Bernard Dowd

Creation

Bernard was created by Bill Willingham and Rick Mays. He made his debut in Robin #121.

History

Bernard attends the Louis E. Grieve Memorial Highschool, meeting Tim Drake on the first day of his junior year teaching Tim about the rules and cliques of the school, much to Tim’s initial annoyance despite considering him his first new friend at school. Later, Bernard reveals his crush on Darla Aquista, but fears talking to her because of the jocks that are always around her, when she shows up at the diner he and Tim are eating at. So Tim in order to make Bernard happy approaches the jocks and offering to allow them to beat him, in return for him allowing them to beat him up instead, but he ends up befriending the jocks giving Bernard his shot to talk to Darla, who promptly asks him if Tim is seeing anyone.

Bernard later is the one who brings to the attention of Tim Drake that Stephanie Brown has become the newest Robin, as well as presenting his theory that Batman owns secret orphanages through which he selects children to become Robin when the previous ones die, as well as Batman working for a secret shadow government that runs everything.

Bernard is later present during Gothams War Games, as well as being present alongside Tim when Darla is shot, hiding in the classroom as Tim attempts to find a safe route out of Alamo high. Bernard is eventually rescued alongside the other students by the intervention of Batman. He eventually is targeted by the Warlock’s daughter, formerly Darla who has been revived by magic on his way towards a date with a girl named Linda. Warlock’s daughter promptly dismantles his car, suspending him in the air demanding to know where Tim Drake has moved to, once she reveals her identity the two have coffee at a diner where Bernard reveals Tim has moved to Bludhaven following the gang wars.