#Also this is Tim’s villain origin story

[morganbritton132]

Without fail, whenever Tim is hanging out with one of his civilian friends at Wayne Manor, they will inevitably bring up his old obsession with Batman and Robin. It is always mortifyingly embarrassing.

His siblings make bets on how long it will take.

[holy-obsession-batman]

The only mirror!Tim I accept

Alternate universe!Villain!Tim is a twisted version of Batman, bla bla bla.

Give me a Tim who became the Riddler's sidekick instead of Batman's. Give me a dramatic, theatrical, mischievous trickster of an autistic little shit who is also painfully earnest -- he want the attention! the recognition! he wants the praise! look at me Mom I'm smart!

(Eddie and him bond over Mommy issues)

He's rocking his bowler hat and domino mask, too -- Batman and Robin 100% busted his identity as Tim Drake but he uno-reversed that so they can't bust his identity nor arrest him lest he outs them.

Origin story: since his trip to the circus as a toddler, Tim Drake was traumatized into morality by Dick Grayson/Robin hero worship. Except Robin changed, and now he feels personally vindicated and outraged:

Behold the Sphinx! (cuz it matches the Riddler's thematic and also Tim is a nerd with archaeologist parents)

However he never ever explains what his problem is because he is a little shit like that, just screeches and pettily fixates on Robin with extreme prejudice. But whenever Nightwing is in town he starts swooning -- the first time Tim was like no no no, I won't cause trouble for Nightwing sir your costume is so cool, and then Nightwing dramatically joked that he felt left out (he didn't. This was a QUIP. Nightwing is hypercompetent, as serious as Bruce when it comes to crimefighting, and seriously overworked. HE DIDN'T WANT MORE ROGUE ACTIVITY, HE GETS VERY LITTLE SLEEP AS IT IS-).

Badly-socialized little fanboy Tim 'your parent's death was the worst day of my life' Drake PANIKS, and from then on always earnestly does his best, most over the top schemes specially for Nightwing. Dick is in despair, and Jason is never gonna let him live it down.

So the Sphinx is Robin II's personal nemesis. Which turns into fremesis -- grudging respect, a sorta sense of kinship, since they are nearly the same age (Jason is 2 ys older), both sidekicks and know about each other's two identities. Also nothing says bromance like daily nightly trying to beat up each other with unholy screeches. Very cathartic.

(even if it's not like, literal beating up, cuz Tim is not a fighter; it's more: Tim tries to impale, strangle, drown, burn etc Jason via traps and puzzles and then when Jason finally gets to the end of the traps and to Timmy, he grabs him by the collar and try to shake the crazy out of him while Timmy trashes and scratch like a cat.)

(Oh! maybe Selina taught him some tricks at one point, maybe claimed him as her sidekick while Eddie was in Arkham -- because the Sphinx is part cat right, and Selina finds this feral baby hilarious)

and then when Jason runs away from Wayne Manor to find his birth mother, instead of going to Ethiopia alone, he knocks on the Drakes' door, and then

EDIT: I made a poll for Tim's alias, there are two options

(Masterpost)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Fictional Characters

The concept of a protagonist comes from Ancient Greek drama, where the term originally meant, “the player of the first part or the chief actor.”

In film today, the protagonist is the character who drives the plot, pursues the main goal of the story, and usually changes or grows over the course of the film.

A protagonist enters the film with a goal and by the end of the film, they either achieved that goal or did not.

The protagonist’s character arch is defined by the pursuit of that goal.

Classic examples of protagonists from film are:

Luke Skywalker, a young moisture farmer who learns to harness his Jedi mind powers.

Cher Horowitz, a clueless valley girl who learns to appreciate the people in her life.

Types of Protagonists

A hero is someone we can all relate to, and his downfall will fill us with pity and fear. The hero is the “good guy”—the type of virtuous protagonist the audience roots for and wants to succeed.

An anti-hero is an unlikely protagonist who does not necessarily have virtuous or villainous qualities but who is able to behave heroically if the opportunity arises.

The villain protagonist is the villain, an undeniable “bad guy,” is also driving the plot as the central character.

Difference Between a Hero and a Protagonist

The hero and the protagonist are often confused, but in fact a hero is a type of protagonist.

All stories must have a protagonist, but not all stories need a hero.

Main Character

Apart from protagonists, films can also have a main character.

The main character is a central character who acts as the audience surrogate—we experience the story through their eyes.

The main character is involved in the story, interacts with the secondary characters, and is personally impacted by the plot’s main conflict.

The main character and the protagonist are often, but not always the same character.

Difference Between a Protagonist and a Main Character

The main character (sometimes called “principal character”) and the protagonist are both two central characters.

But the protagonist drives the plot forward while the main character is impacted by the plot.

Ways a Separate Main Character & Protagonist Move Your Plot

Some reasons to separate the main character and protagonist in your story.

Unrelatable Protagonist: If the audience is not able to relate to the protagonist, the main character can be a more relatable entry-point to the story. In Tim Burton’s adaption of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, Willy Wonka is the protagonist and drives the plot, but he is also misanthropic and too kooky to be relatable for the audience. Charlie, the main character, acts as the audience surrogate.

Point of View. A main character can act as a plot device to reveal greater truths about your protagonist. In The Great Gatsby, for example, we are able to see the protagonist, Jay Gatsby, as a flawed and dishonest man more clearly through the eyes of the main character, Nick Carraway.

Added irony. A separate main character creates irony or a juxtaposition. Atticus—an adult lawyer—is the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, a story about a rape trial with grown-up themes. The story, however, is told through the eyes of the main character, Scout, Atticus’s young daughter. Scout’s innocence reveals the flawed moral values of society and the adults around her.

The Narrator: Main Character or Protagonist?

A narrator is a character who tells the story, in their own voice.

The narrator does not have to meet any of the qualifications to be either a protagonist or the main character, and a film does not have to include a narrator.

In The Princess Bride, the grandfather mainly acts as the narrator and is used as a framing device to tell the story of a poor farmhand to his reluctant grandson.

