To the rest of the DC Universe, Tim Drake is dead, having met his demise while defending Gotham City from a rogue military operation known as The Colony. Everyone, even Batman himself, believes Red Robin sacrificed his life in an effort to save thousands more, and have been mourning his passing ever since.

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Unbeknownst to Batman and his Gotham-based team of heroes, however, Drake is actually alive, and being held prisoner in the interdimensional jail of the mysterious Mr. Oz. We've already met a number of Tim's cellmates (Doomsday, Prophecy and the now-escaped Mr. Mxyzptlk), but the identity of one of them has remained a mystery. In September, that mystery will be solved, when Detective Comics #965 shines the spotlight on Tim's predicament, and reveals the identity of his previously unknown fellow prisoner.

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The arc's title, "A Lonely Place of Living," is a play on Drake's DC Comics introduction in 1990's "A Lonely Place of Dying." The storyline, written by Marvel Wolfman and drawn by George Perez and Jim Aparo, was a crossover event between Batman and Teen Titans, and served to bring a new Robin (Drake) into Batman's life following the murder of Jason Todd years earlier. The story was designed to illustrate how important Robin was to helping Batman regain his humanity in the face of Todd's death. While Batman has certainly been affected by the "demise" of Tim Drake, it's not been nearly as drastic as when Jason Todd was killed by the Joker.

As for the identity of Tim Drake's fellow prisoner, with the Multiverse making itself more and more prevalent with every passing Rebirth revelation, the possibilities are vast. It could be another one of the DCU's current players who found themselves taken off the board a la Tim, or it could be another denizen of the pre-Flashpoint DCU, like Mxyzptlk. Whatever the case, the mystery will be resolved (somewhat) when "A Lonely Place of Dying" arrives in stores Wednesday, September 27 -- just two weeks after we learn who Mr. Oz truly is in Action Comics #987.

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DETECTIVE COMICS #965

  • Written by JAMES TYNION IV
  • Art by EDDY BARROWS
  • Cover by EDDY BARROWS
  • Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
  • Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
  • “A Lonely Place Of Living” part one! It’s the story you’ve demanded: Where in the world (or otherwise) is Tim Drake? Red Robin faces a crossroads…escape the most devious prison ever devised, or find himself abandoned beyond time and space for all eternity! Not much of a choice, right? But when he finds out just who is locked in there with him, Tim’s world will change in ways he never imagined! This is one of the biggest stories of the REBIRTH era, setting the stage for an explosive DETECTIVE COMICS epic!On sale SEPTEMBER 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T