DICK’s would be “Death of a Bachelor” by Panic! At the Disco…
JASON’s, “Heathens” by twenty one pilots…
TIM’s, “Basketcase” by Green Day…
And, DAMIAN’s, “The Imperial March” by John Williams.
JOKER: *laughing maniacally*
DAMIAN: *walks cockily towards him* I’m no Jason Todd.
JOKER: He’s pathetic. You’re contemptible.
DAMIAN: *brandishes sword* And you’re both.
I don’t know about you guys, but Batfamily-wise, the New 52’s “Batman and Robin Eternal” is just a gift that keeps on giving.
Be forewarned: this is going to be long and panel-heavy. I want to highlight precious, character-revealing moments from the series, and there are a lot. Thus, panels won’t be arranged chronologically, but thematically.
Most of it will be focused on Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne, though. But, story-wise, Cassandra Cain (then Orphan) and Harper Row (Bluebird) play central roles. Barbara Gordon (as Batgirl), Stephanie Brown (as Spoiler), Duke Thomas (then a “Robin”), Jim Gordon (then “Batman” in a mech suit), and Azrael, as well as others Batfrenemies, make appearances, too. So, yeah. Definitely a Batfamily affair.
I love this series. By writing this, I’m going through it for the second time.
Just like in the “Robin War” story arc, we see that Bruce manages to unite his family even in his absence. (Sure, they sometimes do so out of begrudging respect, but they really do love him!)
Throughout the series, the present is juxtaposed with the past.
The story revolves around a villain that Bruce Wayne first encountered in his early years as Batman, way back when his Robin was still an enthusiastic, fresh-faced Dick. Simply referred to as “Mother”, her goal is to produce “perfect” children. Believing that overcoming intense personal trauma is the key to pushing a child towards his or her full potential, she targets children, murders their parents, then takes them under her wing. With the help of brainwashing (and Scarecrow’s fear toxin), she molds them into human weapons intent on pleasing her. Rich and powerful clients in search of ideal children avail of her, um, services.
To investigate deeper, Bruce posed as a potential client and pretended to be dissatisfied with his ward.
While Robin continued to fight alongside Batman on a daily basis, Bruce purposefully left Dick in the dark about Mother.
Later on, we find out why: dealing with Mother revealed some truths that Bruce was ashamed to face. Perhaps he was no different from Mother? That he’d been using the death of Dick’s parents to mold him into Robin? Did he really want to replace Dick?
Take a gander at a very handsome younger Bruce Wayne undercover as… himself.
But before Batman could shut down Mother’s twisted operation, he “died” and came back amnseic – but not without leaving a trail leading to Mother behind (in true Batman fashion).
At present day, when parents turn up dead and children become orphaned, a mysterious vigilante (okay, it’s Cass!) leaves Dick a digital device containing Bruce’s confession to him and the file on the Mother case.
And so, he enlists the help of his brothers to investigate and hunt down this “Mother”.
MORE, MORE, MORE UNDER THE CUT:
In spite of all the masks Dick has worn over the years – Nightwing, Batman, Agent 37 – he never forgets his superhero roots. He’s still Robin at his core.
So much so that even while wearing his Spyral uniform, he prioritizes Batman’s mission….
… and calls on the best. Back-up. Ever. (Who we’ll be discussing later on.)
He takes charge of the mission at the get-go, and his brothers know better than to argue with that. They respect his seniority and trust in his leadership (and for good reason).
Nearing the climax of the story, he delegates tasks to the rest of the Batfamily, then takes on the most dangerous one on his own. Not out of bravado, mind you. It’s just the selflessness that comes in the Dick Grayson package. This is also personal to him, after all. An unfinished mission from both his and Bruce’s past that’s come back to haunt all of them.
A gazillion miles away, all alone, and he still manages to mother-hen everyone else.
And in the final showdown, when Mother tries to turn him against Batman – tries to convince him that Batman failed the Robins – he doesn’t sway. In spite of the secrets that Bruce kept from him, he still trusts in his former mentor’s intentions.
(Of all of Bruce’s children, I do think Dick understands him the best. Over 75 years of partnership? Come on.)
As for Dick calling for back-up…
… even to the point of abiding by Batman’s “rules”. It’s been so painful watching him fight his way in, then out of, and then in the family again, that it’s such a breath of fresh air seeing him… back home.
He provides a lot of the levity in the series by way of self-deprecation and playful banter with both heroes and villains.
He’s our resident street-smart former “street rat”. (A lot more sophisticated now, though.)
He’s matured quite a bit, too. Biting his tongue, holding back his punches. Using his own past failures to encourage others (like a brainwashed Harper trying to kill Cass).
I can’t help but think that, for better or worse, Jason being portrayed as the venomous – villainous, even – antihero in the past makes all of his moments in this series (heck, even in DC’s “Rebirth”) much sweeter.
