Tag: robin

[Bruce & Dick Panels] Outsiders #21 (2005)

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When I first came across this issue, it was in one of those “sale” shelves. Apart from Batman himself, I wasn’t as intimitately familiar with the rest of the Batfamily just yet. The cover intrigued me, though, and a few pages in, I was sold.

In hindsight, it was ridiculously cheap for such a gem (plus, in fairly good condition)! It’s one of the first single issues I’ve ever bought, and one of the first to solidify my growing addiction to moments of Batfamily angst.

So, I guess the cover can clue you in about what this issue might be about, but here’s a little backstory (and some spoilers):

Outsiders #1 is set a while after the Titans parted ways following the loss of Lilith and Donna Troy (Wonder Girl). Roy Harper (Arsenal) approaches Dick Grayson (Nightwing) about forming a new team of superheroes. Dick, still brooding over their loss, is uninterested. It’s clear that he isn’t ready for the emotional burden of leading a team, then putting their lives at risk again. 

Roy reminds him why they formed the Teen Titans in the first place (to be heroes in their own right, and not just sidekicks), and that this time around, they didn’t have to be as emotionally invested as they used to be. They didn’t have to be a “family” like the Titans were, just a team.

Reluctant but convinced, Dick eventually becomes their leader.

Note: Now, if the “Outsiders” sound familiar to you, remember that Batman led his own version of the team?       

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Anyways…

“So… who pays for this team?”

In the previous issue, Outsiders #20 (2005), following Metallo’s attack on the Outsiders’ headquarters, Indigo makes an incidental finding in the wreckage: the high-tech cables hidden in the building walls aren’t supplied by Optitron (the corporation they believe to be financing their vigilante operation), but by one with much deeper pockets…

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Now, onto the current issue again (and a little more backstory):

“They keep close tabs, but they have allowed the team to be autonomous.”

Optitron, which was once merely a syndicated cable company, eventually acquires three of the largest cable companies in the world. As a way of giving back to the people for its immense success, the corporation becomes involved in global philanthropy. To step it up a notch, it funds a crime-fighting unit of superheroes (yes, the Outsiders). 

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But…

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Cue dramatic suspenseful music: *DUN-DUN-DUN DUUUUUUNNNN*

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“He did this again. He always does this.”

And, by “this”, it’s safe to assume that he means Bruce – to put it lightly –  interferes. Ask any member of the Justice League – he’s notoriously controlling!

Now, you’d think that Dick would be more grateful, right? While other vigilantes conduct their operations in cramped hole-in-the-walls, worrying about their day jobs to carry on their night ones, he and his teammates are gettin’ paid. 

But, this is a father-and-son, not benefactor-and-beneficiary, kind of issue. It has nothing to do with money. As it usually is between Bruce and Dick, it’s a matter of principle.

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So, brace yourself for some DramaTM, Wayne Manor style…

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“What the hell is the matter with you? I mean, aside from the obvious!”

So, here’s Dick, dropping some heavy truth bombs…

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Part of Bruce’s parenting style is to absorb his children’s rage (over him, over anything), then channel it into a teaching moment (eventually). As long as they’re not in the middle of a life-threatening scenario, he’ll hear them out.

He’ll let them say what they want to say, how they want to say it.    

Then, he’ll seem detached and uncaring. But, see, he’s not exactly Mr. Heart-on-His-Sleeve. When you’ve become as hardened by years of pain and loss such as him, it becomes a habit to tuck any semblance of vulnerability away. 

It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his children – he clearly does,1000% yes – but sometimes silence is all he has to offer. A moment to listen. A mind that isn’t racing towards the next case. Because he knows that there are problems a utility belt just can’t solve. (Plus, he’s not always the best at words when emotions are concerned.)

He has his moments when he’ll let his guard down, too. When he’ll act like their father-father, not just their mentor-father. A tight hug. An affectionate hair tousle. Forgoing patrol to watch a movie (*cough* Jason *cough*). The little things. Rare, perhaps, but they do happen.   

