InsaneJournal

Super Steph Series pt 5- Do you know my boyfriend's real name?
Robin #80, #84, #87, #92, #93, #94, #98 and #99! With 2 never before seen scans! The era of Stephness we enter now is post No Man's land Robin. The situation is thus- Steph's mom found her Spoiler costume and forbade her from vigilante activities. Steph, naturally didn't listen. Tim has been moved to a private boarding school called Brentwood by his father thanks to his constant disappearing acts, making it harder to do the Robin thing and spend time with Steph. It's also growing harder for him to keep his identity from her.

We also have Pete Woods on art, and he is awesome. He draws my favorite Tim and Steph. I love especially how he gives Steph a believable body type for an athletic teen girl- fit and pretty, but no huge knockers or sexay!ness or any of that. And his Tim is so adorable and fun.

Tim is tailing this girl who taught him how to skateboard, because she's involved with a gang. Steph shows up, wanting to hang.



You know, I think I know why Steph is my favorite superheroine. She calls people "bucko." That is awesome.



The Bandido's Bikers Club is apparently real. I wonder how they'd feel about this comic.



I imagine Tim saying "IS NOT," in a really petulant voice. And I giggle.

Bullets start flying, and Tim and Steph jump to the rescue (Tim tries to convince Steph not to interfere, but she replies "Not likely.")



Tim freaks out over Star, so Steph must do the actual capturing of the bad guys. I guess it is a good thing she came along, huh, Tim?




Oh Tim. The people dying in you arms thing is not even CLOSE to being over.



Ouch. Steph storms off and refuses to talk to Tim. Since he won't tell her his secret ID, she vows to find out on her own. It doesn't go so well, mostly because she acts like a crazy stalker. And her Mom catches her in the act. Note how she is suddenly overweight and gray haired. Those damn prescription side effects!



But she's pretty awesome here. "You were trying to find a boyfriend? In the hospital?" What, you sent another one to the ICU?



Poor Steph's mom. She's trying. But just the amount of Robins Batman has is getting her confused. "No my boyfriend's the third Robin! Batman uses them up and then throws them away! Wait until I become one, then you'll see what happens to Robins!"




RUN STEPH RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN!



YOU SHOULD BE.

Anyway, off Steph and Bats go...



Of course he doen't show it, he's the Goddamned Batman! *overused joke* Oh, Tim is off on an adventure with Lagoon Boy while this is happening. I am not even joking.





"I ignored you before, but now I'm going to make you run errands for me!"

Tim gets back from his amazing adventure with Lagoon Boy, and sees a little note with a Bat Symbol on it outside his room.

"This is what I need. Some rooftop action," says he. Okay, Tim, that's more about your relationship with Bruce than I needed to know...but it's not Batman waiting for him.



"NO STEPH! I LOVE YOU AND DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO FEMALES WHO GO NEAR BATMAN! BAD THINGS!"



"RUN BEHIND ME WE CAN ESCAPE TOGETHER!"



Ooooh...owned.



"Oh, Jesus, there goes another one. Sometimes they rebel and sometimes they get clubbed to death with crowbars...hey, you, blonde girl, wanna be my sidekick now?"

So, to clear his head, Tim goes on a trip to the Alps, where he discovers his friend at school is the new leader of Kobra...you know, the usual stuff.

But his secret ID is safe!



Tim continues to verbally own Batman.



He acknowledges that none of this is Steph's fault, which is good, cuz it isn't. She didn't ASK Batman to tell her Tim's identity. She just kind of went crazy and stalked Star. Um. Well. Anyway.




OH MY GOD HE ACKNOWLEDGED HE WAS WRONG IT'S A MIRACLE!

So, Tim gets grounded for randomly dissapearing from school and can't see Steph therefore. So Steph and Bats do some training that involves Steph trying not to fall off buildings.





Don't delude yourself, Steph. He's does that speech all the time.



Bat-apologies! Like regular apologies only more cryptic!



