How Would You Breakup the Batfamily in a Batman Beyond Adaptation

[Winter]

Trigger Warning: Mention of Sexual Assault and Torture

Terry does not fit into the Batfamily as it currently is.

In the event Bruce is unable to be Batman there is a clear line of succession, Dick, Tim and Jason, and Duke is, (I think) also being trained to succeed should they be unable to be Batman for whatever reason. And for his faults Bruce is a loving father who cares for his kids and wouldn't be able to live with himself if he betrayed them.

While Batman Beyond is great Terry doesn't fit into how it works in the mainline comics no matter how hard DC tries to make him fit. Terry only works if Bruce takes on no more sidekicks after the second Robin AND if he and Dick are on bad terms otherwise why wouldn't his kids come to help him?

And then there's the whole... ugh... Bruce and Barbara... excuse me, this is not easy.... romance thing... Give me a minute I need to get the brain bleach.

The Bruce and Barbara pairing was a bad idea brought up by Bruce Timm because every brilliant creator has to have one REALLY bad idea that everyone regrets. Sarcastic Chorus went into why this ship is a dumpster fire that caused a train wreck that sunk this ship so go check that video out if you want more but yeah, I hate this!

For me, next to Terry being Bruce's son this is the worst idea that's come out of the series and this is easily the one of the two ideas I hate most. At least with Terry being Bruce's son there's potential for a good idea but Bruce and Barbara being an item can only end in disaster that would make Roland Emmerich blush.

Apart from Bruce Timm I don't know anyone who actually likes or supports this pairing. The closest I can think of is the Lego Batman Movie but that film never went through with it and thank god because I would have cursed the filmmakers to step on Lego Bricks for the rest of their lives (ironic given the series they've chosen to make).

So, as the title makes clear how would you go about writing the Batfamily out of a Beyond adaptation that would A) create a believable scenario for them not to be around and B) WOULD NOT INCLUDE BRUCE SLEEPING WITH BARBARA!!!

For me, I would keep the story that was set in the series, that something so horrible happen to Jason that it resulted in Bruce refusing to take on any other side kicks. Meaning he never met, or they just don't exist in this continuity, Tim, Cass, Stepth, Duke and Damian.

With Barbara that's pretty easy. In the comics Barbara confronted Bruce on the fact that she learned that Bruce had a laugh with the Joker AFTER he had done to both her and her father which included paralyzing her from the waste down, striping her and taking nude pictures of her and torturing her father both physically and mentally. And Batman laughed with the man who did this to them.

In the issue where Barbara brings this up she asks "I heard you and the Joker were having a laugh. Tell me, was I the punchline."

Yeah, I would be pissed too.

As for Dick, not sure but maybe this could take place after the events JLA: Tower of Babel where Batman's Contingency plans to neutralize the Justice League was used against them (which would also put him on bad terms with the League) which included putting his friends (Clark and Wally) in danger. And combined with what happened to Jason and Barbara, Dick just didn't want anything to do with his father anymore.

And with all of this happening likely in a VERY short amount of time it would no doubt put a great strain on Bruce which could explain his poor health. As Chuck said about Janeway in Voyager, people have limits and losing a son, having dear friends of yours feel betrayed by your actions both major and minor and your son leaving you (likely also losing your surrogate father a few years later or before these events) yeah, I could see this all taking a toll on Bruce's health.

There are other things to consider (like the possibilities of Gordon dying or being forced to step down leading to someone who's more focused on arresting Batman over other criminals along with a power vacuum as a result of Joker's death) but in terms of the Batfamily this is how I would go about it.

Batman Beyond is a story of renewal and redemption so Bruce's backstory in this hypothetical adaptation would have to be REALLY fucked up to justify him stepping down and having basically no one to call for help.

[Thebestoftherest]

Personally I like the idea of Dick traveling the world, even if not fighting crime trying to help circuses like the own he from if not that maybe lives with Starfire on Tamaran.

