#bc just like robin is dick's to give at the end of the day batgirl is barbara and cass's to give
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bobbinalong · 8 months ago
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also, if there IS a new project with steph, i hope they go back to full-time calling her spoiler tbh.
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cuephrase · 6 months ago
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What are some things introduced new52 to current day that you like and think are an overall net positive for batfam continuity? (As in, it's not uncommon for me to see fan things that mainly focus on post crisis/pre flashpoint stuff but still incorporate new comic aspects, such as slightly changed family dynamics/new developments, and it's interesting for me to find out what different people think is and isn't worth keeping from what got added after the reboot)
ooooh this is a fun question!!
i was going to say i haven't read that many n52 and onwards runs, and then i realized i have actually read most of the ones i want to, i just haven't read any batman/'tec/batgirl/or duke's runs yet. (i read like...half of We Are Robin, Joker War, and i've read batman from where zdarsky come in so like have also read Gotham War.) (might read Catwoman?? not the point.)
since we're sticking strictly to net positives, i'll include something that i like, even if i have criticisms of it, but i won't get into those criticisms so we can stay positive!! (future cue, so this is kind of a lie but i swear i didn't go overboard.) i'm going to include stuff as minor as like costumes bc why not. also nothing is going to be in order of like what i like the most to what i like the least, just fyi. also, probs not definitive, knowing me i will forget something lmao
New52 Era-
tim's red robin costume. that suit is *chef's kiss* imo. i love that he has wings. i...i don't know if i necessarily want it back rn bc i am sososososo in love with his current robin costume, but i do adore the n52 red robin suit
i personally like that they went ahead and made jason less villain, more anti-hero. i think him trying to reintegrate with the batfam creates some very compelling crises
dick as Agent 37!! which...okay, no criticisms nvm. michael janin's art tho >>> okay well actually maybe sometimes i wish this was like elseworlds/black label instead of mainline but
might be a bit of a reach, but i really enjoy the first handful of arcs in n52 b&r and the relationship dynamic they established for bruce and dami
i like that tim and jason are somewhat friendly. i think it makes sense. for a lot of reasons. this is a somewhat controversial opinion, which i understand. but this is where i stand
did i like anything else from this era specifically?????????
OH
DUKE!!!!!!! i loooooove him very happy he was added
Rebirth Era-
the outlaws, specifically jason's relationship with bizarro. (i enjoyed artemis a lot too!! tbh, haven't read these guys outside of this run tho so zero clue how accurate these portrayals are, so grain of salt?)
the return of dick's fingerstripes!!!!!!! best part of tom taylor's run /hj
TIM'S ROBIN COSTUME AHHHHHH. i'm sorry i love that suit way too much
love damian's current robin costume, although...does he have combat boots rn still? can't remember. if he doesn't, they should give those back
damian + jon's relationship, ik it gets obliterated by the stupid age up, but super sons is still very special to me
tim being bi!! now do kon dc you cowards
alfred's death. i refuse to elaborate. i could, but i shan't (this is not alfred hate tho i swear)
i'm forgetting something rn i know it
oh yeah, i do like tim being robin again. IK. IKKKK. no, i don't think he should be robin forever. no, i don't think dami is a bad robin/shouldn't be robin.
um...i liked dick getting shot in the head. the ric era is not how i would've wanted the aftermath but
i don't want to comment on anything super recent, but i do think there's stuff going on rn that could end up being net positives
the titans being reassembled. jury's out on their location but, i do like that they're back
i'm not counting yj because they're not doing anything with them rn, but they should ugh
i think...i think that's it? there could honestly be a lot more that i'm forgetting. i hope this was interesting!! if there's anything i didn't mention that you're curious about, or something i did mention that you'd like a more in-depth answer about, please feel free to ask!! i'm curious what you consider net positives anon, you should shareeee
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doeeyeddyke · 1 year ago
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post Lazarus transfem Jay, where no one knows shit about her coming back until completely accidentally, partly bc she's not even the (sole) center of attention
Damian is sent to Gotham and is one day like btw I have some sisters and Bruce is like..... "Are They Mine" (Wait I Might Have Girls 🥺) (secret girldad Bruce for the win) and Damian is like.... Jane will be displeased if I say anything.... but I think Athanasia biologically is Father's..... but I don't want to lie..... hmmm...... "idk anyway look at the time doot di doot...."
Talia doesn't pick up when Bruce calls she's just like "girls go check if it's anything important or if he's just having a meltdown"
So now 2 sisters start popping up around more often to keep and eye out and check on Damian and one is super tall and buff and the other is much shorter and slighter but they call themselves twins even if short one says she's older and tall one is like "barely!! it doesn't count!!" which honestly yea they're sisters alright
That's how Black Swan and White Dove come to be known, Black Swan is quiet and seemingly ambivalent about the bats but White Dove sounds like she's about to beat the shit out of Batman and to a lesser degree Nightwing and seems vaguely displeased being around Tim's Robin but is cool with Spoiler/Batgirl (esp since she's gotten close to Black Swan and treats her well) and distantly polite to young Duke the very few times they meet
Tim's Robin: hey what's up with that
Damian:
Robin:
Damian: she has Issues With Men don't you know anything Drake smh leave her alone
Robin:
Robin: Oh. Yea ok that makes sense ig sorry man
Damian: don't tell her I said anything tho
(Damian to himself later: it's not Untrue but that's not exactly what's- wait ok that's kinda exactly what's going on here isn't it)
Btw Damian calls her Jane but her full name is Catherine Jane Columba (Mom's name + Jane Austen + Mom's hc maiden name) and she uses Jane with league sibs but CJ in general for everyone else
Anyway I imagine that Cass and Jane start hanging around more and are eventually considered neutral to friendly extension of batfam via Damian (and Athanasia and Mara when they're sent over) (Athanasia is sweet if a lil awkward and much younger than everyone else, Mara is very "You're Not My Dad just a sort of step uncle at best" but Bruce is like "omg,,, daughters,,,,")
Cass might even eventually come over for dinner or smth maybe as Steph's plus one and Dick would be like "omg I am going to big brother you so hard" and Bruce is like "are you sure you don't want to be my daughter" and Tim is trying to figure out if he can do his stalking out of affection and respect thing without getting his butt kicked and the Al Ghul kids are being absolute demons fighting for Cass' attention and trying to find out what Jane is upto
The Jane identity reveal can be totally anticlimactic (Damian says Jane wants to meet them and then at a scheduled dinnerthey meet a buff tall older female lookalike of the dead second Robin and they think "omg 😱 surprise older Todd sister no one knew about??" and Jane doesn't let anyone say anything bc she wants to see how long this lasts)
Or maybe there's some big fight or whatever or fear toxin is involved and a league sib is hurt and Jane unmasks to comfort and tend to them and Bruce or Dick (or even Alfred!) see her face and have a bit of an aneurysm and Jane's too distracted with big sister-ing to be too explicitly angry with the bats at the moment but makes a snappy remark or smth that gives her away ("miss me old man" /sarcastic and /derogatory if it's Bruce)
And uh yea anyway don't take this too seriously I'm half delirious and keep dissociating in turns and I just wanted an excuse for transfem Jason and ended up really loving CJ/Jane
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hintofelation99 · 3 years ago
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Batfamily sorted into Hogwarts houses?
Ooohhhh a classic, I love it! Tbh I have no clue how controversial my opinions are here, like honestly each member fits several houses well. So I just went with what felt best to me, but I'd love to hear other's opinions!
First let's go over the main traits of each house, these are the traits I will be focusing on.
Gryffindor -> Bravery, daring, nerve, and confidence
Hufflepuff -> Hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play
Ravenclaw -> Intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, creativity, and wit
Slytherin -> Ambition, leadership, determination, cunning, and resourcefulness
Bruce
-> Hufflepuff: I feel like this one will be rather controversial and honestly it was pretty difficult to decide on. But I think his overall dedication to the mission is what sold it for me. Like that's one of his more consistent character traits, he values the mission above all else. And I don't think of that value or dedication as coming from a place of ambition, but rather a place of loyalty. Honestly Batman's relationship with Gotham really exemplifies both patience and dedication, at least it does in my mind. Hufflepuff is also sometimes thought of as the house that accepts all, so people who don't have a good designation can go there, which is pretty on point with Bruce adopting a shit ton of kids.
Dick
-> Gryffindor: This one might be a tad cliche, but I think that it fits. Because all of the batfam is daring and brave, but Dick takes so much joy from these traits. He’s known for defying gravity and having fun doing it. He’s also the typical confident older brother, like he definitely has insecurities but overall he’s a pretty confident guy. He’s a leader who paved the way for Robins and continues to protect the rights of young heroes. He’s known for being super protective of his family and is willing to make sacrifices for them. Also he brave enough to design a custom that had no pants and confident enough to run around in that costume.
Babs
-> Ravenclaw: Babs the oracle, she’s basically the definition of knowledge. She definitely exemplifies other houses as well but her dedication to knowledge and intelligence definitely put her in Ravenclaw for me. After being paralyzed a lot of people thought she would give up being a vigilante, but instead she turned information into a weapon and a shield. Instead of giving up she created a new and now invaluable position. She isn’t just smart, she’s clever and quick thinking, always ready for any situation.
Jason
-> Hufflepuff: Okay, so in a lot of ways Jason mirrors Bruce. He’s incredibly loyal to his home, has strict rules that he (mostly) stands by like don’t hurt kids and no abusers get no mercy (and yes I’m using the terms rules loosely here). But honestly what sold the whole ‘Jason is hufflepuff’ thing for me is how protective/kind his is of crime victims, specifically women and children. He was a crime lord who fought to for kids, who didn't tolerate abuse, and who protected prostitutes. And yeah that's all super brave and very Gryffindor-esque, but in my mind it all comes from a place of genuine kindness, and that's what makes him a Hufflepuff to me.
Cass
-> Hufflepuff: Cass is deadly, she could snap just about anyone like a twig, but she's also a complete cinnamon roll. She's a sweetheart who adores her family and, for the most part, likes people. Cass is kind and sweet and she literally booped Batman on the nose. Like if that isn't the most Hufflepuff thing, than I don't know what is. She's just the epitome of 'soft cute Hufflepuff,' but also never forget that she can easily kill you.
Tim
-> Ravenclaw: In my opinion (and I think also canonically but I'm not 100% on that) Tim is the smartest bat. Tim literally outsmarted Ra's Al Ghul and he figured out Batman's identity when he was just a child. And he's not just 'I know a lot of things' smart, he's cunning and knows how to plan for any outcome, how to out wit others, how to lie to Batman. Like in the Red Robin arc his Tim's side quest is outsmarting the league of assassins and pissing off Ras Al Ghul. That's such a Ravenclaw (and baller) move.
