bats-and-the-birds

[bats-and-the-birds]

hi!! i really liked your fic about how feral dick was as robin so i was wondering if you had any comic recs about that?

Unfortunately, I need to expand my Dick Grayson as Robin readings, the only one I can think of is All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder which is a volume that I actively don't like at all except for the bits with young Dick Grayson as Robin.

Sorry I have nothing better, but I can tell you the only good parts of this comic that I don't actually suggest you read if you wish.

***SPOILERS FOR THIS COMIC FROM 2005***

Robin almost fucking kills Green Lantern. Like, straight up, if Batman didn't actively provide medical intervention, Green Lantern would be dead. It's an insane moment, and I don't actually even remember why it happens.

There's also a moment where Batman straight up says that he's terrified of Robin, and that's really good.

Otherwise, this comic sucks (in my opinion), and you don't need to read it.

[bats-and-the-birds]

In situations and headcanons and such where Bruce doesn't tell the justice league his identity, I feel like one of the most often cited reasons is that they'd then immediately connect all of his many waves of increasingly smaller vigilantes back to him.

But I'd like to think it doesn't happen like that.

Like, at some point, Nightwing has been on the team for years, and somehow, no one that didn't already know him as Robin has connected him back to Batman, but of course both Bruce and Dick think they know, because they have to, right?

But then Bruce's identity gets revealed while Dick's off world or something, but he gets filled in, so he assumes that his identity is blown too, right? Of course, once you know Batman is Bruce Wayne, it'd be easy to put together that Dick Grayson is Nightwing.

So then Bruce and Dick have to rush to the watchtower from some sort of Wayne family event one day, but there's no real need to put on their costumes yet, because the league already knows their identities.

Until...

Green Lantern, watching a young man that he's only ever seen through gossip magazines fiddle around in the watchtower: Hey, Bru-Batman, I know we found out your identity and all, but do you really think it's a good idea to bring your children into this? I mean, what if he gets hurt?

Dick, incredulous: You... you do know who I am, right?

GL: It's hard to not know who you are. I saw you on a magazine cover just the other day.

-long pause-

Dick: Bruce, when you used to complain that you work with idiots, I thought you were exaggerating.

-general sounds of outrage from the JL-

#batman #justice league #justice league headcanon #batman headcanon #bruce wayne #dick grayson #nightwing #batfamily #comics #dc comics #green lantern #then Dick does a backflip or something and they put it together #Bruce never lets GL live this down

[bats-and-the-birds]

I like to think about young Dick Grayson a lot, and right now I'm specifically thinking about him from the Justice League's perspective.

Like, imagine you're in the Justice League, maybe you've been there for a few months, maybe for a few years, but either way, you know how it works. Superman's terrifyingly powerful, but you get over the fear factor as soon as you see him cry over a sad cat video, and Wonder Woman's still a bit intimidating, but as long as you're good and truthful, you can trust that she won't crush your head like a grape.

And Batman... well, you've made your peace with the fact that you'll never figure him out. You know literally nothing about him, other than the fact that he claims to be fully human, but you're not even really sure about that, because you're pretty sure he just materializes in the shadows sometimes. The only things that you're 100% sure of is that you're terrified of him, and you're so glad that he's not on someone else's side.

And then, suddenly, he has acquired a child. Just like everything else, you don't find out immediately, because god forbid that man tell his team anything. But you start to hear vague reports of another shadow trailing behind Batman in the night. Superman asks him about it one day, but of course, he doesn't respond, and they all wonder, but it never gets brought up again.

But one day, unexpectedly, that shadow is at a league meeting, and he's not as shadowy as you would have thought. In fact, he's wearing the most vibrant costume you've seen, and you spend all of your time with other heroes in spandex. He's also young. Terrifyingly young. It's his twelfth birthday, actually, he explains to the league, and he pestered 'B' until he agreed to take him to a meeting. You all agree later that he looks younger than twelve. And you worry about him, because why is this child in Batman's care? Can he really be trusted to look after someone so small, so young, so seemingly fragile?

