What is the reason many people don't like Duke Thomas

[oasis1313]

I question whether Duke himself is the problem. Snyder has written some great stories, but maybe he's getting tired these days. Maybe he'd have more to say to if he moved to other books and wasn't stuck in the Bat Rinse-Cycle.

[VolcanikTiger86]

For me its not that he is interesting but its confusing, hear me out
Duke joined the Robins and boom more or less became their leader, during rebirth he said that he wasn't going to be a sidekick and Bruce said he was doing something different so he would be more akin to a partner. WHY and that's what makes me dislike him because I'm confused Snyder and co tell me how he is the perfect daytime guardian but never show me, he comes in and says Robin doesn't need Batman but Batman needs Robin (or so Tim says) and from what I have read everyone props him up the fact that he was sitting with the other robins, the fact that he is Bruce's partner all of it reminds me of Felicity Smoak from Arrow who has everyone and their mother telling her how good she is and yet her actions say different. To my mind you have two rules when doing a story
1. Don't confuse your target audience
2. Show don't tell (the important things like how duke has earned the right to be his partner where everyone for a time were sidekicks)

The Batfamily by my count has 20 members as of rebirth
Batgirl Barbara Gordon
Batwoman Katherine "Kate" Kane
Catwoman Selina Kyle
The Spoiler Stephaine Brown
Bluebird Harper Row
P-Two Julia Pennyworth
Orphan Cassandra "Cassie" Chan
Hawkfire Bette Kane
Gotham Girl Claire Clover
Batman Bruce Wayne
P-One Alfred Pennyworth
Nightwing Richard John "Dick" Grayson
Red Robin Tim Drake
Red Hood Jason Todd
Robin Damien Wayne
Ace the Bat Hound Ace
Clayface Basil Karlo
The Signal Duke Thomas
Batwing Luke Fox
Azrael Jean Paul Valley

How many will last.

[Aioros22]

As predicted, a random bait thread.

[Aahz]

The Batfamily by my count has 20 members as of rebirth
Batgirl Barbara Gordon
Batwoman Katherine "Kate" Kane
Catwoman Selina Kyle
The Spoiler Stephaine Brown
Bluebird Harper Row
P-Two Julia Pennyworth
Orphan Cassandra "Cassie" Chan
Hawkfire Bette Kane
Gotham Girl Claire Clover
Batman Bruce Wayne
P-One Alfred Pennyworth
Nightwing Richard John "Dick" Grayson
Red Robin Tim Drake
Red Hood Jason Todd
Robin Damien Wayne
Ace the Bat Hound Ace
Clayface Basil Karlo
The Signal Duke Thomas
Batwing Luke Fox
Azrael Jean Paul Valley
How many will last.

You can't really count Ace imo (or otherwiese you also had to count Damians pets), Harper and Bette aren't active at the moment, Julia is sofar just a support character of Batwoman (if you count her you had to count also a lot of other charcters) and I'm not sure if Clair should count.

But it are still to many characters.

[millernumber1]

Popping in to say that while I don't really like how Duke's been handled ever since We Are Robin (I really wanted him to be Lark), I am enjoying him over in White Knight. And also that I strongly disagree with the idea that there are too many Batfamily members. I love almost all of them, and think that the ones I don't are someone else's favorites, so taking them away just shrinks your audience.

[Rac7d*]

Batman has too many kids in his home
and he dooesnt spend much time wih his actual son

[WontonGirl]

Batman has too many kids in his home
and he dooesnt spend much time wih his actual son

How many kids other than Damian is living there with Bruce?

[WontonGirl]

So from what I gather, at least on the Batman CBR thread, is that some people don't like Duke because they feel he didn't earn his place OR is it because he is not shown how he is important in the Robin/Batfamily line-up?

[millernumber1]

So from what I gather, at least on the Batman CBR thread, is that some people don't like Duke because they feel he didn't earn his place OR is it because he is not shown how he is important in the Robin/Batfamily line-up?