Steph
-> Gryffindor: Steph had the nerve to put on a purple suit, she was daring enough to hit Robin with a brick, and she was brave enough to become Batgirl even after her encounter with Black Mask. She's bold and shameless in all the best ways. Like Steph isn't the greatest fighter or most skilled bat, but she's bold and fearless and that's what makes her such a great hero.
Duke
-> Slytherin: This one took me forever to decide on, but I realized that Duke has all the smarts of a Ravenclaw and all the bravery of a Gryffindor. Traits that both fit perfectly into Slytherin. He's cunning and smart and an amazing leader and so determined. Duke lead the 'We Are Robin' movement and made his life goal to out riddle the Riddler. Honestly he's the perfect mix of smart and brave and really exemplefies the best of the Slytherin traits.
Damian
-> Slytherin: This one is a bit lack luster and a bit typical, but I do think it's fitting. He's cunning and ambitious and really values his heritage. Damian knows his life goals, he knows where his heritage can take him, and he will do anything to reach his full potential. And I do think that he has some Hufflepuff undertones, undertones that come out even more around animals and Jon, but overall he is a Slytherin.
And wowie, I'm done. This took waaayyyyyy longer than expected, so sorry for that. Honestly when I saw this ask I was like 'oh, cool, easy!' then I tried to answer and holy shit. I went back and forth so much and could not decide. So after many days and much thought this is what I ended up with. That being said I did really love this ask bc it was super fun.
Also srry if there are any typos but if I keep trying to edit this I will never finish bc I will keep changing my mind.
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batarangsoundsdumb · 4 years ago
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guess fucking what? my inbox is so fucking full right now i'm unloading all of this shit in one post.
For the 11th gotham memes: gothamites react to bruce being jacked in a tiktok he made with kids, like super yoked, ripped as hell
fucking hilarious thanks. i think i did it in one meme post, but i genuinely don't remember which one
i dunno which of the batfam would do this but one time i was sleeping over at a friends house and ended up on the floor bc the bed was so very small and i just stayed there because the rug was soft
that's a drunk jason move i don't know what to tell you
tim and jason are "i listen to pop punk" solidarity. whenever jason highjacks the batmobile theyll go on long ass car rides blaring mcr and paramore and then never talk about it again
as they should!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! tim: no jason it's my turn using the aux cord i gotta put on my jams jason: don't you dare put on weird shit tim: don't worry, you're gonna love this *plays fearless (taylor's version)
hear me out hear me out, red hood stans 🤝 nightwing stans t h i g h s
holy shit yes.
SNL au: Bruce breaks character when pretending to superman and says something like "I'm not superman! You've seen his gps!! It's from 2001!!!" @sabeanybabe
superman flies past the snl building the next day just to say 'actually it's from 2005, i'm not a heathen'
does your back hurt from carrying the batfam fandom
it hurts more from the exotic rock collection i keep in my backpack, but thanks for the concern.
I love your posts by why would you always leave the best parts in the tags?
as a treat for the people that check the tags ;) (and also because i'm committed to the short post aesthetic)
somehow your playlist was everything i never knew i needed. i mean it. this is my new favorite playlist.
and don't you dare get a new favourite playlist!
babe ur stoner tim playlist is exactly too perfect, earth is literally blessed by ur existence
babe thanks so much! i love my stoner tim playlist because it's just my usual playlist but people think it's an artistic choice that i put taylor swift and britney spears in there, when it's just what i unironically like listening to
JANDKSKDK BILLY RAY CYRUS ON THE STONER TIM PLAYLIST I LOVE IT IT
again it's not even an ironic choice, i know every single word and i genuinely like the song
The last chapter of Fundamentals of Casework has me crying at work. Thanks I love it @dudelookitsalesbian
oh babe, i'm sorry, but also, not sorry i love chapter 4 so much it's my lovechild with the 'mental illness' tag
soooo....stumbled on your tumblr by some stroke of fate??? read your DC fanfic first. which is PHENOMENAL btw. then found all the batmemes; the funniest thing EVER bc everyone forgets about regular old gothamites. kept scrolling and your blog pops up as recommended. clicked on the ao3 for shits and giggles and waddaya know?!?!? it's YOU!!! you're LEGEND!!!! ever seen that meme? it's a video of a cat that got into a baseball field and the two announcers get really invested in his escape attempt and start giving a play by play of the cat instead of the game. memeable moment: "GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!"
i seriously think about this ask every single day and it's so fucking funny to me that i've never seen the meme you're referencing, but i still find myself going 'GREAT stuff from the Cat!!!' whenever i see something funny. but wow i'm glad you liked this steaming pile of garbage
Fav dc character overall? And fav batfamily character?
don't ask me to pick between the loves of my life, but i can tell you i've cried about every single batfamily member and also wally west (my beloved)
What's your opinion on fans having a problem with batfam being "too big"? And some even claim that batfam is just "Bruce Alfred Dick Damian" and the rest of them are just "friends and allies" (source: reddit) Personally, I like batfam because of this reason but idk
stupid. a family can never be too big. i'm not that big a fan of like huge batfam stuff with everybody from every single universe, because as much as it's funny for bruce to have like 30 kids, it just feels a little too OOC for me.
This is the best tag I've seen involving the batfam, thanks for thinking of it
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This is canon now @nctxrejects
lmao yeah i think at that point alfred has had to sit through like at least a dozen coming out talks and just has a pride flag collection in the attic that he pulls out whenever a kid comes out
idk why batfam hits different as compared to any other superhero family
bc it's found family and usually the other superhero families are almost all genetically related in one way or another
I don't know if you watch the umbrella academy but I saw your last post about batcest and saw the similarities. But the thing is (although I think it's weird) in TUA, they addressed it by saying "they were raised as weapons, not siblings" or something along those lines, which is simply not the case with batfam.
yeah i watched tua but i also thought it was ridiculous and they still treated each other as siblings so i didn't like the luthor/allison thing, and am glad they stopped doing that shit bc it fucking sucked.
Hot take: Batcest shippers are the same people who believe adopted siblings are not actual siblings
smoking hot take: batcest shippers are the people who watch 'my sister got stuck in the washing machine' porn
Duke was adopted by Bruce?
not technically no, but do i, tumblr user batarangsoundsdumb, look like i care?
True story but I had to change my freaking name because it used to be "Damien" and most people would go "OH LIKE DAMIAN WAYNE" like please I'm just tryna live
true story, but i don't actually think of damian when i hear the name damian, literally the first thing that pops up is damian darkh like bruh what?
apparently dc comics company supported comic stores by giving out new titles and stuff during the beginning of the pandemic to help them run and I just think that's wholesome
ah yeah that's so fucking cool, still don't like dc, the company, because this world is a capitalist hellhole and we're all owned by warner brothers or disney with no in between.
ayo looking at tumblr head canons and finding out bruce is actually a terrible father is a punch in the gut
lmao yes, in like 50% of comics bruce is a terrible father and it gives me whiplash
oooh I just saw the jason todd vs winter soldier post and the real question is: batman vs iron man
while iron man has like hundreds of cases of armor, batman could throw out an emp and have the guy dropping out of the sky in 2 seconds.
dickfast = fastdick = quickdick = quickie
magnum hot take
hey bata(?) just thought I'd let you know I have copied the obnoxious emoji and Billy Ray post for use on simping men going forth
thank you 😘🌷 (@spacebarsidecar)
why would you do that to your followers???? i get why i did it, but why would you???
what is scarecrow made the nightwing funko pop himself, like those diy-ers that paint over other ones
oh god no, horrible take, horrible take, that's a disgusting thought oh no
I see your HC that Bruce and Oliver fucked and raise you this: Dick and Roy ALSO fucked
yes they did and it was a horrible moment for jason to find out dick has fucked both of his best friends
"at this rate bruce adds like 1 child to his family every decade or so" Duke is introduced in 2013, Damian as Damian, not as an unnamed child, in 2006. And he is already 14 years old, Robins rarely remain Robins after 16 😬 It looks like a new Robin and Batkid will appear in a couple of years
i mean i can't wait? but somebody will probably die first tho, we're due for another major character death. my money's on either cass or duke this time.
BRO you're so right all of your Bruce's ex headcanons are amazing but they aren't ships, that's kinda wild. Like I don't want any peeks into how their relationship was I just want to see everyone make fun of them
lmao YES it's just i love bruce being a slut, like good for him.
I am in love with your posts your honour thank you
omg thanks are we like,, gonna kiss now?
The justice league needs to have a meeting to discuss how many of their members/partners have slept with bruce. Because through a combination of cannon & fannon (if DC wasn’t homophobic) we have AT LEAST: 1) clark 2) lois 3) oliver 4) dinah 5) john
Thats not counting villains or random civilians @dudelookitsalesbian
yes yes yes, they'll have a yearly meeting about how many of their collective exes could be out for revenge and batman's list just keeps getting longer.
tim was like "i'm drake now" and everyone was like ahh so your fursona is a dragon and tim was like pffffft no. ducks.
and what about it?
when steph's fighting livewire and she zaps her with lighting and nothing happens and then they both just. stand there awkwardly for a second and talk. yeah i couldn't stop laughing at that batgirl steph is the BEST
oh yeah that was fucking hilarious and i think it would be so cool and sexy of dc to give steph a little comic series,,, as a treat
Hi I absolutely adore all of yours "Bruce and Oliver very badly pretending they didn't fuck each other" memes
lmao i do too
I need you to know that “Bruce Wayne had frosted tips” is one of my favorite Bruce takes of all time it’s so galaxy brained. you’re right and you should say it
he also painted his hair blonde once when he was travelling and in conclusion, this is why he's being blackmailed by the gotham gazette.
you know my thing about gordon being branded as the only good cop in gotham is its a load of shit like arguably he's a good person and not working to screw people over or anything but the fact that he also works w. batman makes him a shit cop. like yea batman is better than the mob but its still illegal its still an abuse of power he just not making bank
babe, all cops are bad cops. (but yeah youre absolutely right, working with vigilantes makes you a shit cop, but also working against vigilantes just makes you an asshole cop yanno?)
ruh roh i think i’m about to add “so not yeehaw” every time i don’t like something
that's a very good vocabulary upgrade
somehow i feel like steph already knew. like babs obviously knew but i feel like bruce got high/drunk in front of steph and started telling his boarding school stories and steph was just like “oh you fucked up i’m never gonna forget this”
steph and bruce have weird uncle/rebellious niece dynamic and they just hang out sometimes and bruce will be like 'i once broke my arm when i tripped over a hedge when i was drunk so oliver drove me to the hospital on an electric scooter' and steph will just have to sit there with that knowledge in her head.