(I mean, if all his monstrous transgressions are still canon in this timeline, then he truly does have a lot to make up for. Maximum security jail time in the real world, really.)
With Batman out of commission, he’s currently the “World’s Greatest Detective”, expediting missions through brilliant strategies and A+ geekiness.
He’s still a teenager, though (and apparently has to remind Jason of it).
He’s still cool, still calculating. But, somehow, more sure of himself, I guess?
… and we’ll see how much good comes out of two brothers outgrowing their resentment towards each other.
They go on assignment to Egypt in search of answers from the Order of St. Dumas. While Tim poses as an acolyte, Jason is subdued by its members and infected with a bioprogramming virus they created called “Ichthys”.
Whammied, Jason dreams of his final moments with the Joker. But, this time, instead of being defenseless, he turns into a Red Hood-like version of Robin and mercilessly beats the villain up.
However, as Jason overcomes his most traumatic experience, he also loses himself to the virus (as Mother intended). Tim quickly realizes this and forms an alliance with a disgruntled Azrael (who just found out he’s been betrayed by his own order) and…
Oh, and this one right here!
Speaking of banter in the middle of a life-and-death situation… we weren’t gonna leave Dick out of it, were we?
The ladies have them, too!
Although his superiority complex is perfectly intact, he’s become more cooperative, more willing to concede to his brothers (just not, you know, out loud), for the sake of the mission.
In some ways, he just might be the most grown-up of them all. (Perhaps it has something to do with his recent accomplishment of the “Year of Blood”?) When his brothers start giving in to helplessness, he calls them out and reminds them of the legacy that he’s inherited.
Now, I think it’s important to discuss these parallels because they sort of address a polarizing issue.
Jason sees the Robins as Batman’s army-turned-family…
… but Dick sees it very differently…
… and so does Bruce.
Oh, wait, do you remember this scene from an episode of “Young Justice”?
Wonder Woman: “You indoctrinated Robin into crime fighting at the ripe old age of nine.”
Batman: “Robin needed help to bring the men who murdered his family to justice.”
Wonder Woman: “So he could turn out like you?”
Batman:
(P.S. Please remember that this is fantasy, people. Not the recommended real-world parenting method.)
At this point in the comics, the Batboys have already overcome a lot of their personal issues with one another – and with Bruce. They’ve all gone through enormous character development in their respective titles. (Writers seem to be making up for a lot of emotional damage to the fans over the years.) So when we experience them together like this, we find that they’re more mature (which may come off as “gritty”), more accountable for other people, more efficient as a unit. And, dare I say, more grateful for Bruce’s role in their lives.
Big brother Dick puts things into perspective one last time…
Of course Bruce is back before the series concludes. And this last part? I can’t ask for better reunion panels.
Intense. Emotional. Action-packed. 11/10 would recommend.
Writers have shown us time and time again that fatherhood does not come easy to one Bruce Wayne. It definitely wasn’t easy raising a Dick Grayson or a Tim Drake, let alone a Jason Todd or a Damian Wayne, even with Alfred Pennyworth around. (Not to mention his “daughters” and other less-troublesome “sons”). But we’ve gotta hand it to the ol’ Bat – he never stops trying.
This miniseries is aptly entitlted “Fathers & Sons”, and it’s easily becoming one of my favorites.
We’ve seen the pattern of resentment among the Robins that comes with feeling replaced. All the four (main) Batboys have gone through it at one point in their vigilante careers: Dick with Jason; Jason with Tim; Tim with Damian. And now, interestingly, Damian with Jason?
You’d think that the li’l former assassin would have gotten over his insecurities after having proven himself a more-than-capable Robin to both Bruce and Dick… Perhaps, it’s a testosterone thing? Or possessiveness over their father?
Whatever the reason, it paves the way for combination angst-and-fluff interactions that I absolutely adore!
A little backstory (and some spoilers):
“Convergence” was a company-wide DC Universe crossover event during the New 52 run focused on Braniac’s obsession with collecting cities from ended timelines and trapping them in domes on a planet outside of space and time. It has several spin-offs, including this two-issue one.
In a domed Gotham City, Batman and Robin rescue Poison Ivy from some rogues. She had been cultivating Robinson park in order to feed the citizens for free, and her colleagues basically saw it as bad for criminal business. When Killer Croc attacks Batman, Red Hood (with his assistant Duela Dent, a.k.a. Scarlet) shows up unexpectedly and saves him.
In the next set of panels, both Bruce and Damian question Jason’s sudden appearance – but probably for different reasons. Bruce seems genuinely curious but welcoming, while Damian’s more he’s-not-supposed-to-be-here.
Not “Get lost, you’ve done enough”, not “I’m calling the cops on you”.
Awww, Bruce, your “daddy” is showing!