But, yeah, then there’s moments like this, too (where we’re extra thankful that Alfred’s around):

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“As hard as it may seem, Dick, I saw the Outsiders as a good idea. I believed in you.”

Anytime Bruce keeps something from him, Dick gets hurt. Because he’s always thought highly of Bruce and the bond that they share is sacred to him.

Now, keep in mind that part of why Dick became Nightwing was to shed his sidekick persona. Much of his adult life has been spent trying to step out of Bruce’s shadow and become his own kind of superhero.  

So, understandably, he feels betrayed. In his mind, Bruce lied to him and is still closely keeping tabs on his endeavors. 

(That act of “omission” on Bruce’s part? I guess we can chalk it up to his habit of not-needing-to-explain-himself.)

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For some reason, the next set of panels reminds me of that episode from the first season of Young Justice in which Bruce requests a private meeting with Kaldur’ahm (Aqualad) in which even Dick (then Robin) isn’t invited. Dick gets jealous and takes it out on the (concrete?) gym wall. By the end of the episode, Bruce makes it up to him by challenging him to a one-on-one basketball match – undivided attention! – which Dick gladly accepts. 

Bruce’s opinions matter very much to Dick, whether the latter agrees with them or not. In both instances (Young Justice and this issue), he’s expressing his insecurity (though, he seems to be denying it in the fourth panel). Where does he stand with Bruce? (A question which every Batfamily member has probably asked at least once in his or her life.) 

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“You expect too much of me.”

Bruce. Ever the pragmatist. Always punishing himself with reminders of his failures, of people he wasn’t able to save.

And, Dick, ever the optimist. Always trying to give others the benefit of the doubt.

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For the purpose of closure: At the end of the issue, we find out that it wasn’t actually Bruce who’s been giving Roy intel all this time, but Slade Wilson disguised as Batman.

Bruce and Dick… they’ll have these fits of rage, then calm down as if nothing happened. Neither needs to say “It was my fault” or “I love you” or whatever. It’s all just kind of understood somehow.  

Like, you know, a family.

[Bruce & Jason Panels] Detective Comics #790

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So, just a disclaimer, Jason Todd isn’t actually in the issue, but it does revolve around him. He hasn’t come back as Red Hood just yet. 

Let’s just say that it’s reminiscent of the period immediately after his death when Bruce Wayne was noticeably more broody and brutal in his anti-crime spree than usual. Back then, the Bat Family was only composed of Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, and a persistent young Tim Drake “auditioning” for a membership. This time around, their family has grown somewhat, and includes Cassandra Cain as Batgirl and Stephanie Brown as Spoiler. 

Backstory (spoilers ahead): A new drug called G.H.D. is circulating the Gotham streets, killing some citizens, including a young female. Batman tracks down the supplier and throws him through a window several stories off the ground. Batgirl swoops in to catch the man, and Batman gets more information out of him through what his does best – instilling fear. 

“How you hurt him. You were punishing him.”

After the bust, Cass calls Bruce out on his… unusual behavior.

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That look on Bruce’s face in the third panel below… You just know that he can’t argue with her observation. 

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“It’s always personal.”

That cool detachment Bruce has? That wall he built around himself? All of it is meant to keep his mission from being compromised. His mission to protect his family, his friends, innocent lives. That’s the form of affection he’s developed over years of trauma and obsessive discipline to equip himself for this mission.

So, if he tries to shut down Steph’s aspiration to be a vigilante? It’s personal. If he tries to keep a brash young lady from jumping headfirst into the field without a parachute – the same way a fifteen-year-old boy once did? It’s personal. And, if you think he’s an unreasonable grumpy old man for doing it, he won’t fault you for begrudging him. (He’ll care, sure, but he won’t show it.) 

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“It’s strange. How he stops seeing them… the scars.”

