#steph is great! read some steph comics!! i am trying to make it as easy as possible!

[bitimdrake]

Complete Stephanie Brown Timeline & Reading Order

(*for the Post-Crisis/pre-Flashpoint era)

Steph spent over a decade as a supporting character, which means until she finally got her Batgirl run, her appearances are scattered across various bat-books, and hard to track (let alone order) if you don't know where to start. Which is what I’m here for!

This will run through a basic explanation of Steph's entire timeline up to Flashpoint, including every appearance in chronological order. (Well, minus some pointless cameos where she appears for a single panel/line.) If you're just reading for Steph, there are many issues listed where you could just skim through the non-Steph portions.

For the very abbreviated version:

Steph first appears in Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649 as the Spoiler, working against her dad.

She returns and becomes a regular supporting character in Robin vol 2 (1993), which includes getting together with Tim, and going through a teen pregnancy.

Steph starts to appear more across other Batfamily books, particularly Batgirl vol 1 (2000) (while still being a regular in Robin).

For a short time, she is welcomed into the inner circle and trained directly by Batman, before being rejected again.

After Tim is forced to quit, Steph becomes Robin briefly.

Shortly after being fired, she is killed.

Steph returns with a very brief explanation, and floats around as a Robin supporting character again.

Finally, she becomes Batgirl and gets her own run in Batgirl vol 3 (2009), which lasts until the reboot.

Full timeline and issue listings below the cut! I’ve tried to make it possible to just grab the listed issues, ignore any (lower-case s) spoilers, and get a fresh read for yourself OR to read in full for a thorough timeline.

Early Days

Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649 (in 1992) - ft Batman, Robin

(Batman: Knightfall begins here; irrelevant if you’re just reading for Steph. Tim starts dating Ariana Dzerchenko.)

Robin vol 2 #3-5, #15-16

Stephanie is introduced wanting to stop her father, and teaming up with Batman and Robin to that end. The next two stories are also Cluemaster-centric, with Steph and Tim working together again (sans Bruce). These stories are spaced out by irl years.

Batman and Robin figure out Stephanie's identity right away, but she remains unaware of theirs. Bruce is against Spoiler, considering her lack of training to be a hazard, and perhaps remaining wary of her morals after Stephanie nearly kills her dad in her first appearance. He wants to keep her safe, but it mostly manifests in criticisms. Tim is more conflicted, backing Bruce up, but also thinking he's too harsh.

(Note: Steph’s mom is called “Agnes Bellinger“ in her first appearance, but will later be renamed Crystal Brown.)

Showcase '95 #5 (in 1995), second story

Robin vol 2 #25 - ft Green Arrow/Connor Hawke

Robin vol 2 #26

Robin vol 2 #35 - Final Night tie-in, but you don't need to know anything about that story except that the sun is missing and the world is very cold.

Robin vol 2 #40-41, #43-44, #45 (briefly)

Robin/Argent Double-Shot #1, Teen Titans vol 2 #17 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #50 - ft Batman

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1 - Part of Batman: Cataclysm, but no prior knowledge should be needed. With Huntress

Robin vol 2 #54

Steph takes a regular role in Robin, and almost all issues here include Tim. Stephanie started as a cynic, only motivated by stopping her father and perfectly happy to leave her enemies to die, but develops here. She finds a passion for helping people, and embraces mercy. R#45 includes a brief mention of her considering quitting the Spoiler thing, but that isn’t followed up on, and she remains active as a newbie vigilante.

In this era, Steph also gets her first stories with neither Bruce nor Tim present in Showcase and Huntress/Spoiler (which also introduces her temporary boyfriend Dean), her first narration in R#40, and meets others in the hero community. Steph is affected by the Gotham-wide earthquake, which also indirectly gets her dad out of prison, but not strongly tied to the plotline.

Now that Bruce is rarely around when he sees Steph, Tim typically makes cursory complaints that it's too dangerous for Steph to be Spoiler--and then works with her and relies on her and enjoys her company nonetheless.

Also prominent in this era is Steph's crush on Tim, despite him having a girlfriend. Ngl, the 90s values and drawn out love triangle can be rough to get through. Steph keeps making moves even when Tim is uninterested. Tim sends mixed signals here too, only wanting to be with Ariana one minute, and then saying he's also attracted to Steph the next.

Pregnancy

Robin vol 2 #56-57, #58-61

Secret Origins 80-Page Giant, fifth story - backstory

Robin vol 2 #62 (beginning of issue), #64-65

Tim and Steph finally start to date in R#56, and Tim breaks up with Ari. Tim thinks it's unfair to date at first because he can't tell Stephanie his identity per Batman's rules, but Steph insists she's okay with it. This won't become an issue in their relationship until later; for the moment, they are happy and tackling the problem together.

Just a week after getting together, Steph realizes she's pregnant with Dean's baby. Over the next issues, she decides on adoption, hangs up the Spoiler costume while pregnant, and starts home-schooling. Tim uses the Alvin Draper alias to take her to Lamaze class and meet her mom, who appears regularly here. Originally a neglectful addict, Crystal is now sober and much more present for her daughter.

Chuck Dixon's conservative, anti-choice politics are blatant in this arc: abortion is eeeevil, some silly teenagers think being pregnant is cool, and a baby needs a mom and a dad.

A minor wrench is thrown in Steph and Tim’s relationship when Jack Drake moves the family to Keystone City in R#62, but Tim returns for Steph’s birth anyway, and convinces his dad to move home shortly after.

Back in Action

Robin vol 2 #68-69, #71-72

Batman Chronicles #22, second story - ft a creepy Uncle Dave

Steph’s mom finds out about Spoiler. Although she’s not mad--even delighted at the idea of Steph sticking it to her father--she is insistent that it’s too dangerous and tries to forbid Steph from taking up again. Obviously this does not work; Steph just hides it from her.

Though a major plot for the rest of the Bats (including in Tim’s plots in these same issues), No Man's Land is really just a side note for Steph.

Robin vol 2 #74, #75

Robin 80-Page Giant - (This oneshot annoyingly contradicts the main continuity in some details, but definitely goes here.) ft Black Canary/Dinah Lance, Wildcat/Ted Grant

Young Justice vol 1 #30 - ft Secret

Robin vol 2 #80, #82-84 - ft Dean in #80 (briefly), Batman in #84

After NML, Steph and Tim happily reunite, but Tim is having problems he can’t or won’t talk about in his Tim Drake life. Steph not knowing his identity really starts to be an issue here, both because of his secrecy and her insecurity.

In other news, Steph is instantly starstruck by her first meeting with Black Canary--whose identity is not secret--and she tries to angle for a partnership. She also first hears about Oracle. Her introduction to Secret is a lot less pleasant, by which I mean Secret attacks her. Whoops.

In the final arc in this era, Tim’s two lives have gotten too close, Steph has gotten wildly jealous, and she’s determined to discover his identity. Also, she tells her mom here that the boy she’s dating is Robin-yes-that-Robin.

In with Batman

Robin vol 2 #87

Robin vol 2 #88 - ft Batgirl/Cassandra, Alfred

Green Arrow vol 3 #5

Batgirl vol 1 #20

Robin vol 2 #92-94

Batman takes Spoiler to the cave for the first time, and reveals Tim’s identity to her--behind his back, which Tim is very upset about. Since Tim is mad at him, Bruce decides to latch onto the new kid and starts training Steph. He is nice to Steph for once in this era, and it's the closest she's been to the inner circle yet. Batman takes her training seriously and genuinely talks to her.

