SUMMARY OF EVENTS:
Although never officially labeled as a cross-over event, War Drums is a series of issues which tell the story of the events leading up to War Games. The arc was retroactively titled and was collected in Trade Paperback form. Please note that our reading order is slightly different from that of the trade's.
Believing that Johnny Warren had died and that he was to blame, Tim begins to lose interest in the caped crime-fighter life. It isn't until Stephanie talks him into staying that he decides not to give up the Robin mantle. However he soon finds that decision may not be his to make.
After finding out that Tim had been dressing up and fighting crime along side Bruce Wayne, Jack Drake shows up at Wayne Manor and demands Bruce tell Tim to stop. Tim forges a compromise in which he will give up the mantle as long as his father promises never to reveal Bruce's secret identity. Jack Drake accepts and Tim begins his civilian life (including a civilian girlfriend named Darla Aquista, the daughter of reputed mob boss Henry Aquista).
Meanwhile, Tim's old foe Johnny Warlock decides to send the assassin Scarab out on a mission to kill Robin. Since no one knows Robin's secret identity, Scarab begins killing every teenaged boy matching the description of Robin.
The title of Robin wouldn't be vacant for very long however as Stephanie Brown stepped in and asked to be trained as Robin. Batman accepts on the one condition that she not disobey a single order. Stephanie's recklessness is something that weighs heavy on Bruce's mind as Jason Todd's 18th birthdy comes around remind him just how short a young life can be in the world of crime-fighting.
This is a lesson all too familiar to Bruce's mother-figure Dr. Leslie Thompkins. She is pulled into the fray once again when Mr. Freeze shoots a pregnant woman. Although the baby lives, Batman is unable to save the life of the young woman leaving Dr. Thompkins even less sure of Batman's methods of crime-fighting.
Batman also finds himself calling up on the help of his under-cover mob boss Orpheus (Orpheus Rising) and wild-card Tarantula and he squares off against a flesh eating beast long though to be only the stuff of legend. Knowing how important he is to Batman's power-structure , Batman calls upon Onyx to serve as Orpheus's body guard.
Finally after a brief an nearly fatal battle with Zsasz, Stephanie rushes into a fight with the assassin Scarab and unwittingly allows the assassin to escape. As punishment for breaking his one condition, Batman strips Stephanie of the Robin title and orders her out of Gotham City!
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