Duke Thomas: The Signal Appreciation 2019

[dietrich]

Duke's entry in the DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide New Edition

I'm happy to see the Riddler listed as one of his foes. i'm still waiting for them to cross wits again.

The hatch. Man so many possibilities that we missed out on with DC not giving his mini a decent amount of issues. I forgot about Duke's base.

[lemonpeace]

I was thinking about why the "Daytime Protector" concept doesn't fully sit right with me, I think it's a cool angle but it sounds too specific, so niche it felt like it he would get pigeonholed. I think they should lean branding him as Gotham's Light Knight or the Daylight Guadian of Gotham or something, something that plays up the light aspect as opposed to specifically daytime or him protecting Gotham "when the other bats are sleeping". I think him being a beacon of light in Gotham is niche in such a way that makes him more unique as opposed to explicitly branding him the day shift Batfamily member, that way whenever you see Batman or any Batfamily member operating in the day time (which we do see sometimes) it doesn't undercut his specific role. Plus, doubling down on his daylight/sunlight motifs still allows him operating primarily in the daytime and, because his powers are solar-based, it also plays to his metahuman status, which is unique to Duke within the Batfamily.

[dietrich]

I was thinking about why the "Daytime Protector" concept doesn't fully sit right with me, I think it's a cool angle but it sounds too specific, so niche it felt like it he would get pigeonholed. I think they should lean branding him as Gotham's Light Knight or the Daylight Guadian of Gotham or something, something that plays up the light aspect as opposed to specifically daytime or him protecting Gotham "when the other bats are sleeping". I think him being a beacon of light in Gotham is niche in such a way that makes him more unique as opposed to explicitly branding him the day shift Batfamily member, that way whenever you see Batman or any Batfamily member operating in the day time (which we do see sometimes) it doesn't undercut his specific role. Plus, doubling down on his daylight/sunlight motifs still allows him operating primarily in the daytime and, because his powers are solar-based, it also plays to his metahuman status, which is unique to Duke within the Batfamily.

I do like the idea of Duke being Gotham's Light Knight. It seems in line because of his connections to the people / youths if you know what I mean. He feels 'local' for some reason more so than the other batkids [aside from Jason]. Like he's got his fingers on the pulse. So that makes sense.

However I also really am a fan of him protecting Gotham in the day. It's not a scene we see covered a lot in the comics. I guess they could have him not be specified as a daytime protector but have more of his stories happen in the day. I liked the Duke interacting with the community aspects of ASB tie ins and BATS. I thought that was unique. I wouldn't want to lose that. Such contact usually happens in the day and means plenty of recurring and support characters.

[Swallowtail]

Duke's entry in the DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide New Edition

Boy those heights and weights don't refer to anything, do they. This makes Duke clinically obese.

[dietrich]

Boy those heights and weights don't refer to anything, do they. This makes Duke clinically obese.

lol I do wish they'd put more thought into those. Damian's make him very under weight

[Tzigone]

lol I do wish they'd put more thought into those. Damian's make him very under weight

What's Tim's now? He's been 5'9" and 140 pounds (post-COIE) and 5'6" and 145 pounds (Ultimate character guide - not sure which edition).

There's been a thread on Duke's height before. And someone posted many character heights and weights from different sources/continuities.

Jason Todd's 4'6" and 87 pounds was bad enough when he was introduced, if he was 12 (and the weight doesn't work with the height, anyway) - the it was used for the death certificate with him at 15 was way past ridiculous.

[dietrich]

What's Tim's now? He's been 5'9" and 140 pounds (post-COIE) and 5'6" and 145 pounds (Ultimate character guide - not sure which edition).

There's been a thread on Duke's height before. And someone posted many character heights and weights from different sources/continuities.

Jason Todd's 4'6" and 87 pounds was bad enough when he was introduced, if he was 12 (and the weight doesn't work with the height, anyway) - the it was used for the death certificate with him at 15 was way past ridiculous.

Jason's current measurements were recently the topic on his thread. I think they also posted Tim's current page [though I can't recall]. they posted everyone's. If you check the Jason thread it was this month.

I think the publishers just phone this in.

