"Should He Stay In Gotham, Being In With The Batfamily More? Soloing In Bludhaven? Staying With The Titans?

Controversial opinion, but I don't think I like good dad Bruce Wayne.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like Bruce being a good dad, but it is hard for me to enjoy it when he's like that all the time. When he suddenly knows how to communicate, or what to do when there's an emotional issue, or that he's now smiling and reassuring his children so easily.

Is just too abrupt after what we've seen so far of him as a parent.

I can't buy this new version of Bruce without any deserved development or previous arc that triggered this drastic change in the way he acts, specially towards his kids. And I get it's usually like an alternative self, and he's always been like that in that kind of universes, but it just feels too easy.

Is like working so hard for something only to be given it without a chance of showing off all the work you've done to get there. Is not fulfilling or satisfying (to me).

And I get the hype, I do, but there's also so much history of the characters that wouldn't have happened had Bruce been truly that great and supportive dad that some portray. It erases too much for me to fully like it.

So, yeah, good dad Bruce I can only enjoy when he's had the proper growth as a character that doesn't erase everything he's done before and instead shows the long journey he had to go through as a person to get to that point.

The Conclave bit where Lawrence is told "His Holiness is refusing to get dressed" and 2 seconds later Vincent saying to Thomas "I was waiting for you to come" is driving me INSANE. Vincent wouldn't get dressed - wouldn't become the Pope - before getting Thomas's approval and understanding. He knew Thomas would come to him, he knew they would have to talk, and he would delay the WHOLE THING until Thomas came and Vincent told him his secret.

The frankness, the simplicity, the beauty of "I was waiting for you to come" - Doubting Thomas, you must believe in me before I become this.

I love that, despite how reserved and nice Suo seems on the surface compared to someone like Sakura who’s outwardly gruff and eager to fight, it’s really in your best interest to fight Sakura instead of Suo. At least Sakura will leave you with your dignity mostly intact. Suo isn’t here for a two sided fight conversation, he’s not interested in listening to his opponents, only toying with them and then dropping them once he’s gotten his fun out of them. It’s just such a fun contrast between them

What's interesting about Sakura wanting to fight others is that in the beginning of WBK, he only used to pick fights when he felt threatened or provoked. Think of it as a wounded animal's only defense mechanism (but in a more unserious way).

But with Suo, he not only wanted to fight him, but Sakura declared that they will fight at some point, despite him only observing Suo in action. He didn't necessarily feel threatened, but more-so intrigued/interested despite his criticisms. This is crazy when you consider how ‘reluctant’ Sakura was at getting to know people earlier in the story, and how withdrawn of a character Suo is—coupled with Umemiya’s philosophy of fights being a conversation to get to know your opponent better.

Suo's fights aren't exactly fights in the traditional sense, they're more like one-sided beatdowns haha. Though there is a sadistic undertone with his behavior, I feel like it's more of a hidden/restrained anger that he takes out on his opponents. KEEL is the most obvious example, but I really do find it interesting how Suo remained rather respectful to Kaito before he started yapping about how wrecking havoc is fun.

Unlike Suo though, Sakura is more likely to treat you with some modicum of respect since you're either a small fry to take care of, or a challenge that he wants to understand better (ie. following Ume's advice). Their personalities are reflected in their fighting styles—Sakura is straightforward and direct, while Suo remains passive and likes to ridicule others occasionally.

