Batman: Wayne Family Adventures is an ominous title given the fates of Thomas and Martha. Fortunately, DC’s new Batman Webtoon is anything but gloomy. This is a fun slice-of-life showing us what the Caped Crusader and pals do in their downtime, featuring almost every conceivable Bat-Buddy currently active in DC Comics.
The first three stories are now available for free on the Webtoons site, featuring Batman, Robin (Tim Drake), Robin (Damian Wayne), Batgirl, Spoiler, Cassandra Cain, Alfred, and The Signal. The initial episodes see Signal’s first day living in Wayne Manor, a celebratory cake ‘n’ cookies party organized by Alfred, and Barbara Gordon having a coffee with her Dad. If you really like these, you can see three more if you sign up for Webtoons.
If you’re after gritty action that takes you into the tortured heart of the Dark Knight, you should look elsewhere, as these are the fluffiest and friendliest Batman adventures I’ve seen in years. With stakes this low and the light-hearted tone, I’m curious to see where Webtoon is going with this, particularly when the team starts to work with Gotham’s Rogue’s Gallery.
However, the Batman franchise is one of the most malleable in superhero fiction, encompassing everything from broadly realistic crime dramas to camp 1960s farce to intergalactic superhero team-ups. So, while this certainly won’t be for everyone, there’s definitely room for this.
It seems that these stories are set to continue each Thursday for some time yet, so if you like what you see, be sure to keep an eye on the Batman: Wayne Family Adventures page.
In other news, Sept. 18 is “Batman Day,” so expect a plethora of announcements on what’s next for the franchise. I’m hoping for an update on the new HBO animated show and, ideally, a new trailer for 2022’s The Batman. Bat-fingers crossed.
