When I last checked in with Tim Drake in the pages of Red Robin, during the book’s first story arc, the mischaracterization of the former Bat-sidekick there drove me away from the series completely. Portrayed in earlier days as a level-headed and mature teenager, Tim had become a whiny, brooding adult prone to drastic, irrational actions motivated by emotion rather than logic. Several months have passed since then, though, and writer Christopher Yost has had a chance to refine his take on the character. In the spirit of second chances, perhaps it is time to revisit the pages of Red Robin.

The good news is that the Tim Drake of Red Robin #9 much more closely resembles his old self. However, this seems to be due mainly to the resolution of the plot threads that had him flying off the handle in the first place rather than evidence that Yost has reevaluated what makes his protagonist tick. Armed with confirmation of Bruce Wayne’s survival and reunited with his resurrected pal Superboy, Tim is a happier (and calmer) fellow. He’s even able to crack a joke or two about his new costume and crime-fighting equipment.

As welcome as these developments are, they don’t automatically transform Red Robin into a great comic. There’s a serious lack of story here, putting a damper on the hopes for a meaningful reading experience. Aside from a threat made by the villain Ra’s al Ghul in a brief scene toward the end, the script mostly involves characters talking about things that happened in previous issues. And it isn’t even done in a manner conducive to filling in new readers on important details, as these conversations are strictly referential, not explanatory.

Thankfully, I can at least report that Red Robin is a much better looking book than it was at its inception. Marcus To is the artist now and he demonstrates a knack for maximizing the aesthetic potential for each of the costumed characters featured in these pages. Additionally, his Gotham cityscapes are top-notch, and he makes sure that the fight scene between Red Robin and Killer Moth flows naturally to open the book with a bang, at least visually. I certainly hope I get to see To’s work someday in the panels of a Batman comic that’s actually fun to read.

Nine months into its lifespan, Red Robin has yet to justify its existence other than as a means to meet a quota of a series for every major Batman character. This issue even marks the first part of a crossover with Batgirl and I still wouldn’t categorize it as essential reading for followers of that superior book. As much as I would like to see another great comic headlined by Tim Drake, the reality is that such a thing has not been among DC’s offerings since the publisher fired Chuck Dixon in 2008. Methinks that Dan DiDio and company owe someone an apology.

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