#n52

[angegurashi]

速写

[tobaitfishwith]

habbbibirthday my silly riddling freak <3

[oh-my-grayson]

An Unnecessary Analysis on Dick Grayson and the Themes of Replacement in His Story

Been re-reading some of the N52 comics (specifically the Batman Vol 1 and 2 TPs and the Night of the Owls collection), and I was reminded that the fear of replacement is such a large recurring theme for the characters more oftenly associated with Batman. Whether it be the characters themselves feeling that fear of replacement or others feeling that fear in relation to the characters, it's reappears so frequently that it's hard not to begin seeing it in everything.

The most commonly referenced examples are, of course, the Robin boys and their very tragic stories. Dick being replaced by Jason when he's fired by Bruce (in the more commonly accepted canon), then Jason being replaced by Tim when he's killed by the Joker, and then Tim being replaced by Damian when Bruce is lost in time and Dick takes over as Batman and needs to give Damian an outlet.

I've talked each of those instances to death already, both on this blog and to my offline friends when they decide to humor me, but a moment that I want to focus on now is one that came up specifically in the N52 comics.

Because Dick's origin at the circus is, in and of itself, a story about replacement.

Vols 1 and 2 follow the Court of Owls making a move on Gotham and those in charge of the city (alongside a few infamous individuals who lack actual control but impact the city itself through other, less savory, means), and in them we learn that Dick's great grandfather, William Cobb, is a Talon, and that Haly's Circus is, and has been for a very long time, a means of scouting and training new Talons for the Court.

Furthermore, in one of the stories featured in the Night of the Owls collection, we're introduced to Alton Carver, a Talon recruited from the circus as a young boy who served the Court for an unusually long stretch of time, but who'd progressively become less and less efficient. When he's told by a member of the Court that they're thinking of retiring him, that they've found his replacement (that key word again), he goes to the circus to see for himself the child that the Court's talking about. This child winds up being Dick Grayson, but what Alton has to say about him is this: "I needed to see him. The one who would take my place. No one had to tell me who he was. I could see it. And I could feel it. It was him. And for the first time in decades... I felt fear."

Emphasis on that fear he says he feels. He knows he's being replaced, and he's looking at the boy that will take his place and seeing exactly why the Court has chosen him to do so.

In the end, this is all just to say that the themes of replacement and the fear of being replaced are concepts that are seemingly ingrained into the story of Batman and its characters, but specifically the character of Dick Grayson.

His legacy is intertwined in unwilling replacement after unwilling replacement, so much so that he's most often referenced as being the first to be replaced in regards to the role of Robin, but he, himself, was originally destined to be the replacement of another man who could no longer service his designated purpose— a man who was no longer wanted.

The story of Robin, beginning with Dick, mirrors the story of the Talons and how the Court replaces them when they can no longer do their job with the required efficiency, and we see this in the same line of thinking in the various Robins as each of them are eventually made to drop the mantle and see it picked up by another, younger boy. Whether it's true or not, the Robins each felt that they could no longer do their job to the standards they were being held to and developed insecurities centered around those feelings of inadequacy when comparing themselves to their replacements.

(For the record, it isn't true, there are all very valid reasons for each boy evolving beyond Robin, and the entire family is just incapable of communicating with one another so the feelings of inadequacy are perpetuated and the real reasons— fear of loss, death and grief, and simply out-growing the lessons and security the role of Robin offers— are never explained which breeds further insecurity and resentment towards themselves and their respective replacements, or those that facilitated the replacing).

I think this also is ironic, or maybe just interesting, when put into relation to the fact that Dick was being groomed to be a Talon like his many predecessors before him, but when Dick is told this by Cobb, he responds by stating he doesn't believe in destiny. Despite the fact that he is the first in a cycle that mirrors the way the Court works, thus, in same way, fulfilling that destiny even if it isn't as a Talon.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my very rushed analysis, I'll see myself out now.

[professoruber]

A reminder that Batman Eternal did Crystal Brown dirty (and is probably the reason she hasn't appeared in a decade)

A few moments later...

Batman Eternal (2014-2015) #4

I just thought this might be worth posting since sometimes I do see folks wondering where Crystal Brown is, hoping she returns, and wondering why DC apparently kinda forgot that Steph's got a living mother.

The reason is cause Batman Eternal's re-introduction of Stephanie Brown and her family kinda just ruined Crystal's character entirely, made her a terrible mother, and then moved on.

Batman Eternal (2014-2015) #8

This really sucks, because of how her relationship with her mother was such a significant part of Stephanie's character, and how Crystal was able to eventually sober up and mend that relationship.

But N52 Crystal is, as these panels show, honestly a terrible mother and it makes sense (solely in the context of this continuity) why Steph has had nothing to do with her.

Instead of being depicted as victim of Arthur Brown's abuse, and struggling with drug addiction, this version of Crystal seems to be not only doing fine for herself, but also a willing accomplice of her ex-husband's crimes and benefiting from them.

Batman Eternal (2014-2015) #42

While this story does admittedly end on a somewhat bright note of Crystal claiming she didn't know how far Arthur would go, and then planning to take Steph and leave the city for good. Which is nice, but kinda too little too late (also Steph promptly gets kidnapped by Catwoman and Crystal never shows up again).

N52 Crystal is either...

Somehow did not think Arthur intended to harm Steph despite despite calling her, panicked by her dad trying to kill her

Was aware of what Arthur intended and had a change of heart / crisis of conscience and so was lying to Steph here

Either way, pretty horrible. And real sucks to turn a complex mother-daughter relationship into... whatever this is. Also as I mention, Crystal Brown has never appeared since.

There is a very stark difference in how many appearances Crystal has had before and after Flashpoint.

All of Prime Earth Crystal's appearance were in Batman Eternal.

Apparently infinite frontier means everything is canon now or something, so let's hope that eventually someone remembers Steph has a mother who loves her.

Please.

To end things off, here... have some wholesome Stephanie and Crystal Brown;

Batgirl (2009-2011) #24

[nbddiestonight]

friendly reminder that this is not Jon Lane Kent

but actually Jon SAMUEL Kent.

THIS is Jon Lane. From the New 52.

[horsechestnut]

Read Comics Online going down right when I'm about to start reading n52 feels like an omen.

[hannigramislife]

Late to the party but as far as I know “Grayson” and as such Robin War actually fully takes place during New 52 which means Tim and Dick basically had nothing of their shared history left. Tim never was Batman’s Robin but had some different origin. He never deduced Dick and Bruce’s identity and basically directly became Red Robin. Apparently, he was also deliberately written as less likeable. I understand the need for occasional reboots but New 52 was spitting in so many characters’ faces by erasing important parts of their history. Then again, what to expect from Dan Didio who famously wanted to kill Dick because he thought he was a “redundant character” which just proves he understands shit lol

There's not a singular part of that paragraph that doesn't make me want to jump off a roof and do a flip in honor of Dick Grayson.

Apparently everybody had a collective moment of insanity and lost their damn minds!

[crims0nrosie]

oh hellooooo…. the pre52 fits were so banger…