This issue is actually entitled “Scarification”, and it seems that the next set of panels explains why.  It’s probably this day, out of all the days in the year, that reminds him why his scars matter. Why everything seems to matter more.

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“If this is about what today is, then… just know that I’m here if you need… to talk.”

I love how much the Batkids understand Bruce. Even if they know that it’s, more often than not, futile to appeal to him on an emotional level, they’ll keep trying anyway, knowing that he secretly needs them.  

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“Happy birthday, kid.”

Bruce harasses one more criminal before the set of panels below.  He finally tracks down the supplier and makes him choose between taking his own lethal drug or jail time. (Guess which one he picks?)

It’s these last two scenes that gives the story its story. Bruce always has difficulty with expressing emotion, so it shouldn’t surprise us that sometimes it comes out as aggression. 

On the day that reminds him of the son he lost to the thing they do, with another teenager wanting to be part of it all… must be extra hard, huh?

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“For some of us there is no going back.”

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This was a simple, but sweet tribute to Jason. A reminder that Bruce loved loves him and knew him well. That in his memory, Bruce is trying to keep from making the same mistakes.

(And, it was bittersweet how Cass “met” Jason for the first time like that… It gets better in the New 52′s Batman and Robin Eternal, though!)

[Bruce & Dick Panels] New 52: Nightwing #30

I won’t go so far as to say that Dick Grayson is Bruce Wayne’s favorite son – let alone, child – because that will always be up for debate. After all, Bruce has a unique relationship with each of his children (biological or otherwise). 

However, I do think that, among the Robins, Dick has the most complex relationship with Batman, even by virtue of his long tenure alone. 

This set of panels from the New 52′s Nightwing #30 contains one of my favorite Bruce and Dick sequences because it give insight into their relationship as father and son. It’s one of the most dramatic (and brutal) ones I’ve read so far, but that’s part of what makes it memorable. 

So, for starters, a little context (with some spoilers):

We all know that Dick is the original Robin, the one who set the standard for the ones to come. When he was beaten up by Two Face, Bruce “fired” him out of fear of putting the boy’s life in danger again. Dick eventually “outgrew” his scaly green spandex shorts to become the Titans’ leader and  Blüdhaven’s protector, Nightwing.

As Nightwing, Dick’s a young adult who’s wise beyond his time and remains unbroken by all the trauma he’s faced. He also has a more “mature” confidence about him and often speaks to Batman as an equal (always with some level of affection and respect, though), something he’s earned over the years. Thus, it’s no surprise that, in over 75 years of partnership, they often butt heads over matters of principle. (Which fandom has tackled extensively in meme form.)

But this time (at the risk of oversimplification), we’re shown a fight between a child who put himself in harm’s way and a father who (quite harshly) reprimands him for it out of love.

Backstory: During the events of the Forever Evil story arc, the Crime Syndicate’s Superwoman reveals Nightwing’s civilian identity to the world, and everyone (except for Batman and Lex Luthor) thinks he’s killed. In the aftermath, Bruce sends him on a mission to infiltrate Spyral by posing as an agent. So, how did Bruce talk Dick into doing it? Read on.

“We need to do it again. You and me. I need to see if they broke you. I need to see if you still have the heart you once had.”

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“I trained you to live, and I watched you die!”

Like a frustrated father, Bruce pushes Dick to toughen up. (He knew his son could take it. Or, well, that he had to.)

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“Fight like you’re alive!”

Like a son afraid of disappointing his father again, Dick obeys and puts up a fight. (See that smirk on the second panel below? That’s the smirk of a father who knows that his son can surpass him and is proud of it.)  

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“They’re family! My family! I can’t do it to them… I just can’t.”

Now, while Bruce tells him about Spyral mid-battle, Dick is still trying to absorb the fact that Bruce is asking him to keep pretending to the rest of their family that he’s still dead.

