#Reading the resurrection of ra’s al ghul.

[anthyies]

oomf is throwing hands with a ten year old

[zahri-melitor]

Tim’s life slogan.

[aalghul]

ra’s is always written so poorly in any story where he considers tim as a successor or even finds him particularly valuable outside of batman.

[heroesriseandfall]

I think Dick & Tim’s physical fights are underrated. Maybe people assume since they’re close and never hated each other they must not fight. Which, to be fair, they usually don’t, and they don’t try to kill each other.

But Dick especially has a long history of physically getting into fights with people he cares strongly about, and when Tim is about to follow through on a terrible idea, he is no exception to that. Tim apparently has no qualms about it either.

What’s especially enjoyable about it to me is they’ll fight for fun and then they’ll fight to stop each other from doing stuff that’s a bad idea (like, say, fixating on bringing back all your dead loved ones) and no matter what their brotherhood will survive it. <3

…Even if Tim cheats to win one of their fights by playing the “if you MEAN IT that we’re brothers you’ll let me do my bad idea” card. Then he comes home after and follows it up with “of COURSE I’d never make a plan to take you down in a fight, I would never have to!”

(It occurs to me that in A Lonely Place of Dying when they meet again, they instinctively fight each other before even looking. lol)

[figofswords]

The Batman fandom has ruined the words replacement, coffee, cereal, green, pit and so many others lol. Every time I hear those words I just have a fight or flight response 😭

DONT even get me started. you should hear the sigh I make every time I see REPLACEMENT. like yes hate how are so many people so wrong

[misspickman]

hey! love your blog and your fics. do you have a recommended reading list for talia?

hi thank you! unfortunately i havent read many talia comics so i dont, but i took a quick look and this or this looks promising? if not i hope you manage to find one

[bitterrobin]

the thing about Damian, especially pre-Robin, is that you have to straddle a line between child and cult assassin. He’s a nuanced character, you can’t dumb him down or simplify him. (On that note: PLEASE stop calling him feral! It’s pretty racist!)

You cannot make other characters be nice and understanding to him from the start like Dick or Tim or Jason. You cannot make them treat him like a toddler below his actual age.

You also cannot make him a irredeemable psychopath who exists only to hurt Tim and sow conflict. Because that’s just straight up not true. Fanon.

Writing Damian needs to be a balance between these, and he needs this nuance to be interesting.

If everyone treats him softly, then there’s no point for Damian’s personality as it is. He is rude and arrogant and abrasive for a reason. You could argue that he’s spoiled, but he’s also a child who was ripped from a culture he knew and thrust into the arms of a white family who don’t understand him and don’t make the effort to actually teach him their views. He’s rude and angry because there is no place for him there, not until Robin, and even then he is still subject to their judgements. If everyone treats him with kid gloves, then his attitude comes without justification and doesn’t make sense.

Please remember that when Damian first appeared in comics, everyone except Talia disliked him. Bruce wasn’t sure what to do with him, but he also was quick to scream obedience. From Dick’s inner monologue in Resurrection of Ras al Ghul and his very early interactions in Batman and Robin, he didn’t like the kid and thought him a burden to bear in the place of Bruce. Tim never once gave him mercy after the first meeting. His inner monologue and actions all speak of hate and teenage angst - some justified, some way out of line.

Damian’s anger is then reasonably apparent. He doesn’t fit in. He can’t. But he doesn’t seek violence. He doesn’t try to murder everyone in their sleep like some people think. It’s shocking that fanon’s interpretation of him is a boy who goes for the throat in every interaction. He’s snippy, but in every single comic I’ve read he’s never tried to fight someone without a justification. If he was an X-Men level telepath, then I’d argue that his actions would become worse if he really knew what people thought of him at first glance.

If you’re a child that knows he is hated, then you lash out. You test boundaries. You see what will make them exile you, hurt you. You are a brown boy surrounded by a white city in a culture that you don’t understand. You cannot see your mother again. They hate her. You cannot express yourself in a world that expects the worst. You are shackled by expectation and judgement. They won’t let you be, but they won’t let you go.

You are stuck.

And in this, you will always be.

