Batman Has probably been the subject of more tonal shifts than any other DC character, swinging from the bright and campy version of the 1960s to the gritty, gritty and haunted version of the 1990s. . Now the chief Batman The title faces another sea change, as the contemporary tone seems to model itself from its WEBTOON version, Wayne Family Adventures.
Batman #149 by Chip Zdarsky, Michele Bandini, and Steve Lieber covers the aftermath of Batman’s darker Tsur-en-Arrah personality’s defeat, allowing Bruce to recover from the emotional and mental trauma he suffered at Tsur’s hands. One silver lining of the whole story: Bruce finds his fortune well, and vows to use his newly found billions to properly restore himself and the Bat-Family to Gotham. Calling a family meeting, Batman reveals his intentions to Build a new “Pennyworth Manor” as a home for him and all his alliesExplains that they are not an army but a family in a speech that exists on the assumption of the Wayne Family Adventures Webcomic.
Wayne Family Adventures Sets the tone for future Batman stories
Wayne Family Adventures is available to read for free on WEBTOON
In 2021, Starbite and CRC Payne’s weekly Bat-Family stories debuted on WEBTOON, gaining critical acclaim for their humor and emphasis on the smaller, more intimate interpersonal moments that mainstream comics often hint at but don’t have. the time or place to. Fully explore. The comic is also notable for devoting time to each member of Batman’s extended family, often overlooking characters like Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown their time in the spotlight. Wayne Family Adventures Treats Gotham’s superhero family like, well, a family: full of mischievous butterflies, loving jibes, and compassionate support.
The entire fight against Zur-En-Arrh in the previous arc feels like a deliberate ditching of Batman’s “gray and gritty” mantle to better align the comics to their WEBTOON counterparts.
It’s hard to see the entire Bat-Family happily exploring a mansion and not be drawn Comparisons to Wayne Family Adventures. Bruce’s speech about the importance of living together in Gotham, as opposed to being apart of it, heavily echoes the sentiments of his webcomic counterpart.
Likewise, instead of the manor being a home for himself and Damian, the rest of the family is also present: Dick, Barbara, Duke, Stephanie and Cassandra are all expressly invited (though Jason is admittedly and conspicuously absent). With that in mind, the whole fight against Tsur-en-Arrah in the previous arc feels like A deliberate departure from Batman’s “grey and gritty” tone To better align the comics to their WEBTOON counterparts.
Batman is moving in a more positive direction
Is this the right move for the DCU version of The Bat-Family?
While Batman’s turn to darkness was revolutionary for his time, the “lone vigilante” version of the character now faces constant criticism for being a violent, privileged misanthrope. The change to a family-focused Batman doesn’t mean Gotham is all sunshine and rainbows now; The Detective Comics The title remains a home for Batman’s beloved noir-ish detective stories. But in his own title, Batman Is finally able to let some of the light in – and if Wayne Family Adventures Is there any indication, maybe he will even crack a smile.
Batman #149 is available now from DC Comics.