#maybe saying that THEY were never like that as batgirl and robin | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elizabethemerald · 1 year

Text

Don't Sneak up on People with Swords

@im-totally-not-an-alien-2 made a prompt about Danny sneaking up on Jason Todd and @sky00asara made a comment in the tags about what would happen if Danny did that to Talia. So here is my version of that! Enjoy.

Talia al Ghul watched her beloved from afar. He was out, again patrolling his city for those he considered wrong doers. Her son was by his side. She scowled at how Damian’s fighting style had changed, softened in the company of her beloved. Despite her love for the man under the cowl, he had a tremendous ability to take even the most ruthless of killers and change them to spare the undeserving. He had even tried it with her.

She was hidden on the roof of an abandoned tower nearby. The tower had succumbed to fire and was now condemned until the city got around to destroying it properly. For now it made the perfect place for her to observe her beloved and her son work undisturbed.

“Excuse me?”

Talia whirled, drawing her blade as she spun. Her blade moved fast enough to almost cut the air itself yet the small shape ducked under her stroke and back-pedaled quickly to move out her range.

“Jeez! Why is everyone in this city so jumpy!”

The voice more than anything made her realize that the person who had somehow snuck close enough was an actual child. Their black hair and blue eyes made her wonder if this was another of her beloved’s adoptees. Except surely this boy was too young to catch Bruce’s eye?

“Well maybe you should not sneak up on people?” Talia hissed, her voice soft yet stern. To say nothing of how a child who couldn’t be older than five had snuck up on her at all.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t brood on the roof of my home!” The child snarked back, just like one of the Bat’s brood would, completely unafraid of the blade still in her hand. Talia raised an eyebrow at him then looked around at the burnt skeleton of the building they were standing on.

“This building is not fit for human occupation.”

“Neither was the last place I lived.” He said dismissively. “This place hasn’t even killed me yet, so it’s practically a paradise.”

She was tempted to take the child’s words as sarcasm, yet something in the way he spoke made her think he meant it more truthfully.

“You’ve died before?” Talia asked. She relaxed her hold on her blade, allowing it to rest at her side.

“Oh yeah, I die all the time.” He said, then he looked at her curiously tilting his head first one way, then another. “You’ve died too, huh?”

She nodded, now examining him closely, looking for the signs she would recognize. She could see the hint of a scar on the boy’s palm that might have caused a death.

“What is it with this town that so many people have died and come back?” The boy asked, apparently rhetorically as he didn’t let her answer. “First the stabby Robin, then the stabby Batgirl, then Batman, and even Red Hood. It’s like everyone I run into is contaminated.”

Talia’s eyes widened.

“You can sense those who have utilized the Lazarus Pits?” She would have to inform her father about this child. He could put the entire League of Assassins at risk. The child before her just shrugged.

“I have no idea what that is. Red Hood mentioned some kind of pit as well, but I’ve never seen anything like that. I just know y’all are contaminated with ectoplasm, though not enough to make a core.”

“What is this… ectoplasm?” Another name for the Lazarus Waters? Had there perhaps been a Pit outside of League control? In the midwest somewhere based on the boy’s accent.

“Oh it’s this stuff.” He held his hand out and Talia couldn’t help keep her expression of shock withdrawn despite all her training as his hand filled with the glowing green light of the Pits. He held the Pit Water in his hand then tossed the glowing orb to his other hand in a half juggle as if he weren’t carrying the League's greatest secret and weapon.

Nevermind telling her father about this child, he could never learn of him. If Ras had the power this child had under his control the world would never survive. There was only one option. She needed to train this child to wield this strength. With the stealth he displayed in sneaking up on her and his power over the Pits themselves he could make an assassin like the world had never seen. He could be the next Head of the Demon under her guidance. She knelt down to the boy’s level, slipping her sword back away as she did so.

“Tell me, young one. Are you living in this death trap of a building all by yourself?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry, I’ve got it taken care of. I know I’m little, but that just means people are less likely to notice me. I’m able to steal all the food I need from that big box store down the street.”

“Oh of that I have no doubt. My name is Talia al Ghul. What’s yours?”

“Hmm. I’m Danny.” The boy seemed hesitant to trust her, which to be perfectly honest was probably a very smart thing to do, but at least she had a name for this gift of Lazarus.

“Danny, how would you like to come live with me? You won’t have to steal any more, or worry about food ever again, and I could train you how to fight even better than the Bats.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, looking her over closely.

“Would I get a sword?”

“If a sword is what you want, then once you were trained in its use I would acquire one for you.”

Danny looked like he was about to nod, but then he froze, his head tilting to the side as if he was listening to something. His eyes widened and Talia tensed.

“Uh-oh. Fruit Loop incoming. I gotta go.”

Talia half turned as she heard the sound of one of her beloved’s grappling lines catching on the building’s edge. By the time she had turned back to face him, Danny had completely vanished. She hadn’t even heard him leave. She stood and scowled as her beloved landed on the rooftop next to her.

“Talia.” He grunted at her, glaring all the while.

“Beloved. Must you ruin every nice thing in my life?” Talia snarled back. The boy, Danny, had the gift of Lazarus at his beck and call and Batman had scared him off.

Bruce looked momentarily stunned at her fury, but quickly hid it behind his mask. However Talia couldn’t care less about her beloved right now. She just needed to lose him so she could return to find the boy. The boy who would change the world with his power.

#danny fenton #talia al ghul #dp x dc #batman #kid danny #deaged danny #talia is like this is my kid #he can be damian's brother #Danny does not want to get a new dad #a new mom on the other hand #I also had an idea where Jazz came out to check on danny #and fought talia to protect danny #and talia is like ooh two for one special #I get a new daughter and a new son #I can train both of them to over throw ras and batman

3K notes · View notes

shamelessexplosions · 3 months

Text

What I've learnt about the Batfamily from Tumblr

I know nothing about Batman - I have never read a comic, I have never watched a Batman series or cartoon or movie with him in it (except from that one scene at the end of wonder woman). This is what I have learnt about the members of the Batfamily entirely from tumblr and other social media.

1. Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne is Batman, and his superpower is being richer than God.

He lives in a mansion in Gotham, which is basically a city entirely made up of psychos

He cannot stop adopting children

Like I'm pretty sure he sees a child on their own with a vaguely traumatic backstory and has to adopt them.

Probably carries adoption papers in his utility belt for that very purpose

I'm not entirely sure how many children he has but that's okay because I don't think he knows either.

When he's in the mask his voice is really deep and he keeps saying "I'm Batman"

When he's not he acts like a complete idiot but probably tips a waitress by paying for their collage tuition

His parents are dead and this is very important - in a world of orphans, he is THE orphan

2. Dick Grayson

Bruce Wayne's oldest adopted son

He was in the circus as an acrobat until his parents died in front of him

I think they were murdered

He was the original Robin

Then he got bored or something and moved to somewhere called bludhaven which honestly sounds Norwegian, and renamed himself Nightwing.

Has extreme big brother energy

3. Jason Todd

Robin #2 because apparently there's a second one

I think he met Bruce after stealing the tires off Batman's car (the batmobile?) and then hitting him with a tire iron which is such a power move, especially for some random kid

He died but it's ok because he fell in a pit and got better

He renamed himself red hood and became a mass murderer for a bit

I think it was just a phase?

He was trained in the way of murder by someone called Talia. He either slept with her or was adopted by her.

I hope it's the second one because I know Bruce slept with her

Likes guns

4. Tim Drake

I think he stalked batman until he found out he was Bruce Wayne

In other words this random kid did what no megalomaniac with a grudge against the furry that routinely beats them up could

But then I think he was Bruce's neighbour pre-adoption so maybe he just noticed batman flying out from under the mansion each night, which says something problematic about his secret identity

He became robin too like how many robins does one city need?

Jason refers to him as 'replacement' which seems cold given 1. He himself was a replacement and 2. tim got replaced as well

I think he's Red Robin now, so clearly not too interested in change.

5. Damien Wayne

Bruce's biological son with the aforementioned assassin/murder trainer Talia.

Was in something called the League of Assassins but left to find his father, which given the name is the League of Assassins sounds like a smart life choice

Talia may have sent Damien to Bruce so she didn't have to deal with a teenager, but it also sounds like he left after an argument with his grandfather and League head-honcho Ra's so not sure whats going on there

Also Robin but I think at this point someone is taking the piss - possibly Batman

Feral Child(tm)

Likes swords

6. Cassandra (Cassie/Cass) Cain?

Maybe her surname is cain? Or maybe it's not?

I'm really confused because I'm pretty sure there is both a Cass and a Cassie in the Child-soldier Justice League and I think one of them is a bat-family member and one of them has something to do with Wonder Woman and they may or may not be the same person

Was an assassin involved in the same organisation as Jason and Damien

Is this where Bruce Wayne is finding his kids?

Was a Robin too (yay for feminism, boo for originality? Get some other names for your feral murder children Bruce)

Now called Spoiler and likes purple

May have at one point been batgirl?

7. Duke ???

Honestly I have no idea, I've just seen his name a couple of times

He was probably Robin at some point - they all appear to have been Robin at some point

I think he likes the colour yellow

8. Stephanie Brown

Another person that I have only vaguely seen the name of

She might have dated one of the batkids, Tim maybe?

May or may not be a batkid herself

May be batgirl, or maybe that was Cassandra, or maybe both. There have been so many robins nothing would surprise me

9. Barbara (Babs) Gordon

Daughter of a police commissioner

hacker

Her father may or may not be aware of her extracurriculars, but Commissioner Gordon has a massive flashlight for summoning batman when he needs help with a case so I don't think he has any room to talk

Goes by Oracle

Not a proper batkid but I doubt that stops her being on the family Christmas card

May have at one point been a Batgirl?

But at this point I'm just guessing everyone was batgirl

Maybe Duke was batgirl!

May use a wheelchair but I'm not certain

10. Alfred Pennyworth

Indeterminate age, may be immortal

Bruce's bulter

Raised Bruce Wayne, but still calls him 'Master Bruce'

Also refers to the batkids as 'master xx'

May or may not be sarcasm

English, ex-army and all-round exceedingly polite badass

Correction, he's English, I can say with confidence it is sarcasm

That is all the people I can think of, sorry if I missed anyone

225 notes · View notes

sparkleofpizza · 1 year

Text

Wally West dating batsis - headcanon

A/n: So I had this sitting in my drafts since 2020, thought maybe it was time to post it. Does people even write headcanons like this anymore?

You are younger than Dick and a few months older than Jason;

You were the second adopted child of Bruce Wayne;

He trained you to be the first Batgirl - before Barbara;

You and Wally met when Dick asked for your help with a mission with the Young Justice team, you were more than happy to do so;

Your older brother needed your help, that was great;

The moment Wally's eyes landed on you he was by your side, introducing himself;

"Hello gorgeous, welcome. I'm Wally." "Hi, I'm y/n." "Pretty name for a pretty face."

He kept flirting with you until Robin walked up to the two of you;

"Y/n, you're here." he said happily

Wally looked between the two of you before opening his mouth to say to Dick he had a really hot friend;

Dick frowned at his best friend "This is my younger sister, West."

