Obsessed with how Jean Paul referred to Dick as, "The heir to the throne and the slighted prince" before he dragged Dick over the ledge of a balcony and tried to drown him in the river below.
I hope the families of the deceased brings civil suits that won’t let Kyle Rittenhouse escape the horrors that he brought upon himself and so many others when the seventeen year old thought he’d be a white badass with an assault rifle to a protest march for a murdered black man.
As an Asian person I am beyond the moon that Tim and Dick are being played by Asian actors.
I’ve been holding back on talking about the race stuff because I have always wanted this tumblr to be just for appreciating the Batfamily and comics but it seems like maybe it’s time to speak up.
I just want to start out by saying Comics are so American and there’s so much history with racism and everything that I will not explain fully or as well as other people probably will but I’ll try to explain as best I can.
The DC fandom is my first American fandom actually so I found it really interesting how the fandom acted about racial issues.
I find it so funny how fandom loves to discuss how Tim being Asian would be ‘racist’ just because Tim is smart but people who headcanon Jason being Hispanic or Kon-el being Black aren’t ever called out even though it could also be racial profiling. I’m not saying I hate these headcanons and I’m not saying people should stop their headcanons but I’m just saying it’s pretty funny.
I honestly am not a big fan or race-bending characters. I am a bit disappointed that Dick is Romani and they cast an Asian actor instead. At the same time I feel like if they had to choose another race for Dick it’s fitting. I mean they’ve already cast a White actor before and there wasn’t that much backlash with Dick being White. I know Dick didn’t start off Romani but still. Everyone was fine with a White guy playing Dick in Titans. Even me if I’m being honest. I was ultimately fine with it.
But you guys are going to speak up because Dick is Asian now? Tim is Asian now? Asian is just too much? I’m just saying.
I always want to be objective but at the same time I acknowledge that I can’t really be because as an Asian person with Dick as my favorite Bat and Tim as my second I have to say I feel really good about Dick and Tim being played by Asian actors. I really like it and it’s just something that I would have never asked for but it’s just a pleasant surprise. Dick? Everyone’s favorite Dick? Tim? Everyone’s favorite Tim? Being Asian? I would never even dream of or ask for one but it’s both and it feels unreal and so GOOD.
(Also another hot take while I’m talking about race, why don’t we just acknowledge that Damian is 1/2 Arabic and Chinese and 1/2 whatever Bruce is White or Jewish. Yes, Damian is canonically part Asian. And something I do feel strongly about is that fandom is so weird not allowing Damian to be mixed. As if he needs to disown his White half and be full Arabic. There’s a difference between being white washed and acknowledging yourself as mixed. Let mixed kids be mixed. The excessiveness that Damian is only Arabic does a disservice to mixed kids who could find kinship with Damian)
Again these are just my opinions and my feelings on the matters. Also a reminder that there are a lot of young people and kids in fandom too and a lot of people are at different places in their journey of self discovery, dealing with racism and self identity in America so it makes these conversation about race so difficult to have sometimes.
Today is National Dog Day (26 August) and to commemorate this wonderful day, I thought I would do a photoset of the many dogs of the Bat Family that they have adopted for a period of time and their humans.
Ace/Bat-Hound: As the sole survivor of dogs that was trained by the Joker as attack dogs. Alfred Pennyworth adopted and trained it. Months later, Ace was successfully trained and formally adopted by Bruce Wayne. (Center)
Cardigan: Technically not the dog of Tim Drake’s, but he did bond with the dog because he was the only thing on Brentwood Academy who knew his secret identity as Robin. So, to placate the dog, Tim befriends him and Cardigan even helped on a few missions. (Lower Left)
Dog: Rescued by Jason Todd as Red Hood from Hierve El Agua Prison. She was his guard dog throughout the mission at the prison and was eventually relocated to Gotham City and was his dog for some time. (Upper Right)
Haley/Bite-Wing: Rescued by Dick Grayson as Nightwing from being abused and killed by thugs. This stray was meant to stay the night before going to the shelter in the morning, but was adopted by Dick Grayson, who rescued her. (Upper Left)
Titus: Gifted by his father in hopes to bond with his son. At first Damian Wayne rejects the Great Dane, but eventually bonds with the dog and names him Titus, after the Shakespearian character, Titus Andronicus. (Lower Right)
Related Post:
A Dog and His Boy (National Dog Day, 2017)
Image Source:
Batman and Robin (Vol. 2) #15 by Patrick Gleason (Lower Right)
Detective Comics #1009 by Christian Duce (Center)
Nightwing (Vol. 3) #80 by Bruno Redondo (Upper Left)
Hii i love your Dick and Tim series and I love them too, I’m not sure if u take requests, but it would be so nice if you could fine times where Dick and Tim referred to each other as brothers. Or maybe Dick calling tim little brother ( I’m a sucker for that)
Top 10 Moments of Dick and Tim Being Brothers
Thank you for this delightful ask, wonderful person, I get emotional about this too. ❤ Let's do this! Here are some of my favorite moments through the years of Dick and Tim getting called brothers.
