How big would you prefer the Bat-family to be? Why?

[Bluebow]

The problem with having many heroes operating in Gotham is the big crossover events only make sense. If many of the large threats that happen in only one title were really happening, every hero and wannabe in Gotham would be jumping in to try to fight it. Some of them would be organized and many would get in each other's way. I think it makes sense to have a few vigilantes in one city but I think the Bat family can be big so long as they have different turfs or beats.

I wonder how long it is since DC created many new locations for characters to operate in? The only recent one I can think of is Platinum Flats. They could bring Bludhaven back in to use for some characters, so they can be near enough when really needed, but far away enough to make it plausible when they are not there.

[The Lucky One]

I just think too many characters is just saturating. Black Bat, Spoilers, Flamebird and so on and so on. I like it now, it is less and simple...somewhat.

I don't think anyone can realistically argue that it's "simpler" now -- it's simply that the slots that, a couple of years ago, would have been filled by Black Bat, Batgirl, and/or Azrael are now filled by Batwing and Talon.

Everyone will, obviously, have their own opinions on which are better or worse; that's fine, and beside the point. But for all the changes it did make, the reboot did not make the Bat-family/line any simpler or smaller now than it was a couple of years ago.

-D

[BarryAllen5K]

Batman - Dick
Robin - Damien
Oracle - Tim Drake (injured)
Batwoman (not a typo) - Barbara = love interest to Dick
Alfred - the cat (real one dead)
Bruce - Retired to an Alfred/Sansei type role after killing the Joker for killing Alfred
Gordon - Retired friend of Bruce who knows the family secret and helps out as a PI of sorts when needed.
James Jr. - the Joker II being Dicks main adversary. Also Barb's.

[Punter23]

I don't think anyone can realistically argue that it's "simpler" now -- it's simply that the slots that, a couple of years ago, would have been filled by Black Bat, Batgirl, and/or Azrael are now filled by Batwing and Talon.

Everyone will, obviously, have their own opinions on which are better or worse; that's fine, and beside the point. But for all the changes it did make, the reboot did not make the Bat-family/line any simpler or smaller now than it was a couple of years ago.

-D

I don't count Talon yet. Plus Batwing needs more appearance/interacting to boost his standing. I never did like too many Bat characters. Right now if you add Huntress (Pre-Flashpoint Helena Bertinelli) that's stretching it for me.

[Maestro]

My favorite lineup:



NO MORE. NO LESS.

[CrazyOldHermit]

Batman and Robin. And I think any Robin that "graduates" should leave Gotham and do their own thing somewhere else, leave Gotham to Batman and Robin.

[jmresp]

Batman - Dick
Robin - Damien
Oracle - Tim Drake (injured)
Batwoman (not a typo) - Barbara = love interest to Dick
Alfred - the cat (real one dead)
Bruce - Retired to an Alfred/Sansei type role after killing the Joker for killing Alfred
Gordon - Retired friend of Bruce who knows the family secret and helps out as a PI of sorts when needed.
James Jr. - the Joker II being Dicks main adversary. Also Barb's.

I would add

Jason - Batwing (New costume design)

[batGRRRl4ever]

My favorite lineup:



NO MORE. NO LESS.

I said it earlier in the thread this is just right, no clutter or redundancies IMO.

[booyah]

Bruce Wayne - Batman
Dick Grayson - Robin

That does it for me.

[Seattle Freeze]

I like the Batman Inc idea. I like Bruce as Batman. However I think Gotham should only have a handful of vigilantes at most.

What makes the most sense to me is for Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and maybe 1 or 2 more to operate in Gotham while the rest have their own turfs elsewhere and receive guidance, technology, and funding from Bruce. Then each act as independant cells, only coming together for a rare cross-over event when a massive world-wide threat arrises.

I mean, these big cities still have cops, local, state, and federal. How many vigilantes does a city need and why does Gotham have so many more than other cities? Plus, with too many heroes in a single city, they will be stepping on each others toes and can't help but cross-over in city-wide threats. In such situations, several independant vigilantes could do more harm than good if they are not organized under one leader.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything Seattle Freeze just stated. The bat-family in Gotham proper should be a small and tight group, conversely I actually agree that the ONE way more bat-family members could work is to operate in small Birds Of Prey like cells in different cities, while being funded by Bruce.

But having 17 or more bat themed vigilantes in one city borders on the absurd. Because one, just how many vigilantes does one city need? And two, they make each other look inept if there are SO many of them but crime is still completely out of hand. And three, the only way redundancies in characters can be acceptable is to separate them into separate "cell families" in different cities. Why aren't there any bats in New York for example? It's only around an hour by train from Gotham (which is near New Jersey).

[godisawesome]

I'll definitely agree that spreading the family out would work wonders for them. Heck, my favorite era of Batman had that: Batman and Cassandra Cain's Batgirl were the only ones delegated specifically to Gotham alongside Babs as Oracle, with Tim Drake active mostly in the suburbs and Brentwood Academy with Stephanie Brown as back-up, Nightwing in Bludhaven under the excellent pen of Chuck Dixon. And my second favorite era was right before Flashpoint: One Batman and Roin perpetually active in Gotham (Dick and Damian) alongside Steph-Bats, Tim Drake globe trotting through Red Robin, and Bruce going around the world setting up Batman Inc.

If it was me, I'd have Nightwing get his own city again, maybe New York, Red Robin globetrotting around alongside Cass, Stephanie and Damian joining the Teen Titans with her as his chaperone/babysitter, Jason operating out of Chicago, but still having them come together occaisionally (at least in part to illustrate how they aren't redundencies.)

[The Man From Room X]

And my second favorite era was right before Flashpoint: One Batman and Roin perpetually active in Gotham (Dick and Damian) alongside Steph-Bats, Tim Drake globe trotting through Red Robin, and Bruce going around the world setting up Batman Inc.

That era was perfect. It had an enormous Batfamily with every character bringing something unique to the table, with potential for even more expansion.

Unlike what passes for a family right now.

[Seattle Freeze]

Another great thing about spreading out the Bat family to seperate cells is it would allow the return of fan favorites like JPV and Steph Brown without further weighing down Gotham. I really like the idea of a cell that is made of Tim and Steph; that would be far more interesting than Teen Titans to me.

Still love the idea of doing this in a single title that covers a multitude of bat characters like BatgRRRl4ever proposed.

[Bluebow]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything Seattle Freeze just stated. The bat-family in Gotham proper should be a small and tight group, conversely I actually agree that the ONE way more bat-family members could work is to operate in small Birds Of Prey like cells in different cities, while being funded by Bruce.

But having 17 or more bat themed vigilantes in one city borders on the absurd. Because one, just how many vigilantes does one city need? And two, they make each other look inept if there are SO many of them but crime is still completely out of hand. And three, the only way redundancies in characters can be acceptable is to separate them into separate "cell families" in different cities. Why aren't there any bats in New York for example? It's only around an hour by train from Gotham (which is near New Jersey).

There is the idea that Batman tries to keep heroes with powers out of Gotham City on the grounds that they would attract super villains. So maybe the bigger the Bat family, the more work there is for them to do. It might also depend on the size and layout of the City. In L.A. 17 might not be enough.