Wally had never been more horrified in his whole life, he was flirting with Dick's sister;

The shock only lasted a few days, he was back to flirting with you;

Every time he saw you he had a new pick up line ready;

You thought it was cute, but didn't think much of it;

Your brother didn't like it one bit, and you thought Wally was only doing this to get on your brothers nerves;

As the years went by and your father adopted Jason, Tim and Damian showed up, you and Wally kept up the same antics;

None of your brothers liked it one bit;

It appears that all of them saw Wally's true intensions except for you;

You had a few boyfriends over the years, some heartbreaks, and Wally would always find a way to cheer you up with his pick up lines and just his charm way of being;

He supported you when Jason died, offering you to stay at his place just to get away from the manor;

He was always there when you needed him, and that eventually lead to you realizing you were in love with your brother's best friend;

As you grew up you grew out of your role as Batgirl and decided you want to pursue other things in your life, such as going to college, getting a job and actually being normal;

You work at Wayne Enterprises with Tim, and since you gave up on being a vigilant, you became the face of the company, always attending to parties, galas and important events that your father and brother wouldn't be able to due to Batman and Red Robin;

You had a gala to attend and your boyfriend was being a jerk to you which led to a breakup;

You were a mess, crying all over the manor because you never show up to a place like a gala without a date, and not only were you without a date but you had just broken up with your boyfriend;

Your brothers were worried about you, Tim even offered to skip patrol and go to the gala with you, but you just kept blabbing nonsense;

Wally had stopped by the manor to talk to Dick about something and of course he couldn't miss the opportunity to talk to you;

Upon seeing the mess you currently was, he managed to calm you down and offered himself to be your date for the night;

If you didn't love him before, now you certainly did;

So you two went to the gala together, your brothers were suspicious because they didn't like the fact the Wally was always flirting with you, but Tim and Alfred talked some sense into them;

When you arrived home, very late at night, all your brothers and Bruce were awake waiting for you;

"Is this a right time to arrive home?" Damian questioned, crossing his arms over his chest "Not even texting to let us know you were alright." Jason shook his head;

It should've been an intimidating sight, watching all of them batglare at you, clearly unpleased with you, but all you could do was giggle at them;

"I am older than most of you, I was with a superhero, and I am fine";

You turned to leave to your room, still smiling and thinking about your night;

They didn't try to stop you to keep saying you had been reckless or anything, you looked so happy, you never arrived this happy from an event before, and considering how sad you were earlier;

Wally had been the perfect gentleman the whole night, making sure you were fine and enjoining yourself;

That man is perfect;

After the night of the gala whenever Wally saw you and flirted with you, you would always blush - something that never happened before - and would occasionally flirt back, until he got the hint and finally asked you out on a date;

You two went on a few more dates before finally started dating;

Dick couldn't even be too mad because he saw this coming for years;

He had mixed feelings, on one hand Wally is his best friend and he knows him a lot and knows he won't hurt you, on the other hand you are his little sister and he is a bit taken aback by the fact that you're dating his best friend and if things go wrong it will be very awkward, but hey, if it goes right Wally will be part of the family!

Jason, who lost a few good years of your friendship/sexual tension, was pissed;

Tim was happy to see you so happy, it was about time you two got together, although he was supportive, he did give Wally a warning before any of his other brothers could "I know all of your secrets, hurt her and I will end your life";

Damian was lived with anger, he did try to fight Wally with his katana, but the redhead just pulled it out of his grasp effortlessly, infuriating the little boy even further;

Bruce had to keep his tough guy appearance, but he was glad you were finally dating someone good, he trusted Wally and he knew the boy wouldn't hurt you;

Alfred was glad the torture of you two flirting without end was finally over, and also happy to see you happy;

You two did all sorts of things together, you started spending less time at the manor and more time at your apartment so Wally could hang out there without your family interrupting you two;

Soon enough you were basically living together;

He was literally the man of your dreams, you couldn't picture someone more perfect to have as your boyfriend.

#Wally West #wally west fanfiction #wally west imagine #wally west headcanon #wally west x reader #batboys x batsis #wally west x batsis

491 notes · View notes

heroesriseandfall · 2 months

Text

Canonical Batfamily Birthdays

Here are all the birthdates I know of that are canon somewhere in DC, with a preference for the main comics continuities. I have included exact sources and image references when possible. I am not including character introduction dates, just actual birthdays.

If you find any other sources for Batfamily birthdays, please do share!

A moment of silence for Batfamily characters who don’t have canonical birthdays yet, so far as I know. This includes Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, and more. :(

Summary

Source images will be further down, but here’s an overview in roughly age order (I’m not sure of Kate vs Selina’s ages) with the dates the birthdays were introduced and used:

Tim Drake: July 19th (from 2003)

Jason Todd: August 16th (from 2004)

Cassandra Cain: January 26th (from 2002)

Helena Bertinelli: February 14th (in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold universe, from 2010)

Helena Wayne: September 7th (from 1984), potentially October 20th or the 22nd of unknown month or maybe October 22 or maybe Feb 28th (all the New 52 on passports from 2011-2012). These could also be New 52 Helena Bertinelli’s birthdays or nobody’s birthdays. who even knows.

Dick Grayson: March 20th (from 1995), October ~24th ish (from 1990), November 11th (from 1976), December 1st (on Earth-16 in animated Young Justice universe, from 2012)

Barbara Gordon: September 23rd (from 1976), sometime in fall (from 1987)

Selina Kyle: March 14th (from 1976)

Kate Kane: January 26th (in Batwoman TV series from 2020), March 21st? (word-of-god by J.H. Williams III from 2012)

Bruce Wayne: October 7th (from 2021), February 19th (from 1970s various to more recently), April ~7th (from the late 1940s)

Jim Gordon: January 5th (from 1976)

Alfred Pennyworth: April 8th (from 1976), August 16th (in the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe, from 2016)

Note: in this post when I say “main comics continuity(s)/universe” I’m referring to anything that’s been a “home” continuity for the comics at some point. For example, pre-Crisis Earth-2, Earth-1/New Earth, and Earth-0/Prime Earth, as opposed to Elseworlds or DCEU earths that are still part of the broader DC multiverse but have never been the primary continuity of the comics.

Below are further details and source panels.

Details and Sources

Tim Drake

Tim has only been given one canon birthday. He turned 16 on July 19th in Robin Vol. 2 #116 (cover date Sep 2003).

Robin Vol. 2 #116 (Sep 2003)

Jason Todd

Jason turned 18 on August 16th in Detective Comics #790 (March 2004). This is his only canon birthday.

Detective Comics #790 (Mar 2004)

In post-Crisis/preboot (1986-2011) continuity, there was a gap of six months between when Jason died and when he was resurrected (Batman Annual 25). Jason died April 27th according to his death certificates in Batman Annual 25 and Batman Files 2011, so he would’ve resurrected near late October.

Batman Annual 25 (May 2006)

So, it could be that post-resurrection Jason is biologically 6 months younger than he chronologically should be. But honestly, do we even really know what multiverse-breaking resurrection punches and then a Lazarus Pit on top of that do to someone’s body??? Either way it’s just much more simple to just use his chronological age.

Cassandra Cain

Much like Tim and Jason, Cass has only ever been given one birthdate: January 26th from Batgirl Vol. 1 #33. With that birthday, she turned 18 in Batgirl Vol. 1 #37.

Batgirl Vol. 1 #33 (Dec 2002)

When Jan 26th actually comes, Bruce suggests David Cain could’ve lied about it, but Cass denies that idea and continues to treat the day as her birthday.

Batgirl Vol. 1 #37 (Apr 2003)

Why it's likely her real birthday: Bruce initially believes Cain must’ve lied because he doesn’t think Cain could’ve known her birthday. However, we later learn Cain had lied about her origins and was actually her biological father. Batgirl v1 #62 and #73 show he was there for her birth and could absolutely know the date.

On top of that, in Batgirl #37 Cass remembers celebrating her birthday with him as a child, so he did seem to actually keep track of it. I honestly don’t see any reason to believe he’d lie (Bruce is just a jealous spoilsport).

Helena Bertinelli + Wayne

I’m combining them here because the New 52 gives me a headache.

Helena Bertinelli celebrated her birthday on February 14th in a spin-off comic from the animated Batman: The Brave and the Bold series. This is obviously not part of regular comics continuity and the characters differ from the usual comics in many ways. And yet, for reasons that will soon be clear, it’s my favorite for actually being about Helena Bertinelli the Huntress and for not being an utter mess.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 (Apr 2010)

In a character profile at the end of Infinity Inc. #7 (Oct 1984), Helena Wayne’s birthday was September 7th, 1959. Calculating back from October 1984, that would make her 25 at the time.

During the New 52, Helena Bertinelli was initially portrayed as a long-dead (secretly alive but don’t worry about it) mobster’s daughter and replaced by Earth-2’s Helena Wayne who got stranded on Prime Earth. This H. Wayne stole H. Bertinelli’s identity in the form of several forged passports and IDs, which had hints toward birthdates. The question is, can we take any of those birthdates seriously, and if so, which birthdates and for which character? (Cue my headache.)

Skip ahead to Dick if overthinking fake passports sounds boring.

When comparing to a real Italian passport, the date on H. Wayne’s fake Italian passport appears to be a birthdate. Note that the fake name is Carol Bertinelli, not Helena. H. Wayne said her IDs were inspired by H. Bertinelli but clearly she’s taking liberties for the IDs so that’s a point toward these being useless for H. Bertinelli birthdays.

Huntress Vol. 3 #1 (Dec 2011)

I don’t recognize the month abbreviation as a real abbreviation, but from the visible letter O I’m going to assume it means October. If it is, then the date is 20 October 1985. Sidenote: a 1985 birthdate during 2011 could put her age at about 26, which is actually quite close to how old she could’ve been based on pre-Flashpoint! 1985 has been given as Helena Wayne’s death year before, so it’s an interesting choice of a birth year for her. (Thanks to DC’s sliding timescale, though, birth years don’t actually mean anything in the comics.)

They don’t show her complete US passport, but I can see a “22” in line where the day of the month should be for her birthdate. This already contradicts the previous passport. This one uses Helena Bertinelli’s actual name, though–does that make it more relevant than the Carol one or this all still ridiculous because of the discrepancies?

Worlds’ Finest Vol. 1 #1 (Jul 2012)

We can try to glean the US passport birth month from the passport number at the bottom. The first two digits (“12” here) indicate the agency that issued the passport. 12 means the Honolulu agency. Right after “USA” is supposed to be the birthdate plus an extra number, in the order of year/month/day with the year being the last two digits of a year. Here we encounter another problem. It says 810228. This would imply her birthdate is 1981/02/28. That’s February 28, 1981. Since the earlier line indicated her birthday fell on a 22nd, this already contradicts itself.

Interpreting a Machine Readable Zone (MZR) on a Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD)

However, I’d bet comic writers and artists aren’t always well versed in passport numbers (it’s already a stretch for me to bother checking it…). If they put the extra digit before the birthdate instead after, and the date is formatted month/day/year (the most common format in American English, so probably their first instinct), then we can drop the first 8 and it’s 10/22/8[?] with the last digit unknown. This would put her birthday as October 22, sometime in the 1980s. The 22 matches the earlier line, the October might match the previous passport if that really did say October (but contradicts the 20th), and the 1980s year could be 1985 to match the Italian passport.

