#the reason everyone who knew bruce when he was young doesn't think he's batman is because theyre convinced he's taking way too many

[rocker-socks]

nothing is funnier to me than people who knew Bruce when he was young seeing his 'Brucie' persona and going what the fuck. Harvey Dent breaks down the manors doors convinced Bruce has a tumor and leaves halfway still convinced to sue someone for medical malpractice anyways

[quotidian-oblivion]

I've been thinking about Jason's memorial case in the Batcave recently and came up with a few thoughts.

Obviously, there are a few things wrong with it, mainly the title of a "Good Soldier" being attached to a child. And I've been thinking aboit that mostly.

There's no questions of how intensely focused and obsessed Batman is over the war against crime in Gotham, we see him quoting it multiple times in the comics and even the movies, animated and live-action. And so he thinks everyone in the war is a soldier, including Robins. I hate that and loathe it.

Not because I'm a Batman apologist, I'm not. It's because I like to see and believe in the better parts of Batman. The reason why he doesn't kill in the first place--because it comes from a place of compassion and a place of strong belief set by an 8-year-old boy who grew up too fast. Because he believes anyone can be redeemable because ultimately everyone is human, as proven in the older Batman comics and Batman TAS when he helps Harvey, Harley, Baby Doll, etc.

And the biggest reason of all--because Batman, whether anyone likes it or not, represents a strong symbol in Gotham. A burning torch in murky darkness. A hope--one shrouded by shadows--but a hope nonetheless. It's in the psychology of Gothamites, it needs a Batman because of that symbol which is lethal to criminals and a relief to citizens. I'm heavily referencing The Dark Knight Returns I and II (animated movies) here. Watch it if you haven't yet, you'll see what I mean. This is why he can't kill the Joker. It will be completely tainting that hope and we can see its effects in The Dark Knight Returns II.

In any case, Tim was right about Batman needing a Robin. Because in the end, Batman is just that--a man. And Robin is a child.

Lego Batman is really good for this reason. The concept of found family in that movie is just amazing. I love how Bruce fears having a family again after he lost his old one.

Batman needs a Robin because Batman was originally born out of a vengeance scheme of an 8-year-old newly orphaned boy who lost everyone. Trauma lasts. Batman needs a Robin because Robin is a family. And that little boy who lost his parents needs it. And so does Robin.

I love in Young Jusitce when Batman says "So that he doesn't" in response to Wonder Woman asking him if he pulled Robin into this life "So that he turns out like you?". Because Dick was also a little boy bent on revenge. Bruce gave that to him in the only way he knew how, but a better version because he himself has matured and understands how dark he has gotten. He doesn't want that for Dick, or Jason, or Tim, or Damian, or Cass--or any of his kids. He gave them early on what he didn't have--a family. And he received a family back. And having that family keeps Batman from tipping oved the edge into insanity. Because revenge is a poison, even if it's an 8-year-old boy imagining it.

But that still doesn't change that he sees it as a war. And he sees Robin and himself as soldiers.

So I came to a conclusion.

He doesn't.

Bruce doesn't.

Batman does.

Here's how I'm piecing it out:

"A Good Soldier" carved on the memorial case because only soldiers can fight so openly and outwardly. Even if they're dubbed as vigilantes, they are soldiers. And I think Bruce thinks it this way.

So when he sees a Robin or a Batkid out there, kicking rapists in the face and whatnot, he sees how someone so young can bear so much weight. He sees how a child can hold so much bravery--like the soldiers in the frontlines--doing this because of the morals they believe in. He sees how Robin is a good fighter, a good helper, a brave one, a confident person, a soft hero.

He sees how Robin is all that and he thinks "A good soldier." Because Robin is one. With the thing they're doing, he is one.

But yes, it's wrong. Children cannot and should not be soldiers. But a) this is the worst type of fiction, comic fiction 😂 and b) Batman is fucked up himself and considering he started training to be Batman from a young age too, he himself was a child soldier.

