2. Individuals Brought Together, Not Merely Torn Apart
The Bat-Family is not all a bunch of fanatics in awe of the Batman, far from it. After their training, all of the previous Robins and Batgirl decided to either leave his employ, or even leave Gotham City. While everyone learned under the Batman, they all grew into their own, and never in the same manner. Dick Grayson took over his own unique style of heroism as Nightwing, even coming back to take over as Batman while Wayne was having misadventures through time. Tim Drake became Red Robin, and now leads the Teen Titans. Selina Kyle remains a burglar/heroine/animal rights activist. Barbara Gordon has fought back from being paraplegic to resume her post as Batgirl. And perhaps the most remarkable change has been that of Jason Todd, going from sidekick to terrorist/kingpin to leader of his own team of misfits The Outlaws. All of these people differ greatly from one another. Theyre jerks, acrobats, know-it-alls, thieves, murderers, detectives, all brought together by a very thin banner. The Family never lets the world forget that they are individuals first, a group much later. No one wants to hear about a bunch of fanatics to the cause of the Dark Knight. As much as readers want to read something that has connections, they dont want repetition. Something new, something compelling, each issue has to strike a personal note on the readers heartstrings. And whether its a lipstick feminist like Catwoman, a bad boy seeking who-knows-what like Red Hood, or a boy who likes to kill for his fathers approval like the latest Robin, they each bring their own brand of individual charisma to the table.