At the end of the day I’m personally just going to let Helena Bertinelli be a Valentine’s born baby and call it a day, unless/until she gets a better one in the comics. For Helena Wayne I’d easily pick September 7th.

(My question is: did they give the crossbow vigilante a Valentine’s birthday as a Cupid joke??)

Dick Grayson

Dick has probably had the most birthdays of everyone (unless Bruce has more I don’t know about). All of them have their drawbacks.

In a main comics continuity, his most popular and most recent is “the first day of spring” so probably March 20th. This comes from Robin Annual 4 when his mom says she calls him Robin because he was born on the first day of spring. That presents some problems since there are other explanations given for the origin of “Robin,” including that his mom said he was “always bobbin’ along” (Dark Victory #12, page 17) or the original inspiration of Robin Hood (Detective Comics #38, p3).

Robin Annual 4 (Jun 1995)

Before that, in Secret Origins Vol. 2 #50 (Aug 1990), Marv Wolfman wrote a version of Dick’s origins where Dick turned 10 a week before his parents died on Halloween. That would make his birthday October ~24th (presuming that “a week” before Halloween literally means 7 days here).

Secret Origins Vol. 2 #50 (Aug 1990)

The first drawback of the October birthday is that it’s tied to Dick being 10 when his parents die on Halloween. Dick’s age and the date his parents die change a lot depending on the writer (Nightwing Vol. 1 #1 says his parents died June 27th, Dark Victory #8-9 says May, etc.). The second drawback is that few people remember this version of his birthday even exists.

Dick’s birthday is November 11th in Super DC Calendar 1976. Note: Despite being a non-diegetic calendar from almost 50 years ago, this source remains well known and used among comic enthusiasts (including those working at DC). Generally, I would say it should mainly apply just to pre-Crisis continuity, but it is also useful for characters that haven’t gotten updated birthdays ever since (like Roy Harper, Barbara Gordon, or Selina Kyle, for example).

Super DC Calendar 1976

Sidenote: Since Damian doesn’t have a canon birthday, November 11th is favorite to steal for my own fan canon Damian birthday. Dick has plenty birthdays to share and I think it’s cute. @ DC, give Damian and Steph birthdays, they’ve been birthday-less for decades!

Indeed, DC writer Tim Sheridan and editor Mike Cotton debated whether Dick’s birthday was in March or November. They favored March 20th and wrote a birthday scene in Teen Titans Academy #1 (published March 23rd, 2021). The publishing time near Dick’s birthday was intentional, though the date isn’t mentioned within the comic itself.

Link to tweet

The above birthdays were all meant to apply to a main comics continuity at some point. However, Earth-16, better known as the animated Young Justice universe (therefore outside of main comics continuity), says YJ Dick’s birthday is December 1st.

Young Justice Vol. 2 #20 (Nov 2012)

Unlike Helena Bertinelli, Dick has plenty of comics birthdays to choose from, so personally I’ll only count Dec 1st as being the birthday for YJ animated/Earth-16 Dick Grayson until or unless it’s ever mentioned to apply to main comics continuity.

Barbara Gordon

Super DC Calendar 1976 says Barbara’s birthday is September 23rd.

Super DC Calendar 1976

Since then, the only time I recall her birthdate hinted at is in Secret Origins #20 when her adoptive mom says her birthday is in the fall. This could support her birthday being September 23rd.

Secret Origins Vol. 2 #20 (Nov 1987)

Although she has celebrated her birthday on panel since then (the end of Nightwing Vol. 2 #153), she hasn’t been given any other actual birthdate. So I’ll keep September 23rd and call it a day.

Selina Kyle

Super DC Calendar 1976 says Selina’s birthday is March 14th. Once again, although it hasn’t been mentioned within a comic, it’s stuck around in popular consciousness (see: Catwoman actress Zoë Kravitz wishing Selina a happy birthday on March 14th).

Super DC Calendar 1976

Selina celebrated a birthday on panel in Catwoman (2002) #37 but the date was never mentioned. I don’t know of any other reference to her birthday, but my reading of Selina is thus far more sparse than my reading of the others.

Kate Kane

Kate’s birthday options all come from outside of the comics themselves.

In “An Un-Birthday Present,” season 1 episode 11 of Batwoman, a parallel version of her twin Beth had a driver’s license showing her date of birth as January 26, 1990. She and Kate later celebrated their birthdays on an episode aired Jan 26th, 2020. I don’t keep up with live action DC shows so I unfortunately can’t offer a screenshot (if anyone has one or the timestamp, please let me know!).

(I kinda wonder if somebody looked up Batwoman’s birthday for these episodes, saw Batgirl’s (Cass’s) birthday, and just ran with it. Batwoman and a Batgirl sharing a birthday is just. Ughhh.)

In 2012, one of her comic writers tweeted to choose a random date for her birthday and picked March 21st, which so far as I know has never been used as her birthday in comics.

Link to tweet

Bruce Wayne

Bruce’s most popular birthday is February 19th, but his most recent one is October 7th from the digital-only comic Legends of the Dark Knight. I believe that’s the only time October 7th has been referenced, but I’ve heard the animated show The Batman said his birthday was in October (can’t confirm, haven’t watched it recently).

Legends of the Dark Knight #10 (Jun 2021) - Note: two pages have been combined into one for this post

Still, even associates of DC seem to remember his February 19th birthday better. In February 2023, Warner Bro’s Gotham Knights game did a sale for Bruce’s birthday. I’ve also heard the birthday was used in the Gotham TV show, but again, I don’t watch much live action DC shows.

The February 19th birthday appears to come from the 70s and 80s. It’s his birthday in the Super DC Calendar 1976, and in Batman Family Vol. 1 #11: “Suprise, Suprise!” (May 1977). Bob Rozakis (known as DC’s “Answer Man”) said Feb 19th was Bruce’s birthday in the letter column of Detective Comics #494 (Sep 1980).

Letter column of Detective Comics #494 (Sep 1980)

Batman Family Vol. 1 #11: “Suprise, Suprise!” (Jun 1977)

Super DC Calendar 1976

Way back in the 40s, his birthday was in April, possibly April 7th. During a birthstone murder mystery, Bruce says his birthstone is a diamond, which is traditionally the April birthstone.

World’s Finest Comics #33/6 (Mar-Apr 1948): “The 5 Jewels of Doom!”

Star Spangled Comics #91 (Apr 1949) might imply the exact date was April 7th but we’d have to assume the party is on his birthday and that “this month” refers to the publishing month of April. I believe this is where people get the April 7th birthday when they bring it up.

Star Spangled Comics #91 (Apr 1949)

Early April also shines in Batman: Year One where it shows Bruce’s first night out as Batman being either the night of April 6th or the early morning of April 7th (Batman #405). So although the April Bruce birthday hasn’t been used in decades, it’s still a Batman birthday in a way.

I have also heard people say Frank Miller considered Bruce’s birthday to be in November. However, I have yet to find an original source of him saying that, and honestly (just like the “March 21st” birthday for Kate) if he never used it in any canon material I don’t put much weight in that.

Jim Gordon

The only birthday I’ve ever seen for Jim is January 5th from Super DC Calendar 1976.

Super DC Calendar 1976

Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred’s birthday in Super DC Calendar 1976 is April 8th.

Super DC Calendar 1976

In the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe (an alternate reality where the video game of the same name is set in), they show Alfred’s birth certificate, where it says his birthday is August 16th, 1943.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #26 (Jun 2016)

Maybe you’ll notice that August 16th is Jason’s birthday. A little funny considering the issue features Alfred refusing to share his birthday only for us to learn it’s the same date as Jason’s. Still, annoying. There are so many days in the year! Stop choosing the same ones!

This Alfred birthdate runs into a similar problem Helena’s birthdates did: it’s not part of main comics canon, it’s an alternate universe, so it may not be applicable to the main comics universe.

Note: if we calculate that 1943 birth year from Jun 2016 when the comic was published, that’d make Alfred 72 soon to be 73. Does that mean anything in canon? Probably not, but oh well. Also...token British character born by Windsor Castle? …of course.

Personally, I would rather go with the April 8th birthday than the Injustice one, since Injustice is an alternate universe. Also, outside of the humor of it, the idea of Alfred and Jason sharing a birthday is a bit too much for me. Still, it’s up to people’s own cherry picking.

Chronology

The birthdays in publishing order alongside notable reboots. A soft-reboot refers to reboots that only changed a few details with minor consequences, keeping the overall continuity mostly intact. A major reboot has significant effects on continuity (too many to list).

1935-1986: Pre-Crisis era (Golden Age begins ~1946, Silver Age runs from late 50s--early 70s)

Mar-Apr 1948: Bruce’s birthday is in April

Apr 1949: Bruce has a birthday party on the 7th of “this month”

Skipping a good three decades because I barely even know what’s in there. Sorry lol

Mid 70s to early 90s: Bronze Age era

1976: the super dc calendar says Bruce’s birthday is February 19th, Alfred’s is April 8th, Dick’s is November 11th, Babs is September 23rd, Selina’s is March 14th, Jim’s is Jan 5th

Jun 1977: Bruce celebrates his birthday on February 19th

Sep 1980: letter collumnist says Bruce’s birthday is February 19th

Oct 1984: Helena Wayne’s birthday is on September 7th, 1959

Mar 1986: the major Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot (begins post-Crisis/New Earth era, many previous comics are now considered Earth-2 instead)

Nov 1987: Babs birthday is in fall

Aug 1990: Dick turns 10 a week before Halloween (probably October ~24th)

Sep 1994: Zero Hour soft reboot (Batman and Robin become urban legends so Robin is not allowed on video, Bruce’s parents’ murderer is changed to unknown instead of Joe Chill, Selina is no longer a once-prostitute)

Apr 1995: Dick’s birthday is the first day of spring (probably March 20th)

Oct 2002: Cass learns her birthday is January 26th

April 2003: Cass turns 18 on January 26th

Sep 2003: Tim turns 16 on July 19th

Mar 2004: Jason turns 18 on August 16th

Jun 2006: Infinite Crisis soft reboot (Joe Chill is restored as the arrested Wayne family murderer, Superboy-Prime's punch retroactively resurrects Jason)

Apr 2010: In the Batman: Brave and the Bold universe, Helena Bertinelli celebrates her birthday February 14th

Oct 2011: the major Flashpoint reboot (end of post-Crisis/preboot, begins the New 52 and changes the primary universe to Prime Earth; significant character/timeline changes and erasures)

Dec 2011: Helena Wayne’s fake Carol Bertinelli passport seems to list October 20th as a birthdate

Jul 2012: Helena Wayne’s fake Helena Bertinelli passport lists some 22nd unknown month, Oct 22nd, or Feb 28th birthday

Sep 2012: Batwoman writer J.H. Williams III randomly picks Kate’s birthday as March 21st on Twitter

Nov 2012: Earth-16/YJ animated Dick Grayson celebrates his birthday on December 1st

Jun 2016: In the Injustice: Gods Among Us universe, Alfred’s birth certificate says his birthday is August 16th

Jul 2016: Rebirth reboot (restores some pre-Flashpoint continuity, some characters regain previous histories but now semi-synchronized with the New 52 era)

Jan 2020: Batwoman TV show Kate celebrates her birthday on January 26th

Mar 2021: Writer Tim Sheridan says he & his editor chose March 20th as Dick’s birthday, between the March or November birthdays

May 2021: Infinite Frontier holds all previous continuities as potential canon, restoring more of pre-Flashpoint

Jun 2021: Bruce says his birthday is October 7th in a digital-only comic

Feb 2023: Gotham Knights game has a sale for Bruce’s birthday

#batfamily #batfam #tim drake #dick grayson #bruce wayne #dc continuity #heroesriseandfall #cassandra cain #dc comics #jason todd #helena bertinelli #selina kyle #barbara gordon #jim gordon #alfred pennyworth

66 notes · View notes

northoftheroad · 10 months

Text

Dick Grayson reading in Rebirth and forward

In the last few years, there have been several comics where Nightwing is guest starring that I haven't picked up, so maybe I have missed some smashing comics in here; just saying. As usual, take this list for what it's worth – my personal interpretations and reflections. (Please note that there is a difference between cover date and when a book is actually published, and I might have mixed these dates in the list. I mostly use them to help my own thought process.)