Well, the reason I don't like Duke currently is because of All Star Batman #1, where it's not that he didn't earn his place, but that he shows contempt for those who came before him and the beloved concept of Robin. For fans like me, who have their own favorite Robin who worked incredibly hard (and in at least three cases, literally died for that role), to have Duke and Batman say things like "Robin doesn't need Batman", "Batman doesn't need Robin", and that Duke is better than Robin (even Snyder's explanation on Twitter, that Batman is trying a better idea than Robin, is still a massive slap in the face for people who think that Robin is an awesome idea no matter who is in the tights).

I wasn't a huge fan of player, uncommitted Duke in We Are Robin (I always loved the other We Are Robins way more than him), but I did like how King wrote him in Robin War (much as that crossover was terrible), because he had a real respect for the legacy and importance of Robin, both as an idea and the boys and men who filled it.

Snyder should have stuck with Lark. That would have been really cool. The Signal, even beside being named by the Joker - why would you let the embodiment of evil name you? - is just not a very cool name. It's not as strongly philosophical or active as The Question or the Spoiler, and it's an inanimate object, so not as imaginatively engaging as Batman, Catwoman, Robin, Bluebird, or Lark.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I'm still mad they replaced Tim with Damian as Robin, so I couldn't care less about Duke.

[failo.legendkiller]

Well, the reason I don't like Duke currently is because of All Star Batman #1, where it's not that he didn't earn his place, but that he shows contempt for those who came before him and the beloved concept of Robin. For fans like me, who have their own favorite Robin who worked incredibly hard (and in at least three cases, literally died for that role), to have Duke and Batman say things like "Robin doesn't need Batman", "Batman doesn't need Robin", and that Duke is better than Robin (even Snyder's explanation on Twitter, that Batman is trying a better idea than Robin, is still a massive slap in the face for people who think that Robin is an awesome idea no matter who is in the tights).

I agree 100%

I'm still mad they replaced Tim with Damian as Robin, so I couldn't care less about Duke.

What a great mistake, with this move DC crossed the line and ruined the Robin role essence for good.
Damian is a great character but he never should become Robin.

[dietrich]

So from what I gather, at least on the Batman CBR thread, is that some people don't like Duke because they feel he didn't earn his place OR is it because he is not shown how he is important in the Robin/Batfamily line-up?

Most are just pissed that he is taking the place of their fav or because he has a book will their favourite is stuck in a bell tower forced to share screen time

[dietrich]

Batman has too many kids in his home
and he dooesnt spend much time wih his actual son

To be fair Damian is the only kid living with Bruce. Duke lives with his uncle now.

[dietrich]

Robins graduate Tim stalled that's no one's fault. Damian will graduate some day and get replaced. Duke is a fine character. Personally I'm looking forward to more detective stories from The signal where he showcases his new abilities.

About time someone in the family was a detective again. Duke brings a lot more to the family than quite a few members who are don't bring anything fresh or exciting and merely coast on nostalgia

[millernumber1]

Most are just pissed that he is taking the place of their fav or because he has a book will their favourite is stuck in a bell tower forced to share screen time

Welp. My fave Robin is Steph, and she's not stuck in the bell tower, though I wish she was. But I think you've completely ignored my whole post where I explained why I dislike Duke in his current role and trajectory, which did not revolve around "my fave Robin in a team book."

Said team book is my current favorite comic, anyway.

Robins graduate Tim stalled that's no one's fault. Damian will graduate some day and get replaced. Duke is a fine character. Personally I'm looking forward to more detective stories from The signal where he showcases his new abilities.

About time someone in the family was a detective again.

1) It's definitely Scott Lobdell and whoever edited Teen Titan's fault that Tim stalled. Having so many years of unpopular stories that did nothing to continue the Red Robin momentum from the Batman Reborn/Inc era isn't something that just happened, and you can definitely say exactly whose fault it was.

2) Duke is a fine character who has had some really crummy creative choices made for him.