They both hear each other, but refuse to listen. One is decided that their best option is to transform the situation into an opportunity to keep their family and other superheroes safe, over the emotional cost; the other, unwilling to break the trust that bonds them in the first place. This shows their fundamental difference in character: Bruce’s judgment is ruled by his pragmatism, while Dick’s, his sentimentality. 

At any given time, neither of them is completely right or completely wrong. When they argue, the writers usually give them both a valid point of view. As an audience, we’re drawn to how they balance each other out, which was the main purpose the Robin character was created in the first place. 

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“We fall because someone pushes us. We get back up to push back.”

A son who feels betrayed by his father…

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“I know I’m hurting you. My family. I’m making that sacrifice because I don’t give up. I don’t give in.”

A father who acknowledges it, but stands firm with his decision…

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In Forever Evil, Bruce is clearly shaken when he thinks he’s lost Dick. (What’s that saying about how parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children?) He obviously can’t “fire” Dick anymore and he knows he can’t rein him in from crime-fighting either, so he mentors him one more time instead.

Bruce expects Dick to be the best man he can be and trusts him to be more resilient than other superheroes because, not only is it how Bruce and Alfred raised him to be, but it’s also how he naturally is. And, Bruce is desperate to equip him to be just that because he knows it’s possible with this son of his.  

When I first read this issue, it broke my heart. Bruce seemed heartless, but he was actually focused on the bigger picture, which is true to his character. It was the sacrifice-a-few-for-the-good-of-the-rest spiel. Sometimes it’s almost as if he’d rather his children hate him and outlive him, than die on his watch.

As hurtful as it was, Dick relented and eventually became Agent 37. This from a man who has shown many times over the years that he’s fully capable of choosing his own path in spite of Bruce’s influence.

That’s how much he loves and trusts Bruce.

 

(Granted, perhaps DC just wanted to take espionage for a spin, but still.) 

Bruce isn’t a perfect parent. Dick isn’t a perfect son. (Far from it.) Well, who is, anyway? But, every bone that broke that day made it clear how much they cared about each other.

Talk about “tough love”, huh?

This is about as interesting a segue as you can get into Grayson, really, which in itself deserves a separate post. It was an awesome series and Dick was really in his element in it. Plus, there are some brief, but beautiful Bruce and Dick moments in it, too. 

From: “Batman and Son” (2006)

Awww. Timmy finds out that Damian is actually Bruce’s son and that he’d be staying with them. He’s obviously insecure about where he and Bruce stand (and frustrated that Damian sort of gets a free pass given his behavior).

HYPNOTISED: A Jason Todd/Red Hood x OC Fan Fic

Summary: Snippets of a blossoming romance between Jason Tood/Red Hood and an original character (named Ima), with other DC characters in supporting roles. Jason falls for a waitress at a diner he frequents with his best friend, Roy Harper. When she is caught in the crossfire between him and Black Mask, he is determined to protect her at all costs. What he does not expect is her falling for him, too. And how much she becomes a part of his – and the Batfamily’s – life.  

** Not strictly canon. Romance + fluff + minor angst. A lot of Batfamily feels. Title from the Coldplay song. Currently 8 chapters long, each one to be posted separately due to length. Editing may occur, depending on inspiration. 🙂 **

Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Eight

“It’ll just be a few days,” Jason said, rubbing Ima’s shoulders, “I promise.” He promised? Good luck keeping that, Jason. If he thought that three days had been enough to let her adjust to the idea of her moving to the manor, he was wrong. She continued to be sullen, and all he wanted to do at that moment was to pacify her. He had told her (at length) about what to expect from his adoptive family, that in spite of their “quirks”, they were the best company. “They’ll adore you,” he said cheerily, wiping away a single tear that betrayed her deeper feelings.

It was almost nine o’clock in the evening. She and Roy had shared a long goodbye hug an hour earlier, and he promised to visit her at the manor every chance he got, before speeding off to respond to an ongoing robbery. Her bags sat neatly by the doorway. He had arranged for Dick to pick her up; his adoptive brother had access to the Batmobile and was only glad to do it.      