In the world of DC comics, the people there need someone like Batman while the people in the Earth we live in need someone like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malala Yousufzai, etc.

So yeah, Robin is a good soldier--a great soldier, because he holds the bravery, determination and strength of a soldier. It could mean a literal thing, but it could also mean a metaphorical thing. Bruce could have engraved those words to Jason's memorial case because the only thing he can think of to sum up how Jason was as a Robin was a soldier. Because soldiers are brave, and Jason was the bravest.

And I think comic writers after that took the whole "war against crime" psyche of Batman too literally and too much creating the abusive ass prick in some of the continuities.

But you can't tell me that Bruce--not Batman--Bruce has a case of his own for Jason. Maybe a physical one, maybe an imaginitive one. A case which holds Jason's annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice, his first aced test paper, and his favorite hoodie, all kept tidily in the case with the words "a good son, be well loved, Jay lad" written under it. A case which he holds private because it was his son who he lost. Jason.

A little boy who survived so much until he couldn't. A little boy who he tried to protect until he couldn't. His son. Jason.

[keenzinemugstudent]

Superman x witch fem black reader x Superboy! Our future? Part 1!

You come back from a mission only to meet a boy who claims to be your son?!

After your mission with Flash which was an epic win! After going back in time to help stop an ancient Egyptian pharaoh from destroying world you just wanted to turn in your report go home and watch TV and rest but life had another plan for you today!

"When you use that spell on that other guy and had him hallucinating that he was fighting in his underwear was absolutely hilarious Y/H/N! (Your Hero Name)

"Right? Like he didn't see that coming! I do feel bad for the poor guy tho." We entered the Batcave as we got closer we could hear three people talking I saw Batman and Superman an unfamiliar face. It was a boy well more like a teenager he had blue jeans, black combat boots with a black shirt when he turned around I can see the Superman symbol and for some reason you had this pull towards him and he looked strangely familiar?

"Hey guy's! We're back it took a while you know with the whole space-time thing but we're fine, we made it got the job done so uh who's the new guy new face looks pretty young to join the Justice League don't you think?" Flash says. Superman looked at me I gave him a small wave to say hello but he just gave an awkward smile looking pass you. It was weird he usually doesn't do that, something must have happened you turned your attention back to the teenager who was looking at you with his eyes glossing over like he was close to crying?

"Since when do we allow fans into the batcave?" I asked hands on my hips I had got a good look at his face better and to your surprise he looked kind of like Clark? Before you could say anything the boy ran towards you with such speed nearly knocked you over he pulled you into a big bear hug almost like he was too scared to let you go everyone just stood watching the scene Bruce stood with a blank face, Superman stood there with an uneasy look while Flash was just as confused as you were with what was going on.

"Your here! I made it just in time!" The boy says into your shoulder you honestly didn't know what the heck was going on but something in you felt a connection to this unknown boy. You hug him back rubbing his back he pulled back flustered.

"Uh hi?" I say with a confused smile.

"H-hi! I mean I'm sorry for uh hugging you I just got really excited!" The boy said with a nervous smile geez even his smile is like Clark's!

"That's fine hon just uh be careful next time you wanna hug someone. You nearly knocked me off my feet!" You say hitting his shoulder. He smiled but was still flustered, you got a better look he was definitely a spitting image of Clark but only a tad bit kid had some muscle on him that's for sure but what really caught your attention was his eye's they were Y/E/C (your eye color)you put a hand on his cheek making him flinch a bit from your warm touch.

"That's funny your eyes..." Before you could finish Flash cut you off sliding over next to you and the kid.

"Can someone explain what and who this boy is please?" Flash says looking the kid up and down, Batman looked towards Superman who looked back shaking his head Batman looked towards the boy who looked back nodding than turned at you nervous.

"Um so first I'm really happy to meet you and second please don't freak out when I tell you this but I'm Kon-el."

