kay-enemy

[kay-enemy]

someone helpfully pointed out that Bruce says "died in the last six months" in literally the previous panel, so now I feel a bit silly 🙃

On an unrelated note

Batman #409

if this comic was published in July 1987, do we interpret "last February" as Catherine died 5 months ago, or a year and 5 months?

[kay-enemy]

On an unrelated note

Batman #409

if this comic was published in July 1987, do we interpret "last February" as Catherine died 5 months ago, or a year and 5 months?

[kay-enemy]

Vague ideas I'll never get around to writing

So Jason Todd's (non-circus) origin story includes Catherine dying of an overdose:

(Batman #409, 1987)

but Jason refers to it as "getting sick" (unclear if he was referring to the addiction, being vague with a stranger, or thought she actually died of an illness):

(Batman #408)

As shown, Catherine originally died in hospital, but by RHatO she OD'ed at home and Jason found her body.

But what I'd like to imagine is if she were actually sick (other than the addiction). It could have all the same beats as Jason's typical backstory: spending money on drugs is actually medical debt, the 'medicine' that makes her feel worse could be something like chemo, etc.

It could be generically sad dramatic irony if it's just Jason's childish perception - maybe he saw so many drugs in Crime Alley or as Robin that it colored his memories.

BUT, maybe the shitty classism from Bruce (and DC writers) after his adoption led him to assume Catherine died of drug use. Then we could get an emotional Red Hood-era realization. Maybe he meets someone who knew Catherine, or just looks into the medical records, and then it's another betrayal from Bruce.

[kay-enemy]

I'm actually kind of disappointed with myself for using "Doomed to Repeat" as a title for a fluffy Jason & Tim fic, when it would work so well for a bitter fic about Batman making the same mistakes over and over (like every time he abuses his kids, or every time he kills a mook, or...)

[kay-enemy]

I don't appreciate my brain fixating on a random new fandom. I have important anti-batman propaganda to write, brain, this is no time for obsessing over unrelated characters

[kay-enemy]

Tim's flawed view of parenting

Remember how in Tim's first appearance he told Dick he ought to pay Bruce back for raising him?

(The New Titans #60, 1989)

While the actual explanation is that DC chronically attracts writers with a hard on for bad parenting, I'm divided on how to interpret this in-universe.

Does this speak more to the Drakes, that they made Tim think parents are owed something just for doing the minimum for their kids? Is this indicative of Tim's unhealthy obsession with Batman, that he has Bruce on a pedestal?

[kay-enemy]

y'all I am struggling here. I've been working on a fic, but at this point I don't know how to end it without it being a downer. I don't have the energy to make Bruce suffer, so I think it'll just be a couple of the batkids realizing "yep, Batman's abusive. Nope, nothing we can do about it."

Is that something anyone wants to read, or should I wait for this funk (ie seasonal depression) to pass?

[kay-enemy]

As much as I love him as Red Hood, what if Jason made his big comeback as just... a better Batman? It could be like Battle for the Cowl except good.

He could make his name killing the worst of the named villains (Joker, maybe Professor Pyg if we ignore continuity) then become the Batman with less collateral damage (look he isn't shown being any less violent than Bruce, because DC writers believe might makes right when it comes to beating petty criminals to death, but I refuse to believe Jason "stealing tires from Batman to survive" Todd would not have more sympathy for thieves). Imagine a Batman who takes down violent criminals like rapists and killers but just stops the thieves and muggers like "bruh, don't rob these guys, I know someone with so much hereditary privilege and antique silver."

And then now that they have an option besides corrupt cops and corrupt bats, the people of Gotham might think "hmm, maybe minor crimes aren't an excuse for authority figures to break our bones and throw knives willy nilly."

[kay-enemy]

What did Jason Todd miss while dead?

If Jason died in 1988 and was dead/catatonic/training as an assassin for 3 years, he might have missed such cultural touchstones as:

the sequels to Terminator and Back to the Future (1991 and 1989)

Disney's Little Mermaid (1989)

the very first nintendo gameboy (while this one was before my time, my sister had the color and I had the advance, you young'uns are spoiled with your backlit displays)

If he came back in 2005 and missed the 3-ish years before, he might have missed:

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) (was this the source or a symptom of the pirate craze?)

The fast and furious sequel(s)

Rosie O'Donnell comes out

The Osbournes reality TV

low rise jeans, according to Buzzfeed (look I lived through the early 00s, I'm biased)

If he came back recently (not my jam but look, we gotta resolve the fanfic timelines somehow) he would have missed....covid.

[kay-enemy]

Bonus Cass & Bruce scene:

Batgirl vol1 #7 (2000)

Look, it feels wrong to me, but I can ignore the training part as typical of the genre, but damn that is an asshole thing to say.

Speaking of people being unfair to Cass Cain...

