Duke Thomas: The Signal, Outsiders, We are Robin Appreciation 2023

[Rac7d*]

I would argue that currently that characters who do age are the odd ones out, since the majority of the DC characters don't significantly age.

They do and they don’t. Despite Batman adopting an (8, 10, 13, 15) they keep changing it he hasn’t aged in that time but he has .
He won’t change physically but time is moving for him, because once you’re an adult you’re an adult. But children do grow up it’s very odd how beast boy was left behind by his peers for decades and tim and friends caught up to him. Only recently is finally a man and that in turn effected raven who could not grow up because she is always with him.

I appreciate Damian not being locked out of adolescence because of tim. I can agree with you that it is unique to be a chraxter people can witness truly grow up but those are some of the memorable characters in come EX DickGrayson we can go back and see nearly his whole life journey. It nice that Damian can be like that, whereas Tim is sentenced to be frozen

[lemonpeace]

it's pretty early so we'll have to wait for more information for confirmation but it looks like we'll be getting a new Duke Thomas story in next year's DC Power!

Following up a successful outing earlier this year, DC has announced that it will release a new DC Power: A Celebration anthology in late January, ahead of 2024’s Black History Month in February — and that the new issue will feature the return of the critically acclaimed (and award-nominated) Far Sector, with original creative team N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell reuniting for the story.

As if the return of Green Lantern Sojourner "Jo" Mullein in a story by her creators wasn’t enough, the new Far Sector short is even more special, as it features the first meeting between Jo and DC’s first Black Green Lantern, John Stewart.

The award-winning team of Jemisin and Campbell (Far Sector took the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story) are, of course, far from the only creators in the 104-page issue; they’ll be joined by a substantial line-up that also includes The Other History of the DC Universe writer John Ridley, Brandon Thomas, Lamar Giles, Shawn Martinbrough, Cheryl Lynn Eaton, Alitha Martinez, Edwin Salmon, Khary Randolph, Denys Cowan, Tony Akins, Asian Fulmore, and a number of unannounced further creators.

According to DC, characters appearing in the issue will include The Signal, The Spectre (Crispus Allen, specifically), Bloodwynd, Val-Zod (the Superman of Earth-2), and Black Lightning’s daughters, Jennifer and Anissa Pierce... better known as Thunder and Lightning.

The 2024 edition of DC Power: A Celebration will be released January 30, 2024, with three covers: the main cover comes from Chase Conley, with both Milestone Media founder Denys Cowan and Far Sector co-creator (and current Superman artist) Jamal Campbell both providing variants; you can see Campbell’s at the top of this post, and Conley's directly to the right

[lemonpeace]

it looks like Brandon Thomas is involved in the project too, so it's possible we'll be seeing him behind the pen for Duke again; which is always welcomed as far as I'm concerned. he's been behind some of my favorite Duke stories and I like how he's constantly trying to push his character forward no matter how much or how little story he's allotted to do so.

per usual, I'm praying this will be the story that finally gets that boy a re-design! a man can dream lol

[Will Evans]

it looks like Brandon Thomas is involved in the project too, so it's possible we'll be seeing him behind the pen for Duke again; which is always welcomed as far as I'm concerned. he's been behind some of my favorite Duke stories and I like how he's constantly trying to push his character forward no matter how much or how little story he's allotted to do so.

per usual, I'm praying this will be the story that finally gets that boy a re-design! a man can dream lol

You don’t like his current costume?

[lemonpeace]

You don’t like his current costume?

honestly? no. I've grown used to it more or less but, from day one, I've consistently been against how OVERLY bat heavy his suit has been. no other member of the Batfamily that doesn't have a bat in their name has nearly as many bats plastered on their person. Duke is covered in bats literally from head to toes and it's doubly egregious for Duke because his personal iconography is the sun and sunlight/light, intentionally the complete opposite of Bats and darkness (despite his newer darkness powers). in a visual medium like comics, that kinda aestethic dissonance between the character on paper and their costume is a damn near sin. at the very least they need to scale back the amount of bat imagery, if not just replace it all with his own symbols and iconography. everyone knows he's batman affiliated, he doesn't need to be a walking billboard from Batman's brand. it communicates that Duke isn't anything but a bat accessory, and Duke on paper is more than that and he deserves to be presented as such like any other character.

[lemonpeace]

it's pretty early so we'll have to wait for more information for confirmation but it looks like we'll be getting a new Duke Thomas story in next year's DC Power!