[androxys]

Nanda Parbat in 30 Seconds

I know Nanda Parbat gets used as a League of Assassins base a lot in fan media, likely because that was how it was depicted in Arrow. But I wanted to take a second and try to impress upon you how cool Nanda Parbat is without having anything to do with Ra's al Ghul (because it usually doesn't)

What is Nanda Parbat?

Nanda Parbat is a fictional city sequestered up somewhere in the Himalayas. It's hard to tell exactly where, because the whole premise of Nanda Parbat is that it's a magic hidden city.

You can't just walk there; individuals must embark on a pilgrimage to actually get there. Nanda Parbat is as much an idea as it is a real location-- when you seek Nanda Parbat, you are looking for spiritual development and revelation.

It's suggested that only those with good intentions can find the city on their own. However, there are maps to the city, which can allow those with evil intent into Nanda Parbat. The map isn't your typical piece of paper, though. It's split into components such as a birthmark, or a poem.

Once you're in Nanda Parbat, time stands still. The city is eternally at peace. Disease does not progress, and people do not die. You are the only thing that changes, transformed by your time in the unchanging city.

Who's In Nanda Parbat?

The big name in Nanda Parbat is Rama Kushna, the goddess who inhabits the temple.

When people go to Nanda Parbat on their quest for enlightenment, sometimes they find it on their own, and sometimes they have some help from Rama Kushna. She does your typical goddess stuff, such as guiding the hand of virtuous fighters and offering wisdom.

Rama Kushna is also the one who made Boston Brand into Deadman, after he was murdered. The two have a whole history, but that's its own thing.

The rest of Nanda Parbat's population are the monks who reside around the temple. They meditate and reflect on the meaning of everything and guard the Fountain of Youth.

Wait, the Fountain of Youth?

Yes, the Fountain of Youth is a thing in DC Comics. It played a big part in the crossover event The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul. Long story short, Ra's al Ghul died and couldn't be revived in a Lazarus Pit, so his consciousness spent some time body jumping. The problem was, his spirit would burn out the host bodies, so he hoped to use the Fountain to stabilize himself. A rival faction of assassins that had come to power when Ra's was dead want to stop him from getting revived to full strength, so they assemble the aforementioned map to get to Nanda Parbat and destroy the Fountain before Ra's can get to it.

The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul is not a kind story to Nanda Parbat. It pretty much gets razed to the ground by the conflict between Ra's, the rival faction, and Batman.

The monks explicitly tell Ra's off for bringing violence and death to the city. The monks channel the power of Rama Kushna and cause an earthquake, forcing everyone to leave the city.

If you're interested in reading more about Nanda Parbat, I really recommend reading the series 52! There are several appearances here, with lots of characters passing through on their own journeys. The Deadman series also has a good bit of the Shifting City in it too, but I haven't read it yet, so I can only recommend it as such.

Now go forth and find enlightenment!

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Lily of the Valley

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Jason Todd dies and comes back to life. As the League takes him in, he navigates his morality and family values over the years.

Chapters: 30/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul, Ra’s al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood

Relationships: Jason Todd/Original Character(s)

Additional Tags: Immortal Jason Todd, League of Assassins Jason Todd, Protective Talia al Ghul, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Jason Todd Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Hurt/Comfort, Adopted Children, Resurrected Jason Todd

Chapter Thirty: Cream Wild Indigo

Two Christmases passed, bleeding into New Year’s, Mardi Gras, Easter, and the Fourth of July, and Jason still hadn’t left Houma or Josh. He kept telling himself he’d go home, but every time he thought to leave, he’d look at Josh, and his heart would ache so badly, he decided to stay behind. He’d taken things slowly, thinking that Josh’s effect would wane as his grief passed, but his affection for Josh only grew as time passed. One night, Jason woke up feeling oddly bold as he approached Josh’s bedroom door. He knocked, sheepishly standing outside, his gaze cast downward as he waited. Josh opened the door, wearing a pajama shirt and basketball shorts. He scratched his stomach, squinting at Jason in the dark. “Ça va?” Josh asked as he lifted Jason’s chin. “I forget you shy… You wanna come in here?” Jason nodded. “You wanna talk?” Jason shook his head. “You wanna do more than kiss?” Jason wasn’t sure how to answer, so he didn’t. “You wanna kiss me, though?” Jason nodded, staring into Josh’s eyes. 