Hello I just wanted to tell you you are So right in all your steph opinions bc she is, in fact amazing and I think that's very sexy of you. Ps. Your Bruce/Oliver fic is hilarious
babe, thank you so much and yes steph is amazing and i love her and she deserves the world and she's the best member of the batfam hands down. also thanks
In Supersons we see a couple of kids that are implied to be Damian and Jon's children and the boy has laser eyes and can fly, so I asume he's not adopted. The girl, who calls Bruce grandpa, can also fly, btw. So it's canon (probably by accident) that Jon can have kids and he must have married one of Bruce's kids. (I'm hoping for Damian, mostly because any other of his children would be waaaaaaaaaaaaay too old.) @artemisa97
lmao that was probably an accident seeing as jon is a 17 year old superhero in the year 3000 (by the jonas brothers)
You know, I'm a die hard fan of your memes, but I gotta say one thing: if Gothamites actually took gas mask everywhere with them, then the Scarecrow would just be a weird dude in a weird costume, and not a villain oh so scary. DC really should just takes notes from you.
bold of you to assume there's no gothamite anti-maskers
How does it feel being the funniest person on this app?
horrible, next question.
I can't listen to Green Day or Billy Joel without thinking of your post about how Bruce got arrested at a Billy Joel concert @nightwings-kid
yeah that's your mistake, i on the other hand can't enjoy billy joel without thinking about the glee rendition of 'uptown girl'
I've FINALLY been watching the Batman animated series and I gotta say, after watching "the gray ghost" I am CONVINCED that Batman is a closeted super hero geek who was 100% freaking out the first time he met Superman and is just REALLY good at hiding it.
superman: so what do you do in your free time? batman, thinking about the superman fanfiction he's writing on the batcomputer: i have no free time
bruce and oliver be like boyfriends to co-workers 401k (do the justice leagues get 401ks??? not that bruce and ollie would need them, but-)
lmao yes just 400 thousand words of bruce realising 'oh dip oliver is such a fucking dumbass' (also i don't know what a 401 k is but i assume they don't?)
Gothamites would totally boo superman as he saves Gotham while batman is out. @meenje
he's like 'okay think about that next time you want to be saved from an alien octopus'
I just took long break from dc comics and I come back to see ric grayson ??
i think it's very cool and sexy of dc to see dick and just think 'you know what? let's just give him a traumatic brain injury' and then didn't develop his character in any real way
SPEAKING OF RIC GRAYSON, gothamites making confused memes out of ric grayson is much needed
'dick grayson is my taxi driver? can anyone explain what the fuck happened he looks like an italian plumber?'
i hate to say it but batfam are def "marvel characters" in that sense they are characters who are human but become superheroes unlike most dc characters who are gods trying to be human maybe this is why I like batfam
fair enough
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aeligsido · 3 years ago
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So I recently saw some posts about the new Batgirls title and how it’s possible that StephCass becomes canon in it. And I have some thoughts™️ about it, and StephCass in general. 
I’m going to start this by saying that yes, absolutely, I want representation. It’s super important, and I’m not mad that writers think about making it more canon (bc apparently it’s already canon in Future State, which, valid), and honestly, if there’s a wlw couple to make canon this one works very well. I’m also not here to destroy anyone's joy or anything, I just want to give my opinion about something that has been bothering me for a moment now. This ship, and the people who ship it, is very valid, and I totally understand why it’s popular and why people like it. 
That being said, this ship doesn’t spark joy for me. It’s a question of personal taste, I suppose, and there’s a few things that bother me that really have nothing to do with what I want to talk about today (not really, at least). 
It’s just that, as a Steph fan, I can’t help but feel like it’s a huge disservice to her character. She was created to be Tim’s love interest, then fridged when the writers realized she was becoming more popular than him, then brought back to life when they realized that people wanted her back. And sure, having her not being Tim’s love interest anymore and existing outside of it, choosing the person she will love herself, it’s amazing and totally something that should be done to get her further away from these origins. 
The problem for me is that Steph is still stuck having to be the love interest of one of the Batkids to exist -- both in fanon and in canon, apparently. With Tim and Cass for the most part, or sometimes Jason or even Damian -- and there’s no shame for anyone if you like these ships!! It’s totally valid, once again, and I’m not here to police what you should like or not. It just bothers me that Steph can only exist as a love interest, and no, the fact that she went from a boy to a girl is not really an improvement. Because at the end of the day, she’s still stuck as being nothing more than the girl who has to fall in love, and nothing more. 
And, again, as a Steph fan, it bothers me a whole lot. Like, for starters I can’t read a Steph-centric fic without it having TimSteph or StephCass, both ships that I don’t personally like, so it’s upsetting for me, but I also feel like it spits on the face of all the development she should go through. Steph is a strong young woman, who was raised in abuse, comes out from it, and chooses to be smiling and optimistic and to believe in a better future, even if she has to fight for it. She has her own personality and her own history, her own moral and her own belief, and it’s too often relegated to nothing so she can be the perfect girlfriend. 
Besides, Steph has proved herself a dozen times already. She shouldn’t have to be “the girlfriend” to be accepted into the Batfam. She shouldn’t have to be a love interest to be considered interesting and good enough for them. It’s forgetting, once again, everything she is, but also her other relationships. The fact that she’s Damian's big sister, and that she was the one who helped him being a kid. The fact that Dick did try to mentor her, as much as he could because back then he has his own very messy life, and then when he was Batman and she was Batgirl -- sure, he wasn’t okay for her to go out again at first, but you have to consider that his latest memories of her was probably her funerals and how yet again a kid died in his family colors, so, yeah. But he still accepted her and tried, and they could have an interesting relationship if anyone really tried to write them. She has an interesting relationship with Barbara as well, who was her mentor but who also was judgemental toward her at the beginning; with Bruce, whom relationship with her is extremely complicated, but I can’t help but feel like they would probably have been closer if Bruce hadn’t been lost in his grief and refusing to get his head out of his ass -- he did like Steph and recognize she was good, he was just too afraid to really do anything else than reject her; she has her relationship with Leslie, who sacrificed so much just for her; even in the new comics and the New52 that make me want to commit arson, Steph has a relationship with Duke, apparently friendly and/or sibling-like, and it should be explored more!!
But instead, once again, Steph is relegated to love interest. And it’s sad. It just makes me sad. She deserves so, so much more. 
AND, I’m absolutely not against Steph dating a girl. I’ve been hcing her as pansexual since I started in the DC fandom lmao. I just feel like Steph should have contact outside of the Batfam and Gotham. She should be a real part of Young Justice, or the Teen Titans. She should have friends outside of that one time with Kara (who has been used as “the super best friend” of almost every Batgirl, btw, so I don’t even feel like it’s special), have way more contacts, have way more people she could get to know and date and go out with and laugh and cry with and everything. 
Steph should be spreading her wings, but instead DC -- and, despite all, the fanon as well -- keeps her pinned to the ground. And it’s just very sad for me. 
(Steph wasn’t a Robin for nothing. You can debate a lot about why she was one, how she became one, but the point is the same -- she’s a Robin, and she’s meant to fly.)
(Tbh I also have a lot of things to say about how annoyed I am about Cass using the Orphan codename, how deaged they both are right now and how it destroys so much of their history, but that’s probably for another time lmao.)
So. Yeah. I’m not mad about DC plans -- or not -- to make StephCass canon, or whatever. I just don’t vibe with this ship, but again -- personal taste! I’m personally aware it’s only my opinion, but yeah, I just wanted to get it out. You’re all free to ship whatever you want, I’m not here to judge that!! 
And, again, as a huge Steph fan, it just makes me sad as a whole. She just deserves better than constantly being the love interest.
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duketectivecomics · 4 years ago
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You might've answered this already and I just didn't find it, but one thing that always perplexed me about Duke was how old he was in comparison to the other Batkids. It's obvious he's younger than Dick and Babs, and I pretty sure he's younger than Jason and Cass, and older than Damian, but I cannot tell if he's meant to be Tim and Steph's ages, younger, or older. Could you help me?
You’re all kinds of good here, anon!!! I answered a similar ask abt the Order of Adoption but didn’t dive into specific ages on that post BECAUSE well they didn’t ask lmaooo but ALSO:
Comic ages are very fluid usually! While Years™️ might pass in the canon proper, or while time seems to slow to a crawl, having a character’s age outright stated is something that occurs very rarely for most characters, if at all!
Because it’s always much easier to have a floating age range to work and play around in! It’s easier to keep a character Perpetually 12 or 16 or 25 or mid-40s or- you get the idea. SO, with that in mind. Let’s do our Best to Break Down What Age Duke Might Be Currently A N D how it might interact with the Other Batkids!
(Warning for a Very Long Post, lots of issue citations, and a LOT of comics terminology regarding specific runs/events/continunity. I’m gonna try to keep it as clear/concise as possible ofc but plz keep these things in mind! If you’re not at least marginally familiar with Bat-Comics, you might find yourself feeling a little lost here!)
So from the Zero Year arc we see a common Trend that plays out pretty consistently with Batfam comics: a Life-Changing Event Occuring while the protag is Young™️.
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(Batman (2011) #30)
With how Duke is drawn in these particular issues, and given the trends of the past, I’d place him in the 8-12 range. The historic precedent being ofc that that is the same range that canon usually places both Bruce and Dick at for their Tragedies™; the more benign reason being that he... just very much Looks to be drawn in that Range. He’s very clearly an Older/Prepubescent child here.
Fast Forward to his Next Appearance in the Endgame arc and-
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(Batman (2011) #37)
He’s definitely older! He’s wiser! And he’s giving Batman a fistbump lmao. Again, no strict age given here BUT, since they condensed each Robin to a Year or Two tops with Bruce (its n52 and its fucked up is what it is), we can assume it’s been at least 4-5 since Zero Year (which would mean if we go off the age range I proposed for that year, then theoretically he could be anywhere from 12-16 here, and I think that tracks pretty well. Not Perfectly and Certainly Not so well with Pre52 continuity ofc, but I’ll talk about that later!)