January solicits are out and we officially have confirmation that Duke is getting a story in DC Power 2024 and we've gotten our first hint as to what what the story will be about:

Written by N.K. JEMISIN, JOHN RIDLEY, BRANDON THOMAS, LAMAR GILES, SHAWN MARTINBROUGH, CHERYL LYNN EATON, and ALITHA MARTINEZ

Art by JAMAL CAMPBELL, EDWIN GALMON, KHARY RANDOLPH, DENYS COWAN, TONY AKINS, ASIAH FULMORE, and ALITHA MARTINEZ

Cover by CHASE CONLEY

Variant covers by JAMAL CAMPBELL and DENYS COWAN

1:25 variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL

$9.99 US | 104 pages | Prestige | One-Shot | (all covers are card stock)

ON SALE 1/30/24

DC Power returns for round two with brand-new stories spotlighting Black characters from across the DC Universe by an all-star cast of writers and artists! N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell return to the Hugo Award–winning world of Far Sector for an epilogue featuring the first meeting between Jo Mullein and John Stewart! The Signal, Duke Thomas, finds inspiration from an unlikely ally. Crispus Allen searches for purpose outside of being the Spectre—and goes to Renee Montoya for guidance! Thunder and Lighting (Anissa and Jennifer Pierce), cause sparks to fly at a community event crashed by the Condiment King; Raphael Arce learns the secret origin of the original Bloodwynd; Val-Zod, Earth-2’s Superman, contemplates the balance between his pacifist philosophy and protecting the people of his universe; and Nubia teams up with…Mr. Mxyzptlk?! All these stories and more, just in time for Black History Month!

now we wait to see who the creative team will be.

[skyvolt2000]

January solicits are out and we officially have confirmation that Duke is getting a story in DC Power 2024 and we've gotten our first hint as to what what the story will be about:

now we wait to see who the creative team will be.

If it's the creative team (Shea and Edwards) who I THINK it is-that is not a new story

It's a reprint from Batman Giant issue 2. Because that story fits that description.

However all those folks listed are black. Everywhere else hints at more folks while that does not.

[Will Evans]

If it's the creative team (Shea and Edwards) who I THINK it is-that is not a new story

It's a reprint from Batman Giant issue 2. Because that story fits that description.

However all those folks listed are black. Everywhere else hints at more folks while that does not.

Huh? What are you saying?

[J. D. Guy]

If it's the creative team (Shea and Edwards) who I THINK it is-that is not a new story

It's a reprint from Batman Giant issue 2. Because that story fits that description.

However all those folks listed are black. Everywhere else hints at more folks while that does not.

Huh? What are you saying?

Seconding Will Evans' question. What are you talking about, @skyvolt2000?

[lemonpeace]

Huh? What are you saying?

Seconding Will Evans' question. What are you talking about, @skyvolt2000?

nothing. they're talking bout a whole lotta of nothing.
there are 7 story descriptions, 7 writers, 7 artists, it's not hard to deduce that the 7 writers and artists are the ones doing the stories for the characters listed here (Duke included). therefore there is zero reason to believe DC's going to randomly reuse any old stories, the story their referencing doesn't remotely match the description for Duke's story in the solicits, and the creative team for said story aren't even listed to be a part of this anthology. so, whatever they on they're pulling from nothing but alarmism.

[skyvolt2000]

Seconding Will Evans' question. What are you talking about, @skyvolt2000?

I was wondering if they were trying to pull a fast one and stick in an old story from Batman Giant book. That sort of fit that story premise.

Remember DC had some of those Milestone Incentive folks do and submit a bunch of stories.

Remember it is not beneath a company to commission a bunch of stories, pay for them and then release them at will. Marvel has done that numerous times.


Alarmism nothing-when they have done nothing with most of those folks on that cover. Especially Bloodwynd and Spectre.

That is what will turn folks off of those specials-when that is the only place to find certain characters.

It gives an excuse to the treatment we currently have seen done to Duke since Batman Urban 19.

On a variant cover, a pinup in another black special and whatever that mess going on in Batman.

Then folks want to act SHOCKED when you get calls for Duke and Tim to retired.



NOW they remember Duke Thomas despite Bat Car show, a new figure and Wayne Family Adventure trades?

And suddenly Dc remembers there are black writers out there when the echo chamber pushed back at all of them earlier.

[Will Evans]

I was wondering if they were trying to pull a fast one and stick in an old story from Batman Giant book. That sort of fit that story premise.

Remember DC had some of those Milestone Incentive folks do and submit a bunch of stories.

