#battle for the cowl

[stratfordsympathizer]

These panels from Battle for the Cowl always make me lose my mind because Dick and Jason are having this incredibly intense, brutally violent confrontation in Jason's new Batcave and airing out years of resentment and pain while snapping each other's bones:

And then this is Tim like twenty feet down the hallway:

[livingdeadvoid]

Battle for the cowl but none of them wants to be Batman

Jason: Dick is the oldest, he should have to be Batman. I'm too violent-

Dick: Hell no, Damian is Bruce's son, he should be Batman.

Tim: it shouldn't be me

Damian: It shouldn't be Tim

They pass the mask around like hot coals

[thejasontoddarchives]

[fishfission-dc]

Battle For The Cowl is so funny as an arc because everyone is fighting to not be like Batman so hard while dressed as Batman and pretending to be Batman

Even though they’re not blood related somehow every Wayne kid copes with loss through absolute delusion

[notmoreflippingelves]

Actually going insane over the implications of Jason asking Dick to be the Robin to his Batman in Battle for the Cowl.

Like I initially took it at the purely surface-level of Jason wanting a partner in the general sense. Which made sense, it's a huge responsibility and a lonely one so an assistant/sidekick/partner seems a no-brainer if you can get one.

But then I really thought about it, because Jason is not asking Dick to be his partner in the general sense; he's not even asking Dick to be his Nightwing. He's asking Dick to be his Robin.

And they both know exactly what Jason means: "Be the light to my darkness. Be the smile to my scowl. Be the hope to my fear. "

He's saying "Be 'Robin'; be the embodiment of Love and Justice and Goodness. Be the exceptional person that you have always been. Be the slightly-less exceptional person that I was when I wore your colors. Be the person that I was in the process of becoming and might have been (or might still be), if only Joker hadn't clipped my wings."

He's saying "I am prepared to become vengeance, become the Night. And I will go further than Bruce ever dared to, because it is what is needed. I will be the necessary evil. But you don't have to be. If Batman is Gotham's curse, Robin has always been its blessing. I will be the brutal punishment to our world, and I am asking you to be its incandescent gift."

He's saying, "Be for me, what we were for Him. Be my anchor, my comfort, my hope. Remind me what it's all for, why it's all worth it. And remind yourself as well."

He's saying "Be 'Robin' again--for both of our sakes."

[oifaaa]

Hey remember my old battle for the cowl au from a while back you never guess who won (or lost depending on your perceptive)

Full au guide here

[shyjusticewarrior]

If I had nickel for every time someone in a batsuit stabbed Tim in the chest, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

[robinsleeping]

Red eyes peaking through

[mzminola]

More highly subjective opinion time: Battle for the Cowl should’ve been a fight between Cass and Jason.

Cass canonically wants the job of Batman, and part of her arc is learning skills useful for detective work, because she already has the fighting skills down cold.

Jason is the one who’s just as obsessed with Gotham as Bruce is, which is important for being Batman specifically rather than a more general superhero/vigilante.

Cass and Jason have different crimefighting philosophies, and fairly matched skillsets. Cass is the better one-on-one fighter hands down, no question, whereas Jason is repeatedly shown to be an over-planner who studies his opponents and takes their skills/knowledge/habits into account.

They’ve both died and gone through the Lazarus Pit, both killed and come to different conclusions about killing, struggled with parental/mentor expectations while figuring out who they are.

Dick & Tim canonically actively want to not be Batman, and when they wind up in the role it’s very bad for them. Damian is ten. Let them all be involved in the story as supporting cast and further opportunity for debate about the lines vigilantes should draw.

Jason talks a lot while he fights to throw people of their game and also to sway them to his views. Cass does not talk more than she has to, but she is very snarky in her internal monologue boxes. I think that could be a hilarious combination through most of the run...

And also perfectly set up for Jason to give a huge philosophy speech in their final battle ending with Cass winning, leaning in close, and telling him, “You can change.”

[bess3714]

God, just the thought of Dick knowing that Bruce was going to die young. How old was he when he figured that out? How long was he anticipating this heartbreak and it still was so overpowering that it was impossible to prepare for?

[tarragonthedragon]

look i will go to my grave a bruce wayne defender but dick and damian had the best batman and robin storyline there will ever be. i'd say change my mind but god could descend from heaven before me and declare it and i would march merrily into hell waving the banner of batman and robin 2.0

[bonesbitchesboutcomicbooks]

Alfred and Dick sparring in Battle for the Cowl:

[thejasontoddarchives]

Purina, or Hill’s Science Diet for the boy?

[thecruellestmonth]

quick and dirty guide to Jason Todd in the masterpiece Batman: Battle for the Cowl—canon and fanon

CANON

Jason canonically is a cop-killing asshole garbage manbaby hypocrite who shoots a ten-year-old in the chest.

is a bad person explicitly because his dirty criminal childhood on the streets made him crazy and immoral. He canonically was ruined before Batman ever scraped him out of Crime Alley. (Canon—only a fake fan would argue against it!)

The Lazarus Pit also worsened his mind.

Described as "deranged" and "delusional" and "broken" and "rabid".