I gather DC lets their creators play in any sandbox/Earth/continuity they want, which means it's a fool's errand to try to understand what, if any, stories from Dick's past are supposed to have happened in the current continuity. But I never claimed to be quite sane, did I...? Here is me, trying to piece together stories chronologically story-wise:

Nightwing vol 4 # 82. Flashbacks to pre-Dick John and Mary Grayson.

Batman vol 3 # 54. Has some flashbacks from when Dick was new in Wayne Manor. He has nightmares, climbs a chandelier, questions why Bruce took him in, and apparently doesn't know Bruce is Batman: nothing special but a few nice pages.

The Precedent. In Detective Comics # 1000 (2019). Bruce's hesitation before he lets Dick become Robin. Unclear if it's supposed to be in the current continuity.

Robin and Batman # 1–3 (2021-2022). A three-issue story that takes place in the days around Dick's twelfth birthday. It's about how Dick eventually chooses not to be "the dark" like Batman, but something better – the light, Robin. Not in the main continuity, but another version of how Dick became Robin (also a first meeting with the other original Teen Titans - in this version, they already had suits and code names when Dick first became Robin).

Batman: Urban Legends # 23

Hot pursuit. In Batman: Urban Legends # 23 (March 2023). Cute short story; Robin drives the Batmobile for the first time (his second year as Robin).

Batman One bad day: Mr Freeze. (2022) Probably not set in the main continuity, Robin is small and wears a winter suit.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest vol 1 (2022). One of my favourite books from the current era (written by Mark Waid). It has a different tone than other in-continuity books (in a good way), but it is connected; the first story arc is a prequel to Batman vs Robin and the Lazarus Planet event. Dick has been Robin for a few years in the book except for a few panels. My favourite issue is # 6, when Dick is lost in the past, works in a circus and solves a mystery.

Batman/Superman (2019) # 16–21 and Annual 2021 # 1 is an outstanding story with DickRobin, albeit not the main Earth version.

Nightwing vol 4 # 78. There are a few pages of flashbacks, what might be Dick and Barbara's first meeting, fighting bullies at school. The bully, Shelton Lyle, will later turn out to be the villain Heartless – Nightwing fighting him is a story that keeps getting set on hold.

Batgirl vol 5 # 14–17 (October 2017– January 2018). Guest starring Nightwing, including flashbacks to when he was Robin and Dick and Barbara were in High School. Nothing special.

World's Finest: Teen Titans (2023). New book about the Teen Titans (the original five plus Bumblebee) when they're starting, also written by Mark Waid. One issue has been published so far; Robin is struggling with combining Batman's distrust with leading the team.

Nightwing vol 4 # 92. Another couple of flashback pages, from Dick's time as Robin, when he took on more than he could chew and got hurt saving a guy's life. Alfred refuses to let Bruce into Dick's bedroom unless he removes the cowl "and leave your disapproval at the door".

"A little nudge". In Robin 80th Anniversary Special (2020). It's probably not the latest official story about how Dick left Robin to become Nightwing, but I wouldn't mind if it were. Dick leaves Robin by his own choice; Bruce is a bit of a jerk because he's not emotionally mature enough to say, "I know you've grown up and should move on; I'll be fine without you."

Nightwing vol 4 # 79. Flashback page of Dick leaving the Manor, saying, "He fired me, Alfred" (he's eighteen at the time). So evidently, Tom Taylor goes with that version in his writing.

Nightwing vol 4 # 39

Nightwing vol 4 # 39. Flashback to when Dick was a student in Blüdhaven, after leaving Robin and before he became Nightwing. He goes out to look for a murderer dressed in old workout clothes that looks a lot like his original Nightwing suit. Part of the best story arc of Nightwing vol 4, so don't miss it!

Red Hood and the Outlaws vol 2 Annual # 1. A team-up issue with Nightwing with a flashback to when Jason saw the Flying Graysons. And to their first meeting at Wayne Manor, which didn't go well because Alfred decided to give newcomer Jason Dick's bedroom because the Manor evidently suffers from a shortage of beds... <insert rolling eyes emoji here> Eminently skippable issue...

Nightwing Annual 2021

Nightwing Annual 2021 (2022). Part of the book is a flashback story. Dick, who lives at the Titans tower, talks about how Bruce fired him and got a replacement. But when Alfred asks him to visit (calling Bruce his father), he comes to see Jason, who complains about how it's impossible to live up to the standard Dick set as Robin. They take the Batmobile (with Alfred's blessing) and head out. It seems to be their first meeting, which makes RHATO vol Annual 2 # 1 obsolete.

Nightwing vol 4 # 89. A team-up with Jon Kent/Superman, starting with a few pages flashback to their first meeting when Jon was getting his powers. Dick is wearing his red New 52 Nightwing suit.

Titans (2016–2019). I think the series was pretty meh, though Annual # 1 and Special # 1 have badass Nightwing moments.

DC Rebirth Holiday Special (2016) # 1, has a nice Titans story but nothing of further importance.

Rebirth Nightwing # 1. Dick returns to being Nightwing after the Grayson run, all set to pretend to work for the Parliament of Owls (see Robin War, part of New 52).

Nightwing vol 4 # 1 (September 2017) – # 4. Better than Batman. Nightwing is working undercover with the Parliament, partnered with the new character Raptor who, it turns out, loved his mum and has a personal vendetta with Bruce Wayne because he took Dick from his roots.

Monster men. A storyline with the villain Professor Hugo Strange in Nightwing # 5-6, Batman # 7-8, Detective Comics # 941–942 (and some more books I haven't read). Dick is temporarily transformed into a monster and later saves the day by jumping into a monster to administer some antitherapy. Nothing of future importance but some nice panels regarding how well Dick knows Bruce.

Nightwing vol 4 # 7–8 (January 2017). Rise of Raptor. Nightwing discovers that Raptor has been stalking Dick Grayson since childhood. Raptor abducts Bruce Wayne and puts him in a death trap, but Nightwing saves him when he jumps. I quite enjoy the Raptor stories, I have to say.

Nightwing vol 4 # 9 (January 2017). A team-up with Superman, who was not a guy he knew at the time since this Superman had come from the pre-Flashpoint universe and somehow merged with New 52 Superman (no, I still don't understand it). It mostly takes place in Dick's dreams. Known for a quote from Superman: "Of everyone I've met here, you're the least changed from the version I knew. Always confident, always kind, always cool. Dick Grayson – the multiversal constant."

Nightwing vol 4 # 10 (February 2017) – 14 (April 2017). Dick moves to Blüdhaven (I think people got their memories or stolen time back at some time in Rebirth, which would explain how he was new in the city here, but had lived and been a cop there (as in Nightwing vol 2) later in vol 4.) He volunteers for a program for teens at a community centre, where he meets Shawn Tsang/Defacer, an "art terrorist" Batman and Robin once fought back in the day. Nightwing works to prove she and Gorilla Grim aren't murderers.

Batman vol 3 # 16 (April 2017) Has a fun couple of pages with Bruce and Dick, Jason, Damian and Duke at Bat Burger; Bruce warns the boys to stay out of Gotham and out of Bane's way, which Dick, Jason and Damian, of course, disregard. The issue ends with Batman finding them hanging by their necks in the Batcave. In # 17, we see they survived, and Bruce has left them frozen with Superman at the Fortress of Solitude for safekeeping.

Nightwing vol 4 # 15 (April 2017). Dick and Shawn Tsang/Defacer start dating. Interlude with many guest stars whom Dick talks to about his new life in Blüdhaven.

Nightwing vol 4 # 20

Nightwing vol 4 # 16 – 20 (July 2017). Nightwing Must Die. Nice if you want to see Dick and Damian together again. Shawn is abducted while having a pregnancy scare, and Damian follows Dick to save her. (He went to Blüdhaven because he was upset people counted on Dick to become the Batman after Bruce's retirement, but later confesses he was unsure what his place in Dick's life was now.) Dick is cut with a knife made from the nth metal and see visions of himself from different realities. Villains: Professor Pyg and Doctor Simon Hurt, both from Dick and Damian's time as Batman and Robin.

Nightwing vol 4 # 21 (July 2017). Nightwing and Flash (Wally West) hang out, fights criminals and save each other's lives.

Nightwing vol 4 # 22–25 (August – September 2017). Blockbuster, the villain whose death in Nightwing vol 2 was a huge deal, is suddenly alive and menacing Blüdhaven and Nightwing again. Dick is job-hunting and ends up taking a job as a blackjack dealer to keep an eye on Blockbuster, who had earlier sold him out to Tiger Shark, a villain Dick fought as Batman in Black Mirror. # 24–25 has a pretty badass fight, Nightwing vs a boatload of villains, and he also saves everyone by hotwiring a contraption to expand a bubble that freezes time. Shawn breaks up with Dick.

Nightwing vol 4 # 26–28 (October – November 2017). Spyral. Huntress/Helena Bertinelli, whom Dick met during the Grayson run (New 52 era), turns up. They work together on a case, ending up at the Spiral headquarter, and start a relationship.

Batman vol 3 # 33–35 (December 2017 – January 2018). At Wayne Manor, Alfred tells Dick, Jason, Damian and Duke that Bruce intends to marry Selina while the latter two are on some mission in Khadym. Damian is upset because his mother is in Khadym, and Dick accompanies him there in the following issues. Some nice moments here and there, but I've never cared for Tom King's (the writer) grand Batman arc.

Dark Nights: Metal. Storyline 2017–2018. (including Nightwing # 29) where Batman discovers a Dark Multiverse.

Nightwing vol 4 # 30 – 34 (February 2018). Raptor's Revenge. Raptor gets involved in Nightwing’s fight with Blockbuster. Helena/Huntress breaks up with Dick. # 32 has flashback to Dick and Raptor at the circus and the death of his parents.

Batman vol 3 # 45–47 (June - July 2018). Booster Gold goes back in time to save Bruce's parents as a wedding gift. This completely alters the past, and for some reason, Dick becomes a Batman who fights a city of Jokers with lethal violence. Some amusing wackiness about what has happened to different characters – Selina is a serial killer, Tim has a menial job, and Jason has invented tires that give tire thieves a deadly shock of electricity, but nothing of future importance.