In We Are Robin, while its not stated Directly In The Text, it IS given as an Informational Tidbit that Duke is 16 (specifically this can be found at the end of issue #4)! (Sweet sweet canon confirmation FINALLY)
We know that WAR takes place Fairly Soon after Endgame (almost immediately, give or take a month or two given that Duke’s been placed in a few foster homes at this point and has racked up Quite A File) now, again id like to remind y’all that while this is a NICE starting point to have, keep in mind that comics are fluid and this may be retconned slightly/ignored in later stories bc Keeping Duke 16-ish is in DC’s Best Interest at the moment. (Having Relatable Teen Characters afterall is a Good Marketing strategy™️. And the longer they can Keep them Young, the Better)
With that in mind let’s take a moment to Highlight the fact that Duke and Damian have crossed paths at this point AND the storylines that have occurred during this year that were meant to be in conjunction with one another!
Because Prior to Endgame, Damian had Died! And just a year (in real, meat-space time) before We Are Robin, he was resurrected and had begun his “Year of Atonement” in the Robin: Son of Batman maxiseries. Midway through both this series and WAR (and, we can assume, midway thru this “Year” for Damian) the Robin War begins/ends and we see at least one major Moment between these two boys who will soon call one another brothers:
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(Robin War #2)
Given that R:SoB is followed up VERY quickly by Teen Titans Rebirth (in which Damian celebrates his 13th birthday), we can conclude that Damian would be 12 during this time (well, 12 and 1/2 to play it safe lmao). That being said, this Confirms about a 4yr gap between Duke and Damian! (One Batkid down at least! but he’s the key to the others so put a pin in him!)
As We Are Robin draws to its conclusion, DC was releasing another arc that would eventually flow into the Rebirth Era, by the end of which, Bruce would approach Duke with an Idea (which involves Bruce becoming Dukes temporary guardian & as he states Many Times “Trying Something New” with Duke).
And thus the Rebirth Era begins, and Duke began his Year of training (most directly encapsulated by the Cursed Wheel arc in the All-Star Batman run:
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(All-Star Batman #1 (back-up story))
Bruce introduces Duke to a training regimen that Alfred has named “the Cursed Wheel”. It encompasses all the training Bruce and the other bats have undergone and condenses it down into color-coordinated segments that will take Duke a Year to Complete.
It can be assumed that by the End of this Year Duke will somehow miraculously still be 16, despite, again, an entire ass year passing.
There’s one story that takes place mid-year in All-Star Batman, and the Cursed Wheel is meant to be capped off by Duke’s first Official Day as the Signal (in the titular Batman & the Signal ofc) BUT, near as I can tell after this story, Dukes age is not brought up again. So until they DO bring it up either in Batman & the Outsiders or whatever future run Duke becomes involved in, we can assume DC will be working with the idea that he’s meant to be in that 16-18 range from here on out (ie still a minor).
But, dear anon, you might be saying “okay, that’s cool, but how does that relate to my question abt how he falls in with the other Bats?” You’ll have to be a little patient with me here, but I think I may have cracked the code!
Keep in mind I’m gonna be addressing both the Post-Crisis to Flashpoint Continuity (ie mid-80s to 2010 in comics history) and the N52-slash-Rebirth Era (2010-Today). Its generally agreed by fandom and DC alike that these points of rebooting &/or Major Events constitute the era of “Modern” comics, and that everything from the 80s-on might more or less be canon on some level, even if not All of it is.
(Plus, most of fandom usually likes to borrow elements from both eras and much more rarely from stories before it, SO-)
Lets do a quick rundown of how everyone who’s Closer to Duke’s Age, Relates to each other first, age-wise:
Given that Jason was 15 when he died, in A Lonely Place of Dying its established that Bruce had become increasingly reckless since his death, and by the end of the story, Tim has stepped in to fill Robin’s shoes (he states that he’s 13 during this story btw). Pretty soon after, Stephanie Brown is introduced & established to be about a year older than Tim (wish I could pin-point a specific issue BUT, i unfortunately haven’t read any Tim OR Steph-involved comics that predate No Man’s Land... Besides the aforementioned Lonely Place and Young Justice technically, but im working on remedying that soon!)
NOW, during the No Man’s Land event, Cassandra is introduced, and pretty soon into her Batgirl run, its revealed that she’s around the same age as Jason (or at least how old he Would Have Been, had he not died.) Now, given that Jay has an August bday and Cass has a January one, fandom sometimes likes to play around with the idea of one being older than the other (OR even speculating/placing them in an AU as twins/siblings, given that Lady Shiva (Cass’ mom) was a Possible Candidate to be Jason’s biological mother but that’s a Whole Other Thing i wont get into here.)
The point being, Cass, in this era of comics, IS slightly older than Tim and Steph. At Tim’s start as Robin, their ages could either line up like: Tim-13, Steph-14, Cass-15 (being a few months ‘behind’ Jay), then Jason at 15/16 (depending on how soon Tim filled the role after Jay died in April) OR Jason-15/16, Cass-16/17 (in this case she’d be a few months ‘ahead’ now instead)
So brief detour to talk New 52, however! Because Tim, Steph & Cass all got switched around from where DC originally left them prior to the reboot! Now I haven’t read much of them in this era, other than Batman & Robin: Eternal, so my Understanding of their current ages is Spotty at Best. The general consensus seems to be that while before N52, Stephanie had been attending her first year of College (& doing VERY WELL i might add), with the reboot she was set back a few years alongside Tim to a vague Late-Teen state (so 16-18-ish, instead of a Very Clearly Established 18/19). Cass is probably the worst off for this reboot, given that B&R:E basically constitutes her new origin for the new continuity, and does nothing to confirm her age (all I really know is that she’s a Vague Late-Teen too... Probably? Maybe?), given how much they infantilize her, and subsequently how fandom in turn has taken to infantilizing her too, theres a semi-popular fanon that places her Younger that Tim and Steph. And I, for one, propose that we ignore that bc its Weak Sauce my dudes.
Some fans chose to ignore N52 continuity due to this vagueness, and will stick to the ages established before the N52/Rebirth reboots. But its something to keep in mind regardless bc we’re all obviously going to pull from what’s most familiar to us!
But WHERE could we place Duke with regards to them, then? Because them being “Late Teens” is certainly much too vague to work with!
This is Where Damian is the key!
Because Damian is one of those rare exceptions to the Reboot Rule. His story flowed almost seamlessly over from before to after. While he was made a Robin at the age of 10, he continued to grow and learn even after the universe was being rewritten to suit the whims of DC editorial. 
If we choose to ignore how everyone else’s ages and origins were swapped around, and stick with the growth that was presented before the reboot, then we can draw some interesting conclusions!
Firstly, though Stephanie also had Died and subsequently Returned, she hadn’t lost much, if any time, from the Ordeal. At the start of her Batgirl run, she is enrolled at a Gotham university and making headway with a more firm foot in the Batfamily (even to the point that she and Damian spend a few issues bonding. At this point in time, Damian is definitely 11, and again, Steph can be assumed to be 18/19 during the course of her run. We’ll assume 18 for clarity’s sake.)
So, then when Damian is 11, now our line up is as Follows:
Dami - 11, Steph - 18, Tim - 17, Cass 19-21 (the range depending again, if you subscribe to Cass being either older/younger than Jason).
WHICH MEANS, If during Robin War Damian is 12 (and a half) THEN We’ve got an age line-up that Potentially looks Like This:
Dami -12(and 1/2), Duke - 16, Tim - 18, Steph - 19, Cass - 20-22 (And Obvsly Jason, Babs & Dick at their varying Older Ages than everyone here)
and im just now realizing i Didnt include Harper in this line-up, but thats bc she’d also throw a big wrench in all this.  I’d personally throw her in with being Steph’s age, but I’m pretty sure she was supposed to be either that, or between Steph and Cass (again, since its N52, i believe Cass was/is assumed to be Younger than Steph, but that contradicts the assumed following of pre52 canon that we have for the above line-up, obvsly, and so we ignore that lmao) 
All this to say, however, that canon and fandom is what you make of it, and if you want to wiggle these ages around a little, you’re more than allowed! God Knows i usually like to skew the Tim-Steph-Cass age group to be a tad older than this in my own fic writing, and I like to have Duke start as a Robin at 14/15 instead of 16, but that’s just bc I like the dynamic potential it could bring with them being Definitively Older that him, and thus in a more secure place to be Mentoring him right alongside Bruce & the others.
But you might see these age ranges and want to do something Different (say, making Tim, Steph, Cass, & Duke all the Same Age at 17 instead! And that very well tracks with how current comics kinda looks right now!) and you’re absolutely valid to do so! Because again, comic character’s ages are meant to be fluid, not fixed!
And at the end of the day, its all about wanting to see these teen heroes kick serious ass haha
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zitkaplushie · 4 years ago
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nightwing secret files liveblog:
this is gonna be a long one so it’s under a cut!
taking wing-
is that jason??
i like this 'a christmas carol' type exposition i'm ngl
i'm not sure if 'jason''s dismissal of the circus is dixon using an unreliable narrator, or if dixon actually believes that
god i hate this art so much
how dare u insult the teen titans in any way 😤 i like the name
also titans cameo!!
more awful jason characterisation (pls dixon just stay 8732894738 feet away from jason)
"without robin i have no family" i guess the titans are just chopped liver huh
"i always thought that one day i'd be batman" nope nope nope nope you have 0 understanding of dick's character if that's what you think mr dixon
i love clark having a part in dick becoming nightwing - i adore it - but the way dixon retcons the importance of the titans, and especially kory, in dick becoming nightwing rubs me the complete wrong way. i'm choosing to read this as a between the scenes moment, but i 100% dixon intended this to replace the titans' importance. and the way ppl just swallow it up w/o thinking about the reasons behind why dixon would want to erase the titans - and kory - pisses me off lmao
"i didn't mean to stay so long [with the titans]" *eternal screaming* he really wants to undermine the titans at every possible turn wow
at least the next page acknowledges the importance of kory in dick's life, but right afterwards we have "lmao she must've liked your costume. all the girls did. you're a chick magnet" (paraphrased) and i'm just back to sighing
also hi i'm mad at the framing of babs being the endgame bc of course they'd do that. and also at kory being shorter than dick. thanks! i hate it! i'm willing to bet that dixon asked for that specifically.