But the narrator can be the main character, as in the Great Gatsby example. Nick Carraway is the main character and the narrator, but he is not the protagonist.

Source ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[dorothylarouge]

Dorothy's Big List of Comic Book Recs - DC Comics Edition

I often get asks about getting into comic books, and how daunting it seems, given the huge back catalog of titles and issues available. I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be scary! From miniseries that act as good introductions to characters to runs on ongoing titles by individual creators that serve on jumping-on points, there's lots of ways to get into comics without having to have a lot of background knowledge, and I'm going to give you a lot of potential places to start. Please note that this post only covers DC Comics; Marvel and indie lists will follow! Also note that I haven't read everything, and I won't recommend something I haven't read, so a few runs or books some consider must-reads may not be on here. This is based purely on books I have read and enjoy, and that I think are suitable for new readers. I'm also not including books from the Milestone and Wildstorm imprints as they're kind of a separate sphere to me, although some Vertigo books may be included.

SUPERMAN

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely: This is the book that made me a Superman fan. It is an out-of-continuity celebration of Superman and his world, and an exploration of why Superman as a character has endured for nearly a century.

Superman For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: A gorgeously-illustrated and Americana-flavored recounting of Superman's early years in Metropolis, anchored narratively by the changing of the seasons.

Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid and Lenil Francis Yu: For my money, the definitive origin story for Superman. Great characterization of the entire supporting cast, including Lex Luthor, make this a perfect entry point into the character and his world.

Action Comics (1939) and Superman (1939) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: The earliest Superman stories are still really great, and have a populist edge that many later stories sanded down. They're pulpy and fun and I recommend them!

Action Comics (2011) by Grant Morrison: This run spans issues 1-18, plus a special issue 0, of the series launched as part of DC's mostly-failed 2011 reboot, and covers Superman's early years in this continuity. The early issues bring back some of the edge that was present in the Golden Age comics, and the rest of the run is solid stuff as well. Morrison always comes highly recommended.

Superman: Red and Blue: An athology series that focuses on a broad sampling of Superman's world and supporting cast, written and drawn by various creators.

Action Comics (1939) by Geoff Johns: Specifically, I would say that issues 855 to 870 are a good span to be checking out for Geoff Johns' run on the book. These include some great stories focusing on classic Superman villains such as Bizarro, Toyman, and Brainiac.

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Guruhiru: An adaptation of a classic Superman radio story set in the 1940s and focusing on Superman's place as an immigration narrative. And Superman gets to rough up some Klansmen!

Man and Superman by Marv Wolfman and Claudio Castellini: Another story of Superman's early years, this one focusing on his struggles to adapt to life in the big city after moving from Smallville, as well as his first encounters with Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.

Superman: Up in the Sky by Tom King and Andy Kubert: A lovely self-contained story which demonstrates just how far Superman will go to save a single life.

Superman (1939) by Elliot S! Maggin: This mammoth run spans issues 247 to 400 of the classic title, and includes some fantastic stories such as "Must There Be a Superman?" (issue 247), "The Greatest Green Lantern of All" (issue 257), and "The Living Legends of Superman" (issue 400)

Superman (1939), Adventure Comics (1938) and Action Comics (1939) by Mort Weisinger: This run spans a lot of the Silver Age era of Superman, including Action Comics #241-392, Superman #120-231, and Adventure Comics #247-396. It's a lot of issues, but in those days you can mostly read them in any order since they're pretty self-contained. This run includes a lot of classic villains and stories, as well as the earliest adventures of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bliquis Evely: A spacefaring take on a True Grit-style western with gorgeous art, and a definitive story for the Girl of Steel.

Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen (2019) by Matt Fraction and Steve Liber: a madcap romp and a delightful sendup of Silver Age weirdness.

BATMAN

Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale: Another Loeb/Sale joint, focusing on Batman's earlier years and the transition of Gotham's underworld from the mob to a coterie of costumed kooks.

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean: An examination of the facility housing Batman's rogues, and what those rogues symbolize in his world.

Batman (1940) by Dennis O'Neil: This is a classic run which re-established a dark tone for the Dark Knight which has endured to this day. The run spans Batman #224-268, along with a handful of issues of Detective Comics. Among the major developments of this run are the introduction of Ra's al Ghul and his daughter Talia.

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying by Marv Wolfman, George Perez, and Jim Aparo: The definitive story about why Batman needs Robin. Read it in trade since the story spans both the Batman and New Titans titles.

Batman by Grant Morrison: I'm hesitant to include this because it delves so deep into Batman lore, but it really is essential reading, introducing Damian Wayne along with other concepts. Please do disregard Morrison's frankly appalling characterization of Talia. Read in omnibus format as the run spans multiple titles.

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland: It's cliche at this point but the story still is fantastic and one of the best Joker stories ever written.

Batman: No Man's Land: An epic storyline across many titles dealing with Gotham being cut off from the US after a massive earthquake and Batman's efforts to keep the peace in an abandoned city. Read in trade format.

Batman (2011) by Scott Snyder: This run spans issues 1 through 51 of the New 52 relaunch, and introduces concepts such as the Court of Owls. It's a fun run, including a brief period where Jim Gordon acts as Batman.

Batwoman (2011) by J.H. Williams III and W. Hayden Blackman: A gorgeously-illustrated book about Batman's cousin and her adventures as the Batwoman. Worth reading for the art alone.

Nightwing (1996) by Chuck Dixon: Dixon's a tool but this is still the definitive Nightwing run. This run includes volume 1 of Nightwing, a 4-issue mini, as well as issues 1-70 of volume 2, which establishes Dick's home base of Bludhaven as well as his rogues' gallery.

Detective Comics (1937) by Paul Dini: This run spans issues 821 to 852, and features some great stories by one of the great Batman writers and a co-creator of the classic animated series.

Robin (2021) by Joshua Williamson: A great run that helps to flesh out Damian Wayne's place in the DC Universe.