Besides, Robin (Robin, his name is Robin, he's a songbird for christ's sake), is everything that you'd think Batman would hate. He talks everyone's ear off with a giant grin stretched across his entire face. He begs Superman to fly him around and cackles and claps as Wonder Woman demonstrates basic sword maneuvers for him. Before long, the whole team is in a better mood. Meanwhile, Batman stands in the shadows, his face impassive, with no explanation about the little masked boy that walked into the room hiding under his cape.

He leaves just as he came, disappearing under Batman's cape as the two exit the watchtower together, and the whole league is left to wonder how the fuck that child ended up in Batman's care, and whether or not they should intervene, because spending prolonged time in Batman's company cannot be healthy for a child.

But then he starts showing up more and more, popping up in some places that you know from Batman's glare he's not supposed to be. He's teamed up with that speedster boy and the two of them cause havoc, but Robin takes the lecture he gets with a grin and gives a half hearted promise to behave.

You steadily start to realize that he might not be as out of place in Batman's company as you originally thought. You realize that the boy is a performer through and through, and that extends to that grin of his that dazzled the team when they first met him. You get the impression that sometimes its genuine, yes, but you'd never know if it wasn't. His exuberance is a persona held in place as meticulously as Batman's grim seriousness.

And though you'd assumed that Batman's sidekick (partner, the boy insisted, rather intensely, though his smile never faltered) would be well trained, this kid could take down league members, you're sure. You quickly realize that he enjoys fighting, and he fights viciously, giggling and putting on a show, but leaving broken bones in his wake. Your first impression is that Robin was more human than the demon they called the Batman, but you quickly start to question that too. If Batman can materialize in shadows, then Robin can fly. He twists through the air like gravity doesn't affect him and lands with so much grace that you'd think he had hollow bones like his namesake. You're not fully convinced he doesn't, considering he climbs up the bat with no warning, clinging onto his back like he belongs there (you quickly start to think he does), or he'll throw himself through the air with no more warning than a quick 'catch' yelled to his partner. And Batman catches him. Batman always catches him. Everyone keeps an eye on him when he's up high, but there's a part of you that feels like it's impossible that he'd ever fall. Or at least, impossible that Batman would ever let him hit the ground.

And you start to think that Robin's exactly where he's supposed to be; perched on Batman's shoulder, hiding in his cape, or fighting by his side. You still hope there's a normal boy behind the mask, going to school and making friends with someone to tuck him in at night, but you also can't imagine anything normal about Robin, and maybe that's why he needs to be by Batman's side, and maybe that's why Batman needs him too.

#batman #comics #dc comics #dick grayson #justice league #robin #batman and robin #dick grayson robin #dick grayson headcanon #batman headcanon #justice league headcanon #headcanon #sorry this is so long #i had more to say than i thought about tiny dick grayson #and kinda just kept typing #i'll write a fic if people want it

[bats-and-the-birds]

I'd love to see a sequel to your "That's Jason, right?" of Jason reaction to the video's Babs saves especially Damian crashing into the batcave saying he's being mauled and Bruce explaining that Dick was escaping for murder even before becoming Robin

If u don't want to that completely fine

Sorry this took so long for me to get to, I was on a trip! I'll get working on this right away!

[bats-and-the-birds]

There is a sort of trope that I've noticed in DC media where Batman is infinitely stranger from anyone else's perspective than his own. In his own comics and movies and such his motives are explained to you, you have his inner monologue, but the moment you put him in someone else's story, you're met with a general vibe of 'what the fuck is wrong with that man? is that a man? might be a demon.'

And this 100% extends to the batkids.

Dick? The man has no bones. From an outside perspective, he leaps before he looks, grinning and laughing as be backflips off buildings with seemingly no plan, only to catch himself with a grapple at the last minute. He's charming and warm until he can't be, and then he's terrifying, with a glare and temper that rivals the Bat's.

Jason? He has deadly aim and a steady hand. He's hulking and strong, but he's also silent. He still moves like a bat, like he was taught to in his Robin days, despite the fact that he's taller and broader than Bruce now. The Red Hood could appear out of the shadows behind you, no matter how safe you are, and you wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.

Tim? He's smart. They're all smart, but he's smart smart. And his ethics and intelligence don't always mesh. He could tear down any security system with frightening efficiency, then rebuild it better. Logically, he's always five steps ahead.

