Oh man, Steph is too excited and had to do the Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #135-137 Webtoon Review Ian ASAP because there is just much Bat/Cat!
Steph: Ian, long time no see! Are y1ou in the mood to review some Wayne Family Adventures?!
Ian: My mood is WFA all the time!
Steph: We’re going to pick up right where we left off! Episode #135 – Bend and Break. Batman is feeling he’s disappointing everyone, and Cat encourages him by asking him he’s going to fix the issues. But, of course, to take their minds off things for a while they beat up some bad guys cause they’ve found one of the Joker’s hideouts!
Ian: Now this episode felt right at home to me, because the way Batman and Catwoman think and talk about their relationship felt like pure distilled Tom King BatCat writing!
Steph: I agree! I love that Cat was offering to get them in quietly and covertly, and Bats is like “Nah. Big smash!”
Ian: Batman loves a big smash. Stealthy? Not this Batman!
Steph: I would also say that the story telling in this one is also very Tom King. We have the art which doesn’t directly reflect the inner monologue presented on top of the images, yet it is related.
Ian: All about that emotional through-line!
Steph: And it all ends with her asking – you can either keep the family “under control” and lose the relationships, or do you let go and grow? And he finally choses to let go of the control he wants over his family he’s convinced himself he needs to keep them safe.
And they head off to where they believe Joker is hiding.
Dum dum dum.
Ian: I think it’s a tricky thing
in some odd ways, WFA shows one of the “oldest” Bruce’s we’ve seen in comics because the writers want him to have grown a lot more than the Bruce we normally see.
Because they’re not bound by the expectations of mainstream comics, they go emotional places that the mainstream comics aren’t interested in, and I don’t think that’s bad for either WFA or mainstream comics.
Just different audience expectations.
Steph: True. I wonder what some diehard fans would think if this showed up in the main DC comics.
However, as far as this story itself goes, I feel relieved, physically.
Ian: I think we’re meant to! I definitely do as well!
I’m curious how much we’re meant to see the references and similarities to things like Tom King’s run, though
It feels like WFA are very aware of and often commenting on specific parts of mainstream comics, while still trying to tell a story that stands on its own.
Steph: It’s like a hard core fanfiction writer who absolutely loves the OG comics, but says, “…you know what this needs?…”
Ian: It’s a middle ground to the fanfiction called “Coffee Shop AU” – where you have all the characters from the fandom you love, but instead of fighting crime, they drink coffee and fall in love. :). Very similar to one of my other favorite comic series, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane by Sean McKeever and Takeshi Miyazawa.
It still has action and the classic crimefighting elements, but the foreground is the fun everyday hijinks and emotional connections.
Which is kind of why I’m still a bit on the fence about this “one big story” concept for season 3
I miss the one or two episode strips that are all about finding a fun character connection or joke.
Steph: Like CatTales by Chris Dee! Which I don’t recommend to you anymore. She’s pretty brutal to a lot of your faves.
But as you said, this is an ongoing story, and going on we shall. Episode #136 – Exhale.
Joker is not at the hideout, but they are able to get some paper evidence he was trying to burn before they showed up.
Ian: And the family convenes to try to figure out their plan of action!
Steph: It was very humble of him to sit and ask for them to tell him what he hasn’t been hearing.
And it really is amazing how apologizing and humbling yourself can lower people’s defenses and allow them to apologize for their wrongs as well. In most disagreements, both parties can be wrong.
Ian: Agree completely. I really appreciate that in the way WFA is approaching relationships for sure.
Steph: I love the practicality of Damian’s time needed to forgive his dad – Tim’s neighbors are kicking him and Goliath out.
Ian: Goliath in an apartment building is quite a hilarious thought. Kind of wish we got a bit more scenes of that 
Steph: So true. I think Damian and Tim has been explored more in recent years and I love it.
As we close the episode, Dick wants them to discuss patrolling. Which opens episode #137 – Compromise.
They have a good talk about openness, patrol compromises, and working together with the understanding that Joker is not a normal opponent.
I love that the conclusion is that Selina isn’t ever allowed to leave without clearance again.
Ian: I like how Dick, even though he’s injured, is a leader along with Babs in this storyline
good big brother vibes all the way.
Steph: I do love that Bruce asks him how in the world he ended up so well adjusted. 
And he acknowledges that Dick took over leadership and protection when Bruce wouldn’t.
And then some of the family plan to go after Calculator and the rest patrol and search Gotham.
I love the ribbing and kidding that has come back. It helps ease the tension of the new status quo.
Especially Selina offering to teach Tim how to rob a jewelry store.
Ian: Selina and Tim is a combination I feel that doesn’t get enough love!
They don’t naturally fit together, so I kind of wish we got to see that friction and tension more.
Steph: That’s true. But the pairing at the end that should make our hearts all aflutter is that Batman and Robin/Damian are once again patrolling together. What did you think of this mini-arc conclusion? Character arc? Not sure how to describe it.
Mid series conflict resolution?
Ian: I have a few thoughts on the ending
It’s clearly calling back to things like the ending of Batman RIP, where there’s a brash, triumphant “Batman and Robin Will Never Die” (despite the absolute brain killing weirdness of that story)
But I have to say, despite my loving of the relationship aspects of this season, I’m still unconvinced about the hard hitting, visually spectacular, viscerally emotional combat stuff. The Dick vs. Joker fight was pretty good, but compared to the best work of Scott McDaniel or Jorge Jimenez doing the same thing on a bigger canvas, I’m just not sure that the Webtoon format is really the place for it. There’s something about having the space to show the movement instead of trying to get beat to beat action from vertically scrolling panels that I think can’t quite be translated (which is also why I’m not very interested in reading Hush in Webtoon format)
And it’s not a WFA thing for me – I read several other fantasy/adventure type series on webtoons, and none of them are particularly good at capturing really intense, exhilarating action
Steph: I’d agree with that.
Ian: So I think it’s tricky to try to replicate that kind of thing in the deliberately cartoony and hyper appealing style of WFA which emphasizes different things
I appreciate that they tried!
But I hope that if they do a season 4, they do more of a blend of bigger and smaller stories so we can get some of that humor and lightness that I think WFA did well. With maybe some romantic plotlines that serve as the narrative backbone instead of the threat of the Joker
and yes I mean Tim and Steph getting back together why do you ask?
Steph: It would be nice. The action detractors don’t bother me as much, but I agree, the scrolling makes it harder to do action. But there are some cool effects that scrolling does allow that doesn’t translate that well to standard book comics.
Ian: There are great effects! I think WFA usually leans into those really well.
Steph: But I am so glad we’re finally on a happy family trajectory.
Ian: Indeed!!!
Steph: And I am looking forward where the story goes from here. I am getting a little tired of long form, but keeping it fresh with new explorations of characters and stories within the big story will hopefully keep it intersting.
Ian: Indeed! Seeing the Batfamily focus on the proper targets: the villains – is what we need!
Steph: It’s not like crime sleeps while Joker is wreaking havoc. Did you read the Tim/Damian robin story in Batman Brave and the Bold where Killer Moth is chasing after them? We need a mini story like that in here.
Hilarious.
Ian: I enjoyed that story. Unusually for the normally completely forgettable and vastly overpriced Brave and the Bold series. Tangent tangent. But really, that was some really solid, classic Batfamily writing. Should have been way more of that in the past 20 years.
Steph: Are you looking forward for the rest of the season?
Ian: I am! I’m very curious how long it will be. It feels like we’re at least at the halfway point, but I’m not sure!
What about you?
Steph: I am. I can’t wait to see where the story goes.
Ian: Let’s go WFA!