"this is where i came in" i'm confused at this part but tbh i don't care enough to think abt it any more
i'm also ughhhh at the way they're trying to give bludhaven importance. i don't care, i don't like it, he should've never moved there
ok i do really like that last page
the fact files things are good enough, i love the art for the haly's circus one! the pt barnum ref is 😬 though (ik ik it's the 90s but fjskdh why)
lost pages: teen titans-
ok so, i don't like devin grayson. i don't like her writing at all, i don't think she gets the characters at all, and hot take: if you dislike a character who's super important part of dick's life, and helped him come into his own and be who he is, you shouldn't be writing that character. (i'm talking about kory here, but tbh if you dislike any of the characters who dick interacts with frequently and are a huge part of his life - especially his love interests, and his family - you shouldn't be writing dick.) so i'm not going into this story with high hopes. however i've seen ppl talk about this story as being really good so i hope i'll like it too
you can tell she mostly cares about the fab five, which wouldn't be a problem if she treated the ntt characters better but alas ://
kory and vic both say 1 thing the entire page lmao
ALSO KORY NOT KNOWING WHAT DAY IT IS IS ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT I CANNOT BELIEVE
i loooove the parallel between dick grasping wally's hand and young!dick holding his dad's hand 🥺🥺🥺🥺
vic legit says one thing the entire story lmaoooooooo 🙃🙃🙃
i love garth and roy being brought to the tower 🥺
this is def some of grayson's better work, but it suffers from the same thing all of her stories do. she doesn't fully understand all the characters. if one character is off it affects the whole story. a lot of her stories have good ideas and poor execution, and this one definitely doesn't have awful execution but there's still something missing and as someone who loves the titans it's just sad. i get why people like this story - it made me tear up at the end ngl - but the rest of the titans are just as important as dick and it feels like the writer doesn't understand that. (i get this is a dick comic but it's still a titans story.) (it does however make me want to write a fic expanding upon this moment and the aftermath bc the idea of the titans all coming together to cheer dick up is so goooooood. are they gonna have a party celebrating dick's parent's lives? are they gonna eat junk food and watch a comfort movie? are they gonna just sit and talk?? the possibilities are endless!!)
the art is gorgeous as all of jimenez' art is, i love his style so freaking much!!
the next page is of the bludhaven supporting cast and all it does is remind me how much i do not care abt them. i think the only one i actually like is clancy, the others are expendable and forgettable. (i do love clancy a lot though, i wish she'd been written by more people than just dixon). though, i usually love guice's art, i think i actually prefer mcdaniel's take on clancy??? which is 100% a first for me.
i like seeing the set up to dick's apartment, bc i'm a sucker for layouts and maps. i wish this comic was way better written bc the concept of dick living in an apartment building and interacting with his neighbours is one i really like, esp in superhero comics. but again i have to say, alas.
a day in the life of nite-wing/hangin'-with tad:
painful... just painful...
i physically couldn't care less about this if you paid me
the next page is tad's file and i am Not Reading That. nope nope nope. and also fuck you.
next is a map of bludhaven, and like i said, i'm a sucker for maps.
the page after that is brutale's file and again i just do not care. the art is by damion scott who i really like, but the design looks like knock off scarecrow so
the next pages are files for double dare, lady vidc, shrike and blockbuster and i'm skipping them all bc i give negative fucks
next is a spread of what i assume is dick's cork-board? it looks kinda interesting but the writing is hard to make out and i don't care enough to try to decipher it
next is torque's files and same same, idc idc
nightwing's romances/orange you glad i didn't say banana?:
ok so y'all know i hate dickbabs. i hate everything about how it was built on the foundation of tearing down kory and dickkory and i'm a kory fan first and foremost so i hate this whole situation. so i'm already predisposed to disliking anything that talks about how babs is dick's true love, and talks down any of his other love interests. i come into this with an admitted bias. i'd try to be charitable but i don't see why i should when no one involved in the writing of dickbabs is charitable towards my faves so 🤷
i love love love stelfreeze's art! he's drawn babs in something else i read and i loved it then and i love it here!
i adore dick and babs' friendship, so the beginning is really sweet and cute. i also love the concept of baby!dickie being obsessed with watermelons and wanting to eat them forever
dewey decimal system!!! librarian babs reference!! fdjkh she's such a nerd i love it
babs trying to talk about romance and dick's like 'lol nah what abt fighting' lmao
i Do Not like babs hitting dick while talking abt 'i was segueing into talking about romance, hint hint'
this is romance? dick giving exactly 0 fucks?
why are these writers obsessed with hinting at dick and donna??? like first dixon and now grayson??? please stop!!!! i do love how he says he loves her bc 🥺🥺🥺 i love them
ur not being slick having babs call donna 'donna' and kory 'starfire', i see you grayson. i see ur hate for kory.
and reducing kory to just her body, and dick's sexual attraction to her boils my blood
i'm choosing to interpret babs's face in that panel as her being attracted to kory too
i do like that dick talks about being in love with kory, and thinking about still being with her. a) i'll take those crumbs, and b) thats how i see dick's relationship to love as being (though devin views him as kinda flighty and unfaithful so idk how we're agreeing on this lmao)
pls stop talking shit abt huntress devin, ur the one who made dick/hel a thing
since devin loves her brudick subtext, i'm side-eyeing the mention of bruce there
also why are we hinting at cass pls stop
babs being jealous and petty pls stop
the ending was smooth i have to admit it. if it was any other ship i'd probs love it but as it is, i'm tired of everyone else being downplayed in favour of the ~babs is dick's true loooooveee, it's always been herrrrr, from the beginningggggg~
i don't mind babs being dick's first crush though, in fact that's my hc for him because hello?? who wouldn't have a crush on babs??
thank you mr stelfreeze for accurately portraying babs' bitchface bc she's being a petty bitch here (and i love her but lmaooo i hate this whole thing)
next is the files on the bludhaven pd and i do not caaaare
then there's a timeline, but i don't care about any timeline that dixon writes. i'm petty though so i'm gonna read it and talk abt why i don't like the retcons.
i hate the dickbabs reference in YEAR FUCKING 3 jfc. pls stop with the retcons.
also lmao the difference between the way dick's canon relationship from that time is described in the shittiest way possible (though reluctant at first, dick begins a long and tumultuous romance with teammate starfire.) and how he wrote dick and babs' relationship (robin first teams with ... barbara in her guise as batgirl. the two will pair time and again over the course of their careers and develop a burgeoning affection for one another) this was at a time when they weren't even remotely interested in each other!!! there was no affections there dixon! no matter how much you wish it to be true!! and again the contrast with 'starfire' and 'barbara'! like it's dehumanising and i hate it.
and he can't even bother to get the new teen titans' team name right.
no mention of kory's importance in dick becoming nightwing, nope we ignore that bc it's thanks to superman now.
stepping away from the way he hates kory to talk about the way he hates jason! jason's described as a 'troubled orphan' and a 'juvenile delinquent'.
no mentions of how jason and dick bonded but as soon as tim gets introduced he talks about how dick and tim 'switfly bond as brothers'.
another incredibly impersonal description of dick and kory's relationship (the wedding of dick grayson and kory anders (aka starfire) is aborted by the rogue titan raven. dick and kory soon part company and dissolve their relationship.) but at least he calls her kory this time.
also i love how he speeds up through all the 'non important' development for dick but spends a whole page talking about all the bullshit he's been writing for nightwing. i understand why, but it's just lmaooooo 🙃 when you read it like that, it really shows how shitty this comic is.
talks of the 'doomed relationship' between dick and hel and i really hate it pls stop
the last page is dick's evaluation by the police academy and i do not care so i'm skipping it too.
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burr-ell · 5 years ago
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I really want new episodes of Teen Titans. Especially where the extended DC universe is concerned. I wanted to know exactly how Beast Boy got separated from the Doom Patrol and why they didn’t contact him until 5 months passed after Robotman’s coma. Where were they exactly when the Brotherhood were hunting young heroes? Why did Robin just up and leave Batman when he was barely a late teen and if he’s still in contact in anyway with the Batfamily.
Ever wonder where the Justice League were and how The Doom Patrol were nowhere to be found during the Brotherhood of Evil debacle? I really wanted to see more of Beast Boy’s relationship with Mento and how it contrasts with Robin’s relationship with Batman. I really want new episodes and give us some an actual satisfying conclusion.
(answering these together bc they kind of relate to each other)
to be honest, i prefer to keep the DC extended universe in a more headcanon-y context when it comes to TTA. it’s my understanding that the writers/producers (david slack, amy wolfram, rob hoegee, glen murakami, etc) have actually gone on record about the adult heroes, that they wanted to keep them out as much as possible for fear of them outshining the teenage heroes. there were also a number of legal embargoes forbidding the appearances of certain characters (which is why kid flash and wonder girl aren’t part of the main lineup even though they were part of the original NTT), and i think the creative team tended to view that as a blessing in disguise at the end of the day. and honestly, considering how dc has treated their “big names” at the expense of the titans, i don’t blame them.
buuuuuuut…there’s still some fun speculation to be had, and i’m nothing if not a big ol slut for TTA headcanons.
i get the sense that beast boy and robin both left their respective mentors by choice, in attempts to strike out on their own. they’re both very clever and independent people with savior complexes a mile wide; they’re also both very competent and capable heroes in their own right who impressed their mentors with their skills. even if the doom patrol or batman had reservations, they most likely figured they might as well give their proteges their blessing because they were gonna do it anyway.
(there are so many robin/beast boy parallels. so many. if nothing else, i agree that i’d like a hypothetical season 6 to give us at least one episode focusing on them.)
it’s possible that beast boy was kicked out of the doom patrol, but it’s not likely imo; i don’t think he would have been permitted to keep wearing the old colors if that had happened, if nothing else. he clearly still respects the doom patrol enough to keep wearing their uniform, and he obviously still considers them to be family, even though there was still a rift between him and mento.
robin most likely left batman under similar circumstances as the NTT comics, as those are the sources the cartoon draws from the most—he wanted to get out of batman’s shadow and be his own hero. a lot of people seem to think that robin and batman had a falling-out of some kind that made robin leave, since that happens in different versions of the story, but i don’t really see the case for that interpretation. the only real evidence that people have put forth for that theory is the way robin introduces himself to the thug in “go!”, but i don’t get “resentment toward batman” vibes, just “i’m tired of being tied to my mentor, i’m out on my own now, and i’m 100% ready and able to throw down with anyone who doesn’t think i can handle it” vibes.
don’t get me wrong, there had to be conflict leading up to it, but i think it was still ultimately a respectful parting of the ways.* he more than likely does keep in contact with the batfamily to some degree, but i doubt they’re calling every week or anything—maybe on birthdays or other days of significance, or after something like the apprenticeship happens. the batfamily at this point is also probably just batman, alfred, and batgirl, all of whom have their own missions to take care of—and i imagine a TTA-verse batgirl would hew closer to the pre-crisis version of the character, where she’s several years older than dick to begin with and is a grown adult woman with her own job and responsibilities.
as to why the doom patrol’s distress signal didn’t reach beast boy until five months after robotman’s deactivation, i don’t know. it’s possible that they’d been held captive for awhile and simply didn’t activate the distress call until they absolutely had to (likely, given mento’s pride and the fact that beneath it all he ultimately respects beast boy’s independence), or it just took the device that long to reach beast boy’s location while also avoiding being found by the brain or anyone else that would compromise it. i’m not sure it’s the sort of thing that needs explaining.**
i also don’t doubt that the brotherhood of evil kept the doom patrol busy through misdirection while they hunted down young heroes. i imagine that was primarily immortus’s job; he seems like a clever enough tactician on his own to keep the doom patrol out of the picture.
