Oh man! Can you believe it? Batman: Wayne Family Adventures #165-167 Season 3 is over! Steph and Ian could barely contain themselves, so they had to sit down together and talk about all their feelings!
Steph: Oh man, Ian…today is a such a bitter sweet day!!
We’re reviewing the LAST 3 episodes of Batman: Wayne Family Adventures!!!
Ian: LAST THREE!!!!
We got this!
Steph: Okay, well, let’s start with 165 – Fighting For…which I’ll be honest, I couldn’t read that title without Mulan’s “A Girl Worth Fighting For” running through my head
Ian: I would not be surprised if that was in CRC’s mind too haha.
Steph: On the Wayne Enterprises building, Joker is taunting Batman and he’s falling for it, punching and beating Joker up.
All the while, Joker is laughing.
Ian: I felt this was a bit underwhelming
Steph: I’m not sure why, but this scene didn’t hit me emotionally as much as I feel it should have, though Joker laughing did make me mad.
Ian: I know Joker’s never been a big hand to hand guy
but it felt like Joker just got beat up, and then Batman was silly and turned his back on Joker, and then Joker stabs Batman. Too many mistakes
Steph: I agree. This wasn’t the “epic face off” it was building up to be. I mean, we’ve been watching Batman slowly making his way to WE for a few episodes now, and this was just…meh.
Ian: I had a similar feeling when we see Freeze fighting the fire – it feels off handed, not the payoff to Tim’s carefully laid plan
Steph: Yeah. We don’t see much of that. I think even seeing a larger view of how much help Freeze is being would be have been more effective.
I did enjoy seeing Fire-Fly being taken out by Nightwing and Red Hood.
Ian: yes – a big shot of the fire going out with a big Freeze wave would have been cool!
PUN INTENDED
Steph: lol.
So, now we have Batman is a sitch (stabbed on the roof, surrounded by goons), Fire-Fly finally out of commission, and the fires under control.
Ian: And the gang war at the docks too!
Steph: Now in episode 166 – Never Alone, we still have two bombs active, Oswald and his men are still angry, and no one knows about Batman yet, thinking he’s got Joker handled.
Ian: Steph is still in charge – sending Black Mask with wounded Ivy and Harley – smart use of resources accomplishing multiple goals!
Steph: I feel like Ivy’s vines are a little too deus ex machina.
I mean…they’re on a dock…it’s mostly water underneath them. I wasn’t thrilled with all the powerful vines doing all the things.
Ian: shoulda been seaweed! 😄
Steph: agree. Good and slimy.
Then suddenly Shiva comes and helps knock out Penguins goons.
I did enjoy Shiva and Catwoman pinning Penguin down and discussing how maiming is not killing.
I miss hiss hiss, scratch scratch Selina.
Ian: Penguin giving up was perfectly in character, and makes it so all Steph’s hard work to break the Black Mask gang wasn’t for nothing!
All in all, Steph and Cass really came out on top of this arc – Cass finding a strong path forward with her mother that doesn’t feel as passive as her current title sometimes does, and Steph taking control of her life and accomplishing wonders.
And then, of course, Tim’s OTHER plan pays off, as Signal comes out of invisibility to punch Joker and give Batman a hand!
Steph: Yes! He told Signal to keep an eye on Batman and step in if there was trouble!
Something Batman “didn’t want” and Joker doesn’t expect.
Ian: A very Tim plan!
Steph: They take out the goons together, but lose sight of Joker, who escapes.
I did like that Batman relents and leans (literally) on Signal. And the fight scenes here were fun.
Ian: Yes, this was definitely an improvement on last episode in terms of the Batman section
Steph: However, Oracle, who has just cracked Calculator’s files, knows where Joker is hiding – in the caves under Arkham Asylum.
Ian: Babs coming in clutch as usual!
Steph: Which leads us to the final episode of the season! Episode 167 – Tomorrow
Ian: FINALE TIME!
Steph: Now, all the hostages/bombers have been saved, all that is left is Joker. Because the tunnels are maze like, much of the family is stationed at the tunnel entrances to block Joker’s escape.
We get one more character moment here where Jason admits that if he sees Joker, he can’t promise not to kill him. So he stays back with Dick, hoping that Joker doesn’t come that way.
Ian: And Bruce listening to Jason was a great moment of character development too!
Steph: What did you think of Nightwing staying with Red Hood because he wasn’t there when Joker killed Robin?
Ian: I think it’s another beat of Dick being there for his brothers – works pretty well for me
Steph: It seemed a little too sad to me. Like…I don’t think Dick should be feeling guilt for that. I’m glad he want’s to be there for his brother, but I hope he isn’t carrying that guilt.
