9095

Infinite Crisis #7

+ (and i don’t know if you’ve ever read it but there’s a supes comic where robin!dick goes out alone because bruce has a party or something so they can’t go on patrol and he gets into trouble but clark helps/covers for him and bruce tells alfred he’s going to ground dick until he’s 30 lmao, that’s a nice story where you can see bruce being overprotective but not a jerk at the same time, I wish we had more of that)

Thanks to you too, for taking the time shoot a message my way <3! And yeah. Bruce’s overprotectiveness can become toxic at times...but there are moments where I find it endearing as well. I do think that moment you describe with Superman is cute (anons talking about Superman #700 if people were curious). 

Other times that come to mind for me...that one time when Robin is being beaten by Two Face and Batman pours acid on his wrists to get free and save him. 

Robin Year One #2

Or, when Bludhaven was bombed, and Batman freaks out and immediately rushes to Dick’s side. 

Batman #650

The fact that he’s so relieved that he can barely speak...yo. Another fave moment of mine is that time when all the Titans are kidnapped and podded (it was a whole thing), and Batman and the League swing by to help free them, and Batman is a worried parent about it.  

JLA/Titans #2

I have some thoughts. Starts at the sad beginnings, and then gets fluffier. 

Dick following Alfred around like a baby duckling, because he’s lonely and Bruce is (looking for Zucco) never around.  

In canon, Dick once said that he felt like a “Christmas puppy.” He thought that Bruce took him in for the novelty of having a circus kid around, and that he was going to throw him out onto the streets once he got bored. 

Feeling unwanted and unneeded was something that crept up on Dick a lot, even when he’s been at the manor for a while. 

I feel like he’d deal with that by just...hiding somewhere when he was upset because he didn’t think they’d still want him around if he was being “difficult.” Even as an adult, he tends to isolate when he’s distressed. 

Cue Bruce freaking out at baby Dick just vanishing into thin air. 

Over time, they begin to learn where Dick’s places are. On the roof facing the sunrise. In the big oak tree on the south side of the grounds. Among the wild plants in the clearing behind the garden shed. So on.

Usually somewhere high and outside. 

Alfred tends to bring him inside immediately, give him a mug of something warm. But Bruce will sit with him. 

The finding is the most important part. 

Being Robin changes everything. That’s Bruce letting Dick in to know all the pieces of himself. They spend more time together, after that. 

And Dick begins to heal. 

That’s when the shenanigans begin >:) 

See, baby Dick was both an angel and a gremlin

He was an angel, in that he was very emotionally intelligent, especially for a child, and that meant he understood all of Bruce’s fumbling attempts at parenting and emoting. Dick’s always been kind. 

But he was also a gremlin in that he regularly gave Bruce and Alfred heart attacks. 

As in, what’s the highest, most precarious place in the room? Why, what a perfect spot for some cartwheels! 

Bruce, heart nearly beating out of his chest as Dick does a handstand on the railing to the stairs 20 feet up off the ground: “Dick can you please get down from there” Dick, oblivious, shifting all of his weight onto one hand and making his position even more dubious: “Why?” 

Bruce, returning home after a busy day at work. Dick, leaning almost entirely out the window, only the tips of his toes touching the ground, waving enthusiastically “Hi Bruce!!!! :D” 

Lots of attempted secret keeping from Alfred.

“No telling Alfred about the broken vase or the take-out or the ice cream, ok Dick?” Dick nods solemnly. 

“Alfred we missed you! But everything was totally fine while you were gone!” Nailed it. 

Alfred was the one that usually drove Dick to and from school. I like to think they chatted on the road, and that Alfred knew all of the school gossip. 

“Tiffany did what? And after Claire stood by her during the ketchup incident. Oh dear.” Dick, nodding vigorously: “I know.”

The first time Dick hugs Bruce (not a I’m crying because my parent’s just died hug, but a proper hug), Bruce is stumped. Doesn’t know quite what to do with his hands. Ends up awkwardly patting Dick on the back. 

