Batfamily Explosion!

[PyroSikTh]

And she is featured in Batman Eternal.

So's Jim Corrigan and El Gaucho, but that doesn't make them part of the bat-family

[Kingcrimsonprog]

Before I read enough comics, I hated a big batfamily. The more I read, the more I love the big batfamily. As with anything, if it is handled well, and people are well-characterized and given interesting stories and interactions then hooray. Good is good. If there's a big batfamily and its bad stories, bad dialogue, bad characterization, then its bad.

[TheDarkKnightReturns]

These are good suggestions. The Family itself should consist of Bruce, the three adopted sons, and the biological son--with Alfred and the Bat-Pets tossed in. I like the occasional movie nights with popcorn, family portraits, etc. Unlike Superman and Captain Marvel, Bruce Wayne is a FATHER, and this can make for very good storylines. "Accepted" extended family members--Batgirl, maybe Batwing. I wouldn't mind Cass resuming her adopted daughter status. Otherwise, the previous poster is right--I don't recall anyone begging for the addition of a "Bluebird"--this is just a writer pushing a pet creation--what can she do that Steph (an established character) can't? What's the point beyond humoring a star writer? But supporting characters are OK in small doses--Gotham is a BIG town, inhabited by millions of people (most of them criminals), and Bruce really can't be everywhere at one time, no matter how much he wants to.

Exactly. People against the idea of Batman having a big Batfamily seem to forget that Gotham is city of 12 million people. Thats New York city right right there people. Batman is no Superman. He cannot fight all the crimes in Gotham in one night (Arkham Batman is really overpowered when you think about it …). Gotham is noted as being a war zone and the police department lacking police officers to defend the city. In short, the worst city in the US. Batman needs a big family so each member can watch over a particular sector of the city. The Batfamily does not make Batman looks weak. On the contrary, it humanizes Batman and gives him strength. Plus, Batfamily members can help out each other if a freaking Amazo robot comes out of nowhere for example. The big Batfamily reinforces the importance of Batman not only in Gotham but across the world. Many Batfamily members are Batman Inc. agents.

[Jeff Brady]

Did anyone ask for Bluebird? Carrie Kelly? Talon? Batwing? Helena Wayne? Hawkfire? Lark? Julie Pennyworth? ANOTHER Robin?

In order:

No, definitely not, no, Hell Yes, Yes, yes, who?, who? and yes.

[oasis1313]

In order:

No, definitely not, no, Hell Yes, Yes, yes, who?, who? and yes.

I'm cool with another Robin--as long as it's DAMIAN WAYNE.

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

I wouldn't even mind if they stayed in some respective book.

E.g. Red Robin getting a book and Spoiler and Bluebird being a large part of his cast. Cass appearing in Batgirl. Helena being in Grayson/Nightwing or BoP. Etc.

Bluebird? Who the hell is that? I read "Lark" above? Is Batman making his own child version of the freaking Penguin gang? Batman and his flock of little birds? I hope it's not actually that bad. Sounds like Batman's own Brady Bunch. The Batti Bunch.

[Rafa-Rivas-2099]

So stupid!

[MrStatham]

So really, the Bat-family will only be adding one new member after Eternal - Bluebird. Spoiler may or may not, but I doubt it. She's barely featured in Eternal so far. The size of the family after this consideration isn't actually that big at all. It's the four Robins, Batgirl, and Batwing (the latter of which could also be bundled up with the rest of the Batmen of Many Nations). It was bigger during the War Games period when we also had Oracle, Black Bat and Onyx.

We don't even know if Harper will be joining the family. Based on that preview in Batman #28, she hasn't received training from Bruce even at that point. So she could easily be working on the exterior of the Family.

[nepenthes]

Do you complain that The Wire has too many drug dealers and cops or the Sopranos too many Italians? - of course not, they're the subject matter and each are unique despite belonging to a broader group, just as costumed vigilantes are in Batman comics. There's always been a ton of characters around him, and yeah with many many overlaps and redundancies. What keeps it interesting though is that their constantly revolving and each has a traceable and nuanced character arc. That is really cool and whats more it's something you can *only* do in a serialised format over a very long period of time. So where as Solo Batman is the most well-known take in broader media and therefore the version new readers are most familiar with, a lively and colorful Bat Family actually represents everything that is intrinsic and awesome about the medium of comics.

[oasis1313]

So stupid!

Ha--great pics! I would like to see Cass back as an adopted daughter again.

[Claude]

Let's not get carried away. This month, Batman put out a call to The Family and three people turned up.

With a fourth hidden in the ceiling.



It's a little disingenous to count every character in Gotham - or out of it, in the case of Helena Wayne - as part of the Bat Family.

[doctormistermaster]

Batmite (Who is mostly Batman's less evil Mxyzptlk).

Less evil?
He cancelled Batman Brave and the Bold!!!

[deadboy80]

Was always a fan of a smaller bat-family.

[godisawesome]

Right now I'm only kind of worried about how much all the originally different characters kind of stealing stuff from each other. Dick and Tim had some bleed over in their #0 before that still kind of come through their revised versions in Secret Origin, especially for Tim who's still kind of screwed by being hammered repeatedly into a Nightwing archetype for Teen Titans. And right now, a lot of Harper Rowe still seems to be sheared directly off of pre-Flashpoint Stephanie Brown. She's the girl from the wrong side of the street who's hanging out with Tim in spite of his protestations and displays a strong go-getter attitude and stubbornness in spite of her lack of formal training, and her father's even the loser in Blackgate. She's Stephanie Brown in Dixon's Robin, with piercings and a brother. Meanwhile Babs is apparently headed towards Steph's Batgirl portrayal.

I'm starting to think that Chuck Dixon's skills at differentiating Batfamily character was a rare gift and a lot of newer writers are much more derivative.

[dropkickjake]

1) I wasn't talking in terms of popularity. Yes, Captain Marvel/Shazam/Billy Batson and his family are not as popular (unfortunately). That does not mean DC should use the Batman franchise for experiments that are better suited to the Marvel family. And at least the Superman family are related, more or less (Supergirl and Power Girl, both Superman's cousins, Superboy, Superman's clone).

Are you kidding me right now? That is EXACTLY why DC should create new characters in the Batman orbit, because that section of their universe is far and away the most popular, so new heroes there have more of a chance to succeed. Have you forgotten that DC makes comics to, ya know, sell them? They aren't a non-profit organization with a mission statement to please a very small niche of their own market, the hardcore fan.

Now, to actually answer the question.

The batfamily, in my opinion, should be as large as the market can support, so long as the creative teams can maintain distinct directions in each title. The Batgirl of Burnside move is brilliant for more reasons that just new art and direction, it invented a burrogh of Gotham to fit around the character. Lets have Batgirl in Burnside, Tim at the fancy private school outside of town, Dick in Amusement Mile. Lets make Gotham a universe unto itself, havingthe characters close by, but with their own area of responsibility, their own section of Gotham to call home and reflect their character!