Here she meets Cassandra and Alfred. Neither is particularly warm at first, but Cass asks for Steph’s help to read a note in Batgirl, and the seeds of their friendship are planted in the ensuing team-up.

Almost all appearances here include Bruce, but Steph interacts with Tim less. They reconcile in that last arc, but despite being theoretically on good terms again, still don’t talk much.

The last arc also sees Steph’s dad return to their house, whether Steph and her mom like it or not. (Hint: they don’t.)

Joker: Last Laugh, in which The Joker breaks out a number of supervillains and "jokerizes" them, starts here. (The continuity of this story is extremely vague and messy, but this order is as accurate as I can possibly make it.)

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #22 - with Batman

Batgirl vol 1 #21 - ft Oracle/Barbara

Joker: Last Laugh #3 - ft Cass, Oracle

Robin vol 2 #95 - ft Batman, Huntress

Joker: Last Laugh #6 - ft Batfamily

Steph's first significant role in a bat-family crossover also contains her first on-panel interaction with Barbara (who makes no effort to hide her identity), and the first time the three iconic Batgirls (past, present, and future) work together. Steph helps Cass resuscitate an accidentally-killed villain in Bg#21, marking a turning point in their relationship.

Towards the end of the storyline, Tim is thought dead, and Steph is thrilled when she finds this isn’t true. She also appears on-panel with Nightwing for the first (and only pre-Batgirl) time...immediately after Dick has beat the Joker to death in a fury. So, uh, no small talk for their first meeting.

Batgirl vol 1 #26 - ft Barbara

Steph fills in for Batgirl, while Cass recovers from a fight with Lady Shiva.

Outs with Batman

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? starts here

Robin vol 2 #98

Birds of Prey vol 1 (1999) #39 (end of issue)

Robin vol 2 #99

Birds of Prey vol 1 #40

Name switches to Bruce Wayne: Fugitive

Batgirl vol 1 #27

Birds of Prey vol 1 #43 (end of issue)

Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive sees Bruce arrested for murder and the family scramble to solve the case. (Note: the official order of this storyline is Wrong and I will ignore it because I am Right.) Stephanie, unaware of Batman's identity, is out the loop but still effected. She finds herself locked out of the Cave without explanation.

Steph seeks out Dinah and Barbara instead, remaining with them through most of this storyline. She also works with Tim again in R#99, with no apparent tension. Dinah finally helps Steph get her father and the Riddler out of her house in BoP#40. However, Dinah pulls back on their not-a-partnership in BoP#43, citing her work being too dangerous.

Cass has the same concerns, and Steph is irritated in Bg#27 when Cass keeps forcing her out of the most dangerous fight and knocking her out to avoid arguments.

Robin vol 2 #100 - (This issue is awkward to sort as it takes place over a period of time. Steph's first scene is chronologically before BoP#43, but the rest of the issue is after.)

Robin vol 2 #101 - Continued from #100. Young Justice crossover.

Robin vol 2 #102-105 - Continued from #101

Batgirl vol 1 #28

Batgirl vol 1 #31-32 - ft Robin, Connor Hawke

(Steph does not appear in Robin vol 2 #106, but developments in her story are spoken about.)

Robin vol 2 #107-110

Robin vol 2 #111 - CW: threats of childhood sexual assault.

Batman: Family vol 1 (2002) #2 - ft Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Batman: Family vol 1 #8

Young Justice vol 1 #50-51 (briefly)

R#100 begins Jon Lewis's run on the book, with some usual new writer switch-ups, and Steph maintaining a strong presence. Steph and Tim are back together (though I'm not sure they ever broke up, so much as just took some space), better off with all identities known, and very sweet in this era. Steph’s friendship with Cass also gets closer.

On the flip side, per R#106, the Birds of Prey off-panel decide to stop mentoring Steph, and Bruce no longer wants her around, now that he’s returned from being a fugitive. In the ensuing issues, Steph really considers if she wants to keep being Spoiler.

Things get messier with the new of Cluemaster’s death. Steph really struggles to process--and with her mother's reaction. She starts sleeping in a motel to avoid going home after R#110.

The non-Robin issues here don’t technically have a single correct placement, but per my longer order work best where I’ve put them. In Batman: Family, Steph is called in along with Batman’s greatest network of allies, despite him still disapproving of her. In YJ#50, Steph has a brief conversation with Secret about the latter’s attack.

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #37 - with Batman

Batgirl vol 1 #38

Robin vol 2 #112-113 - ft Black Canary

Robin vol 2 #116 - ft Ives

Robin vol 2 #119, #120

Young Justice vol 1 #54 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #122 (briefly), #123, #124, #125 (briefly)

Wizard Magazine #150

Batman sets a test in GK#37 to prove Spoiler isn’t good enough. :( After she fails, he moves from largely ignoring her to outright disavowing her and instructing others to do the same. Steph's friendship with Cass disintegrates when Steph realizes that Cass agrees with Batman. Her interaction with Dinah is brief and tense.

Cluemaster's death continues to hang over Steph, and she’s having a really hard time. Tim is the only consistent presence in her life at this point. In R#119, she admits to him she’s still living in a motel, and he pushes her to go home. She reconciles with her mom.

Bill Willingham takes over Robin with #121, dropping that plotline, and writing Steph as more jealous again. She and Tim are alright for these first few issues. Steph breaks her leg during a fight in R#123, but keeps in shape over the next few issues.

Meanwhile, Jack Drake finds out his son is Robin and forces Tim to quit...

Robin

Robin vol 2 #126

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular (eighth story)

Teen Titans vol 3 #13 (briefly) - ft Batman

Detective Comics vol 1 #796

Batgirl vol 1 #53

Solo vol 1 #10 (third story) - ft Cass

Robin vol 2 #127-128

Laying low under his dad’s watch, Tim doesn’t speak to Steph for a few weeks, while she gets her cast off. Their reunion in R#126 is happy--but then, in a very stupid plot point, Steph thinks Tim is cheating on her and writes him off. She sews a costume, breaks into the Cave, and declares herself Robin. Bruce, continuing his pattern of replacing kids who aren’t talking to him at the first chance he gets, takes her on happily. Alfred’s objections are ignored.

As Robin, Steph once again finds herself on great terms with Batman, who is nice to her and intent on her training--right up until he suddenly isn’t. Though she interacts multiple times with Alfred here, she is still not let in on Bruce’s identity.

Despite their last meeting ending with Steph disavowing the friendship, with  Bruce’s approval she’s also on good terms with Cass again. Things are a little more iffy with a skeptical Barbara, but still alright. But her relationship with Tim is on the rocks after she ghosts him. The only other hero Steph gets to interact with as Robin is Superboy in TT#13, who is incredibly unhappy to find someone other that his BFF in the costume, and pretty rude to Steph about it.

Steph finally talks to Tim over the phone in R#127, after he finds out about the new Robin from the news, but she misses their planned meet up for a case. It’s the last time they speak before her death.

