#Dick Grayson deserves better

[geekishfangirl]

I can’t view Batman/Bruce as a real hero

So I’ve gotten into DC recently, or more specifically I’ve gotten into the Batfam, and the more I learn about Bruce Wayne the harder it is for me to look to him as a hero.

I’ll preface all this by saying I have consumed very little DC content, so if something I say is not actually canon pls let me know.

It started when I learned that this man seemingly has an absolute no kill rule. Not a “I try to avoid killing and only do it when absolutely necessary” rule, but a “I refuse to kill anyone no matter the circumstances” rule. I honestly hate this because it’s not effective in any way. Take the Joker for example, Batman has to fight him over and over again because they simply cannot seem to keep that man in prison and Batman won’t kill him or let anyone else do it. I think this is because he wants to believe that anyone can change, and they can, but just because they CAN doesn’t mean that they WILL. People have to choose to change and the Joker has had like 30 chances to do so, yet he continues to kill innocent people. How many innocents have to die before someone acknowledges that the Joker will never choose to be a better person and finally decide to do what’s necessary to protect everyone? They either need to find a way to keep him in jail or just take him out.

This got worse when I learned about Jason Todd. Here you have a poor boy taken in by Bruce, who idealizes him and views him as a father, and when he gets kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by the Joker he dies alone. When he is brought back to life, he’s mad at Bruce, not because Bruce didn’t save him, but Bruce didn’t kill the Joker to avenge him. Because Bruce didn’t love him more than he loved Justice. Hell, even on his grave, “A good soldier”. I’ve seen ppl say that maybe he didn’t say son because he didn’t want to erase their family ties and the kids never took his last name and sure, I get that. But putting a good soldier instead? He didn’t have to do that. Jason wasn’t a soldier, he was a little boy. It seems like Bruce forgets that about the Robins sometimes. (None of this is even getting into my feelings about Bruce taking in multiple children and having them fight crime, literally risking their lives every night but then this rant would be even longer)

And apparently Bruce fucking decks Dick because Dick was asking him why he let him become Robin before he was ready? Bro cannot take any criticism for his actions I swear. I mean, even if he never officially adopts them (I’m very confused on that tbh) he does still view them as his kids. He still helped raise them. After all, they were all underage when he met them and took them in. So to straight up deck your eldest and tell him to get out literally right after your other kid was murdered solely because he questioned you is actually wild.

Then you have the whole batarang incident, which just makes me question his morals more because he’s got the whole “no killing whatsoever” thing going on but then decides, “I won’t kill the man who murdered my son and countless other innocents, but I can and will slit my son’s throat and leave him for dead.” Like, HUH??? Also, didn’t Dick accidentally kill the Joker once and Bruce went out of his way to REVIVE HIM? Honestly feels like Bruce has some weird relationship with the Joker cause he seems to care about him more than anything. LET THAT MONSTER DIE!

I saw someone say that they thought the “no killing” thing wasn’t effective but was accurate to Bruce’s character because his vigilanteism isn’t actually mainly about helping but about punishing himself for what happened to his parents. And if you kill the villains when you need to, you can’t keep punishing yourself through fighting them. Like a self-sabotage thing. I thought that was super interesting but it would also just go along with him not being a truly effective hero, cause he won’t make the hard calls that are sometimes needed.

In conclusion, while I am sure Bruce has done good for people, it’s hard to see him as a truly effective hero (or a good person/father for that matter) when he does stuff like this.

[lenoryt13]

[elflynns-horde-of-stuff]

Gotham War frustrates me to no end. There is no emotional follow through for anything. If there was, it was in no way consistent. Bruce is once again bringing his shitty parenting skills to nightmare levels.

[timdrake-yumm]

So pretty much everyone agrees that Dick is the most physically affectionate of all the batfam, right? So how much more tragic would it be if after Tarantula, someone tried to hug him (whether they knew about his new trauma or not), and he flinched.

[just-somerandom-thoughts]

What is it about black haired blue/green eyed characters that have such a choke hold on me. They are literal fucking powerhouses but also have so much trauma and hurt and they just deserve so much better.