Suo and Sakura have tons of contrast with each other — I like to joke that Suo is an 'Anti-Sakura' in a way, because their differences are so stark when you compare these two together. In fact, I’d argue the only similarities that are specifically unique to them are their ‘irregular’ eyes. I could make a whole write-up on how opposing they are in WBK, but I don’t want to get too carried away here lol

I feel like Dick and Damian definitely do regard each other as father and son to a certain extent but in a way that is so tied to Bruce's "death" that they'll never actually say it. Damian will just keep referring to Dick as his Batman, a role that has only ever meant father to him, and Dick will refer to Damian as his Robin, a name that has only ever meant son.

i find it so fitting that luffy met (and freed) zoro at his weakest- starved, restrained, with his execution impending. i find it equally fitting that the moment zoro was free of those restraints, he almost immediately blocked luffy from a fatal attack.

their relationship, from their very first meeting, has always been a reliance on each other without shame. luffy didn’t move when that axe was coming down on his head or a hoard of marines ran towards him, trusting zoro to stop them, and he didn’t turn the other way when he saw the infamous pirate hunter he sought out to be his first crew mate helplessly tied to a cross either.

they are unbeatable forces of nature but with each other they show weakness, in fact, they often allow themselves to be weak. their unconditional trust to cover each other’s backs gives them the rest they need in a battle to allow them to finish it.

it’s truly such an astounding thing to me to be so completely vulnerable in someone’s hands. to not block, or flinch, or move, because you know someone will save you no matter what. to fall asleep on the battlefield with two yonko because you need a minute, and you know harm will never come to you if the other person is there.

one of the foundations of zoro and luffy’s dynamic is vulnerability at the most important times. and hugely, their comfortability in that vulnerability because they are by each other’s side. from their very first interaction they showed what could’ve hypothetically been life-ending weakness but they saved each other. and from that moment they never stopped doing so

also i think about Crime Alley as both the physical source for bruce’s loss and also a sign of gotham’s renewal — leslie’s clinic as one example, or bruce’s dedication to social reform in park row. how after twenty years he is still tethered to the cinema, the alley, the gutters. he knows each brick by touch alone, in the dark he can find his way unaided. like the manor it is the foundation holding him upright. does he find comfort there for himself, knowing that he can always return?

but the graysons died in a field, in the ring. the ring is not stationary, it moves as haleys does. its sawdust floor is discarded after the show, its bleachers disassembled, the big top packed away for the next town, the next country, the next show. the graysons died at haleys, but it isn’t anywhere their son can return to. he can stand in the field, knee deep in grass, but the crowd will not be there, nor the tent nor the jugglers. he could travel the world and never truly find the place his parents died. the only way out is through.

I agree with your points about how Suo and Sakura fool each other super well! I also love how differently they approach problems when a plan is needed. Like how Sakura tends to jump in headfirst, but when a plan is really needed he turns to Suo and trusts him to handle it. And Suo’s plans for protecting the bridge were legitimately brilliant, showing how correct Sakura was to trust him with it. (Seriously, Suo’s talent for strategy that goes beyond even their normal one on one fights and into planning out giant group fights is insanely impressive and I somehow never really see anyone mention that) But I just love that while being foils of each other they also support each other where they can and become much stronger for it

Going off on a tangent here, but Suo’s intelligence has to be one of my favorite parts of his character.

A little detail I like is how he references Japanese mediums of storytelling:

But the best example of Suo’s sheer intellect is during the Tsubaki chapters.

When Suo talks about the significance of Yui planting the dogwood tree, he first explains it’s Hanakotoba (Japanese flower language).

However, the “Am I indifferent to you” definition is not part of the dogwood tree’s flower language. In fact, Suo actually refers to this custom from the 19th century:

As Yui was the one who planted the tree (rather than Ito, the male), she (the woman) conveys that her feelings towards her husband are not of indifference despite his prior belief. Since this was a tradition from the Victorian Era (which predominantly took place in the United Kingdom and its colonies), Suo explains the meaning in English rather than Japanese.

And as you’ve mentioned here, Furin would’ve been cooked by Noroshi’s massive numbers if Suo didn’t come up with their main strategy. Additionally, Sakura would’ve never worked with Sugishita or realize that he can’t fight alongside other people properly if it wasn’t Suo who had guided him.

Because of Suo’s guidance, Sakura was able to take down enemies with Sugishita and fight well during the first half of Noroshi. In a way, Suo is the brains to Sakura’s brawn (and Nirei would be the heart).