The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba: A great story with gorgeous art that focuses on Damian Wayne and his relationships with the other members of the Batman Family.

Batgirl (2000): The first series to focus on a Batgirl, specifically Cassandra Cain, the best Batgirl, as she struggles to adapt to life after an abusive childhood being raised as an assassin.

WONDER WOMAN

Wonder Woman (2006) by Gail Simone: Simone's run is the longest that a woman has ever written comics' premiere female superhero, and it's just good comic book fun. The run spans issues 14 to 44.

Wonder Woman (1987) by Phil Jimenez: Jimenez's childhood love of Wonder Woman shines through in his run, which placed a renewed focus on Diana's supporting cast and especially her family. The run spans issues 164 to 188.

Wonder Woman (1942) and Sensation Comics (1942) by William Moulton Marston: Wonder Woman's creator laid down the basics of the character and her world, and those early Golden Age stories are still a great read. They're fun, engaging - and more than a little kinky with hindsight.

Wonder Woman (1987) by Greg Rucka: In the early 21st century, Greg Rucka was The Guy for writing female superheroes, and his run on Wonder Woman is great. It features Diana becoming an ambassador, writing a book, fighting Medusa, and matching wits with Veronica Cale, her own Lex Luthor. The run spans 196-226. I must also mention Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia, also by Rucka, which is a Greek tragedy where Diana finds herself torn between duty and justice.

Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick: A beautifully-illustrated story of the Amazons and the Greek goddesses, which lays the foundations for Wonder Woman's world.

Wonder Woman (1987) by George Perez: This run reintroduced Diana after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and the first 25 issues feature Perez's simply-unmatched artwork. The whole run spans the first 62 issues of the book, and serves as a blueprint for most subsequent takes on the character.

THE FLASH

Flash Comics (1940) and All-Flash (1941): The Golden Age Flash and his early stories by his creator Gardner Fox. Must-read if you're interested in Jay Garrick, the first Flash.

Showcase #4, 8, and 13, and The Flash (1959): The Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, made his debut and early adventures here. Much of the art is by the great Carmine Infantino, and Gardner Fox returned to write some stories. The whole concept of the multiverse debuted in this run.

The Flash (1987) by Mark Waid (as well as Grant Morrison and Mark Millar): This run starts in issue 62 and lasts until 162, with a brief run by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar towards the end. This run is the definitive Flash run, focusing on Barry Allen's protege Wally West maturing in the role of the Flash and establishing himself as the true fastest man alive.

The Flash (1987) by Geoff Johns: This run spans issues 164 to 225, and refocuses the Flash's traditional rogues' gallery, offering modern origins for many of them, while also introducing new foes like Girder, Blacksmith, and a new Reverse-Flash.

The Flash (2016) by Joshua Williamson: This run spans issues 1-88, as well as 750 to 762 of the relaunched volume 1 of the book. I hate the recentering of Barry Allen from 2009 to 2019, but Williamson's run is the most tolerable, and serves as a love letter to the Flash, while also setting the stage for Wally to return as the primary holder of the mantle.

The Flash (2023) by Simon Spurrier: The current run of the Flash, it focuses on Wally as the main Flash and the Flash Family as an ensemble. The extended first arc features a threat to time itself, and goes into some really surreal and experimental territory for a Flash book.

Impulse (1995) by Mark Waid, et al.: A more lighthearted and comedic companion book to Waid's run on Flash, this book focuses on Bart Allen, Barry's grandson, who was raised in the future and has the attention span of a goldfish, as well as his relationship with the zen guru of speed, Max Mercury.

GREEN LANTERN

The Green Lantern (2018) by Grant Morrison: A police procedural starring Hal Jordan that gets into some pretty freaky territory, with gorgeous interiors by Liam Sharp.

Green Lanterns (2016) by Sam Humphries: A buddy cop type title focusing on the team of Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. Humphries' run spans the first 32 issues of the book.

Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell: A murder mystery in space which establishes a new Green Lantern, Jo Mullein. Super easy to get ahold of since it was rereleased as part of DC's Compact Comics line of $9.99 trades.

Green Lantern/Green Arrow (1970) by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams: This run brought a social conscience to comics as Green Arrow was reinvented as a left-winger and a man of the 60s counterculture, joining Green Lantern on a quest across America. The run spans issues 76 to 89 of the book.

Green Lantern (1990) by Ron Marz. Marz's run starts in issue 48, and sees the Green Lantern paragon Hal Jordan descend into darkness before being replaced as defender of Earth by Kyle Rayner. The run lasts until issue 125, and as Kyle is my favorite Lantern I have a fondness for it.

Green Lantern (2005) 1-67 and (2011) 0-20 by Geoff Johns: Johns brought Hal Jordan back as the main GL, and his run expanded the world of Green Lantern by introducing the emotional spectrum. His run is the basis for most Green Lantern lore going forward, and is pretty essential reading.

Green Lantern: War Journal by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos: A 12-issue series featuring John Stewart as he ventures into space to fight a dark force corrupting life in the galaxy. The new definitive John Stewart run.

TEAMS AND TEAM-UPS

JLA by Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Joe Kelly, et al.: This was a back-to-basics approach to the Justice League with a core group of characters. Morrison's run on the book is probably the best, but Waid and Kelly also bring in some good stories.

Justice League of America (2007) by Brad Meltzer and Dwayne McDuffie: Another relaunch of the time, this time with a large roster inspired by the classic 1970s era of the League. Some great stories in this run, including a crossover with the Milestone characters.

JSA (1999) by Geoff Johns, Paul Levitz: The first team in comics was relaunched in the 90s by Geoff Johns, who established the Justice Society as a family first, later bringing in the Marvel Family for some great stories fleshing out Black Adam's character.

Justice Society of America (2007) by Geoff Johns: Johns' second run on the JSA is a continuation of the first, with a focus on legacy and new heroes reclaiming the mantles of Golden Age heroes. Introduces the delightful Maxine Hunkel as the wind-powered Cyclone.

