Dick and Jason's fanon relationship for the ask game
Someone wants to see me go apeshit and honestly I have no problem with that lmao.
There’s a lot to say about Jason’s and Dick’s relationship in general, and even more about their fanon relationship (vs their canon one or on its own). If you follow me you probably already know that Dick’s and Jason’s relationship is one I hold close to my heart.
(rest under the cut, careful, it's long! also cw for canon dad bruce i guess, and various mentions to Jason's death.)
For some reasons, fanon likes to imagine that Dick was an awful brother to Jason when he was Robin, even if there’s nothing on page in the comics to support this. (There’s actually more about them being close/trying to get to know each other and spend time together than anything else, really.) I guess it’s to add to Jason's angst, like, I legit never saw any Dick fans use this trope. And like, it’s valid of them I guess, it’s just really frustrating for me who loves Dick and loves Dick’s and Jason’s relationship -- because their whole thing is that they're a found family, and specifically a chosen family. They keep choosing each other (and that’s why, in part, I love them) and accepting each other as family, when they were younger and when they’re both adults as well. It’s just… In canon they have such a huge influence on each other -- like, baby Jason wanted to be just like Dick and took example on him, Dick after Jason’s death decided to not allow any minor on the Teen Titans again, etc… I’ll even say that Dick tried to be better for Jason, both when he was alive and after he died.
Fanon tends to gloss over all of this to go immediately to “Dick was an asshole, he was never here for Jason, everyone hated Jason because he wasn’t Dick/because Dick was mad at him”, and the likes. And it’s frustrating because their relationship is way more complex and way more positive than this. And even when they’re shown in a more positive light, we always end up with something like “Dick was super mad at Jason but then he warmed up to him, Jason used to be scared of Dick’s and Bruce’s yelling matches, they had a really rough start but it went better in the end but it was never enough, Jason is super-jealous of Tim because Tim got big brother Dick, Dick tried to do better with Tim because he wasn’t here enough for Jason”... And again, most of those are very frustrating if not downright a disservice to most of the characters.
So, let’s be clear here: Jason and Dick never had a rough relationship, in the sense that they did have some wrong ideas about the other, but it was all before meeting the other. And all of this is a reboot -- in precrisis, they knew each other before (or at least Dick knew Jason’s parents), and Dick wanted to adopt Jason himself (he was just eighteen lmao, and Jason was like twelve or thirteen I think?). And postcrisis, what do we have? Jason being rightfully upset because criminals and more importantly, Bruce, keeps putting him against Dick’s example even when he doesn’t know him. Dick being rightfully upset because his father figure, who fired him under the pretense that Dick was too young and shouldn’t be a vigilante, who never tried to apologize even when Dick went away, who took one of the last link Dick had of his biological family, this man turned around to take in a new kid out of the blue, gave him the Robin name and title (who are, again, one of Dick’s last links with his family), and literally adopt him (which he never did nor talked about with Dick himself, who always wondered what he was for Bruce). All in the biggest hypocrite moment ever, but that’s another story for another time.
And what happens when these two rightfully angry kids meet for the first time? Well, Jason tries to prove himself to Dick. Dick chooses not to take his anger on the kid and actually protect him. They team up. Dick ends up giving his Robin costume to Jason, with his blessings and his number so Jason can contact him if he needs or wants it. Dick reaches out to Jason after like, one hour at most of meeting him, and you know what? Jason accepts it, takes it gladly, and is happy about it. Because he received way more than he expected -- Dick’s support, and someone in his corner. And after that, for the little time we see them together (which isn’t by the characters’ choice exactly, but because they were both in different books and they didn’t have time to exploit their relationship on page -- like, the Teen Titans comics at this time were. A lot. A lot was happening oduhgui. Plus, Dick was considered a Teen Titans character back then, not a Bat affiliated one like he is today.), they were getting along well, and even seemed to share some inside jokes (it’s not exactly the term I’m looking for, but ways to deal with a parent/your parents in particular, or something you share and joke about because you have this same experience like siblings). They were not the closest, but still close enough to realize they had spent time together. That, plus the famous ski trip they went on together! (I want an issue with just this ski trip… srly we’ve been robbed).