Josh leaned in, and Jason closed his eyes, meeting Josh halfway as their lips touched. Jason placed a hand on his own stomach, acknowledging the difference and the butterflies that came with it. Josh was gentle, leaning back to see if Jason was willing to chase him… And Jason did more than just chase. He grabbed hold of Josh’s pajama shirt, pulling him close as their lips parted. “I love you,” Jason whispered as he took a breath. 

“I love you, too. Still want to come in?” Josh questioned. Jason nodded, taking Josh’s hand as he stepped past the threshold for the first time. They didn’t kiss again that night as Josh held the sheets up, allowing Jason to climb under them, sharing the warmth. They didn’t do anything except talk. 

“Peter’s my middle name,” Jason confessed. 

“Alright… I like when we go out dancin’. I pretend I don’t wanna dance, but I feel somethin’ special when you close to me like that,” Josh replied, his eyes squinting and eyebrows pulled together in a severe expression. Jason grinned. 

“You’re the first boy I ever loved. First boy I ever kissed,” Jason whispered. 

“I figured so… Your family don’t take light to that? Is that why you don’t write or call them?” Josh questioned. 

Jason shook his head. “No… It’s not like that. My mama, she’s had a few loves in her life. Not all of them were men,” Jason answered, “I just—. If I let them know where I am, they’ll ask me to come home… And I—. I wouldn’t hesitate. I’d go… But I know I’m not—. I’m not ready to go.”

“So, they don’t know you here?” Josh asked. Jason shook his head. “Why you leave?” 

“I’m adopted… It’s no secret. They took me in when I was eleven… My stepmother, who I believed was my birth mother died… And my mama took me into her home, taught me her way of doing things, and she gave me everything I could ever dream of and more. She offered me the best education available, all the books I could read, miles and miles of land to explore, and I ate. God, did I eat… It was a huge step up from the abandoned apartment I lived in alone… And my brother never saw me as anything but his brother. He used to sneak into the room to keep me company when I was sick…

“And my grandfather… I was so afraid of him for so long, but I know now that he wanted me to be strong. He had his way of doing things, and I can respect it now… But, I left home to meet my birth mother as soon as I learned her name. It didn’t work out, and I felt so guilty for leaving… Especially in the way things turned out… I couldn’t go home and look them in the eye after that,” Jason explained. Josh played with Jason’s long curls. 

“I know they miss you… You have a gentle way about you, so I know your little brother must miss you somethin’ awful,” Josh whispered. Jason frowned. “I didn’t—.”

“I missed his last three birthdays. He’s ten. He just turned ten a week and a half before my birthday, and I—. I’ve been with you for a year,” Jason whispered. 

“You should go see him… Buy him something nice,” Josh whispered. Jason closed his eyes, pretending to be tired. Josh kissed his forehead. “We won’t talk no more tonight.”

**

Jason didn’t sleep in Josh’s bed again for nearly two weeks. It took him that long to build up the courage to do what he wanted. He made love to Josh and afterward, he lay beside Josh, holding back tears. “Why you look so sad?” Josh questioned. “I knew you was leavin’... You have to see your folks.” 

“But I—. It might be a while before I see you again. I don’t want to leave you,” Jason whimpered. Josh smiled, not completely understanding the weight of Jason’s words. 

“I’m not goin’ nowhere. Family real important… I been tellin’ you to go home. Jason, you go home and you let them know somebody here love you… And when you come back, I’m gon’ show you how much I missed you,” Josh whispered as they shared a kiss. Jason’s tongue brushed Josh’s as tears rolled across his nose and down his right cheek. Josh pulled away and wiped Jason’s tears away. “Don’t you cry now, ma moitié.” 

Hearing Josh say that made Jason’s heart sick. He moaned in pain as he turned his face into the pillow. Josh rubbed Jason’s back. Jason “Do you promise to be careful until I get back? And take care of yourself? And—.” Jason took his necklace off and gave it to Josh. “Never take this off. Ever.” Jason kissed the jeweled charm that hung down to Josh’s chest. 

“Love charm?” Josh asked. Jason shook his head. 

“Protection,” Jason replied, “When I’m back in the United States, I’ll come for you.” 

“You don’t live in the US?” Josh questioned. Jason shook his head. 

