Some Bruce-not-being-mean-to-Steph

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

Yaseen101 requested some scenes of Bruce-not-being-unbearable to Steph. I can think of like 4 instances in total, because the majority of Steph/Bruce interactions are by Chuck Dixon, Jon Lewis and Bill Willingham, all members of the Batdick family. The first one is in Green Arrow #5, but I found Steph really, really annoying there, what with the snarking after every. Single. Line. The second one is here, by Devin Grayson and Roger Robinson in the excellent Batman: Gotham Knights series. This issue is #22.

The issue, a tie-in to "Joker's Last Laugh", begins with a man being eaten by cochroaches who form a body identical to his. Barbara points out how Bruce has recently alienated every member of his family , so he'll need to call in the reserves for help.

Our plucky hero follows this suspicious man for a while, until a building blows up and a lone man walks out it alive.



Steph is a very chatty lady, as you can tell.



He then tries to kill Steph. Bruce does not appreciate this, nor does Steph.









Steph's dialogue comes off as awkward sometimes, and she's a bit more chatty then normal, but I really like this issue. Because darn it, Batman is capable of respectful interaction.

Comments

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

To me this really illustrates how Bruce and Steph as Batman and Robin could've been really awesome. She's chatty and punny and I would say needs a mentor who can show her the ropes.

I guess that's Babs now, though.

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm really excited to see Babs/Steph interaction now. Steph seems a bit less respectful to her then Bruce, and Babs is way more impatient, but she has to learn so it'll be fun.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

I'm not even sure if Steph ever found out that Babs was the original Batgirl, come to think of it. I think Steph was only ever knew her as Babs/Oracle, and she generally seems to have acted busy/angry/impatient around her. Whereas Bruce at various times has been kinder and more interested.

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

'zactly. To Steph, it must seem like "oh, the angry one sits behind a computer and talks to us. Big deal" whereas with Batman he's Batman, even if he is 99% of the time a jerk.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Yeah.

Also, slight OT, but I hope to god we actually get some reaction from Babs about Bruce's death in Batgirl.

[thebigapricot.insanejournal.com]

The thought that Steph doesn'tknow Babs was Batgirl hadn't even occurred to me. Wouldn't Cass have told her? Although the idea that she just thinks Babs is just crabby 'ole Oracle would make the follow-up to the concluding panel of Issue 1 fun.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

It is entirely possible that Cass told her, or that it's assumed that she knew (I mean, Steph's encounters with Babs were while she was still in the Clocktower with all her little bat-plushie toys hanging around). But I kind of like the idea of Steph having always associated Batgirl with Cass and no one else until now.

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

YES. She's a sunny Robin, the most so since Dick, and he totally needs that. In fact, the more he goes into Batdickery mode, the worse he needs it. I totally wish Steph had had a fair shot as Robin!

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

Except she's not doing it to be sunny, she's doing it because it's a nervous habit.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Which is also why I would've liked seeing Steph as Robin now instead of Damian. Steph does have a bit of a darker side simply because so many bad things have happened to her and had crappy stuff happen to her as a kid.

Alternatively, with Bruce as Batman, it could've prompted him to encourage her and help her move past that negativity.

[schmevil.insanejournal.com]

Icon win!

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

AREN'T YOU SHOCKED!?

[schmevil.insanejournal.com]

I am. This is how I look right now:

*_*

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

See, that just makes me thing of this:



So you'd better be singing "good morning starshine, the earth says hello..."

[schmevil.insanejournal.com]

See also this:

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Yes, but licking toads is wrong, Schmevil.

Actually,there's action figure for that:



Looks a bit more like a turtle though.

[schmevil.insanejournal.com]

AWESOME.

Licking toads is not wrong, so long as the toads enjoy it.

[bluejaybirdie.insanejournal.com]

Awwww. Also, kinda OT, but I love your new icon!

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

Thanks! It's by Pete Woods/Nathan Messingill/Jason Wright in the second issue of Bruce-being-nice-to-Steph. I'll post it soon.

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

Looks awesomely pretty.

[darkknightjrk.insanejournal.com]

Isn't that from the one Det issue where Steph was Robin and she fought Zsasz?

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

Correct!

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

Love the theme of this post - that was one of my fic requests at heroines_fest in fact: Steph!Robin having happy interactions with Bruce, Alfred and Oracle.

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

That's an LJ-comm, not an IJ-comm, btw - IJ changed it automatically. *sulks*

[xlineartx.insanejournal.com]

Bruce's little Kafka reference was amazing, let me just say.

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

It's especially fun cause I already knew Kafka. :D

Bruce happens to know stories of all sorts.

[pmagod.insanejournal.com]

I always find it amazing that whenever someone describes or thinks about "The Metamorphosis" they immediately associate it with the cockroach even though Kafka never explicitly says cockroach and as far as I know his description, while vaguely cockroach-ish could also be applied to a bunch of other insects

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure because the English version just has him wake up as a cockroach in what is a translation error and it's because mostly cemented since then when thinking about the story.

[darklorelei.insanejournal.com]

I'd definitely agree with this. Kafka really suffers in translation.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Bruce happens to know stories of all sorts.

I betcha Alfred made him read it.

[jaybee3.insanejournal.com]

See now this is a likable Bruce and how he should be written - as someone who likes to have people like Steph and Dick around him to brighten his own isolation and darkness and not a huge Bat!Dick.

[kingrockwell]

Actually, I think Green Arrow #5 was the first comic I ever read with Steph in it, which is funny because I recall having trouble telling her and Mia apart.
The overeagerness on the first page is adorable.

[khamelea.insanejournal.com]

Spoiler was nifty.

[ladymirth.insanejournal.com]

This is one of my favurite stories. I was hoping someone would post it. Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you. It's nice to see Batman not be an antagonist. I hate when he gets cast as one because the writer is too lazy to use proper characterization.

[angelophile.insanejournal.com]

I loved this. Apart from the bugs. Creepy.

[vignettelante.insanejournal.com]

"I...don't mind the company." D'aww!

That's something there needs to be more of.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

Because darn it, Batman is capable of respectful interaction.

Heh. It's true!

[yaseen101.insanejournal.com]

Thank you for posting these. I really appreciate them. :)

[ar_feiniel_.insanejournal.com]

that was so awesome! thanks for posting.

[lyraeinne.insanejournal.com]

I remember this issue terrorizing me mostly because I have an unreasonable fear of roaches, but the Steph/Bruce interaction is really adorable. I kind of like to read Bruce as someone who appreciates that contrast in personality, and even sort of craves relationships with people whose defining traits are polar opposites of his. In Steph's case I always get the impression that he doesn't really want to like her, or at least that it would be easier for him if he found her annoying or abrasive, but in spite of his best efforts he really is rather fond of her at times. Occasionally.

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

Steph comes off as a bit of a ditz here, but otherwise, yeah, this is pretty good stuff. Batman being respectful to her is always nice, and seen far too infrequently. And Steph does come off as dedicated and eager her, which is good - I just wish she'd drop the excess 'likes' 'ways' and 'ohmygods'. They don't flatter her.

[runespoor7.insanejournal.com]

Thank you for posting this!

Steph's dialogue comes off as a little too 'teenaged girl' on occasion, but all in all she's decently written. She's also enthusiastic and shows initiative and this may well be the cutest Bruce-Steph interaction ever, while remaining entirely true to Bruce's character, so I'm inclined to forgiveness.

"I... don't mind the company." AWWWW YEAH and for once we get that in writing and not merely in passive-aggressive mixed messages of emotional inability. It's especially nice given the circumstances, though one wish he'd occasionally tell the people he drove away in the first place.