But maybe it was just a gesture.
Ian: I hope it’s just a gesture – Dick was quite busy at the time of A Death In the Family
Steph: I just bought that! I need to read it!
But, I digress. The rest of the fam makes it to Joker’s hideout where he is frantically looking through a box.
He tries to defend himself with a weapon from the box, but he is quickly overpowered and he surrenders.
At first everyone is surprised, but then Joker fights with mind games – his forte.
In his mind, Batman admits he is scared, that he knows he can lose everyone, but unlike the start of the story, he won’t let that have power over him anymore.
I really liked his reference to One Bad Day, and that Every One Bad Day has a tomorrow.
Ian: How do you feel Batman’s speech works against Joker’s threat?
Steph: I think he said it best “don’t turn your back on me”
He thrives on Batman’s attention. And being all he thinks about.
But that’s a power Batman can choose for Joker to have.
If he walks away, Joker is powerless.
Ian: I really liked the turned back thing – both as trust in his family and rejection of Joker’s power
but I think the speech itself doesn’t quite work
Steph: Well, I don’t think the speech is for Joker
It’s for Bruce
Joker doesn’t care what Batman says or does.
As long as he pays attention to him.
Ian: I think in a world where Joker has killed Jason before, as well as crippled Barbara, it’s always going to be unsatisfying for the reader unless he actually dies – and he can never die because writers and readers like Batman and Joker fighting too much.
WFA is trying really hard, but I’m not sure there is a satisfying solution in any story really
Steph: I would agree.
It’s hard to believe in justice when something like that goes unpunished.
What do you think of the massive sleepover at the Manor?
I noticed Jason go the only bed.
Ian: I thought it was very fun, though I kinda wish they’d had a lot longer to give each character more personality and fallout from the extremely intense trial they’ve all been through
Steph: I agree. An epilogue episode would have been perfect.
Though I did love that Alfred and Bruce had a moment, and they did give a few of the characters a final word/jab.
Ian: I could tell CRC was really working to try to fit everything in, but it felt a bit squished
Steph: But I would have loved a final epilogue episode. Sometimes there are after – season minis. Maybe we’ll get one or two here.
Ian: I also am not wholly convinced we needed two full confrontations with the Joker – on the roof and in the tunnels
Steph: I think it was okay. The roof was Batman trying one more time to do it alone and failing, and the tunnels was showing how easy it was with the whole family.
But, I agree it does kind of mess with the climax – denouement momentum.
But, what are our overall feelings about the series and the ending?
Ian: Well, I still think that trying to do a case-fic doesn’t play to WFA’s format strengths
Even though CRC and the art team did a really strong job for the most part, other than the Nightwing fight, none of the action really stands out
Steph: I agree. I really liked it, but I feel WFA’s strength is in short stories and character building.
Ian: The character moments were really, really excellent, but I think you could have gotten there without necessarily needing the Joker overall storyline
My idea for how WFA would do a more serialized storyline would be to expand on stuff like the Tim being kidnapped storyline – dive into how characters grow and change within the series itself, rather than necessarily needing a villain plot.
Steph: Or having the villain be a background character.
Ian: Yeah
That being said – I wouldn’t say season 3 is a failure. Just not an unmixed success
Steph: You know, in recent comics, my favorite story was in “gasp!” Batman The Brave and The Bold where Fire Fly kidnaps Tim and Damian and then realizes that neither are the Robin he wants revenge on.
Ian: That was quite a fun little story – and yes, I think that’s exactly the type of story that you could build on in WFA!
Steph: It was hilarious and worthy of WFA. Those are the kinds of stories I enjoy and love seeing CRS Payne do. I’m very happy she tried this one, and I think it was fine, but I miss the gags, relationships, and character building in modern comics, and I get my fix in WFA.
Ian: Yep! I hope season 4, if we get one (and I hope we do!), will go back to that stronger balance. Also I hope that we get season 3 in trade format so I can keep reading it to my nieces and nephews!
Steph: I’d love some mini-arcs
Ian: Indeed!
Steph: Oh, so it doesn’t seem like I’m ragging on CRC, lots of authors struggle with longer or ongoing stories. This, since it was so long, had to build up a lot, and it’s very hard to make a payoff worth that amount of time.
I don’t know if I “blame” CRC as much as the format.
Ian: Yeah, and the jump from 3 episode arcs at most to over 50 episodes is a BIG change
Steph: For sure. Overall, I say, I love it, as always, but that what I loved most, and where the season’s strength was, was in the characters, not the story.
Ian: Completely agree. Hoping for more!
Steph: Well, this has been fun, Ian. I can’t wait to do this again next season!
Ian: Same! Thanks so much for doing this with me!
