Duke Thomas: We Are Robin, Signal Appreciation 2018

[J. D. Guy]

On another note, #2 of "Batman and The Signal" made mention that Duke's been training under for a year now. That's definitely some interesting and relevant information.

For my part, it definitely doesn't feel like it's been a year. Even when trying to look at things from an in-universe perspective, the out-of-universe reality that Duke has had so few stories together that showcase and feature him under Bruce's tutelage, i.e., them out on adventures and cases and stuff, it really feels like he's only still just started. Still, thinking on it, given the opportunity, I'd love for Tony Patrick to do some stories of Bruce and Duke pre-Signal/pre-Dark Days to flesh out that time period.

Anyway, since it's been mentioned that, according to Detective Aisi's observation, Duke's been with Batman for at least a year, I wonder if that means Duke is 17 now? Would help if his age was directly brought up, but we'd need a good reason to do so. It would have also been nice to have had a little birthday celebration for Duke if it is the case that he's 17 now, and maybe if the character had something akin to consistent page-time and presence in the book he was supposed to be in, maybe we would have had one.

[DragonPiece]

Batman & Signal #2 managed to hold the #40 spot in Feb: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...february-2018/

I'd say this is pretty good, it beat out Mera #1 and Sideways #1 and several other comics that sell well.

[J. D. Guy]

Batman & Signal #2 managed to hold the #40 spot in Feb: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...february-2018/

I'd say this is pretty good, it beat out Mera #1 and Sideways #1 and several other comics that sell well.

Glad to hear.

[JasonTodd428]

Batman & Signal #2 managed to hold the #40 spot in Feb: https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...february-2018/

I'd say this is pretty good, it beat out Mera #1 and Sideways #1 and several other comics that sell well.

That very cool. Glad to hear it.

[Korath]

I don't really know if it's great or not, could someone explain this ranking ?

[Assam]

I don't really know if it's great or not, could someone explain this ranking ?

It sold around 37K which is still really good, but still a huge drop from the first issue as one would expect. If it faces another large drop, as is expected of a third issue, it won't be lookung as good though.

[DragonPiece]

It sold around 37K which is still really good, but still a huge drop from the first issue as one would expect. If it faces another large drop, as is expected of a third issue, it won't be lookung as good though.

Eh, I think the book has already proven it's worth. DC is well aware delays cause a books sales to go down and I know a lot of people not buying the book simply because it's a mini series. If a ongoing happens, these two issues won't be the case. Plus, a trade of duke's backups and the first 3 issues of this series come out in May, which should help sales of the ongoing(if it happens) as well.

[J. D. Guy]

Eh, I think the book has already proven it's worth. DC is well aware delays cause a books sales to go down and I know a lot of people not buying the book simply because it's a mini series. If a ongoing happens, these two issues won't be the case. Plus, a trade of duke's backups and the first 3 issues of this series come out in May, which should help sales of the ongoing(if it happens) as well.

Pretty much this. Even before the 3rd issue's release, most things (that we can see on our end, at least) indicate that the mini was a success, even in spite of the delays being "against" it.

[Assam]

Eh, I think the book has already proven it's worth.

I really wanted to avoid this, but, once again, no, no it hasn't. I know you've denied them each time someone's brought them up, but it cannot be ignored what happened here. It was Batman's name first and foremost in the title, Batman on the covers, labeled as a tie-in to Metal, had Snyder writing and it received a TON of promotion.

The attitude I've seen around from both Snyder and several fans that this has proved Duke is a success has actively been worsening my feelings toward the character, not because of anything related to Duke himself, but because willful ignorance gets under my skin.

[DragonPiece]

I really wanted to avoid this, but, once again, no, no it hasn't. I know you've denied them each time someone's brought them up, but it cannot be ignored what happened here. It was Batman's name first and foremost in the title, Batman on the covers, labeled as a tie-in to Metal, had Snyder writing and it received a TON of promotion.

The attitude I've seen around from both Snyder and several fans that this has proved Duke is a success has actively been worsening my feelings toward the character, not because of anything related to Duke himself, but because willful ignorance gets under my skin.

I only keep saying Duke is a success because he keeps defying expectations set for him, Scott Snyder even said they didn't expect the first issue to sell as well as it did, and even with everything going against it, the book still managed to be in the top 50 sales of February. Not many other issue 2's for books starring new characters are able to do that. Just look at Damage #2 for example.

Sure if you just called the book duke thomas #1 and had only tony patrick writing this with no promotion, it would do bad, but obviously DC isn't planning on doing that.

