Jim Lee’s Batman #6 Cover Spoils Robin's Fate

When a special variant cover for the upcoming sixth issue of Matt Fraction's Batman was released in Jan. 2026, fans suspected that this version of The Dark Knight would be parting ways with his current Robin. Well, it appears that is exactly what is happening.

New details about Batman #6 have come to light, revealing that the variant cover by Jim Lee does, indeed, spoil the fact that Tim Drake is abandoning his career as Robin.

Reports from Bleeding Cool detail the forthcoming issue of the acclaimed series by writer Fraction and artist Jorge Jiménez, which shares a few previously unseen panels that prove fans' speculations are true. The Boy Wonder enters the Batcave to come clean to Batman about wanting to take a break from patrolling Gotham City in favor of spending more time with Bernard Dowd.

Tim admits that he feels guilty for lying about his secret life as a vigilante to his boyfriend, who previously appeared in Batman #3. In the issue, the young man confronts Bruce Wayne about how Tim would often return from their "bro weekends" suspiciously looking as if he had been "beaten up to all Hell."

As established, the aforementioned special cover for Batman #6 comes from Jim Lee, the legendary comic book artist behind beloved Batman comics like Batman: Hush, as well as widely reviled Batman comics like All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, who currently serves as the president of DC Comics. The revealing image, featuring a collage of Tim Drake's defining comic book moments in the background, sees an uncowled Batman holding a Robin suit in the foreground as the BatFamily member walks away with a packed bag.

On a positive note, this separation allows Bruce's son, Damian Wayne, the opportunity to step in as the new Robin in Matt Fraction's series. Or, perhaps, Batman will enlist the help of his original Boy Wonder, Dick Grayson, finally giving Nightwing a chance to shine in this continuity.

A Brief History Of Tim Drake And Bernard Dowd

It is actually quite endearing to see Tim Drake, who was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Pat Broderick, choosing to hang up the cape for love, which is something that Batman has historically struggled to do. However, who is this man who has stolen the now former Robin's heart?

Bernard Dowd was created by Bill Willingham and Rick Mays and made his DC Comics debut in Batman: Urban Legends #4 in 2021. He is introduced as a childhood friend of Tim's who reconnects with him shortly after Bernard falls victim to a cult called the Children of Dionysus.

As Robin, Tim helps rescue Bernard, who ends up proving to be a capable fighter as they take on the cult together. At one point, Bernard tells Robin that he wishes he could continue his "date" with Tim, revealing that his reunion with his old friend helped him realize and come to terms with his true sexuality.

In turn, Tim, who had recently broken up with Stephanie Brown, would discover he had his own romantic feelings for Bernard. This would become the beginning of their relationship.

Now, "Bim" or "Ternard" or however fans might want to nickname this couple, have become a staple of Matt Fraction's Batman run, and play an important role in this version of Tim Drake's story. Fans may have been able to guess the outcome of Batman #6 based on Jim Lee's variant cover, but how long this Robin stays estranged from the BatFamily is anybody's guess at the moment.

Batman #6 will hit the comic book store shelves on Feb. 4, 2026.