Tom King Ranks The Batfamily By Fighting Skills

[Atlanta96]

As one of the twitter responses said: she's got a natural eidetic memory and she was raised by one of the best cops/detectives in the city and trained by the best vigilante detective ever. She should be better at long term planning than Tim.

Still don't get why she's not on the hand-to-hand list. Now way is she inferior to Steph and Duke, and I feel like Jason (and maybe Tim) would only be ranked higher because they have the Robin cred going for them.

Babs was formidable, yes. But she was also about 8 years older than Tim at the time and more experienced, I believe that in time Tim would have surpassed her. Similarly to how Damian will eventually surpass almost everyone in the Family.

[Alycat]

Babs took Jason down super hard in Batman Eternal.

A Jason who knew she mind controlled and not trying to hurt her, but snap her out of mind control. I'm not taking that fight seriously.

[millernumber1]

A Jason who knew she mind controlled and not trying to hurt her, but snap her out of mind control. I'm not taking that fight seriously.

That's not what Jason's narration seems to imply.

[ProgmanX]

Babs took Jason down super hard in Batman Eternal.

To be fair, he wasn't fighting back. And also Mind Control has this thing that makes you not as effective as usual. Though, not sure he could win if he did fight back. An he wouldn't have had to fight back if he had just listened to Kate! Man, that always cracks me up. Kate was fluent in Portuguese the entire time and just let him make an ass out of himself.

[millernumber1]

Babs was formidable, yes. But she was also about 8 years older than Tim at the time and more experienced, I believe that in time Tim would have surpassed her. Similarly to how Damian will eventually surpass almost everyone in the Family.

I'm confused - Babs would continue to be 8 years older than Tim?

[millernumber1]

To be fair, he wasn't fighting back. And also Mind Control has this thing that makes you not as effective as usual. Though, not sure he could win if he did fight back. An he wouldn't have had to fight back if he had just listened to Kate! Man, that always cracks me up. Kate was fluent in Portuguese the entire time and just let him make an ass out of himself.

My argument is that Jason's narration implies that he thinks Babs is a better fighter than him (and most of the Robins).

[Atlanta96]

Babs took Jason down super hard in Batman Eternal.

But that was bad. Remember that the Eternals were the series where Harper Row was smarter and better than the entire Family. Id take those power levels with a grain of salt. Like, a massive grain of salt.

[Atlanta96]

I'm confused - Babs would continue to be 8 years older than Tim?

Yes, she would always have been 8 years older than him. That is how ages work

[Godlike13]

I'm going to assume King just forgot about Babs.

[Frontier]

I'm going to assume King just forgot about Babs.

I don't think he did.

When he clarified it was based on hand-to-hand prowess, he also said she would've been ranked high if it came down to strategic/tactical thinking (second only after Bruce).

[Atlanta96]

I'm going to assume King just forgot about Babs.

He mentioned her in a later tweet though, I think he just doesn't think she's that good a fighter.

[SiegePerilous02]

Babs was formidable, yes. But she was also about 8 years older than Tim at the time and more experienced, I believe that in time Tim would have surpassed her. Similarly to how Damian will eventually surpass almost everyone in the Family.

I think Damian has the potential to become the best in the Bat-Family if he ever grows up, but we also know that will never happen as Bruce, Dick and the others will never age and die. While Tim would grow in experience, I don't think Barbara would just suddenly stop learning and growing more experienced either.

To be fair, he wasn't fighting back. And also Mind Control has this thing that makes you not as effective as usual. Though, not sure he could win if he did fight back. An he wouldn't have had to fight back if he had just listened to Kate! Man, that always cracks me up. Kate was fluent in Portuguese the entire time and just let him make an ass out of himself.

True, he sort of let her beat him. But he also did that speech about how all the Robins were jealous of Babs because she was better than them. Unless she just stopped getting experience and they all surpassed her because they are Robins and that's what they are destined to do, I think the gap is smaller than people think.

He mentioned her in a later tweet though, I think he just doesn't think she's that good a fighter.

I think you're right, but I don't care what he says.* No way in Hell is she a weaker fighter than Duke (or Harper). Screw that noise, they haven't earned that distinction yet.

Though since she spent so much time as Oracle and since her replacement Cassandra was the God Tier Best Fighter Ever, I think Babs has been saddled with the "she's the really smart one, sucks at fighting" reputation.

*I do love King a bit for not giving a **** about trolling us, though.

[Alycat]

My argument is that Jason's narration implies that he thinks Babs is a better fighter than him (and most of the Robins).

That was his hormones speaking.

[Lady Nightwing]

lol, Tim fans not so much. Although dead Tim would def be weaker than Duke and Steph.

I imagine it's NuTim. NuTim spent very little time as Robin, didn't get trained by Shiva, unless Tynion retcons it in, and seems very dependant on tech. Still think he should be ranked above Duke though because he must have been trained longer.

[Atlanta96]

I imagine it's NuTim. NuTim spent very little time as Robin, didn't get trained by Shiva, unless Tynion retcons it in, and seems very dependant on tech. Still think he should be ranked above Duke though because he must have been trained longer.

I think he was cutting some slack for Duke cause he's the new guy. I mean, he's pretty much dead last in all other regards. Giving him the lowest fighting skill ranking (which he should) would make him look even worse.