Are you ready for the Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #138-140 Webtoon Review? Cause Steph and Ian are. They’re chomping at the bit since the story took a great new turn: Batman is retracting the “no birds in the field” mandate! Let’s see what they think of the continuing story.
Steph: Ian. Are you ready to read the Dynamic Duo in Wayne Family Adventures!?
Ian: I am the readiest! Batman and Robin! Nananananananananan!
Steph: Holy rusted metal Batman! Episode #138 – Riposte.
Ian: I think it’s funny how Damian jumps into the fight, mirroring how Batman jumped into the fight when he was working with Selina. They really are so alike.
Steph: It’s true! And we almost immediately have a clash of the family again when Damian wants to take out some muggers alone but Batman tells him to wait for him to join. Damian takes this as distrust. We learn that Damian is afraid that Batman’s distrust will translate into Robin getting replaced.
Ian: As someone who genuinely thinks someone’s going to try to replace Damian as Robin in the next 5 years, I think there’s a lot of interesting metacommentary going on here. With a 9 year old Damian it doesn’t make sense in universe though even with Damian’s inflated opinion of himself.
Steph: Very true. And, also my heart would break. Then we move on to, what I lovingly call, the Chaos Crew.
Ian: Jason and Steph bonding is love, live, and laughter. They need their own sitcom.
Steph: However, we see that it isn’t wise to piss off the Chaos Crew. And we are treated to a fun infiltration story.
Ian: Some classic Mission Impossible puzzle solving!
Steph: I loved the call back to using the front door. Was that the beginning of this season?
Ian: No, I think that was in season 2, when Cass and Jason were trying to teach Duke to stop going through the doors.
Steph: Oh yeah, he got kidnapped pretty early in the season. So there wouldn’t have time. Jason and Steph, both middle named Danger, bust in the hideout. Bringing us to episode #139 – Unplugged.
Ian: Some really solid fighting! Nothing that really takes your breath away, but it makes you feel the characters are going through it.
Steph: I liked them Catherine Zeta-Jonesing their way through the lasers. That’s a reference to Entrapment, btw.
Ian: I sussed that out 😄 I liked even more how Steph got Harper and Jason to help her defeat the robot! Classic Steph puzzle-solving and Spoiling the villains.
Steph: That was good. Each member is able to show their strength and contribute. I know we talked about action in Webtoons last time. What do you think of the action in this one?
Ian: I think this was more puzzle solving than visceral scary fights. I feel the effort the heroes go through, and that’s enough. It’s not trying for what the Nightwing fight did, which was terror that Dick would really get hurt super badly.
Steph: Hmm. True. I thought it flowed well, maybe for that reason. After Calculator’s ominous villain cackling we switch over to Tim and Selina looking for Mr. Freeze. Tim says he wats a “fresh” perspective on Freeze’s motives, meaning a fellow criminal’s view. And we end with Freeze finding them. Dum dum Duuuuum!
Ian: Those red eyes in the dark were very ominous!
Steph: So true. I like Selina’s take. Freeze is smart and it’s better to have him as a friend than an enemy. He isn’t out for power or money. He has a very specific goal in his crimes.
Ian: Indeed! There are some stories where Freeze is just a monster, but ever since Heart of Ice, the power of his tragic backstory has really become a fascinating parallel to Batman’s own tragic backstory and reaction to it, which is why I think it’s nice to see him be dangerous and scary but also someone you can work with, unlike Joker.
Steph: Scratch his back, he won’t stab yours.
Ian: or freeze it! 😄
Steph: And in episode #140 – Cold Snap starts a little rough for negotiations as Time and Freeze both come out swinging.
Ian: It can be hard to be cool…pun intended…when you face Freeze!
Steph: Unrelated, did you ever watch the Gotham episode where they meet Victor Fries and they talk about how to pronounce his name? It’s moderately amusing. Also it’s German, so it’s pronounced “freece”.
Ian: I did not! Though I think Sean Murphy did something similar in his Von Freeze one shot.
Steph: I like that Freeze has the “villainess” traits to tell Joker what he wanted to hear and then abandon the deal, and the integrity to do his own thing and have no part of Joker’s plan. He promises to keep his head down and gives them a cryptic clue “[Joker is planning] Chaos, if that factory of his is anything to go by. “
Ian: CLUES!
Steph: Do you think Tim is a black and white kind of guy? Selina appears to be teaching him to work in the grey.
Ian: I think there are two kinds of black and white thinkers. Those who think that PEOPLE are black and white, and those who think black and white are poles between which people are suspended in various levels of tension. I’d say Tim tends towards the latter.
Steph: maybe they’re a little more in the black this time. But Freeze and Catoman seem content with the deal.
Back with the Chaos Crew, Steph is getting tired and regretting skipping leg day and one of the killer robots gets her by the neck! Were you worried?
Ian: I don’t know if I was worried per se, but I definitely felt Jason and Steph’s exhaustion! Well done, art and writing team there!
Steph: Red Hood manages to get Spoiler out of the choke hold, but Calculator seems to have the upper hand!
Until…Cass blows up the floor. I have to say. I did not see that coming.
Ian: Me neither! Another callback to that Duke, Cass, and Jason episode!
Steph: Remind me.
Ian: Where Duke was going through the front doors?
Steph: Oh. I thought there was more floor exploding in the past. Now caught, Calculator tries to blow up his servers to get rid of evidence, but Bluebird removed the explosives. Hopefully she disarmed them too. Do you wish their story went longer? I’m glad we’re back to “shorter” stories within the story, but I know you’d want more Steph/Spoiler time.
Ian: I feel this was well paced, really. It felt significant, but didn’t tire me out of the story.
Steph: I enjoyed the “break” or change of pace too. I can’t wait to see what the next three episodes are like!
Ian: Indeed! Until the next time!