“No, I grew up on an island. I’ll know you’re okay as long as you wear that charm,” Jason whispered. Josh nodded. And when Josh woke up, Jason was gone. The only evidence of his presence was the charm necklace and a letter. 

**

Jason arrived home after three days, dog tired and longing to hear Josh’s voice. He could still smell Josh’s cologne on his skin. It smelled like Houma on the jet. He trekked through the forest for half a day, taking the long way home. It was dark when he arrived, and he quietly explained to the guards that he didn’t want Ra’s, Talia, or Damian notified of his return. They let him through, and he crept toward Damian’s room. Damian tossed and turned, muttering in his sleep. Jason smiled, touching Damian’s little hand only to be met by a knife. Jason grabbed his wrist before Damian could hold the blade to his throat. “Di, is that any way to say hello?” Jason asked. Damian’s eyes widened as he stared at Jason. “I’ve missed you.”

“Gē, did Grandfather call you home?” Damian whispered. Jason shook his head.

“Why would he call me home?” Jason questioned as he held Damian’s face in his hands. He could see a darkness in Damian’s eyes that wasn’t there before, but his soul smelled so warm and sweet like an infant. “Oh, how I’ve missed you, Di—. Damian.” 

Damian hugged Jason. “You’re going to Gotham with me… Aren’t you?” Damian asked. “I’m leaving soon.”

“I’ll have to talk to Grandfather in the morning before I can answer that. I’ve been gone so long, I’m not sure what he’ll want from me now,” Jason answered, “You’ve gotten so big. I missed you every day that I was gone. You’ve never been far from my mind.” 

“Saru’s—. She’s—.” Jason nodded and frowned. “Why didn’t you come home when—?”

“I’ll explain it to you in a little while. Will you be up for a little while? I want to sleep in here with you… I’ll tell you about my new friend,” Jason answered. Damian nodded, letting Jason go. They had so much catching up to do. It felt like several lifetimes since they were last in that room together.

[whywoulditho]

ough... sorry for jumping in when you said you're still reading stuff, i hope this doesn't come off annoying or anything! but that thing the prev anon said about timkon is... a WILD take.

tim wasn't trying to "replace" kon, he was having a grief-induced mental health spiral and was doing anything and everything to get a chance of getting his best friend back. (the "resurrection of ra's al ghul" event goes over this too - tim and dick have a short fight that ends in tim crying in dick's arms because tim was tempted to use a lazarus pit to try and bring back his dad, steph brown, and/or kon.) it's an unhealthy coping mechanism he exhibits during a period of his life where he's experienced several catastrophic losses back to back, and he's coping poorly. moreover he literally apologized to kon for trying to clone him in adventure comics (2009) #3.

also saying that kon is created as a replacement for superman is true, but acting like he never has an established character outside of "replacement for superman" or that other characters treat him as just a replacement superman, is not. in world's finest three (tim and kon's first meeting) we literally see tim initially turn to kon for backup with metallo, a superman villain, and at first he's dismayed that kon doesn't have all of superman's abilities, but over the course of the two issues, he admires kon's use of his ttk and they establish a mutual respect with each other (they both save each other's lives at the end).

and generally, kon & clark have a very positive relationship in postcrisis comics (aka the continuity that the cloning stuff with tim happens in) - if you want to see more of it, i'd rec "adventures of superman" #506 and superboy (1994) #59 and #70. kon definitely has plenty of issues, but his identity and relationship to superman aren't really the ones in question. (although i'll admit there is the caveat that kon's [lack of] superman-related identity issues is kind of soft retconned in teen titans (2003), which is where the lex luthor retcon is introduced - fun fact, luthor has nothing to do with kon initially!)

this got long i'm SO sorry - it just gets my goat when people tell straight up lies about comics to people who are just getting into reading comics 😭😭 i hope i didn't come off aggressive bc thats def not my intention but i'm sorry if i did!! and i hope you enjoy your comic journey and have fun with it overall!!!

do NOT apologize! i really appreciate this!!