Damian? He's the most obviously terrifying. He's small, and angry, and he has a sword that he knows how to use with frightening efficiency. He's as viscous as his father can be, but with a temper that more unchecked. He learned how to kill before he learned how to protect.

Duke, Cass, and Steph also fall under this, but I don't know enough about them to make accurate judgements.

Anyway, what I'm saying is the rogues and the Justice League alike fear the Bats, and for good reason.

#batman #comics #dc comics #dick grayson #nightwing #jason todd #red hood #tim drake #red robin #damian wayne #robin dc #dc robin #justice league #batfamily #batfam

[bats-and-the-birds]

Prompt fulfilled!!!

1 Chapter 3,399 Words

I hope you like it :)))

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i read your ao3 fic and I'm obsessed with your writing style and you said you're taking requests soooo

a sick Dick and panicking damian? pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?

100% after I finish the current fic!! *adding to my otherwise nonexistent lists of prompts*

#batman #comics #dc comics #dick grayson #damian wayne #jason todd #batfamily #batman fanfiction #fanfic #sickfic #tumblr prompt #completed fic

[bats-and-the-birds]

Usually, while reading comics, when any character pops up mid story, no matter who they are, my brain lights up with OOOOHH CHARACTER, no matter who they are or what they're doing. Even if I don't particularly like a character, my brain is just happy that I Know A Guy.

But you know who kills the vibes??? The character that I couldn't even determine if I like personality-wise or not because when I see him lurking in the background of a comic panel, my brain turns to static?

Did you guess Plastic Man? It's Plastic Man.

I feel like this statue is the best representation of my point.

I have multiple comics where he doesn't even do anything substantial, but every time the Justice League is together, he's doing something fucked up in the background of a panel. The man makes my skin crawl.

#comics #dc comics #plastic man #justice league #superheroes #i hate this man #with a burning passion #he's always doing fucked up shit in the background of justice league panels

[bats-and-the-birds]

I am so deeply deeply in love with Superhero suit designs that incorporate normal clothing.

Like, skin tight spandex or futuristic looking tactical armor is cool and radical, but like, Conner and Jonathan Kent's Superboy costumes are PEAK character design to me.

The leather jacket??? The sunglasses where a mask might usually be??? So good.

The superman hoodie with a cape in place of the hood has stolen my entire soul. As a whole entire adult, I deeply want that hoodie. The ripped jeans?? The sneakers?? It's perfect.

And this is primarily a DC comics fanblog, but I do have to shout out the Miles Morales Spider-Man suit with the hoodie, shorts, and sneakers over it.

#dc comics #superboy #jonathan kent #jon kent #conner kent #comics #comic art

[bats-and-the-birds]

Always loves those fics or headcanons where the Justice League just has no clue about the existence of the Batfamily. And usually it's because Bruce wanted to maintain his image of being all mysterious or because he wants to protect his family or something.

But I think it's infinitely better if he just assumes they know. Like, Dick has been around since he was like 10, and he's into his 30's now, Bruce assumes that he had to come up in conversation at some point.

Besides, as secretive as they are, the news in Gotham has to pick up on and connect the family together, at least vaguely, so surely the rest of the league has taken note of that. Signal fights crime in broad daylight, for christ's sake.

Except, in general, they just don't. Sure, Superman and Wonder Woman maybe know, but Flash? Green Arrow? No.

Then one day they need extra hands on a mission, so a handful of the various bats and birds are called in, cue bafflement. On both sides.

Because Bruce assumes that he doesn't need to explain himself. Everyone else assumes he's being secretive on purpose.

Barry: Why did you never tell us you have an entire family/small vigilante army hiding in Gotham?

Bruce: My children are literally friends with the rest your family.

-cue Wally and Bart speeding past them the moment they see Dick and Tim from across the room-

#batman #comics #dc comics #batfamily #dick grayson #barry allen #justice league #batfamily headcanons #justice league headcanon

[bats-and-the-birds]

Hehe, I finished writing my first fanfic :)))!!

4 chapters, 11,325 words!