*(there’s also the fact that robin is a few years younger in TTA than he is in NTT, where the fact that dick grayson is now a legal adult who wants to keep doing hero work instead of going to college like bruce wants plays heavily into his desire to leave. there are different and more heated tensions there by design. 
i think people also bring too much of the BTAS version of dick into it, the one where he thinks bruce is “going too far” in his crimefighting and leaves. not to put too fine a point on it, but that version of nightwing’s origin sucks. maybe don’t leave the titans out of the origin story of a character who wouldn’t exist without the titans, huh?)
also, since i first wrote this, the robin 80th anniversary anthology book was released, with a self-contained story about robin leaving batman that was written by marv wolfman. (from what i understand it’s quite good.) that story features a very amicable, professional split between the two, and marv wolfman is one of the few writers who really seems to get dick grayson as a character, so i’m gonna take his word for it.
** it’s worth noting that there’s a storyline in the early years of NTT that has some very strong parallels with the “homecoming” two parter; the discovery and repair of robotman especially plays out the same way almost beat for beat. that’s not super-relevant, just fun trivia.
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ms-lasagna · 4 years ago
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barbra: SING. the song to me starts out so hopeful, like she did as batgirl, and just gets more sad and finally everyone just dies in the MV, and to me that’s reflective of her losing her ability to be batgirl, but it trails off. there’s no definite end, like her transition into oracle dick: G-. you think classic robin, you think dick. you think classic mcr, you think welcome to the black parade. cass: light behind your eyes. cass had a terrible childhood, and she has so much responsibility on her shoulders, but she still is able to be everyone else’s light. jason: give em hell kid or desolation row. you can’t listen to these songs and not think these are perfect for jason. i lean more to desolation row, but “give em hell kid” just describes jason’s entire personality duke: i don’t really know duke all that well, i kinda stuck to super sons and the batgirl comics, but i feel like he’d be one from the danger days album 100%. he just gives me neon vibes steph: mama or planetary (go). steph also died and had a rough life (hence mama) but she’s got that bubbly tone like planetary go. i love steph so much lol. damian: 100% agree w you. this boy has so much energy even if he hides it. he’s also a favorite of mine. they all are tbh, but as someone with younger siblings who i help parent, damian and dick have special places in my heart. tim: LMAO 100% w you. first off, this boy needs sleep. actual sleep. secondly, he’s been given such a bad hand in life, he’s definitely constantly depressed. he needs sleep and a hug bruce: he’s the OG, he’s the padre, he’s either helena or he’s the ghost of you bc he’s big Sad alfred: tbh i don’t think he’s an MCR song. he’s related, but a different breed. he’s one of gerard way’s calmer songs imo.
Batfam as MCR songs (cuz I'm bored)
Barbra: Give 'em hell, kid
Dick: Blood
Cass: Demolition lovers
Jason: Headfirst for halos
Duke: Cemetery drive
Steph: Planetary (GO!)
Damian: Party poison
Tim: Sleep
Bruce: Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
Alfred: Welcome to the Black Parade
(this is my opinion, if you disagree please reblog with your opinion, I'd love to hear it =D)
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renaroo · 8 years ago
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The Directive
Disclaimer: Batman and associated characters are the creative property of DC Comics. Warnings: Canon-typical violence & language Pairings: BabsDinah, CassBrenda Rating: T Prompt: ( @shobogan​ ) Answered! Though if I want to get more specific, @renaroo pls write me an epic cross-generational adventure featuring at least four Batgirls in which Dinah and Babs are married, Cass saves Brenda through time travel shenanigans, and Steph mentors Nell.
A/N: This one TOTALLY got ahead of me but I now adore this universe and would love to expand upon it more someday bc SAGE YOU HAVE SUCH GOOD IDEAS and I’m here to serve. 
Bruce’s death struck something in her that Barbara was not aware could be shook anymore. 
Not after she had been in the line of work she was for so long. 
The dismantled Birds of Prey, the death of the Batman, the flight of so many new and impressive Bats in Gotham that she barely knew what to make of it all. 
She was, loathed as she was to admit it, loathed as she was to allow it to hurt her any further, emotionally compromised. 
Barbara needed to pull in rank. She needed help. 
She needed to protect her legacy. Because legacy -- Bruce was right in that regard -- legacy was all they truly left behind. 
Dinah opened the door. She was at least ten minutes earlier than Barbara had assumed she would have been, even using the JLA transporters. Barbara should have known she would have been -- should have known Dinah. 
“I’m so sorry,” Dinah said, coming to Barbara’s side. “I know I’m part of the Network, I know that I’m supposed to be out there helping the chaos, but... But I had to make sure you were okay first. God, Babs, I remembered the gang wars and what happened to you and the watchtower and--”
Barbara wrapped her arms around Dinah’s neck, breathed in her hair. It had been too long -- they had let themselves be apart too long. 
“I need help, will you help me?” she asked Dinah without warning.
“You know I will, Barbara,” Dinah responded without hesitation, her own arms wrapping around Barbara’s shoulders. “You don’t even have to ask.”
“I need you,” Babs said, tears streaming down her face. She pulled back enough to look Dinah in the face, to cup Dinah’s chin in her hands. “I’ve made more mistakes in my life than I would ever admit, Dinah. But the biggest was letting you walk away -- not from the team. From me. From us. And I need you. God, I need you.”
Dinah’s hands tenderly found Barbara’s face, thumbs brushing away the tears. “You have me. You’ve always had me.”
It was mourning, it was emotionally compromised, it was human, and it was one of the people in her life who made her the most human that Barbara kissed that night, that she proposed a new life with that night. 
Of course, there was her other proposal as well. 
She was surprised when she learned that Cassandra was building her own Network, almost a rival to what Barbara had already established. Perhaps, more surprised than she should have been. 
Cassandra had earned her stubborn streak from Barbara herself. 
Alfred walked down to the cave alongside Barbara for most of the way, but he had many things to attend to -- official Wayne family business, dealing with Tim’s injuries, coaxing Dick, managing that Damian child that Barbara only knew in passing. 
If there was anyone in the world Barbara may have trusted Cassandra’s well being with after she lost the one man she saw as a father after what Cain had done to her, it was Alfred. 
But it wasn’t about what other people could do for Cass.
It was about what Barbara should have been doing from the beginning. 
“Cass,” Barbara announced herself, though she knew Cass had heard her come in and made a point of not turning away from the multiple computer screens before her. 
That was most certainly a pointed gesture. Just as it was a pointed gesture that Cass was refusing to remove her full face mask. 
“Helena wants to send her thanks for helping at the harbor,” Barbara continued. 
“Okay,” Cass answered, using the cursor to click on the Huntress’ file on the screen. 
Barbara stared at Batgirl’s back and wondered why she had let things get to that point to begin with. 
“That’s not the only reason I came,” Barbara continued lowly. “I came to check on you. Because I’m worried about you. You were... fairly ruthless out there tonight. That’s not like you.”
Cassandra might have been one of the most powerful fighters Barbara had ever met, but she was marked by her gentleness, by never taking things a step too far. 
That was not the Batgirl who had been on the streets that night. 
“Have you let yourself cry yet?” Barbara asked. “Have you let yourself... Are you taking care of yourself?”
At that, Cassandra quickly spun her chair to face Barbara. She was still using the full facemask as a shield, a barrier between them. 
That had never been its purpose before, but Cass had grown to hide behind it. She must have gotten that from Bruce. 
“Why do you care?” she demanded bluntly. “Why are you... here!?”
There were many answers that Barbara could have given, but she was only interested in giving the truth. She pushed her chair forward, closer to her former protege, to her friend, to her... 
“I’m here for you,” Barbara said, her own tears welling. “I’m here because I love you, and I’ve not done enough to show the people I love that I love them. And now one of them is gone and he’ll never hear directly from me what he meant to me. And I regret it. I regret that I have to trust that he could see it in the woman I grew up to become thanks to him. I hate that I drove you away so that you don’t even have that from me.”
There was silence, and then, reluctantly, Cassandra reached up and pulled off her mask.
Her hair was a mess -- sweaty and sticking up at all ends. Choppy, like she had cut it herself recently to fit better in her mask. It was something that Barbara used to do for her back in the day. Her face was wet, which was a testament to the flow of her tears since the mask was at least partially absorbent. 
But the real testament to Cassandra’s pain was in her eyes. The red rimmed, the bloodshot, the sniffing nose. 
“He was my... my dad,” Cass said, reaching into one of the front pouches of her belt and producing a crumpled sheet of paper despite the shaking of her whole body. “He... This says it. My-my copy.” She then buried her face in her hands. “Still can’t-can’t read all-all words. St-still so... so du--”
“Shh,” Barbara cut her off, moving fast to rush forward and catch the crumbling girl, let Cassandra become a puddle in her lap. Barbara rested her chin on Cass’ head and slowly rubbed circles on her back. “Shh, never say that. Never say that.” She squeezed her own eyes shut. “I’m so sorry, Cass. I’m so, so sorry, Cass. I can’t go on without us being okay again. I can’t let yo go on not knowing how much I love you. Do you hear me? I love you, and I’m sorry you didn’t know.”
“I love you, too, B-Barbara,” Cass hiccuped into Barbara’s shoulder. “Love you, too. C-Can’t make... can’t make Network -- can’t make legacy without you.”
“Neither can I, Cass,” Barbara assured her in soothing whispers. “We’ll do it together. Just like we always should have.”
Helena stood in the Cave. It was the first time she had been there, aware of what home it rested beneath, given the so-called honor of being a guest in its halls. 
