5-7-9

[5-7-9]

BATS BATS BATS BATS-

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It was just Duke’s birthday, so here’s a little scenario or fanfic idea: Duke’s WAR bio states his age at the time as sixteen. The We Are Robin moment probably lasted several months (as Bruce was amnesiac for months and Damian was off doing his Year of Redemption), despite being technically disbanded by Robin War only halfway through the comic.

So I like to believe that Duke turns sixteen during WAR. Imagine, his first birthday without his parents. The grief. The uncertainty and terror of not even knowing where they are, if they’re dead or alive. How alone he must feel.

And then his friends arrive and, whether they know what day it is or not, remind him how far from alone he is. It’s also his first birthday as Robin. Robin is about family, and sometimes family is chosen.

[5-7-9]

"if you're such a big DC fan, then why don't you have alot of comics and merch?"

BECAUSE I'M 15 YEARS OLD AND UNEMPLOYED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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duke is not a smiley sweetheart he's a smartass with a resting bitch face.

actually hold on post cancelled i was looking for examples and got completely distracted by how much duke moves his hands

[5-7-9]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUKE💛☀️🎉

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Duke Thomas Arbitrary Reading Lists

To celebrate Duke's birthday yesterday, here are some of my Duke reading recs grouped together by arbitrary categories!! Take these with a huge grain of salt I'm completely working off memory

Powers

The Cursed Wheel finale, found in All-Star Batman #9 (Duke's light powers awaken)

Dark Days: The Forge / Dark Days: The Casting (explanation of Elaine's meta gene and also Nth metal... idk I don't understand it)

Batman & The Signal (introduction of Gnomon)

Batman & The Outsiders (2019) (Duke's shadow powers awaken, which dampen his light powers)

Dark Nights: Death Metal Robin King (Duke unlocks his light powers again)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal (Duke unlocks more powers)

Thomas Family

Batman: Zero Year / Batman: Endgame

We Are Robin (you already know this is essential reading)

Batman (2011) #48 and #50

All-Star Batman #1-9 including Cursed Wheel back-ups (PEAK Doug & Elaine reading. read main stories alongside back-ups for the best experience)

Batman & The Signal

Batman: Secret Files: The Signal (Duke's mom disappears)

Batman: Urban Legends #8-9 and #18-19 (aftermath of Duke's mom's disappearance + rescuing her)

Romance

We Are Robin (Dizzy + polyWAR for your reading pleasure)

Batman (2016) #1-6 (in which Tom King replaces Duke's girlfriend of colour with a White love interest)

Batman & The Signal (Duke is back to dating Izzy! so. literally what was the point)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal

One-Shots Where Duke Barely or Doesn't Appear But Is Really Important To My Conception of Him

Batman (2011) #44 (a lovely issue about Bruce and Gotham. REALLY important imo to understanding Snyder's Duke-Bruce-Gotham triangle, even though he isn't even mentioned here)

Detective Comics #982 (only a Duke cameo but again SO important to that Duke-Bruce-Gotham triad)

Batman (2016) Annual #1 (the tiny Bruce-Duke moment is worth the entire thing)

The Robin-to-Signal Transition

Batman (2011) #50 (Bruce extends an offer)

Batman: Rebirth (Duke takes up the offer)

All-Star Batman #1-9 (Duke and Bruce get acclimated to each other)

Batman (2016) #1-6 (Duke and Bruce get acclimated to each other but it's written worse)

Batman & The Signal (Duke officially becomes the Signal)

Batman & The Outsiders (not actually related but you can - and I do - read Cass' Batgirl vs. Orphan struggles as analogous to Duke)

DC Rise of the Power Company (the only time Duke actually on page explores why he left Robin)

The Jason-Duke Supercut Or: The Indeterminability of Whether Duke Likes Jason

The Cursed Wheel Part 1 (Bruce says 'villain' and Duke asks 'Jason'?)

New Talent Showcase (2017) (Duke and Jason train together)

Batman (2016) #33 (Duke teases Jason, calls him "Jay")

Detective Comics #1000 (Duke teases Jason again)

Batman Secret Files: The Signal (Bruce tells Duke he failed Jason; presumably Duke has heard lots of negative things about Jason from Bruce)

DC Rise of the Power Company (Duke insults Jason while talking to Jace)

Duke One-Shots That Deserve More Love

Gotham Nights #8

Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King

The Unexpected #4 (purely for the Duke-Helena interaction)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10

Duke One-Shots That Deserve More Hate

Batman (2016) #16

Detective Comics #1000

Batman Secret Files: The Signal

The Snyder Cut

Batman: Zero Year / Batman: Endgame

Batman & Robin Eternal

Batman: Superheavy

Batman: Rebirth

All-Star Batman

SCOTT SNYDER PLEASE WRITE DUKE AGAIN PLEAAAAASEEEE

My Personal Defining Issues and Runs For Duke's Batfam Relationships (For Jason See Above)

Bruce: Batman: Zero Year / Endgame / Superheavy, Batman: Rebirth, All-Star Batman, Batman & The Signal, Batman & The Outsiders, Batman Secret Files: The Signal (also see one-shots that influence my Duke conception above because they're all Bruce-Duke too)

Cass: Detective Comics #983-987, Batman & The Outsiders

Dick: Batman & Robin Eternal #4, Robin War, Night of the Monster Men

Damian: Robin War (I WISH THERE WAS MORE)

Jace: DC Rise of the Power Company, DC Power Company Recharged

Stephanie: Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King, DC Power 2024, Batman: Urban Legends #3

Tim: Robin War, Dark Nights Death Metal: Robin King, Batman: Urban Legends #8-9

Kate: Detective Comics #952

(Any Batfam members not mentioned here don't have significant interactions with him; however, for Helena check out The Unexpected #4 and for Harper check out DC Power 2024)

OKAY that's about it!! Obviously these are my opinions, for a more extensive reading list check out @duketectivecomics list here. HAPPY DUKE READING!!! LET'S MAKE THIS YEAR DUKE THOMAS' YEAR!!!!

[5-7-9]

Batman animation yayy 🙌👍

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it's like when there was critical commentary for storytime animation. Just doesn't make sense. Opposings goals and vibes.

crude critical negative humor is just really clashing with positive educational children media

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crude critical negative humor is just really clashing with positive educational children media

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so this kid he used to bully me in middle school before i got tough, well this is kind of a funny story. so i sugar from time to time but my latest sugar mommys house is so extra and i didnt bring my glasses but im going through the house because she told me to make myself at home and i see a family photo and im just like he looks really familiar but i cant make out shit. and so she and i start talking and shes like yeah i have a son your age actually and im just like wait… and she was like you’ll meet him later when we go to the car show, and im just like fuckin wait.. and we get to the car show and its me and her we’re holding hands being friendly and shes like and heres my son. and i shit u not this is the same dude who used to fucking bully me in middle school and he starts fucking crying because he didnt know his mom was lesbian and i was just like hey its been a while, but im getting fucked by your mom.

[5-7-9]

Fairy Tail needed to focus on every Fairy Tail guild member instead of the main character :/

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the old Fairy Tail artstyle looks like the old One Piece artstyle

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Gacha Heat, ROBLOX slop, ElsaGate, Flash the engine being killed removed so many safe children games.

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ROBLOX is Anti-Vigilantes unironically

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I can't decide if my Duke Signal redesign should be more knight themed or more street themed or something else. It's giving the same problem I had with Fairy Tail Loke's redesign with armour or prince, which apparently princes wore armour anyways???

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I was two minutes into editing before I realized Tim wasn’t here

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Some sketches