Here's why Duke doesn't work:His parents aren't real characters. Duke's whole backstory is complicated but it can really be boiled down to a simplwgwr04e core; His parents are essentially perpetually sick. The analogy is confused. Is it cancer? Drug Addiction? Just plain old mental illness? What, exactly, are people to suppose to relate to about Duke's parent's being Jokerized? Not only is his backstory confused, so is his entire mythic identity. He's a Robin but not really. He's a sidekick but no, he isn't. He has no powers - wait - yes, he does. He's Gotham's Superhero by Day! Except we only ever see him prowl around with the Bats at Night, anyway. Pick a lane with this guy. Clear up his backstory. Retcon it so that either his parents are just sick by random chance (as a sort of madlib for terminal illness) OR get his parents the fuck up and turn them into deranged supervillains that Duke is trying to save (something about how trauma affects families). It's probably too late to take away his powers, but this guy ought to look more like Nemesis than whatever the fuck this is. Let's see him more in action as Gotham's bright light. Maybe even have people in Batbooks argue over who is better for Gotham, have Nightwing meet up with Signal because Batman is busy being a playboy. You get it.Give someone big and important a new limited with his name on it. Play up the light-in-the-dark angle. Hell, give it to Bendis, this character is basically Batman's Miles anyway. Or you know. Kill him. That's usually what happens to Robins who don't have a home anymore.
>>144656112Damn, that’s an ugly suit.
Duke's problem is he has no distinct relationship with anybody. How does Dick treat him compared to Damian, or Jason?I can tell you how any of those three, or others, would react to Tim, Cass, or Steph, because they're written as individual characters with different relationships and personalities. People shit on Tim but can tell you how they think characters will react to him, or say they hate Damian but understand his relationship with most characters. With Duke, everyone is at best civil and that's it.
>>144656112>a simplwgwr04e corecouldn't work the captcha huh OP
>>144656217Duke is the only guy outside of her dead brother that Gotham Girl likes and trust.Have Claire return and hook up with Duke so they can be the super powered defenders of Gotham by day.
>>144657332but then the issue becomesWhat's Gotham Girl's relationship with the greater batfamily?
>>144657374They’re all wearing around her because she could kill them at any minute. Except Bruce and Duke.
>>144656217Duke and Cass get along great. As they comfort and support each other.However, Cass does not trust Suke around her mother because she knows she could influence him and also shota him. Duke thinks he can handle but Cas knows better.Meanwhile, Shiva wants Duke to impregnate Cass so she can get some super powered martial artist grandchild to train.Also, Duke’s Latina GF is very jealous of Cass but Cass doesn’t understand why.Very messy.
>>144657332The scary thing is that Claire would come back and probably start calling herself Signal Girl, and wear a female version of Duke’s costume.
I know Duke has powers but I don’t understand what said powers are and have never heard anyone discuss them
>>144656112I feel sorry for you zoomers. Such garbage pushed on you. I don't know who this DEI character is, and I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, Bruce Wayne is Batman. Richard Grayson is Nightwing. Tim Drake is Robin. Jason Todd is dead. And Barbara Gordon is Oracle and in a wheelchair. And Alfred is Alfred. That's the entire Bat-Family. No more.
>>144658002>>anon hasn’t left his mother’s basement since the 90s.Duly noted.
>>144657903Just scroll down to powers:https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Duke_Thomas_(Prime_Earth)
>>144656112Red Hood should convince Duke to kill the Joker.
>>144656112He doesn't work because he's a token minority forced into stories.