In the last issue here, Bruce abruptly turns around from his friendly behavior and fires Steph for ignoring his orders. Fan debates over whether Bruce legitimately wanted Steph as Robin or was bitter towards Tim or trying to lure him back, or any combination thereof, continue to rage.

Not the End

Batgirl vol 1 #54 (end of issue)

Back as Spoiler, Steph tearfully tells Cass that she was fired but isn’t giving up on proving herself. 😬

Batman: War Games starts here. Steph’s treatment turns into straight up torture pͻrn, and you may be better off just skipping it.

Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure - ft Catwoman

Batgirl vol 1 #55

Catwoman vol 3 #34

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight vol 1 #183 - ft Catwoman

Nightwing vol 2 #97 (briefly)

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #57

Robin vol 2 #130 - torture CW, beyond usual comic standards

Catwoman vol 3 #35

Robin vol 2 #131

Batman: Gotham Knights vol 1 #58 - with Batman

Batman vol 1 #633 (in 2004) - with Batman

Steph tries to prove herself by starting one of Batman’s “contingency plans” to consolidate all of Gotham’s gangs, which instead ignites a gang war when she doesn’t have all the information. Cass sees her for the last time in Bg#55, and spends much of the storyline searching for her.

A distraught Steph gets some reassurance from Catwoman, who is perfectly content that Steph knows her identity, before sneaking out, determined to help. She finds Batman’s agent Orpheus--cornerstone of the plan--just before Black Mask kills him. Then some awful issues where Black Mask tortures her. Steph escapes and fights him, but is injured further when she refuses to kill him. Fleeing over the roofs, she’s found by Batman and taken to Leslie Thompson’s clinic, but her injuries are to severe and she dies anyway (until the retcon comes).

More subjectively: reading this storyline exclusively for Steph is a horrible experience. The beginning is a little rough--but everything after Black Mask catches her is horrific. The Robin issues are the worst of the bunch, contrasting a happy storyline for Tim with misogynistic literal torture for Steph.

Batman is nice to Steph on her apparent deathbed, assuring her she really was a true Robin--not that it makes up for his terrible treatment of her before, or abhorrent behavior in this storyline otherwise.

Death

Out of universe, Stephanie’s death was intended to be real and permanent, and issues over the next few years reflected that.  Steph obviously doesn’t actually appear here, so I will be less thorough and just cite a few issues with heavy references:

Batman #634 - Epilogue to War Games. Includes, in flashback, Bruce telling Tim about Steph’s death

In the wake of the gang war, almost everyone except Bruce leaves Gotham.

Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood - Tim and Cass both move to Blüdhaven (recently abandoned by Nightwing), where their shared grief leads to them bonding for the first time.

Steph’s death continues to linger heavily over Robin and Batgirl, and their lead characters. Cass is broken and grieving for her first friend. Tim, whose dad died mere days after Steph, is falling into a dark place.

Batgirl #61-62 - Cass hallucinates Steph at a moment of near-death.

Batman Allies Secret Files (2005) #1 (last story) - Interesting discussion between Tim and Cass, partially around Steph. Lead-in to War Crimes.

Batman: War Crimes - I do not recommend this story. It introduces the idea that Steph could have been saved, but didn’t get the medical care she need. The initial suggestion is that Bruce delayed saving her--but then, of course, it turns about to completely absolve Bruce of any wrongdoing, and instead commit character assassination on Leslie Thompson. It also sees Steph’s identities revealed to the public and her father back from the dead. HOWEVER, after universe-shattering event Infinite Crisis and Steph’s return, almost everything from this storyline was retconned out of existence. Arthur Brown being alive is pretty much the only thing that remains.

Batgirl #72-73 - Cass hallucinates Steph before dying, again.

Infinite Crisis occurs here, followed by a year time skip.

Robin #156 - Now also mourning best friend Superboy/Kon, Tim talks a jumper off the ledge. Note: because of all the losses Tim had in a short period, there is unfortunately not that much time to focus on Steph specifically, and more taking his grief as a whole.

Birds of Prey #99 - Barbara tells a would-be Batgirl about Steph’s death, to warn her of the dangers of vigilantism.

Nightwing #139 - Part of The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul. Tim nearly uses Lazarus water to try to resurrect his dead loved ones.

Return

Robin vol 2 #170-172 (in 2008) - appearances very brief, but references all over the place.

Gotham Underground #2-6 - (Awkward to sort with the Robin issues, but this is the best spot for it.)

Robin vol 2 #173-174 - ft Bruce, Alfred

Robin/Spoiler Special #1 (both stories)

A purple-clad vigilante appears in Gotham--not Spoiler, but she gets Tim thinking a lot about Steph again...right at the same time Spoiler has returned. She starts out watching Tim from afar, coyly seen in glimpses in panels, before finally being revealed to readers.

Her role in GU is mysterious to the point of complete confusion. The Penguin recruits a number of low-level lowlifes and gives them stolen costumes and tech. He notes one girl with better training than the others--her face conveniently hidden from readers--and gives her the Spoiler costume. Spoiler also gets invisibility tech, and carries a minor and largely unexplained plot thread. I genuinely thought this must just be someone else in the costume at first, but it’s later made clear it is Steph. Just not, you know...why she did any of it or what the point was.

Her real return arc is in Robin, alongside Chuck Dixon’s return to the book. Spoiler returns to fighting crime, and is revealed when she swoops in to warn Tim of a trap. For some reason, she’s very resistant to admitting it really is her, until Tim (and Bruce) tracks her down himself in R#174.

Steph explains how Leslie faked her death to protect her. Bruce admits he always suspected she was alive (oh, retcons), and for some reason is now happy to welcome her back. Despite never having been told before her “death,” Steph also knows Bruce’s identity now.  Alfred is delighted to see Steph. Her survival also comes as a huge shock to her mom, who didn’t know either.

Tim’s initial elation turns into very mixed feelings over the deception. Spoiler and Robin team up again, but tensions persist. The lack of resolution to their romantic relationship hangs over them as well--especially now that Tim is maybe seeing another girl from school, Zo.

The second story in R/S Special is largely a flashback to Steph’s time in Africa with Leslie over the time she was faking her death. I’m...not sure they ever specify more than “Africa” :/

Robin vol 2 #175-176 - tie-in to Batman: R.I.P., which you neither need to nor should read.

Batman and the Outsiders vol 2 (2007) #13 (briefly)

Robin vol 2 #177

Teen Titans vol 3 (2003) #66

Robin vol 2 #178-182

Robin vol 2 #183 (very briefly)

Chuck Dixon was replaced with Fabian Nicieza shortly after for the final stretch of Robin. This span of time is tied up in Bruce’s disappearance at the hand of the Black Glove (from RIP), and then in the aftermath of his death (from Final Crisis). Steph is very much treated as a side character in Tim’s story here.

When Bruce vanishes, she’s worried over Tim’s increasingly shady decisions. It turns out she’s also been following orders secretly given to her by Batman before he disappeared, to keep Tim away from the Black Glove stuff and help him in Bruce’s absence. Obviously this only makes things more tense between her and Tim.

Steph tries to learn more about Batman’s disappearance over in Outsiders. As Cass is now part of the Outsiders, this contains their first appearance together since Steph’s “death”...which is extremely underwhelming and addresses none of that at all.