"Oh so you are Kryptonian! Another cousin you failed to tell us about Superman?" I asked jokingly but he just looked at you awkwardly with a tiny blush, okay what the heck is wrong with him? You just turned your attention back to the young man.

"Well it's very nice to meet you Kon-el the minute I saw you I knew you were somehow related to Superman. You are just as handsome as the man of steel himself!" You say with a smile he blushed at your words while Superman also looked flustered by you calling him handsome.

"Thanks...mom."

I froze the smile on my face slowly dropping I heard Flash gasped while Bruce and Clark stared at your face waiting for reaction the boy looked at you with a bit of concern but the only thing you could do was just stand in shock looking between the boy and Superman who was still waiting for your reaction but you let out a simple small confused "Huh?" before everything went black.

Clark's POV

Before anyone else could react Y/n eyes rolled in the back of her head luckily I had caught her in time. Conner I mean Superboy started to panic kneeling to the ground along side me.

"I-i'm sorry it just slipped out!" I just gave him a small understandable look.

"It's fine Superboy she's okay just in shock."

Not that you blame her I nearly had the same reaction I was in metropolis when Bruce had gave me the call saying that it was urgent I rushed over only to find Batman holding a teenage boy at gun point (it was a kryptonite gun) at first I was confused and concerned until Batman told me that the boy claimed to be mine and Y/H/N son which of course was hard to believe because I was in a relationship with Lois even though we've been having issues and Y/n had no interest in dating (at least that's what I was told by Diana) and we were only close friends nothing more nothing less. At least that's what I thought until the boy in front of me claimed to be our child and he needed the Justice League's help. Of course me and Bruce had doubts but I could see that he did resembled me a bit only he didn't have my blue eyes but had Y/E/C (your eye color) that's when the boy who called himself Superboy told Bruce to look in his back jean pocket and that there was a picture to prove it of course Batman did in to our surprise it was a picture of me and Y/n who was laying in a hospital bed, a beautiful but tired smile on her face and was holding a newborn baby, at the bottom of the photo it read "Welcome to the world our little miracle child Connor Kent" I had to hold on to something because I felt faint, Bruce held my shoulder trying to help me stand on my feet.

I had a son? the son of Superman and Y/H/N...we had a son?!

it just it sounded so...right??? I shouldn't be saying or thinking such things because I'm in a relationship with Lois but recently we've been having issues especially about how she feels about Y/n which just make this whole situation worse!

Just as Connor was trying to explain how he got here that was when Barry and Y/n entered the cave back from their mission, which brings us back to the present with me holding Y/h/n in my arms and Connor looking very concerned for his future mother.

"She did say she was tired after using so much magic and the shock of meeting Superboy I guess was too much for her body." Barry says arms crossed, I picked Y/n up bridal style then turn to looked at Bruce.

"I'll take care of this you call the other's." I say before walking out with Conner not far behind. Today has been tiring for everyone.

To be continued this and AU where Conner isn't a Clone between Lex and Clark but you and Superman's son idea I had while working 🤷‍♀️

Here part 2!

[argentumcor]

A flare-up of Arkham Trilogy fandom has been triggered, and so I spent entirely too much money on the Arkham Knight Genesis comic. Art is nice, writing is pretty good. I'm not a comic person, and find most comics to have ugly art these days, but this one (and Soulfinder from Iconic Comics) impressed me.

I always liked this version of Jason coming back best since I heard of the character. A plot device like a Lazarus Pit needs to be kept to a minimum because otherwise it just breaks everything and the Arkham version where the Pits are nearly exhausted and restricted to the Ra's plots is the best way to approach them. Jason being crazy because of torture and not mystical woo-woo side effects offers more interesting directions to go in to me, problems that can't be easily solved because they are choices he made while at least somewhat in possession of his faculties.

Man, I thought the backstory I cooked up for Arkham's Jason was dark but the canon one is darker. I had it where he never knew his dad and his mom was an addict who OD'd when he was young, but in the comic both parents are meth addicts who tried to sell him to the mob to pay their debts, which didn't work because that's nuts even in Gotham, and so abused him until he was thirteen, when Jason sold them out to the mob and watched them get killed in exchange for getting a small bit of turf where he was left alone to do small time crime.

