Best Character Comeback (Bat-Family)

[Bat-Meal]

Some Bat-Family characters, for various reasons, have been removed from their mantle.

And while they sometimes return to their original mantle, sometimes they get a new one that sticks, or they get two. Rather than purely focus on all the negative reasons writers attempted to erase/replace the characters in the first place - who do you feel has had the best comeback?

Note: I'm not including Steph and Tim in the poll because they've both since returned to their original mantles (Spoiler and Robin). Babs, I have included because she's currently both Batgirl and Oracle at the same time. I also realise that Dick was given a new mantle to move the character forward rather than to be replaced, but I figure it still counts as a semi-comeback even though he didn't exactly go away. I'm also not including previous new mantles that are no longer in use, so last time Bette Kane was in costume she went by Hawkfire and not Flamebird, and Cassandra Cain doesn't go by Black Bat at this time.

[Avi]

Dick as Nightwing isn't a comeback to me, so I'm taking that out.

Can't say anything about Bette.

Cass as Orphan wasn't a good comeback, imo. Orphan is a generic name that doesn't quite fit either, and it just hasn't caught on. B&RE wasn't a strong story, and it changed her backstory in ways that weren't needed.

For me, Jason as Red Hood and Barbara as Oracle are the two strongest contenders for the best comeback.

Jason has become Red Hood in a way Cass and Barbara haven't become Orphan and Oracle, and he clearly benefits from returning in a Batman storyline and later getting The Lost Days to expand upon his return. But the weak how's and why's of how he came back to life after so many years are always going to be a weak spot of his comeback.

The comparably slow but steady reveal that Oracle is Barbara is more enjoyable to me. I like that she came back not in a Bat title but in the Suicide Squad and later formed her own (international) vigilante group. If not for her comeback as Oracle and that identity's staying power, Barbara wouldn't have the presence she has as Batgirl now.

Both made a good comeback. Both flaundered and then got big pushes. My vote goes to Barbara.

[Restingvoice]

Either Dick or Jason usually has the best trash talk... oh we're not talking about that?

Dick's comeback as Nightwing is usually just eh for me because he returns from something totally awesome (Batman), totally awful (Ric), or totally out of the left-field conceptually (Grayson), so when he's back, it's not making me go YAAAS but more like... Oh. You're back.

Depending on where he's from it's kinda disappointing a little bit (Batman), took too long the moment's gone (Ric), or something that's a wait and see because of fear that it will be the same old same old (Grayson)

The actual result may not be like that, I was strictly talking the moment it happened

Jason came back strong as Red Hood, the irony and the angst of it, I just don't find his villainous concept to be sustainable in the long run.

Coming back to his solo recently after years of teaming up in a grand adventure feels like a deflated balloon, even when I usually a dark gritty Red Hood compared to space and supernatural adventures Outlaws. One part because his previous team adventures are so grand, that coming back to street-level drug dealers feels his world is smaller, but mainly because it's also being tied with Batman when he was previously free gallivanting without Batman.

I know. It's supposed to be a personal, character-driven story, and that's fine, it's just, coming back from grand team adventure, if he's solo then I want it to feel grand as well. I prefer him blowing up the submarine of a nuclear weapon smuggler. Actually... don't blow up a nuclear weapon smuggler submarine.

Orphan is just no

Hawkfire is a no for two reasons: One, I keep remembering it as Firehawk, Hawkfire just doesn't roll off the tongue. Two, they retired her before showcasing anything.

I came back to comic when she's Batgirl, so I didn't see how she was when Oracle debuted.

[Bat-Meal]

Either Dick or Jason usually has the best trash talk...

If that's the case Jason wins. How about reinvention then, as a better term.

Characters that didn't get another mantle include David Zavimbe, Holly Robinson, Helena Wayne, and probably a whole lot of others but I don't know who they are.

I like the way that despite some writers seemingly being vindictive and trying to get rid of some characters, a few of them return and persist anyway.

[Godlike13]

Dick or Babs. Nightwing's the most successful, Oracle's the most original.

[Bat-Meal]

Dick's comeback as Nightwing is usually just eh for me because he returns from something totally awesome (Batman), totally awful (Ric), or totally out of the left-field conceptually (Grayson), so when he's back, it's not making me go YAAAS but more like... Oh. You're back.

Depending on where he's from it's kinda disappointing a little bit (Batman), took too long the moment's gone (Ric), or something that's a wait and see because of fear that it will be the same old same old (Grayson)

Oh, yeah, I forgot about Ric. The Agent Grayson thing I kind of ignore. Tim and Steph feel like they've been full circle:

Robin - Red Robin - Drake - Robin
Spoiler - Batgirl - Robin - Spoiler

With Dick, Cass and Bette it's:

Robin - Nightwing - Agent Grayson - Nightwing - Batman -Nightwing - Ric - Nightwing (is that even the right order?)
Batgirl - Black Bat - Orphan
Bat-Girl - Flamebird - Hawkfire

Also, anyone have any idea what Damian's new mantle is supposed to be? I heard he was getting a new one, but I'm not 100% if that's true.

[Restingvoice]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about Ric. The Agent Grayson thing I kind of ignore. Tim and Steph feel like they've been full circle:

Robin - Red Robin - Drake - Robin
Spoiler - Batgirl - Robin - Spoiler

With Dick, Cass and Bette it's:

Robin - Nightwing - Agent Grayson - Nightwing - Batman -Nightwing - Ric - Nightwing (is that even the right order?)
Batgirl - Black Bat - Orphan
Bat-Girl - Flamebird - Hawkfire

Also, anyone have any idea what Damian's new mantle is supposed to be? I heard he was getting a new one, but I'm not 100% if that's true.