(in chronological order b/c I’m a nerd & also b/c it lets us save the best for last)
1. “He’s family. The closest thing to a brother I’ll ever have.” (Nightwing 6)
Dick and Tim have been getting increasingly closer over time, but this is a milestone: the first time Dick describes Tim as family.
In this comic, Tim is Dick’s first visitor in Blüdhaven, and at first Dick’s a bit suspicious, wondering if Bruce sent him to spy. But nope: Tim came on his own, and he insists he’s not going to say anything to Bruce if Dick doesn’t want him to. This is a big deal to Dick, whose relationship with Bruce is still rocky.
(I consider this agreement a key moment in their relationship. You can’t become honorary brothers until you’ve agreed on the key rule of brotherhood: no tattling!)
Later that day, when Tim gets caught in an ambush by mobsters, Dick tears through a bunch of enemies to save him, and thinks about how Tim’s like a brother to him.
2. “Got a friend visiting.” "Anyone I know?" “Little brother." (Secret Origins 80-Page Giant)
This is the first time Dick calls Tim his little brother!
By this time, Tim’s regularly visiting Blüdhaven, and Dick and Tim have gotten very close outside the masks. Tim is best man at Dick’s fake wedding, Dick tells Tim about his plan to infiltrate the police, Tim confides about his new girlfriend and her pregnancy, etc.
(You know they’re really becoming siblings, though, because they both have judgy opinions about each other’s relationship choices.)
In this comic, Tim’s hanging out in Dick’s apartment when Babs calls. She doesn't yet know Robin's secret identity, so when she asks if anyone's there, Dick first tells her it's a friend... and then says it’s his little brother. Well then, Babs says, she's got a case! Dick asks if Tim’s got his uniform with him, Tim says yes, and they head out as Nightwing and Robin.
3. “Guess I forgot about my other family.” (DCU Holiday Bash 3)
A little while later, Tim’s alone at Christmas - his dad and stepmom are in Chicago - and he’s feeling lonely. Then he gets an urgent message saying to come to the Clocktower at once for a mission. Tim hurries over...
...but when he gets there, it turns out it’s a surprise holiday party! (”Christmas for loners,” Babs says.) Tim realizes that he’d forgotten about his other family.
(The prank urgent-message was Dick’s idea. “Told you he’d fall for it,” he says cheerfully. This is not the last time that Dick will pull a prank on Tim. Simultaneously the best and worst older brother ever!)
More brotherly bonding below the cut...
4. “I was hoping to snag you, little Robin. But I’m just as happy with your big brother.” (Detective Comics 729)
A bit later, things are falling apart: Bruce is AWOL, post-earthquake Gotham City is about to be declared a No Man’s Land, the last bridge will be blown up in 45 minutes, and Dick and Tim are on their own desperately trying to defend Gotham from the villains who are already taking it over.
Dick protects Tim from an attempted kidnapping attempt - but in the process, he’s knocked out and captured himself! Gearhead tells Tim that he’s happy to kidnap Tim’s big brother instead. Tim’s not okay with that.
Tim’s on his own and on the clock, but he manages to track down Gearhead and rescue Dick by masquerading as Batman. Dick and Tim escape together and dive into the water just in time, as the last bridge in Gotham explodes.
5. “Are you as devoted to the well-being of your little brother?” (Gotham Knights 10)
(Answer: yes, yes he is.)
No Man’s Land has come and gone, Bruce is back, and Dick and Tim are closer than ever. This panel is from the Transference arc, one of my all-time favorite Dick and Tim stories. It features: Dick picking Tim up from school on his bike! Affectionate bullying! Tag! Popcorn! Tim talking Dick down from a panic attack!
Here, Dick tackles Tim to protect him from Hugo Strange’s bomb.