>>144657332Power couple
Duke’’s swagger makes him ideal to team up with the young batgirls
>>144658163Photokinesis: Duke's primary ability is photokinesis, which he can use to manipulate light as well as the way he process light. Due to his body's unique photokinetic properties he possesses enhanced photo-sensory abilities. His photokinetic senses can detect changes and variations in light invisible to the naked eye, and he can absorb and process light faster than humanly possible.[2] Particularly powerful forms of Nth metal can amplify his photokinetic vision, allowing longer more vivid visions and even some audio.Ghost Vision: Duke's most notable ability is what he calls his "Ghost Vision". By manipulating the way he processes light, Duke can use his photokinetic vison to perceive the "ghosts" of where light has been in his vicinity, allowing him to see a few minutes into the past. he can also use his vision to glimpse into the future by sensing the "ghosts" of where light will be.[2]Cosmic Perception: Duke can perceive the entirety of the electromagnetic spectrum and can even see beyond the known Electromagnetic spectrum. He's able to perceive light originating from across dimensional boundaries into the history of a previous universe.[3]X-Ray Vision: Duke is able to track, follow, and detect someone through walls, ceilings, smoke, and most other materials.[4][5]Telescopic Vision: Duke has the ability to focus his vision to see things at great distance, even at high speeds. Duke is capable of tracking the movement of light (or a person moving at light-like speeds) as it passes over the horizon.[3]Microscopic Vision: Duke also has the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the subdermal level.[6]Invisibility: Duke's photokinesis powers can be used for invisibility.[7](1/2) >WHAT THE FUCK>>WHAT THE FUCK>WHAT THE FUCK
>>144659421Umbrakinesis: Having experienced the touch of Ishmael, Duke's photokinetic powers "evolved" to include the ability to command, absorb, and redistribute darkness.[8] He describes the ability as "behaving like a tide" that pushes and pulls shadows.Shadow Absorption: Duke can pull shadows toward and into himself to reveal more light in his vicinity.[9]Shadow Generation: Duke can expel darkness from himself, enveloping everything in a wave of darkness.[10] He can also charge up his darkness before sending it at his target.[11]Shadow Bending: Duke can shape and manipulate shadow like a physical object.Shadow Traversal: Duke can move though shadows and darkness to traverse distances quickly and discretely. he can also use this ability on his allies to safely retreat or to perform coordinated attacks.[11]Photo-Umbrakinesis: Duke can combine his light and darkness powers. Envisioning a path, Duke can then travel through light and shadow simultaneously to follow it. While traversing through light and shadow, everything around him appears to stand still.[7]Power Amplification: Metahumans in Duke's presence react on a cellular level and their powers begin to increase. We see this while examining Null's blood cells and it's later confirmed by Gnomon; however, it is unclear how much he affects their actual powers.[2]Accelerated Healing: It has been discovered that Duke's powers allow him to heal rapidly in dire situations.[7]>this retarded street level nigga who fights crime when crime’s asleep hasLight manipulation, past vision, future sight, COSMIC PERCEPTION, x-ray vision, far sight, microscopic vision, INVISIBILITY, elemental control of shadows, shadow teleportation, TIME STOP, metahuman power boosting, and a HEALING FACTORWho does this character appeal to? Power level YouTubers?
>>144659525This is why he needs for hook up with Gotham Girl.
>>144656112His signature weapon should be claw blades
>>144659525Damn, they turned him into Cloak>>144660268t. King
>>144660396>>t. king?????
>>144660676King wrote that they get married at some point in the future
>>144660676It’s a blackcel giving his own post a (you)
>>144660756No, Tom King just rivals Bendis when it comes to writing what he loves
>>144659525Imagine if he develops his father’s power to control other people.
>>144656112Bruce wouldn't take in a black kid
>>144656112Why does this guy exist? What happened to Lucius' kid? Bat-Iron-Man.
Wasn't Gotham supposed to be for non-superpowered vigilantes? Why are there multiple supers in it now?
>>144659421>>144659525What is this shit? Why is he even in the Batman franchise?
>>144661077>Wasn't Gotham supposed to be for non-superpowered vigilantes?No, we've had characters like Etrigan be active there since the 70's and golden age GL retconned to working in Gotham
>>144661056They exist together.But Batwing is Nightwing’s age.Duke is closer to Tim’s age.
>>144660268is she a slut?Didn't she dress like one?
>>144659398yummy
>>144657609Cass will be blacked
>>144656112He and Cass get along great
Everything you just brought up applies to Miles a hundredfold
>>144662848Huh?
>>144659525Fuckin hell, what? I legitimately thought his whole deal was.. LARPing super hard.Like wasn't his origin the whole 'we are all robin' thing, but he almost actually got to be a legitimate robin before Bruce decided "Nah", and then he decided to dress up and be a knockoff Fox.Why does he have so many fucking powers, the dude should be soloing all of Gotham with that laundry list of bullshit.
>>144663017His biological father is an evil immortal.
>>144656217Cass, Gotham Girl, Alfred, Outsiders, he has relationships with them.
>>144656112He's not Miles my guy, you don't have to do this.