I always liked the version of him meeting Batman by trying and semi-succeeding at stealing the wheels off the Batmobile, but the Arkham version where he saves Batman's life during a tussle with the Joker is a better fit for this universe.

There's conflict between the game City Stories version of how he got caught and the comic one. The game one is much darker, from what drove Jason after Joker (horrible murder and mutilation of children at a school in the game vs. pride I think in the comic) to the actual getting caught (Jason's hubris and sense of righteousness making him very stupid in the game vs. purely a trap the Joker laid in the comic). The game lore version of events is better, though harder to depict I think in the pages the comic had for various reasons.

One thing stands out about Arkham Jason: everyone in his life had given up on him from the moment he was born...except Bruce and the family. Bruce met him for only a few minutes at most and saw that Jason could be more than just another doomed rat in the dirty alleys of the city, wanted in some way to be more (Arkham Knight Jason disputes this in narration but it's clear from what happened that's the case). But a lifetime of being given up on doesn't just vanish in a year-ish of being really valued- and Joker brilliantly weaponized it against Jason and in doing so against Batman.

The comic is from Jason's bitter angry broken pre-Arkham Knight POV but there are hints that the darkness hasn't consumed him. I think Dick naming Tim as his brother in a fight hurt him- because I think they would have had that bond before Jason was taken and 'Tim as my replacement' is a big thing for Jason. He's ruthless, yes, and apathetic to the world around him but he sees that Bruce has a memorial to him in the Batcave and it triggers really intense emotions- anger because that's almost all he has anymore and then something else he can't and refuses to even try to process.

That's why, I think, Bruce extending a hand to Jason at the end of the boss fight destroyed the Arkham Knight. I also think that getting Gotham to evacuate civilians was Jason's idea. There's no logic to it from Scarecrow's POV; more people in the city would mean more fear to, uh, imbibe. It's not that Jason is worried about collateral damage, exactly, it's that he isn't totally gone. You can see that in the game audio logs. I wish we would have gotten an encounter with him and Dick, either as the Knight or as Red Hood. I think the rivalry there with Tim is built in as a matter of history and personality but with Dick there's a brotherhood that got broken through no fault of their own.

The Red Hood smart-assery is also present in the narration in the comic. I think it was there with the Arkham Knight, too, here and there, but he's on the furious hunt in most of what you hear from him so there isn't a lot of room for it.

[aprocessionofthoughts]

For your own good

ai-less whumptober day 4-betrayal fandom- batman TW-dissociation, slightly suicidal thought (if you want to avoid don’t read the section between the 000000000), hurt/no comfort summary- Jason forcing Bruce to choose between the Joker and him doesn't go well at all

ao3 masterlist

Jason was trembling. 

His hands were cuffed and he was in the back of the Batmobile.

His plan had failed disastrously. He always knew it would. He just didn’t think it would end like this.

He had already tried talking to his dad… Bruce Batman, but the Bat had just ignored him.

“It's for your own good.” had been the only thing Batman had said to him before shoving him into the Batmobile.

His only mercy had been that the Joker had been left for the police to pick up. But that was still little consolation. 

Jason closed his eyes as the Batmobile pulled onto the bridge that led to Arkham.

He started counting his breaths, no use hyperventilating before he was even there.

The Batmobile jerked to a stop and Batman got out before opening the door to the back and pulling him out.

Jason stumbled, the only reason he didn’t fall was thanks to the bruising grip Batman had on his arm. His vision narrowed and his breaths picked up slightly. No. He couldn’t panic. Not here. When he was alone. Would they put him alone? Would Bruce Batman give him the courtesy of assuring he got his own cell?

A guard approached them.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. His own dad father Batman couldn’t be leaving him to rot in Arkham.