By now, Dick and Tim’s brotherly bond is firmly established. Tim’s constantly in Blüdhaven, they regularly call each other for help, and they both know more about each other’s personal lives than even their closest friends do (Steph and Young Justice still don’t know Tim’s real name; the Titans only visited Blüdhaven for the first time after the end of No Man’s Land; both teams are currently kinda suspicious of Dick and Tim because of Bruce’s secret JLA files; etc. etc.).
But their relationship is about to be tested.
6. “We’ve all been through a lot, big brother.” (Gotham Knights 33)
When Bruce is accused of murder and refuses to explain himself, Tim and Dick have a fight: Tim thinks he might be guilty, and Dick’s upset that Tim could even consider the possibility.
(Their different attitudes reflect their current relationships with Bruce: Dick recently got adopted and is feeling especially defensive of Bruce, whereas Tim just had a huge fight with Bruce for telling Steph his secret identity.)
As it turns out, Bruce is innocent...but Tim’s still angry at him for keeping secrets. (By contrast, Dick and Tim patched up their fight quickly.)
In this panel, Tim grumbles about Bruce to his big brother, who then scolds Bruce on his behalf.
7. “We go to baseball games together. We’re like brothers.” (Gotham Knights 45)
Some time later, a suspicious social worker is asking questions about Bruce Wayne, trying to figure out if Bruce was to blame for Jason’s death. Bruce doesn’t show up in time for the appointment, so at first Dick and Tim get interviewed instead. When asked about Dick, Tim says they’re “like brothers.”
(Dick and Tim’s connection to baseball games is a longstanding one! Dick’s parents were planning to take him to a baseball game on the day they died; Tim first invited Dick to a baseball game shortly after the end of Prodigal; and when Dick and Tim hang out in Secret Origins, Tim’s wearing a Gotham Knights T-shirt - the name of the baseball team.)
8. “Stay focused, little brother.” (Batman 631)
The next panels may look grim and serious - and they are - but they’re also secretly really, really touching.
In order to get how touching it is, you need a bit of background, because a lot has happened since the last comic, and Tim’s been seriously doubting his connection to the Batfamily. He worries that if he quits Robin, Bruce and “even Dick” will never talk to him again (Robin 120). Then his father finds his Robin costume, Tim is forced to quit, and just as he feared, Bruce stops talking to him. (So does Steph - he finds out she’s become the new Robin from the newspaper.)
Then Tim’s school gets shot up. Bruce is sure he’s fine, but Dick’s panicked about his safety. Dick sneaks into Tim’s school to find him, protect him, and bring him weapons.
When Dick finds Tim, he calls not-currently-Robin Tim “little brother.”
Imagine how much it must mean to Tim, who’s been mostly convinced he lost all his ties to the Batfamily as soon as he lost Robin, to have Dick come and find him, and then to hear that old nickname after all this time not talking to anyone. Imagine how horrified Dick must be when he hears about the school shooting, especially since Dick’s own life is in shambles - Blockbuster has murdered almost everyone Dick knows in the past week. Imagine what a relief it is to discover that Tim’s okay.
(Of course, this is just a temporary reprieve. After this, they both go through even more trauma. It’s a bleak time in DC comics.)
8. “Having to fight the brother I came to rescue? Priceless.” (Resurrection of Ra’s al-Ghul)
This panel requires a recap too, because a lot of things happen after the school shooting (Dick goes into a shame-spiral and joins the mob! the Red Hood appears for the first time!), but the most important for Dick and Tim’s brotherhood is this: Tim’s dad is killed, making Tim an orphan.
Tim turns down Bruce’s first offer of adoption, partly because he blames Bruce for Steph’s death, and partly because he’s worried Dick wouldn’t like it. Instead, Tim moves to Blüdhaven with a fake uncle. But after Blüdhaven blows up - and Bruce and Dick and Tim take a round-the-world family trip together - Bruce offers again, and Tim says yes. So after years of being brothers in spirit, Dick and Tim are now legally brothers!
Immediately after Tim gets adopted, though (the very next issue), Bruce discovers he has a biological son. And then Ra’s al-Ghul gets involved. Ra’s kidnaps Tim and Damian, and tries to win Tim to his side: Bruce will inevitably abandon you and replace you with Damian, Ra’s says, but I can be your mentor instead. Tim says no at first, but he’s tempted by the offer of the Lazarus Pit.
So when Dick arrives to rescue Tim, he discovers that Ra’s has tempted him into trying to resurrect his dad, girlfriend, and best friend. Dick drops from above to try to stop him, and they battle it out.
Don’t worry, though - in the end, Dick stops fighting, Tim gives in, and they do hug it out. Aww. Brotherly love reestablished.