Remember it is not beneath a company to commission a bunch of stories, pay for them and then release them at will. Marvel has done that numerous times.


Alarmism nothing-when they have done nothing with most of those folks on that cover. Especially Bloodwynd and Spectre.

That is what will turn folks off of those specials-when that is the only place to find certain characters.

It gives an excuse to the treatment we currently have seen done to Duke since Batman Urban 19.

On a variant cover, a pinup in another black special and whatever that mess going on in Batman.

Then folks want to act SHOCKED when you get calls for Duke and Tim to retired.



NOW they remember Duke Thomas despite Bat Car show, a new figure and Wayne Family Adventure trades?

And suddenly Dc remembers there are black writers out there when the echo chamber pushed back at all of them earlier.

Bloodwynd has been used recently in a new status quo in the Superman Doomsday comic.

[J. D. Guy]

Bloodwynd has been used recently in a new status quo in the Superman Doomsday comic.

That Bloodwynd is a legacy character named Raphael Arce who was introduced as part of the Lazarus Planet event, for the record. And this is the story where he'll, apparently, learn about the original Bloodwynd.

[lemonpeace]

repost incoming:

Okay so I got a few ideas for Duke Thomas.

so first and foremost I would have adapt his Future State design, which means ditching the helmet, adopting that swanky jacket, and acquiring the Soultaker II. Since the Soultaker II was sent back in time by Future Duke in Fear State (along with Future State Black Lightning) using magic, you could easily explain it being left behind as a time remnant after The Outsiders changed the timeline. i'd also have Future State Black Lightning, who spent 30+ years training and bonding with his Duke, rebrand himself as Raijin of The Black Lightning and fully embrace his existence as an elemental being by committing himself to being Duke's guardian spirit in this timeline. Hill's Outsiders run constanty had Katana refer to Jeff as Raijin, which carried over in Future State, so I would use that as a way to differentiate him from our Black Lightning in this timeline. I feel having Duke officially take possession of a Black Lightning-infused Soultaker is a great visual consequence of his time working and training under Black Lightning and Katana on the Outsiders, and his Future State look was an organic aestethic progression for Duke because of how the design invokes Duke's We are Robin design. this design also means Duke will take on a more public superhero identity and role which i feel works perfect for the man of the people aspect of his characterization.

I also have some ideas for how I'd expand his powers but I cover that in another thread so I'll just quote to redirect you to that here:

I'd tweak Duke Thomas' powers [...] incorporating two concepts to his powerset: negative mass via darkness and imaginary mass via light.

as for how we get from here to there narratively? Well we'd start by doing a story where, after finally curing his mother from jokerization, Duke sets out on a quest to uncover the truth to the many mysteries surrounding his life and his familial lineage; have it be like a 6-12 issue limited series. here's how I'd have it play out.

following the events of Signal and the Outsiders, Duke's come into his own as a young adult. He's in college, living on his own, gotten the hang of his crime-fighting career thanks to the guidance of Raijin and he's enjoying having his mother back in his life. however, when Duke discovers Doug Thomas is dead, it prompts Duke to reignite his search for Gnomon. Duke turns to his mother to explain where she comes from and she reveals that she and Gnomon both are the last metahuman bloodline of the Anyanwu* clan, a sect from the ancient Weapon Maker tribe [see Black Manta by Chuck Brown] that specialized in 8th metal. it'd also be revealed that the Soultaker II was actually forged by the Weapon Makers (unlike Katana’s blade). Duke then turns to Raijin for guidance, using what he's learned from his 30+ years with his own Duke to help provide clues about Duke's secret origins. armed with this new information, Duke decides it's time to go on his version of Bruce Wayne's training quest, and travels with Raijin across the continent of Africa uncovering the secrets of the Weapons Makers, learning about his ancestors throughout history, and track down Gnomon. I'd have Duke crosses paths with Lady Shiva, Bronze Tiger, the League of Assassins, Hawkman, the Immortal Men, Vixen, Devil Ray, and Dr. Mist throughout his journey. however Duke poking around also has the unfortunate consequences of outing Duke to the immortal community and leads to a arms race among the Immortal Houses to acquire Duke for their own ends or eliminating him from the board all together. Duke's main antagonist is The Constant of the house of knowledge, the founder of the Weapon Maker tribe and the direct ancestor of Gnomon.

i'd call it "Duke Thomas: Eyes of the Sun"

(* - Anyanwu loosely meaning "eyes of the sun" in igbo)

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

repost incoming:

Cool take.