New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez: Lightning in a bottle. This book likely saved DC after the disastrous DC Implosion. The best Titans run of all time, quality of art and writing that has never been recaptured with this team. If you loved the cartoon as a kid you will love this book.

Young Justice by Peter David and Todd Nauck: For all intents and purposes, the Teen Titans for the 90s generation. Funny, heartfelt, with great cartoony art by Nauck.

Doom Patrol (1987) by Grant Morrison, Rachel Pollack: A truly, wonderfully weird tale of the most off-beat superheroes of all, with themes of identity, life, and art woven throughout.

The Terrifics by Jeff Lemire, Gene Luen Yang: At a time when Marvel was treating the Fantastic Four like dirt, DC put out their own version, which captures the wonderous adventure of a Silver Age science fiction book with some great character work from a great core cast. A thoroughly underrated title.

Suicide Squad (1987) by John Ostrander: An often darkly-humorous book about a team of second-string supervillains coerced into doing the government's dirty work. The definitive Suicide Squad run.

Villains United (2005), Secret Six (2006), and Secret Six (2008) by Gail Simone: A group of supervillains forced together by circumstance and find themselves working together as mercenaries. A real found family of freaks type of situation.

Legion of Super-Heroes by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen: This run spans issues 282 to 313 of the 1980 book, and 1 to 63 of the 1984 book. Includes some of the greatest Legion stories, including the Great Darkness Saga.

Birds of Prey (1999) by Gail Simone: This run covers issues 56 to 108, and focuses on female heroes kicking ass, basically Charlie's Angels with superheroes.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest by Mark Waid and Dan Mora: A team-up book between Batman, Superman, and the DC Universe, set earlier in their careers.

Justice League International (1987) by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire: As much a workplace comedy as a superhero book, this is a very different take on the Justice League, from the time when "bwa-ha-ha" ruled the DCU.

THE FOURTH WORLD

The Fourth World Epic by Jack Kirby: Read in omnibus or trade format. The first stories of the Fourth World from the King of Comics, Jack Kirby. The story spans Kirby's run on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, The New Gods, The Forever People, and Mister Miracle, and ends in The Hunger Dogs.

Orion (2000) by Walt Simonson: A follow-up to Jack Kirby's epic, this book focuses on Orion, the son of Darkseid, and his quest to vanquish his father once and for all.

Bug! the Adventures of Forager by Lee Allred and Mike Allred: With Mike Allred's striking artwork, this book serves as a love letter to Kirby's time at DC Comics.

Mister Miracle (2017) by Tom King and Mitch Gerads: A slightly-psychedelic take on the Fourth World, focusing on Scott Free and his family with the backdrop of a bloody war unfolding between New Genesis and Apokolips

New Gods (1989) by Mark Evanier: This was a return to form for the New Gods, who hadn't had a lot of new stories to themselves since Kirby left DC, and it's a great read.

AND THE REST

Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters (1987) and Green Arrow (1988) issues 1-80, by Mike Grell: Probably the definitive Green Arrow run. Political, edgy, and mature.

Animal Man (1988) by Grant Morrison: A fun and surreal series of adventures featuring one of the DCU's unsung heroes.

Booster Gold (1986) by Dan Jurgens: A Reagan-era story of a money-obsessed celebrity superhero rediscovering the altruistic spirit of a true hero buried deep within him.

Zatanna: Bring Down the House by Mariko Tamaki and Javier Rodriguez: A quest through the realms of magic as a reluctant witch gets caught in the crossfire of a mystical war.

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983, 1985, and 1987): For fans of magical girls and sword and sorcery, this is a must-read. A girl from Earth discovers she is the princess of a mystical realm and embarks on a quest to save it.

The Question (1987) by Dennis O'Neil: A grounded, philosophical story of a man trying his best to make things better in a city abandoned to corruption and decay.

Monkey Prince by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang: Drawing on Chinese mythology, this book focuses on an unlikely superhero with connections to the monkey king, Sun Wukong.

Blue Beetle (2006) by John Rogers and Keith Giffen: Giffen leaves after issue 10, but Rogers continues until issue 25, and the rest of the volume is pretty decent as well. It establishes Jaime Reyes as the Blue Beetle, and if the cards had been better he could have easily become DC's answer to Spider-Man. Ah, well. It's always nice when he gets a book, and this is probably the best one.

Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor: a YA graphic novel featuring a transgender alien princess. What's not to like?

Hawkworld (1989 and 1990): A science fiction epic of Thanagar, world of the hawks. A great read on its own, but it unfortunately did a lot of damage to the continuity of the Hawkman family of characters.

Hawkgirl (2023) by Jadzia Axelrod and Amancay Nahuelpan: A fun little miniseries focusing on Kendra Saunders moving to Metropolis and having to deal with the trauma and hardship of her past. Guest starring Galaxy from that other book!

Starman (1994) by James Robinson: A grungy, Gen X book about legacy and what we leave behind, with plenty of hooks for the new reader to investigate regarding the Golden Age superheroes.

The Power of Shazam! by Jerry Ordway: The post-Crisis take on Captain Marvel and the Marvel family. A great read, and the last great run for the classic versions of these characters.

Sandman (1989) by Neil Gaiman. Obligatory Neil Gaiman is a piece of shit out of the way, his Sandman book is a beautiful and at times horrifying read, and its importance as a story manages to outweigh my disdain for its creator.

Swamp Thing (1982) by Alan Moore and Steve Bissette: Moore's run begins in issue 19 and ends in issue 64. This is the definitive Swamp Thing run, which set the standard for all to follow. It's a creepy and often touching story which remains some of Moore's best work in the medium.

[friendofbetty]

2025 - The end of the re-record era?

I spoke to my friend yesterday that I went to the Eras tour with last summer and she said to me “Now that the tour is over, do you think we’ll get the last two Taylor’s versions soon?” And not sure what or if the swifties are currently clowning for a new release date for rep tv, but I know Blondie loves a pattern and by that we’re due the last two re-records this year.

