Duke Thomas gets a miniseries, and a codename

[icon_uk]

The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop on Duke's new role and actual codename





With Scott Snyder and Tony Patrick writing and Cully Hamner on art..



Only one teenage hero is prepared for the challenge of safeguarding Gotham in broad daylight—THE SIGNAL. Duke Thomas juggles a new high school and teenage romance as he adjusts to his role as Gotham’s daytime protector and battles new villains. Could a daytime Gotham be even more corrupt than its nighttime counterpart?

From the article...

Patrick, writer of Black Mask Studios’ X'ed, got to know Snyder through being a participant in DC’s New Talent Development Workshop last year, which Snyder taught. It was actually an exchange during one of the workshop sessions that brought the two together.

“I brought up Duke Thomas [the "Signal” of the series’ title] in the course,“ Patrick tells Heat Vision. "During the course, I said to Scott, ‘You have this African-American teen character, what’re you going to do with him? What’s going to become of him?’ And Scott said, 'I’d love to do a series about him in the future, and I’m looking for someone to help me write it!’”

Snyder said that Patrick was an obvious choice to work with him on a Duke Thomas-centric series. “He works with kids in Brooklyn, at a center not unlike the center in the series,” Snyder — who co-created Thomas with Batman partner Greg Capullo in 2013’s Batman No. 21 — remembers. “He was really passionate about the character.”

Patrick himself cited his community work when talking about his decision to volunteer to co-write the series. “I work with students, and what I’ve realized is, I’m a real advocate for high school kids,” he explains. “I realized that I go after what I need when it comes to getting resources from the kids, but as an artist, I never did that to myself until recently. I think it was that class that I said to myself, if you don’t raise your hand and say that you’re interested in this, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.”

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They've taken their own sweet time over this, Batman has repatedly said that Duke wasn't a Robin but has been weirdly vague about what role he WAS intended to fill, especially as Duke has been out operating on the street for a while now.



Not sure I like the idea of Bruce calling an as yet untested proteges "Not Robin.. something new.. something better I hope" You can build one up without demenaing the other.

His costume seems to have been designed to quiet down people who said that Robin's outfit was too garish for night work. It's yellow, and I don't mean yellow trim or a little yellow cape, but actually dressed in a full banana-coloured outfit. It's not subtle, looks like a Power Ranger and his new mask looks like Wolverine crossed with a batarang.

The name is also a little odd for a Gotham hero, since Commissioner will no longer ever be able to say "Is the Signal turned on?" without getting a lot of puerile giggling from Tim and Steph.

Still, let's see where it goes...

Comments

[nyadnar17]

I don't have a lot of hope for this. Not sure how much of that is related to me not liking the costume, code name, or the fact that they had no real idea what to do with him other than they knew they wanted a black kid.

[jekylls_salvation]

Seems to be working for Marvel.

But what's great about this, why I'm going to support this, is they didn't turn Damian Wayne black. They created a new character! No lazy piggybacking. If you're a writer, do the work! It'll work if you know how to write characters and have a story to tell. Don't be Marvel.

[lucean]

I will give them credit that they are trying a new approach with the character and also trying to establish that space for him to occupy. In addition the creative team is top notch, so here's hoping for it.

[silverhammerman]

That costume is really a step down from the Declan Shalvey designed one. I mean, what were they thinking? It's not even that old that it needed an update.

[laughing_tree]

A lot of artists have a thing about not liking full-face masks because they make impossible drawing facial expressions and emotions.

[zylly]

Interesting idea. I used to want to write something similar, about a daytime Gotham hero, though mine would be a meta and overall Superman-type.

I'd also have used all the villains considered too "silly" to use anymore, as kind of a "day shift" of crime.

[icon_uk]

In the old Big Bang comics, which were affectionate pastiches of classic heroes they had a Batman and Robin analog; Knight Watchman and Kid Galahad

In later stories, Kid Galahad grew up and became Galahad, the White Knight (Nightwing analog). They had the original Knight Watchman retire and for a time, Galahad used both identities, Galahad the cities daytime hero (Aspirational, doing press conferences and public appearances) and Knight Watchman for night time work in the dark alleys and seedy underbelly.

[zylly]

That's pretty cool!

[spider_man6]

Interested. The costume change is okay. Open to Duke getting friends and enemies in this, and a place as a meta in Gotham.

[icon_uk]

He's a meta?

[spider_man6]

Yeah, he has some sort of power that was revealed in the Casting. That's why he's called "The Signal."

[mastermahan]

Don't get me wrong, I'm interested... but damn, that's not a very good name.

But I guess Signalman could be upgraded to being someone's archenemy now. I'm not sure how you make him threatening, but it's doable.

[lieut_kettch]

Batverine?

[jetpack_monkey]

You mean Dark Claw? :D

[icon_uk]

Curses, you beat me to it! :)

[q99]

-Not sure I like the idea of Bruce calling an as yet untested proteges "Not Robin.. something new.. something better I hope" You can build one up without demenaing the other.

It may be a reference to the tendency of Robins to die and/or the recent in-universe legal issues with the 'We Are Robin' movement (There were *anti-Robin laws* in Gotham).

[icon_uk]

At the time he said that line, Tim was Red Robin and Damian was Robin.

[q99]

Sure, but Damian's died on the job before!

[candescencearia]

Eh, costume's decent. Codename... Not really sure.


Also, I know this is veering away from the topic, I need to bring this up because it kept bugging me - I was wondering if Zack and Scott Snyder are both related, considering they're both creatives working on DC properties, but apparently there's no real connection, and it's one weird coincidence. I wonder if Scott finds it hilarious or weird.

[icon_uk]

Scott confirms that hey are not related.

[thatnickguy]

Dammit. I've had an idea for a character called The Signal for years. Never did anything with it because it required a better knowledge of the science behind radio waves and other forms of communication. And I don't have a mind for science.

So for that, I guess.

[chalicother]

Ehh...I liked Lark better...it works with the batfamilies family of bats , winged mammals, and 1 terrestrial mammal.