So, the idea that Jason and Dick didn’t like each other, that Dick was an asshole to Jason, or that it took Dick time to warm up to Jason? Nope. Like, it’s far from canon, and honestly it can get me out of a fic so fast. Most of the time if not all the time, it’s played for Jason’s angst, and the fic doesn’t care if it’s deeply OOC for Dick (let’s be honest, it’s the case for any of Tim’s, Jason’s, or Damian’s angst -- Dick is often just used as a prop for it, no matter how or if the role doesn’t fit his character. I’m not judging, everyone enjoys whatever they enjoy, it’s just frustrating as someone who loves Dick and wants to read him to mostly find him written like that). Now, since Dick wasn’t mad at Jason (but at Bruce, the real culprit in the story tbh), you can also get that no one in the heroes community was mean and/or mad at Jason either. He was actually well-liked, especially by the Titans, and he showed a lot of maturity when teaming-up with them. Baby Jason was a sweetheart and you can fucking fight me on this. To continue on this -- there weren’t any shouting matches between Bruce and Dick to scare Jason away, since Dick and Bruce just,,,, you know, didn’t talk to each other, actually. Dick was angry and hurt about Bruce’s action, and Bruce just decided not to address it and to continue as if everything was normal. (Like, honestly, Jason and Dick, the actual children, were more mature than Bruce odiufh.)
NOW just a little point about the Tim-Dick-Jason situation before I go more in depth on the Dick and Jason after Jason’s come-back to life. Tim’s and Jason’s relationship is a complex one and not for this post (maybe for another one later), and I used to love Dick’s and Tim’s relationship before Tim stans destroyed it for me? However, I still love them even if I can’t focus on them anymore, and what I can say is that the idea that Dick was so nice to Tim only because Jason died is like… A huge disservice to both of them, to their relationship, and also deeply untrue. Sure, Jason’s death impacted Dick and the way he interacted with Tim; but not to the extent of that being the only reason why Dick was around then. I think it’s important to note that Dick was in therapy for some amount of time after Jason’s death (I can’t find if he started it before or after, but it doesn’t change that he was in therapy and talked about Jason and his relationship with Bruce), and I do think it influenced his presence around Tim. Mostly also because then Dick was aware that Bruce was in no shape to care for a kid or be careful around Tim, so Dick took upon himself to train Tim himself. AND some time after Tim started as Robin is also when Dick first established himself in Blüdhaven. I’m not sure both events are at the same time, but they’re close enough.
It’s important to realize that when Jason was Robin, Dick had no reason to be around him; Bruce had fired him and never acknowledged their father-son relationship, leaving him to fend for himself without knowing what his place at the Manor was, Dick has the Teen Titans that he was leading, a girlfriend with Kory, he was a young adult trying to live his life with no tie to anyone else. And still, Dick reached out to Jason to have a relationship with him.
Now, with Tim, Dick’s situation was very different -- his and Kory’s relationship ended toward the same time, Dick went to Blüdhaven so was closer to Gotham, he wasn’t with the Teen Titans all time again. That’s basically when Dick shifted again from a Teen Titans character to a Bat-affiliated character, and it shows in his relationships -- he’s allowed to be closer to Tim than what they would show with Jason, but his relationships with every other characters who aren’t Bat-affiliated kind of,,,, faded in the second or even third place. Seeing Tim’s and Dick’s relationship develop on pages was easier. Dick wasn’t close to Tim or an amazing big brother to Tim because he was feeling guilty about Jason, but, as weird as it is, because he was allowed to by DC.
NOW -- for the other part of this, aka their relationship after Jason comes back!
Again, I won’t pronounce myself on the whole Tim-Jason thing because it’s complicated and deserves its own post lmao. BUT I do have things to say about what fanon makes of Jason and Dick then!
And honestly, I can’t keep going with this part without saying that like,,,, Fanon doesn’t get Dick’s character. It just. Doesn’t understand him. It would deserve its own post as well, but there’s one thing in particular about it that poses problems when talking about Jason’s and Dick’s relationship: Dick doesn’t always share Bruce’s morals and beliefs.
