FranzoArts

HOTD S3 Targaryens/Velaryon with violet! eyes

Bruce, sipping his coffee: Mn?

Dick, turning to face him: I really miss being an only child

Bruce:

Literally the entire batfamily sitting next to them:

Dick, sighing: It was so fun

Bruce: Chum...

Dick: Good times, good times

Jason, aiming the book in a dangerously looking way:

Tim, grabbing the pen like a knife:

Dick: And then you decided to keep on adding people to this house

Bruce: Chu- chum?!

Damian, about to break his cup with the border of the table:

Cass, cracking up her neck and knuckles:

Dick, turning back to the window: Sometimes I wish-

Duke, hand over Bruce's eyes: Hey, wanna go make some cupcakes?

Batman has roughly about 23,000 comic appearances and plus well over 100 references in other media (shows/movies and cameos).

Out of those 23,000 appearances only 55 are considered by most media and offical dc websites consider him being cold, emotionally abusive, cruel and neglectful

You may be saying he’s bad in way more comics. That brings the estimate to about 150 comic where it is instead, the reviews left on those comics by fans who find his actions more on the worse parenting side.

And only about 40 of these is actually part of the main/most popular of Batman storyline’s (that photo of Bruce slapping dick Grayson that is very popular, if you read the comic and new the story you would also know that same work martha and Jon Kent do not raise Clark)

On the contrary there is about 600 comics where Bruce Wayne is considered by DC as a good father. (You could add an extra 100 or so where in little moments of Batman solo comics or other comics in general where he makes good parent comments that fans recognise) Whether he is a being a father to his children or a fatherly figure to the others (spoiler Barbara). About 360 of these comics follow the main storyline’s.

150/23,00 is about 0.652%

So therefore only less than 1% of Batman media he is being a canonically bad father

Contrary to that

600/23,00 is about 2.61%

Which is more than double of bad parent Bruce is Batman media that is canon.

Now what about the other 96%. Well this 96% is compiled of either solo Batman runs, justice league comics, only comics with mentioning if he was good/bad and finally comics not focused on him being a parent.

Sources:

There’s a website where you can write reviews on comics (like how you can comment under videos or posts) when I find it again I’ll tag it. My sister showed it to me so when I talk to her next I’ll ask her about it. But until then check out these other sources I used.

https://www.comics.org/

Jason would HATE alfred after everything he did after he died. Canonically, it was alfred that made the "a good soldier" memorial case, bruce wanted it down but alfred insisted he keep it up, he was the one that gave tim the Robin suit THAT JASON DIED IN, and drove him to save batman and nightwing with NO training at all. He also helped keep up all the "jason was always doomed for a life of crime, and he was an angry child that got himself killed" narrative that was spun after DitF. Alfred pennyworth is batman's biggest enabler, and has stood by while bruce did all his bullshit, such as the whole UtRH arc, and RHatO #25, where he said that it was inevitable that jason would go back on the whole no killing agreement.

Alfred may care for all of Bruce's children, but his only grandchild is damian, as shown when he made him robin behind tim's back( the whole "dick made damian robin" thing is just to add to tim angst. Dick was infact against that whole shitshow). If it doesn't benefit bruce, his pseudo son/employer and landlord, he wouldn't give a fuck.

It's basically impossible to write a reconciliation fic at all without completely rewriting characters, especially jason and alfred. Jason believes that batman's mission is flawed and useless since he doesn't permanently stop crime, so he'd never fully give up killing, the whole reason there's a rift between him and bruce, and alfred isn't this doting grandfather that always sides with his grandchildren and bakes cookies and makes tea.

Because it's Alfred that made the comments about Jason being just like Willis. And I see a lot of people saying that Jason spent more time with Alfred than Bruce, so it's natural that Bruce also believes this. If the man Jason loved so dearly thinks this, then how can it be wrong?

However, it is ABSOLUTELY Bruce's fault that jaybin was blamed for his death by the greater community. Why would you ever say that? A kid DIED, you don't need to blame him to make sure other sidekicks are more careful. You're rubbing salt into the wound. This is genuinely the most unnecessary thing to ever happen, because you don't need to change the circumstances to make sure the message gets through

All you're doing is confirming biases and dragging your kid's memory through the mud because you're too 'manly' for therapy.

