Duke Thomas: We are Robin, The Signal, Final Knight Appreciation 2021

[JackJustMetMartin]

Hope we get a outsiders book announcement soon, hope that tease in urban legends wasn't just for another story arc in that book.

Duke deserves more page time!

[lemonpeace]

Hope we get a outsiders book announcement soon, hope that tease in urban legends wasn't just for another story arc in that book.

considering they've given Brandon Thomas Hardware and just announced a follow up series to his Future State: Aquaman, I think the odds are pretty good that we could see the fall Outsiders be a series too. plus, between Urban Legends and Future State, I can see DC trying to complete Thomas' story so they can collect it as a trade. although, now that you mention it, I could also see DC making it the front running story for Urban Legends like the Red Hood one; which, personally, I don't totally hate but it isn't the ideal tbh. I'm gonna remain cautiously optimistic and hope for a series.

[lemonpeace]

less than one week till Secret Files!

[J. D. Guy]

less than one week till Secret Files!

Yay! It felt like this was never coming out!

Wonder if we'll finally see a lettered preview?

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/07/01/to...nal-interview/

New interview with Tony Patrick.

[Perfidiously]

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/07/01/to...nal-interview/

New interview with Tony Patrick.

Everything I'm reading here makes me super excited for this!

[J. D. Guy]

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/07/01/to...nal-interview/

New interview with Tony Patrick.

Nice, insightful read!

I like that Tony Patrick is, essentially speaking, picking up where he left off in continuing to expand Duke's playhouse of Gotham by Daylight.

I can also respect the professionalism of giving Hill props. That's how you keep good relations, for one, and Hill did have a few nice and genuinely cool ideas and concepts regarding Duke, even if so much of the execution was poor and narrowminded.

Let’s not forget that he does originate besides his relationship with the bat family, and in particular Batman in the beginning, he does come from a group of autonomous Robins. One of the central questions I wanted to play around with is like, what’s the fallout from that? If it seems like you might be selected to work with Batman, and I haven’t, you know, and I’m one of those remaining defunct We Are Robins. I started touching on this a little bit in “The Quiet Ones,” which was in Robin King #1.

So that was my reintroduction to being able to work with with Duke again last summer, during Death Metal. And so we started to set up the Signal is working with orphan and Robin and spoiler. And so what does that look like if they’re slated to be next gen Gotham versus all of those other teenage vigilantes, teenage potential teenage protectors that are out there? Let’s not forget, Duke also has two parents that are still infected with Joker toxins. So for Batman in the Signal fans, there’s few surprises for you. Where we begin to pick up some of those threads.

Oooh! Looks like we might finally have some time spent on touching up what became of those who were part of the We Are Robin Movement! Including the rest of Duke's crew, hopefully. It's kind of ridiculous how that's not been acknowledge since, as it really should have had a lasting, perpetual impact in Gotham City, predominately a positive one amongst its youth.

As usual I’m looking for more real estate, to tell the expanded story. One of the things that I’m obsessed with is Arkham juvie. And so we introduced that in Batman and the Signal. There could be some more threads and correlations there as well.

This was another of his threads from Batman and The Signal. Glad to see that's still a forefront for Mr. Patrick!

Instead of thinking of it, as in the Marvel Universe, it’s the X gene. Here, we could talk about the metahuman gene, I think I’d love to think about it in terms of, in particular with Duke Thomas, because from what we might understand there could be a bit of Immortal blood that Duke has, and there’s a larger story with the lineage he comes from. One of the things that we played around with in Batman and the Signal, is there a character that ignites other characters powers? And it’s something that we started to play with a little bit in Batman and the Signal. We didn’t answer any of those questions. And I’m not answering those that question now. But I think it is more than just the X gene, or the meta human gene. I think what we’re talking about is a continuum of powers that might have already pre-existed, that you may tap into. That’s my version of it. And I’m sure I could be countered at any time. So I’ll just express it that way.

UGGGHHH!!! I want this explored so bad!

AIPT: Last question. This book is clearly setting stuff up. What might we expect in the future after this one-shot comes out in July?

TP: I would love to speak about that. But I too have no idea. I have stories lined up in and some of them are ready to go. But we have to see how this book is received to determine how much more real estate in Gotham I’ll be able to inhabit. But I’m definitely looking forward to it if the opportunity presents itself.

Noooo... I don't wanna wait on "maybes".

