u/Jeb797191

Hey guys. I'm just finished reading Nightwing: Year One and New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. I've been trying to read more on him and join a few communities (I tried to join a few shipping ones, but they were kinda toxic 😅)

Anyways, I often buy the first few volumes of a run, find them boring, and drop them halfway. So, I'd like to ask if I should read Nightwing by Tom Taylor run. I'd love to hear yalls opinion on it, thanks so much.

Before I say anything, I just wanna mention that I'm new to Reddit, so please go easy on me. Thanks.

I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fan of TimSteph; I thought it was a really good relationship, but I didn't mind if they were dating or just friends. Their dynamic worked well regardless of their relationship, but I did feel that Steph was often sidelined in a lot of stories, or too dependent on Tim (E.g.: James Tynion's Detective comics run)

Despite that, I still found their off-panel breakup to be absolutely ridiculous. I have no problem with Tim being Bi, or Tim and Steph splitting, but an off-panel breakup just seemed so half-assed. I felt like showing the breakup would have given us a realistic story about growing apart. It could have shown how Tim figured out his sexuality while still deeply respecting Stephanie.

I think DC making Steph immediately accept Bernard was their way of saying, "If she can move on, why can't you?" which is genuinely stupid; DC should've allowed her to be messy. The "perfectly supportive ex" trope feels so forced. Also, Bernard is just so bland as a character (Really, no hate to Bernard, but I'd rather watch paint dry than see him on panel).

With Tim retiring from being a vigilante because of Bernard, I don't think DC is bringing back TimSteph. With that being said, should Stephanie Brown get a new love interest?

In my opinion, yes, absolutely. Just not right now. Have one introduced either really late in the New Titans run (Leading the Titans proves her to be a top-tier strategist; Introducing a romantic subplot now could overshadow her capability as a leader) or in a solo run. I'm personally tired of her being this "supportive cheerleader" for Tim and Bernard (considering how they broke up), and I think that she deserves to move on herself. If she does get a new love interest, it should be someone from outside the Bat-Fam (And Gotham's vigilantes) entirely. This creates both a physical and narrative separation from Gotham and establishes her as an independent hero.

TL;DR:

The off-panel TimSteph breakup was a lazy cop-out that forced Stephanie into an unrealistically supportive role. With Tim retired, Steph deserves to move on, but only after establishing herself as a good strategist leading the New Titans. Her future romance should be outside Gotham to solidify her independence.

Anyways, that's just my opinion. Please feel free to share yours down below.