The reason this was also effective was Bruce intentionally isolating Jason as robin. Jason had to sneak out to work with the Titans, and never managed to make his own hero team because Bruce didn't want to give him that freedom since Dick did the same and doesn't speak to him anymore

If Jason had ANY friends at all, then the victim blaming would've been shut down really early. Bruce isolated Jason and used that fact to push the narrative that Jason deserved to die. Because if that's what everyone thinks, that makes it right. Right? He's not making it up, everyone knows that. I mean, sure, Donna herself said that Jason acted way older than he is, but she doesn't know him. They don't share a bond. How can she be sure that he really was smart?

- Alfred is a worse parent than Bruce, by a LOT

- Alfred is a worse parent than Bruce, by a little

- They're equally bad parents

- Bruce is a worse parent than Alfred, by a little

- Bruce is a worse parent than Alfred, by a LOT

- See results

Bruce never engaged hitmen to re-enact his kids’ deepest trauma in front of them and then beat them up while they were busy having a flashback.

Bruce never punished his kids by confiscating every resource for their favourite hobby and requiring them to earn it back bit by bit over months of good behaviour.

Bruce never told his kids their parents wouldn’t be proud of them.

But it’s so funny you weee so silent when there was so many recent moments in the comic books of him being a good parent. Let’s go off a list.

Taking Damian to the movies to not only spend time with him but be with him outside the costumes.

Bruce telling Damian how he’ll focus more on Damian than on Gotham

Clark saying Bruce is the best father for Damian

Bruce listening, agreeing and respecting Damian (shows they’ve grown as father and son)

Bruce choosing Damian over Gotham when he heard Damian got caught in an explosion

Funny thing all the people who think Bruce is a bad parent you were all so silent during this and don’t mention it once.

I’ll admit Bruce was being pretty shitty with that punching bag panel. It pulley proves though that Brice isn’t a bad parent canonically it’s because certain writers mess him up.

So many recent comics by different writers Bruce has been excellent and actively trying. So yes it is the writer and not the character. (Not defending Bruce but I think he had the right to be mad at Damian he just handled it absolutely poorly, and I find it funny that people brought up past comics of Bruce calling Damian by his name which is weird because none of you brought up how when he called dick his name when he was Batman.But whatever you’ll make some excuse of how Bruce is soooo horrible)

9 year old dick: *just appeared in the shower with bruce* sup

Bruce: *absolutely terrified where his kid ward came from and is wondering if this is normal* uhh hi

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Jason 12 years old: * in the bath tub with bruce* and then I found this new book and it was sooooo cool and-

Bruce: *was trying to have a relaxing bath but would never say no to his sons* oh that sounds super cool

Dick 16 years old: *currently taking a shower as Bruce has a bath in the same bathroom while Jason is in said bath with him* wow that sound cool, anyway B can I use your expensive shampoo

Bruce: *hoping both grow out of it* yes you can

Except dick does and well Jason never gets the chance

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Tim 14 years old: *in the batcave showers with bruce* ok so I had this theory where instead I think the wife faked her death-

Bruce: *sort of used to it by now but a little weirded out* I mean that could work theoretically

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Steph 15 years old: Ok so thanks for letting me use your bathroom mirror but why do you have so much eyeliner

Bruce: Mind your fucking business your using my bathroom

Bruce: Oh and you came in without knocking, I could’ve been on the toilet!

Steph: Then lock your door

Bruce: I DID!

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Cass 18 years old: *using a face mask while Bruce also uses a face mask* then I got yelled at by the director and Babs punched their kneecaps

Bruce: *hyper focused on this mask to bond with his daughter* that’s good, the bitch deserved it

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Duke 15 years old: * brushing his teeth in Bruce’s bathroom* sup boss

Bruce: *currently trying to take a shit in peace but used to it at this point* morning, oh also Alfred asked for you to take out the rubbish

Duke: FUCK!

Bruce: Hey, watch your language in this bathroom young man

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Context: Damian had a nightmare and is quite attached (also in the league he showered with Talia and was quite attached in taht sense)

Damian 11 years old: * pretending to shave with Bruce’s razor with the cover on* goo morning father

Bruce: *shaving his face and quite content with Damian joking him* morning did you sleep better

Damian: yes

Bruce: * gets undressed and hops into his shower* oh dami-

Damian: *follows Bruce and undresses and gets into the shower* yes?