(Bruce dies either before R#177 or after #182. It’s awkward to place, as it is for really all the bat-family books. He’s only referred to as missing in #177-182, and not as explicitly dead until #183. Usually I would prioritize that to say he only dies after #182, but because Tim is in complete denial over Bruce’ death anyway, we could indeed stick Final Crisis right after RIP, as Morrison claimed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The timing of FC is fucked up anyway, so it’s not like it will ever read smoothly.)

Despite the tension between them, Tim asks Steph to come with him as moral support in TT, when he feels compelled to quit the team so he can focus on bat-problems. (This issue breaking up the Robin storyline is awkward, but it really only can work in this exact spot.)

With Batman gone (and some help from villainous Jason Todd), Gotham’s gangs are stirring against each other. Steph, for some reason, keeps trying to follow Bruce’s secret orders push Tim to be a better vigilante. She hires an assassin, Scarab, against Robin and tries to make a deal with Tim’s old nemesis Ulysses Armstrong, resulting in her being shot, Tim having half his head burnt off, and many people dying. It’s, uh. Not great in- or out-of-universe. imo might be Steph’s worst storyline.

Tim is furious about all of this, and in the immediate aftermath of two kids dying, declares he doesn’t want to see Steph in the Spoiler costume ever again. While I hate the way Steph was written in this story, admittedly I...have a hard time faulting Tim for being upset in this scene.

Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? #1 (second vignette)

Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? #1 (third vignette)

Dick becomes Batman; Damian becomes Robin.

Red Robin #2 (end of issue)

Steph does not appear in the main story of Battle for the Cowl, but does appear in the GG framing issues, which go before and after it respectively. Steph considers her future, and again decides to stick with vigilantism. In Alive, she and Tim have a much calmer talk after the blow up in Robin--though Tim still doesn’t believe in her.

Later, in RR, when Dick expresses concern over Tim to her, Steph goes after him to check in. He coldly rejects her worry, shortly before he leaves town to find Bruce.

Batgirl

Batgirl vol 3 #1-3, #4

Batgirl vol 3 #5-7 - ft Batman/Dick Grayson, Robin/Damian Wayne

The Web vol 2 (2009) #3 - ft Barbara

World’s Finest vol 3 (2009) #3-4 - ft Catwoman, Supergirl/Kara Zor-El, Dick, Damian, Barbara, Superman/Clark Kent

Red Robin #9 (end of issue) Batgirl vol 3 #8 - with Tim. Directly leads in to the next:

Red Robin #10-12 - ft Batfamily

Red Robin #15 (briefly)

Steph finally becomes her own starring character in Batgirl. A “three weeks ago” flashback explains that Cassandra left Steph the costume before vanishing (and contains the only other post-death content they get together).

The other bats quickly realize she is not the same Batgirl. Barbara disapproves at first, but comes around and the two soon form a close bond. Babs takes on a deuteragonist role in Batgirl, sharing narration and having subplots of her own. She gives Steph guidance, Oracle-style support, and resources--including Steph’s own costume starting in #4. With the new Batman & Robin operating out of the penthouse/bunker, Batgirl and Oracle take over the Cave.

Steph juggles Batgirl with the start of her first year at college, and hiding her resumed vigilantism from her mom. Other supporting characters introduced here include the bitchy girl at school; another classmate Steph is crushing on; and police detective Gage, the Gordon to her Batman, who she enjoys flirting with.

As a new main member of team bat, Steph gets to meet and interact with a lot of people in this era. Dick initially does not approve, even telling Babs to get out of the Cave, but he comes around by the end of the story arc (#5-7). This is also Steph’s first meeting with Damian. She is as annoyed as everyone is upon meeting Damian, but takes it in stride, and the pair work together pretty successfully. Over in WF, she meets Supergirl for the first time, and the two become fast friends.

Shortly after, Tim returns to Gotham, displeased to find Steph in the suit instead of Cass. He’s unkind, Steph snaps back, and they bicker...but cool off, work together, and make up. The role reversal from their very first appearances--Steph now the bright optimist and Tim falling to the pitfalls of cold loner--is clear. But by RR#10, Tim outright apologizes and asks for her help with his Ra’s al Ghul problem.

Batgirl vol 3 #9-12, #13

Batgirl vol 3 #14 - ft Kara

Steph and Barbara move from the Cave to a new base, “Firewall,” beneath Barbara’s apartment building. Babs introduces Steph to another of her flock, former sorta-Teen Titan, now paralyzed, computer genius Wendy Harris. Wendy soon ends up helping Steph when Babs is taken, and then takes on the name Proxy as she joins the team, filling in when Babs is busy with the newly reformed Birds of Prey.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl (2010)

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Oracle

Batman: The Return (2011) (very briefly)

Bruce is found and returned to the current time. Steph initially worries that she’s still desperate for his approval, but when he puts her through another test, she realizes she isn’t. She confident and refuses to let him take Batgirl--though as it turns out, he has no desire to. Bruce approves. Going forward, he includes her as one of the team.

Batgirl vol 3 #15-16

Batgirl vol 3 #17 - ft Damian

Batgirl vol 3 #18

Red Robin #20 (briefly)

Birds of Prey vol 2 (2010) #10 (briefly)

Batgirl vol 3 #19-20, #21

Batgirl vol 3 #22, Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes (2011) 

Batgirl vol 3 #23-24

Steph carries on as Batgirl, being briefly framed for murder, bickering and bonding with Damian, and generally finding trouble. Babs fakes Oracle’s death in BoP. She steps away from partnering with Steph (but remains on good terms), leaving Wendy/Proxy to fully take over the job--until Wendy heads off herself on a personal quest in #21.

In #22, Steph goes to London on a mission for Bruce/Batman Inc, where she meets and befriends Squire/Beryl Hutchinson. She gets to the actual mission in B Inc, infiltrating a villainous finishing school.

In the final arc before the reboot, Steph discovers her father is alive. When he puts her under the influence of a Black Mercy, Batgirl is taken to the very hostpital where her mom works. Crystal obvious recognizes her, protects her identity, and is ultimately proud of her daughter. <3

[whothefuckiscassandracain]

Counter Summary 1: Cass Appearances 1-100!

Welcome to my first counter summary! We have now examined exactly 100 issues of Cass Cain material, so let’s see what we have learned about her so far and what that will mean for her Arkhamverse introduction, shall we?

For starters, here are the counters sorted from highest to lowest:

Living Emoji: 59

Aphasia: 58

Fast As Lightning: 37

Little Lady Of War: 29

Batmom: 25

Batdad: 21

Fiercely Assertive Protector: 17

Creepy Bat: 16

Better Off Dead: 13

Symbolism!: 10

Ghost Of Failures Past: 10

Plight Of Permanent Perfectionism: 10

Unusual mannerisms: 9

Made Of Steel: 7

Dubious Characterization: 6

Cass Sass: 6

Ballet Battler: 1

Spells ‘Team’ With An ‘I’: 1

I have to say, I am really glad that Cass was the winner of the “next Batkid” vote, because not only is she an interesting character, but also she is mostly consistent in her characterization. Six cases of dubious characterization in 100 issues is really not so bad (especially considering that two of those issues were written by Devin Grayson). Kudos to Cass’ writers for being mostly consistent.