So Jason didn't see any increase from 12 to 15. I guess Alfred's cucumber sandwich's aren't that nutritious

[Korath]

The variant cover for November, BatO by Chris Burnham :

[J. D. Guy]

There is some seriously cool Signal cosplays on Instagram !

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoZICXj...d=9zv1kgj9fxat

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByiOgzmB...d=2b0eshna3hjp

Just saw these. Interesting style, with more black and less yellow. Likely a re-purposed sentail/ranger cosplay. Either way, love that love! I wonder how coincidental was the design of a full helmet? We know Duke's is capable of becoming a full helmet when desired, but I wonder how many people know that his helmet can go full cover?

The second link, to the instagram of the person who's actually cosplaying The Signal, there's a lot more pics of him in-costume. One's even facing off against a Green Ranger, no less.

[Aahz]

What's Tim's now? He's been 5'9" and 140 pounds (post-COIE) and 5'6" and 145 pounds (Ultimate character guide - not sure which edition).

The 5'9" and 140 pounds come from comic, not from one of those guides.
The 5'6" and 145 are is from the first Edition of the Ultimate character guide (or more spefically the UK version, but I don't think it differs from the US version), it was iirc published in 2011 and an shows the charterer basically like they were right before Falshpoint, with Tim as red Robin and Steph as Batgirl.

Btw. to go back a little bit more to the actual topic, at least in batman #71 it looked like Duke is taller then Tim.

[lemonpeace]

The variant cover for November, BatO by Chris Burnham :

it's always nice seeing Duke staged well on these covers. I'm coming back around to Duke's costume from a purely visual standpoint, but conceptually, I still hate the bats (especially the face one).

[Frontier]

it's always nice seeing Duke staged well on these covers. I'm coming back around to Duke's costume from a purely visual standpoint, but conceptually, I still hate the bats (especially the face one).

I'd have him and Cass trade the bat iconography unless there's still a mandate she can't have the symbol anymore.

All she'd be missing then is the cape...

[lemonpeace]

I'd have him and Cass trade the bat iconography unless there's still a mandate she can't have the symbol anymore.

All she'd be missing then is the cape...

agreed, I'm more ok with Cass having the bat because at least her hero names were BATgirl and Black BAT. I'm fine with her not having the bat if she's Orphan but if she takes back up Black Bat or Batgirl (I'm more partial to the Black Bat moniker personally) she should have the bat because her story is more that of a disciple or a surrogate daughter to Bruce, the bat represents something she aspires to be; Duke's story isn't the same way. I'm not sure how I feel about her having a cape simply due to how proficient she is at hand to hand, it feels impractical, but if Bruce can pull it off for decades I'm fine with Cass getting one too.

[Frontier]

agreed, I'm more ok with Cass having the bat because at least her hero names were BATgirl and Black BAT. I'm fine with her not having the bat if she's Orphan but if she takes back up Black Bat or Batgirl (I'm more partial to the Black Bat moniker personally) she should have the bat because her story is more that of a disciple or a surrogate daughter to Bruce, the bat represents something she aspires to be; Duke's story isn't the same way. I'm not sure how I feel about her having a cape simply due to how proficient she is at hand to hand, it feels impractical, but if Bruce can pull it off for decades I'm fine with Cass getting one too.

I am down with anything that moves away from the Orphan identity or iconography.

The cape isn't about practicality it's about the strong and dynamic visual. I mean, Shiva is the best and she usually sports the longcoat equivalent of a cape. Cass had one for pretty much her entire Superhero career pre-reboot. Young Justice even kept the cape as part of her design.

[lemonpeace]

I am down with anything that moves away from the Orphan identity or iconography.

The cape isn't about practicality it's about the strong and dynamic visual. I mean, Shiva is the best and she usually sports the longcoat equivalent of a cape. Cass had one for pretty much her entire Superhero career pre-reboot. Young Justice even kept the cape as part of her design.

that's true, good point about Shiva, I guess I just never cared about capes one way or the other so I look at it from an in-universe practical standpoint. I did dig the little cape they gave her in Young Justice tho; it's discreet, it adds that bit of dynamics, and it makes practical sense considering it's too small to realistically ever get in her way.