9. “Nightwing...Dick...thanks for the present. It means a lot.” “Don’t get any stains on it. - Your big brother” (DCU Holiday Special 2009)
Now it’s Christmas Eve - the anniversary of the day Tim’s mom died. Tim’s gone to the cinema to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, his dad’s favorite movie. Dick finds Tim at the cinema and gives him a gift: one of Dick’s old Robin costumes with the original red-and-green design. Tim’s really touched.
This is the calm before the storm, though: this comic came out one month before Battle for the Cowl, when Dick and Tim’s relationship starts to implode.
10. “Welcome home.” “You’re my brother. You’ll always be there for me.” (Red Robin 12)
Ahhhh okay pardon me while I get emotional.
So there are about a million equally-fun-and-valid ways to interpret Red Robin, because it’s got a lot of narrative gaps and it’s often deliberately ambiguous, but in my favorite interpretation, this panel is a really touching moment of catharsis. And in order to really appreciate it, you have to know what’s come before, which is a disastrous mess.
Dick and Tim have a bunch of fights in the month after Bruce’s death, but - again, IMO - the most important fight is when Dick fires Tim from Robin, which Tim takes as a personal rejection.
So Tim spends all the earlier issues of Red Robin spiraling and wondering whether their brotherhood was ever real and half-convinced it wasn’t: “My name is Tim Wayne!” (RR 1), “[Bruce] is all I have” (RR 1), “If we really are brothers—” (RR 4), and so forth. And Ra’s—sensing an opportunity!—attempts to recruit him again. Tim ultimately says no, but he’s still not in a good place.
BUT THEN!
Ra’s threatens everyone in Gotham, Tim rushes home to save them, he remembers he has friends, he’s willing to die to save everyone...
... and then Dick saves him.
And Tim realizes that Bruce isn’t all he has.
Because he’s still got his brother.
Even though they’ve been fighting, even though they’ve both been keeping secrets, even though things are still tense... when it really counts, Dick trusts Tim and listens to him and comes to save him.
He always has. And he always will.
Final thoughts
As I’m sure you noticed, I really love this relationship. Over the course of two decades in comics, Dick and Tim go from tense strangers to found-family brothers who love each other and rely on each other more than almost anyone else in the world (”my best friend,” “my closest ally”). And like real brothers, sometimes they get on each other’s nerves or argue or fight.
But at the end of the day, they've always got each other’s backs:
“I’ve got you.” - Dick to Tim in Nightwing 25 (saved from death-by-train)
“I got you.” - Tim to Dick in Black Mirror (saved from death-by-drowning)
Tim is not the acrobat Dick is, nor is he the powerhouse Jason is, or the born assassin Damian is, but guys...
[Batman #441 and #442]
[Batman #444]
Tim has always been physically competent.
Even after he becomes Robin and Bruce and Dick acknowledged he could go out as Robin Tim goes out to train more. He goes out to find new people to train under, namely Lady Shiva.
[Robin (1991) #1]
[Robin (1991) #4]
Even at the beginning of Tim’s journey he’s always been the one pushing himself to get better. He won’t just take acknowledgement and be satisfied, he works until he satisfies himself. He was gifted his iconic bo staff but again Tim is the one who chose his weapon of choice and worked hard to perfect his technique.
[Robin (1991) #5]
At the end of Tim’s first arc it’s Bruce that asks Tim if Tim is ready because it was Tim who wanted to do more. Tim has this sort of mindset in everything he does.
Tim can 100% keep up with the best of them. He may not be ‘better’ than the other batboys at certain aspects but never count him out of a fight.
There are so many interactions between Dick and Tim. I will be focusing on how Dick see’s Tim and how Tim see’s Dick and why they interact the way they do because I think when there are issues between these two it’s always out of good intentions and they both have difficulty because they really respect the other.
Let’s start from the beginning:
What Did Tim and Dick Think of Each Other at First?
[Batman #441]
[Batman #442]
In the beginning Tim admired Dick a lot and Dick showed his approval of him becoming Robin early on.
Dick starts as a mentor for Tim.
Dick (and Bruce really) from the start believed in Tim’s abilities, more so than even Tim did.
Dick even combs through Robin history with Tim. Yes, this was for exposition purposes but at the same time it was done in a way where Dick really shows a lot of vulnerability to Tim. Tim does try comforting words, but for Dick Tim’s logical words don’t usually make him feel better.
When Dick wears the Batman cape Tim is just a little ball of support.