Unsurprisingly, the most common and consistent thing about Cassandra is her aphasia and her tendency to overcompensate for that by using her entire body language to “vocalize” her thoughts and feelings. It makes sense, since she was raised without vocal language, and even though she had her brain re-wired early on to actually understand words, I am grateful that it was not treated as a magical instant fix. It certainly made for an interesting character to read in comic form and it will make for one hell of a challenge trying to write her in prose! The No Man’s Land novel took the easy way out in that regard, but it will be a fun challenge to write someone who has no idea what any words anybody says mean. What is surprising is that her tendency to use unusual gestures to express herself pretty much dropped off after No Man’s Land, so perhaps that was just early writing weirdness.

Secondly, Cassandra has been consistently characterized as extremely fast (she can dodge bullets) and a master of combat. I do feel sorry that her “depowering” arc didn’t last longer, but at least they were smart about demonstrating that the ability to read body language mostly affects her defensive maneuvers. She does not need to read someone in order to be perfect in every martial arts form on the planet. Likewise, I loved that Cass was shown as having trouble against robotic or metahuman opponents, even though she has also managed to take hits that should really have killed her, or at the very least incapacitate her for weeks. Mostly, though, I will enjoy writing her kicking the butts of everyone in the batfam at some point, even if only in training.

Among some other character traits that have been consistent throughout her appearances so far, if less frequent than the big four, we can count Cass’ tendency to prioritize offense over defense, especially when protecting someone, coupled with an insane drive to be absolutely perfect. Both make sense, given that she was trained to be a master assassin, and means she’ll fit right in with all the hotheaded batboys of the Arkhamverse. Also, her tendency to snark at her opponents, once she has actually developed the verbal skills to do so. Definitely going to fit in well with the rest of the Arkham Batfam. :)

As for things that have changed in her characterization over time, it is great to see that Cass eventually lost her death wish, even though she still has a tendency to blame herself a lot for every single failure to save someone. I’m looking forward to seeing if this tendency will eventually wither away. Likewise, we’ll see if there’ll be more instances of her insistence to do the job herself causing trouble, or the undoubtedly cute, but so far singular, occurrence of Cass expressing herself in dance.

That leaves us with Cass’ relationships inside and outside of the Batfam, as demonstrated so far.

Throughout her appearances up until this point, there has been an interesting comparison mechanic between Cass’ real parents (spoilers about the identity of her mother ahead, if you don’t know Cass’ later storylines) and her new, “adopted” parents.

On one hand, we have Cass’ fathers: David Cain and Batman. Both have a tendency of looking at her more as a living weapon than a human being, at times. Cain raised her to be an assassin and has not seemed to realize how much he actually cared about her until he “lost” her. His response to those newly found feelings has been consistently self-destructive and it is clear in his interactions with Cassandra that she still loves him, but is unable to actually be close to him due to their irreconcilable ideological differences. Whoever had the idea of using a single crimson rose to underscore that visually was a genius, because a single crimson rose stands both for deep, unconditional love, and deep sorrow and grief. Bruce is surprisingly similar to Cain in so far as he too has trouble actually showing Cass how much he cares about her, but is fiercely protective of her. Cass, for her part, admires Batman and is grateful to him, but does not seem to look at him as new father figure yet. That’s what you get for taking on a kid who’s not an orphan yet, Bruce. This time you gotta earn your parenting cred.

On the other hand, we have Cass’ mothers: Lady Shiva and Barbara, and whereas Cass’ fathers are quite similar in how they treat her, her mothers could not be more different. Cass does not know that Shiva is her mom, and I’m not even sure if Shiva knows that Cass is her daughter. I believe she suspects it, given her dialogue during their first encounter, but I’m not sure. Either way, Shiva has not been a part of Cass’ life for seventeen years and while she has been courteous and even helpful towards Cass, she has not demonstrated any interest in getting to know “Cass the girl”, only “Cass the martial artist”. I do hope the pearls symbolism is going to come up later, because it does fit their dynamic rather well. Meanwhile, Barbara has no such troubles. She knew Cass before she became Batgirl and learned to care about the girl, not the fighter, and Cass appreciates it, even going so far as to almost tell Barb that she was like a mother to her. That is not to say that Barbara is perfect. She projects A LOT, constantly assuming that her motivations for and attitudes towards the Batgirl title are Cass’ as well and that she knows what’s best for Cass. She makes some good points, but it is a good thing that Bruce is there as a counterpart, because otherwise I’m afraid she might just smother Cass.

Last but not least, we have Cass’ relationships outside her parental figures and it is here where things get really interesting. A common theme in Cass’ interactions is that people are thoroughly creeped out by her, but eventually come to appreciate her for the kind, loyal, and fiercely protective person she really is. Tim takes the direct route and flat-out apologizes to her for his initial attitude, then offers her to be friends. Steph... never really gets over Cass’ creepiness, but is smart enough to connect with her in ways that are mutually beneficial for both of them (Steph gets some training, Cass gets some fun and socialization). And Nightwing... well, Dick broke my heart with just how quickly he accepted her and genuinely cared for Cass, despite having all of maybe two or three interactions with her. It seems like a repeating pattern for his comics character (caring deeply about his family, but not really having that much time to spend with them) and I look forward to writing a more involved version of him in Cass’ Arkhamverse stories.

Outside of the batfam, we have seen three notable interactions so far: Azrael, who had a crush on Cass that did not end happily, Superboy, who also seemed to have had a crush on Cass that was sort of left unresolved, and Leslie Thompkins, whom Cass greatly admired for her inner strength and her unbelievable compassion. I have to admit I won’t be sad if I never see Superboy or Azrael interact with her again, since I couldn’t bring myself to care about either of those two, but I do hope we get to see Leslie and Cass interact again in the future. If there is any way I can include her in Cass’ introduction into Arkhamverse (I don’t want it to be a mere re-hash of No Man’s Land), I will do so.

Last but not least, I’m kind of sad that we haven’t really seen her interact with Alfred all that much yet. I’m gonna have to fix that.

[laquilasse]

I feel embarrassed but I'm really new to the Batman fandom and Ive only read a few comics... Pls point me in the right direction? What comics do u recommend I read ?? Also I love ur art I already love the batfam too much

oh don’t be embarrassed! I’m also incredibly new to Batman and I’ve been asking around/searching for good comics to read, so,,, maybe I’m not the very best person to ask? I’ll give it my best go, though. Most of my faves and recommendations will mostly be Dick Grayson centric just fyi. Also, if anyone has a comic they think I should read please please let me know! (I’ve been meaning to read some Damian centric ones but I am a Working Girl and only have so much time on my hands) But anyways, recs under the cut

I was first started off with Batman the Animated Series, which I know is not a comic but it was essential for getting me into them. It’s so good. It’s lighthearted enough that it’s an easy watch, and it gets you familiar with the characters! (one of my issues with Batman for years was my inability to get into something dark and gritty that would make me feel bad and upset after reading it, hence why all my art is pretty lighthearted). Dick is Robin in this show, and then in a later season they have him come back as Nightwing with Tim as Robin (who iiiissss not really Tim? he’s more like an amalgamate of Tim and Jason. Like, if Tim was a street kid instead of the son of socialites, and if he didn’t deduce Bruce’s identity through recognizing Robin’s aerial style as Dick’s, it just kind of happened by chance. If you like this Tim, you’ll like comics about Jason’s Robin run.)

