DC's 'New 52' line recasts the iconic team of Batman and Robin in two very different lights.

MANILA, Philippines — My favorite Batman and Robin team-up has always been Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake.

I always felt that Dick Grayson was better solo, and Jason Todd was perpetually a rebellious headache.

Damian Wayne’s relationship with Bruce is only really starting, so it’s too early for me to judge that partnership.

First of all, Tim is the most similar to Bruce among the Robins, in the sense that he is primarily a detective. Dick was essentially an acrobat, Jason was a street brawler, and Damian is a pesky little ninja.

But only Tim is the pure detective, such a good detective that at the age of nine, before he ever donned the cape and tights, he was able to deduce that Batman was Bruce Wayne and that Dick Grayson was Robin.

Also, Bruce and Tim, in my opinion, have had the strongest father-son bond among the pairs. The most powerful moment in their relationship was in Identity Crisis, when Tim’s biological father was killed by Captain Boomerang. In overwhelming grief, Tim broke down into tears, and Batman rushed to the scene, embraced his protégé, and adopted him soon after.

Personally, I thought that Tim should have permanently taken on the mantle of Batman after Bruce “died” in the pages of Final Crisis. He grabbed the opportunity for awhile, until Dick accepted that the role was his.

Bruce and Tim have gone their separate ways now, but it’s nice to know that their titles  in the rebooted DC universe are solid on their own merit.

STILL FIGHTING FOR THE WORLD

In Scott Snyder’s Batman, Bruce Wayne is leading an initiative to rebuild Gotham City and its public transit system to transform it into a city of hope.

He’s using the lesson that his dad taught him, of tomorrow being only a dream away, to inspire the public and make them believe that there is a brighter future for the infamous city.

As Batman, he’s facing off against the worst of his rogues gallery, as they try to break out of Arkham Asylum. With the aid of somebody posing as Joker, who later on turns out to be Dick Grayson, Batman combats the likes of Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Black Mask in a physical scrap ending in broken jaws and shattered teeth.

On top of all that, Batman is also investigating corruption in the city. He points out to Commissioner Jim Gordon that it was actually one of the most trusted security personnel that let the villains out of the asylum. Gordon expresses his doubt that anybody can stay clean in Gotham City, but Batman tells him he disagrees, obviously referring to Jim.

Now Bruce Wayne is a very busy man, but Scott Snyder’s take on the wealthy hero is lighter, more optimistic, and even jokey. He’s even grinning most of the time when he’s not wearing his mask. Amidst all the darkness and violence plaguing his city, Batman remains determined to forget the past and present, and move on with his life.

Greg Capullo’s art on Batman is cartoony, but very dynamic and expressive. He is able to deliver fluid action scenes and realistic dramatic moments matching Snyder’s intelligent script.

NO MORE CAPE AND TIGHTS

In Teen Titans, Tim Drake has a very new look. Although DC assured their readers that most of his history will still be kept, there has been an obvious change to the teenager. Gone is the typical cape and tights look. What we have is a modern high-tech suit, with actual wings.

Growing up, I always wondered why Robin never had any wings like a real bird. DC finally used logic over tradition and gave Tim a practical, useful tool that may make his appearance hard to get used to, but certainly gives him an edge on the battlefield.

Scott Lobdell, a former writer of Uncanny X-Men, channels the same mutant themes, as Tim and his team fight an international organization that seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers out of paranoia. Tim is in for some tortured teen drama like no other.

Batman and Teen Titans are only two of the many titles that our heroes will be featured in, so be sure to follow them faithfully on their quest to clean the streets and save the world.

Batman and Red Robin find themselves in a vastly different universe than we are used to, but they are still filling some very familiar roles. Whether together or apart, the two crusaders of justice will fight the same fight until their dying breaths.

(Marco Mañalac is a stage/film/TV actor, host and comic book enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter @marcomanalac. Email him at marco.manalac@gmail.com)