Based on the general idea from my page a little while back of "Dick and Jason get de-aged by a wizard and Tim and Damian mix them up for a bit"

Including Young!Dick being feral, Young!Jason being sweet and precious, exasperation for Tim, and Damian being forced to experience feelings.

#batman #comics #dc comics #batfamily #dick grayson #damian wayne #tim drake #jason todd #bruce wayne #barbra gordon #robin #red hood #nightwing #red robin #fanfic #fanfiction #batman fanfiction

[bats-and-the-birds]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i read your ao3 fic and I'm obsessed with your writing style and you said you're taking requests soooo

a sick Dick and panicking damian? pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?

100% after I finish the current fic!! *adding to my otherwise nonexistent lists of prompts*

[bats-and-the-birds]

I think daily about Dustin Nguyen's art in the Robin & Batman series. Because like

That's the cover and it was plastic wrapped when I bought it so I was worried that it wouldn't continue into the actual book, but it DOES

Even the less detailed panels are pretty! And I always approve of Batman designs where he's 90% cape.

#robin & batman #robin & batman (2021) #batman #dick grayson #batman and robin #robin dc #dc comics #robin #comic art #comic panels #dustin nguyen

[bats-and-the-birds]

I've been watching the TV series Gotham in the background while working on a project, and I'm only like 11 episodes in, but I'm getting the vibe that this show so desperately wants to be a gritty police procedural set in Gotham, but accidentally made whatever the hell is happening with young Bruce Wayne infinitely more entertaining.

His parents die, and he immediately starts uncovering a massive case of corruption in Wayne Enterprises from his parents' files. He gets taken to a charity function and immediately starts interrogating a business woman about corruption. He dives into a pool fully clothed. The kid who plays him has nailed the vibe of nice and somewhat sheltered rich kid and Vaguely Off-putting And Strange.

Not to mention Alfred, who, after a kid school bullies Bruce, drives Bruce to to the kid's house and lets him beat the kid up while watching on with a proud smile.

#batman #gotham #gotham tv #comics #dc comics #alfred pennyworth

[bats-and-the-birds]

I think we, as a society, need to revert the Riddler back to the 1966 version where his riddles made no goddamn sense and yet Batman and Robin solved them anyway. Like, this is straight up a conversation from the 1966 movie:

Batman: Robin, listen to these riddles. Tell me if you interpret them as l do. One. What has yellow skin and writes? Robin: A ball-point banana! Batman: Right. Two. What people are always in a hurry? Robin: Rushing people? Russians! Batman: Right again. Now, what would you say they mean? Robin: Banana. Russian. I've got it! Someone Russian is going to slip on a banana peel and break their neck! Batman: Precisely, Robin!

I want more of that. Bring that back.

#batman #batman and robin #batman 1966 #the riddler

[bats-and-the-birds]

Just finished playing Arkham Knight and the DLC story packs and I have to say that nothing amuses me more than the reactions that rogues have when you're playing as Nightwing rather than Batman.

Because the rogues usually respond to Batman with terror, it's an immediate oh shit, our bones are getting shattered.

But with Nightwing there's fear, but also just... genuine annoyance. Like, you take down Penguin and he's so deeply upset that it's Nightwing, not just because he's going to get beat, but because he's going to get made fun of while it happens.

Also who made the decision that all of the goons in that story pack were going to refer to Nightwing as 'pretty boy' in all of their idle conversation. It's beautiful, I love it.

#batman arkham knight #batman #nightwing #video games #dick grayson

[bats-and-the-birds]

I just wanna say.

Thank you for the de-aged fic. Your writing is gooooooodddd and my (non-existent) ass NEEDS this!

Thank you :))) Working on the next chapter as we speak lol.

[bats-and-the-birds]

I like to imagine that when Bruce is really sick or horribly injured and doesn't want to show weakness, he just... sends Dick in his batsuit to Justice League meetings.

And nobody notices

And a few years later Dick finally ends up in the league as Nightwing and someone brings up how Batman never seems to get sick or hurt, even when they know he's taken big hits, he's always at the meetings.

And Dick just bursts out laughing and falls out of a chair.

#batman #nightwing #bruce wayne #dick grayson #justice league #comics #dc comics #batfamily