Would you read a Bat-family book?

[Godlike13]

There no point in doing a Batfamily book with none of the legit Batfamily members. It’s not really a Batfamily book then.

[lemonpeace]

There no point in doing a Batfamily book with none of the legit Batfamily members. It’s not really a Batfamily book then.

With all due respect, I disagree. If it's a book focused on the batfamily it's a batfamily book. We don't need another book centered around Batman or his clones (I love the batboys but they're all just the same Bruce Wayne character design at different ages) or characters that already have a book or multiple books. Every batmember has their following (even the ones who aren't pushed to the forefront), so if they are going to do a batfamily book they should play with that. The idea of "legit" members and "other" members is pretty lame; batfamily is batfamily, claiming otherwise is pretty much just headcanon.

[Godlike13]

Except with out the actual Batfamily then it’s not a book focused on the Batfamily.

[lemonpeace]

Except with out the actual Batfamily then it’s not a book focused on the Batfamily.

-sigh- aaaand missed the point but sure dude, whatever you say. Don't read the hypothetical book.

[Godlike13]

I’m not missing your point. Regardless if you don’t think we need another book about Batman and his clones, we probably don’t, you still don’t serve a steak dinner with no steak. A Batfamily book with out members that most people have come to know makeup the Batfamily wouldn’t actually be a Batfamily book then. Thats a book about fringe Bat associates.

[lemonpeace]

I’m not missing your point. Regardless if you don’t think we need another book about Batman and his clones, we probably don’t, you still don’t serve a steak dinner with no steak. A Batfamily book with out members that most people have come to know makeup the Batfamily wouldn’t actually be a Batfamily book then. Thats a book about fringe Bat associates.

They're not fringe bat-associates; that's the point. Batfamily is an umbrella term for those who trained and/or operated under Batman directly. That's not just Nightwing or Batgirl, or Red Hood. That DOES include Tim Drake, Orphan, Spoiler, Signal, Batwoman, Azreal, the Batwings, Huntress. As I said before, each of these characters has their own fans and supporters which is a clear indicator that they are worth exploring instead of wasting pages on a book that's already being done. The idea that books should only exist if they feature the same handful of characters is ass backward thinking. Whether you wanna consider the ones with book the "steak" is subjective but even so, one can't survive on steak alone; eventually you get tired of the same meal. Why not pasta? Pizza? Sushi?

[Armor of God]

I find it odd that Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl and Red Hood are referred to as Batman clones. Just what exactly are Huntress, Batwoman, Batwing, Azrael, Signal, Orphan then?
Stephanie may just be the only non Batman clone in her original incarnation. The rest are derivates of the same Batman, Robin and Batgirl archetypes and in some cases even Nightwing.

[Godlike13]

They're not fringe bat-associates; that's the point. Batfamily is an umbrella term for those who trained and/or operated under Batman directly. That's not just Nightwing or Batgirl, or Red Hood. That DOES include Tim Drake, Orphan, Spoiler, Signal, Batwoman, Azreal, the Batwings, Huntress. As I said before, each of these characters has their own fans and supporters which is a clear indicator that they are worth exploring instead of wasting pages on a book that's already being done. The idea that books should only exist if they feature the same handful of characters is ass backward thinking. Whether you wanna consider the ones with book the "steak" is subjective but even so, one can't survive on steak alone; eventually you get tired of the same meal. Why not pasta? Pizza? Sushi?

Most of those are lesser known characters that Batman sometimes associates with. Using Batfamily as an umbrella term for anyone who trained or operated with Batman just dilutes what it really is to be Batmans family. The point isn’t about whether or not those characters are worth exploring, but that the idea of a Batfamily book should involve the actual characters that people generally know as Batman’s family and want. And a book where those characters regularly interact and work together isn’t being done. A book about adrift associates and a book about Batman’s family are different things. Want a book for the other guys, that’s fine, but that’s not really a book about Batman’s family interacting and working together. There’s nothing wrong with pizza, but there is something wrong with trying to sell pizza as steak. Especially to people asking for steak. A Batfamily book with no Batman, Robin, Batgirl, or even Nightwing misses the point.

[Flashback]

The idea of "legit" members and "other" members is pretty lame; batfamily is batfamily, claiming otherwise is pretty much just headcanon.

Agreed.

[Aahz]

Batfamily is an umbrella term for those who trained and/or operated under Batman directly.

Thats a to wide definition, that would include the Outsiders, Batman Inc. and several Justice League incarnations (and some really obscure characters).

[Sergard]

I'd like to see a batfamily book which is more slice-of-life orientated than focusing on action/missions. I want to see characters interact out of costume, during daytime, in public, doing fun stuff together, or helping Alfred prepare dinner, sparring together, etc. And if a mission is involved, I still want to have the main focus of the story on the character interaction and relationship development.

It would be short stories with rotating cast, so that everyone interacts with everyone at some point. Each cast would be around 2 to 4 people, rarely bigger groups so that the issue does not get to crowded. Every member has the same chance of appearing, although I would only very rarely allow a cast that only consists of members that already hold their own title, because such a story could easily be printed in one of the respective titles. AND we already know how the relationship between characters like Bruce, Dick, Jason, Barbara, Tim and Damian looks like.

I want to see characters interact who normally don't, for example Jason and Stephanie, Duke and Tim, Kate and Selina, Damian and Azrael, etc. I'd like to know who has a sibling relationship, who sees each other more as friends or colleagues, which characters don't like each other - and which characters maybe just need more time to understand each other.

[oasis1313]

Yes but ideally only under certain conditions. For one if should focus on Bat characters that don't have a title to call home; so no Red Hood, no Robin, no Batgirl, no Nightwing, no Batman, no Catwoman. Also, i would rather it be a showcase/anthology type deal where they have short 3-4 issue arcs that spotlight each member. Either that or have them all be a team X-Men style and have it be a limited series. A punchy tight story, all killer no filler, and it needs a top-tier artist on it.

I'd rather read a book with Nightwing and Red Hood on a buddy-cop adventure than a story where Leslie Thompkins inventories the drugs at her hospital.

[MajorHoy]

Except with out the actual Batfamily then it’s not a book focused on the Batfamily.

Actually, when Batman Family originally came out, it tended to focus on Batgirl (Babs) and on Robin (Dick) for the new stories, back when neither of them had their own book. (All they got back then were back-up features from time to time.) Batman would be in the reprinted stories, but those stories were selected/promoted with other characters/villains being spotlighted.
It was when they expanded the book to $1.00-size that they included new Batman stories.

[oasis1313]

Actually, when Batman Family originally came out, it tended to focus on Batgirl (Babs) and on Robin (Dick) for the new stories, back when neither of them had their own book. (All they got back then were back-up features from time to time.) Batman would be in the reprinted stories, but those stories were selected/promoted with other characters/villains being spotlighted.
It was when they expanded the book to $1.00-size that they included new Batman stories.

I think it's time for it to come back.

[Godlike13]

Actually, when Batman Family originally came out, it tended to focus on Batgirl (Babs) and on Robin (Dick) for the new stories, back when neither of them had their own book. (All they got back then were back-up features from time to time.) Batman would be in the reprinted stories, but those stories were selected/promoted with other characters/villains being spotlighted.
It was when they expanded the book to $1.00-size that they included new Batman stories.

Batgirl and Robin are two of the pillars of the Batfamily. The Batfamily pretty much started with them.