Bruce: *used to it* never mind

Jason built like a brick house almost as tall as Bruce: *appears in ten shower somehow* sup

Bruce: Ah finally a nice shower alone

Hal: yeah alone

Bruce:…

Oliver: sup

Jonn: I think I used someone else’s shampoo

Clark: Could we change the watchtowers bathrooms to be separate

Barry: why would we do that- hey u good bats?

Bruce: fuck it I’m just going to go bathe in the forest liek some wild bat monster or some shit

Hal: oh no someone broke spooky

Diana: *breaks down the means communal showers door* I HeARD THE SOUND OF MY SHAMPOO BEING OPENED WHO TF TOUCHED IT!!!!

I think Jason is the only character I can realistically think Dick loves but doesn't like.

Dick gave that boy every benefit of the doubt. He learned to love that kid, enough to return to a home he was determined to outgrow, enough to want to learn how to be part of a family again without being angry. All because Jason was a kid who was wearing his symbol and colors — the colors that meant son and family to Dick — and wore them well, and Dick knew he had to honor that much.

I think deep down, Dick does resents Jason, if only for the principle that Jason chose a deadbeat mother who was determined to get him out of the city that is his home, over the family that took him in and loved him.

Then he comes back and acts like it wasn't his fault?

And his whole "my death didn't change anything" spiel? Oh, I just know Dick is especially mad about that.

All the changes to the norms of how heroes operate relative to sidekicks, every single city policy and institution influenced by his memory... hell, Jason's death had changed their father for all the worst reasons.

Bruce became a shell-shocked husk of grief, and it took so much bravery and anger to even exist out of bed. When he got better, he was just never the same. His smile never got as wide as it used too. His ability to trust others and himself was forever fractured.

Even in death, Jason took Dick's father from him.

The version of Bruce that raised them both died in Ethiopia along with Jason's little body, and Dick had never quite forgiven him for it.

But I think Dick doesn't realize his frustrations with Jason are rooted in all of the above is because... that's his brother.

He loved that boy. Enough to break his code for him, enough to be haunted by him, enough to mourn him for the rest of his (even when he came back from the dead).

Having siblings just changes a person, and for people in their line of work, that gets to an extreme.

Dick will always give Jason the benefit of the doubt. Dick will always try kick him down physically instead of putting him down with words (you can heal a bruise, truths tend to linger). Dick will always wake up and pray that maybe today, Jason would be more willing to try as hard as he does.

So for origin possibilities and their implications.

Test Tube - never formed a parental bond.

Took baby from womb/Fake miscarriage - never formed a parental bond.

Faked death post birth - they figured out how to break the forming bond.

When they finally meet, they don't have time to form a parental bond before the time stream incident...

But there's the thing. Dick stepped up and as much as he claimed the position of older brother, Damien's instincts labeled him a something stronger.

So when Bruce comes back? He tries but he's also not fighting how close Damien is to Dick.

Like, if you think about it, of all the members, Damien should have the easiest time bonding, but he doesn't.

Because Dick and Damien strongly trauma bonded when he was dead.

Because Bruce is a born martyr.

Because the Batkids always go to Dick when they're angry with Bruce.

Because Bruce and Dick, despite being the strongest partners in the super world, somehow always end up fighting.

I think i lost my train of thought....

I have so many ideas for Damian dying as a baby they're increasinly fucked up and I want to torture Bruce with all of them

And how about a really patriarchal omegaverse? Alphas are at the top of the food chain, followed by betas, and omegas are incredibly oppressed.

Even in progressive societies alphas still dominate.

Damian's insticts didn't exactly take Dick on as a parent, but he did take Dick on as Alpha. And Dick is the Pack Alpha, defaulted to that position upon presenting and earning it in dominance fights with his siblings, that isn't how it would've been without the time stream. Damian would be under Bruce's purview, would 'report' to him, and Bruce would be under Dick's, subject to his authority, but Damian would be his.