i have a couple more people on my inbox yelling things like "how dare you even entertain the thought of them together!!!" i wasnt expecting to see so much passion on this subject when i first talked about it but it seems like DC comics fans have very strong opinions about that pairing hahaa

as i said in my previous reply to that anon, i really need to do my own reading before i form an opinion on the ship but your reflections seem very fair and i really appreciate the comic recommendations! and honestly, the whole reason i was interested in timkon was that their relationship seemed very complicated, and therefore very angsty, which is what i live for. so i do really understand why some people like it and some hate the idea of it. from what i've seen so far.... i like it. but i can't really speak on whether or not it is compatible with the canon dynamic of the characters. does that make sense?

also like on another note. HOW do you guys give such specific references when talking about these things?? 😭 DC universe seems HUGE and i have no clue where to start and then i see people giving like the exact issue number of events and stuff and i'm like.....HOW?? and also like. teach me. guide me. i'm lost 😭 HQJSKFKCJDJ

[fantastic-nonsense]

hey i saw your answer to the ask about alfred making damian robin in battle for the cowl. while i 100% agree that is not what happened in bftc, outside of that comic i think alfred has a lot more involvement. im not sure if this is a post-crisis exclusive blog, but in secret origins (2014) #4 we see alfred's feelings on damian and his conclusion that damian would listen to no one else except his father. so alfred forges a letter from bruce that asks damian to be robin. the end of the comic shows that dick knows alfred forged that letter but imo leaves it pretty open-ended as far as dick's decision. if you ask me, i think dick talked to alfred about damian being his robin or alfred picked up that things were going to way and decided to pull this to make that transition easier for everyone. sorry is this is weirdly nitpicky or contrarian im just really a sucker for alfred and damian's relationship.

[referencing this response on how the transition from Tim to Damian as Robin was handled]

Preface: I am not a post-Crisis universe exclusive blog (far from it), but since 1) the New 52 era's attempts at dealing with the Batfamily are a mess and a pain to deal with for a variety of reasons, and 2) the post-Crisis universe was and remains the definitive interpretation for most of the Batfamily's history and the basis for their interactions with each other, it's what I tend to default to when writing meta...especially in cases where the events under discussion originally happened in post-Crisis continuity. The exceptions to that tend to be characters introduced post-Flashpoint (ex: Duke), who have no previous continuity bogging them down, and characters who have had the majority of their stories and development take place post-Flashpoint (ex: Damian).

That being said, while I am aware that Secret Origins (2014) and particularly that story exists and have read it, I tend to default to ignoring it for a few reasons:

One, it's a story whose events make little sense within either post-Crisis continuity or post-Flashpoint continuity as they otherwise exist; minimally, the timeline doesn't match up in either case.

More specifically for the purposes of writing a meta about the transfer of the Robin mantle from Tim to Damian, it rewrites Damian into the pre-Reborn era Batfamily very awkwardly by pretending he was always there. It shows a League clothes-clad Damian taking on Victor Zsasz and Professor Pyg (which he did not do until he was already Dick's Robin) while pretending that Bruce had time to try and connect with him before he "died" (which, he didn't; Damian appears in two stories prior to Battle for the Cowl—Batman & Son and Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul—and his interactions with Bruce are fairly minimal in Resurrection).

It is a clumsy attempt to integrate Damian into the pre-Batman R.I.P timeline that ignores all of the ways in which Damian's early relationships with his father and the rest of the Batfam (particularly Dick and Tim) are directly informed by the fact that he wasn't there during that time period:

[Alfred, Dick, and Tim watch The Magnificent Seven in Wayne Manor in the immediate aftermath of Bruce's death. Damian is not present, as he was still living with Talia. An empty chair between Dick and Tim marks Bruce's usual 'movie night' seat] -Nightwing #151 (2009)

I thus find it very unhelpful to use in any capacity when discussing and analyzing interactions between those characters in the aftermath of Bruce's death.

Two, while I have no love for Battle for the Cowl, Tomasi effectively ignoring it completely beyond "Gotham was in chaos following Bruce's death" doesn't sit right with me either, especially since it was referenced (even obliquely) in several other New 52-era books.

Three, I love Alfred and Damian's relationship. I think it's one of Damian's most important relationships and we should talk more about it. But I also love Alfred and Dick's relationship, so I'm not particularly enamored with a reimagining where Alfred is the one who orchestrates Damian's takeover of the Robin mantle largely unilaterally. That's not his call to make beyond a suggestion to Dick that it might be good for him. I also think it takes a lot of agency away from Dick in the one transfer of his mantle that he canonically actually has control over and undermines a big aspect of Dick and Damian's relationship development to take those decisions out of Dick's hands and give them to "Bruce."