Dick Grayson? The first Robin, trained by Batman and literally everyone bc everyone likes him, and has successfully led multiple teams. But so much fucking trauma that he just pushed down and then it never mentioned again. Like losing his parents, getting fired and kicked out, tarantula, blockbuster, spyral, Ric, etc. and still being good. Deserves Better

Damian Wayne? Same thing he is a machine. Trained in the league and raised to kill but so much trauma. The way he became that machine, killed by his clone, the loss of Alfred, etc. Deserves Better

Merlin? Emrys? Most powerful warlock to ever live. Saved Arthur’s life for years without anyone’s knowledge. Could literally do anything that was needed all in secret. Like being hurt but still keeping up the the Dolma disguise and summoning the white goddess. The entire battle of Camlann when he gets his powers back. A fucking dragon lord. Buts still lives in fear of his best friend finding out he has magic and since it’s illegal being killed. The weight of the prophecy. The knowledge of what Morgana and Mordred turn into. The deaths of everyone starting with Will and ending with Arthur the one person he swore to always protect. Let’s not forget that he is still waiting for his return. Deserves Better

Percy Jackson? A child of the big three. One of the most powerful demigods ever and the best swordsman in the last hundred years aside from Luke. Erupted Mt. St Helens, made a hurricane in the middle of NY, defeat Ares and Hades, got the curse of Achilles, defeated Titans, gods, and giants. Hero of Olympus. But so much trauma. Gabe, his first quest at 12 years old, a war before 16, being the child of the prophecy, losing his memories and still going on a quest, being part of another prophecy, and let’s not forget that he fell in Tartarus and faced Tartarus himself. Deserves Better

Honorable mention: Sam Winchester? Saved the world multiple times, never seems to stay dead, one of the two best hunters, stopped the apocalypse, and defeated literal god. But so much trauma. The way he was raised, getting out and them back in bc hid girlfriend was killed, died, came back, tried to stop his brother from going to hell, failed and watched him die via hellhound, hooked on demon blood, let out Lucifer, hopped into the cage with Lucifer and Micheal, his body came back soulless so his soul was in hell for years bc time runs differently in hell, gets soul back but it counts with hallucinations, dies so many times, watched so many people die and so much more. The Winchesters in general go through so much shit. Deserves Better

[gotham-academy-study-chat]

Pomeline Fritch Is What Jason Todd Fans Wish He Was

Hi. This post is anti canon Jason Todd. Please don’t read if you do not want to see that. In addition, I have not read every comic--both Gotham Academy and all of DC. This also includes spoilers for all the comics that are out right now, including Saved By The Bell Reve. 

Canon Jason Todd and fans’ ideas of Jason Todd are two different people. In some fans’ minds, Jason did no wrong. He was right in killing people, right in trying to kill Tim, and later Damian, right in pretending to be Dick to ruin his life. In some fans’ minds, he is a theatre kid, who loves to read and “Dick should be nice.” In some fans’ minds, Roy has a better dynamic/build for a relationship with Jason than Dick, and that is not true. 

Now, let’s talk about the title for this post. 

I was thinking about it after seeing some anti Jason posts. Let’s look at Pomeline from Gotham Academy. She was introduced as the mean queen of the school. We later learn she is actually trying to save the school and later joins the Detective Club. She has a similar dynamic with the other Detective Club members that some Jason fans think he has with the other Bats.

Kyle: Kyle is the oldest of the group. He is a school Prefect and a tennis star. He is protective of his younger sister and friends. His sister Maps says something like, “he’s too lawful good to be in this party.” Pom goes on to call Kyle “Lawful Good” as a nickname sometimes. More than once in canon. Sound familiar? That’s because some fans have Jason call Dick “Golden Boy” or “Goldie” in some stories. Pomeline and Kyle is a friendship that is two people, who are not blood related, acting like siblings. The younger one calls the older one a nickname that talks about how good they are. The difference? Pomeline does not pretend to be him or try to kill him. Pom trusts and respects Kyle, even if she teases him a lot. She saved his life when he was taken.