Fandom tends to portray Batman as a lone wolf who hates working with others, when that’s only partly true. He rarely (openly) asks for help (for efficiency and martyr-ish reasons), but he also rarely has to. The Batfamily has his back whether he prefers it or not (which, I’m pretty sure, he does). And, once in a while, he’ll acknowledge it and have symptoms of gratefulness.
In the last panel, I like how the artist puts the quote beside Damian’s face. I’d like to think that Bruce is either acknowledging the importance of having his Robins, or hinting to Damian that Jason’s contribution to the fight was valuable.
Now, the following scene is very reminiscent of an exchange between Bruce and Tim regarding Damian (which I previously posted about here.) The irony being that Damian’s in Tim’s shoes this time, insecure about where he stands with Bruce now that the long-lost black sheep of the family has returned. Like Tim, he feels that said sheep should earn his place in the family and resents that Bruce seems to be forgetting years of ugly life-threatening disputes with Jason.
But, as far as parents go, Bruce is fair, to say the least. In moments like these, he tries to reassure the concerned child of his love and lets him/her see where the other is coming from.
If you’ve read the “Batman and Robin” series (the second volume, where Bruce reclaims the cowl from Dick, and Damian stays as his Robin), then you’ve seen the frustrating tug-of-war between Bruce and Damian. Bruce was learning how to be father; Damian, a son. There were so many lovely moments between them that actually made me tear up!
In this heartfelt scene, Bruce is seeking comfort from (the ghost of) his father. Clearly, Batman and son still have a ways to go. If there’s something that can get under Bruce’s skin – apart from his parents’ death, of course – it’s family tension.
(In spite of their argument, Bruce considers taking Damian on patrol, knowing how much his son loves it.)
I suppose being a fictional vigilante family affords them the right to be this ExtraTM (on a rooftop, a helicopter on standby), but really this is just your typical brotherly brawl at home.
Throughout the issue, we get a glimpse of a now-“reforming” Jason. He shows up out of nowhere, with no other agenda than to fight side-by-side with his family. He holds back his punches against Damian even when he could use “self defense” as an excuse to Bruce. (Maybe he can relate to Damian? After all, they’ve both tried to kill Tim out of Robin-fueled resentment.) His defenses are down when Bruce calls him out for his “unacceptable” behavior”. Here’s a Jason who wants a truce, however uneasy.
Damian’s disdain for Jason isn’t unfounded, though. Jason’s track record… Well. Come on. Plus, remember the time when he humiliated Batman and Robin, almost exposing Dick and Damian’s secret identities to the whole world via the internet?
And the “daddy” just keeps falling from his cape.
Before Bruce gets to answer such a loaded question, a disembodied voice interrupts their moment (whew!) and tells them that the cities will have to fight one another to survive.
… Which, of course, is unacceptable to Bruce, whose mantra is that there is always another way. A group called The Extremists arrive in Gotham City and the Batboys are forced to push aside their differences to deal with the threat.
Damian’s snarky by nature, and Jason’s not one to just let a li’l brat get away with insulting him, so…
Annnnnnd Batman breaks his no-civilian-names-in-the-field rule like a mother hen panicking for her two chicks.
Now, this next set of panels just… *sigh*.
In a clever (or desperate?) attempt to get his sons to work together, Bruce actually uses his opponent to reenact a traumatic Batfamily moment. (I mean, how may Bane-like villains are there? And, how many parents do you know use life-and-death situations as teaching moments?)
And, just like that, a mutual protectiveness over their father (come on, Jason, just say it already) actually gets them to cooperate!
You know who you wouldn’t want as your enemy? Crime-fighting brothers who have just recently made ammends (and have Batman as their dad!).
And the cherry on top? Our favorite Batfamily “uncle”/co-parent droping by from the sky to share in the feels… (He clearly watched the whole thing unfold.)
In spite of how much his children push him (or each other) away, Bruce doesn’t give up on them (and, well, vice versa). He’ll let them run away, but not without stuffing a care package in their knapsacks first (figuratively speaking).
World’s Greatest Detective, in peak physical condition, revered by superheroes and villains in the Multiverse… and “dad” is still his greatest challenge.
Batman and his “kids”.
From: Batman & Robin Eternal #21 (2016)
Bruce and Clark are clearly best buds who “co-parent”.
From: Batman & Robin Eternal #20 (2016)
Jason basically calls himself out.
P.S. Harper’s under mind control here, and Jason’s trying to snap her out of it (and keep her from killing Cass).
From: Batman & Robin Eternal #19 (2016)
In which brotherly banter and a trip down memory lane in the midst of murderous mind-controlled ladies is as normal as it gets.
From: Batman & Robin Eternal #20 (2016)
Perhaps if y’all had just waited for “the Real Robin” to finish his “Year of Blood” you could’ve avoided this mess?
incorrect-batfamily-quotes 