Everyone knew the doctors were no good. Why was he doing this? He was leaving him in the same place as that clown.

Jason’s mind started to go blank and he let it.

***

The next time he was aware he was being shoved into a cell. He stumbled and fell, bruising his shoulder and hip on the concrete floor.

He heard his cell door slam shut.

He didn’t bother getting up, just curled into a ball and trembled.

***

Jason wasn’t fully present most of the time. It was easier that way. He could sit silently through his mandatory therapy session, he vomited any pills they gave him. The only problem was during meal times when all the prisoners from a block ate together. None of the big bads were there, mostly just other crooks but one had wanted to start a fight on Jason’s first day there. Jason had put a stop to that fairly quickly and the man had to be taken away by medics.

They had locked Jason in solitary confinement for 21 days. Part of Jason’s mind acknowledged that since he was 19 it was illegal to put him in solitary, but mostly Jason had just been glad. He kind of wished he could stay there, but he knew people kept in solitary for too long went mad and he rather liked his mind.

***

How long was he supposed to be here?

Was it for a certain amount of time or until he was ‘cured.’

There hadn’t even been a trial!

***

00000000

He asked his mandated therapist the next time they met. It had been the first time he had talked in a session. She just said that he needed to focus on getting better.

Jason hadn’t said anything after that.

What was there to cure?

The only cure would be undoing his resurrection.

0000000

****

5 years later

A car was parked in front of Arkham. Bruce Wayne was standing by it.

Soon, a young man was seen walking out of Arkham.

Bruce embraced the young man who smiled back with wide vacant eyes.

[meara-eldestofthemall]

Not sure why everyone is making such a huge deal about Bruce smacking Tim when we've seen him do it lots before. Bruce has always been abusive. This isn't the first time. Bruce doesn't handle losing loved ones well. Dick, Jason, Damian, His folks and now Selina. Bruce doesn't treat his family very well why should we expect him to treat those who aren't family better?

“Those who aren’t family…”

First of all, and most importantly, Tim *IS* family. Depending on which cannon DC is using today Bruce is either his adoptive father …

..or his guardian:

The casual statement that Tim isn’t “family” is what’s launched a thousand fanfics dealing with the angst of Tim being ignored, cast aside or taken for granted by Bruce, Dick, Jason and Damian - you know, his family. So, before I go on, let me uncategorically state that Tim Drake is family for Bruce and the rest. There’s no questioning that.

Okay, on to Bruce slapping people around. Yes, Bruce has an awful record of beating the crap out his adult sons. The reason I find Batman #71 so egregious, is that Bruce has never hit one of children while they were still … well, children. Everyone will bring up the comic panel that made meme history where he hit a very young Dick Grayson:

It’s actually from a 1965 issue  of World’s Finest (#153)  that was presented as an alternate universe tale. Apparently Bruce Wayne blamed Superboy for the death of his father. As you can imagine, he decided to cope with the trauma by dressing up as a giant Bat so he could kill Superman:

Is it possible that Bruce hit kiddie/early teen Dick somewhere in past 75 years. Well, if he has, I don’t remember seeing it. Why? Because even then they knew that parents slapping their kids around because they were angry or upset was not a good thing. Lots of things have changed since 1965 such as thinking that kids would buckle down and study if their favorite comic book tells them it’s “hip”:

…but the idea of striking your teen hard enough to fracture their skull was and continues to be considered child abuse. People get so upset by it because it’s a Batman, a hero doing it. In order for Batman to continue forward as a hero, eventually Tim (and everyone else) will forgive Bruce for his actions. DC is is sending the message that if you have enough money/status/power it’s okay to commit child abuse. Sorry, but I believe that child abuse is something that should never be tolerated under any circumstances. Heroes can not be allowed to act like that. If they do, they’re not heroes any more.