Okay, I hear you folks loud and clear. Here it is.

How Suo foils Sakura as a character

For starters, their personalities, on the surface, are quite different. Sakura is rather brash, but he is very upfront about his feelings and takes initiative when needed. Suo carries himself with dignity and grace, but remains passive and would much rather observe a situation unfold at a distance.

This translates into the way they fight as I’ve mentioned before. Aside from their fighting styles being completely different (Sakura’s kickboxing is close contact while Suo’s aikido lacks contact and focuses on deflecting attacks), the way they treat their opponents differ. While Sakura makes an effort to understand Togame, Suo imposes his own (contrived) worldviews on Kanuma. Sakura converses; Suo monologues.

Speaking of Umemiya’s philosophies, Sakura is known to eat a lot ( @furinfry made a really nice writeup on this theme, and they explain it much better than I can), even being dubbed a glutton by… Suo. Which is funny, because it’s been shown that Suo himself doesn’t consume food around others, claiming to be on a diet.

If Suo’s refusal to eat is a metaphor for his self-alienation from his peers, then Sakura’s acceptance of Umemiya’s advice is proof of his assimilation to Furin.

On the topic of alienation, Sakura is vulnerable and wears his heart on his sleeve; he unintentionally lets people into his world whether he realizes or not. Suo does none of these things—and his emotions are either (unintentionally) drawn out by the people he cares about, or when he witnesses something that contradicts his principles.

Sakura hates covering his appearance, while Suo makes it a point to do so (given that he literally wore a scuba suit to a beach).

The way they treat Nirei post-KEEL also differ. Suo is concerned for Nirei and helps foster his fighting skill to the extent of abilities, but Sakura remains rather ‘wary’/protective of Nirei (obligatory dead wife flashback mention)

There’s also the case with how they handle other people’s situations. Suo first observed and evaluates, then shares his own rational conclusion while Sakura tends to be upfront of what he feels about it.

The way their internal dialogues are written also differ. Sakura’s focuses on himself and his introspections (given that he’s the MC), and they’re very descriptive. But Suo’s is limited; he simply addresses the situation around him. The only time he introspects is to put himself below Sakura.

I’m probably missing a lot of things, but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Additional Tidbits which add no value to this post:

Sakura’s flower is the Cherry Blossom, a tree that is so rooted in Japanese culture. Suo’s is the Chinese redbud, which is well… inherently Chinese (gotta tag @psychicwavementality for this one)

Sakura is learning how to cook, but Suo makes it a point that he prefers to bake instead

Sakura develops throughout the story, but Suo stays rather stagnant (I really want to make a writeup on this which also talks about Nirei’s development soon)

Suo’s character color is red; Sakura’s color is sometimes green (representing Furin). Both red and green are complementary colors on the color wheel.

thinking about how none of the strawhats have ever known a luffy without zoro.

everyone joined the crew to witness this oddly content and peaceful, terrifying duo. their dynamic is sweet and funny, almost gentle, something you would expect from childhood friends who have been next to each other for so long they don’t always need words. and then again, they are something else when they are in battle.

they trust each other like they are extensions of themselves, they know each other inside and out like they are telepathic, they get each other so completely.

i’m sure everyone who joined the crew looked at them and must’ve thought at one point that there has never been a time where they have not known each other. until nami tells them, oh, they met a few weeks before i joined.

the shock that must come from learning their bond is nearly as young as all of theirs, and not a product of existing next to each other for years.

how baffling it must be to watch them save each other like it’s breathing, to rely on each other without question or thought in fights, and to realise they only spent such a marginal time alone before everyone else began to join them.

to never know a luffy without zoro, or a zoro without luffy, it must be hard to ever imagine a time where they weren’t by each other’s side.

Can we all just take one second to admire this giant brute of a man hyping himself up after being the first person to get an exclusive interview with Dick Grayson? Clark Kent, you are so loveable.

Superman: American Alien #4