inject the dynamic duo 2.0 into my veins

she/he | adult | occasional jondami 🦇chronic enjoyer of most things Damian🐥

[hualianisms]

verified ways to donate to gaza directly

Help a Palestinian family directly:

gazafunds.com - Donate directly to a Palestinian family in urgent need of evacuation, medical attention, daily necessities, rebuilding homes, rebuilding businesses or more. Site run by Palestinians, all GFMs verified (full list here). Spotlights 1 stagnant GFM at a time. (*If you can't decide who/where to donate, just go to gazafunds.com & donate to the 1 GFM they show you!)

masterlist of 200+ verified Palestinian GFMs: Operation Olive Branch

Help provide tents: (*emergency as Rafah is being bombarded as we speak)

The Sameer Project: Currently providing tents & transport for families in Rafah who urgently need to evacuate to Deir Al Balah. Has a team on the ground in Gaza who have supplied tents to 1% of the displaced population in Rafah. Run by Palestinians. (paypal) (gfm)

@helpgazachildren: Currently helping Palestinians in a refugee camp in Rafah flee the Rafah invasion to Khan Younis. Funds go directly to Hussam, a Palestinian in Rafah who hosts a refugee camp. Funds will cover the cost of tents & transport fuel. Managed by a Palestinian @.fairuzfan. (gfm)

Food, cash & essentials:

Care for Gaza: Palestinian charity on the ground in Gaza distributing food, cash, medicine & other essentials to displaced families. Proof of their work found on their Twitter. (paypal) (gfm)

We Feed Gaza: Team of Palestinian volunteers in the heart of Gaza distributing food & water to 344+ families. 100% run by Palestinians. Vetted & promoted by LetsTalkPalestine. (gfm)

Direct Aid for Gaza: A Palestinian activist on the ground in Gaza distributing food, cash & other essential supplies to displaced families. Proof of their work found on their twitter. (paypal) (gfm)

Water (*only 2 weeks left to donate!):

Gaza Municipality's water campaign: The official Municipality of Gaza needs help rebuilding the water infrastructure in Gaza City to restore access to clean water & waste management services for the people of Gaza.

eSIMs:

guide to buy & send esims to gaza (highly needed, esim supply very low)

Crips for eSims for Gaza: If you don't know how to buy esims, don't have enough $ for an esim plan, or don't have the capacity to manage them (e.g. topping up regularly), you can donate any amt to this team of volunteers who pool funds to buy & maintain gaza esims regularly (see their financial accountability document).

Medical Aid:

Gaza Wound Care (urgent): Palestinian doctors in central Gaza treating injured/sick children & mothers in neglected displacement camps far from hospitals. Facing a severe shortage of medicines, medical equipment, and supplies. They need funds for their current campaign to battle infectious diseases in refugee camps. (paypal) (gogetfunding) (gfm)

international charities: Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Medical Aid for Palestinians

[hualianisms]

updated 3/6/2024 with Gaza Wound Care & We Feed Gaza. I wanted to focus on Palestinian-run grassroots initiatives that will actually reach Gazans on the ground, so all of these except Crips for eSIMs, PCRF, PRCS and MAP are by Palestinians. i have verified them but please feel free to do your own vets for your peace of mind.

Remember small donations really do add up. Any amount counts, even $1!

Other ways to help:

Share & amplify Palestinian fundraisers in your online & irl circles.

Organize/help with an irl/online event to raise funds for Palestine

Boycott

Get involved with a protest/strike/direct action in your area

Contact your reps

Educate yourself & others both irl & online

(you can even adopt 1 fundraiser campaign to regularly boost it & make materials promoting it online, or print posters/flyers about Palestinian fundraisers to encourage others to donate. (poster/graphic about gazafunds.com: here, flyers about esims: here, flyers about gazafamilyfunds: here)

(longer masterpost of all ways you can help)

[arkhamochi]

Batman & Robin (2009, vol. 3) #ochireads [PART 2]

This is PART 2 of #ochireads Batman & Robin Must Die! You can read PART 1 here.