She avoided his gaze, staring blankly at the door. “Hey, hey,” he said, lifting her chin up so she could face him, “You’ll have everything you’ll need. Plus, your cooking can give Alfred a run for his money. So, no more crying, okay? I’d bring you there myself, but remember Sully? The bartender from Wilson’s at the Narrows? Well, he tipped me off -”    

Deep brown eyes stared back at him, searching his, stopping all thought. “How about you, Jason?” He could have melted right there and then. “Who’s going to make you waffles in the morning? Wait up for you on patrol nights?” This was what she had been worried about? “Make sure you come home in one piece?” Home. He loved the sound of it coming from her lips.

“Uh, Roy?” he said, earning him a slap on the arm and a giggle he had been craving for three days. He pressed his forehead against hers. “I’ll come by. Okay?” And that was all she could hope for, knowing his standing with his family.

Feeling brazen all of a sudden, she tiptoed, laying her hands on his strong chest, angling her mouth to his – Beep. Beep. “I’m s-sorry, I need to get this,” he huffed, scooping his phone out of his pocket. She bit her lip, a little embarrassed, but also excited at the thought of what could have happened. What was she doing? “He’s outside.” His words and the sound of him grabbing her bags brought her out of her thoughts.

Once Jason buckled her safely onto the passenger seat of the Batmobile, she was able to get a better look at the driver. He was not the charming twenty-something-year-old man with wavy hair in black and blue tights that Jason originally described to her, but a… ten-year-old? She noted the red and yellow uniform with the signature “R” logo on the left breast. Robin?

“Damian?” Jason said, pushing his head further into the car through the window. “Hey, buddy!” He chuckled, attempting to ruffle his younger brother’s hair. This was swiftly deflected by the latter, a scowl forming below the green domino mask.        

“I’m thirteen, Todd. Stop treating me like a child. And, stop acting like one. Tt.” Ima found their exchange adorable.

“The old Bat finally let you take his sweet ride for a spin, huh?” Jason said, observing the interior, silently impressed with all the improvements since he last sat there. “Where’s -”

“Grayson has emergency business in Blüdhaven. And, Drake would only get to drive this before me over my dead body.”

“He can probably have that arranged.”

“Tt.”

Jason laughed out loud. He missed this.

“If you want to make sure she’s alright, you better see her there yourself, Todd. Don’t expect us to babysit her while you try get yourself killed again with your idiocy.” A beat. “The manor is literally fifteen minutes away.”

Like father, like son. If that was Damian’s way of letting him know he was missed in return, then he would take it.

“I missed you too, buddy.” With that, Jason gave Ima one last reassuring smile as the window slowly closed between them. She watched as he walked away from the car, helmet in hand. Please stay safe.  

“So, you must be Todd’s girlfriend.”

This was going to be a long trip.

Wayne Manor. She was in freaking Wayne Manor. Taken there in the Batmobile. By no less than Robin. She had heard of the place, of course. Who had not? It was as much a part of Gotham’s landscape as… crime was. But, to breathe the air within its premises, to step on the manicured lawn firsthand –

“Close your mouth. Fireflies might get in,” Damian said, smirking. He had been silent for most of the trip, with the occasional “Tt” when they encountered a stray cat, muttering something about how they should be in shelters. He was a surprisingly smooth driver for his age. Did he even have a license?  

He was probably side-eyeing her. As awkward as it had been, she was too preoccupied by his earlier question – rather, statement – about her being Jason’s girlfriend. What was she to him? Neither of them ever brought it up while she was staying at the safe house. When he looked at her, she was almost certain that he saw her as more than a friend. They had held hands in moments of vulnerability, but never kissed. It was not like it never crossed her mind… 

“I-I’m sorry,” Ima replied, sheepishly. “It’s just that this is… incredible.”  