Sure, everyone is dying for reputation tv and they’re probably right in thinking it’ll be the next one. But here’s my hot take: for the overall journey we’ve been on since 2019 with these re-releases, and Taylor reclaiming her story with each album and the Eras tour, I’m actually more excited for Taylor Swift (Taylor’s version) than rep tv. And that’s for two reasons, hear me out.

1. The title. Everyone is calling this album debut which chronologically it was, but it was actually self-titled (Taylor Swift). As such, the correct title of the re-record would be Taylor Swift (Taylor’s version). And come on, you can’t tell me that doesn’t sound significant in the light of all the observations and theories we’ve had over the last two years regarding the two versions of Taylor. The two Taylors in the anti hero mv, all the mirror images and the Taylors in glass cages on the eras tour. Then she showed up in Paris for the Red set in a THIS IS NOT TAYLORS VERSION shirt. So, if it still isn’t, will rep tv kill off the current brand and when old Taylor can’t come to the phone anymore , we get Taylor’s (authentic) version of Taylor Swift? Reclaiming her coming out with the same process that’s reclaiming her art and completing that process by going back to the beginning and showing us what she always could have been if it had been her choice? That would be truly iconic.

2. Shock factor. Let’s be honest, everyone who is even vaguely familiar with Taylor lore already knows what the deal is with reputation. There’s a whole ppt presentation about it and it’s really made the rounds online since 2018. It’s not news and it’s actually pretty well accepted that this is the karlie album regardless of where you stand on it. She got away with ‘wear you like a necklace’ on this album… so yeah it’s a pretty gay album and it wouldn’t shock anyone to find some even gayer vault tracks on it. Even she/her pronouns. It was her gay villain era. But the sweet innocent fairytale princess from the debut album? SHE can’t possibly have been gay, right??? 😏 See what I mean, this revelation has the potential to shock people and make them see Taylor Swift in a whole new light. All these years, the boy crazy image, the red lips and A line dresses, everything that screamed straight and all this time she was singing about girls. It’s also a way of saying, hey I didn’t mean to lie to you, this is what I’ve always been and if you look back at these, my earliest songs you can already see that. Tim McGraw with original lyrics making it crystal clear that even her first ever song was written about a girl? That line from picture to burn?! The Outside?? Invisible?!?? It would change her entire story from the beginning. Yeah I’d be really excited about that and imagine how vindicating that would be for Taylor. Finally and actually Taylor’s version.

[lemotmo]

I didn't even realize some of this.

Q. You liked Sick Day though, you said so yourself. So I'm a little confused to see you criticize it because that doesn't fit with liking an episode. I kind of feel like you're not going to be okay with certain people getting the spotlight over others and so you should just say that. Buck gets plenty of focus. He's not being ignored.

A. I did like the episode. I have been open about that. But I have also been open about the cartoonish level villain being a bit OTT for me and the glaring absence of Eddie. You can critique something you like. Finding fault doesn't erase enjoyment. I get why they did both things. It's not a 'who done it' storyline. They didn't want to waste time having people try to figure out who the villain is so they made it so obvious it was a little cartoonish in execution. I have also said that I think we were supposed to notice Eddie's absence, I believe that was the point. That doesn't erase the fact that he should have been there.

I haven't really framed any of these replies around Buck but since you brought him up, I will explain. Buck hasn't had a storyline since the lightning strike in the back half of season 6. He has had no real storyline focus since then. He has been on and has been involved in other storylines but he hasn't had a storyline of focus since the lightning strike. His bi awakening doesn't count because that was told in one half of one episode. That's not a storyline. Then they stuck him in a relationship with an actor Oliver clearly doesn't get along with, an issue that seems to be a cast wide thing at this point with that particular actor. So they kept Buck in the relationship in name only and showed very little context of said relationship because the point of that particular relationship had nothing to do with that actual relationship. The point of that relationship was to kick off the Buddie storyline which Tim, inexplicably, decided to tell alongside this god awful Vertigo storyline for Eddie. A storyline that has now been dragged out a full year and a half. That's a problem for both Buck and Eddie as characters. The Eddie storyline has been going on for almost 18 months at this point and we still have no clear resolution. Because it was a poorly constructed storyline from the very beginning. It was a bad original story idea that has been dragged on to the point of nauseating for all involved. And I give Tim credit for trying to fix it but taking 18 months to fix it is inexcusable, especially since it's still requiring Eddie to be separate from the rest of the main cast.

In those 18 months how much screen time has been devoted to multiple Bobby storylines? He resigned from the 118. Took a consultation role on HotShots, a storyline Tim dragged out over 5 freaking episodes btw, got involved with the cartel and lost his home. Came face to face with his estranged mother. Went on a cruise that sank, and helped his wife land a plane. That's 6 different storylines told while Eddie is still going through the Vertigo bullshit. Seven now if you count what's coming as a result of Sick Day and Lab Rats. How about Athena? She had the same cruise ship mishap. The same cartel burned my house down storyline. Revisited her past with an inmate transfer that led to her being in the plane Bobby had to help her land. She had the crazy rookie racist cop partner storyline. The shipping cart vigilante, only one episode but it was more than half the freaking episode. The 911 serial killer Maddie kidnapping storyline. That's six separate storylines for Athena, again all while Eddie's one plot is still unresolved. It's lazy. I understand that the Eddie/Christopher storyline could not and should not have been resolved over the course of one episode but there's been plenty of storytime to devote to it; Tim just used way too much of that time on the same two characters, or on nonsensical Brad bullshit, and that's a legitimate problem at this point.