Four, and probably most importantly: that story is never referenced before or after that issue. That origin for Damian is long gone. Its portrayal of his childhood was revamped in Robin: Son of Batman. Its reconceptualization of Damian's entrance into the Batfamily has not been acknowledged since. DC's larger refusal to acknowledge Dick and Damian's time as Batman and Robin beyond subtle references ended during the Rebirth era. New 52!Tim quite literally wasn't Tim Drake and was only restored to being himself again post-Rebirth, so 99% of the interactions between Tim and Damian from 2011-2016 have been effectively discarded as non-canon. And whenever Damian becoming Robin is referenced after Secret Origins #4, it is nearly always referenced as Dick choosing him as Robin rather than him becoming Robin "at his father's request." So there's little incentive for me to acknowledge it given that it generally appears to not be canon beyond the scope of the New 52 era of post-Flashpoint continuity.

I'm sorry that this probably isn't the answer you wanted to read, but I hope this gives you a better idea of why I specifically choose to stick to post-Crisis and post-Rebirth continuities when discussing the transfer of the Robin mantle from Tim to Damian.

[avayarising]

So I’ve been reading The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul (thanks @lynzine), and…

Ra’s wants a new body to transfer his consciousness to, and has captured Robin!Tim and Damian. He says he can use either:

But later, once Ra’s has taken over the body of his son, Dusan, the White Ghost, we see this:

For the transference to work, you need a blood relative.

How is Tim blood-related to Ra’s Al Ghul?

[zahri-melitor]

Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul:

- Robin Annual #7 gave me my very first “you little brat” (affectionate) moment with Damian so I guess I AM capable of having that emotion with him. This is helpful, going forward in this read.

- Tragically he then was intensely irritating in every other panel he appeared in afterwards, sorry Damian, you are SUCH a plot device here.

- Fascinated to encounter Nanda Parbat and now I need to read its previous appearances, because people are correct, the way it’s used in fic is NOT the same as what it actually is.

- I have a lot of strong feelings about the bit of Batman Annual #26 set in the Bungle Bungles, but it was actually reasonably decent Australian characterisation for once, aside from the fact they used an exotic pest that is NOT PRESENT in Australia. I could give you a shortlist to pick from listed by the DPI, DC, why worry me by suggesting we had something I didn’t know about. (Shoulda been immortal cane toads)

- The Dick & Tim content was as great and heart-wrenching as described. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh. Kill me. The number of times Dick’s like “yeah we are about to fight a ridiculous number of ninjas, I’d do it for you” and Tim turning to fight beside Dick in this storyline is heartwarming.

- ANOTHER canonical terrible angsty Christmas for Tim? He never gets a break on Christmas does he? (Also thinking imprecations at ALL the writers who stepped Janet below Jack-Steph-Conner if Tim was running around talking about resurrecting dead loved ones AT CHRISTMAS, you missed a trick here)

TIM!!! (This is about the best bit of Janet content in the whole comic, we could have had it ALLLLL (massive angst), DC, if you remembered your history)

[aalghul]

Hi, can you explain what is actually the original loa goal? Because i'm reading mainly new comics and like... what is even going on? Because it's as if they were just existing in pure purpose to sometimes pop up and do some random shit

dc's dropped the ball of ra's in recent years (since death and the maidens and the resurrection of ra's al ghul), and current comics almost never acknowledge the goal of the league of assassins anymore.

the loa's original goal was saving the earth. this is supposed to be the purpose behind everything ra's does.