“Is this a guilt thing?” she asked Barbara and Dick as they walked her from the carport toward what seemed to be a hall of encased costumes. “Because I don’t really feel like honoring someone’s complex today.”
She would have much rather spent her Saturday sleeping in. She had spent every night and almost every day working on keeping Gotham safe in the aftermath of-- well...
There was a look that passed between Dick and Babs, the kind that read volumes between friends who had known each other a long time.
“Wouldn’t know,” Dick finally answered with a shrug. “It’s part of his will.”
Helena didn’t have to ask whose. Didn’t want to even if she hadn’t known. 
“Here we go,” Barbara explained, waving to the case she had stopped in front of. 
For a moment, Helena didn’t get it, but then her eyes drifted to the suit. The emblem. The shape of the mannequin which wore it. Her look hardened and then she glanced from side to side -- they were in a lane of Batman suits. Those worn by Bruce over the years, some that were worn by his temporary replacements. 
And in the middle was the one she had made herself what felt like so many years ago. 
Not the one repurposed for Batgirl. 
Hers. 
The one she wore when Batman disappeared at the beginning of Gotham’s No Man’s Land asylum. When she was the only Batman to be found. 
Without thinking it through, her hand came up and she touched the glass. She wasn’t sure what the feeling was in her chest -- but it was pride and it was hurt. 
Turning back, Helena looked directly to Barbara first and foremost. “What is this?”
“Rebuilding a legacy,” Barbara answered. “And making sure all the right people are honored for it -- are still a part of it if they choose to be.”
Helena remained unmoving, waiting for more to be revealed. 
“Bruce left in his will that he didn’t want me to be Batman, that it could die with him,” Dick explained, arms crossed. “But those of us who have taken up for him in his absence before know that can’t be true. Batman and Robin can never die. So I’m ready to bear that responsibility... but to do it my own way. And to ask, respectfully, of all the previous mantle holders before me if I can have their permission to do so.”
Taking a breath, Helena tried to keep her head on straight. “I... Well, I think the record shows that I was always about defying Bruce when it came to style points,” she replied. She then looked to Barbara. Looked to her friend. Because there was more to the puzzle, still. “What are we doing here?” she asked, figuring her response was more than enough to give Dick whatever permission he was looking for. 
“Dick’s methods are going to put him in the city more, he wants to utilize the resources Bruce had stockpiled there,” Barbara answered, folding her arms before her chin. “It’d be a waste for something as technologically lavish and as important to all of our histories as the Batcave itself to go to waste.”
Helena’s smile grew. “You’re going to give me more toys from this collection, aren’t you?”
“You do like toys,” Babs replied wryly. “Also... I’d like to take the opportunity to let you know that Dinah and I are engaged.”
“That,” Helena responded with a wave of her hand,”is by far the least surprising news of this night.”
The wedding was not a wedding. It was a union.
Barbara’s dad, Helena, Cassandra, Charlie, Sin, Lian, and Roy were there. Dick texted them congratulations near immediately, but what with the move, the cowl, and the newly orphaned Wayne, he had difficulties of his own getting to the courthouse. 
It took a lot of tough upper lip for Barbara to not take it personally that Tim didn’t come. But she knew he was suffering in ways the rest of them could only imagine. 
Their honeymoon was not a honeymoon, it was a recruitment drive with Zinda at the proverbial and literal wheel. 
She handed her assignments to Helena, Cass, and Charlie as they left. Dinah put them in charge of watching Sin. And then behind their backs made sure that Sin understood she was in charge of watching the three of them. 
“I saw your list,” Dinah said in the middle of kissing every inch of Barbara. “You know that Cassandra is going to go against it and invite who she wanted all along.”
“I trust Cassandra, even when we don’t see eye to eye,” Barbara replied, entwining fingers with her wife. “Helena’s responsible.”
“Helena also will do what she wants and invite who she wants,” Dinah argued, finally getting to the line of Barbara’s jaw. 
“You’re right,” Babs smiled. “But that’s the Legacy more than anything, isn’t it? Doing what your gut says is right no matter who’s in charge and disagrees with you?”
“As long as you’re self-aware,” Dinah laughed warmly into Barbara’s ear before locking their lips. 
It was the best night of her life, with her high strung anxieties for once melted away by the trust she felt for each and every person around her. 
It was a Legacy, not a Network. But it was a network of trust.
The least surprising person to be picked up while they were gone was Stephanie Brown.
She had been Spoiler then Robin then Spoiler again. 
At the moment, she was standing off to the side in Barbara’s Batcave with her full mask still on and Cassandra standing firmly by her side. As if Cass’ presence was needed to show the act as one of defiance. 
“We’ve never gotten off on the right foot, have we, Spoiler?” Barbara asked as Dinah went and had her reunion with Sin. 
“I get that a lot from people who wear funny ears on their costumes,” Stephanie replied. “I’ve been training with Huntress and Batgirl for a whole week. I trained with Robin and Batman before...”
Before was a difficult but necessary place to leave that sentence. 
Cassandra was unmoving, eyes set on Barbara intensely. 
Barbara did not miss the very deliberate way that she was not wearing her costume. 
“You’re serious then,” Barbara said, folding her fingers together on her lap. “What was Helena’s opinion?”
“Yes,” Cass said without hesitation. “Before we even... started. It was yes.”
Of course it was, Barbara should have gotten Cassandra and Helena to work together sooner. They were almost a hivemind when it came to instinctive readings on people, fighting Barbara back when she needed to be fought back, and giving her migraines in the process. 
But it wasn’t about them. It was bigger than that. It was even bigger than Stephanie Brown. 
Steph tilted her head and looked questioningly at Cass. “Wait, yes to what? I thought we were doing this whole Birds of Prey outreach thing, right? Same as what Huntress is doing right now with Misfit and Catwoman and Question--”
“You’re more important,” Cass said without hesitation.
Stephanie looked back to Barbara, apparently not pleased with Cass’ penchant for being cryptic. 
“Stephanie Brown, we’re not simply working with the Birds of Prey,” Barbara informed her. “If you would like to do only that, you will continue working with Huntress and Black Canary, Misfit and the rest. You can do so as Spoiler or any identity you determine suits you best now that we’re in a time of everything about Gotham being Reborn.” Barbara dipped her chin down, looking steadily at Stephanie from over the rim of her glasses. “But, if you’re willing, Cassandra has chosen you for a deeper level entirely. For being a part of all of our legacy. To be a part of something more intimate.”
Folding her arms, Stephanie tried to seem nonchalant but she was almost shaking with nerves. “Do I have to be adopted by someone? That seems to be everyone’s MO lately.”
“You just have to answer a question Cassandra has for you,” Barbara replied, nodding to her daughter.
Cass looked at Stephanie with such meaning, such emotion, it prompted Spoiler to pull back her hood and mask. 
“Cass?” 
“Stephanie,” Cass began, “will you be... the new Batgirl?” 
Shocked, Stephanie dropped her mask. 
There was a tense silence, and then the girl let out a whooping scream before leaping at Cassandra and giving her a bear hug, lifting her off the floor and twirling around with her. 
“Only a thousand times yes!” she cried out. 
Barbara and Cass exchanged soft smiles. 
It was Phase One. Their legacy was moving forward. 
It had been too long since Barbara had sparred with Cassandra. 
She was fast she was good, but she went easy on Barbara. And that was her downfall. That was when she had Dinah bring Sin in and them both take her on. 
“Girls, girls, we’re family,” Barbara reminded her adopted daughters as she pulled out her eskrima. She smirked at them both as they got into stance. “That means we never hold back.”
Sin made the mistake of leaning too much on Cassandra’s lead. Cassandra made the mistake of being too soft toward the woman she saw as her mother. 
Barbara knew all too well that she wanted her girls to live with even the toughest fighter on the streets agains them. They both hit the mats at the same time. 
“Wow,” Sin managed, rubbing her jaw. 
Cass got to her feet in one motion and narrowed her eyes. She was mad because she had lost. 
Barbara couldn’t help but smile. 
Good. 
“Stay back,” Cassandra warned Sin before lunging forward toward Barbara.
“Okay?” Sin asked while Cass and Babs erupted into a flurry of attacks and motion. 
Cassandra had no weapons. Barbara was in her chair. They fought dirty to make up for the things they lacked, and that was exactly what Barbara wanted. 
Her Legacy was going to be stronger than her. Better than her. And her family was going to be thrice that.
“I want you to sign up for ballet,” Babs managed to grunt out in between hits. 
Cassandra pivoted and moved into her next attack. “I don’t want--”
“It’s not what you want, Cassie,” Barbara admonished. “It’s about what’s best for you. You may be mine and Dinah’s daughter, but you’re also one of the Wayne heirs. You’ll be expected to have a more public persona, and I also want you to do something that’ll make you happy.”
For a moment, just a moment, Cassandra left an opening. “You did... ballet.”
The next thing Cassandra knew, she was on her back on the mats again with Barbara leaning over her. 
“And we’ll do it again together,” Barbara said to her happily. “Because you need to be a civilian, Cassandra Wayne Gordon-Lance. And you also need a new costume and name now that Stephanie’s almost through bootcamp. And unfortunately, Batwoman seems to be taken.”
“Didn’t want to be anyway,” Cass said, sitting up and hugging her knees. Her brows knit together as she rested her chin against her knees. There were tears welling up in her eyes. “Was... was supposed to be Batman.”
Barbara felt her heart break. “Oh, Cass... you... there could be two, if you want to--” she stopped as Cassandra made a point of shaking her head. 
When she looked up, Barbara realized that Sin had been silently moving toward them all that time, her own eyes filled with tears. “Sisters,” she said, also getting Cass’ attention. “I am to be Black Canary. But I love you more. Please take my new name instead if it make you happy, Sisters. Please. You can take it and not cry, that would be enough for me.”
Cass’ mouth hung open in shock at the selflessness of the action before she reached over and pulled Sin into a giant bear hug, rolling with her on the mats. “You make me not cry. You make me happy, Sister,” Cass said over Sin’s giggling. 
Babs watched them with a soft smile before Cass came to a stop and looked up at Barbara meaningfully. “Ask Huntress,” she said. “I want to be... The Bat.”
With a small huff and a smile, Barbara shook her head. “No, Cass. You can ask her. When you go to tutoring tomorrow.”
Stephanie came back to the cave with a hollow look to her face and a noticeable tremor in her arms. She carried herself toward the lockers all the same and slumped onto the bench in front of her locker. 
But whatever energy she had used to get herself to that point seemed completely gone by the time she made it that far and she couldn’t manage to even pull more than her cowl off. 
