Duke Reminder for when you get back from your run or whatever you’re doing (probably actually running but idk 🤷‍♂️)

Im sorry friend this is so late, it got buried in my ask and I forgot.

I've obviously lost most of the energy of the rant but I'll sum it up with: Duke's origin with the We Are Robin (WAR) movement marked DC doing something different with the Robin title. These weren't specially picked Chosen Ones. These are kids of Gotham trying to take back the city, being inspired by the heroes to do what they can to spread their own light in the darkness.

Duke being a leader of that movement, having met Batman early on (Zero Year) and making his own way apart of but still adjacent to the Batfam. In my mind, Duke would be like cousin Kate, in that he's absolutely a Bat, but he's not like beholden to Bruce and he kinda does his own thing. The idea of the WAR being almost like Baker Street Irregulars, like street level heroes to do good and if it gets too big, you call in the OG Bats. This is the perfect space for characters like Harper/Cullen Row, Maps Mizoguchi etc to fit in. They could have their own separate stories that occasionally link up with the Bats.

Duke is serving as a leader/Oracle like figure watching out for and organizing the Robins. When Bruce realizes he can't stop Duke or the others, he ropes Duke in and gives him equipment, training and generally helps the kids. Because Bruce is looking to the future, the future he won't always be able to save but if he can save these kids and empower them... then they can save themselves and Gotham. So Duke is a Bat, no questions. Its a joke amongst the WAR that Duke knows the Bats personally, sees them outside of costume. He and Jason vibe really well and Dami respects him for the good hard work he's doing.

Idk, I like Duke as a character but I will admit it eats at me that this kind of exciting, bold, progressive new character was kind of tosses aside for the same old 'nice kid, dead/unavailable parents, becomes Bruce's ward, slap him in a costume and fight crime'. It doesn't matter that oh! He's dayshift or Oh! He has powers!!! It's still the same formula. I love making jokes about Bruce's revolving door of kids but at some point it's gotta stop. Duke being his own dude, alongside the Bats making real change in Gotham. God that would have been So interesting guys and I'll forever be upset about it.