Colton: Colton is the one who gets in trouble a lot but has a good heart. He is canonically not straight. He and Pom have an interesting and complex dynamic. However, it is obvious Pom cares about him. She calls her mom to prevent Colton from getting expelled. They argue and disagree but Pom never tried to kill him. Some think this is the canon dynamic for Jason and Tim, but it is not. 

Olive: Olive is the girl who Pomeline bullied. Once again, complex dynamic but Pom apologizes when she was wrong. Their ancestors were best friends. While Pomeline is not afraid to point out what Olive did wrong, she still obviously cares about Olive. She helped save the day and Olive when Olive was taken over by her ancestor. 

Maps: Maps is the youngest of the group. She sees the good in everyone until she finally can’t anymore. It is canon that she has a line. She is still friends with Pomeline. 

Pomeline has shown to be a complex and interesting character. She is not perfect, but that’s okay.  

(Let me know if anyone wants me to talk more about why I think dickroy is a better ship. Thanks!)

[dumbass-extraordinaire]

okay but legit i am so fucking pissed about the way dc handles sexual assualt, specifically with male victims (i’m looking at you devin grayson) like fuck you!

[hoppitty-doppity]

Oooooo I can tell we have similar fic tastes (Dick angst with limited Tim lol) got any favorites??

yes!! i absolutely do have favorites!

this next one has major character death so if you don’t like that then do not click it !

this one has roydickwally as the main pairing and also bad parent and good parent bruce wayne(it’s 2 diff universes) this one also has tim being semi decent ig but like i can deal with him in it lol

these are some of my personal favorites!! there’s more that i like, but i always forget to bookmark!

[grayson-euphoria]

Young Justice S04EP25 ~ MY OPINION

(YOUNG JUSTICE SPOILERS AHEAD)

Well.... First of all, I don't think they are going to wrapped it up, there's so MUCH going on, so many things and we don't even get to see what's happening with things they left unfinished in season 3. Outsiders? Who knows what they are up to? I miss Cassie, Tim and Jaime so much :( Markovia? We got a little glimpse, but I really thought it would be more relevant. Justice League an UN? It was SUCH a big deal last season, and I expect great things from Black Lightning but well.... Jason Todd? I SWEAR TO GOD IT WAS BAIT WHAT THEY DID TO US. Why did they show him to us? It was just a cameo? Why make him speak then? I hate everyone. And I could go on and on and on, even in this season there are a LOT of loose ends... So I'm not expecting anything great for the last episode, maybe another cliffhanger and next season they're going to leave all this stuff without a real solution AGAIN.

Moving on, I can't really get invested in the plot because I feel they're going to leave it unfinished AGAIN, like they did with Vandal Savage, but anyways I am still pretty much involved emotionally with the OG team and....

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO DICK IN HIS OWN ARC? (I hate to say it's his arc bc he has almost no screentime....). HE WAS LIVING HIS BEST LIFE IN THE CIRCUS, LEAVE HIM THERE IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO USE HIM TO MAKE US SOB

Now, I DO believe he pulled an Artemis and he is not really dead, just faking it bc he is SMART AF and KNOWS he is not going to win against so many kryptonians.... But I'm mad they're recycling the "faking my own death" plot line.

Also why make him fake his death with a rock? A ROCK, I'm so TIRED to see him die this way, it's so unoriginal and dumb, and GOSH he should wear a helmet at this point

I'VE SEEN THIS IMAGE OF HIM A HUNDRED TIME IN DIFFERENT UNIVERSES, I SWEAR.

WARNING if they turn this in a Young Justice "Ric Grayson" arc I'M GOING TO CATCH A PLANE AND FIGHT THEM PERSONALLY

I just wanted Wally back and now I'm worried about my boy and rocket..... *sigh*

The only part that made me laugh was when Dick said "YOU SHALL NOT PASS", he looked so happy and it was hilarious, let's not lie to ourselves

[cardinalcheerio]

Half the time I'm like, "can we have jason todd media not all about his death"?

