The Appeal Of Dick/Babs

[SiegePerilous02]

For me, Dick and Babs are like Bruce and Selina in that its an overrated pairing that tends to diminish both parities involved.

Dick ultimately needs above interest that isn't Babs or Kory, IMO, but much like Bruce, I get the feeling that DC would rather pair Dick with a tried and true, popular love interest.

Because that's where the money is, and the days of establishing supporting characters/love interests that will be cemented and developed are long over because new characters don't gain any traction anymore.

Diehard shippers tend to be a loud minority online for any franchise (and are often the worst element of any franchise), but at the same time so are the people who voice dislike for certain pairings and relationship drama. The wider audience loves romance mixed in with their fiction. As many people on here say they are sick of Bat/Cat because of Tom King, it's still showing up in a new film trilogy because it's very popular among the audience that matters. It'd be the same with Dick and Babs and Kory should he show up more in other media installments for either franchise. The creators involved would likely use Babs or Kory because those are the popular ones they'd be eager to use and not many people among fans or casuals would be likely to care about a new love interest.

Just because they didn't end up together in the end doesn't abolish the validity of it. They still made sense but drama got in their way. And the creators wanting to mess with their fans expectations. BTAS was a Batman show, and Dick was a supporting character. It wasn't really about him in the end. But it was still one of the first other media adaptions of Nightwing. That introduced him to a lot of kids. Like me for example.

DCAU was definitely an early case of "subverting expectations for the sake of it" and it not resulting in anything good. Like we had the shocking reveal that Bruce and Babs hooked up...ok, and? It avoided the popular pairings for either of them that people actually liked and grossed out everyone. Which was the intended goal, but it accomplished nothing else. Bruce and Barbara's interactions in Beyond would barely change if that never happened.

It also may spring from Timm not liking Dick very much, he didn't give many vibes that he cared for Dick in the "House and Garden" commentary on the DVD release ("This Little Piggy" is also very illuminating for his feelings on Wonder Woman). It may be for the best that Dick and Barbara don't appear to be in The Caped Crusader as of yet. It's definitely going to be Bruce Timm unleashed with nobody to tell him no, so odds of it being bad have increased.

[Rac7d*]

Dc has ruined the appeal but having Babs be terrible during the hard times and she blames him for everything. Slut shaming him and then gets jealous when he moves on. She has kept telling him you broke my heart despite him not doing everything before and after the ric saga. Many other times has well through the decades.She has faulted him for their relationship failing despite Babs not voicing what she wanted and being fickle. She knew about him being rape but throw that in his face. So how is that a relationship to be wanting more of. Dc had 25 years of not using DickKori instead of just do they get back together but instead we have them almost using that in TTA before Tom goes with DickBabs. The editors could have made it clean and not have Dick and Kori be anyway involved. Not only that but 25 years no marriage. They could have gone and screw the fans and married Dickbabs official. But no we get her being jealous before they get together doing when they get together and after but still angry at him for something she did.

I don't hate DickBabs it's just right now Dc has ruined it for me. They need put it on the side. Since they ruin third characters. They ruin Kori by slut shaming her and calling her only a lust thing. They down play one to make the other look better. They can't keep doing that. They can't keep doing that in the comics of Dick only being with Kori because he wants her body to make DickBabs fans happy. I want DickBabs or DickKori but not right now. They ruined both ships. I don't want Dick in the Live Action movie to be her love interest. THis DickBabs isn't going to stay like all the other times they get together. They could have gotten together anything. They could have made writers say can you do this. Like not have the two be broke up.

I’m sorry I’m gonna need some examples of Babs being this terrible person ? When did it happen?

[John Venus]

Damn, I'm not even done compiling my reply and this thread gained two additional pages. XD

[SiegePerilous02]

I’m sorry I’m gonna need some examples of Babs being this terrible person ? When did it happen?

I think the worst is her reactions among the fallout of the Tarantula situation. But then Kory has the Mirage scenario. So in that case, I think we'd call it draw for the two ladies.

[Darkspellmaster]

I think the worst is her reactions among the fallout of the Tarantula situation. But then Kory has the Mirage scenario. So in that case, I think we'd call it draw for the two ladies.

You know, honestly, why has DC not done a story about this issue.

[Godlike13]

Cause again, the rape was unintentional. Both of them. The stories did not present them as rape. It wasn’t till fans read them and were like hey, thats rape. Babs reaction was to Dick rebounding with some crazy chick she didn’t know drugged him to sleep with him.

[Darkspellmaster]

Cause again, the rape was unintentional. Both of them. The stories did not present them as rape. It wasn’t till fans read them and were like hey, thats rape. Babs reaction was to Dick rebounding with some crazy chick she didn’t know drugged him to sleep with him.

Which I must point to other stories in Soap operas , the Luke raping Laura thing, and other non comic media where they have revisited old stories where it was rape but wasn't presented as such. So why hasn't either of theses been used to explore the relationships with either characters? I would think in the present this could be a rather important subject to cover for a couple.

[Godlike13]

Maybe one day.

[Lady Nightwing]

I think the ideal solution would be to retcon both rapes out of existence. Given DCs track record with this subject matter, I don't think they have the ability to deal with this in an appropriate way.

[Castiel]

I think the ideal solution would be to retcon both rapes out of existence. Given DCs track record with this subject matter, I don't think they have the ability to deal with this in an appropriate way.

They could just make Tarantula a villain and part of Dick's rogues gallery. Like he confronts her she gets mad tries to ruin him and things escalate to the point she becomes one of his villains.

[Castiel]

Do you know that Kori did the same? Or you forgot about Mirage?

Did not even know about that. Wow DC needs to hold female sexual predators more accountable.

[Godlike13]

Tarantula was one of his villains. Thats pretty much how the story ended, though the confrontation was over her killing Blockbuster.

[KrustyKid]

Personally I find Dick and Babs dynamic works best as close colleagues. Never really bought them as a couple. They don't play off of each other that well either(as a couple). Most notably Dick's intelligence takes a notable dive. A lot of things he seeks from Babs he should be able to accomplish on his own. To draw comparison with two other 'bat' pairings; Bruce/Selina-Tim/Steph, with those pairs we don't see an individual constantly written out of character to suit the 'romantic link'.

In short, Dick and Babs feels forced when it should be more natural. I also don't buy into the whole notion Dick/Babs are meant to be. If that's the case, why does Babs continuously get paired with all the bat boys across the line? Only a matter of time before it's Damian's turn. We don't see that with Selina for example, because you know... Bat/Cat are meant to be.

If I had to chose between Babs and Starfire I'd favor Kory when it comes to Dick. I'd rather Babs not date anyone within the Bat-tribe to be honest. For Dick and Babs both, I think establishing love interests within their own individual stories would work best in the long run. Too bad Shawn didn't stick around for long, she could have been what Steph was to Tim, and hopefully branched off to being more than just Dick's love interest like we saw Steph ascend to over time.

[MakeNightwingGreatAgain]

Did not even know about that. Wow DC needs to hold female sexual predators more accountable.

The last time people called this out with multiple characters treatment of dick, the writers laugh it off and not take it seriously. I mean seriously these are the same people who constantly talk about how great his ass is and pass around NSFW photos of him at events lol DC doesn’t care. I know his writers surely don’t.

[The Kid]

As someone who likes both Dick with Kory and Babs, a lot of it has to do with how well I thought Nightwing and Oracle's relationship was written. IMO it is easily one of the best developed relationships in superhero comics. Since Babs has been Batgirl again, it's still ok but now not GOAT tier ship like it was Pre-Flashpoint.