One Perfect Moment - BTAS Robin and Batgirl

[icon_uk]

As with many things, the BTAS comics did much more interesting things with the Batgirl/Robin dynamic than the main DCU had done in years...

In the DCAU, as in the mainstream DCU, Dick had been Robin for years before Batgirl showed up. He had been trained by his parents in acrobatics, and in... well, just about anything and everything else by Bruce and Alfred. He notes later in the story that he'd been trained for six or seven years before he became Robin (and one has to assume that he cinludes his circus work in that). Barbara had a natural talent for gymnastics and unarmed combat, a brilliant mind and almost no other direct experience appropriate for a career as a hero (Not denying her bravery or worthiness I hasten to add, just explaining the DCAU set-up)

This, from Batman Adventures #18, with lovely bold cartoony are from Mike Parobeck (Who I've just checked and realised died just over 14 years ago now, lord I feel old) is set early in Bab's heroic career as she engages in what she thinks is a solo stakeout on a suspect in his apartment, waiting for him to leave so she can go in and search it for evidence). She's unaware that others are interested in his activities... She's also had the foresight to bring some food on the stakeout and is pretty much bored out of her mind, when...



It's his casual, completely non-arrogant manner here which sells the moment for me, he's not boasting or trying to make her feel small or inadequate, he's just stating (from his point of view), the patently obvious. :)

Comments

[irrelevant]

I was attempting not to throw stones at other people's pairings. Bruce/Babs isn't my cuppa (for that matter, neither is Dick/Babs), but that's just me. And power differential is a kink some people enjoy, or so I've been told. I'm not trying to get into whether or not a teacher/student relationship is healthy IRL, or whether I personally believe such relationships can be 'genuine', or even what a 'genuine relationship' entails. Just saying that at the time of their alleged relationship, Bruce and Babs were both consenting adults and Dick was out of the picture and not Robin anymore -- which means that during the comic you posted, there was no Bruce/Babs going on. I gather that was the point of the "And now she will go have sex with his dad" comment.

Dick... okay, I"m pretty sure you're a Dick fan. *grins* I, on the other hand, am not really for one character or another, here, and the DCAU Bruce and Dick dynamic is fraught. Neither of them was without blame or error. Dick did pretty much pitch a fit that night; he was also unquestionably justified in doing so. I was just trying to keep my personal biases out of the ring, so to speak.

Personally, I think Bruce was a total asshole -- but then, Bruce often is. And poor Dick had reached his saturation point. Who could blame him? Bruce deserved that punch and then some. Otoh, animated Dick has a tendency to repress, skulk sullenly around Bruce's edges, blow up, and storm off. Come to think of it, so does comics Dick. *shrugs* If the pair of them had been better communicators... but they weren't, and they're still not, and they never will be. Too much history and hurt. *pets them both*

[icon_uk]

which means that during the comic you posted, there was no Bruce/Babs going on. I gather that was the point of the "And now she will go have sex with his dad" comment.

It wasn't a direct reference, more of an indication of an upcoming shift in their relationship, because you're right, at the point in time this story is, Babs and Bruce weren't close to being an item, and neither as the story makes it clear were Babs and Dick (in DCAU, Dick and Babs didn't actually like each other much (Though Batgirl and Robin sort of did), he thought she was too uptight, she thought he was an overprivileged richboy... and UST abounded!)

Dick... okay, I"m pretty sure you're a Dick fan. *grins*

Dang, what gave me away! :D

[psychopathicus_rex]

The impression I always got from DCAU Babs is that she has a tendency to playfully flirt with just about EVERYbody, regardless as to whether she's actually interested in them. That being said, her relationship with Dick in 'Sub-Zero' seemed pretty solid to me. (I'll admit, however, that I'm far from an expert on the subject, not having actually seen much of DCAU Babs - my main exposure to her comes from 'Sub-Zero', 'Mystery of the Batwoman', and the comics. The rest is gained through cultural osmosis - although one of these days, I SWEAR I'm gonna get me those DVDs...)