)

Dick got his costume for Christmas? Wait who does that remind me of?

Identity Crisis - Batman #455-457 (1990)

You know, the story set on Christmas Eve when Tim buried Janet and ‘earned’ his new costume as Robin.

With the back up moment of:

It’s a Wonderful Night - DC Universe Holiday Special #1 (2008).

That time Dick gives Tim his costume for Christmas on Christmas Eve.

[nightwings-robin]

Some of y'all act like Tim hated Jason when Tim was Robin and Jason was still dead but I disagree.

Not a lot of people do this but I've seen it enough times that it's gotten to bother me a little bit.

Let's take a look at some early Tim opinions on Jason.

Detective Comics (1937) #618

"Just a boy like me... One day I'll be as good as Jason."

This issue came out in 1990, so it's rather soon after Jason died and Tim was introduced (which happened in 1988 and 1989 respectfully). This is what Tim thinks about Jason very early on. This doesn't read as even remotely like hatred to me.

But wait, there's more!

The very next issue shows Tim having sympathy for Jason.

Detective Comics (1937) #619

Tim is noting the similarities between Dick, Jason, and himself. This issue is in the same arc when Tim's parents get kidnapped and his mom is killed. He has sympathy for Dick AND Jason, who both lost their parents. Tim is faced with the same pain and it shows his compassion for Jason.

Now this isn't to say that Tim was unaware of some of Jason's problems and maybe did blame him for his own death a bit, as shown with this panel:

Batman (1940) #455

Tim knew that Jason had times of anger and says he won't let that happen to himself. I don't think Tim is being quite fair here in claiming that he won't let his anger get the better of him like Jason's did, but Tim is hardly the only character to think this way about Jason and, again, this doesn't read as hatred to me. If anything, to me this reads as a character with preconceived notions about how another person died and not wanting to make the same preconceived mistakes as that person.

Is he being a bit harsh and 'holier-than-thou' here? Yes. Do I think this is hatred or some other malicious view of Jason? No.

There is also that time Tim hallucinated Dick and Jason, and they gave a sort of "pep-talk" to him about being Robin.

Batman (1940) #456

These are Tim's own thoughts manifesting through Dick and Jason. I do dislike that he imagines Jason blaming himself for his own death but think about why Tim would think this about Jason. Tim never met Jason. Wasn't there when he died. He only knows what he read and what he was told about Jason from other people. People like Bruce, Dick, and Alfred. And while those three loved and cared for Jason, they also unfortunately reinforced the belief that Jason was responsible for the Joker murdering him. It's not great but it does stand to reason that Tim would think this about Jason.

But it's not all bad stuff. Tim imagines Jason cheering him on alongside Dick:

Batman (1940) #456

Tim imagines not just Dick but also Jason telling him he can do it. That he can figure it out and be a good Robin. I feel like if Tim really did hate Jason, he wouldn't imagine Jason rooting for him.

Tim goes on to imagine Dick and Jason later helping him out with a fight:

Batman (1940) #457

Again, Tim imagines both Dick AND Jason encouraging him during a battle. He imagines that they both want him to succeed as a hero. Why would Tim want Jason's approval if he dislikes Jason? Because he doesn't dislike Jason. Tim respects him enough as Robin to think that he wants Jason's encouragement.

and then at the end when he officially becomes Robin:

Batman (1940) #457

"Dick made it a symbol... Jason gave his life for it. Failing them... what they fought so hard to build... worries me."

Tim sees being Robin as not just carrying on Dick's legacy, but also Jason's. He wants to live up to Jason just as much as he wants to live up to Dick. He wants to be a Robin that both of them can be proud of.

Like none of this says to me that Tim hated Jason. Did he look up to and idolize Jason the way he did with Dick? No, but that also doesn't mean that Tim hated him.

I get the feeling that Tim viewed Jason's death as a tragedy but since they never met, he didn't have any personal feelings about him, only wanting to live up to the Robin name that Jason left behind.

Now I DO think that Tim did eventually end up hating Jason after Jason came back and tried to kill Tim and others multiple times but this post is specifically referring to the time before Jason returned from the grave.

And I guess I should make it clear that I've not read every single comic issue of Tim Drake ever so maybe there are moments that refute my claim that I just don't know about. I'm simply going off of issues that I have read and I've only read Tim's very early days as Robin.

Feel free to disagree and add on if you want.

[jonathan-cranes-mistress-of-fear]

The Scarecrow || Recommended Reading || Master List

For your reading pleasure, here follows a master list of all SCARECROW-CENTRIC comics (cameos and one/two page appearances will not be mentioned) listed roughly in order of release. Note: some comics are included even if Scarecrow is not the main antagonist, but only if he plays a centric role in the overarching story

Feel free to message me if you think I missed something! This list is comics only, and does not include children's books or other media.