Crucifies Tim's Batsuit on a literal wooden cross, but Tim rises from the dead because he's Jesus.

Shoots ten-year-old Damian in the chest, then ridicules Dick for trying to save a "meaningless life".

After being shot, Damian lies on his sickbed just long enough for Dick to brood over his unconscious body.

As soon as Dick leaves, Damian jumps up, tries to swing a wrench at Alfred's head, makes a sexist comment to Squire, and then goes out running around as Robin like nothing happened.

Dick tries to use some unspecified shameful childhood trauma to trigger Jason into accepting Help, but for some mysterious reason Jason refuses—and obviously deranged, delusional, broken people Refuse Help because they're bad people who don't want to change.

-- (Somewhere, John Calvin is moaning in pleasure.) --

Uh thanks for the brief help in the B-plot, Cass—now go away, your thoughts and feelings about all this don't matter.

Apparently Jason can't transform into a man-eating tentacle monster anymore. :(

Overall, the art is pretty swanky.👌

AFTERMATH: Jason commits some dozens more murders.

Dick rightly finds him to be an insufferable asshole, and gains the ability to say so without resorting to ableism.

Damian doesn't care about being shot in the chest and suffers no lasting damage, he is too busy being in fun stories that actually further his character.

Going forward, none of the next writers really try to push long-term "Lazarus Pit madness" for Jason again--except Winick did try to slip it into the prequel, to salvage his baby.

Jason is never shown apologizing for his actions, yet less than a year later apparently decides he wants "redemption".

Bruce happily hands him a full position in Batman Incorporated, with seemingly no special supervision.

While Jason agrees to be subordinate to Batman, he still enjoys being a cocky bastard, and shows no remorse for his past crimes—which are only vaguely alluded to having happened.

CANON(?)

Battle for the Cowl was canon from 2009 to 2011.

It was wiped from existence when the universe reset in the 2011 Flashpoint reboot.

Presently as of the Infinite Frontier "timeline", BftC probably isn't canon until a writer actively writes it back into history, like No Man's Land fairly recently was.

AFTERMATH: It never happened.

FANON

Some scenario loosely inspired by Battle for the Cowl happens because Jason has glowy eyes Lazarus Pit Madness.

What is a female character...?

The conflict is wrapped up in like 200 words.

AFTERMATH: Dick gives Jason a big hug and apologizes for being the worstest brother ever back when Jason was a lonely little angel child.

Jason finds out that he is the most favoritest Robin for tiny 10-year-old Timmy, and he cries tears of remorse for his Lazarus Pit-induced violent frenzy against a nine eight seven-year-old little spleenless baby Tiny Timmy.

More hugging, cuddling, fingers affectionately carding through hair.

Damian doesn't exist for some reason.

If Damian does exist, he's treated like an unwanted booger instead of a human child. He talks like a robot and has no sense of humor.

Jason maybe scolds insensitive meanie Dick for picking evil Damian over Tiny Timmy. Timmy has been suffering fainting spells and consumption, all alone until Jason rescues him.

FANON

Massive overcompensation for other fanon.

CALLOUT post for Jason Todd!

Jason was a good kid. He isn't a bad person at all because of his childhood on the streets. (Fanon.)

The Lazarus Pit had no effect on his mind.

He is 100% sane and willing.

He is a bad person because he's sanely choosing to be an asshole garbage manbaby hypocrite who shoots a ten-year-old in the chest.

Damian isn't sexist to Squire, because she doesn't exist.

Dick destroys Jason with facts and logic and perfectly ethical therapy-speak, and never gets his hands dirty trying to trigger mental illness.

Jason destroys Damian's spine.

Tim and Damian suffer lasting physical and psychological trauma from Jason's torture—being a soldier is now harmful for a delicate developing child, but only on this singular occasion because Jason.

Alfred is the one who stole the Robin mantle from Tim to give it to Damian. 🥺 Dick was forced into a tough situation—he had no choice in how he handled things! It's Alfred, I tell you!

Dick suddenly has a close bond with Cass.

AFTERMATH: The loving idyllic Batfamily hard-blocks radicalized incel full-grown 18-year-old manbaby Jason.

They live happily ever after.

Paradise Lost Satan Jason must suffer his totally self-inflicted isolation, knowing he can never go back to the warm embrace of the very healthy and functional Batfamily, because of his petty, stubborn, definitely made-up unreasonable delusions of being a soldier in an endless warzone.

Hopefully some more cruelty and isolation can make Jason realize he's receiving karmic punishment for being a bad person—somehow this is clearly different from all the cruelty and isolation that happened to him for no reason at all.

--(John Calvin has recovered from his refractory period—he is now moaning more loudly and passionately.)--

"Yes, this is totally what happened! Read a comic, fake fans!" *makes up a fake version of BftC that never happened*

[fancyfade]

Tim in lonely place of dying: Dick, if you won't be Robin then I'll have to be Robin, Batman needs a Robin. Dick: Fine, OK Tim in Battle for the Cowl: Dick, if you won't be Batman, then I'll have to be Batman, Gotham needs a Batman. Dick: wait --

[audhd-nightwing]

DC had to take Robin away from Tim Drake because him and Dick as Robin and Batman simply would’ve been too powerful