[4 minute read]

OVERVIEW:

I am so rusty with this project (my last B&R analysis was in February 2025 💀) that I completely forgot this "overview" section is actually to summarise my thoughts about the arc and it's Damian representation! I completely forgot the template I, myself, completely made up. Anyway, back in 2025 I had made the note that Damian does not have a significant role in this arc, which is a bold face like (??? why did i think that???). I do remember being a little burnt out, struggling to find and read all the preceding plot events in Batman to try and understand the context of the Black Glove, which felt like a massive chore. I'm actually really glad that I took this big break to return to B&R, because this arc has actually been really fun, with a lot of great Damian quips that show off his personality. We also start to feel the payoff with our Dynamic Duo 2.0 being so much more in sync than before. Damian is really understanding what it means to be Robin (for himself and how he is supposed to be there for Batman). As Morrison's last hurrah with Batman & Robin, it's a fun arc with what feels like truly high stakes!

Let us begin with some more gorgeous art by Irving!

It hasn't really been relevant to mention, but throughout this arv, Professor Pyg has also been here 🐷, which further validates my belief that Pyg should be an official rogue for Damian/Dick. Wouldn't that be so fun!!!

oh 😳!!!!!

Anyway, add "bomb diffusion" to the list of Damian's skill set. It's almost like he came out of a box with a bat-sidekick software update pre-installed. A pre-trained working dog from a pedigree breeder. Bruce certainly seems to appreciate Damian's elite upbringing now (he's gone to beat the Joker to a pulp btw).

INCREDIBLE Damian face here btw. Now with fake-Thomas and Joker defeated, and Bruce returned, life can go back to normal... But what happens to Batman and Robin!?

Batman Incorporated is what happens.

For context, "Batman Incorporated is a global organisation publicly funded by billionaire Bruce Wayne [...] Their mission is to turn Batman's crime-fighting agenda and ideology into a world-wide presence." [x]

If that sounds stupid to you... yeah, it is. I'll hold off my full opinions about it for now EXCEPT ☝️ for the fact I think Bruce's new suit in this era is SUPER UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last story in this volume is unrelated to the Black Glove event, kinda like filler before the next big arc. Here we go!

Batman: The Return: Planet Gotham (Grant MORRISON & David FINCH)

Indeed, what about Batman and Robin! Damian is so worried about it, he really is convinced there's a chance that he will have Robin stripped from him :(

But nevermind that, it's take-your-kid-to-work day! (will I be archiving all the -tt-? maybe...)

Our first go at a Damian-Bruce team up, finally! I know it's probably better done off screen, but I would love to know all the glowing things Dick has said about Damian to Bruce. I'm glad to see Damian is repaying that by throwing Dick under the bus-- he's just ALL RIGHT?

I'm not too pressed in believing that Dick and Damian's relationship isn't that strong yet, and/or Damian is so much more eager to prove himself to his father. After all, Damian won't ever feel secure until he gets Bruce's blessing (and even then, there will be insecurity, still).

As much as we love the Dynamic Duo 2.0, Dick's words will never hold a candle to Bruce's validation.

OH MY GOD DAMIAN!!! If this really is a test, you can't afford to be acting like a diva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did NOT know Heretic showed up here, my jaw literally dropped. Ok, this is definitely not considered filler anymore. If you know who Heretic is then 👀! but if not, he will return in a later arc.

I did skip a few pages, but there isn't really any missing context. Damian really just jump suddenly to finding Heretic in this tucked away chamber. I wonder what compelled him to separate from Batman in the first place? Did he hear/see something? Was he intrinsically pulled towards this strange figure?

How convenient that they are wearing mecha robo suits to hide the fact that Damian is crying behind the helmet.

I am fascinated by Damian's desperate desire for his father's attention, but as soon as his ego gets bruised, he's very quick to snap and push away. He must know that acting this way will not get him into Bruce's good graces, but he just cannot handle being criticised. What a brat /affectionate

I was also very pleasantly surprised that Morrison decided to continue the Dick & Damian team up (thanks to Batman Inc.)! Before this, I was seriously convinced that the Dickbats era would be cut surprisingly short, before his relationship with Damian could really blossom into what fans praise today (but maybe not? Maybe all the Dick & Damian content is fan made! This is what I want to find out). I'm glad to find out it's not the case!

And there you have it, Batman & Robin will never die, all summed up in this one page! It's a little rushed for my liking, but I'm excited to see the payoff!

Anyone else have favourite moments to share? Personal analysis and thoughts? Let's talk about it 🥰!

