Is Batman a Bad Father in Rebirth?

[Pohzee]

In Rebirth, Bruce has missed Damian's Birthday and is allowing him to live across the country in San Francisco with a bunch of other kids. Meanwhile, he takes Duke into his manner and founds the 'Tec team because he is worried for the safety of these untrained teenagers, yet Damian has been completely ignored. Robin, the most iconic and important sidekick of Batman, hardly appears in the main Batman book (or ASB, or 'Tec) while Duke, who still lacks a field name is oftenby Bruce's side in ASB and a supporting character in Batman. When Damian does show up in Batman (like he did for the first time in FOUR YEARS two weeks ago,) he is treated like an auxillary character with about as much relevence as the other characters who only show up in Batbooks for events like Nightwing, Batwoman, and Red Hood. Shouldn't Robin, Bruce's biological son, be closer to Batman than an older kid who doesn't even have an alias yet. Damian's not even thirteen, he's not old enough yet to "let him go out on his own." I know some people will say that Damian's lack of appearances is a result of him appearing in Supersons and Teen Titans (though Nightwing, a batbook, still uses him,) but do you think that the way the Bat-Office has handled Damian in Rebirth has reflected poorly on Bruce as a father?

[adrikito]

Bruce was not in his birthday.. Even if this was for create an excuse to approve Damian's independence... Batman has been a better father other times..

Priest is one of the few people who showed his respect for Batman and Robin in Deathstroke comic..

Despite TT and Supersons a lot of people is agree with this... Damian belongs to the Bat-world and he is Bruce Son.

[Flash Gordon]

Moreso bad storytelling, Bruce would have been at Damian's birthday.

[Alycat]

It's super confusing since super sons make you think that he still lives at home, which he should. I wonder what the long run plan for Duke is. He's not going to be Robin, so why keep him hanging around. Are they waiting for Snyder to do something?

[Atlanta96]

Bruce has always been a bad father. Yeah he undoubtedly cares about his sons, adopted or otherwise, but we all know Bruce is paranoid as hell. And his other mental issues are at the very least somewhat serious. He's a pretty good mentor to his sons but he's not taking home a Father of the Year award anytime soon.

So no, he hasn't been a good father during Rebirth. But it's a feature, not a flaw.

[Frontier]

Well, one could extend this question to Bruce's questionable fathering skills across his entire history with the Robins (and by extension, the Batgirls) .

It's super confusing since super sons make you think that he still lives at home, which he should. I wonder what the long run plan for Duke is. He's not going to be Robin, so why keep him hanging around. Are they waiting for Snyder to do something?

Snyder's apparently developing him into "something different" from Batman's other partners, so we'll just have to see how that ultimately ends.

I do wonder if Duke is going to stop being Batman's field partner once he finds his new calling...

[Pohzee]

Well, one could extend this question to Bruce's questionable fathering skills across his entire history with the Robins (and by extension, the Batgirls) .

Snyder's apparently developing him into "something different" from Batman's other partners, so we'll just have to see how that ultimately ends.

I do wonder if Duke is going to stop being Batman's field partner once he finds his new calling...

Not Robin. Someone very different. A teenaged boy that is essentially an orphan who lives in Wayne Manor as a surragate son, trains alongside Batman, and will graduate into something unique from the other Robins. But definitely is not a Robin.

[Atlanta96]

Not Robin. Someone very different. A teenaged boy that is essentially an orphan who lives in Wayne Manor as a surragate son, trains alongside Batman, and will graduate into something unique from the other Robins. But definitely is not a Robin.

He's different because he believes in following Batman's orders! Except for all the times when he disobeys Batman's orders, even 1 issue after he said they should listen to Batman. Can't wait for that Lark solo book Snyder keeps mentioning.

[Frontier]

Not Robin. Someone very different. A teenaged boy that is essentially an orphan who lives in Wayne Manor as a surragate son, trains alongside Batman, and will graduate into something unique from the other Robins. But definitely is not a Robin.

I don't think there's any doubt that he's, for all intents and purposes, serving the exact role of a Robin in the books right now and did so during Snyder's original run. If Damian wasn't around, he probably would be the current Robin.

But, as per Snyder, apparently he's going to develop into something different by the end of All-Star. Maybe .

[dietrich]

It does look like he is a bad father but we know the reasons why things are the way they are. We know why he is away from home. He is with the Titans.
Damian as a kid should be at home sure but Damian as a character needs to grows.

I know some people are fans of Batman and Robin and so the lack of Damian next to Bats bugs them. But I am a Robin fan. I don't need him next to batman.
For those that need him at home you have Supersons.

The issue about his birthday. That was down to Percy he could have written a story where bats was there but he chose not to to suit his narrative.

I don't see Bruce as a bad father because of the Duke situation just cos I know the in story reason why it is like that.

[irene]

As a Damian fan I'm actually a little insulted that the lack of Damian had to be adressed in Teen Titans, as if Robin wasn't even important enough that his absence would merit a comment. After the last five years, I don't expect him to appear in the main title, but the blatant disregard even in claryfying the current situation is off-putting. I was hoping for Damian and Duke to co-live, but apparently it's either-or, and I chose my side long ago.

But to be honest I think all this is a sympton of the whole Batman line being a mess right now, and Damian and Bruce are the worst victims.

None of the stories told at the moment (Tec, Batman, All-Star Batman) are actually focused on Batman and his story, even though he faithfully appears in them all. That's why, when he is not the focus, the center of the story, the family feels disjointed and out-of touch with each other. The main narrative or central conflict cocerning Bruce is missing, and it doesn't help that the little mystery they have concerning Watchmen is handled in 'Tec which further removes the focus from Bruce.

[Flash Gordon]

Bruce has always been a bad father. Yeah he undoubtedly cares about his sons, adopted or otherwise, but we all know Bruce is paranoid as hell. And his other mental issues are at the very least somewhat serious. He's a pretty good mentor to his sons but he's not taking home a Father of the Year award anytime soon.

So no, he hasn't been a good father during Rebirth. But it's a feature, not a flaw.

Meh, the Batman I read about is not mentally ill. At least not any more or less than a guy who fights crime with a bow and arrow or a guy who drinks chemicals in order to stretch his limbs.

[Pohzee]

Bruce has always been a bad father. Yeah he undoubtedly cares about his sons, adopted or otherwise, but we all know Bruce is paranoid as hell. And his other mental issues are at the very least somewhat serious. He's a pretty good mentor to his sons but he's not taking home a Father of the Year award anytime soon.

So no, he hasn't been a good father during Rebirth. But it's a feature, not a flaw.

Been reading a lot of older material recently. Bruce was a stellar parent for Dick right up until he dropped out of college in the '80s. Minus the endangering bit.

[SiegePerilous02]

Only because DC has this weird thing with keeping him and Damian part. At least in Nightwing, we've gotten some scenes of them together.

Been reading a lot of older material recently. Bruce was a stellar parent for Dick right up until he dropped out of college in the '80s. Minus the endangering bit.

And even there, Bruce and Dick eventually realized that the latter was growing into his own man and becoming independent and the adjustment period for that caused some friction. But it still ended with Bruce saying that he was proud of Dick and them making up.

And then Crisis happened...

[fanfan13]

It's hard to say no when these panels happened.







I'm a bit bothered by how different the father-son situation in Teen Titans and Super Sons. Yet I enjoy those books quite the same. Damian has been feeling lonely since R:SOB and if the comic editorial (excluding Super Sons and Deathstroke) decided to set Bruce and Damian (and the rest of his family) apart, at least he still has his friends and teammates. He's not alone.