Duke Thomas: The Signal Appreciation 2020

[skyvolt2000]

Yeah you can't do that with characters like Duke, they simply don't have that luxury. You gotta hit the ground running and execute. Too much set bores people especially if they really know if they wanna invest.

Correct.

You want to do that then do that in backups like we saw in Allstar Batman.

Or you give him the B side story in a book like we saw at times with Falcon in Cap America in the past.

You can devote 2-4 pages of a book to Duke. Sure it will force one to tighten up the main story in a book but it allows you to set up whatever in those 2-4 pages and eventually put out a complete book or one shot.

[Korath]

Don't know if you guys have noticed, but Duke will be in Batman 100. That's rather positive in my mind but what do you think of that ?

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/dc-c...0/dc-connect-3

[J. D. Guy]

Don't know if you guys have noticed, but Duke will be in Batman 100. That's rather positive in my mind but what do you think of that ?

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/dc-c...0/dc-connect-3

Since the revelation that Luke wasn't becoming Batman, I've not been following the mainline Batman book too closely of late. Are there any clues what Duke might be doing in issue #100?

EDIT: Also, how do we know Duke's appearing in #100, again? I read what was in the link, and unless I missed something, nothing specifically indicates Duke's presence.

[Korath]

I think he's fighting with the whole Batfamily against the Joker gang, mostly ?

As far as I can tell, there will be Oracle, Signal, Batgirls (Cass and Steph), Robin (Tim in a Robin costume), Red Hood and Nightwing fighting alongside Batman. While Damian is nowhere to be seen.

Not sure he'll have much of a role, but at elast he'll be there.

[J. D. Guy]

I think he's fighting with the whole Batfamily against the Joker gang, mostly ?

As far as I can tell, there will be Oracle, Signal, Batgirls (Cass and Steph), Robin (Tim in a Robin costume), Red Hood and Nightwing fighting alongside Batman. While Damian is nowhere to be seen.

Not sure he'll have much of a role, but at elast he'll be there.

Ah, okay. (And Oracle, as in Babs?)

But yeah, if nothing else, at least he won't be absent. Woulda been even nicer if space was given to acknowledge the last Joker incident of Endgame and how it affected Duke, and also show how far Duke's come since then.

[skyvolt2000]

I think he's fighting with the whole Batfamily against the Joker gang, mostly ?

As far as I can tell, there will be Oracle, Signal, Batgirls (Cass and Steph), Robin (Tim in a Robin costume), Red Hood and Nightwing fighting alongside Batman. While Damian is nowhere to be seen.

Not sure he'll have much of a role, but at elast he'll be there.

Behind Bats, Jason, Babs and Gordon-if ANYBODY has a bone to pick with Joker-it would be him. If he does nothing in this-might as well toss in the towel. Heck a scene where he's slapping Joker left and right with his powers would be nice.

[DragonPiece]

I'm guessing Duke doesn't have a big role if any besides the one panel in joker war, simply because things like Oracle, steph and cass becoming batgirls and Tim as Robin are a lot more important and need page time. Duke is still the signal and doesn't have anything new going on most likely. If anything, it'd be cool to see him and Cass acknowledge eachother as friends in front of the batfam. Besides that, I'm not expecting anything.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I don't mind a Joker war oneshot for Duke but I'm more interested in Duke popping up in Three Jokers. He'd be a good foil for Barbara and Jason and can act as the conscience for the story.

[skyvolt2000]

I'm guessing Duke doesn't have a big role if any besides the one panel in joker war, simply because things like Oracle, steph and cass becoming batgirls and Tim as Robin are a lot more important and need page time. Duke is still the signal and doesn't have anything new going on most likely. If anything, it'd be cool to see him and Cass acknowledge eachother as friends in front of the batfam. Besides that, I'm not expecting anything.

The boy's parents were gased by the Joker and he has new powers.

Tossing him into a one panel speaks volumes of how UNIMPORTANT he is to Batman franchise.