Previously I complained about how Nightwing blamed Cass for her brainwashed villain arc, but we also have Batman angsting over her killing someone....during her abusive childhood, under the manipulations of her (first - get fucked, Bruce) abusive father... as though it makes her a bad person permanently 🙄

Screenshots below the cut

It had already been established that the bats, including Bruce, knew the David Cain was abusive and raised Cass to be a weapon:

(Batgirl vol 1 #1, 2000)

We also know Bruce trained with Cain, but we're expected to believe Cain never even asked Bruce to kill anyone? It's not like no one knows Cain is an assassin. Why is it a shock he would have made her kill someone?

And Bruce had previously tried to shame her for 'failing' a mission... because the person she rescued then died of pre-existing injuries???

(Batgirl vol 1 #3, 2000)

But then Cain sent a video of Cass's first (and only, though I suppose he wouldn't know at that point) assassination, and Bruce freaks out:

Then we get this pretty awful view of his shocked face. There were some weird angles on Babs, too - what's up with the art style here? Anyway...

And it's not just shock that it happened or at seeing it, he definitely changes his whole opinion about Cass:

And then grasps at the video being fake, rather than that Cass (at 9 years old!) hadn't done it voluntarily, or even if she had that she wanted to turn over a new leaf now:

(all from Batgirl vol 1 #4, 2000)

I won't bother with screen caps of everything, but the ensuing investigation involves keeping Babs/Oracle in the dark, hanging up on Tim when he starts to push, flying to Macau to dig up the body, then confronting Cain:

(Batgirl #5)

"You're trying to take her away from me. From the life she has now. You want me to think she's like you. A killer."

I do enjoy the dig at the "World's Greatest Detective" bullshit, though.

Then Bruce sidelines Cass during a mission:

(Batgirl #6)

He does seem to let it go afterward, so it's not exactly the worst example of his parenting, but still. I thought this was a nice companion piece to my last Batgirl post.

[kay-enemy]

I'm back, baby! Here's hoping I linger a little longer, but I definitely have some fics in the work. The update I just posted is not my most popular fic, and was almost entirely written when I got back to it, but I still consider it progress when I was in such a slump for months.

(I kinda want to link to the fic that reignited my spite engine, but that feels a littler weird and forward when I don't know the author)

[kay-enemy]

Speaking of people being unfair to Cass Cain...

Previously I complained about how Nightwing blamed Cass for her brainwashed villain arc, but we also have Batman angsting over her killing someone....during her abusive childhood, under the manipulations of her (first - get fucked, Bruce) abusive father... as though it makes her a bad person permanently 🙄

Screenshots below the cut

It had already been established that the bats, including Bruce, knew the David Cain was abusive and raised Cass to be a weapon:

(Batgirl vol 1 #1, 2000)

We also know Bruce trained with Cain, but we're expected to believe Cain never even asked Bruce to kill anyone? It's not like no one knows Cain is an assassin. Why is it a shock he would have made her kill someone?

And Bruce had previously tried to shame her for 'failing' a mission... because the person she rescued then died of pre-existing injuries???

(Batgirl vol 1 #3, 2000)

But then Cain sent a video of Cass's first (and only, though I suppose he wouldn't know at that point) assassination, and Bruce freaks out:

Then we get this pretty awful view of his shocked face. There were some weird angles on Babs, too - what's up with the art style here? Anyway...

And it's not just shock that it happened or at seeing it, he definitely changes his whole opinion about Cass:

And then grasps at the video being fake, rather than that Cass (at 9 years old!) hadn't done it voluntarily, or even if she had that she wanted to turn over a new leaf now:

(all from Batgirl vol 1 #4, 2000)

I won't bother with screen caps of everything, but the ensuing investigation involves keeping Babs/Oracle in the dark, hanging up on Tim when he starts to push, flying to Macau to dig up the body, then confronting Cain:

(Batgirl #5)

"You're trying to take her away from me. From the life she has now. You want me to think she's like you. A killer."

I do enjoy the dig at the "World's Greatest Detective" bullshit, though.

Then Bruce sidelines Cass during a mission:

(Batgirl #6)

He does seem to let it go afterward, so it's not exactly the worst example of his parenting, but still. I thought this was a nice companion piece to my last Batgirl post.

[kay-enemy]

I'm not sure i like the kind of person I'm becoming....

...an adult who goes to bed before 10pm

[kay-enemy]

Real question: why do we do Whumptober, when Whumptember or Whumpril would work so much better in terms of wordplay?

[kay-enemy]

Writing PSA

the word "till" refers to tilling the land, or something like a cash register

if what you mean is short for "until", you should use the shortened form 'til

[kay-enemy]

Damn, I should've included this detail in Sibling Bonding. Idk when I will next write something with Jason in costume.

Y'know how astronauts have this bit of foam in their helmets so they can scratch their noses on a spacewalk?

Please consider that this is also included in the Red Hood helmet

[kay-enemy]

Y'know how astronauts have this bit of foam in their helmets so they can scratch their noses on a spacewalk?

Please consider that this is also included in the Red Hood helmet