[lemonpeace]

https://aiptcomics.com/2021/07/01/to...nal-interview/

New interview with Tony Patrick.

a lot of exciting stuff here. I love seeing how ambitious it sounds like Tony Patrick is trying to get with this one-shot.

AIPT: It’s also how there are different kinds of crime going on in the day in this issue. It allows Duke to have his own kind of battles and journey apart from anything that Batman can actually fight because of the time of day.

TP: Absolutely. Shout out to Bryan Edward Hill, who did a great job on Batman and the Outsiders. Same with Brandon Thomas, who’s doing some great work now currently with the Outsiders. We’ve had a chance to watch Duke evolve because we started with this premise that The Signal is Gotham’s daytime hero. In Batman Secret Files: Signal #1, we start to speak to Duke’s training. So you’ve gone from this solo attempt that we see in Batman and the Signal, [then] we see him start to work with a team; Jefferson Pierce, Katana, Cassandra Cain, and more [on] the Outsiders. and now here we are, again, with kind of this reinstatement of cracking the code of daytime. what are the threats?

Because, we understand the established nighttime challenges, we understand the nighttime ecosystem, but how does that lead into a daytime set of challenges that might be unexpected? The byproducts of nighttime lead us into a more dangerous daytime Gotham, which is in this issue. we start to talk about the White Market. So this is a dream of mine, to talk about this like daytime black market that extends beyond Gotham, if you will. That is also another opportunity for a set of rogue galleries, and Gotham criminals, and Star City criminals, and maybe even a few folks from Metropolis and other places in the DC universe, to level up.

This is what I like to see! again, I'm so glad that Tony Patrick has kept up with Duke's development and I hope his shout out to Brandon Thomas' Outsiders work means there will be some synergy between the two. The White Market feels like a perfect new challenge for Duke, I love seeing Duke's sphere of influence expanding into the grander DC universe. i like that we're zeroing in on something tangible with the "Gotham by Day" concept besides establishing an aesthetic niche. I'm curious as to exactly who the baddie will be and what kind of foes Duke'll be dealing with. it sounds like there may be some cameos/connections to villains outside of Gotham, maybe some immortals? wishful thinking, but still, I wonder if Gnomon is involved and I'm super curious as to who is the boot on Duke's neck in the preview.

AIPT: When the Signal was first introduced, I was like, wait a minute, this reminds me of X-Men and the mutants and their abilities. Is it wrong for me to say that? Or do you have a better way of defining his abilities? Because it’s something I can’t shake.

TP: Instead of thinking of it as, in the Marvel Universe it’s the X gene, here, talking about the metahuman gene, I think I’d love to think about it in terms of particularly with Duke Thomas. because from what we might understand there could be a bit of Immortal blood that Duke has, and there’s a larger story with the lineage he comes from. One of the things that we played around with in Batman and the Signal is there a character that ignites other characters powers, and it’s something that we started to play with a little bit. We didn’t answer any of those questions, and I’m not answering that question now, but I think it is more than just the X gene, or the meta human gene. I think what we’re talking about is a continuum of powers that might have already pre-existed, that you may tap into. That’s my version of it. And I’m sure I could be countered at any time. So I’ll just express it that way.

I find this take on Duke's powers very insightful. this may be the most candid answer we've gotten on exactly what's going in with Duke's powers/lineage. I'm glad Patrick is keeping Duke's deeper potential at the forefront of his mind. I know he said he's not answering the big question but I hope he can find a way to put Duke's metahuman and immortal plot beats back into the wider conversation surrounding Duke. something concrete with Gnomon, more insight into Elaine's meta history, deeper explanation and showcase of his powers, is he immortal or not, etc. I don't need everything answered but just anything that would make the topic harder to overlook for much longer. at minimum I hope this kind of mindfulness translates to solid showcase of what Duke can do with his powers, especially giving a concrete showing of what his new shadow powers actually do.

[Korath]

I need to read this interview, but I'm really hyped from the snippets here !

[J. D. Guy]

I need to read this interview, but I'm really hyped from the snippets here !

Definitely recommend doing so as soon as you can!

[lemonpeace]

Batman Secret Files: The Signal #1 Preview
Writer: Tony Patrick
Artist: Christian Duce

[Restingvoice]

Art is REALLY good

[lemonpeace]

[J. D. Guy]

I got ninjad by lemonpeace.

[J. D. Guy]

Got ninjad by lemonpeace.