WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Adventures Continue #12 by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina and Josh Reed, on sale now.
The Robins seem to have a lot in common on the surface. Their careers as crimefighters usually stem from tragedy; Dick Grayson's parents were killed and Jason Todd grew up as an orphan. Tim Drake is an exception to this rule, in his childhood, his parents were absent most of the time, but at least they were alive. Still, in Batman: The Adventures Continue #12, Tim compares himself to Jason; he points out how both of them took the Robin costume, even after Batman rejected them, so they could fight criminals and make a difference. While Alfred agrees that all Robins share a common background, he's quick to show Tim that, at heart, he's nothing like Jason.
As Robin, Jason gained a reputation for his rebellious, cocky attitude and his excessive use of violence. He was defiant to a fault, and his lack of discipline led him right into the Joker's clutches. In many ways, Jason is the antithesis of everything Batman and, by extension, Robin stands for. On the other hand, Alfred tells Tim that he's been the perfect addition to the Bat Family from the start. "...Both [Batman] and I have seen the integrity and dedication in you," Alfred says. Of course, he declares that Jason lacked both of these traits. On the surface, Tim and Jason may seem quite similar, but when you look a little deeper, it's evident that they're different. However, the end of the issue reveals that Tim is prone to Jason's most distinct weakness.
Right when Alfred praises Tim's character, Batman arrives and says he regrets what happened to Jason. He apologizes and promises that he'll never let it happen again. In response, Tim shockingly takes Batman to the ground and tells him he sees through his disguise; he knows he's speaking to Jason. The former Robin unmasks, and Tim says he knew "Batman" was an imposter because the real Dark Night would never apologize for making an error. When Jason hits Alfred with a Batarang, Tim impulsively charges him. The current Robin and his predecessor come to blows, but Jason emerges victorious because he uses Tim's anger against him. Having won their confrontation, Jason, carrying a Robin costume, drags Tim out of the Batcave, which suggests that he has plans for the Boy Wonder.
Though Tim came out on the losing end of this interaction with Jason, the scene still demonstrates that he is exactly the Robin Batman needs. Thinking on his feet, Tim isn't fooled by Jason's attempted deceit because he knows the Dark Knight better than anyone. (Other than Alfred, of course.) In Tim's mind, Batman doesn't say, "I'm sorry." Instead, he learns from his mistakes and moves on. Batman's apology for Jason's death is a red flag that tells Tim Bruce Wayne isn't underneath the cowl. This deductive reasoning reflects Tim's skills as a detective, which has been apparent since he first appeared in the pages of a Batman comic.
In Batman #441, Tim starts to become a member of the Bat-Family. Having tracked down Dick, Tim explains how he solved the mystery that few other people in the world have been able to. He's connected the dots between Batman and Robin and their secret identities. Tim recaps how, after he saw Dick perform acrobatics at the circus, he recognized the same athleticism in a news clip of the Boy Wonder fighting alongside the Dark Knight. Tim's presence at the circus on the night Dick's parents were murdered sparked a lifelong connection between the young boy and Batman; seeing the hero comfort Dick in the aftermath of an unspeakable tragedy make Tim idolize the Caped Crusader. Plus, Tim followed the headlines about Bruce taking Dick under his wing and realized that their relationship paralleled that of Batman and Robin's first appearance together. Batman may be the World's Greatest Detective, but Tim might just give him a run for his money.
Wearing the Robin costume comes with a lot of responsibility because it means that the person wearing it must represent Batman. Jason failed in this regard, as he never lived up to the Dark Knight's example; instead, he defied it at every turn. Tim Drake, though, embodies the hero's best traits; his integrity, dedication, and intelligence are just a few examples. In Batman: The Adventures Continue #12, a confrontation between Jason and Tim shows readers why Jason was never cut out to be the Dark Knight's sidekick and Tim is the ideal candidate for the position.