[hellofriendhawke]

Home is where I want to be Pick me up and turn me round I feel numb, born with a weak heart I guess I must be having fun (this must be the place (naive melody) - talking heads, 1983)

I have a weakness for the Dick, Stephanie, and Damian trio. I imagine it must be bittersweet for Damian to find a family within strangers.

[arkhamochi]

Batman & Robin (2009, vol. 3) #ochireads [PART 1]

BATMAN (& ROBIN) MUST DIE By Grant MORRISON & Frazer IRVING

"On the eve of Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City, the new Batman and Robin team that battled crime during his absence must deal with the deadly return of The Joker. Then, Grant Morrison connects BATMAN & ROBIN with the best-selling THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE for the climactic showdown between Batman and The Black Glove." [x]

DISCLAIMER: This retrospective may assume that you have a baseline knowledge of some of these arcs. Remember, this is all in the spirit of friendly story analysis and healthy discussion! All opinions are my own.

OVERVIEW:

This volume ties-in with the "Black Glove" event that is somewhat required reading, which I desperately tried to do (twice!) but I still barely understand the plot, so apologies for the lack of context. All you need to know is that there is a new crime syndicate (?) called the Black Glove that is taking over Gotham, lead by a man impersonating Thomas Wayne (and using some Wayne occultism to do it?). Joker is also here (as an independent)???

REACTION COMMENTARY: (8 minute read)

Oh my god... I had most my commentary for this volume done before Tumblr glitched out and erased a whole day of progress... Alas, I must persevere...

(cute...) The majority of this B&R is illustrated by Frazer Irving, who has a very unique style, with a really beautiful colour journey, that serves the many dramatic moments in this arc. I also think Irving is quite successful in drawing Damian true to his age; it looks very endearing!

I love the "outsider perspective" trope, so it's fun to see Damian meet the notorious Joker for the first time, with his typical bravado. Everyone else (including the reader) knows what a threat Joker is, but Damian isn't impressed!

Unrelated to B&R for a moment, but I've always adored the friendship between Bruceman and Gordon. This is such a fleeting moment of Gordon showing his hand (and trust), and they both play it graciously. So wistful, so tasteful, just mwah! Well played, Morrison.

Meanwhile, Robin stays back with the police and-- uh oh!

"I'm not like the others 💅"

Fucking iconic. It really speaks for itself, but! I'm still gonna share my unsolicited commentary anyway.

As for tropes that I hate, it's when a supposedly competent and intelligent character gets easily manipulated by throwing away all caution (just for the sake of plot convenience). So kudos to Damian for actively resisting against that convenience in search for an answer that would be logically satisfying to him. Damian might be a brat, but at least he's not a schmuck!

Damian's "otherness" is hugely important to me as a core part of his whole ethos; that, in juxtaposition to the expectations that goes into playing the role of Boy Wonder, will never get old. He's definitely more mellowed out and mature in contemporary time, but I do love/miss when Damian was a little bit unhinged!

Related to his otherness is how damn serious he is 😾! Damian's no-nonsense attitude leaves no room for Joker's playful antics. Joker even notices it-- "you sound just like him..." which is a nice little crumb of father-son parallel in a run where the narrative hasn't yet been able to explore that "nature vs nurture" dynamic, due to Bruce... y'know... (makes explosion sound).

ALTHOUGH I find it hard to believe Bruce would actually threaten in such a juvenile way as Damian does ("Chaos is not being able to go to the toilet without help"?? that barely makes any sense lol)

OH MY GOD, THE CROWBAR. See, Damian can be funny, if you count irony as a type of joke, right? It's much more likely that the crowbar was written in for shock and spectacle, but in the probable case that Damian likely did some sleuthing on all the previous Robins, it's not unreasonable to assume that he was affected enough by Jason's file that he wanted justice against the Joker, and this is his version of it.

I wonder what the fan reactions to this would have been at the time. I'm sure there weren't any complaints about Damian's violence streak here, huh?!

Unfortunately, Damian gets jokerised, as a much deserved consequence to his arrogance. Rookie mistake, kid!

Joker reveals his plan to use Robin (and Batman) as a pawn in his war again Black Glove. Robin reluctantly goes along with it, only so he reunite with Batman (who is currently dealing with Black Glove already).