If Barbara had needed the evidence that the new Batgirl was crying, she got it. 
Barbara, in truth, had been waiting for one of these nights, and she hated with everything in her that it was only Stephanie’s third night without Cassandra at her back.
“Oh, Steph,” she soothed, coming to her side. “We can’t save everyone.”
“I know that,” Stephanie said, rubbing at her face to get rid of the gross sobbing. “I know that. But I always... I hope... if I’m good enough--”
Not letting even a single other word out of her, Barbara pulled Stephanie into a tight embrace. “You are good enough, you’re Batgirl,” she reminded the young woman fiercely. “And when you wear that costume you are bigger than yourself, not just because of the women who came before you, but because of the person you have forged yourself to be. And we all believe in you.”
“Babs...” Stephanie sniffed. 
“If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” she assured Stephanie. “I’m trying to run too many systems, too many people at once. The world needs Oracle, but so does the League and the Titans and Birds. But my family, my Batgirls, deserve Oracle most of all.”
“You can’t be everywhere,” Steph attempted to argue.
“I can,” Babs assured her. “But I make things a mess, get overstretched.” She looked up to Stephanie meaningfully. “How’re you doing in classes?” 
“I don’t see how that’s--”
“Because if you’re paying attention in the you may have noticed a new classmate of yours came in later in the semester than usual. Her name is Wendy Harris,” Barbara explained. “It’s going to be your new job to bring her in.”
Wendy took to cipher like a fish to water, and it wasn’t long before she joined Stephanie and Cassandra in joking around on the job. More Stephanie than Cassandra, of course, but it wasn’t long before Wendy was able to monitor both of them from patrols on opposite sides of town at the same time.
All with Sin sitting patiently in her lap and asking a thousand questions per night about her sister’s progress. 
“Sorry if she’s annoying while you’re working,” Dinah attempted to apologize as she sent Sin off to bed. “She’s taken a real shine to Cassandra, both being adopted super badasses and all.”
“Are you kidding?” Wendy had answered, rubbing tears from the corners of her eyes. “Speaking sister-to-sister is one of the things I look forward to the most with this job.”
Barbara was taking a break from her own servers to drink what was left of her most recent cup of coffee and watch the scene unfold from a distance. A distance she shared with Leslie Thompkins. 
“You know that Cassandra has tendencies to be more like Bruce, God bless his soul, than almost anyone I have had the pleasure of meeting,” Leslie said. “And I’ve had more than a hand in raising and evaluating the Boys over the years.”
“I do,” Barbara said, raising her mug to her lips again. 
“And you’re aware that closing people off, punishing herself -- that comes as part of that package,” Leslie pressed.
“I’m aware,” Barbara said. “No one fought with Bruce harder than you, except maybe me, Leslie. I know what my daughter needs.” She looked to Leslie with a knowing smile. “She needs what I learned to need when I was just the same -- a team, a family. And that’s what we’ve built here out of the Legacy. Everywhere she turns, even when Bruce is not there, even when I’m not there, she knows there are a dozen more people who are. They need her, and more importantly she needs them.”
Leslie nodded. “Thank you for helping with Wendy Harris.”
“Thank you for everything, Leslie,” Barbara replied. “And I mean that.”
It’s after ballet that Cassandra insisted that they get some tea and relax together. It was something that Barbara couldn’t refuse, considering that getting Cassandra to start ballet to begin with had been like pulling teeth. It was the least she could have done to humor her.
Dinah was holding Sin’s right hand, Cass holding Sin’s left, and Charlie bouncing around and talking about, or rather complaining about, the lack of capes on recent new superheroes in the magazine rags. Stephanie argued about the lack of Bats despite the magazine’s supposed Gotham base. 
It was downright domestic in downtown Gotham, and something that Barbara never thought she’d be a part of. 
“Oh, here’s the place -- it opened up in that store I was considering getting to start up my floral business again,” Dinah announced, pointing to the cafe. 
“Alright, let’s hurry in, get something to warm us up,” Barbara said, trying to motion for the girls to usher forward. 
“Just wants to get back to work,” Cass sniggered, picking Sin up to carry her once Dinah released Sin’s other hand. 
“Someone has to work around here,” Barbara defended, leading the way into the cafe. 
“Welcome to Brenda’s Cafe! The special today is--” the woman behind the counter looked up and dropped the handful of mugs that were in her hands, breaking them against the counter. “Cassandra!?”
Everyone stopped at the cafe’s entrance and looked in surprise at the woman. 
Some of them got used to being recognized around the city -- Barbara’s face was known by every cop in Gotham county, as was Dinah’s thanks to her own father. Stephanie had various friends from high school and college. 
When Cass was recognized, it was always Miss Wayne. And it never carried the familiarity that the cafe worker was giving Cassandra.
Fortunately, Cassandra did not drop Sin, but her shock was shared all the same.
“Brenda?” she asked. “But... Blüdhaven--”
“I thought you...” this so-called Brenda continued, walking around the counter, eyes widening. “My god, it’s really you!?”
Cass put Sin down and immediately the two collided into an embrace, tearful and emotional beyond anything Barbara had seen from Cass in years. 
Sin moved to Dinah’s side and tugged on her coat. “Sister is happy?”
“Very,” Dinah replied before looking smugly toward Barbara. “But Babs isn’t. What’s the deal?”
Barbara couldn’t help her frown. “Not that I’m turning into my father--”
“Which you totally are,” Dinah snickered.
“But she has tattoos,” Babs pointed out to the roarous laughter of her family around her.
It had been years. Years since Barbara took the step to grow her personal Legacy, her personal family, and nurture it the way it had always deserved.
The way she had always deserved and never allowed herself to feel that way. 
Cassandra had not looked as nervous on her wedding day as she had then right then. Meanwhile Sin was trying out designs for a new Black Canary outfit. 
Stephanie, according to the monitors, was pulling in through the third cave system. She liked taking the long routes as Nightwing those days, it seemed. Scenic and showy for the new recruit. 
“Never knew,” Cass said, chewing on her knuckle. “Never knew he... had a daughter.”
“I put the dots together,” Barbara said sympathetically, reaching a mug of tea Brenda had made for them toward Cass. “John Robinson’s daughter, like her mother, goes by her mother’s maiden name. Little. And she has been a Batgirl fan her whole life -- since the moment she heard stories of the heroic young woman who fought to the ends of the world to save her father’s life.”
“Failed,” Cass said, not accepting the tea. 
“Not how I see it,” Barbara pointed out. “As for your pick...?”
“Tiffany,” Cass said, looking to the other monitor as Charlie and Dinah came through the Manor -- to Damian’s eternal chagrin. The young Fox girl was curious and full of energy. “Smart. To have more than one at the same time.”
“Being Batgirl isn’t just about independence or worth,” Barbara said calmly. “Our directive -- the Legacy’s directive -- is to ensure that young women who make the selfless choice to put on our emblem, to better our city, to avenge the innocents who are harmed, receive the vital support and training they need to do so.” She looked proudly at the woman her daughter had become. “That’s what the Birds of Prey is. That’s what the Legacy is.”
Cass smiled proudly back. “We’re Batgirl.”
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starspatter · 8 years ago
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DCAU AU Questions: If Batman was able to grab real hard onto the Red Hood before he fell into a vat, pull him back up and then had the cops arrested him (thus, prevented the Joker to be born), how would life go for the Dark Knight if his clown faced nemesis never came to be? Note: This scenario would take place during Bats early year/s as a crime fighter.
Yo I’m actually really glad you asked me this bc first of all: NO JOKER JR HUZZAH *shot* (Although I’m sure Timmy Todd would get screwed over in some other way. OTL)*cough* But I’m getting ahead of myself.  As you said, let’s start at the beginning with Batman’s early days as a crimefighter.  This is, of course, assuming Joker’s origin story of being the Red Hood still holds true in DCAU (I was honestly really confused at first and thought you were referring to Jason Todd, who doesn’t exist in DCAU), as it’s never explicitly stated how Joker came to be.  What we do know is that he had ties to the Mafia through Mask of the Phantasm, which in itself was an initial turning point in Batman’s career.  However, I don’t think Joker’s absence would affect the plotline of the movie much; Andrea returns Bruce’s ring after his proposal and goes on the run with her father, leaving a brokenhearted Bruce to become Batman; her father would still be killed and she becomes a cold-blooded assassin for vengeance, thus making it impossible for her and Bruce to reconcile.There is one other woman who was influenced heavily by the Joker: Harleen Quinzel.  If he hadn’t come to Arkham, she might not have been manipulated into becoming a villain and remained as a psychiatrist.  I’d like to imagine she was assigned to Poison Ivy instead, and the two fell mutually in love during their sessions.  After a successful rehabilitation, they get married and live a peaceful happy life (with maybe some mischief once in a while) together.  (Incidentally, I just recently watched the “House & Garden” ep where Pamela “marries” her doctor at Arkham and appears to lead a normal life for a while.  Harley might not be quite sane to begin with, but somehow I see her subsequently being okay with willingly giving her DNA so that she and her partner can have “plant-clone babies” together.  So… It’d work out? *shrug*)As mentioned before, the lack of both Joker and Harley means Return of the Joker would never take place.  Tim Drake would hence go on to become Red Robin, Bruce wouldn’t become (quite so) bitter and lonely and continue carrying on his crusade while still having hope and faith in humanity.  When he does retire, Tim takes on the mantle as he expressed desire in doing so.  (And thus Terry would never come into being.  Sorry to BB fans, but since according to “Epilogue” he was a result of Waller wanting there to “always be a Batman”, I don’t see it happening here.  Maybe Damian might be born instead though?  Idk at this point.)
While I’m at it, I’ll insert another alternate headcanon that Bruce doesn’t enter into a relationship with Barbara, and instead she and Dick have a child together.  Barbara quits being an active vigilante in order to focus on raising their son (”John”, based on the Justice Lords universe in BB 2.0), but remains helping out behind the scenes, essentially becoming “Mommy Oracle”.  (Ofc, his father and uncle Tim take the lil hacker acrobat-in-training on wild escapades and get in all sorts of mischievous trouble, much to her chagrin. ;P)  Stephanie Brown, a.k.a. “Spoiler”, takes over as Batgirl, and she and Tim still end up together, as evidenced by RotJ.  Cassandra Cain was also shown to exist during the JL ep “The Savage Time”, so I expect she’d join the team at some point as well, perhaps as “Black Bat”.  …And so Batman’s legacy is upheld and everyone is one big happy family. \o/ *shot*
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