Then I realize. If I died I would never shut up about it.

"Can you get up and grab that for me?"- absolutely not. My legs are tired from death.

"Will you go to the store with me?"- leaving the house?!? What if I die AGAIN.

So yeah, anyone who thinks jason talks about his death too much. Be honest. We'd all do the exact same thing.

[brucewaynehater101]

I can't. I start sobbing with laughter every single time I watch this. I can watch this three times in a row and still be crying with chuckles.

Tik Tok by osmiiv and NOT by me. I recommend checking out their page

[lenoryt13]

I'm writing a serie on the AO3 website. It focuses on the brotherhood between Jason Todd and Dick Grayson:

[xmultifandomsx]

the understanding robin

Tim completely understanding that his training was different from Jason's and Dick's because Bruce was at a low point but still not really trusting him to train Damian. As much as he hated the pompous brat, a small part of him was relieved when Dick took over his Robin training. Logically, Tim knew Bruce was better now. He knew that Bruce would pull his punches when weapons sparring, he knew Bruce was picky about the missions he allowed Damian on (even now when Damian had been Robin for years). The care Bruce shows Damian painfully relieving. He lets out a breath every time he finds Damian unbruised after a sparring session, ignoring the phantom aches of a younger him. Still, there was that dark wriggling mass inside him that made him keep an eye on the mats whenever he caught them training. One time he barely restrains himself from jumping up from the batcomputer and rushing over when Bruce flips Damian onto the mats a bit too roughly. Of course, Bruce is immediately muttering apologies, which Damian shrugs off easily, and cancels the rest of training so he can look him over. As the father and son duo leave, neither older man can look at the other. One day Bruce will apologize, will explain everything Tim already knows. Then Tim will do what he's always done, and ease his guilt with understanding.

[redactedrem]

Can I PLEASE get a fanfic where a crime podcast had gone over the death of Jason Todd-Wayne and how very abrupt and publicly vague the story was during the press release. And now Jason is pissed bc Bruce is forcing him to lie low bc Jasons highscool yearbook photos are currently being passed around all over the internet and people will definitely recognize him if he's out in public.

Like do you guys realize how crazy suspicious Bruce would be if someone else just digged a little deeper? How the autopsy reports are either not allowed to be public, heavily edited, or just straight up the truth and you just have to dig around to find it. All 3 scenarios are hella sus bc either way Bruce Wayne is hiding something.

Anyway we all know how unethical some crime podcasts can get and I can see a scenario where they shine some light of speculation towards Bruces way and how he has to play damage control until this entire thing blows over.

[duketectivecomics]

Since it’s 2024, I think it’s about time for my yearly PSA:

Hey, Hi 👋 in case it isn’t obvious, this is a Duke Thomas resource/archive blog, dedicated to raising awareness for Duke! I’ve got all sorts of great resources linked in my pinned post, including a Reading Rec list, FAQ, and info about our annual Duke Week! (& so much more!)

I want to especially encourage my followers to reblog this to help spread the word. I’m seeing more and more posts in Duke’s tag that are completely missing the mark when it comes to understanding Duke. One on hand, it’s great news bc that means more people are at least aware of duke (yaaaay)! On the other, it means he’s being subjected to fanon flanderization (boooo).

I want to encourage y’all because those kinds of posts are exactly why I made this blog in the first place. Duke is by FAR the easiest batfam member to read for. I’ve also curated a lot of great meta on him over the years & im always looking forward to adding more! Give this blog a follow, shoot me an ask, let’s learn more about Duke in 2024!!!

[gotham-academy-study-chat]

Anything For You

(Hi. I own nothing DC owns. I wanted to add Dick Grayson to the Bad Things Happen card! I wanted to add some other characters in the bat family. Enjoy!)

Being stuck in a terrible situation is bad enough.

Being stuck in a terrible situation is made worse when you are in the gala as your secret identity and can not do anything about it.

One moment, Dick was keeping Damian from yelling at some rich person and looking for Roy and his family, who were running late. The next, gunshots rang through the entrance. 

