Cross-family relationships in DC

[Frontier]

Barbara Gordon and Ted Kord were cute together.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Barbara Gordon and Ted Kord were cute together.

I would've preffered them returning to that over Dick and Babs.

[K7P5V]

Barbara Gordon and Ted Kord were cute together.

I would've preffered them returning to that over Dick and Babs.

Agreed. Just keep Dick around as the handy, repairman on call (LOL):

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Agreed. Just keep Dick as the handy, repairman on call (LOL):

That works. Lol.

I'm fond of Connor and Mgann from YJ. Dick and Zatanna was also appealing.

[Ascended]

I can't say I care much for the idea of Diana being shipped around with pretty much every major male hero. It makes it sound like she was just an object of desire for all the guys on the OG Justice League.

That annoys the hell out of me too.

I'm fine with Diana and Clark dating briefly early in their careers. There's been attraction there since pre-Crisis and it was actually good to finally pull the trigger on that. And I liked having it in their backstory. Shame it was so poorly handled most of the time.

And it'd never work long term, I wouldn't want DC to try to make it last, and I'd want both of them treated well in the breakup; just a mutual acknowledgement that they're not working out romantically but will remain close friends.

Beyond that? No, Diana doesn't need to date, or even be interested, in any of her League peers. I'd entertain an argument for Arthur, they have so much in common and one JLA writer did toy with the idea in a way that seemed fun (Morrison?) but I wouldn't take that trade at the expense of Steve, much less Mera.

Far as the overall hero-hero dating goes, I'm fine with it as long as two conditions are met:

First, one writer needs total control of the relationship and characters. When you've got two writers, trying to be creative and interesting and fun, you can't chain them to the events in a different book they have no control over. Writer wants to send Nightwing and Batgirl into space for a year? Sorry, can't; there are plans in Batgirls for Babs. No. A character has to be completely available to a writer if they're gonna fill the "love interest" role, especially for a solo star. This is why I don't expect Dick and Babs to last, even with Taylor trying to cement them together. Sooner or later, someone will have a Babs story that'll mean pulling her out of Dick's book. Same problem exists in team books, but can be hidden easier by the roster, and the relationship being only one of multiple running subplots means the problems can take longer manifesting, but it seems to almost always happen.

Second, both characters in the relationship have to be under the same editorial control. Want Nightwing and Starfire together? Well the Titans office better give up Kori to the Bats, or the Bats better give up Dick to the Titans' office (whoever the hell they're under these days?). Otherwise you run into the same problems you have with writers, and a character being pulled in two different directions.

As long as those two things are met? I'm fine with it, as long as it fits the characters and everyone involved is treated with respect.

Hell, I'd even be open to taking it a step further, and having a secondary character from one franchise "marry into" another. Who knows, it might've done Donna Troy some good if she had stayed with Kyle and fully embraced living in the Lantern's corner of the world; not abandoning her Wonder/Titans roots but building the Lantern stuff into her identity as well; a Wonder Lantern, as it were (not in a literal 'Donna has a ring' sense, necessarily, but ya get what I mean ya?) Or if Conner and Tim had started dating, back in the day, they could have fused the Bat/Super stuff and embraced elements of both franchises.

[M L A]

Shame DC is allergic to them these days.

I remember when Simone wanted Ryan Choi to show up in her Batgirl run (presumably to be Babs' ex or a relationship tease) but bateditoral nixed it.

[K7P5V]

Red Hood/Artemis was a good pairing that I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Ditto! Jason does quite well with that particular family. Donna+Jason is another favorable pairing (IMHO):

[Jackalope89]

Ditto! Jason does quite well with that particular family. Donna+Jason is another favorable pairing (IMHO):

I will say, the new Outlaws webtoon has gone further with Jason and Artemis.

Jason and Donna, eh. Prefer them as friends, or at least amicable.

[bat22]

Barbara Gordon and Ted Kord were cute together.

While I'm in favor of a Blue Beetle II/Power Girl hook-up, Batgirl/Oracle would be a good non-meta partner for Ted to settle down with.

[Guild]

While I'm in favor of a Blue Beetle II/Power Girl hook-up, Batgirl/Oracle would be a good non-meta partner for Ted to settle down with.

I could see Ted as a JSA member given how far back the Blue Beetle brand goes.

[Sutekh]

Hell, I'd even be open to taking it a step further, and having a secondary character from one franchise "marry into" another. Who knows, it might've done Donna Troy some good if she had stayed with Kyle and fully embraced living in the Lantern's corner of the world; not abandoning her Wonder/Titans roots but building the Lantern stuff into her identity as well; a Wonder Lantern, as it were (not in a literal 'Donna has a ring' sense, necessarily, but ya get what I mean ya?)

If Donna had remained a Darkstar, she'd have even more of a reason to remain a part of the Lantern-franchise, as the Controllers are competitors of the Guardians for that 'self-appointed space cops' role, and their could be some fun friction between Kyle and Donna's bosses conflicting agendas and jurisdictional peen-waving (and both Kyle and Donna losing their patience and eventually telling said bosses to go jump in a black hole and becoming space rogues together!).

[Will Evans]

Are Emiko Queen and Wallace West still together?
Their latest page time I’ve true last 6 months didn’t mention each other.

[WonderScott]

I actually prefer it for some characters, but it always seems hard for them to work it editorially. It tends to enrich the mythologies when you come up with different connections.

I’d love to see Kyle show up in Titans and see him and Donna rekindle a romance. John Stewart and Shayera Thal were one of the best things in JLTAS.

And this goes for villains too - Black Manta and Queen Bee or Jinx and Doctor Alchemy.

[Ascended]

If Donna had remained a Darkstar, she'd have even more of a reason to remain a part of the Lantern-franchise, as the Controllers are competitors of the Guardians for that 'self-appointed space cops' role, and their could be some fun friction between Kyle and Donna's bosses conflicting agendas and jurisdictional peen-waving (and both Kyle and Donna losing their patience and eventually telling said bosses to go jump in a black hole and becoming space rogues together!).

Yeah exactly! It enriches both Wonder and Lantern mythologies, and puts Donna in a unique position where she can bridge the gap and benefit from both sides in ways nobody else can.

I do draw the line on some characters. I don't want the Hawks dating other people, for example. At least not for long. I wouldn't be against Carter and/or Kendra dating someone else temporarily, like how Clark and Diana dated for a bit, but that's it, nothing serious. I just can't accept the idea of the Hawks *not* being together in one of their lives, so any other relationship just feels wrong and doomed to die.

But generally speaking I like cross-pollinating franchises.