How the tables turn! In another parallel (both in Bruce-Joker dynamic and Bruce-Damian similarities), we see a familiar push-pull where Joke's playful antics makes no room for Damian's no-nonsense attitude. I'm sure Joker is very entertained by this substitute, easily rage baited, mini Batman.

PLONK! It's revealed soon after this scene that Batman and Robin secretly (and knowingly) have an ace up their sleeves, so in hindsight, Damian could just be acting here, but let's all just pretend it's sincere, hold hands, and bask in the humility for a few seco-- OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding. How plot convenient for Dick that the Black Glove is gracious enough to not just kill him, because they need a conveniently-robin-shaped child sacrifice.

Again, Batman and Robin secretly have the whole situation under control, which is unfortunate because Damian isn't actually put in a real position of having the choice to perform a selfless act, that would otherwise have been a huge cornerstone in his early character arc. Maybe it's my bias, but I don't think it's far-fetched to believe that, if this was a gravely dire situation, Damian would have definitely sacrificed himself to save Dick (as has been their dynamic as established in Battle for the Cowl (2009)).

Somehow, Bruce has returned! Is this the end for our Dynamic Duo 2.0!?

"Is that Damian in a Robin costume?"

hoooo boy, there's gonna be a lot to unpack 😬... The pencils for these last few chapters is credited as Cameron Stewart and Chris Burnham (though I'm not confident which pages belong to who, sorry).

I want to take a moment here to highlight this fun action sequence, with Damian using the weapon of Robin's namesake-- a bow and arrow! A nice little nod to show everything falling into place, with Dick also going back to using escrima sticks now that Bruce is back.

Wow, praise from Bruce! Very interesting that Damian calls him "sir" here (twice!!), when he called him "father" just moments before. It could be Damian wanting to show how seriously he is taking the role of Robin, but the "sir" title also creates distance and a boundary. Getting cold feet, Damian?

How convenient that the sprinklers are on to hide the fact the Damian is crying behind the mask-- HAHAHA I just made that up, but can you imagine? It's fun to pretend; this is the joy of media analysis!

[End of PART 1]

Oh my god, I hit the 30 image limit on Tumblr. I didn't realise this was such a massive arc (it keeps going)! But maybe this is a good sign to take a break-- I'll retroactively link PART 2 here when it's ready!

Anyone else have favourite moments to share? Personal analysis and thoughts? Let's talk about it 🥰!

[arkhamochi]

Battle for the Cowl (2009)

an #ochireads supplement

The commentary for Batman & Robin (2009, vol. 3) WAS well on the way, but an auto-save glitch cost me hours of progress, so I kinda can't bare to look at it anymore.

HOWEVER, during it I suddenly remembered Battle of the Cowl (2009), which had some very minor Damian (and Dick) moments.

First of all, the plot for this is a damn mess. This is the kind of story that gets concocted for a Fortnite promotion, so in other words, we are largely going to ignore the story in its entirety.

I believe this event was the next major one after Damian's debut, so his characterisation still isn't quite established. Similarly to The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul (2007) arc, which was bounced between multiple writers, anyone who wasn't Morrison didn't know quite what to do with Damian, so we get a lot of weird and interesting interpretations of the character. However, this might be the most off-brand characterisation of Damian I've ever seen so-far.

Battle of the Cowl's writer (and artist), Tony Daniel, has a more childish take on Damian. A kid who is awkward, inexperienced, blatantly fearful, and stutters during confrontation.

I can't clearly pin when it caught on that Damian usually refers to people by their last name (I at least recall Alfred being called "Pennyworth" in B&R 2009), but it is notable that Damian here uses "Dick" instead of "Grayson", or even "Richard". It feels wrong hahaha

WOW Jason straight up shoots Damian in front of Dick! Do you think any of this is still canon??? Do you think the boys ever bring this up again? Do you think Damian holds this over Jason's head to win arguments?

This comic is somewhat redeemed by establishing Dick’s sense of responsibility toward Damian, not for any obligation other than because Damian is a child who deserves to be protected.

And, just as importantly, Damian is conscious during this pivotal moment of witnessing Dick spiritually step into the role of the Batman, and what it actually encompasses and means. In a sense, by doing this, Dick has also taken on the ownership of being the subject of Damian's existing veneration for Batman (as a hero and a father figure).

