WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Nightwing #79 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas & Wes Abbott, on sale now.
Like any family unit, the Bat-Family has their own mix of interpersonal drama, inside jokes, and biting observations about one another. It all speaks to the bond that's formed between the group of heroes, and it even has a surprisingly realistic way of teasing each other.
It turns out there's a text chain that involves many members of the Bat-Family -- and they all use it in the latest issue of Nightwing to make fun of the veteran hero after he allows himself to become a victim of an incredibly obvious crime.
The Bat-Family has gone through some tough times as of late. The death of Alfred during "City of Bane" was one of the factors that led to Damian Wayne going rogue and leaving the family behind. Meanwhile, things have only grown more tense between Bruce and Jason, especially after Jason's latest actions resulted in the death of a criminal. One bright spot though has been the return of Dick Grayson, whose memories were finally restored during the events of "Joker War." Dick has been getting used to the world again, reacquainting himself with his loved ones. He's even reconnected with Barbara Gordon, with the couple sharing a heartfelt and hasty marriage during the build-up to the final apocalyptic battle of Dark Nights: Death Metal.
While they may not be formally married in the present day, the two are still spending time together, with Oracle visiting him in Bludhaven. While discussing what he intends to do with the fortune that Alfred left behind to him, Dick admits he has little concrete idea on how he can use it in a good way. Deciding to start by feeding scores of hungry people in the city with a sudden and surprise pizza buffet, Dick is caught by surprise when a group of teens is able to sneak off with his wallet in their possession. The veteran hero asks Barbara not to ever tell Batman about his slip-up -- only to discover that she's already posted the news to the Bat-Family group chat.
This leads to a tidal wave of messages being shared among the group, with almost every member of the Bat-Family chiming in to poke fun at Nightwing for his mistake. Barbara specifically mentions Cassandra as having no self-control when it comes to emojis. It's fun to consider the concept of a Bat-Family group chat, giving the group of close-knit friends the same sort of communication means as real-life groups of friends and family. Considering the relative youth of many of the group members, it also makes sense that they'd be quick to pile onto any revelation made to the group with a sea of jokes, memes, and emojis.
The technologically-minded Tim, the down-to-earth nature of Bluebird and Signal, and the snarky nature of Spoiler all lend themselves well to poking fun at someone like Nightwing -- who previously served as Batman -- being pickpocketed by a handful of children. It's extra hilarious to consider that these are the messages Damian could be ignoring while trying to avoid the family -- and that when he finally logs back into the Bat-Family Chat, he'll get to learn about Dick's mistakes. It's a hilarious and unexpected revelation about how the Bat-Family operates and is a perfect story beat to further prove just how much of a family this band of orphans and crime-fighters have become.
0 Comments