Dragging the storyline out for so long has made Buck stagnant as well. I understand why they're telling the Buddie storyline the way they are. The problem is we get an episode or two of momentum and then we completely lose that momentum to spend time on episodes like this biohazard stuff, which is in no way more important than your character driven episodes. Yes episodes like this have value and merit, but they should be timed appropriately within the season. This event was not. And we also now have proof that the audience didn't like Eddie not being involved. So it wasn't a decision that was beneficial to the show over all. Pointing that out is not an unfair criticism. It's an ensemble show. Spending a year and half on multiple storylines for two main characters at the cost of real and necessary movement in one single storyline for 3 other main characters (Eddie, Buck and Christopher) is flat out bad storytelling.

Thank you Nonny! 😁

I never quite looked at it from this point of view, but Ali has a point here.

Maybe it's time for Bobby and Athena to spend some time decorating their new house, so the focus can go to Eddie, Buck, Madney + baby and Henren for a change.

Just a thought. 🤷‍♀️

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

Ok now I am imagining Tim stabbing Jason in his sleep, and Jason doesn't stop him (he knows he's immortal, he's also suicidal so if he dies for real this time it's a win too - plus then Tim would have to live with being his/a killer forever and think about him until he dies). Except that, of course Jason doesn't stay dead, and Tim is left half wondering if he actually killed Jason (maybe he thinks it was all a dream?)

Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ur killin me!!!! This is so good!!!

(For context read this post about JayTim hate-fucking and then this one where more story was rambled onto that initial idea)

So, I'm thinking of how much of an existential threat it would be to Tim's psyche for him to have to recognize himself as being a murderer. Especially especially especially with Jason not fighting back, and thereby forcing Tim to be The Aggressor. Like, he would be forced to either completely rewrite his own internal identity or his whole moral code pretty much.

Jason showing back up and putting into question the reality of the murder could prevent Tim from having to confront that. He'd get the choice to say it was all a dream and change nothing about himself and I absolutely think he'd take it. (he might or might not be able to fully buy in, but he'd sure try)

But I'm also focusing in on what you said in ur reblog of the original post about Jason hoping that if Tim kills him that his death will have mattered, and have changed something/someone. I don't think Jason could accept Tim acting like it didn't happen or didn't count, I think he would have to force the issue somehow or another

I can see Jason simply confirming that it happened, like ripping open his suit and showing Tim the scar and telling him how it felt to die from his wounds like a lover confessing how it felt to be penetrated

On the other hand though, I can also see Jason taking it as rejection of the highest order - possibly the same sort of rejection as Bruce never acknowledging that he killed him either.

I like the idea that Jason is the sort of villain that's WAY scarier and more effective when he doesn't have his personal pet Hero to annoy the shit out of. When he's simply Going After A Goal he's an unholy terror that cannot be stopped, but the second he gets side tracked pestering Dick or Tim he eats shit and gets his ass arrested lmao, in large part cause he goes easy on them in fights and fucks around poking their emotional buttons instead of just getting on with the work!

Plus, I think immediately after the breakup with Bernard, Tim would have been thinking of it as Bernard mistaking what they had for being equivalent to cheating, and I think it would take some sort of break to really get him to confront that he was genuinely obsessed with and wanted Jason back in some way.

So I think it would be very fun to confront Tim with a Jason who felt spurned and who was ignoring him.

Suddenly all those feelings and all that attraction that he could previously bottle up while Jason was being the one to push them closer together, those experience something of an explosive decompression as Tim watches Jason efficiently and terrifyingly carry out a plan that has absolutely nothing to do with him and brush off his every attempt to intervene as though Tim as nothing but a useless distraction.

I don't know exactly how I'd want to have Tim internalize and process it from here, but I think it'd make a nice turning point in which Tim reciprocates his own version of "violent-hatred-obsession is good". My preliminary idea would be for Tim to think of himself and his innocence as a sacrifice to cage Jason and make him less of a threat to the world. A bit of "Jason is my burden to bare alone" mixed with "I'm the only one who can put him in his place properly" and a dash of those myths about perfect flawless maidens being given to dragons because pure flesh was the only thing that could sate them.

So, Tim intuits why Jason is rejecting him, partially because he has come to see himself as having somehow neglected him or his responsibility to handle him by refusing to acknowledge what happened? Or something? Idk look he figures it out somehow lmao!

Then he goes out and finds Jason again and this time he does the killing right, with no ambiguity whatsoever.

He demands that Jason acknowledges him as his murderer - demands that Jason acknowledge that he drove Tim to murder - and pledges himself to being Jason's enemy for the rest of their lives as he runs Jason through with a sword <3

Obviously, Tim should being doing this while wearing some kind of extra special costume and probably do the stabbing with a full on super fancy ornamental sword, yes I am thinking of that post that went around a while back about betrothal knives!!!

And Jason's heart is mended back into it's previously fucked up shape and they hate each other passionately ever after :3 <3

...I might have gotten carried away again

anyhow! I absolutely love the concept thank you so much for the ask! :3

[junknstufffiles]

Sidekicks

Henry Danger is an amazing look at superhero sidekicks that I have rarely seen outside of fanfiction and I am going to talk about why. 

A Two Key Points I am keeping in mind 

Henry Danger is a spoof of the superhero genre

Child sidekicks in the real world are not, and will never be okay

These two points are intrinsically intertwined with the show and how it deals specifically with Henry. Henry Danger is a spoof of the superhero genre and tropes. This is part of the reason it is so good at doing superhero sidekicks. Rather than shying away from the idea, it leans into it. This is obvious in the names, but also in the way Ray acts, how they react to crime, even the secret identities, and specifically child sidekicks. 

Child sidekicks with real world morality are never okay. I have been entrenched in superheroes since I could remember, and have consumed enough superhero media to be considered an expert. Child Sidekicks are as much a suspension of disbelief as Ray’s indestructibility, or Superman’s flight. That being said, I do not hold Ray morally responsible for Henry being Kid Danger.

THAT BEING SAID, Henry is a catchall for superhero sidekicks in superhero media, and addresses the fallout, and failings of what that means. The tropes Henry doesn’t fit, the Dangerverse has sidekicks that do. Because Henry Danger is a spoof, it is able to address the frankly absolute horror that a child sidekick has to go through in a way that if shown in other superhero media, would make the superhero the villain. 