Nightwing vs Hush

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding. Nightwing vs Hush (2018) is a great issue for a Nightwing fan. Nightwing and Superman are taking Batman for a bachelor’s party, but Hush attacks them and he and Dick are transported to another universe (where Hush perishes, which hasn’t stopped him from turning up back in the main universe). Robin vs Ra's al Ghul has a tiny Nightwing as Damian's "good angel" on his shoulder, which is a fun but minor detail.

Batgirl vol 5 # 25. Takes place just after the failed wedding between Bruce and Selina. Barbara needs a friend; Dick takes her to the empty honeymoon suit. They talk as close friends about love, and Dick comes across as quite the romantic. Quite a nice story, in my opinion.

Nightwing vol 4 # 35

Nightwing vol 4 # 35–41 (February – May 2018)The Untouchable. My favourite arc of vol 4 so far, written by Sam Humphries (I'm sure he was supposed to stay longer because he talked in an interview about wanting to bring back Dick's Uncle George from Batman vol 1 # 22, but he only wrote the one arc). Includes some flashbacks to Dick’s time as Robin, and when he was a student post-Robin. He starts a new business, Grayson cross train studio.

Nightwing vol 4 # 42 (June 2018). Enjoyable one-shot. Damian tells his pets about how Dick saved him from capture in Tokyo. They pick up a dragon on the way.

Nightwing vol 4 # 43 (June 2018). Another enjoyable one-shot, with Dick, Damian and Roy Harper/Arsenal, bickering and fighting bad guys.

Nightwing vol 4 # 44–47 (July – October 2018). The Bleeding Edge, a story arc with malevolent virtual reality and the "dark web". Feel free to skip it.

Nightwing/Magilla Gorilla Special # 1 (October 2018). As a crossover with a Hanna-Barbera character, presumably not set in the usual DC universe... But I rather enjoyed it; it was a nice little murder mystery and lots of thinking about the circus and Dick's parents. Though I wouldn't personally rush to the cinema for a movie about The Flying Graysons with gorillas as actors...

Nightwing vol 4 # 48–49 (November 2018). Harm's way, the conclusion of the Dark Web storyline. If you enjoy Nightwing on a motorbike and being a badass fighter, why not? I can't say the story made an impact or had consequences since Dick would spend the following two years (maybe half a year, in-universe) as Ric.

The Murder Club (in Batman: Urban Legends # 19–23, November 2022 – March 2023 ). Martha and Thomas Wayne turn up in the Batcave, apparently taken from the time before they were killed. The story has Bruce, Dick, Damian and Alfred and is good if one like the family feels. (Not sure if any story in Urban Legends is supposed to be "canon" for the current continuity, but time-wise, Damian is dressed in Robin colours, Alfred is alive etc.)

Batman vol 3 # 51 (September 2018). Dick stands in as Batman while Bruce is called for jury duty.

DC's Crime of Passion # 1 (February 2020), has some Dick/Barbara, nothing you can't miss, in my opinion.

Batman vol 3 # 54–55. # 54 goes between flashbacks from when Dick was new in Wayne Manor and apparently doesn't know Bruce is Batman and Nightwing trying to cheer up Batman after Seline dumped him. In # 55, Dick is shot in the head by KG Beast (just another of Tom King's plot points to make Batman as miserable as possible). In Batman # 56-57, Batman hunts down KG Beast. Again, these issues have some pleasant character moments. Still, I'm not a fan of the overall plot or the result for Dick (I've read that Tom King was open to healing Dick magically pretty much straight away, but someone wanted to "take advantage" of the situation...)

Nightwing vol 4 Annual # 2. Partly set just after Dick was shot. Bruce tries to jog his memory by showing him a video of when he was shot, further traumatizing him and leading to him storming out.

Nightwing vol 4 # 50 (December 2018) – 74 (November 2020). Dick lives in Blüdhave as "Ric" and has forgotten everything for approximately the last 15 years. He wants nothing to do with his former family and starts dating Bea Bennett. Meanwhile, four other people use his old suits to go out as vigilantes since the real Nightwing has disappeared. Besides the shot in the head, he is brainwashed (with the help of a magical crystal, if I understood correctly) to help his Talon grandfather William Cobb make him a Talon (he is, for a few issues). The Joker later gets hold of the crystal and makes Dick believe the Joker fostered him and that he is "Dicky boy". He fights the other bats before it's all over...

Nightwing vol 4 # 74 (November 2020). Dick starts to get his memories back.

Batman vol 3 # 99 (November 2020). Bruce gives Dick his Nightwing suit back after two years of suffering (for us readers) with Ric, Talons and Joker War, but not really worth reading for that.

Dark Nights: Death Metal. Reality-shattering, complicated storyline 2020–2021 with lots of evil Batmen. I have read very little of it, but Dick is newly back from "Ric". In Justice League # 53–57 (Doom Metal parts 1–5), he and some others are physically D&E-transformed while fighting. In Dark Nights: Death Metal The Last Stories of the DC Universe, there are some nice Titans moments (also, Batman performs a one-panel "wedding" with Dick and Barbara...)

Nightwing vol 4 # 78 – > (March 2021 and onward) The current run of Nightwing starts (writer Tom Taylor, art mostly Bruno Redondo). After the relaunch Infinite Frontier, parts of Dick's pre-Flashpoint history in Blüdhaven have been restored. He has, for instance, been a cop and lives in the apartment building he bought during Nightwing vol 2. In my opinion, the run is visually great and full of lovely moments between Dick and his friends and family, but it's overly sweet and kind of boring, though many people seem to love the writing too.

Nightwing vol 4 # 78 (2021). Dick adopts a three-legged puppy (Haley/Bitewing) and is told he inherited Alfred's billions (he is currently richer than Bruce). He now lives in the block of flats in Blüdhave that was ostensibly destroyed in Nightwing vol 2.

Nightwing vol 4 # 80. Nightwing's first meeting with the villain Heartless, who steals hearts. That was 2021, and Dick still hasn't stopped Heartless or spent a lot of time chasing him because of so many interruptions.

Nightwing vol 4 # 82

Nightwing vol 4 # 81–82. He discovers he has an older half-sister, Melinda Zucco, conceived before John and Mary were married but brought up as the daughter of Tony Zucco. She is sworn in as the new Mayor of Blüdhaven. A big part of # 82 is flashbacks to the Grayson's and Melinda's backstory. Blockbuster, who should already be dead if what happened in Nightwing vol 2 is canon again, turns up as an adversary again (is later killed in # 94)

Nightwing vol 4 # 83. Dick announces The Alfred Pennyworth Foundation to make Blüdhaven a better place for everyone. The first goal is to ensure that no one lives on the streets a month later, "because it's getting colder".

Without a net. Unpublished tales from the DC vault # 2. (2021) One shot that is possibly supposed to take place in the current continuity; there's at least nothing to contradict it. Dick takes on a task because he feels he's the most qualified to dive 30000 feet from a flying castle (?!) into a lagoon.

Robin vol 3 # 5 (2021). The four former Robins chase after Damian, who has temporarily left Lazarus Island and wants to discuss what's happening. He gives them the slip – except Dick, who catches up with Damian and gives him a birthday present. They talk a bit, and Dick lets him go, telling the others that they will tell Batman "That we trust Damian and have faith in him." So a nice issue if you're looking for a few pages of Dick and Damian interaction.

Nightwing vol 4 # 84–86. Part of the crossover Fear State, where Scarecrow wants to control Gotham City using fear gas.

Titans Academy (2021–2022). I was never interested in picking up the book, but I guess it happened parallel to the Nightwing book until the start of Dark Crisis.

Nightwing Annual 2021 (2022). A tale of two brothers, Dick and Jason, now and then (when Jason was Robin). Dick refuses to believe Jason/Red Hood is killing people again and helps him clear it up, combined with a likeable flashback with Nightwing and JasonRobin.

Nightwing vol 4 # 88 (2022). Dick Grayson is targeted at the ceremony for starting to build Haven. It's kind of a nice issue if you like seeing what a great guy Dick is and his friends rushing to his side. Dick gets a new Nightwing suit made by Mr Terrific.

Nightwing vol 4 # 89, Superman: Son of Ka-El # 9. A team-up with Jon Kent/Superman, starting with a flashback to their first meeting when Jon was getting his powers.

"The Director" (in Batman: Urban Legends # 22-23). A story with Dick and Barbara takes place in Blüdhaven; not really my cup of tea, but readable.

Nightwing vol 4 # 90–91, Dick's building in Blüdhaven is blown up, Barbara is kidnapped, and a master assassain comes after Dick. Guest starring Wally West/The Flash, guest villain KG Beast, the gut who shot Dick back in Batman # 55.

Nightwing vol 4 # 96–97. I think it's fair to say Dick and Barbara are a couple at this stage.

Nightwing vol 3 # 98

Nightwing vol 4 # 98 (2023). Dick gets his own imp from the Fifth Dimension, Nite-Mite. He ships Dick with Starfire but teleports friends and family in to wed Dick and Barbare. (Ok, I thought it was a rather fun issue...) Introducing Olivia, daughter of Blockbuster, who sold her soul to the devil Neron; Neron is on his way to collect her soul. Nightwing & Co save her.

Nightwing vol 4 # 99. Nightwing catches Tony Zucco, who is violating parole with attempted robbery. Melinda changes her last name to Grayson-Lin.

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis # 1, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths # 1–7 (2022). An event where the Justice League is presumed dead (Nightwing is sure they will come back), and super criminals attack en masse. Along the way, "the Great Darkness" tries to take Nightwing as its new host, but he fights it off. At the end of the event, the Justice League disbanded. I'm pretty fed up with big events (great art, though), but Dick is a central character, the first legacy hero, and the light in the dark for Batman. It sets him up as an important leader for the superhero community going forward.

Batman vs Robin # 3 (November 2022). Damian is possessed and recruits the four former Robins to fight Batman for him in this lead-up to the event Lazarus Planet. Dick gets the sword of sin, and Batman, waiting for him to attack, thinks, "Hand-to-hand, the toughest of them all". In the end, Batman pushes Alfred (or rather, some kind of replica of Alfred from the afterlife, as a spy for the demon Nezha) on Dick's sword to get him to hesitate so Batman can knock him out. (I should say I've only read this issue of the book. Damian and Bruce fighting got old a long time ago, IMO.)

Nightwing vol 4 # 100. Heartless stages a mass breakout from Blüdhaven's private prison, which is destroyed. Nightwing talks a lot of the escapees into changing sides. The Titans come to help. Guest villain again, KG Beast. Superman and Wonder Woman asks Dick to lead – not the Justice League, which currently is disbanded – but whatever kind of protection he chooses. Dick buys the destroyed prison to build a new Titans tower there. Dick and Bruce have a heartfelt talk by Alfred's grave, though it's debatable if "I love you, Dad" is in character for Dick to say.

Nightwing vol 4 # 101–104. The Titans work together to save Olivia from Neron. Including Dick getting superpowers like that of Superman, when Neron tries to tempt him. Back-up story of Nightwing and Jon/Superman, working a case at a circus.

Titans (2023). The adult Titans are working from Blüdhaven while the Justice League is (probably very temporarily ) disbanded in this new book. It's only been a couple of issues, but I've been enjoying it so far (though I have a hard time with the pairing Beast Boy/Raven, since I know them well from the NTT ear).