Batman #244

however, ra's also believes that the only way to ensure a better future for the earth (and it's flora and fauna) is to wipe out a majority of humanity and to have control over the remaining portion. this is where he and batman disagree.

ra's does still fear death and so his quest to continue preserving his life is always present, but he's said enough times (prior to resurrection of ra's al ghul) that his priority is leaving behind a healing world for his offspring to control.

batman: bride of the demon

batman: birth of the demon

[nightmareinfloral]

Dick Grayson Reading Guide- Robin, Nightwing, & Batman

Robin:

Batman (1940) #192, 202-203, 227, 229-231, 234-236, 239, 240-242, 244-245, 248, 250, 252, 254, 259, 333, 337-339, 341-343

Detective Comics (1937) #38, 390-391, 394-395, 398-403, 445, 447, 450-451, 481-485

Teen Titans (1966)

Batman: Dark Victory

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet

Robin: Year One

Year One: Batman/Scarecrow

Batman: Year Three

Teen Titans: Year One (2008)

The New Teen Titans (1980)

Tales of the Teen Titans (1984) #41-44

Nightwing:

Nightwing: Year One

The New Teen Titans (1984)

Secret Origins (1986) #13, Annual 3

Batman (1940) #416

Nightwing: Old Friends, New Enemies

Nightwing (1996)

JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative

Batman Plus Arsenal (1997)

Young Justice (1998) #7

Titans (1999)

Batman: Cataclysm

Batman: Aftershock

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000)

Outsiders (2003)

Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Batman:

Batman: Prodigal

Batman R.I.P.

Batman and Robin (2009)

Batman: The Black Mirror

Batman: Streets of Gotham

Batman: Gates of Gotham

*Disclaimer: these are all my personal recommendations and by no means a complete guide, just the comics that I liked the most and that I felt captured Dick the best! They are mostly in chronological order but some may not be.

[bitimdrake]

Would you be willing to recommend any comics for Tim?

OKAY SO. I'm just sorta grabbing a combination of Tim comics that I think are Important and Tim comics that I think are just good. I'm sure I'm missing some great ones, so Tim fans feel free to chime in.

Individual storylines:

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying - Tim's introduction

Detective Comics #618-621, Batman #455-457 - Shortly after, rounding out Tim's origin story

Robin II: Jokers Wild - Tim's second miniseries, where the newbie Robin has to take care of the Joker alone

Batman #480 - interesting reflection on Tim's relationship with his dad

Batman: Knightfall - First big Batfamily storyline. Admittedly it has been a while since I read this, but the first part "Knightfall" (in which things go bad) and the third/final part "KnightsEnd" (in which everyone comes together and also Dick is back!!) I remember enjoying. The middle ("Knightquest") is both not as good, too long, and has less Tim. Tim's solo series also started here.

Batman: Prodigal - Dick & Tim!!!!

Batman: Contagion + Batman: Legacy - A pair of batfamily stories, where a plague hits Gotham and Tim has a bad time.

Young Justice: The Secret - Tim, Kon, and Bart team up for the first time, alongside the fourth founder of the Young Justice team...

Nightwing #25 - single issue with Dick & Tim

Batman: No Man's Land - Okay, so this is like The batman storyline ever, but I also must inform you here that it is the longest ever, and that Tim and most of the family don't start appearing until halfway through. But the story really hits its stride at that point and it's great.

Batman: Gotham Knights #1-11 - Not all of these issues are about or even include Tim, but the first arc of this run is one of my favorite batfam storylines.

Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Bruce Wayne: Fugitive - Bruce gets accused of murder, and the ensuing events highlight a lot of interesting family dynamics.

Batgirl #18 - single issue with Cass & Tim

Robin #100-120 - imo the best of Steph & Tim

Robin #124-126 - big change to the status quo with Tim's dad

Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood - Cass & Tim bonding in grief

Nightwing #110 - Look this issue is not about Tim and maybe not important, but I play favorites when it comes to the Dick & Tim duo and their conversation here makes me sad

Batman: Face the Face - Things finally start to get better in Gotham with a classic Batman detective story with Bruce & Tim, ending with a major step for them

Robin #156 - sad :(

Robin #167 - more sad!

Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul - Look Tim is going through it, BUT Dick does love him

Red Robin #1-12 (aka The Grail) - Tim goes searching for not-dead Bruce

Batman: Gates of Gotham - the kids (Dick, Cass, Tim, Damian) finally work together

Or if you want the easy reading of just picking up a long running series:

Robin (1993) - Tim's long-running solo as the boy wonder

Young Justice (1998) - Tim's first and best team. (Find my full reading order here.)

Red Robin (2009) - Tim's transition to a new mantle. The shorter length of this one is alluring, but I truly believe it is best read and thought of as a a direct sequel to Robin (1993).