Drex is the original sidekick in the Dangerverse. He is the sidekick turned sour towards his mentor. Ray talks about how Drex was cruel, which is what led to them fighting with Drex ending up in jail. Red Hood and Speedy (Yes I know he is not a villain, but his story addresses the failings of his mentor) are the first to come to mind. 

Henry is Robin. Robin was the original sidekick, with no powers, and a very generic reason for being with Batman that was later retconned. Henry is the good sidekick, who looks up to and trusts his hero. He has the best qualities of his mentor, without the same moral failings. Henry is the ideal for what a sidekick should turn out like. 

Dangerforce are the sidekicks that have uncontrollable powers, and want to use them to save people. With great power comes great responsibility. They are going to fight crime with or without supervision, and have built in protection because of their powers. They are also inherently a team, so Young Avengers or Young Justice have a lot of characters in this trope. 

Finally, Missy Martin is the nonnegotiable. She strong arms Henry into becoming his sidekick, and doesn’t let him back out. Too smart for their own good, and they are most comfortable in their role as sidekick. Because it was never about being a superhero but about helping their hero in any way they can. Think Tim Drake or Wally West. 

I don’t include Jasper in this list, because he was never technically a sidekick, and was an adult when he became a hero. 

Henry Danger is about Henry as the title character, and not as part of a team, which means the show is able to explore the dynamic of sidekicks, without getting sidetracked by the main hero. Sure all of the tropes are played up, but the red string is there from the very beginning. 

Henry was never going to become Captain Man. He couldn’t because he was already a hero when he was hired. He was never going to fit the mold of Captain Man because of that, which is what ultimately drove the wedge between him and Ray. Because that final fight was not about Henry being Kid Danger. It was about him one day not being Kid Danger. 

[zahri-melitor]

So, question i’ve toiled in my brain for a while now. Steph and Bruce’s relationship Pre-52, was generally pretty rocky, honestly Bruce from that era suffered due to how outright mean he was written at times.

It is hard for me to think of a bruce-steph dynamic that feels faithful, that wouldn’t have her realistically want nothing to do with him, due to all that’s happened. I can think of one-two nicer moments with them, that’s about it.

I don’t think that every batfam member should be on good terms with Bruce, I suppose the reason why I think Steph’s is so striking is due to how antagonistic Bruce is, how even when he lets her be Robin—it’s cut down so fast and so quickly. I can’t even think of a working relationship between them that wouldn’t be awkward, due to all that’s happened.

Apologizing for the tangent, you’re one of the most reliable voices I can think of for batman canon related things. My questions are this, how would you perceive a more positive dynamic between Steph and Bruce? Would you do retconning and rewriting if able to make that work?

There’s a few aspects in this:

One of Steph’s main character traits is how desperate she is for approval and recognition (this isn’t an uncommon dynamic for characters with Bruce. I’d have a hard time naming characters in Gotham who don’t fall into this dynamic on occasion). If she actually didn’t want anything to do with Bruce she would have stopped trying years earlier.

For a multitude of reasons, mostly ones outside the internal logic of comics, War Games probably no longer occurred exactly how War Games and particularly War Crimes is written, especially in respect of the details around Steph. It’s pretty much been trimmed down to “Tim stopped being Robin, Steph became Robin for a short period, then was fired for not following orders” in terms of what gets referenced. We do know that Scarab as a villain is still in continuity for Steph (thanks to Robins, so only probably not definitely main canon), but nobody has really been willing to address ‘did War Games still happen, and to what extent’. Basically, nobody has dug into ‘did Steph still cause a gang war’ because for the combination of both Doylist and Watsonian reasons it’s just easier not to address that question and skate over needing to answer, because as soon as you do it makes Steph a lot less sympathetic in terms of the rehab job various writers have been attempting for years; because Steph, in-universe, has never actually acknowledged any sorrow, guilt or belief in wrongdoing towards what happened to other characters during that period that was not expressed in the original story itself. Basically: either we have to acknowledge that Steph started a gang war AND that her ‘death’ is at least partly Bruce’s fault/blamed on him; OR if we absolve Steph from having any guilt here, we also lose anything people want to pin on Bruce out of this other than ‘fired her from being Robin’.

Now. If you remove War Games as the centrepiece of the Bruce-Steph conflict, what do you replace it with? And my argument is that The Victim Syndicate extended story arc is a compelling replacement that fits both Bruce and Steph’s personality traits well, and gives them a point of contention in their relationship that, importantly, shows both of them holding valid points.

I know. I know a bunch of Steph fans don’t like Tynion’s run because it uses Tim (and their loss of him) as the centrepoint around which Bruce and Steph define their relationship. But it’s also one of the few extended storylines Steph has had since Rebirth, and it’s the only one that has any serious dynamics between Bruce and Steph in it (Realistically, since Rebirth Steph has Tynion’s run, her appearances in Young Justice 2019, Mariko Tamaki’s Shadows of the Bat: The Tower, Batgirls, and then a handful of appearances here and there of varying quality like her Death Metal appearances to explain the costume flip).

Plus. The thing about Tynion’s run is that Steph’s arc through the entire story is about Steph questioning what it means to be a hero, and whether she wants to be one, particularly in circumstances where she feels Bruce has caused both her and other people’s problems. Steph doesn’t feel comfortable being a hero, because she blames Bruce for the harm that comes from his actions and from his vigilante work, and explores what other solutions there are to vigilante work: trying to help victims of crime via vengeance (the Victim Syndicate); Lonnie’s position that radical anarchist collectives are the was to build a better future; etc. She reflects her own origin of spoiling Arthur’s plans by spoiling and revealing Bruce’s plans.

Bruce and Steph fight over Tim, and which of them knew Tim better, and which of them understood his future plans better. And it’s a proxy for the fight they don’t want to have with each other, over what ‘following orders’ means and whether Bruce has the right to dictate them to Steph.