Books clearly set outside the main continuity

Future State: Nightwing # 2

Future State: Nightwing # 1–2 (2021), Future State: Gotham (2021–2022) As far as I'm concerned, DC's Future State titles are stories from possible alternate futures that will never come to pass. But it was nice to see Dick written as competent and tinkering with inventions. The Future State stories continued in Future State Gotham, where Dick used the enhancing drug Brane to gain an edge in the fight against the Magistrate and assorted villains and, in the end, sacrificed himself. It didn't seem worth reading, from what I've seen.

Future State: Teen Titans # 1–2. Another possible future book, it’s not as good as the Nightwing version, IMO.

Batman Beyond (2016) vol 6. Dick is the mayor of Blüdhaven and has a daughter who becomes Batwoman in this version of Batman Beyond. To my knowledge, he is in a number of issues starting with # 25.

Batman/Catwoman, a 12-issue Black Label miniseries (2021–2022). Yet another book set in a possible future (or maybe an alternate universe). Dick is the Police Commissioner of Gotham. I haven't read the whole series, but Dick has a minor role.

In the Dark Multiverse, you can see Dick as a Talon, die during the Judas contract or be murdered by Damian if you like. (Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Hush, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, and Deathstroke (2016) # 50.)

Titans United (2021) and Titans United: Bloodpact (2022) was two limited series that was probably published to lure in readers that liked the Titans tv show, though it wasn't a tie-in. Pretty entertaining Titans stories with different team members. The digital-first Titans: Titans Together book (2020) also didn't connect to what's going on in other books but was all right reading.

– – –

Posted on July 16, 2023. Time will tell if it will get edited/updated in the future.

#Dick Grayson #Nightwing #Robin #Batman #reading guides

184 notes · View notes

ladytauria · 6 months

Note

jaytim with, "i'm going to find who did this to you, and i'm going to kill them" please?

ofc! <3 thank you, anon~

“I’m going to find you did this to you, and I’m going to kill them,” Jason snarls.

The life of a vigilante can be brutal. Jason knows this. It’s been written onto his skin, over and over again. Knowing doesn’t make it easier, seeing Tim laid up like this, half-swallowed by bandages, bruises blooming on his face.

It was an ambush. Probably in retaliation for the weapons shipment Red Robin busted last week. The group scattered when Nightwing and Batgirl showed up. It doesn’t matter. Jason will find them.

“Jason—“ Tim’s fingers catch on his waist; grip so loose it would be nothing for him to shake them off. Jason doesn’t. He lets himself be caught; stopping only a step or two away from Tim’s side.

He hates seeing him in pain. Hates knowing there’s nothing he can do about it.

“Don’t, babybird,” he says, harshly. “You said you knew what you were getting into. Gettin’ cold feet?”

Tim’s mouth twists. He squeezes Jason’s wrist. “Never,” he says, with so much conviction Jason almost believes him. “Wait until I pass out again. Please. I don’t— I don’t want to be alone.”

Jason doesn’t know what his face is doing. He can feel it twitching, before he finally collapses back into the chair like a puppet whose strings were cut. He shakes Tim’s hand from his wrist; only to tangle their fingers together. “…Fine. But the second you’re out— I mean it, babybird. They’re dead.”

“I know,” Tim says, on a sigh. “I won’t stop you.” He pauses. “This time.”

That he couldn’t even if he tried means nothing. The concession—

Everything.

He raises Tim’s hand to his mouth; pressing a featherlight kiss to bruised knuckles. “Lookin’ forward to it, prettybird.” Fighting with Tim isn’t his favorite thing in the world, not when it’s real, but. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t appreciate the physicality of it—of him. Dancing across rooftops, trading bruises and cuts… Maybe it’s a little fucked up, but… it doesn’t sound like the worst night in the world.

Especially if it ends with them in bed together—and it will.

Maybe one day Tim’ll get tired of it and leave him. Until then… Until then, Jason will take whatever he gives him; even if it’s a kiss with a fist or a bouquet of bruises.

[ prompt list ]

#jaytim #timjay #dcu #tauriawritesfanfic #lovely anons #asks and answers

96 notes · View notes

bluejaysandblackbats · 24 days

Text

Eyes and Ears

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: An AU where Barbara finds Jason instead of Bruce.

Chapters: 9/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood, Original Character(s)

Relationship(s): Jason Todd/Original Character(s), Past Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Older SIbling Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd-centric, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Jason Todd is NOT Robin, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Has a Crush, Adopted Siblings

Chapter Nine: Nightjars

Jason waited on the roof, swinging his feet as he sat on the ledge. The black of night and lights of Gotham shone beneath him. He tilted his head back and looked up into the sky at the darkness as a familiar wave of sadness and fear washed over him. He took a few deep breaths, trying to pull himself together.

It wasn't like he was scared of being home alone. He kept trying to tell himself that, but the way his hands shook after waking up from another one of his nightmares said otherwise. "Hey, got space enough for two?" a voice asked. It didn't startle him in the way that it usually would have.

"I'm not gonna jump. I'm just waiting for my sister to get home," Jason mumbled.

"You say that like your sister is Batgirl," he chuckled as he sat next to Jason. Jason turned to him, and he gasped.

"You're the Boy—. Robin. You're him," Jason whispered, "Did she tell you to come here?"

"So she is your sister? And no, I'm just in town. Thought I'd stop by," Dick smiled, "And thanks for not calling me the Boy Wonder. I'm a little old for that. Why are you waiting for her up here?"

Jason tried to conceal his trembling hands as he spoke. "Pop's out of town... It just feels weird knowing he's not in Gotham, so I'm watching from up here until she gets back," Jason explained himself.

"How long have you been—? It's none of my business. If she wanted me—."

"Almost five months. Didn't really think I'd be here this long, but they feel like family," Jason confessed. A breeze blew past, and Jason shivered.

"Come on, I'll make us an omelet," Dick whispered, "You like eggs?"

Jason nodded and followed Dick back to the apartment. They climbed into Barbara's window, and Dick went straight to the kitchen as if he'd been there before. "Who are you?" Jason asked.

"She really didn't tell you?" Dick asked. Jason shook his head. "Well, if she trusts you... Dick Grayson." Dick held out his hand, and Jason shook it.

"Jason Todd... Or Gordon. Not really sure how the name thing's gonna work long-term... People really call you Dick?" Jason asked. Dick nodded as he took off his gloves and mask and set them on the counter.

"So, Jason... What's it like having Barbara as a sister?" Dick smiled. He cracked a few eggs and chopped up some peppers and sausage.

"I thought I was stubborn, but I think she's got me beat," Jason replied, "But I've never had a sister before, so I dunno... Maybe they're all like this."

"Nobody's like Babs, trust me on that," Dick replied, "But yeah... Stubborn. That's her."

"But she's also a good friend," Jason whispered.

"Oh, boys. Now, who's gonna tell me I'm pretty?" Barbara asked. Dick and Jason turned to her. "What are you doing here?"

"When were you gonna tell me you had a little brother?" Dick asked. Barbara messed up Jason's hair.

"I would've told you the next time we talked... Jason, what are you doing up?" she asked.

"Having an omelet with your friend, Dick," Jason answered casually, and Barbara cleared her throat. "I couldn't sleep, so I went up on the roof to wait for you."

Silence fell over the kitchen, and Jason looked at both of them. "Who's taller? You or Wonder Girl?" Jason asked.

"Which one of us are you asking?" Dick replied.

"You say that like Barbie knows Wonder Girl," Jason replied. Barbara sighed.

"Barbie?" Dick grinned.

"Don't start," Barbara went into the fridge and poured herself a glass of juice.

"I'm taller. Not by much," Dick answered.

"How many questions can I ask before it gets weird?" Jason questioned.

"Um, you can ask what—."

"He can ask three questions, eat his omelet, and go to bed," Barbara interrupted. Jason stuck his tongue out at her. "Three."

"Fine. How old were you when you started out as Robin?" Jason asked.

"Don't answer that," Barbara chimed in, and Jason opened his mouth to argue.

Dick chuckled as he asked, "Why? How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Jason replied.

"I was around your age," Dick replied.

"Oh, you just love to start problems, don't you?" Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know he's never gonna let me hear the end of it." Dick made Jason's plate. "I told Jason I'd train him, but I don't want him out in the field. He's not old enough."

Dick nudged Jason and whispered, "You'll wear her down. It might take a while with her, but if you really want to change her mind, you won't give up."

"I'm not like Batman. He's not gonna wear me down. He's too young," Barbara replied.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you waited until you were an adult to throw on the cape," Dick scoffed. Barbara sat down next to Jason and sighed.

"Did you two used to date?" Jason asked. Barbara and Dick turned to him.

"Eat your omelet," Barbara replied before responding to Dick, and Jason started to eat while they argued. After he finished eating, he lay on the couch and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't until he'd been asleep a whole hour that they'd stopped arguing.

"Look at that," Dick chuckled, "He's out cold." Barbara picked him up and carried him back to his bed before returning to her conversation with Dick. "What's the story?"

"He was living in an abandoned apartment all by himself. Two parents dead, his birth mother in the wind... I don't want him out there because of what he's already been through. He won't really talk about it, but from what he's told me, his father was horrible to him," Barbara whispered, "I didn't want to say it in front of him... But when I took him home, I promised myself that I'd protect him. I can't do that if I allow him to do what we do."

Dick nodded and sighed. They talked for a few hours, and on Dick's way out, he whispered, "The biggest mistake you could've made was letting him know what you do, but all you can do now is train him as best you can and hope that he'll listen to you."

Barbara nodded, and once Dick was gone, she changed into her pajamas and checked on Jason. A thought weighed heavy on her mind as she went back to her room. It kept her up for the rest of the night.

25 notes · View notes

youreobsessedwithtoomanyfandoms · 5 months

Text

I Was Thinking You Could Be Trusted

Words: 671

Warnings: betrayal kinda?, probably poor writing and OOC characters but whatever

DC Masterlist Main Masterlist 1989 (TV) Event Masterlist Join My Taglist

Y/N was Batgirl as Jason was Robin, Y/N is now their own vigilante "Red Bird" as Jason is Red Hood

I was thinking about how to write this when I remembered that originally, what happened with Jason had his mom involved, I don't exactly remember it so I kinda used that basis of it and went from there

This is the "Bad Blood" part of my 1989 event!

Anywho, enjoy

Love Z <3

Y/N stood on the building across from him, staring in his direction. She couldn't believe it. Dick had to be wrong. There was no way that he could be Jason. No way that this...vengeful, new crime boss, could ever be the sweet kid she had been friends with 5 years ago.

Of course, she still could hear what he had told her all of those years ago. Those words that still stung from when he told her that he hated her because she was preventing him from finding him mom.

All that she had done was warn him that maybe his mother wasn't all that she appeared to be.

And she had been right.

She jumped when she heard the sound of boots hitting the ground by her. Her hand instantly fell to her taser gun, something that had been her signature when she was Batgirl and had stayed as she rebranded herself to Red Bird.

"Seems like you're still angry at me."

She turned, air catching in her throat before whispering out. "Jason."

He looked different now. His pure black hair now had a white streak in it and his blue eyes had turned green. The goofy smile on his face had turned to a small smirk.

He looked so much like the friend she had just as he looked like a completely different person.

"Batgirl, or should I say Red Bird?"

"H-how?" She stuttered, unsure of how this was even happening.

