bigheadastronautt

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Duke immediately telling his mom his secret ID is so funny and sweet. He knows that women would immediately spot his BS.

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I think it’s hilarious that after years the people of Gotham finally start believing that Batman and the rest of the Batfamily don’t actually have powers, all for it to be disrupted by Duke showing up with powers.

Think about it, he’s probably the most visible Batfamily member to the average citizen. Him having powers is going to naturally make everyone assume the other bats also have powers, it’s just that they never get to see them.

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“Tim was Duke’s Robin” No offence to Tim, but I’m pretty sure We Are Robin were Duke’s Robins? Like, he never specifically mentions Tim as an inspiration. He never shows particular admiration of him in Robin War. The way Duke talks about Robin (“Batman is on the gargoyle, Robin is on the street”) relates to his personal ideal of the Robin identity, which the WAR collective embodies most of all as heroes for, by and of the common people. Pre-Signal, out of all the individual Bats he’s more interested in Batman himself than any of his Robins. Robin War associates him with Dick, with whom he has numerous parallels, and Damian, who he befriends but doesn’t even recognise as the official Robin at first. He doesn’t really keep track of the Bats at this point!

Tim’s philosophy of Robin is that Batman needs a Robin, that existing as the Dynamic Duo is optimal if not necessary for both roles. Duke thinks those roles are independent. He never works with Batman as a Robin and doesn’t want to. So we know that he isn’t trying to follow in the footsteps of a version of Robin that was first and foremost Batman’s Partner.

You know who he is emulating? The other WAR members, because he didn’t found it. He is the last to join his team. Before meeting them he’s a jaded, self-destructive loner full of directionless anger, constantly getting into fights, getting expelled and running away to look for his parents because he doesn’t trust anyone else. He’s in darkness. Then boom, kids just like him are saving his life. Willing to sacrifice their lives for what’s right. Being the change they want to see in their city, their community. Bringing him light. The heroes aren’t looming or flying above him anymore, they’re around him, on his level - and he can be on theirs. He can channel his anger, find hope, learn to trust. Duke is his own Robin; Troy, Izzy, Dre, Dax and Riko are also his Robins; and so are dozens, maybe hundreds, of other kids. They’re all each other’s Robins! That’s what the series is about!

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god i just remembered that after the grue got bonesawed taylor was like Brian... are you feeling better enough to lead the undersiders... and he was like not really tbh i just got turned inside out. and then taylor was like oh ok understandable... Could you feel better enough to lead the undersiders... in the Future? and brian was like sure i guess? and taylor went Great! and left one day later

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DC POWER COMPANY RECHARGED spoilers.

Duke can’t catch a fucking break omg. Though I think it’s really sweet that he immediately went to Jace for help before anyone else.

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I feel like Nightwing and Duke both represent hope but they do it in different ways. Nightwings hope feels more individual, as in he overcame tragedy in his life that gave him hope and because of that he’s giving it to others. He likes to give people the benefit of the doubt even if it harms himself. I also think that he’s a bit idealistic in his hope in that he’s stubborn and can believe in an individual so much that sometimes it can cause more harm than good. Nightwings hope is based on his own path and seeing how he recovered from his trauma despite his tragic past.

Duke on the other hand feels more like hope in the community. he trust that not only he wants to do the right thing but that’s given the opportunity others would want to also, he lived as a normal person throughout some of the worst eras of Gotham and believes that despite all that the people of Gotham also care for the city for the city as much as anyone from the Batfamily does and that the city itself is capable of change.

Because Nightwing has been around Batman for so long a lot of his legacy is connected to Bruce to matter how much he tries to set himself apart. Though that’s not necessarily a bad thing it’s important to understand how it shapes him as an individual. When it comes to Nightwing he helps people from a position of “authority” if he wants to see people do better he becomes their shield. He leads from the front and takes the pressure to that others won’t have to. This probably also stems from his position as an older sibling.

Duke however stands with people not in front of them. Duke’s trauma has made it so that he understands people endure together. When he helps people it’s from a position of mutual respect and responsibility. He helps empower people so that they can go on and empower others. He gives them the tools to inspire agency and makes sure that their voice matters. Even in his when he was “leading” the robins it wasn’t from a position of real authority, his voice held the same weight as everyone else’s.

Where Duke says “you’re not alone and you don’t need a symbol to save you.”

Nightwing says “I’ll take the hit, just keep moving forward.”

Where Nightwing wants people to be able to rely on him so that he can help. Duke wants people to realize they don’t have to rely on him.

