Batman: Wayne Family Adventures is giving the people what they want

In popular media, Bruce Wayne, or Batman, has a certain image: The Dark Knight, Vengeance, Big Brooding Man In A Dark Monochrome Perching On Buildings Like A Gargoyle. He's tortured, he's manly, and he works alone. Except fans have always known that to be false.

Fans have known for decades that Bruce Wayne is first and foremost a family man. And for the last four years, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures has been bringing that family man into the spotlight.

Starting with introducing the latest Gotham orphan into the Wayne brood, Wayne Family Adventures gives audiences a slice-of-life style look into what kind of out-of-cape shenanigans our beloved cast of bats gets into outside of their regular comic adventures. Since its first publication, we've seen prank wars, movie nights, and even a Pride and Prejudice book club bringing the bonds of the Batkids ever closer. Wayne Family Adventures is truly a balm to the soul after everything Batman fans have had to go through. After all of the violence and trauma that the characters have experienced that we've all experienced right there beside them, it's nice to see them have some low-stakes adventures. At least in the first two seasons.

Season 3 opens with the series first major arc: The return of the Joker. This season of 47 parts takes us through a Joker-typical quest for mayhem and takes us through how each member of the Bat-family confronts it. From Jason having an understandable freak-out and taking himself off the mission to Cass grappling with a decision to actually kill the Joker once and for all, each Robin or Batgirl or otherwise bat-filiate gets a spotlight moment and a chance to really be seen as a fully fleshed-out character. It's exactly the kind of character work fans have been wanting to see.

One of the main criticisms of Batman comics, because they've been running so long, is that the kids haven't been treated with as much grace and nuance as they should have been. All of these kids are traumatized. And, if we're strictly following the comics, a lot of it is Batman's fault. And not in a "Batman let them be child soldiers and they got hurt" kind of way, but in a "Batman has smacked Robin on-screen" kind of way. In a "Batman has canonically almost killed his own son with a batarang to save the Joker" kind of way. (Thank you, Under The Red Hood (2010), for correcting that wild writing choice.) Batman has always been a masculine power fantasy, and, unfortunately, that absolutely includes being not a great parent to his kids. And newer audiences absolutely hate that.

A great indicator of this culture shift can be found in Jason Todd. Character traits that were given to Jason Todd in the '80s to make him unlikable in a hyper-masculine society are the very same reason fans love him now. He was quick to cry when he was upset, he was in touch with his emotions, he was desperate for connection, he respected women and children, he protected sex workers, and he was always ready to express himself when he was upset. Completely antithetical to Bruce Wayne's silent repression and an actual tool used by the writers to make audiences hate Robin because they wanted Robin to go away. The actual publication had a vote on whether or not to kill a child! And then killed him when fans voted yes! That would never happen today. This major cultural shift has made audiences appreciate Jason Todd—appreciate all the Robins—and has created a need to correct Batman's sins and have his children cared for. 

Enter Batman: Wayne Family Adventures.

This week has seen the season finale and, with it, Joker's run in the webcomic. And I, at least, can now be satisfied that there's one canon version of the Batman comics where each of my Batkids is safe, supported, and happy. In this last season dealing with the Joker, Stephanie got reaffirmed that she had a place in the family, Cass became more comfortable with not being a weapon, Damian no longer feels as much need to prove himself, and Dick and Duke got some rest. And Tim? Tim finally got the recognition he has always deserved.

Low-stakes adventures were what we all came for, but what's really driving the celebration for Wayne Family Adventures is the acknowledgement and support for the things these characters have gone through. We see ourselves in them and their struggles in us. And if we can see them made safe and happy after everything they've been through, maybe there's hope for us too.

But also, these are our little guys, and we're just happy they're here.

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures will return with season 4. Catch up on Webtoon now.