Now, Dick is the authority for Damian, and Bruce, as the Pack Omega, has no authority in comparison. Even when Damian returns to Bruce's custody, instincts aren't so easily erased, and Bruce finds himself consistenlty (both deliberately and accidentally) undermined by his eldest and youngest son.

The others do realise, and everyone does their best to mitigate that, the two of them included, but the kids haven't noticed that Bruce is oppressed. That he exists in oppression even within his own home, nearly powerless despite being the patriarch of the family, and has been for years by default.

And one day, Bruce snaps. Something small, innocuous, Damian is grounded and Dick waves his hand and undoes Bruce punishment during family dinner, and he snaps. A final straw, gone, done, crushed under the weight of a thousand other things.

He stands abruptly, his chair screeches back, and the whole room turns to look at him, brows raised, teases on the tips of their tongues, and all of that falters when he grabs Dick by his scruff and drags him out of the patio doors.

There's a moment of silence, then they're shouting, scrambling to chase after the two of them, and run to catch up to where Dick is trying to twist out of Bruce's grip without hurting either of them.

Bruce tosses him down onto the grass, and Dick rolls to his feet, growling, demanding to know what the hell Bruce is doing when Bruce snarls, and all of them go quiet.

"I'm not going to fight you, Bruce," Dick scoffs nervously. "Behave yourself, let's go back inside."

Bruce tosses aside his suit jacket, and rolls up his sleeves. "You accept the challenge, Dick," he says coolly, eyes ablaze, "or I make you."

"Bruce, less than 5% of dominance fights are won by omegas," Tim butts in.

"Maybe rethink this, boss."

Bruce doesn't even look at them, keeping his eyes on Dick as his claws unsheath, and he flexes them theateningly. Dick scoffs and stands, raising his fists. "Fine. I accept your challenge," he announces, and throws himself at Bruce.

The others are forced to watch on the sidelines as the two of them pummel each other. They want to intervene, for the sake of both sides, but it is forbidden to enter an ongoing challenge fight, unless you want the person you try to help be killed by automatic forfeit.

It takes an agonisingly long time for Bruce to slam Dick into the grass, arms pinned behind him, legs trapped under Bruce's own, a hand on the back of his neck, claws curling in to pierce the delicate skin of his throat. He can't even thrash, or he'll impale himself on the razor-sharp points. Instead, he just pants into the grass, and Bruce leans over him, growling.

"This is not your pack anymore, it's mine. I expect you to act accordingly. I wouldn't want to have to teach you this lesson again."

"I cede," Dick whispers, and Bruce moves off him, leaving him in the grass.

"What the fuck was that, Bruce?!" Jason yells, as Tim and Steph race to help Dick up.

Bruce wipes the blood at his mouth, and shrugs with faux apathy. "I'm sick of some pup to big for his breeches stealing my children out from under me."

"Richard didn't—" Damian clamps his jaw shut when Bruce rounds on him, eyes aflame, and steps back, baring his neck.

"Name the last time any of you let me act like a parent to you." Cass opens her mouth, then closes it, and Bruce sighs. "Mhm. Even you, Cassie. Now that I lead this pack, we'll see if I finally get the respect I deserve, or if you will finally admit you don't think anything an omega like me gets that."

"For god's sake, Bruce, of course we respect you."

"Look at yourself, Dick." They all glance over to him, then back at Bruce. "Now look at me," he whispers, voice breaking, and raises his arm, bent abnormally. "I still, after everything, during a dominance fight, still did my best not to hurt you. Can you say the same? It doesn't feel like respect to me. It certainly doesn't feel like love."

The group says nothing, and Bruce nods, and sniffs. "You can be Pack Alpha, Dick, I really don't care. But let me have my fucking kids, please. I haven't even bonded with Damian, he was torn from my womb before I could even meet him. Then Tim brings me back, and you undermine my every move. I am his father in no more than name. I can't even say anything about the rest of you."

He rubs his face, and grits his jaw, looking out to the horizon with wet eyes.

"Just. Admit you don't want to be my pups. Stop leading me on then turning to anyone but me. At least give me that."

He turns and trudges off, limping slowly back to the manor, leaving them in an aching silence.

And when the bat kids try to fight Bruce because they’re being replaced, the reincarnated kid defends and argue back, hitting sore points and essentially splashing cold water onto their face.