Dick finds this uproariously funny (”haha, you’re such a weirdo :D”), and takes to surprise hugging Bruce so that he can “practice his form” 

I like to imagine Alfred getting Dick ready for galas. He'd comb his hair and untangle the tie Dick tried to knot and put it on properly, while Dick struggles to stand still. Dick sneakily slides on some outrageously patterned, colorful socks with his dress shoes and Alfred pretends not to notice. 

Then Alfred moves on to wrangling the other child. Bruce hates galas. 

In public, Dick Grayson tugs twice on the bottom of Bruce’s shirt, and the mountain of a man bends over and lets the little boy whisper something in his ear. 

Alternatively, in private, Dick climbs on furniture (or Bruce himself) like a monkey, and whispers the joke into his ear just like that. 

Dick is dead on his feet after a patrol goes longer than expected, and Bruce carefully carries him to bed, tucks him in, makes sure the windows are closed, that the curtains are drawn....he wants to make sure every little thing is right. 

Dick going on his very first field trip outside of Gotham, and Bruce running a background check on every single person involved. 

Idk, I’m obsessed with the idea of Bruce treating Dick like he’s something precious. I feel like the love sneaks up on him, until he can’t imagine his life without Dick in it. 

But he’s also a big tease with Dick too. 

“Ice cream? I don’t know Dick, it’s pretty late....” “B, c’mon don’t be cruel” 

It’s all about that banter. And lots of hair ruffling I think. 

Sure! So, Dick’s heritage is a pretty complex topic. I think it’s best to leave the explanation to [this post]. Since I know not everyone will click the link, just to briefly clarify something: Dick is Romani, not Romanian. Being Romanian means being from the country of Romania. Romani people are scattered across the world. Also, Dick is typically depicted with light skin in canon...him being Romani would not conflict with this, because the Romani people have a large range of skin tones. Not at all opposed to him being depicted with darker skin, but just so that you know. Very, very strongly recommend checking out the post for the whole story (edit: and checking the reblogs for the counterpoint to said post!!) 

Robin (1993) Annual #4

As for your other question...in one version of Dick’s origin story, following his parents’ deaths, Dick was sent to Gotham’s Youth Center. This center was essentially a juvenile detention center; most of the kids were sent there for committing what are described in comic as “adult crimes.” It was a very rough environment for Dick, especially in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths. 

Dick going to the center after his parents died is technically a retcon of his origin (ie it was something added later). I know for some reason certain people hear the word retcon and immediately are like “then it doesn’t count!!!” but I think that is very much the wrong approach. True enough, some retcons are bad--that is, those that completely ignore previously established characterizations or plot points, and in doing so often radically change the story for the worse. It’s fine if people want to ignore those bad retcons, I do so myself. But, that’s not true for every retcon lmao. I’d say the juvie origin retcon is a great example of a good retcon. It really helps to clarify and enhance the original story, and I don’t think it should be dismissed. Hear me out here: 

1.) The juvie origin doesn’t replace any previous origin story--it really only adds to and improves upon the timeline of Dick’s original origin. 

For the most part, in previous tellings of the story, Dick’s origin went pretty much straight from his parents dying to him and Bruce in Wayne Manor. It’s a pretty sudden, jarring jump; the in-between was largely left to the reader’s imaginations or implied to not exist at all. And I’ll be real...the pacing and immediacy of events is pretty wonky and unreasonable. In one of the most extreme speed runs through Dick’s origin I’ve seen, Dick’s parents die and Batman immediately swings down from the rafters and tells Dick that he’ll solve the case...while Dick’s parents’ bodies are still cooling a couple feet away (Batman #436). Yeah, that is absolutely ridiculous lmao, as is the idea that Bruce just immediately adopted Dick the day his parents died. I think that the juvie origin very nicely slows things down and helps to organically fill in the gap of time that would and should exist between Dick losing his parents and being taken in by Bruce. 

2.) The juvie origin helps to rationalize Bruce’s reasoning for taking Dick in. 