Jesus, Arthur looks like a creepy old pedophile there. No wonder Steph's saying ew.

Anyway, Steph has about the reaction you'd expect, namely she punches him in the face.



Why does Steph have a picture of some angry glaring guy with bad hygiene in her room? She doesn't seem the type...I do enjoy her cute stuffed turtle though.




STEPHANIE BROWN! YOU STOP BEATING THE HOLY HELL OUT OF YOUR FATHER THIS INSTANT OR YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE, MISSY!



Steph's expressions here are the best, especially the second panel.

Note the name of the building: Sphinx apartments. (I actually didn't notice it 'till this minute. Really cool!) Gee, I wonder who our mystery man is?

Anyway, the guys leave, and since "no one takes a cab to a robbery", Steph decides to check out the building, but is interrupted.





I love how Steph is all like "thanks for the compliment" when they think she's Cass. It's clear she respects her here, even though we'll see from issue 98 that this is set before they become BFF's.





Judging from Batman's dialogue, he realizes who the "mystery man" is, but doesn't tell Steph for some reason. Batdickery!

Steph gets home, and finds a surprise.



NO!!!!

So, Steph goes and tells Batman about this new development and he's all "Okay, so stalk your dad a little". Meanwhile, Mrs. Brown isn't the passive creature she once was, andt tells all the criminals on no uncertain terms they may have the right to stay here, but they ain't welcome. This includes beaning the Riddler with some groceries. Anyway, Steph and moms try to get away from it all.



 Mother daughter bonding time! Steph's mom has a white streak in her hair she didn't have at the beginning of this issue. Did Arthur's antics literally make her hair go gray? (or was it those darn prescription meds again...)



I like Steph's Mom's jacket at any rate. And ha ha, Dixon is randomly shoving in his politcal agenda and using his characters as a mouthpeice. (Using Steph as a mouthpeice is especially bizarre. Considering her economic background, she more likely to be liberal, or just not care)





Did people ever REALLY use the word "chippies" in everyday conversation?



I'd say Cluemaster is the worst Dad ever- but really, by comic book standards, he's rather tame. And I love Steph's boots.





Poor Steph. (Tim's talking to his drunken roommate at Brentwood there.)

So anyway. Issue 98 is a tie in with Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.



Yeah, Bruce did it. Jesus, I know he was busy, but he could have at least shot Steph an email. "Sorry, I have to go out of town for a little bit, don't go near the Batcave or you'll wreck your bike"?






Hey, it's Cass. Hi, Cass!



Judging from how Steph's treating Cass, this is before they became BFF's. Which means they had to have bonded pretty soon after that, since it had them interacting during the "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storyline.



"Spoiler All City Buss Pass". This is why Steph rocks. And who does she go to for help? Who does everyone go to for help? BABS!

Tim and Steph get together again for the first time since the "secret" was let out when Tim goes to the Tower of Babsel (nickname from Robin 103) after one of his loser friends from Brentwood was kidnapped for gambling too well on the Internet.



Still in Bruce Wayne: Fugitive obviously.



Dinah: Aren't they adorable together?
Babs: Yeah, I don't care.

After Tim gushes over Babs computer a little, he finds out who kidnapped Kip. Note Babs's awesome bat voodoo doll. So much love.



Steph and Tim are together again, and you know what happens when Steph and Tim get together: ASSKICKING, that's what!



See? Back to Tim's loser friend (okay, okay, his name's Kip)





I love the way this panel is from Tim and Steph's POV. And they did the punch-him-in-the-face-at-the-same-time move! Like I said before, OUCH!



And that's Tim and Steph's make up date. No talking, no making out, just beating up kidnappers. Kind of appropriate for those two. (The cover of this issue says: ONLY ONE PERSON COULD REUNITE ROBIN AND SPOILER- BUT IT ISN'T WHO YOU THINK! Nope, definitely didn't think it was Tim's geeky friend from Brentwood)

Next, an overview on Steph and Cass, and how Steph joined the BoP and got Black Canary to take care of her Riddler problem!