[Nobody700]

As someone who really liked Batman Beyond, I never did like the fact Bruce just... imploded EVERY relationship he was in. So I cannot really say of any idea where it happens.

[McAvoy]

As someone who really liked Batman Beyond, I never did like the fact Bruce just... imploded EVERY relationship he was in. So I cannot really say of any idea where it happens.

I don't know. Seems to kinda fit his personality and it does seem like he exactly that in the cartoon. I can't speak for anything past that.

[Winter]

As someone who really liked Batman Beyond, I never did like the fact Bruce just... imploded EVERY relationship he was in. So I cannot really say of any idea where it happens.

I don't know. Seems to kinda fit his personality and it does seem like he exactly that in the cartoon. I can't speak for anything past that.

I don't know, in Justice League he seems pretty far removed from who he will become in Beyond with him being a REALLY Ineffectual Loner.

Batman in Episode 3 of JL: I work Alone.

He than proceeds to work with the team in almost every episode of the series and almost never worked on his own to solve problems and one of his major arguments as to why Green Arrow should join the League is that sometimes you need to work with others to fight bigger threats to protect the little guy.

So, taking Beyond into account, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense if he goes from "I'm part of a team" to then go "Hello Darkness My Old Friend!"

Honestly I don't think Terry and Bruce's arc in Beyond works best if we assume that Beyond is a Alternate Future that doesn't take place in canon with either the DCAU or the mainline comics. Batman Beyond is a great show but I don't think it works when it tries to line up with the the Batfamily or Batman in either continuity.

P.S. is anyone else getting a white screen of nothing every time they post something on this forum or is that just me?

[hammerofglass]

I'm getting a white screen and I'm not getting notifications when someone replies to me.

[CharlesPhipps]

What's the rating here?

Is this the R-Rated Live action one?

Then I'd have Tim Drake killed and Nightwing or Barbara gun Joker down. Basically, they decide that killing him is fine and not going to turn them into monsters.

And they're right.

Life goes on, everyone rejoices at the Joker dead, and an Age of Anti-Heroes doesn't begin.

And Batman can't deal with that.

And later, he'll admit to Terry. "What caused me to turn away was not that I'd trained them to be murderers but the realization I could have saved so many people earlier if I'd done it--saved Tim--and I still wouldn't do it today. If that's the kind of hero that Gotham needs, Terry, then I don't want any part of it."

[Thebestoftherest]

Plus for Barbara I think seeing what happen to Tim is enough for her to retire.

I don't think having the kids kill Joker is a good idea, because it says that the message only vigilantes can solve your problems. I mean if Joker has to die why can't the state make be the one.

[Nealithi]

Life goes on. Dick and Barbara married and stepped down from the cowl scene. They did their part and eventually it seemed like the police stepped up and they really were not needed any longer. Dick and Koriand'r may even have a child and being parents as well as holding down jobs cuts into the crime fighting time. Same with Tim and Barbara, married and with careers. Bruce was the only one that had the free time to just stay a costumed hero. No day job, no family. Once Alfred passed his one consistent bright spot faded. He focused more and more on the one thing he felt gave him purpose in this life. But eventually the toll of a life of gymnastic crime fighting left him too fragile to continue. And seeing his kids actually happy with real lives. He just withdrew. His last time out with a near heart attack and in a moment of weakness having to pull a gun. Now even his purpose was taken from him.

Terry would have been in the womb or just born at this point. A push of a decade and a half and Bruce is disgusted with how the world is becoming. How no one seems to fight back. Enter this punk kid that will fight for what is right. And maybe there is a point for Batman, beyond him.

If this kid gets some help so he does not end up like Jason or Tim...

[CharlesPhipps]

Plus for Barbara I think seeing what happen to Tim is enough for her to retire.

I don't think having the kids kill Joker is a good idea, because it says that the message only vigilantes can solve your problems. I mean if Joker has to die why can't the state make be the one.

I mean, would that break up the bat-family?