In previous origin stories, Bruce’s main motivation for taking Dick in is that he saw his own suffering reflected in Dick and wanted to help him. I dig the parallels between Bruce and Dick...but this is very flimsy reasoning to adopt someone lmao. With all the tragedy that occurs in Gotham, you cannot tell me that Bruce had not run across some orphans before. Bruce sympathizing with Dick certainly should be part of what motivates him, but there needed to be something more. If there is not some immediate, urgent reason to adopt Dick, then it makes zero sense that Bruce would try to raise him honestly. Why would Bruce tear Dick away from his remaining family and friends at the circus? Why would Dick want to leave? And even if Dick could no longer remain at the circus, why wouldn’t Bruce allow Dick to go to a good foster home, especially since Bruce is so laser focused on his solo crusade against Gotham’s crime that he doesn’t even allow himself to have a steady girlfriend half the time? Lots of plot holes here!

The juvie origin fixes a lot of these issues! Staying at the circus is not an option for Dick, not because Bruce just snatches him away, but because legally Gotham Juvenile Services says that the circus is an inadequate environment for raising a child. Dick is sent to juvie, and the comic makes a point of showing Dick nearly being beaten to death almost immediately upon arriving. 

Dick is in danger and he’s lost in the system, so there is no longer a possibility for him to land in a good home. Initially, when Bruce goes to find Dick, he’s still tracking him down only with the intention of getting justice for Dick by solving his parent’s murder. But Bruce is a good person at heart. When Batman finds Dick trying to escape from the juvenile hall, beaten to hell, he intervenes. The next morning Dick is taken in by Bruce Wayne. 

So now, taking in Dick isn’t Bruce tearing Dick away from the chance of having a loving family and throwing him into the dangerous life of a crime fighter; taking Dick in is Bruce saving Dick from a horrible situation, possibly even saving his life. The only way to get Dick out of the potentially deadly situation he was in quickly was for Bruce to take him in as a foster parent. Bruce’s actions actually make a lot of sense! And Bruce is forced by necessity to take on a fatherly role that he does not feel suited or prepared for, rather than him adopting Dick on a whim. The juvie origin gives this scenario the urgency and necessity that it desperately needed. 

3.) The juvie origin has been around for a long time, and pretty successfully adds nuance to Dick’s character without completely altering or changing who he is. 

The juvie origin is a retcon that has been established for about 25 years, fyi. Robin Annual #4, which is where this idea first came into play, was released in 1995. There are also references to this origin story in Nightwing Vol. 2, and that comic series ran from 1996 to 2009, so it’s not like the juvie origin is completely baseless or totally removed from the narrative. 

Nightwing (1996) #11

Also...Dick Grayson has been around for 80 years. In DC comics, I’m pretty sure he is predated only by Superman and Batman. You are inevitably going to have to add nuance to his character as time goes on. The juvie origin adds a very interesting complexity to the character and his fight against crime, considering he himself has been in the system...there’s so much untapped potential there!! So yeah, I feel like the juvie retcon is a very valid addition to Dick Grayson’s origin story. Plus, Robin Annual #4 is just a very well written and well thought out comic book that really fleshes out Bruce, Dick, and Alfred’s initial relationships to one another in a realistic way, and more people should check it out. 

What I’m saying...is that more people need to get on board and accept the juvie origin guys!! It’s my favorite origin for Dick, hands down. Thanks for giving me an excuse to talk about it anon. 

Bruce talking about Nightwing and appreciating his eldest son’s sense of loyalty and habit of showing up when he needs him —Batman: Death in the Family.

Thanks! And yeah, Bruce was not a fan of Dick being a cop. Dick does actually try to talk to Bruce about it, but when he initially proposes the idea, Bruce does his best to shoot it down. 

Detective Comics #750

This conversation pretty much lays out the reasons Bruce is against the idea...primarily because he’s worried for Dick safety. Those are the first words out of his mouth, “It’s dangerous.” Dick can’t use the skills he usually utilizes as Nightwing without putting his secret identity at risk. That means that Dick is going into deadly, dangerous situations, and he’s handicapped. Bruce doesn’t like that. There’s also the fact that he doesn’t approve of Dick using a gun. As a police officer, Dick would be required to carry one. 

But Dick doesn’t wait for Batman’s permission. He goes through with his plan and joins the police academy without telling Bruce. Bruce unhappily puts up with Dick’s job for necessities sake, but as soon as things turn around in the force, he once again pushes Dick to quit. 