[heroicadventurists]

Batman and The Outsiders # 1 **SPOILERS**

Lesser Gods part 1

Recap and Review

This issue begins in Los Angeles. A Father (Gabriel) and Daughter (Sofia) are driving along a highway. Sofia is listening to her headphones to the annoyance of her Dad. He tells her to play music in the car but she tells him she prefers the headphones. He promptly reminds her that he is her Father and asks her to take the headphones off. She complies.

-“You’re thinking about your Mother. I know what day it is. I won’t tell you how to grieve, but Ana would want you to be happy, she always said—" Gabriel

The car suddenly hits a man standing in the middle of the road, but instead of killing the man, he crushes the car.

The man stands on top of the car and pulls Gabriel thru the windshield. He grabs his neck and you see a light escaping his eyes and mouth before he dies. Before Sofia can run, the man grabs Sofia by her neck.

-“Nothing from my touch. Strange. So scared. You don’t know what you are. Let me show you.”-Strange killer

The man proceeds to throw Sofia over the bypass and she slams into a gas tanker. The tanker explodes from impact and the scene ends with Sofia’s screaming face.

The issue switches to Gotham City. Signal and Orphan appear to be at the docks, taking cover from a mad man (Saint John) wielding a machine gun. Signal tells Orphan that he can rush Saint John but Orphan tells him to wait for Black Lightning. Duke does not respond well to this.

Suddenly Black Lightning appears, firing lightning at Saint John’s helmet, while Katana slices his gun with her sword. Black Lightning tells Katana to cover her eyes and he lights Saint John up.

With Saint John down, Black Lightning reprimands Signal for not waiting for him & Katana. Signal tells Black Lightning that he is not his Father and he’s not Batman.

-“Neither are you, Signal. That’s why I had to save your life. We have to work together. We’re a team.” – Black Lightning

Shamed, Signal walks away and tells everyone he will call GCPD. Katana asks Orphan if he is normally like this. She responds that he has been different since he was injured by Karma.

The scene switches once again to Kubrick Towers. Bruce is meeting Jefferson for a report.

-“Duke’s not right. Cassandra thinks this is recess. Katana will kill someone before this is over.” -Jefferson

Bruce tells Jefferson they are his team and to make them what he wants them to be. Jefferson questions if this is truly his team. At this point Jefferson and Bruce have a real conversation about Bruce’s real intentions with forming the Outsiders.

-“I need to solve some things. For myself. And they…need more from me than I can give.” – Bruce

On his way out, Bruce tells Jefferson he put the penthouse in his name.

We switch to what appears to be the Batcave. Batman is surveying the wreck from earlier in the issue. It’s confirmed that Gabriel is dead and Sofia is missing.

We move to an abandoned building that Tatsu is living in. She is trying to communicate with her husband’s soul inside her sword.

Tatsu tells Jefferson he is not as quiet as he thinks, and he comes out of the shadows. He tells her that he needs her wisdom. Tatsu tells him to pick up a sword. They spar while Jefferson asks Tatsu for her help.

-“Duke is punishing himself. Cassandra is a mystery I can’t solve. Help me with them.” – Jefferson

Jefferson tells Tatsu that he needs a partner. He wants her to challenge him. After he leaves, her husband’s soul speaks to her “Taaatttsssuuuuu”. She cries as she holds the sword.

Next, we see Cass and Duke riding her motorcycle. During the ride, Duke is only thinking about Karma and he cries out for Cass to stop. She asks Duke if he’s ok and he tells her he still sees Karma.

“It’s okay. When I sleep…I see my Dad.”-Cass

Cass tells him it’s okay to be afraid, and he yells that he is not afraid. Cass begins to apologize but their batwatches go off.

The Outsiders meet up with Batman on top of a building. He briefs them on The Ark Program. A consortium of billionaires wanted to create their own metahumans. Batman burned it down. The architects tried to kill all the test subject, and only the Ramos family survived. Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox set them up in a house in Los Angeles and Batman promised them they would stay safe. Batman informs the team that the Mother eventually died due to the experiments and Gabriel was just killed. Their task is to find Sofia and bring her to Gotham. At this, Batman grapples away.