Once again, some really interesting and strange early ideas of Damian's personality. Calling Alfred... "Alfred"? Or even "Al"? Misogynistic remarks, which get reprimanded by a reference to Damian's mother, which is so odd because Damian is well aware of his Mother and her capability!

Catches you!!! For some reason, in my memory Damian played a much lesser role in Battle for the Cowl that I didn't even bother to make a commentary about it at the time. But I'm glad I returned to it, because he's actually quite important to Dickbat's genesis (ignoring all the... writing inconsistencies).

And there you have it! The next generation of Batman & Robin! Fans must have been pissed at this reveal lol.

I might be gaslighting myself, but I can't clearly recall if there was a specific comic/issue that shows Dick giving his blessing to Damian to become his Robin... I've only heard about a scene like that being written, but not sure if I've actually ever seen it! Please let me know if you know!

Anyone else have favourite moments to share? Personal analysis and thoughts? Let's talk about it 🥰!

[casscainmainly]

Every Time Duke & Damian Are On Panel Together After Robin War

Let's examine the scraps together... only counting whole Batfam/group panels if they're positioned close to each other!!! Also only mainline stuff included here :)

Batman (2016) #33 (this is one of the only times they talk after Robin War but this is garbage worst interaction ever 0/10 don't read it)

Batman & The Signal #1 (in Duke's dream! Damian's opinion is soo important to Duke)

Batman (2016) #71 (cuties standing together watching Bruce hit Tim)

Superman (2018) #19 (they're not standing together but I made an exception because they're the only Batkids here... they came together 🥹🥹🥹🥹)

Superman: Heroes (another exception because ONCE AGAIN they're the only two Batkids in this group they really are inseparable...)

Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Green Lantern construct BUT let me have this OKAY this period of time was so Duke & Damian dry....)

Batman (2016) #136 (SETTING THE TABLE TOGETHER LIKE BROTHERS)

Batman: The Brave and The Bold (2023) #4 (cutiesssss and Bruce is only imagining Duke in the WAR outfit but I love it sm... the era Duke met Damian innnnn)

Batman (2016) #149 (THEY CAME TOGETHERRRR they hang out all the time #canon #confirmed. also Damian's Naruto shirt is so cute)

Batman (2025) #9 (Duke asking Damian for backup :)))))))

Batman (2025) #10 (Duke does NOTTTT text like that #notcanon but... at least we know Damian & Duke text each other...)

And that's it as far as I can tell 😭😭😭 if anyone else has any moments PLEASE share... DC you're fumbling the relationship of all time....

[hood-ex]

"He's growing on me."

Bruce still doesn't like this kid.

Batman #12

"I love you BUT..."

Detective Comics #1032

[arkcael]

for any last minute purchases, there's roughly 48 hours left to grab anything before they're gone on august 9! as usual, thank you for the support so far :)

shop link here

[batbabydamian]

merch haul from arkcael!! it feels like a fruits basket of goodies, and the second pic are freebies! 🥲

they’re having a final closing sale at their shop:

arkcael

bits of dc/batboys and other "niches" that i like

[namura018]

A bit late but happy 20th aniversary to Damiannn!!!

[arkcael]

SHOP CLOSING SALE (July 11 - August 9)

It's not an insane amount or variety of merch (there are some new stickers and charms up), but hoping to clear out as much inventory with this closing sale. The actual last chance for everything, it was a good run to make/sell merch in-person and online for the past year!! 😴{SHOP LINK HERE}🐛

Again, a ginormous thank you to everyone who has supported so far 💕

[arkcael]

damian's (fabulous) first day in another timeline [hsm 2 crossed batkids ft. superboys]

[arkcael]

still damian's (fabulous) first day

[three-semicolons]

My brothers.

Damian will return in Nightwing #143. Rejoice, I say. Rejoice.

They yearn for each other

They complete each other

They’re GOOBERS together

They even. They even have the same smirk.

MY BOYS.

[ckalaveram]

HAPPY 20TH DAMIAN ANNIVERSARY

||hiding behind masks||

[gotham-snark]

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY, DAMIAN!

Brb, just drawing a summoning circle to get Pat Gleason back on a Damian book

[batbabydamian]

💚 HAPPY DAMIAN DAY!! 💚

celebrating 20 years since Damian’s first appearance in Batman #655 with one of my first pieces of art of him!