[Katana500]

Eh, I think the book has already proven it's worth. DC is well aware delays cause a books sales to go down and I know a lot of people not buying the book simply because it's a mini series. If a ongoing happens, these two issues won't be the case. Plus, a trade of duke's backups and the first 3 issues of this series come out in May, which should help sales of the ongoing(if it happens) as well.

I am kinda hoping for an ongoing. I really really like Duke as a character! This has my hopes up!

[Assam]

Scott Snyder even said they didn't expect the first issue to sell as well as it did

And I think he's lying. There's no way, given all the factors going for the book, that he couldn't have expected the first issue to sell as well as it did.

Sure if you just called the book duke thomas #1 and had only tony patrick writing this with no promotion, it would do bad, but obviously DC isn't planning on doing that.

But if Duke does get an ongoing, it WILL be The Signal # 1 by Tony Patrick. No Batman, no Metal, no Snyder. It might still get a good about of promotion, but that's something DC should give ALL its books; see the Black Lightning mini for what happens when they don't at all.

[J. D. Guy]

I really wanted to avoid this, but, once again, no, no it hasn't. I know you've denied them each time someone's brought them up, but it cannot be ignored what happened here. It was Batman's name first and foremost in the title, Batman on the covers, labeled as a tie-in to Metal, had Snyder writing and it received a TON of promotion.

The attitude I've seen around from both Snyder and several fans that this has proved Duke is a success has actively been worsening my feelings toward the character, not because of anything related to Duke himself, but because willful ignorance gets under my skin.

See, that's the thing, and it's been bugging me for a while now, I don't think that's the case. You've disdained against Duke passive-aggressively from the outset and are just using other things as excuses to justify it.

Regardless of anything else and with few if any exceptions, you've only really posted here (or about Duke in general) when you have something "put down-y" to say about the character (or his writer(s) or creator), and now, apparently the character's fans, too. I can't say I appreciate that, or have ever appreciated when you've done that. Especially so now that you're blaming the fans of the character for taking what positive indicators they can as good news simply because you don't agree with it. It's not willful ignorance, as if the fans (myself included) were that much of a problem or were a bunch of unknowledgeable fools, it's just you seemingly having a bone to pick. The more I think on it, the more aggravating it becomes to me, honestly.

[Assam]

See, that's the thing, and it's been bugging me for a while now, I don't think that's the case. You've disdained against Duke passive-aggressively from the outset and are just using other things as excuses to justify it.

Up until recently, I'd very much been on the fence about him. Yes, I 'd comment, generally elsewhere, when something bugged me, but I'd also mention when I liked something. I liked how he was portrayed in Zero Year, even if I thought he was the blandest of the cast I still liked him in We Are Robin, and although I didn't care for the issue, Duke himself was pretty likable in BatS. I have not always hated Duke or anything; the bad has just come to outweigh the good for me.

Regardless of anything else and with few if any exceptions, you've only really posted here (or about Duke in general) when you have something "put down-y" to say about the character (or his writer(s) or creator), and now, apparently the character's fans, too. I can't say I appreciate that, or have ever appreciated when you've done that. Especially so now that you're blaming the fans of the character for taking what positive indicators they can as good news simply because you don't agree with it. It's not willful ignorance, as if the fans (myself included) were that much of a problem or were a bunch of unknowledgeable fools, it's just you seemingly having a bone to pick. The more I think on it, the more aggravating it becomes to me, honestly.

Apologies if I've offended you in some way. I feel I've gone out of my way to avoid saying anything negative about the character himself in this thread, but if that's not the case, I'll keep that in mind. I only posted here today because I like Korath, they asked a question and I wanted to give what I felt was a neutral take on it.

In the future, unless I have something expressly positive to say, I'll avoid posting here.

[Barbatos666]

I only keep saying Duke is a success because he keeps defying expectations set for him, Scott Snyder even said they didn't expect the first issue to sell as well as it did, and even with everything going against it, the book still managed to be in the top 50 sales of February. Not many other issue 2's for books starring new characters are able to do that. Just look at Damage #2 for example.

Sure if you just called the book duke thomas #1 and had only tony patrick writing this with no promotion, it would do bad, but obviously DC isn't planning on doing that.

Damage doesn't have Snyder and Batman written on the covers though. I'm no expert in numbers though but I do think this series should not be used as an indicator of success or lack of it. 3 issues imo aren't enough to judge anything.