All this lip service is annoying. He does nothing in this event-don't ask for folks to care anymore. Other companies are not doing lip service.

[DragonPiece]

I don't mind a Joker war oneshot for Duke but I'm more interested in Duke popping up in Three Jokers. He'd be a good foil for Barbara and Jason and can act as the conscience for the story.

Honestly, I am a bit annoyed he doesn’t have a role in three jokers since it’s supposed to be more of a character study and Duke was directly affected by jokers actions.

[Konja7]

The boy's parents were gased by the Joker and he has new powers.

Tossing him into a one panel speaks volumes of how UNIMPORTANT he is to Batman franchise.

All this lip service is annoying. He does nothing in this event-don't ask for folks to care anymore. Other companies are not doing lip service.

Yeah. I don't think the Batman franchise cares a lot about Duke.

I have understood Snyder planned that Duke will be Robin (and DC will allow this), but that had to change since WB wants Damian back to life.

I don't think DC knows what to do with Duke after that.

[DragonPiece]

Yeah. I don't think the Batman franchise cares a lot about Duke.

I have understood Snyder planned that Duke will be Robin (and DC will allow this), but that had to change since WB wants Damian back to life.

I don't think DC knows what to do with Duke after that.

is this accurate? I thought Tomasi always planned to bring Damian back.. If anything, didn't people speculate Harper would become Bruce's new sidekick?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Honestly, I am a bit annoyed he doesn’t have a role in three jokers since it’s supposed to be more of a character study and Duke was directly affected by jokers actions.

Me too but there isn't a reason beyond Johns not thinking about using him or caring too.

It is what it is.

In universe, you could say Duke is less driven to avenge his parents because he isn't a vengeful person. He rather cure his parents than kill the Joker. Which Gnonom could use to his advantage in a future arc.........

[lemonpeace]

is this accurate? I thought Tomasi always planned to bring Damian back.. If anything, didn't people speculate Harper would become Bruce's new sidekick?

I don't think it has ever been confirmed outright, but Duke's introduction into the DCU as a kid came after we saw an unnamed black robin in one issue (I think it was from a possible future timeline) and right around the time when Damian died. Most fans figured, historically any kid that the Batman book show any special attention to typically become Robin; especially since after that, Duke's next appearance was in Endgame which pretty much set up his origin story. We are Robin was seen by fans as them giving Duke his own kind of Robin role without giving him the real Robin role but midway through that Damian came back. at that point Snyder appeared to be spinning his wheels giving Duke a role, which further added fuel to the fire that he was supposed to be Robin but wasn't able to because Damian was back. personally I think in the super early stages (around the nameless black Robin and Zero Year times) Snyder was considering making Duke the next robin but by the events of Endgame he'd already scrapped it since Endgame was set up for Metal, Duke needed to play a role setting up Metal, and Metal was supposed to be pivotal in explaining Duke's metahuman and immortal connection, and by extension his role as a hero.

People were mad a Harper for other reasons. I believe they thought she was meant to replace Dick as Nightwing while he was a secret agent and "steal" Tim's thunder as the tech guy.

[lemonpeace]

Me too but there isn't a reason beyond Johns not thinking about using him or caring too.

It is what it is.

In universe, you could say Duke is less driven to avenge his parents because he isn't a vengeful person. He rather cure his parents than kill the Joker. Which Gnonom could use to his advantage in a future arc.........

I'm still upset that Hill couldn't even attempt to do anything with Gnomon or Duke's parents. he couldn't even mention them? I don't think Gnomon or his parents were ever mentioned by Duke, or anyone, once in the entire run. like c'mon, the Lazarus pits were right there. the solicits and the text kept saying Ras wanted to take Duke (and Cassandra) under his wing but they never once did any thing with that which would entice any rational person to want to join him. he coulda used his parents as a bargaining chip or something. I honestly feel like DC stole my money bro. I'm glad I stopped buying physicals after the annual and #7, and went back to the seven seas.