Including current continuity

Robin - Red X - Nightwing - Batman - Nightwing - Renegade - Nightwing - Batman - Nightwing - Agent 37 - Nightwing - Ric - Talon - Joker's Son - Nightwing

There's also The Target but it's just for one issue so I discount it. I'm including Joker's Son just to emphasize on how awful that chronology was

If that's the case Jason wins. How about reinvention then, as a better term.

Characters that didn't get another mantle include David Zavimbe, Holly Robinson, Helena Wayne, and probably a whole lot of others but I don't know who they are.

I like the way that despite some writers seemingly being vindictive and trying to get rid of some characters, a few of them return and persist anyway.

Oh Holly Robinson's already down to earth and they threw her off a cliff

[Bat-Meal]

Including current continuity

Robin - Red X - Nightwing - Batman - Nightwing - Renegade - Nightwing - Batman - Nightwing - Agent 37 - Nightwing - Ric - Talon - Joker's Son - Nightwing

There's also The Target but it's just for one issue so I discount it. I'm including Joker's Son just to emphasize on how awful that chronology was

Okay, well, the character has been around for a long time. Wow.

Oh Holly Robinson's already down to earth and they threw her off a cliff

Yeah, but David Zavimbe was pretty much erased. Most Batwing appearances now seem to indicated that Luke is the the first and only Batwing. Hmm, is it worse being erased, or character assassinated?

[Restingvoice]

Okay, well, the character has been around for a long time. Wow.



Yeah, but David Zavimbe was pretty much erased. Most Batwing appearances now seem to indicated that Luke is the the first and only Batwing. Hmm, is it worse being erased, or character assassinated?

Zavimbe served a specific story, that there are international Batmen. Don't view him as a Gotham Bat-family, but like Jiro, Hood, El Gaucho, Man-of-Bats, and Knight.

[dietrich]

Oh, yeah, I forgot about Ric. The Agent Grayson thing I kind of ignore. Tim and Steph feel like they've been full circle:

Robin - Red Robin - Drake - Robin
Spoiler - Batgirl - Robin - Spoiler

With Dick, Cass and Bette it's:

Robin - Nightwing - Agent Grayson - Nightwing - Batman -Nightwing - Ric - Nightwing (is that even the right order?)
Batgirl - Black Bat - Orphan
Bat-Girl - Flamebird - Hawkfire

Also, anyone have any idea what Damian's new mantle is supposed to be? I heard he was getting a new one, but I'm not 100% if that's true.

Damian new mantle is Robin. He took it back in story after much contemplation. Tim is a filler Robin for when Damian's not in the room [source the Tim Story in Urban Legends] he is also still RR and dRAKE

I was going to vote for Jason since he had the best come back in the Batfamily but then it occurred to me that he didn't return to Robin. So Ric to Dick it is.

[Confuzzled]

Babs' original comeback as Oracle is the best in comics history.

[charliehustle415]

For me it's a no brainer: Bruce Wayne.




When he "died" in Final Crisis we had no idea what that last panel even meant, but when the Return of Bruce Wayne was announced then we started to understand Morrison's madness.

This mini explained everything and tied it in a neat bow, from the neolithic batcave, The Miagani Bat Tribe, Barbatos, Hurt, the killing of the Waynes and Darkseid's ultimate plan i.e. "The Hole In Things".

And on top of all that, Bruce Wayne fought through time and space to beat the crap out of Hurt.

[Fergus]

For me it's a no brainer: Bruce Wayne.




When he "died" in Final Crisis we had no idea what that last panel even meant, but when the Return of Bruce Wayne was announced then we started to understand Morrison's madness.

This mini explained everything and tied it in a neat bow, from the neolithic batcave, The Miagani Bat Tribe, Barbatos, Hurt, the killing of the Waynes and Darkseid's ultimate plan i.e. "The Hole In Things".

And on top of all that, Bruce Wayne fought through time and space to beat the crap out of Hurt.

Couldn't agree more

[dietrich]

For me it's a no brainer: Bruce Wayne.




When he "died" in Final Crisis we had no idea what that last panel even meant, but when the Return of Bruce Wayne was announced then we started to understand Morrison's madness.

This mini explained everything and tied it in a neat bow, from the neolithic batcave, The Miagani Bat Tribe, Barbatos, Hurt, the killing of the Waynes and Darkseid's ultimate plan i.e. "The Hole In Things".

And on top of all that, Bruce Wayne fought through time and space to beat the crap out of Hurt.

Don't know how I forgot Bruce. May the Gods of Comics forgive me! This is clearly the answer. Bruce Wayne had the best, most epic come back ever to a mantle.

Not sure why that's not on the list. Also not on the list is Damian's return to Robin complete with Superpowers

[charliehustle415]

Don't know how I forgot Bruce. May the Gods of Comics forgive me! This is clearly the answer. Bruce Wayne had the best, most epic come back ever to a mantle.

Not sure why that's not on the list. Also not on the list is Damian's return to Robin complete with Superpowers

Yeah Damian's return was pretty amazing too with Batman going to Apokolypse in the Hellbat to find his body and then he is reborn with superpowers - what a great arc.