"How what? How am I alive? Or how about, how could you, just like Bruce and Dick and Barbara, allow for the Joker to live after what he did?! To Barbara?!"

As the words left his mouth, something snapped inside of her. "Are you seriously going to throw this all back to be my fault?!" She looked at him angrily, "I begged you not to go! Not to follow your mother because I didn't trust her! You didn't believe me, even after I showed you that you couldn't trust her! If it's anyone's fault that the Joker killed you, it's yours!"

She watched as his face faltered as the words fell from her mouth before hardening into an angry expression. "I thought that you would understand! You always did! You always had my back, why not now?!"

"Because you never trusted me, Jason?!" She yelled back, tears brimming her eyes, "You never trusted me when you needed to and it got you killed!"

"I thought that you would have forgiven me for that. After all, I forgave you for leaving me to rot after you ran after your stupid little boyfriend who ended up betraying you."

She stared at him with betrayal in her eyes. One of the first things they had done together. One of her biggest regrets, being unable to see who was really her enemy versus who was a friend.

"I was younger. Impressionable. I thought I could trust him." She muttered out, "But that still never gave you the right to never trust me afterwards."

He shrugged, "You're right, but at least I had a reason. Unlike you."

"Jason...Dick told me what you did, I...I've heard the rumors about what you--Red Hood--has done! You've killed--!"

"And so have you!"

"Not on purpose!" She exclaimed, "And I regretted it! Why else do you think that I'm trying to become a doctor! I want to right my wrongs, Jason! All that you want to do is spread your anger and frustration for Bruce out onto everyone else!"

"I thought you were my friend!"

"And I thought you were mine!" She put her domino masked that she had discarded back on. "But I don't think I can be friends with someone who obviously doesn't know what he wants and is so misguided on who he is anymore."

She turned and ran off of the building, falling for a moment before grappling away to the next one. She couldn't believe that for a moment she thought that the old Jason was still in there.

#jason #todd #jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #red #hood #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood imagine #dc #dc x reader #dc imagine #x reader #imagine #z's 1989 event

40 notes · View notes

arabian-batboy · 1 year

Note

Do you know who from Bruce's kids actually lived at the Wayne manor at the same time? Fanon seems to have this idea that all of them live in the same house at the same and I'm curious if there's any truth to it

I will tell you this from the very start: "All the Batkids live in the same house <3" is 100% fanon and for all of comic history, we really only had one or two Batkids permanently living in the Wayne manor at the same exact time (kinda ironic considering how many rooms it has).

At the beginning it was just Bruce, Dick and Alfred living in it until Dick moved out to college and he has been living on his own or with the Titans ever since. Except for the period he was acting as Batman where he, Damian and Alfred lived in the Wayne Penthouse on top of the Wayne Foundation Building.

And of course when he left the nest, Jason took his place and lived with Bruce and Alfred until his death and obviously he's not going back to that house any time soon considering his circumstances.

Afterward it was just Bruce and Alfred for some years, since Tim was either living with his parents or in an all-boys boarding school for most of his Robin run until he got officially adopted and moved with Bruce at 17, but that didn't last long since he moved out and started living on his own when he became Red Robin, which even includes him living in a boat at one point.

Cassandra's situation is kinda weird. She lived with Barbara when she first came to Gotham and is currently still living with her along Stephanie, even though she has been adopted by Bruce for a while now. Maybe I'm missing an issue, but I personally can't recall any comic that established her as permanently living in the manor, aside from maybe Batgirl (2008), but even then it was such a brief period and Alfred constantly remarks about how she's almost never home, so I don't know if I should count it.

Lastly you have Damian, who like I said above, first lived with Dick and Alfred in a penthouse, but then later on moved to the manor with Bruce and Alfred when the N52 started and unofficially turned it into a zoo with all his animals. Then Duke came to live with them at one point, which would mean that he and Damian were the only Batkids that lived with each other in the manor at the same time (even though we strangely never saw them with each other.)

Now that didn't last long since DC can't help being DC and created a huge mess of Damian's character that basically had him out of Gotham for almost 5 years now while also killing Alfred, not to mention that Duke's mother is back as of this year, so I would assume that he's living with her now at their place?

So for the first time in more than 80 years, the manor is completely empty save for Bruce, but in other positive (?) news. We have an upcoming Batman and Robin book about Damian FINALLY returning to Gotham and working with Bruce again, so I think its safe to say that they would be living with each other when the book begins.

#hope that helps #bruce wayne #dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne #duke thomas #cassandra cain #jason todd

170 notes · View notes

aingeal98 · 4 months

Note

cass and tim for short fic? Maybe with a dash of hurt comfort bc I’m a sucker for it <3 🫶

The bullet isn't lodged too deeply. Tim takes a breath before steadily pulling it out, just the way Alfred taught him. He can almost hear the old man's voice, feel him next to Tim, steadying his hands.

Cass is silent and still, unnaturally so. She looks like she could be watching TV, not getting a bullet pulled out from between her ribs. It makes Tim want to shiver, even after all these years.

More than anything he wants to apologise. But he knows she won't accept it. If she hadn't gotten in front of that bullet he'd be dead, and he is alive now so to Cassandra he has nothing to apologise for. But Tim wants to anyway. He's supposed to be better than this, the only Robin who never died even for a few seconds. If he can be so distracted by a fight that a stray bullet almost kills him...

The bullet comes out. Cass moves then, reaching forward to pull Tim's face upwards so that he's looking right at her.

"It's not your fault." she says.

Logically, Tim knows she's right. None of them, not even Bruce, are capable of dodging bullets they don't see. That skill belongs to Cass and Cass alone. But a voice that sounds like Batman won't leave Tim's head, insisting that he should have had better situational awareness, better tactics before entering the firefight. Batgirl is injured now. Because of him.

"I know." He says, because he does. Knowing and feeling are two different things.

Cass frowns, but says nothing as Tim starts stitching up the wound.

"We did good." She speaks at last. "The gang is... Over. Gone for good."

It's true. They caught the last of them and destroyed the boats they were using to move the illegal goods. Even if they continue to work inside prison, their ties and influence over the outside world have been thoroughly destroyed. It's good work, especially for one night.

But his sister is hurt. Because he wasn't good enough. Tim isn't insecure, he knows his own strengths and weaknesses. Tonight he messed up, simple as. He'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Cass sighs, leaning her forehead against Tim's shoulder. She's determined to give him comfort and Tim... As much as he's not ready to forgive himself, he's not willing to push it away either.

He finishes stitching the wound up and dresses it. Cass watches him in silence. Once he's done, she scoops him up and deposits him on the couch, ignoring his protests.

"You've just been shot! Don't put pressure on the wound!"

"Tis merely a flesh wound."

"Funny reference but it's not. It's literally not."

She rolls her eyes, a fond smile on her face.

"Pick a movie, nerd."

See, this is Steph's influence right here. Not Cass calling people nerds, but Cass calling Tim specifically a nerd. He should protest, tell Cass to leave him alone to sulk and wallow in his own mistakes.

Tim picks out a movie.

Cass ruffles his hair and pecks him on the cheek. As Mean Girls starts playing, she stretches out on the couch next to him, completely relaxed like she doesn't have a bleeding hole between her ribs.

Tim still feels guilty. He knows from experience he won't stop feeling guilty until at least tomorrow night. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel a little better. It's impossible to take himself super seriously and brood when the girl who got wounded because of him is shoving her feet in his face.

Not for the first time tonight, Tim finds himself very grateful for older sisters.

#dc #cassandra cain #tim drake #dc rambles #My writing #Asks #Thank you for the ask!

47 notes · View notes

golden-buddle · 2 years

Note

Hay question about your cryptid au! What do the rogues think of the batfam? Because there’s quite the difference between fighting a man in a bat costume vs an actual inhuman cryptid!

Since theres way too many rogues, I'll just do the Big Ones:tm:

*glances at list* ...augh this is gonna be a long one.

Bane

Pissed the f off, since Cryptid!Batman is already supernaturally strong, Bane needs quite alot of venom to be able to match the Bat's strength.

Catwoman

Amused and very frustrated. Since the Bat isn't human- her flirting doesn't really do anything. The only reason she was lured to the good side was because of Robin and Batgirl. Both of them were fascinated by this weird human and her cats, and she can never say no to kittens.

Harley Quinn

Very very frustrated. At this point in time, she's fully under the Joker's grasp. And she hates that everytime they fight- it ends with her being dropped off at Poison Ivy's.

The Joker

Angry and frustrated. He's made it his life goal to make the Bat laugh/crack. Thing is..

I don't think the Cryptid!Bad has the capability to laugh. His kids, yeah, but as an adult? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Killer Croc

Out of all of them, I.. don't think Waylon's opinion changes that much. Maybe a bit more frustration? But that really depends on if he knows that the bat feeds on fear.

Mr. Freeze

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I don't really know Mr. Freeze's personality that much other than he's filled with grief because of his wife. He's probably in the same boat as Waylon with opinion changes.

The Penguin

Absolute FRUSTRATION! And fear :) Cryptid!Bats doesn't really wait for legality to nab Oswald like the original Bats does. So the Bats is constantly mucking up his plans as soon as they start.

Poison Ivy

Honestly? I feel like Poison Ivy would like Cryptid!Bats. Not anything romantic or sexual, but just like she's a force of the Green, he's a force of Fear. I can see them working together somewhat. The Bat does stop her if she goes too far, which ends up with them fighting a bit, but with Cryptid!Bats she's probably much more chill.

Ra's Al Ghul

They actually don't interact at all! Ra's isn't interested in Bats as a heir because, well, two completely different species.

The Riddler

SO much anger!! He doesn't understand how this 'lesser being' can manage to solve all of his riddles. Its not actually the bat, its Gordon lmao

Scarecrow

He's So Pissed Off its not even funny. Because the Bat feeds on fear, the fear gas doesn't even affect him. So their fights always end quickly with the Bat winning.

Twoface

In this world, Dent actually got help with his DID- So while Twoface does exist, he's less a Persecutor and more of a Protector.

#Long Post #Cryptid AU #Cryptid Batman #Cryptid Batman AU #I cannot remember the tag I gave this lmao

234 notes · View notes

dailycass-cain · 11 months

Text

#19 marks the end of the Batgirls. Here are my thoughts for the final time for this series. Where I'll talk about the good, the bad, and all about the Cass.

I'll admit I'm a bit melancholy even knowing there's still a future for Cass. The series while might have been what many wanted. It was what I wanted. Just Cass/Steph having adventures.

Though Steph got the raw end of the deal throughout most of the series, I was glad to see for the final issue she absolutely owns this issue.

Not just in her fight with Gunbunny, but also in talking Grace down from killing the villain. The moment where she just goes full-on has been a Steph moment I've been aching to see in this series.

But to be fair, she did get that moment as Girl-Bat in #16 and standing up to her father the prior issue (#15). Just it been a recurring theme for Steph struggling when I get it (it's her character arc) and it's always great seeing Steph just own the moment.

Part of me is terrified for the character's future, but then again if Cass keeps getting the stuff she is. Maybe there's a chance.

Just that this "x-over" that's going to "fracture" the Bat Family. It just feels like cheap heat from the inevitable "healing" story.

Anyway, I'm glad Steph got this moment because the character deserves this and more. Other than Cass, Steph has been through A LOT as well character-wise.

