Batman has probably been the subject of more tonal shifts than any other DC character, swinging from the bright and campy version of the 1960s to the grim, gritty and haunted version of the 1990s. Now the main Batman title faces another sea change, as the contemporary tone appears to model itself off of its WEBTOON version, Wayne Family Adventures.

Batman #149 by Chip Zdarsky, Michele Bandini, and Steve Lieber covers the aftermath of Batman's darker Zur-En-Arrh personality's defeat, leaving Bruce to recover from the emotional and mental trauma he has suffered at Zur's hands. One silver lining of the whole affair: Bruce finds his wealth restored, and swears to use his newfound billions to properly re-establish himself and the Bat-Family in Gotham. Calling a family meeting, Batman reveals his intentions to build a new "Pennyworth Manor" as a home for him and all of his allies, declaring them to be not an army but a family in a speech that echoes the premise of the Wayne Family Adventures webcomic.

Wayne Family Adventures Sets the Tone for Future Batman Stories

Wayne Family Adventures Is Available to Read for Free on WEBTOON

Debuting on WEBTOON in 2021, Starbite and CRC Payne's overlooked characters like Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown their time in the spotlight. Wayne Family Adventures treats Gotham's superhero family as, well, a family: full of playful banter, loving jibes, and comionate .

The entire fight against Zur-En-Arrh in the previous arc feels like a deliberate bucking of Batman's "grim and gritty" mantle to better align the comics to their WEBTOON counterpart.

It's difficult to see the entirety of the Bat-Family cheerfully exploring a mansion and not draw comparisons to Wayne Family Adventures. Bruce's speech on the importance of living together within Gotham, as opposed to apart from it, heavily echoes the sentiments of his webcomic counterpart.

Likewise, instead of the manor being a home for just himself and Damian, the rest of the family is present, too: Dick, Barbara, Duke, Stephanie, and Cassandra are all explicitly invited (though Jason is ittedly and conspicuously absent). With this in mind, the entire fight against Zur-En-Arrh in the previous arc feels like a deliberate bucking of Batman's "grim and gritty" tone to better align the comics to their WEBTOON counterpart.

Batman Is Moving In a More Positive Direction

Is This the Right Move for the DCU Version of the Bat-Family?

While Batman's turn toward darkness was revolutionary for its time, the "lone vigilante" version of the character now faces constant criticism for being a violent, privileged misanthrope. This change toward a family-focused Batman doesn't mean that Gotham is now all sunshine and rainbows; the Detective Comics title remains as a home for Batman's beloved noir-ish detective stories. In his own title, though, Batman is finally able to let some of the light in - and if Wayne Family Adventures is any indicator, maybe he'll even crack a smile.

Batman #149 is available now from DC Comics.