Then I segwayed right into The Batman and Robin Adventures, which is essentially just BTAS extended and in comic form. From a purely artistic standpoint, I like the comic better than the show. You can super appreciate the glorious art style because it’s not in 480p and there’s no janky animation. (seriously, I get heart eyes looking at this thing)

Another light, fun, batfamily centric comic is Lil’ Gotham. Damian is Robin in this and it’s mainly centered around him, but there’s frequent appearances of the rest of the batfam, as well as fun villain stuff! It’s certainly one of my faves to read over and over again.

Next is Batman and Robin Eternal. I don’t actually know if it’s part of the N52, but I like it all the same. It’s got a HEAPLOAD of batkids in it (though it rewrites Steph so that she was never Robin, which I’m super not ok with, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless), and it’s actually why I fell in love with Cassandra! I cried over her in this comic

Another for Dickie’s Robin run! Scarecrow: Year One features a teeny bapy Grayson (who is to die for), and a cool short case that also delves into Professor Crane’s backstory

If you’re interested in Dick and Damian’s run as Batman and Robin (which you should be), you should definitely read Grant Morisson’s Batman and Robin, which takes place after Bruce’s death in Batman RIP and Battle for the Cowl. I personally really really like it, due to Dick and Damian having a more interesting dynamic than Bruce and Damian (in my opinion, but no one really need hear about how much I want Damian to become a partner for Nightwing so that we can 1. have their amazing dynamic again and 2. let there be new Nightwing storylines that don’t ruin his character by relying solely on “shock value and forced romance”, as my dear and lovely friend Nicole describes it). Another good DickBats comic is The Black Mirror, which I just finished reading like 2 seconds ago.

A Jason centric one: Under The Red Hood is absolutely necessary. It centers on Jason’s death and how he returns and just… god, you’ll cry over him. I love Jason Todd

Robin War is good, if you can get past the Robin Movement… I know that it’s supposed to be that Robin is inspiring young kids all around Gotham, but I really don’t like the idea of anyone being able to put on red and green and yellow and just,,,, call themselves Robin,,,,,, however, I do very much like the relationship between all the batboys in this. It’s got some pretty hilarious and great moments!

EDIT: AH how could I forget Nightwing Rebirth?! I can’t find a link to read the first issue online (which is my goddamn fave because it’s just Dick and Damian at the arcade playing video games together like a good big and little brother), but you can definitely find it on amazon for a good price

I think,,, that should be good to start you off with? I’m in the process of reading like 20 comics at once so forgive me for not including all of those rn lmao. I read based on either gaps I’m trying to fill or if I find myself particularly interested in a specific character. Again, if anyone thinks I should read a specific comic, totally let me know!!

[wearetakingthehobbitstogallifrey]

Thanks for the tag, @theamiableanachronism!  I really enjoyed this one!

rules: choose any 3 fandoms (in random order) and answer the questions. then tag some friends.

i choose: • Batfam • Scarlet Heart Ryeo • The Walking Dead

the first character you loved:

• Bruce Wayne and Alfred.  My first real intro to the Batfam and DC was Batman Begins, and I thought Bruce Wayne was the coolest, bravest guy ever.  And Alfred was THE BEST.  Kind, fatherly/grandfatherly, loyal, sarcasm lord

• Wang So.  Obviously.  Even before I had actually seen a single episode, because I heard he had a tragic story, and he was also as beautiful as an angel.  A dark, wounded angel, but an angel none the less.  When he stormed onto the scene and revealed himself to totally be a murder angst cupcake, as advertised, well, I was bewitched

• Dear sweet Glenn, who sasses the heck out of Rick while saving his butt.  Yeah, Glenn, the pizza delivery boy who was the bravest, most unselfish of them all.  Who became one of the most trusted leaders.  He could have turned and left Rick to die, no one would have known or cared, but he didn’t.  He helped out a stranger, and saved a heck ton of other people by that simple act.

the character you never expected to love so much:

• All the Robins, honestly.  Look, when I watched the Dark Knight trilogy, all I knew about Robin was from a clip or two I had seen of the old campy Batman show, and I kind of was glad a legit Robin never showed up in the films just because I thought it would be ridiculous.  I was SO wrong.  I had no idea.   I had no idea what dark, tragic, beautiful, light, funny, DEEP stories surrounded the MANY kids who would take up the Robin mantle

• Eun, I guess. I never hated him, but since he was always rather immature, it was easy to laugh at him and make fun of the things he did.  Then things happened, and while he remained naive in many ways, it was rather sweet and sad at the same time.  My dorky son deserved better

•Daryl Dixon.  Starts out seeming like a rough, angry, slightly racist redneck whose one redeeming quality is his concern for his even more messed up brother.  And then I realized how much of a softy he was underneath everything, how much he cared about Sophia, and how it destroyed him what happened to her.  I saw him connect with Carol, and befriend Rick and Glenn, and become Rick’s brother essentially, and be softened by Beth.  And as the seasons go on he becomes more badass, more caring, more indispensible to the group, and he loses the undesirable traits he picked up from his childhood.  We find out what his childhood was.  Daryl with Glenn is Rick’s right-hand man, and HE JUST CARES SO MUCH ABOUT EVERYTHING DON’T EVEN TRY TO DENY IT MAN

*I’m gonna cheat and add another person for TWD: Carl.  In the first season or two he is a little kid, kind of annoying at times, but boy does he grow up and mature.  It’s a terrible tragedy what he goes through, the things he sees and has to do that no kid should ever have to.  But he is so freaking strong, and he respects his dad so much, and I love his friendship with Michonne.  I love his concern for his little sister.  I love how he shoulders responsibility, how he does what he thinks is necessary, how he worries sometimes that he is becoming a monster too.  I FREAKING LOVE HOW HE WILL nOT PUT UP WITH NEGAN HE HAS NO EFFS TO GIVE FOR THE GUY HE IS TOO MAD AND HAS SEEN TOO MUCH

the character you relate to the most:

• Well, I can relate to Jason’s love for books, to Tim’s often more quiet and reserved nature.  However, I definitely relate to Dick Grayson the most.  He is more outgoing than me, more outspoken, but he has such great love for his friends and family.  The care for his little brothers (in canon and fanon) is something that particularly calls my attention.  You see, besides two older siblings, I have four younger brothers, and I have helped raise them, I have fought against them, fought with them, fought for them, laughed with them, and busted with pride over their accomplishments.  I have been the person who tried to organize them, to tease them, to keep the peace, to enforce the peace.  And maybe I am projecting but I just really see a lot of myself in Nightwing.  The man who hopes, the man who tries to bring light to the darkest of places, the man others trust to help them when they fall.  (I also just hold him in the deepest admiration and its a thing, I try to be a better and braver person so that if he were real I would be worthy of his friendship and respect...)

• A little bit Hae Soo, because I also would get increasingly frustrated by the culture at the time.  We also share a deep love with Wang So :)  Seriously though...maybe Baek Ah?  Because he is the quiet and introspective type, he suffers quietly, he listens and hears things and tries to help those who need it, he tries to bring the outcast brother back into the family.  He is a healer of sorts, a healer of the heart, and he loves little kids and everything beautiful.  He sees things.  

