New Years Eve with Dick and Babs

[thebigapricot]

One last post for the holidays with some of the Batfamily.

Dick and Babs have always struck me as more a "cute" couple than throwing off any real heat. I think they work better as friends or Batsiblings rather than a OTP. Such as in this story which takes place on New Year Eve. Babs, of course, is home alone. Dick emails her and wants to come by with Chinese food. Babs tells him not to but Dick shows up anyway.

I really hate the art here. Brian Stelfreeze draws Dick as if Zsasz was keeping tally on his face and Barbara looks like Jeri Blank from "Strangers with Candy." They banter cutely about mishearing things (dialog assist by Devin Grayson says the credits). Dick mentions he thought Mistletoe was a bad guy.

Ouch. Barbara implies that her condition is because she made a mistake. Dick apologizes and tells her she didn't make a mistake she just opened the door and that he, even Batman would have done the same thing. I am thankful that the writers had faith we knew what they were talking about and didn't include the standard flashback panel of Barbara getting shot and the coffee cup flying out of her hand. (Someday I am going to count how many times they've shown that panel).
She changes the subject and takes out his gift.

Is that not the saddest face ever? Oh Babs, you need a hug honey. She decides to call it night. And Dick leaves and Babs gets back to work. Which leads to the last shot.

See he did listen to her! But Babs, don't be alone on New Years! Call Dinah and invite her over!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Suggested tags

char: batgirl/oracle/barbara gordon,char: robin/nightwing/dick grayson, theme: holidays

Comments

[worldwillshout]

Uh Babs face in the last scan...is odd.

[tacobob]

Very few people know that Babs is half mutant ninja turtle. She can extend her neck out of her pink shell like that. An't that freaky?

[roxrox]

Her face in the 7th panel is downright scary.

[star_of_airdrie]

the only thing that is well drawn in these panels are the chopsticks

[jarodrussell]

Babs, honey, that's the wrong side of the computer.

[salad_barbarian]

She's Oracle. She can use the computer anyway she darn well pleases! Don't make her unplug your internet!

[sistermagpie]

That's makes Babs feel stupid? Wow.

[seriousfic]

Some day, the Riddler is going to want his carpeting back.

[mad]

Ha! I didn't notice that at first. That carpet is pretty nifty.

[bwhahahabeck]

I actually enjoy the art. It's very expressive.

And d'awww.

[halloweenjack]

In some places, it works great; in others, not so much.

[dimwit90.livejournal.com]

Wtf is wrong with Dick's face at the bottom of that second scan?

Besides that, D'awwww :)

[worldwillshout]

He had a stroke.

[toasty_fresh]

I actually really like that face, lol.

[lamashtar]

Stealing street signs is a crime.

[worldwillshout]

He's already breaking the law being a vigilante. Might as well lift signs and put M80's in toilets.

[mad]

Some of the art in here is pretty expressive, good facial expressions. I think it might be that the inking is kind of heavy in places? IDK.

I am thankful that the writers had faith we knew what they were talking about and didn't include the standard flashback panel of Barbara getting shot and the coffee cup flying out of her hand. (Someday I am going to count how many times they've shown that panel).

I have grand plans to compile a list (and to post scans) of all the comics that have referenced Barbara's shooting by showing that scene. I think it's going to be pretty damn huge.

[thebigapricot]

I have grand plans to compile a list (and to post scans) of all the comics that have referenced Barbara's shooting by showing that scene. I think it's going to be pretty damn huge.

I was thinking somebody should do that! I probably have a good chunk of them so let me know if you get ambitious.

[toasty_fresh]

I think my main issue with the art is that it's not too consistent-- their faces don't look the same for more than two panels, really, and Babs's hair seems to grow. Some of the panels are really nice, though, and, as someone said above, very expressive, like the second and fourth panels of the second scan. But then you've got Dick looking middle-aged in the third panel, and Bab suddenly becoming all chipmunk-cheeked in the last panel before thinning out and getting a totally different set of features for the third scan.

[perletwo]

It's like, the body language is nice! And then you look closer and get to the details. That last panel, everything is lovely and smooth except Babs - the one thing we're supposed to be relating to!

[jelly_ace]

Y'know, the warning Mere possession of this sign is punishable by law in our street signs make it more attractive for me to steal it.

I could imagine the Commish's face we he sees the sign.
It'll open up his eyes, I tell you!

[liara_shadowsong]

Don't worry, Dick probably commissioned it special for her present, possibly from a company that makes real road signs. I ran a mapquest search, and couldn't find exact matches, though there was a town called "Old Lane Park", near Dayton, Ohio, and a street called "Old Town" in Newark, New Jersey. Unless you think Gotham just randomly has a street named Old Lane for no particular reason except to be ironic for the sake of this story, even though nobody else seems to have a street by that name. That's some coincidence there, I tell ya!

[superfangirl1]

The faces wow they are weird...

[promethea4]

D'aww. So much love for Babs.

[lyraeinne]

Awww, thank you for sharing this. I think I love Dick/Babs for the same reasons that a lot of people seem prefer them as friends only. In the right story they can be romantic and even sexy, but ultimately there's far too much closeness and history there for that to ever be the most important part of how they relate and interact, even when they actually are sleeping together. I find it a really nice, appealing dynamic. Dick, you are such a sweetheart.

The art, however, is really hideous. I don't know how the hell it's even possible to take the two most attractive people in the Batverse and make them look like deformed gremlins.

[sun_man]

this is cute but the art is terrible

[requiem2adream]

This reminds me an awful lot of a story from - I think - the NML Secret Files and Origins in which Babs and Dick discuss the power of smell in relation to memory and their first loves. Similar art style and similar Babs/Dick bonding session.

Oddly enough I love it despite the art - the faces could be rendered a bit better, I'll admit, but I like the simplicity of the style and I think it compliments the story nicely.

[thebigapricot]

Yes, same artist. I think it may be posted somewhere here. Very similar banter/bonding.

[chasesstarlight]

N'aww, that's sweet. I love those two. <3
Fugly art, true (nice colours though) , but it looks familiar... anyone know who pencilled?

[icon_uk]

The post mentions that it's Brian Stelfreeze

[philippos42]

I actually like that Babs & Dick are a bit less than supermodel gorgeous here. They're characters who are great because of achievement, not just pretty faces.