Nightwing #75

And he assumes that Dick will quit. When Dick continues to do police work, it puts a strain on their relationship. 

Nightwing #81

"And he [Batman] quickly brought a ray of hope to the masses--but what could bring light to his blackened heart...?"

"Of all things, it was a boy--a bright squire to this dark night."

"Bruce would have self-destructed if he hadn't met me...I made him laugh."

"Soon, Nightwing left Gotham City...as for Batman..."

As always

"Grimm" is a five-part story from Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight from 2002 and I kind of absolutely lost my mind over it because there was just so much validating everything I've always thought about these two. The premise is typical comics shenanigans, there's a Mother Grimm who is stealing street kids and abused children away to this fantastical underground carnival to let them live a whimsical life, where they're loved and cared for--which Dick falls into because he's clashing with Bruce, who is freaking out because he's worried that he's turning Dick into a mirror version of himself. The story is woven through with Alfred gently trying to push (which I've been losing my shit about here and here because this is exactly what I read comics for) both Bruce and Dick into acknowledging that they're becoming father and son--but it's clear that both of them are terrified of stepping into those roles, Bruce because he doesn't know how to raise a kid and he's afraid he's hurting more than helping, Dick because he's not sure Bruce even wants him around as Robin, much less as Dick Grayson, but you watch the way Alfred barely has to nudge them and you see them both start to lean into the idea before they get scared again and jump back into saying they're partners and friends instead. And it's so validating because it's the good stuff--Dick running away because he feels like Bruce doesn't want him, Bruce coming home to tell him that he's going to find Dick a new family because he's scared he's molding this kid into himself but he can't because Dick's already run off, but when Dick says he's going to stay with Mother Grimm, Bruce looks gut-punched like he can't actually believe Dick would leave. Meanwhile, Bruce tries to leave, but Mother Grimm secretly doses him with psychotropic drugs which send him into hallucinations about how he's dragging Dick into this violent world of his, and how he's setting him up for death, that because Bruce didn't die with his parents, now he's trying to get this kid--this kid who mirrors him in so many ways--killed instead. And it's all just so much terror at the thought of letting someone else in after their losses--Bruce because he's scared of losing more people, Dick scared because he's not sure he's wanted, and it'll take years yet for them to actually put anything into words, so instead they settle for "partners" and it might feel unsatisfying and half-assed, except honestly Dick Grayson and Alfred Pennyworth were working miracles here. There's plenty of room for other interpretations, including soft dad!Bruce who eagerly embraces the idea (and it's not too far off from this, this Bruce very clearly does want that, he's just scared and so he keeps chickening out), but this is where I live, this is why Dick Grayson is so fundamentally important to Bruce Wayne's story, that neither character is complete without the other. Bruce Wayne is a character who lost his entire world on that night he was eight years old and didn't know how to grow beyond it for so long, and how do you make a character arc like that satisfying? How do you take a character that is defined by a child's loss of his parents, that shapes everything of who he came to be, and make a satisfying conclusion?

You do it by making him a father to a child who needs him. A child who mirrors him, where they could bring out the worst in each other--and sometimes they do tend to slide into those fears getting the better of them--but instead Bruce struggles his way to being someone who openly admits that he's fallible, he makes mistakes, but he loves his kid and he is a father, that he needs to step up. I've been reading a lot of Bruce & Damian comics lately and it's been striking me how different Bruce is--he's still emotionally constipated, but he understands that he has to get in there, set boundaries, set rules, and make sure the kid knows that he's proud of them. Has to be the adult that looks past the scared kid's bravado and harsh words, to see the vulnerability underneath.

Bruce could never have done any of what he's doing with Damian currently without THIS RIGHT HERE. Without the yearning for something he doesn't know how to put into words (even when Alfred basically spells it out for him), without Dick Grayson bringing light and love into his life, without Dick being such a bright and loving child who was still scared that he wasn't wanted, so Bruce has to open up and learn to start actually saying what he means.

You don't get Bruce & Damian (or Bruce & Jason or Bruce & Tim) without Bruce & Dick first. You don't get any of that without Bruce's relationship with Dick making him put his fears into words and learning to trust his heart to this kid, step by step.