• Maybe this is me projecting again but Glenn?  Kinda small and nerdy, scared of a lot of things, but bravely keeps on trucking.  And slowly rises to being one of the most integral parts of the group.  A man who has strong morals and isn’t afraid to punch an ex-military man twice his size if that man gets between him and the people he loves

the character you’d slap:

• I’d say the Joker but honestly he deserves something more like a bullet to the head.  I would totally slap a lot of the writers who don’t know what character development means, and I would slap at least half the Batfam because sometimes they just don’t know how to communicate feelings properly.  And they frequently hurt each other even without meaning to.  After all of this, however, I would pull them all in for individual hugs.  Oh, I will also totally slap anyone who ever so much as tries to give Dick Grayson grief about the awful things that happened in the Blockbuster and Tarantula incident

• Wook.  UGH.  Also his sister and Queen Yoo.  The king, whatshisface.  Taejo?  also the little creep Won.  I would slap Yo but I would be afraid to mess up his eyeliner, which is on point at all times and is too wonderful to destroy

• Andrea.  I am so sorry but I could not stand that woman ever.  I rarely actively dislike a fictional person, and I apologize to fans of the comics, I realize that the show screwed over her character, but I despise Andrea with everything I’ve got.  Mostly because she runs around proclaiming how much better she is than everyone while at the same time making colossal mistakes.  And honestly her end was ridiculous.  If Glenn can take out a walker while beaten up and duct-taped to a chair, you can figure out how to pick up pliers with your feet

three favourite characters (in order of preference):

• Dick Grayson is the love of my life, and then I guess Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Damian are tied for second place, and then directly behind them are Barbara, Cass, and Steph (I need to read more comics and fics about them, and I am sure they will advance to make the second tier even more crowded).  Alfred is in a special category all on his own

• Wang So (love of my life), Bae(k) Ah, and I guess a tie with Hae Soo, Jung, Woo Hee, and Lady Oh

• Glenn is first in my heart now and forever, and Carl, Daryl, Carol, Michonne, Maggie, and Rick all hold second place.  I like a lot of the other characters, but I’m going to give third place to Tara, and she doesn’t have to share with anyone.  She is just that cool (also awkward and adorkable)

a character you liked at first but not anymore:

• I love every single member of the Batfam to with all my heart.  (The ones I am familiar with, don’t know much about Duke and Harper yet.)  To go beyond, to characters in the universe, well I won’t say I ever liked the Joker but I thought he was a really great bad guy, Batman’s ultimate foe, someone who should always be around throwing wrenches into things and whatnot.  This was after I had seen him in the The Dark Knight.  Then I started actually reading comics related things and HE KILLED JASON TODD.  MY SON.  NOW I DON’T CARE I WANT THE JOKER DEAD I WANT HIM DESTROYED, OBLITERATED, AND NEVER LOOKED BACK ON. 

• Wook. I thought he was occasionally sweet, if not exactly the strongest of persons.  And then I met his wife, who deserved SO MUCH BETTER.  And then Wook revealed himself to be a jealous little eggshell

• SHANE.  He’s kind of like The Walking Dead’s version of Scarlet Heart Ryeo’s Wook.  Originally a decent guy, a good friend, but when things go south, he gets selfish and self-centered and bad things happen.

a character you did not like at first but now do:

• No one really?  I think?  Unless you want to bring the show Gotham into this picture...which I don’t, because that would also make me want to write a book about my love for it and certain of its characters

• can’t think of anyone this applies to

• Hmm, I guess Herschel? He was kind of annoying with his whole “let’s round up walkers and take care of them in my barn.”  Then tragedy and a near death experience and eventually he winds up being the cool old grandpa

3 otp’s (in order of preference):

• I actually don’t have a strong preference as of yet...I kind of like BatCat, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle.  I haven’t experienced much media with either pairing yet so I have read and enjoyed both DickBabs (I still say it should be Dabs) and DickKori.  Ooh I like Tim/Steph (is there a ship name for that?).  I ship Jason with happiness.  Actually I ship the whole Batfam with happiness and peace and a good night’s sleep.  I don’t ship Damian with anyone because he is just a bby birb :)

• SoSoo, Baek Ah x Woo Hee, Eun and Soon Duk (Deok?).  Also, So x Happiness/Peace/A Living Family Who Loves Him

• GLENN AND MAGGIE FOREVER.  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND.  Richonne is great and I definitely like Caryl.  (I shipped Bethyl just a little, once upon a dream.)

this was fun :) if any of y’all want to do this @itspileofgoodthings @thelonelybrilliance @nalavistahlia @blackaquokat @castieltaking-hobbits2gallifrey @camsthisky @abadpoetwithdreams @tabbyofwisdom ...I feel like there are other people I want to tag but it is way late (early) and my brain is dead forgive me if I left you out and please consider yourself tagged!

[comicteaparty]

August 10th-August 16th, 2019 Creator Babble Archive

The archive for the Creator Babble chat that occurred from August 10th, 2019 to August 16th, 2019.  The chat focused on the following question:

What is your process for planning out the paneling/layout of each comic page?

kayotics

I’ve finally gotten my process down to a process that works for me. For Ingress Adventuring Company https://www.ingress-comic.com/ I start with scripting the whole chapter out. Step two is thumbnailing the whole chapter out, so I can figure out pacing and paneling. I started to do thumbnailing on sheets of printer paper, which has been easier to figure out my drawings and to see how the comic flows on paper. Once that’s done it’s pretty straight forward. Panel borders in pencils > rough sketch & balloon placement > letters and tight sketch in pencils > ink letters > ink bubbles and borders > ink the rest of the page. Then I scan it and do the colors. With the thumbnail process I kind of do the chapter twice in pencils but it ended up being way easier in the long run, since I hate doing panel layouts and doing that work in the beginning is way easier.

Steph (@grandpaseawitch)

Afraid there's no scripting for https://oldmanandtheseawitch.tumblr.com/. It's all pretty much in my head but I go over it literally every day, and I have a few roleplays archived to keep things on the right track, but that's about it. Thumbnails are done in big batches. Last batch was about 20+ pages done at once. Thumbnailing is also where I figure out composition and such. Just detailed enough to give me the idea of what I want, with enough leeway to do as I please on the page itself. Thumbnails done, I make a batch of empty pages, and go in and make all the panels for the 20+ pages. Since I already know the composition from the thumbnails and I have digital guides set up on each page, that's super easy. With all of those done, then I just go back in, do rough sketches for each page. Cleaner than the thumbnails but not too clean yet. Once the rough sketches are done, this is actually where I'll add text and balloons, so that I know what the bubbles will be hiding and don't have to waste extra time. After that, I do as much in large batches as I can, usually cleanup sketches, then inks, maybe flat colors. But after that point, I just have to sit down to work on individual pages until they're done. And voila!

authorloremipsum

http://signsofthreecomic.webcomic.ws/comics/ For Signs of Three, I always start with the script, get the basic idea of what I'm going for in the page. Then panel layout and gesture sketches of people and the environment. THEN! BEFORE I START DETAIL SKETCHING! I LAY IN THE SPEECH BUBBLES. Seriously speech bubbles are critical to controlling how readable your page is and so so many people don't seem to see that. They must lead from one bubble and panel to the next in an easy to understand way or your reader will get lost and confused. So I always make sure to put bubbles in during thumbnailing. After that it's just basic refining the sketch, lining, coloring, and shading.