GOLDEN AGE

World’s Finest #3 - Riddle of the Human Scarecrow

Detective Comics #73 - The Scarecrow Returns

The Brave and the Bold #197 - The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne!

SILVER AGE

Batman #189 - Fright of the Scarecrow

Batman #200 - The Man Who Radiated Fear!"

Detective Comics #389 - Batman's Evil Eye

BRONZE AGE

Detective Comics #503 - The 6 Days of the Scarecrow

Batman #373/Detective #540 - The Frequency of Fear/Something Scary

The Super Friends #32

Detective Comics #571 - Fear for $ale

Joker #8 - The Scarecrow's Fearsome Face-Off!

Batman 400 - Resurrection Night

THE 90s

Batman #455-#457 Identity Crisis: Part 1 + 2/Master of Fear 

Batman: Haunted Knight- Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1  - Fears

Batman #495-#496

Batman: Long Halloween (Series)

Shadow of the Bat #1

Shadow of the Bat #16-18 “God of Fear”

Batman Dark Victory (Series)

Batman: Haunted Knight - Fears

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1

Batman Annual #19 - Masters of Fear

Batman Adventures #4 - #5 - Riot Act

Batman Adventures #19 - Troubled Dreams

Batman Adventures Annual #1 - Study Hall

Batman Gotham Adventures #32 - The Remote Controller

Batman/Scarecrow 3D

Catwoman #58 - #60, #93

Fear of Faith (Legends of the Dark Knight #116, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84, Batman #564, Detective Comics #731)

New Year's Evil: Scarecrow - Mistress of Fear

Batman Crimson Mist

Nightwing #9 - #11

2000 - 2009

Batman Daredevil - King of New York

Detective Comics #820 Face the ɘɔɒᖷ

DC Super Friends #8

Batman #608–619 (HUSH)

Batman Gotham Knights #16 + #49 / Batman: Black and White

Legends of the Dark Knight #137-141 - Terror

Gotham Knights #23 - Fear of Success

Superman/Batman: Torment (#37-42)

Batman #626-630 - As the Crow Flies

Superman/Batman #38 - 40

Batman Eternal #47

Batman and Robin Eternal #6, #14- #15

DC Halloween Special #1 - The Ballad of Ichabod Crane

Gotham After Midnight (Series)

Joker’s Asylum: Scarecrow

Year One: Batman/Scarecrow

2010 - 2020

Blackest Night #6 -Blackest Night

Untold Tales of the Blackest Night - Blackest Nightmare

DC Halloween Special '10 - Trick for the Scarecrow

Forever Evil: Arkham War (Series)

Batman the Dark Knight #10 - #15 - Cycle of Violence

Batgirl Vol 3  #2-3 - Batgirl Rising: Point of New Origin

Detective Comics v2 #23.3 Scarecrow

Swamp Thing #19-20

Harley Quinn #28 - #30

Batwoman #7 - #9 - Fear and Loathing

Green Lanterns #17 - Darkest Knight

Nightwing #50, #53 - #56

Batman ‘66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E (series)

Batman '66 #28 - Scarecrow Comes to Town

Kings of Fear (series)

Batman/TMNT Adventures #4 - To laugh so not to cry

Shazam #12 - When Strikes the Scarecrow

Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #4      

Legends of the Dark Knight #16

Batman: Gotham Nights #17 - Harvest of Fear; He Who Eats Last...

Batman: The Adventures Continue #10  

Fear State (Series) (FS Alpha + Omega, 106, #111–117, Detective Comics 1056, Harley Quinn #6)

Future State Harley Quinn #1- #2

2021 AND BEYOND

Truth and Justice #10

ArkhaManiacs #1

Man-Bat (Series)

Wayne Family Adventures #55 - #56

Gotham City Villains Anniversary Giant #1

Detective Comics #1049 -1050 - House of Gotham

The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #8 - #9

Knight Terrors: Nightwing (Series)

DC's I know what you did Last Crisis

Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood #2

Batman: The Audio Adventures Special #1 + #6

Batman '89 Echoes (series)

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #3

Little Batman: Month One (series)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #19

[gretahayes]

Batman (1940) #442 / Batman (1940) #440 / The New Titans (1988) #61 / wine and wheat, madds buckley / The New Titans (1988) #65 / wine and wheat, madds buckley / Batman (1940) #456 / wine and wheat, madds buckley / Batman (1940) #457 / wine and wheat, madds buckley / Batman (1940) #457 / wine and wheat, madds buckley / Batman (1940) #457 / wine and wheat, madds buckley

Tim and Bruce + wine and wheat

[dailyscarecrow]

Day 34

A whim

Comic: Batman n° 457

Context: Scarecrow has a new drug that makes people open to suggestion (like putting crime on Batman's mind!). He really wants to know the bat from the inside...

[mutalieju]

rereading Batman #457... Alan Grant really was the one who most consistently wrote scarecrow well

he's always doing different fear stuff too. also this is a christmas story :)