Damian scoffed. She still could not see his eyes behind the mask, but she could feel him observing her through his peripheral vision. They were standing on the dimly lit driveway, waiting for Alfred to open the majestic double doors. Jason had told her about a more traditional entryway for the Batmobile (something about a waterfall), but she did not mind this one; the alternative sounded nauseating.

Light shone on the ground, indicating that the doors were finally open. A bald-headed sixty-something-year-old gentleman wearing a vested suit with a tail stood at the entrance.      

“Pennyworth,” the young master said with his chin up, walking past Alfred into the manor.

“Master Damian,” the bald-headed butler replied with a British accent, unperturbed by the rudeness. His eyes then fell on her as she struggled to get her heavy luggage onto the first step.

“Leave it be, young miss. I’ll handle it.” He lifted the bag with a single hand, without so much as a wince; his age definitely belied his strength. “Forgive Master Damian’s demeanor. He’s quite… special.” Was trained to be an assassin from the age of three. Had a grandfather set on wiping out a third of human population, a mother who tried to kill him, and… well, Batman for a father. She was not offended the least bit. If anything, she wanted to hug him. She understood what it was like to have one’s childhood stripped away.

“I have prepared Master Jason’s room for you, Miss… Ima, is it?” Alfred said. She nodded with a smile. Although his tone was formal, he radiated a fatherly warmth. Or, perhaps, it was just bias from what Jason had told her about him? “He expressly stated that you stay there. He is hoping that it would make you feel more at home.”

She followed him inside and the light from the crystal chandeliers almost blinded her. The receiving area alone deserved a standing ovation for its beauty. The high domed ceiling, covered in what she assumed from her readings were eighteenth century paintings, was reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. Victorian furniture. Her reflection on the marble flooring. The smell of sandalwood –

Alfred cleared his throat, bringing her out of her internal revelry.

He led her up the stairs and into a hallway lined with medieval artifacts, such as a propped up knight’s suit, and huge portraits of who she assumed to be Wayne ancestors. There was door after door after door, and she wondered why there was so many rooms and what was behind each of them. They turned a corner, revealing the Wayne family crest engraved onto a wooden panel. More portraits lined the walls, but this time, they were photographs, rather than paintings. She easily recognized Damian, even without the mask. The chin up and confident wide-legged stance gave him away. Whoever the others were, they were quite handsome, all clearly very young at the time the photos were taken.

Black hair, blue eyes. Black hair, blue eyes. Black hair – her heart skipped a beat. She knew the grin anywhere. It looked like he was in the middle of genuflecting, surrounded by auburn leaves, picking up a particularly large one he wanted to show to the camera.

“The first day of autumn.” Alfred was standing beside her. “I took that photograph.”

 After a warm shower, she started unpacking her things, only to find that she did not know where to put anything. There was just too many storage options for her measly belongings; Jason’s room could fit three of her old home in the Narrows. In the end, she decided to keep them on a chaise lounge near the king-sized bed. She took tattered baby picture of her younger brother out her wallet and set it down on one of the nightstands. “I miss you, Kai.”

She laid down, burying her face into the feather-filled pillows. Hoping that they still smelled of Jason. She then checked her cellphone for the eighth time that night. Where are you? Jason had given her the phone, which had been encrypted in such a way that he could call it without having it traced back to him. This made it impossible for her to call him back. “In case something happened, I don’t want bad guys tracing either of us through each other.” The arrangement kept her on edge, but she understood that it was necessary. She wondered if he did it to keep her from constantly checking in on him, too. Like a girlfriend would. “Stop it, Ima,” she scolded herself at the thought.  

Apart from Alfred, no one else seemed to be at home by the time she came down for dinner. It came as no surprise to her, since she was now living with a family of vigilantes who had unconventional night lives. Besides, it was no different from living with Jason and Roy. Except it was lonelier.

She was relieved to find the Brit waiting patiently for her by an open fireplace; otherwise, she would have had no idea how to find the dining room. “Ah, there you are. I thought you had a morbid preference for starvation,” he said stoically, “not unlike some members of this family.”