Right away, Black Lightning is distrustful of Batman and wants to decline the mission. In the end, Katana informs the team that they are taking the mission.

-“I don’t trust Batman. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter----is us trusting each other. Because I have a feeling we are own our own.”-Black Lightning

We go back to Sofia, and she is at the train station trying to keep a low profile and get out of Los Angeles. As she’s walking a man in the shadows grabs her from behind. He tells her that she will pull humanity from the ashes; and thru her a new age is born.

Review

I really enjoyed this comic. First off, the art work is AMAZING. Dexter Soy really took this comic book to the next level. The only thing that threw me off was Bruce looking like an older version of Jason. I had to do a double take for a moment. Speaaking of Jason, Gabriel's license plate was TODD JASON. Dexter did a great job.

I really enjoyed the development we’re getting with Duke. Duke had a very traumatic experience with Karma in Detective Comics, and it’s nice to see them addressing those issues.

I am also intrigued by Jefferson’s relationship with Duke and Tatsu. A part of me feels like Duke is pushing Jefferson away because he reminds him of his Father; or he feels that Jefferson is trying to take his Father’s place. He really has no other reason to be this combative. Jefferson is eventually going to break down Duke’s walls; and when he does, I think they will have an unbreakable bond.

Jefferson and Tatsu have a lot of chemistry and I would probably ship Jefferson with Tatsu if I knew the status of Anissa and Jennifer. If he hasn’t had them yet, then I wouldn’t ship them, but if he’s divorced from Lynn already, then it would be an interesting relationship to explore.

When Jefferson visited Tatsu, she told him that Cassandra was afraid of her future. I hope this is tied to Detective Comics 980 where Cass learned she was both Batgirl and adopted. Stephanie seems to have taken the news from Tec 980 well. She's not bitter that she was never Robin or Batgirl in this timeline. She is actually referring to herself as a Robin in Young Justice. Stephanie doesn't care what time line it happened in, a win is a win. Cass's situation is entirely different. While she can take the same approach with the Batgirl mantle, she can't do that with the adoption. That has to be something formally initiated by Bruce. I think there are a couple of things Cass could be afraid of: (1) Deep inside she is bad and they will get rid of her like they did Basil (2) She never reaches her full potential and does not become an official bat (she never wears the symbol) (3) She's never adopted again (if Bruce doesn't adopt her, what does that mean for their current relationship?). It could be something else entirely or a combination of 1-3. Hill has a lot of compelling directions he can go with Cass. A follow up from Tec 980 would be great.

Last, but certainly not least….Bruce Wayne. Honestly, Bruce came across as someone who really doesn’t care what the team is doing as long as they stay out of his hair and they’re alive. When Bruce met with Jefferson at Kubrick Towers, he confirmed my suspicions that he formed BatO and put Jefferson in charge so he could be Duke and Cassandra’s primary mentor. While it may seem messed up that he is not making time for them, I respect the honesty of the situation. Bruce’s life is crap right now. He’s trying to rebuild his relationship with Damian, he has no clue what to do with Jason and this Iceberg situation, Dick is Ric and at some point, he should realize that Tim is missing on Gemworld. Not to mention his Dad from another Universe is teaming up with his enemy and he’s still heartbroken over Selina. He’s stretched thin and has realized he doesn’t have the physical time or emotional availability to look after/mentor Duke and Cass. He’s giving them a better option in Jefferson. He even gave Jefferson a pent house for his troubles. I think Jefferson knew from the beginning why Bruce formed the team, which explains why he doesn’t trust him. They are laying the seeds of Batman eventually leaving the Outsiders and if that happens, I feel like this comic will be a great vehicle for Black Lightning to shine. I wouldn’t be surprised if they phased Batman out of the title once they have some consistent sales. It wouldn’t be anytime soon, but I wouldn’t mind BatO becoming The Outsiders.

This was a great issue with some great art. If you’re a fan of these characters I highly recommend you pick up this issue.