Sadly, of the three Batgirls (and Robins) seems like always getting the short end of the stick.

But I really did enjoy this moment whatever the x-over in September brings for Steph. I'm glad Batgirls gave us one happy moment for the character to shine. I just wish again, this series just didn't have to end.

For Cass? Her moment in the issue was shorter but it was still all the sweeter her taking down "Gunhawk". I mean the twist everyone saw coming and I'm glad writers Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan treat it as such.

No monologue from who "Gunhawk" is just Cass owning him and hard. That and again the writers showcase all of David Cain's bastard training with her easily finding the other sniper's nest.

Though I confess there was an added bonus this issue when it comes to Cass. Artist Robbi Rodriguez drew Cass in her old Batgirl attire this issue (sans mask).

I mean it is sort of a treat to FINALLY see this show up in the series. So I'm glad we got that as well.

Likewise, we got one final awing moment between Cass/Steph. It may not have been a kiss but seeing Cass smirking at Steph leaning her head on her shoulder.

Yeah... I'll take it. I wish we can get more but it'll do.

For Babs, yeah she didn't do a lot this issue. I was okay with her showing in this issue and arc to be the rock for Cass/Steph. While they were investigating she was as well and scheming for the villains' downfall.

As for the final page. It truly is a nice coda for Cass/Steph. Both characters had gone thru DC Comics' grinder from various periods starting in '04 but mainly 2009-2020.

Treating the legacy mantle of Batgirl so carelessly.

Since the first issue, I treated this series as a gift. So did the creators of this series. So to see this as the final words for the series. Yeah, it hits me.

Do I wish Bette, Helena, and Charlotte appeared in the series? YES. But did this series give Cass/Steph fans what they wanted? YES.

For Cass? I'd say that answer was yes in spades.

To that end, I want to thank all the creators who worked on this book. You all gave us a treat I never in my wildest mind ever thought we'd get. This comic was special for me. It may not have given us the grit or overall tone that many wanted. But---

It opened the door for new fans to learn of the characters. To learn that Batgirl just isn't one singular person behind the identity but multiple.

That it is a legacy mantle again after what the New 52 did to it and the characters.

I feel like there's no real way to fully end this but to quote from a certain trickster, but give it my modified taste.

Goodbye, Batgirls. I'm gonna miss you. You had such potential (and still do). But then again, all good things must come to an end.

Fare thee well.

#dc comics #cassandra cain #my thoughts #stephanie brown #batgirls #BATGIRLS4EVER

29 notes · View notes

roseworth · 2 years

Note

ooo how about "I hope you find it someday." "Find what?" "Whatever it is you're looking for." with stephanie brown and jason todd?

send me a prompt !

“O,” Steph whined. “This is literally the most bored I have ever been in my entire life.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear we’re not being dramatic about it,” Barbara responded over her comm.

“They’re not even doing anything, they’re just waiting,” Steph complained. “I wanna throw cowboy on these guys.”

“‘Throw cowboy’?”

“It means to beat the shit out of ‘em,” she explained. “Dick taught it to me.”

“You need to be patient, Batgirl,” Oracle said. “If they’re waiting for something, it means you’re waiting, too.”

Stephanie groaned.

“I promise you can throw cowboy once you know the full situation.”

“Fine. But mark my words: once I do, these drug dealers aren’t even gonna know what hit ‘em.”

“I believe it,” Babs chuckled. “Just wait a little longer, and you’ll be golden.”

Steph stretched out in her position in the rafters of the warehouse and looked down. The dealers were making small talk, which felt a little strange. She never really thought about big-time drug dealers talking about the Knights game and the weather.

The conversations came to a screeching halt as the door opened. Everyone straightened up as whoever it was walked into the room. Freaky. She was almost nervous to see the guy who could apparently silence a room full of some of the most powerful people in Gotham’s underworld.

“Oracle, he’s here,” Steph whispered. “Some tall guy, wearing a red helmet.”

Steph could hear Barbara’s sharp intake of breath. “Bulky guy, red hood, leather jacket?” she said.

“Yup, looks like it.”

“Batgirl, you need to get out of there now.”

Steph frowned. “But you promised I could–”

“I’m serious,” Barbara hissed. “You cannot be there.”

“I can take this guy!”

“No, you can’t. Leave.”

“Can’t I at least call backup?”

“Stephanie, no. Out. Now.”

Steph groaned quietly. “Fine. I get it, you still don’t trust me,” she said, getting up to leave. “I’ll go now, but I totally could’ve handled it.”

Babs sighed heavily in her ear. “It’s not like that, just… trust me on this one. I’ll explain later.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Steph looked down, and the creepy guy in the helmet was still just standing there, scanning the room. Just as she was about to get out, he started talking.

“Look at this, you’ve got a whole shindig planned out, but you’ve still got a bird infestation,” he yelled. Steph froze.

“Shit shit shit shit shit,” she whispered, scrambling to leave.

“What’s wrong?” O asked urgently.

“He knows I’m here.”

“Fuck.”

A gunshot went off, and a bullet buried itself in the wall right next to her. Shit.

“Come on, leaving so soon?” the man yelled. Steph didn’t dare look back as she slipped out the window and grappled to the neighboring building.

Her heart was beating out of her chest. “Who the fuck was that?”

“The Red Hood,” Oracle answered. “He’s the big crime lord these days, he took down Black Mask. I didn’t think he would be there.”

Steph snorted softly, trying to even her breaths. “Maybe I should send him a thank you card.”

“Or maybe you should stay out of his way so he doesn’t try to kill you,” Babs scolded. "You should ask Speedy or Red Robin about their interactions with him."

"Speedy and Red Robin are both still alive," Steph pointed out. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"Yeah, but both of them say that they're only alive because he let them go."

Steph rolled her eyes and grappled to the next building. “I would’ve been fine.”

“You wanna put money on that?” a low voice grated.

Steph looked up to see the Red Hood standing in front of her, holding a gun to her head. Shit.

“How the hell did you–”

“I don’t like it when Birds fuck with my business,” he interjected. “And I’m not opposed to sending a message to make sure I get left alone.”

“Stay calm, Batgirl,” Barbara said, typing furiously in the background. “Just don’t do anything to provoke him, and he’s not gonna hurt you.” Steph wanted to point out that that rule probably applied better to wild animals than it did to crime lords threatening her with a firearm, but she held her tongue.

“Whatever, man, it won’t happen again,” Steph said, holding her hands up. “Let’s just move on, I’m not going to–”

“You’re angling your feet to leap at me,” Hood pointed out. “And the way you’re holding your arms up is supposed to look non-threatening while still being ready to attack. Don’t try to use the Bat-training on me, kid, I know it all.”

“What the hell is your deal?”

“Batgirl!” Oracle scolded. “I said not to provoke him!” Steph ignored her.

Red Hood stayed silent for another moment. Steph hated how she couldn’t see his face. She narrowed her eyes and scowled at him to make up for it.

“They never told you, huh?”

“Told me what?”

He reached up with the hand not holding his gun and opened a latch on his helmet to pull it off, then tossed it on the ground.

“The name’s Jason Todd,” he said with a smirk. “Good to meet you, Batgirl.”

Steph’s jaw dropped. “Jason fucking Todd? The dead kid?”

“Steph!” Barbara shouted.

“Yup, the one and only.”

“I can’t believe you’re fucking alive, you dick,” Steph groaned.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh my god,” Babs groaned. “If you survive this, we’re going over what do not provoke means.”

Steph reached to her ear and clicked her comm off. Jason was looking at her with fiery eyes, the gun still pointed right at her. The safety was definitely on, though. She was guessing that was on purpose.

“You made my life hell, you know that?”

“I really don’t think that’s true.”

“Batman used to give me so much shit about being ‘too reckless’ and ‘too much like Jason’ because of you,” she fumed, jabbing a finger into his chest. “And all that time, it turns out you’re alive?”

“I wasn’t alive all that time,” he said. “And I don’t see how any of this is my problem.”

Steph folded her arms. “You’re right, it was all my problem while you were off god-knows-where doing god-knows-what, and now you have the nerve to hold a gun to my head?”

Jason lowered the gun and raised an eyebrow at her. “All I did was die, it’s not my fault Bruce treated you like shit,” he said. “Maybe the one you should be mad at is him.”

“Oh, trust me, I am mad at him,” she responded. “But you’re the one that’s alive right now, so you’re the one that gets my rage.”

“Have you ever thought maybe he was right?” he retorted.

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.”

“Hilarious.”

“Listen, Bats,” he said, “Maybe kids shouldn’t be putting on capes and scampering around the city. And maybe for once in his life, Bruce wanted to actually fix a mistake he made instead of burying it and forgetting about it.”

Steph narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know a thing about me. I was not a mistake, I was helping the city.”

“Stephanie Brown, age 18, daughter of Arthur and Crystal Brown, freshman at Gotham University with an undeclared major,” he listed. “Became Spoiler when you were 14 to stop your father, then kept crimefighting despite everyone telling you no, then became Robin a few years later when Tim stopped, started a gang war, and died in the line of duty. Am I right so far?”

Stephanie glared at him silently.

“Yeah, I thought so.”

“Fuck you.”

“Sorry, keep talking about how you were ‘helping the city.’”

“You’re an asshole.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told.”

“What about you? You’re the one that’s a crime lord, it’s not like you’re doing the city any favors.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “You’re right, there’s nothing I can do for the city without putting on tights and bright colors,” he drawled. “I am helping the city, more than Bruce ever did.”

“By doing what? Making everyone live in fear?”

“It's not about fear, Stephanie," he shot back. "You’ve seen the city, you’ve lived in it the way I have. There’s no helping it if we don’t use a permanent solution.”

“I’ve lived in the city my entire life,” she argued. “And I know that the way to help is to bring hope.”

“That’s cute, you should put it on a greeting card.” Jason stepped away and picked his helmet up off the ground. “Look, shortstack, I’m not here to debate morality with you. Just stay away and let me do what I need to do.”

Stephanie looked at the bags under his eyes and the way he kept his muscles tight like an attack was going to come from any direction. He meticulously checked his weapons in his holsters before getting ready to leave despite the fact that he hadn’t touched any of them since they started talking.

“I hope you find it someday,” she said.

He froze and snapped his head to look at her. “Find what?”

“Whatever it is you’re looking for.”

He clenched his hands into fists and turned away. “You don’t… That’s not what this is.”

“Isn’t it?”

Jason tightened his jaw, then pulled his helmet back on. “Tell Babs I say hi.”

Stephanie watched him grapple away, disappearing as quickly as he came.

She sighed and clicked her comm back on. “Oracle?”

“Oh, good, you’re not dead,” Barbara snapped. “Never do that again.”

“Sorry, O, technical difficulties.”

“Uh-huh. I’m gonna add about 10 comm overrides to your suit when you get back.”

“I know you are,” Steph said, looking across the skyline of the city. “By the way, Jason said hi.”

#jason when he realizes hes not in control of the conversation anymore 🏃💨#stephanie brown #jason todd #dc #fanfic #my writing #listen. i just really wish jason and steph had met in her batgirl 2009 era #all of those parallels WASTED.#jason and steph both dying and coming back to life and wanting to 'fix' the city #but doing it in DRASTICALLY different ways #so much potential #smh #anyways thank you for the promptttttt <3 <3 <3

94 notes · View notes