AntiBunny

Typically in AntiBunny http://antibunny.net/ I thumbnail a page first to decide what needs to happen. After that I look at those event and decide panel layout based on how best to depict them, factoring in what needs to fit, who needs to be there, and how time will pass. I'd say time is the most important aspect, followed by emphasis, and then content. Typically bigger panels depict more time passing, but that's not a concrete rule. A big panel can depict a very short moment in time. The amount of population has a big play in that as well. A lot of action in a big panel can be a short moment in time that's just heavily emphasized. A big panel with very little movement depicted is great for dwelling on a single moment, which is great for slowing down the pace of reading.

heroesofcrash

I used to not have a script at all, but now I tend to write out scripts in advance. I keep a four-panel format in mind (2x2) when I write a strip, but I'll sometimes combine or split panels depending on the flow of the story. (I'll place some sample strips below, showing a "default" 2x2 strip, and a few that combine or split panels based on that structure) I then draw guidelines in Manga Studio (I have the CD, not the digital version that became Clip Studio Paint) for where each panel will be. I put the dialogue in each panel, sometimes editing for space or to fit it nicer in a speech bubble. I can usually visualize how a speech bubble will generally fit in a scene; it's easier for me to draw around the bubble than to draw first and add the words later. After I sketch out the panels, I may move the words around to fit in the scene a little better. I may even tweak it a little when I draw the speech bubble around the text, if I don't like how the text fits in the bubble or how the bubble fits in the scene. As I mentioned earlier, here's two strips. One has four panels (which is the most common for me), the other has six. The latter is made by splitting the upper right panel into two skinny panels, and breaking the bottom half into three panels rather than two. Not only does it give me enough panels to do a complicated visual gag, but having panels with a similar layout next to each other makes the action easier to follow, and thus makes the gag flow better.

Desnik

For http://ask-a-warlock.tumblr.com/, I make tiny thumbnails to quickly go through layouts. I tend to have a few different ideas and doing small/quick is a lot easier on the revisions

LadyLazuli

For Phantomarine (http://www.phantomarine.com/) I've gotten into the habit of thumbnailing each chapter extremely roughly in a sketchbook, then bringing the pages into Photoshop and shifting the panels around to improve the flow throughout the chapter. I put in rough dialogue bits to anticipate balloons, then I get going on rough sketches and color placement in Procreate, then clean up and paint the sketches, then bring them back into Photoshop to finalize the page. It's honestly really haphazard, just because I tend to change details and dialogue around a lot, depending on what I feel is working/failing - but that core chapter flow doesn't change too much, just so I don't get caught needing more pages in one part. So... I keep the roughs very rough, but I adhere to them quite strongly? The details are where things get experimental (edited)

JUNK

I am a fool who hasn't been doing thumbnails lately, so my process is the typical script>sketch>inks>tone.

MJ Massey

I start with my storyboards, which are just skethcy first drafts of the pages in a sketchbook. I have a vague genreal story outline, but this is where I really figure things out--both the layouts and the script.

In my head, I tend to see things as if they were an animation, so I am usually trying to catch that sense of movement in the comic panels. I try to keep things interesting and thinking outside the typical grid layout, usually resulting in some pretty crazy stuff. It's easier with action scenes, but I try to mix up everything. I do my final pages on 9x12 bristol (I used to work on 11x14 but that was...too big for markers), but there are many times where I will scrap the storyboard and do something totally different for the final page, or add or take away things. But it's good to have that first draft down as an idea, it's easier to adjust from there if I need to

FeatherNotes

@LadyLazulii love your process ahhh!!!

LadyLazuli

@FeatherNotes MERCIIII

Nutty (Court of Roses)

For Court of Roses http://courtofroses.thecomicseries.com/ I mostly sketch out thumbnails, scan them in, and lineart/color. Like most of y'all, I have a general story outline, and specific scenes get more detail as I work closer to them. If there's a scene that has emotional hits and I want the right dialogue for it, I'll script it. If there's lots of exposition and detail, I'll script it. Just, largely winging it on my end!

Tuyetnhi

I usually work from loose script dialogue for a chapter, to get the feel for the page, then start thumbnailing. After thumbnailing tho, I redraw the thumbnails on csp, sketch, then change/define panel layout or render till finish. Often, my thumbnails don't give me enough info till I start the page. And that's good for me since it's still under a set guideline but I don't feel rigid on "Oh gotta make it exactly like this" or some sorts. Same goes with dialogue/scripts too since I tend to go back and correct panel layout if i don't think it was strong enough on the first go. Idk, I treat it more of a fluid process that I can go back and fix due to how I digitally paint/render things. Still the process depends on the page i'm working on, how strong the thumbnails are, dialogue, and color scheme theme I had with certain pages. Most of it is 40% gut feeling tho. Images shown here how I got OIYD! Ch. 2 - Page 15 to be to its finished form. [thumbnail-> Rough sketch -> add with color -> final render with dialogue]

ErinPtah (Leif & Thorn | BICP)

I took scans/notes about each step of the BICP page-making process back during chapter 5: http://www.bicatperson.com/comic/step-by-step/ ...and then again, seven years later, during chapter 28: http://www.bicatperson.com/comic/the-webcomic-page-making-process/ The art has gotten better, but the actual workflow...basically hasn't changed. (If it ain't broke...)

snuffysam

First I have the script for the entire book, which I'll have finished ahead of time. At the start of each chapter, I'll divide the upcoming script into pages based on how I want the comic to be paced - e.g. making sure the setup and punchline to a joke aren't on different pages, making sure there's not too much dialogue to read on a single page, etc. Then, when it comes time to do the page, I'll split things up into panels. That's pretty easy - I generally want to keep things to one line of spoken dialogue per panel, or one "action" per panel. Sometimes there'll be beat panels, sometimes two people will talk in one panel, but that's the general rule. Next I... put together the panels. I don't really use thumbnails to work this stuff out - important panels or panels with more dialogue are bigger, less important panels or ones with less dialogue are smaller. I try to make sure panels don't intrude on each others' vertical space, because i've always found that complicates things in a web medium - but that just means there's less for me to worry about. I make sure the panel layout is different from the previous page, and if there's an action I need to emphasize I'll do something weirder than just a rectangle. If there's not enough space on one page for the panel sizes I want, I'll make it a double-length or triple-length page. As for the actual artwork - I try to make sure the reader's eye line is led along the page. So panels on the left would have the characters generally facing to the right, and panels on the right would have the characters generally facing downward and to the left. I try to leave enough space for word bubbles - and in general, the characters on right panels will be placed lower than characters on left panels, because i want the speech bubbles to move downward as you read across a row. And, well, that's basically it!(edited)

authorloremipsum

finally someone who considers the eyeflow (am joking, mostly)(edited)

snuffysam

i didn't always, but a reviewer once told me how one specific action scene was really difficult for him to parse because the eye flow was just completely in the wrong direction, nearly every panel. so since then i've been making a conscious effort about it :p it's tough when there's two characters up against a wall and you need the page to flow the other direction from how they're standing though, lol.