[Robin (1993) #0]
Throughout the years Dick lends a helping hand or helping ear to Tim. Tim goes to him with his troubles. They both gossip about Bruce being Bruce. It’s a great time. Tim is also always happy to hang out with Dick. Tim really looks up to Dick.
It’s Dick that breaches the mentor/family line. I think Dick thinks of Tim as a little brother long before Tim accepts he’s a part of the Batfamily.
[Young Justice: Secret Origins 80-Page Giant #1]
Even as Dick shows him he’s his little brother Tim thinks he’s not really part of the family. He thinks everything is temporary so it’s hard for him to accept.
[Nightwing (1996) #6]
When it comes to being a leader Tim looks up to Dick immensely as well. All of Tim’s generation look up to Dick’s generation. Feeling guilty for not leading his team better, thinking Dick could have done better.
[Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day]
And then there’s Dick, who never asked for these kids to look up to him and his friends so much, doesn’t feel like he’s worthy of leading any of them and yet still takes responsibility when everything goes to hell.
Both of them are great leaders, never blame others or each other, but then end up take on too much of the burden.
[Teen Titans (2003) #6]
Through time Dick slowly goes from more of a mentor figure to letting Tim be in charge of his own missions and taking equal parts in missions when working together because he trusts Tim’s abilities.
[Nightwing (1996) #110]
And here’s where it goes sideways. Although Dick has been a pillar for Tim, Tim hasn’t been a pillar for Dick. Dick starts to claim that he see’s Tim as his equal he seems to only mean in the field. Outside of that Dick only lets Tim lean on him, not the other way around.
Tim has also been with Dick when some of the biggest events in Dick’s life have occurred. The thing is Dick doesn’t lean on Tim for support. Dick avoids people when he’s going through a hard time. Dick can be vulnerable sure, but when he’s really hurting he doesn’t want the Batfamily, including Tim, see him.
[Joker: Last Laugh]
Tim has never had to help Dick like this before so when he goes to Dick to have a normal heart to heart with him and finds Dick having a mental breakdown it really freaks him out. He doesn’t know how to deal with Dick when he’s barely able to hold it together.
[Nightwing (1996) #97]
Tim ends up not wanting to bother Dick with his problems and running off. It makes sense because it’s scary seeing the person you lean on the most fall apart. Tim knows Dick hates it when he see’s him like this so he really doesn’t know what to do.
When Tim comes back and tries to talk to him Dick changes the subject when it comes too close to things Dick doesn’t want to talk about.
Tim has tried to talk with Dick about Dick’s issues.
[Nightwing (1996) #110]
He cares about Dick but when he tries to help he always seems to say the wrong words as well. Tim always seems to go for the logical reasoning when Dick his hurt. It doesn’t help Dick much when he understands the logic already. He’s still hurt emotionally.
Tim doesn’t mean Dick should go back just for Bruce, he’s trying to assure Dick that Bruce cares about him.
In my eyes Tim expresses his thoughts in a way that makes Dick respond poorly but it’s not about him being insensitive it’s about the way Tim thinks. Tim may understand that Dick doesn’t feel like he’s important to Bruce but also a lot of Tim’s own insecurities bleed into what he thinks Dick is feeling. As I said before Tim has to feel ‘useful’ or else he feels he serves no purpose to Bruce or the family so it’s not farfetched to deduct that he thinks Dick thinks like this too.
Assuring Dick he’s still ‘needed’ by Bruce, rather than saying things like ‘Bruce still cares about you, he misses you.’ to Tim is a more logical and concrete way to reassure Dick.
As they get older Tim see’s Dick fighting for a balance in his life, fighting to stay sane, and Tim is still rooting for Dick to succeed.
[Robin (1993) #125]
And Dick is still rooting for Tim.
[Nightwing #139]
This is all why it hurt so much when Dick and Tim had their big fight over Damian becoming Robin.
[Red Robin #1]
But afterwards they still revere each other very much.
Tim is always having thoughts like this:
[Red Robin #23]
And Dick’s thoughts are also always like this:
[Batman: Gates of Gotham #3]
When it comes to Dick and Tim’s view of each other they think the other is a lot better than themselves. They’re constantly complimenting each other which is pretty wholesome. In the end I think that Tim and Dick have such a great relationship. They are very important to each other.
I think if Tim is ever allowed to grow up past 17 Dick would start leaning on him more. For now, even if Dick see’s him as an equal in the field he still see’s him as his kid brother outside of that.