More, even, and it’s honestly a pet peeve of mine -- Dick is not Bruce’s Golden Boy. And Jason more than anyone else knows this, because he was there when they were not talking to each other and were basically,,,, not present in each other’s life. I personally hate Jason referring to Dick as “the Golden Boy” or anything like this, because, if anything,,,, Jason is Bruce’s Golden Boy, honestly. He’s -- or, he was after his death -- this standard, this perfect kid no one will be able to compete against, not even Jason himself.
So. Yeah. I really dislike fanon insisting on this one, especially since the only instance of Jason calling Dick like that is from Truth and Justice, from 2021 aka this year. We all know where it comes from lmao.
To go with that -- fanon often if not always has this idea that Dick has to make amend for not being here enough for Jason/for being an asshole to Jason, and how Jason is so nice for forgiving him, or how he’s angry that Tim got Dick as his big brother when Dick hated him, etc. I ranted about all of this just before, so you can get that my feelings on this are far from positives lmao. It’s wrong on so many levels.
I would also add that from what I read of Dick, he is way more flexible about the whole killing thing that Bruce will ever be. Like, outside of the fact that he himself killed the Joker (sadly not permanently, a F in the chat for Huntress who was tasked by Batman to revive the clown), he isn’t as judgemental on it, if not at all. If there’s someone who would just be happy to have Jason back without throwing a fuss about all the killing, it’s probably Dick lmao. As shown after the whole shitshow with the Joker -- Dick is more scared and apprehensive of Bruce’s reactions to him killing that about the fact that he himself killed someone. (I would go as far as to say that he didn’t have any regret in killing the Joker but oh well.)
So, yeah. Fanon does like the take that Dick would side with Bruce and act like his perfect second-in-command, never doubting his decisions, never calling him out on anything, and hating Jason/not trusting him/thinking he’s crazy because of all the killing thing or whatever else. And, like, it doesn’t fit Dick at all? Nightwing isn’t one if not the best leader of the DCU because he keeps on following Batman without asking any questions. Hell, they had a fallout in the first place when Dick was still Robin because Dick was questioning him and his decisions! And it never changed! Dick uses to,,, not let it slide but be more forgiving with Bruce after Jason’s death because he wanted to be here for the new kid(s) and keep on supporting Bruce,,, but it doesn’t mean he always agrees with him or don’t tell him when Bruce acts full of shit, actually. So. Yeah. Dick would be more welcoming of Jason in general -- not happy with the killing and probably that they would talk around it (since, honestly, a lot of Jason’s acting out come from his issues and traumas), but he would still welcome in and help him in general. And. You know. Be there for him. Like he always was.
And, because it’s one of the things that makes me emotional over anything -- Jason trusts Dick. He still sees him as his family, no matter what. If there was someone Jason was not angry at after everything, it was Dick. Like, the Brother in Blood storyline (if I remember the name correctly, the one set after Blüdhaven’s destruction, when Dick is back to living in New York and Jason goes around in a Nightwing costume to kill people and basically fuck up with his big brother lmao)(also the one with Tentatodd LMAO), is literally Jason,,, maybe testing isn’t the right word, but it kind of is at the same time, but just making sure that Dick is still his family -- because it was clear for him but he wanted to make sure it was the same for Dick. And like, listen, it makes me emotional. This boy is angry at the whole world and with good reason but he can’t find it in him to be angry at his big brother I’M EMOTIONAL OKAY.
TDLR; in general, fanon like to put them against each other -- the fact is, in canon, they’ve always chosen each other as family, and always called each other brother even while, you know, not always agreeing on everything, or being angry against the other, or just being a normal sibling. Dick has always come running when Jason called him, and Jason has always gone to Dick when he needed someone in his corner, someone he trusts, before and after his death alike.
And I just like… Have so many beefs with how fanon treats them, because more often than not it’s just to add unnecessary Jason’s angst, and it always takes a toll on Dick’s character. And as someone who prefers when people are fighting together instead of against each other, you can get what I prefer for these two difuhv.
Plus. It’s just the love between them, the real found family, the fact they chose each other and never went back on it, and. It’s just. I love them. Their canon relationship is so good, and fanon usually do them dirty.
So. Rip fanon Dick’s and Jason’s relationship, but you’re not for me.
