Where does the time go? Steph and Ian got together, even though their summer is ramping up, and took some much-needed Batman: Wayne Family Adventures time. See what they have to say about the newest Webtoon mini episodes!
Steph: AHHH! IAN, IAN, IAN…GUESS WHAT!
Ian: Let me guess…There is pizza for dinner! No? What about a pig flying, that would be in the news? No? Wait…IS WAYNE FAMILY ADVENTURES BACK?
Steph: Well, really, really close. There are 3 new mini episodes before the launch NEXT WEEK! And I had pizza for lunch.
I am so excited. Have you read the mini episodes?
Ian: Delish! I have read the mini episodes, and I love them so much! I cannot wait to review them with you!
Steph: Let do it then!
First is Break Time! Alfred just wants sip his tea and to read a book, but the family is having trouble letting him!
This was so cute. It featured everyone struggling to make it without Alfred for 15 minutes.
Ian: It was a great concept for getting back into the series – it sets up the type of story WFA has always excelled at, introduces all of the main players and many of their relationships with each other, and does so very efficiently so that the art duties wouldn’t be too hard for just one artist – TobyFan – to handle instead of the normal team of three to five artists! I’m really impressed!
What would you say your favorite character interaction was? Can I guess it has something to do with a certain “uncrackable” safe (Dark Knight Rises reference, I see you!)
Steph: Well, duh, that one was great. I always love seeing Batman admitting he needs help, especially from his girlfriend. But I have to say seeing Damian kiss Alfred the Cat was my favorite, especially since Steph captured the moment. What was your favorite?
Ian: Steph both razzing and supporting Damian in his gentler side, of course! Her facial expressions are so perfect – the blend of mischief and affection is unbeatable – and it brings so many memories of her Batgirl series where she and Damian first met!
Steph: Yeah. I love that she knows that Damian will want to see himself loving animals when he gets older. Wise foresight on her part. I do have to wonder what Cass, Jason, and Duke were up to with the painting and the green…slime?
Ian: nothing good, that’s for sure! Thus Duke’s apologies!
Steph: And Dick really did look worried. What do you think he did to Tim?
Ian: Probably stole his coffee, knowing WFA! Though to be fair, WFA hasn’t leaned TOO hard on the “Tim drinks too much coffee” fanfic trope
Steph: He looks very wet. I wonder if he got dumped on or something.
Next we have “Third Time’s The Charm”…I know you were pretty excited about this one.
Our favorite villains are back…the Tim Drake kidnappers. Do you think Tim over planned things?
Ian: He absolutely over planned them! In classic Tim Drake fashion – reminds me of the (in my opinion a bit tragic) “Tim plans too much” comics like Robin #183 and Red Robin #26. It was such a wonderful bit of continuity and shows that even with a joke we’ve seen multiple times, the CRC Payne can figure out a new angle and new bit of humor to evoke!
What did you think of this episode of the continuing saga of Tim and Jason and The Kidnappers?
Steph: I liked it. It seemed like, though they’re still villains, they seem to be slowly reforming. Like…they didn’t seem eager to actually kidnap Tim, they just nicely asked for his money.
Ian: I mean, I think ultimately robbing someone is still bad, but they didn’t seem that intent on violence, and treated Tim with friendliness!
Steph: Honestly, I think Jason was not justified in his actions! They didn’t do anything to require getting beat up…other than Tim needing an out.
Ian: Interesting…I think robbing someone justifies you being stopped for sure! I dunno if Jason needed to be quite as violent, but he is Jason, after all! I also liked the emphasis on chibi art this episode.
It’s not something I’d want to see as prominently in a “main episode”, but I think it fits the idea of a “mini episode”
Steph: I loved all the chibi. It helped differentiate that past/memory and the present really well. Also, it was foreshadowing that maybe it wasn’t the most thought-out plan.
Ian: For sure! It both emphasizes the cuteness of the series, and gives a comedic tone that helps the jokes land well!
Steph: Do you think we’ll ever see them again?
Ian: I think it’s inevitable! Though I’d imaging in different contexts – maybe Tim running into them individually, so we get a sense of them as characters instead of a bumbling trio! Maybe pushing them even further on the redemption arc?
Steph: Maybe. That would be interesting.
Ian: What do you think? More of these three?
Steph: Oh, I hope so. I agree with you, pushing them into a redemption arc, or at least a journey of some kind would be fun. Like, if the next time they kidnap Tim they have a heart-to-heart. I’d love that.
Or maybe Jason get’s kidnapped. That would be fun, too.
Ian: that would be AMAZING! And Tim getting to rescue him would be a hilarious turnabout
and maybe he fails at the last second and Jason has to save again haha.
Steph: Next we have “Super Friends” where Duke bemoans the fact that he, unlike all the other Bat-family, does not have his own Flash, Amazon, or Kryptonian friend.
Ian: A real problem indeed!
Steph: This was my least favorite of the three, but still cute!
Ian: I don’t know if I could say it’s MY least favorite
for a very predictable reason!
of course
Steph: I did get to see baby Jon Kent, which I always love.
Ian: STEPH WAS IN IT AGAIN! And her amazing adventures with Kara Supergirl were mentioned – something that I have always loved from the wonderful World’s Finest miniseries by Sterling Gates and the great Batgirl #14 issue! I get a real sense that CRC Payne definitely read Steph’s Batgirl run carefully – the continuity references are too precise for anything else!
Steph: Oh, I can see how that would make you so excited! I kind of wish they had referenced where all the stories can be read so I can look into some of them!
Ian: Editor’s notes would be so great!
But I dunno if many others would agree.
I think it would be a great way to sell more older comics to new WFA fans, though!
(I definitely drop into the comments and try to recommend the issues referenced, though!)
Steph: I was thinking that this episode was probably put in here because this season we’re going to see a lot more of the DC universe in the “pages” of Wayne Family Adventures”. What do you think?
Ian: I certainly hope so! And maybe they’ll try a new strategy instead of launching a ton of series, and instead grow series out of something from WFA! I’d love to see more of the DC Universe explored in Webtoon format!
Steph: That would be fun. They snuck in a couple of Kent Family Adventures last season that I hope were well received. I loved them!
Ian: For sure!
Steph: When did Cass and Connor date?
Ian: An EXCELLENT question!
I happen to be online friends with the biggest fan of Cass and Conner’s relationship (who has commissioned literally hundreds of art from different artists featuring them). And so I know that Cass and Conner dated back in the early 2000s, in the Superboy and Batgirl series (Superboy #85 and Batgirl #39-41)
It was just a few issues, but was quite fun!
Steph: That would be an interesting pairing.
So, Ian, on a scale of 0 to ecstatic, how excited are you about this upcoming season?
Ian: The most incandescent ecstatics of all! What is your excitement rating? 😄
Steph: Oh man…I’m off the scale. I cannot wait to see more Bruce/Selina romance, Super Sons adventures, and Bat-Family shenanigans.
Ian: For sure! I also wanted to mention the latest collection of WFA – volume 4!
It’s got an amazing special feature of Vasco Georgiev’s cover process, from concept sketches to fully colored art! Shows a lot of the goals and designs that went into the process of getting these delightful comics in our hands in hard copy!
Steph: That sounds so good! I have volumes 1-3, but I need to get the 4th one too!!
Ian: I can’t wait for volume 5 particularly, with Steph’s origin to match my Dark Knight Detective vol 8 trade!
Steph: Man, I can’t wait to review these with you again this season. It’s going to be so fun!
Ian: It’s going to be wonderful! I hope everyone tunes in with use next week as Season Three officially kicks off!