Duke isn’t here to replace a symbol, he’s there to decentralize it. Show people that the power for change in already within them.

Nightwing is proof that Batman’s way can evolve.

Duke is proof that Batman’s way can be rebuilt.

Duke’s story isn’t the answer. It’s the call. That’s why he’s The Signal.

(I didn’t proofread this, I was honestly just typing. Apologies if there are any typos)

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No new Duke today. Hearing that power company recharged got pushed back a week.

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This the shit I be talking about, how the fuck is dick winning???

Which of these characters has been most impacted by Eldest Daughter Syndrome?

Dick Grayson

Selina Kyle

Barbara "Babs" Gordon

Talia al Ghul

Renee Montoya

Harley Quinn (AKA Harleen Quinzel)

Cassandra Cain

Harper Row

Another female character

Tim

#canon events #debate

Amazing idea. These results should be fun.

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No because you see Duke was FORGED by his parents everything he does is in service of THEM to HONOUR their legacies. But Cass was forged IN SPITE of David Cain everything she does is not about HIM but to TAKE CONTROL of her destiny. And Batgirl was her, it was Cass it was all of her, it was the first thing she ever owned; and Robin was his but also theirs, it was Duke and his friends and Damian and the people Duke loves, it was something they shared. But now Cass shares Batgirl with Steph like a hoodie because she loves her, because she can now forge a community around her she never had as a kid. And now Duke becomes the Signal because he's forging his own path, because he's directly honouring his mother rather than using another mother's legacy, maintaining his focus on community but also celebrating what makes him special. They're SO DIFFERENT but they LOVE EACH OTHER and family is so so important to both of them do you even understand what it means for Duke to call Cass his sister??? And for Cass to let him??? These two people for whom family means very different things but is so fundamental to who they are, for them to meet and choose each other means THE WORLD. DUKE & CASS FOREVER

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I can’t stop imagining a world where Brian Laborne and Duke Thomas meet. Not only can see both generate darkness clouds but Duke could most likely be able to see inside of Brian’s darkness.

Both of them being young black boys who had to grow up a lot faster because they had to take on responsibilities that they were realistically too young for.

Not to mention how much they differ with their approach to life where Duke is filled with hope, Brian is a pretty cynical and calculated person.

They’re literally the platonic sun and moon to me.

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People will call Bruce girl dad coded and do everything in their power to “feminize” (for lack of a better term) the Wayne boys when Cass is literally right there.

That’s not so say people can’t interpret relationships the way they see it. I just think it’s a bit strange how even with a cast of women characters the men characters still somehow fit the women character slots instead of just using the women characters .

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I fear for the day worm randomly blows up on TikTok and people start liking Jack Slash unironically

There are problems to Jack Slash being boring and vacuous on purpose. Such as reading about boring and vacuous characters is boring. However there is one colossal shining star that makes it all worth it and that is in decades of Worm discourse I have never seen anyone sincerely argue that Jack Slash had a point. Joker and Homelander never had a point either but because they’re slightly better at bullshitting some people always buy into whatever baseless anprim shit they’re saying.

Any obviously deranged villain in any media who gets a chance to monologue will, without fail, convince some people that they have a point. Except Jack Slash. It is fundamentally clear that he is going off basically nothing. Thanks Wildbow for that at least

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Oh lol, I meant Taylor. Not intentionally, but her internal monologue definitely has some republican sprinkles in there.

Taylor probably thinks Alec is a republican even though this makes literally no sense whatsoever.

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Why is that everytime you ask someone how they can fix Duke Thomas. The answer is always give him his own city and rogues gallery, disconnect his from the Batfamily because they’re too full and while you’re at it change his suit and name too.

Like????

Clearly you don’t care about Duke at all you just want to create your own OC.

Dukes original arcs even when he was a little kid revolved around him helping Gotham because he loved his city so why would he leave. Not to mention his entire supporting cast of friends and his parents are in Gotham.

His suit and name are a representation of how he wants to be seen as a hero which was heavily inspired by his mom. He literally wants to be people’s light. So why would they change that for some edgy ass name.

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It’s even more ironic because probably has more republican views than alec

Taylor probably thinks Alec is a republican even though this makes literally no sense whatsoever.

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Me when I don’t have a clue what I’m talking about so I just talk out my ass

I'm not gonna lie, I was gonna consider reading Parahumans until I read up how it represented lesbians and saw the biggest lesbian was an abusive rapist who forced herself on her sister because of Perverse Urges and its just...oooof. Then I also see that the only transfem character in the series dies before the series even begins and is misgendered by a character we're supposed to see as somewhat sympathetic.