What Did Tim And Dick Think Of Each Other At First?
Tim:
Tim from the first moment he met Dick had been star struck by Dick.
It was because Tim knew Dick’s acrobatics so well that he deduced that Dick had to be Robin and thus Bruce had to be Batman. Tim really really looks up to Dick.
(Side Note: Tim may be smart but he’s also kind. He’s aware Dick may not take it well when he tells him about how he saw Dick’s parents death and that he believes Bruce needs him as Robin but he’ll tell him anyways because that’s what he believes is right. To me this is a very core principle of Tim Drake. He understands the emotional side and empathizes but pushes towards the most logical side because he believes that it’ll be better for the greater good. Tim is a ‘big picture’ thinker, a ‘10 steps ahead’ kind of person.)
This small interaction shows Tim doesn’t just idolize Dick, he does see him as a person, it’s just that in Tim’s head Bruce’s need for Robin supersedes Dick’s need for independence in Tim’s mind and he feels like it’s his obligation to make Dick see that too.
[Batman #441]
[Batman #442]
Of course in the end Tim becomes Robin. Again, not because he wants to (I mean it’s not like he hates the idea) but more because it makes sense. Bruce NEEDS Robin. Dick will not be Robin. Tim see’s it as his RESPONSIBILITY to be Robin. Tim throughout the story though reveres Batman and Robin highly.
Dick:
We often forget (even I forget) that Tim didn’t just show up at Wayne Manor he went to Dick first and Dick brought Tim to the Manor. And look at that incredulous smile Dick has as he introduces this very smart twelve- No THIRTEEN year old kid to Alfred.
He was baffled and amused at first but after Tim tells his tale Dick takes Tim a lot more seriously, even listens to him about how Bruce needs him, and decides to show Tim the Batcave.
[Batman #411]
It was because Dick showed Tim the Batcave that Tim had access to the Robin costume. It was because Alfred drove him to the fight he was able to help. Later Dick and Alfred both advocate highly for Tim to become Robin and Dick can’t stop smiling almost the whole time.
[Batman #442]
Dick was loving that Tim wasn’t afraid to tell Bruce what he thought. By this point Dick very obviously approved of Tim and had a lot of respect for Tim.
Hi! I wanted to ask you, what kind of love do you think the batfam members have for Dick? Like how deep do you think they care about him? By them I mean Bruce, the other Robins and the Batgirls. If you have time to answer, you don't have to make it long, two or three sentences if you want. I don't know if it's a stupid question, but you're one of the few blogs of Dick Grayson analysis that I love and I'm gonna cry, because I've read only a few of them, but I love your work and I needed to ask.
This’ll be the short version. I’ll make a longer version later probably. I think they all love him. I think most of them care about him in a way that they are awed by him and don’t want to see him hurting
but issues arise because they turn away when he is hurting due to mainly 3 reasons
1. Dick hurting contradicts their perception that Dick is somehow an untouchable source of light and good and it’s a struggle for them to realize that Dick isn’t always like that and he needs help
2. and/or Dick doesn’t like showing his vulnerability to anyone, especially when he’s very hurt, so Dick hides it so well that the Batfamily doesn’t realize he’s hurt
3. or they are trying to respect his privacy which results the same as if they hadn’t realized at all with no one helping him.
To me Bruce and Dick’s relationship is closer to ‘Best Friends/Partners’ than it is ‘Father and Son’ because they are both such big parts of each others growth and issues in almost every conceivable way. Dick goes back and forth between wanting to be Bruce’s son and honestly ‘Dad-ing’ Bruce himself.
Dick and the other Bat-brothers is also a a different relationship than ‘normal brothers’. Dick is more of a mentor/father figure to all of them. Especially when they were all younger. It’s obvious in the way they all revere him so much. Especially with Damian I see Dick as more of Damian’s father than Bruce, except for in more recent comics where Bruce does dad stuff with Damian sometimes. Dick is the one who takes care of the Batboys more so than Bruce does and I think they know that. If you want to relate it to the trope of the older sibling ending up being more of a 2nd parent than an actual brother I wouldn’t say you’re being inaccurate.
The Batgirls love him too. Babs loves him whether you choose to see it romantically or not, and to me Steph and Cass see him similarly to how the Batboys see him, older brother but also like a 2nd parent figure.
Dick is used to taking care of Bruce, then Dick had family he also took care of, and they all revere him fiercely but at the same time it’s hard to show his family he’s hurting and it’s hard for his family to accept he’s hurt and try to help him because of this family dynamic.
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