“Everyone freeze.” The man in the middle yelled. 

Dick pushed Damian behind him. This is bad. None of the other siblings are here and Bruce has a gun pointed at him.

“Richard--” Damian started to complain but Dick stood his ground. 

Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the men with the guns. 

The leader smirked and called to them, “Damian Wayne!” The men walked to them. 

“Move out of the way, Grayson.” The man demanded. 

“No.” Dick declared.

The gun pointed at Dick’s chest, causing Damian to try to step forward but Dick held him back.

Dick did not move but he saw Roy and the other Arrows come in...in civilian clothing. The leader saw them and laughed.

“So many rich people!” He laughed and the gun lowered a bit.

Dick saw the moment the idea hit for Damian, who ran to change into Robin. 

One of the men moved to shoot Damian but Dick fought the gun out of his hands.

Dick got punched for that but it was done. Damian got away. Guns pointed at different civilians, Bruce, Oliver, and Dinah.

“You lost me my target, Grayson!” He was hit again.

Bruce, Oliver, and Dinah let out a yell but the men ignored them.

Roy rushed forward but a gun pushed against Dick’s head stopped Roy in his tracks, a little closer to Dick but still too far.

“Like I said,” The man started. “Grayson lost me my target, so now he’s gonna beg for me and I maybe won’t kill him”

He said nothing. Dick had to stall. Any moment now, Robin is gonna break this up. Hopefully, Damian gets help from some of the others.

“Fine. Stay quiet.” The man taunted.

“Wait—“

The man growled and moved the gun from Dick’s head. He had only a second of relief before a shot sounded and Roy fell to the ground with a groan. He was shot in the leg.

“Roy!” He called out and tried to reach out to him.

The man held onto Dick. “Now you can beg for his life.”

Dick wasted no time. “Please leave him alone.” Dick pleaded.

The man smirked. “I don’t know. Boys, does that sound like he really wants this guy to live?”

The men laughed and shook their heads.

“Please. I’m begging you. You won’t get anything from this.” The man pushed Dick to the ground. He was closer to Roy now.

“Dick…” The other man trailed.

“You lost me my money. So, I think you should lose something.” The man said and aimed his gun at Roy. Dick moved before thinking and just as the gun shot, he threw himself in front of Roy.

Bruce screamed again, glass broke, sounds of a fight. However, Dick only felt pain. Then he felt someone hold him.

Waking up in a hospital bed is nothing new to Dick Grayson.

He slowly opened his eyes to see Damian sleeping on a chair next to the bed. Damian’s upper half was on the bed. His Robin was sleeping but Dick could tell it wasn’t very peaceful.

Roy and Bruce were not far from them, arguing quietly—but slowly getting louder.

“You’re going to wake him up.” Dick complained. Both men looked to him. “What happened?” He whispered.

“You were shot.” Roy said.

“The men are in custody.” Bruce added. “I’ll get your doctor.” Bruce left.

“Is he hurt?” Dick asked about Damian, then his head snapped to Roy. “Are you okay? Should you be out of bed—“

“You can’t be serious.” Roy sounded absolutely done. “I’m okay. I was released two days ago.”

“I’ve been out that long?”

“Yeah. Some of the others came around, too.”

Dick smiled at that. Then the smile fell. “What were you guys arguing about?”

Roy looked away. “Actually, for once, we were agreeing on something.”

“Are pigs flying?”

“Only when you convince Donna to take you flying.” Roy said almost immediately. Dick chuckled—even if they had this conversation a million times. “I admit it didn’t feel good but I understand.”

Oh. Oh. Bruce, you can’t be serious.

“You know,” Dick started as casually as he could. “This wasn’t your fault.”

“Yes, it was. If I hadn’t—“

“They would’ve picked someone else.”

“You jumped in front of a gun for me.”

“You make it sound like there was ever any doubt we would do that for each other. For any of the Titans.”

Roy looked away.

“I would do anything for you, Roy.”

Roy rushed and hugged him.

“I would do the same.”

——

Hope you enjoyed!