And then Tim comes back and Steph finds herself fighting with Tim himself because her answer and his answer to ‘what is the purpose of being a vigilante’ no longer match what she originally believed his answer to be. Because they’ve both grown and changed.

I find it a really compelling basis for Bruce and Steph’s modern relationship. Because they care about each other (Bruce going to find Steph after Tim dies is rooted in my brain) but also they both had to learn to give each other space and that they really do rely on having another person (Tim; Cass; Babs) as a buffer between them.

And while there are definitely Doylist reasons why we haven’t seen another story showcasing Bruce and Steph working together since then (Steph primarily appearing in stories full of other female characters because someone is ‘writing the girls’), I think it also offers the current and future direction of the Bruce and Steph relationship: they both know they don’t work as a partnership, but they can work as part of a team.

And that acknowledgement, to me, has a resemblance to the way that Bruce and Barbara have marked out territory between themselves: Babs doesn’t take Bruce’s nonsense anymore and hasn’t for years and WILL leave if he’s pushed her too far, but they came to an adult collegial relationship with each other and they work together smoothly the rest of the time.

Now, Bruce and Steph's working relationship is not as well grounded as Bruce and Barbara's. But that's where I put them. They don't so much focus on their relationship as on the fact there are a number of people simultaneously important in both their lives. And because of that, they need to be able to get along.

[daemonmage]

A Stupid Batfam AU

Jason’s and Bruce’s rocky relationship is actually a pr move to make sure the rest of the batfam doesn’t get attacked by reporters and gcpd.

Essentially Red Hood, while liked by the Crime Alley citizens and other citizens as well, has a pretty bad reputation with a lot of the rest of the city. The GCPD hate him for his overt violence and the head incident. The Media hates him cause he’s what they all feared Batman would become and are constantly creating news stories on him. A lot of the other citizens are just scared of him cause sometimes his temper gets out of control. It’s not the best reputation.

Bruce and Jason have long since talked and settled their differences. Well, it’s more of a ���I don’t approve of your methods but I will acknowledge you as a person who wants to help, but I will still dislike the guns. Also I missed you” from Bruce and “I’m not happy with a lot of your decisions but I also understand why you came to those decisions. I’m still mad but I now know that you missed me and I missed you too” from Jason. They’re better than they were originally and honestly that’s all they could hope for. Jason visits the manor more and is having fun being brothers to Dick and Tim.

Here’s the thing though… his reputation as Red Hood may have accidentally spread to the other Bats. A few team ups here and there (and the red bat on his chest) have made everyone assume that Batman is now working with Red Hood, a known crime lord. The media and GCPD were on them like flies on shit. Jim tries to calm down the gcpd with mixed results, but he can’t stop the media from blowing this out of proportion. It’s like the news channels from Dark Knight Returns, but worse.

Jason, who just got his family back, is fucking pissed. Jason is also dramatic as hell. Bruce was willing to just deal with this, but Tim is too new at this to be caught in the crossfire. Bruce was just gonna bench him out of fear until things calm down (he’s dealt with this before) but Jason brings up his plan to Bruce. Bruce isn’t as dramatic as Jason, however he is still absolutely dramatic. He agrees. So begins an epic fight between two ideals that ends two vigilantes at each other’s throats constantly.

Red Hood and Batman fight any time they are together, Red Hood is arrested by Batman on multiple occasions, and Red Hood always escapes leaving terrifying threats spray painted where the bat can see. (Jason and Bruce give each others shit for the pot shots they take and Bruce compliments Jason’s form when he gets a good hit in, Bruce gives Jason a heads up to the easier ways to get out of a police car and Jason ignores him going for the most dramatic ways, Bruce complains that the code Jason uses for his threats are obvious and he can just ask Alfred himself for cookies, why does Bruce have to be the middle man.)

The super hero community doesn’t really know this (cause they can be pretty bad actors at times, says Bruce) tis can cause problems. Superman and Green Arrow capturing Red Hood. Batman had to pull the “he’s Gotham’s problem give him to me,” which led to a hour of arguing to get Jason back. Tim’s friend have Red Hood on their hit list for what Hood did to Robin (Tim is over it but he does use this as a way to get back at his brother when he pisses him off) and Red Hood has to be on the Villain List to sell the act, so every hero ever knows the Red Hood is a villain. This leads to chaos.

There are still rough moments where Bruce and Jason still fight, but it’s better. Jason gets to hang out and play games with Tim. He plans overly dramatic fights with Dick (with full plot cause these two are so extra.) He helps Alfred in the kitchen again talking about books they’ve both read. He and Bruce talk again, they talk about their fears and what they’ve missed. It’s better, and that’s all that really matters.

[jalapainio]

Projects I would start at DC if I was the king of the world:

A revamp of the New Teen Titans, which adds Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Beast boy to the Teen Titans seen in World's Finest Teen Titans

A Second Robin series, which will cover Jason's introduction into Bruce's life, his face off against Two-Face mentioned in Death in the Family, and Dick and him hanging out

Batgirl: The Killing Joke, which is just like the original but this time we actually give weight to Barbara's paralysis and doesn't just fridge her. Also just generally more Barbara Batgirl stories that happen during this era

Red Hood: Year One, which retells under the red Hood from Jason's POV, but the story is more about his gang and ideology and all the successes and failures that come with it, rather than just haha pew pew villains dead

A StephCass comic. Anything would work, but they would be a great couple. It doesn't even have to work out, just let them have like one date

A Tim Drake comic where he becomes more than a legacy of Robin. Have him take a bigger role in the Teen Titans, take on a new name, anything

Finally, a comic in which Bruce has to confront all he did to his kids, that features forgiveness without trying to retcon or just ignore certain parts of his abuse

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Do you know tired I have to be of the random classic who character reveals as season villains that it makes me completely reevaluate my opinion on the Silence and Tim Shaw as finale villains because at least they were attempts at being creative/having actual arcs? Like, I held for a very long time did the silence were mildly stupid and that Tim Shaw was a week finale villain, but at least there was set up and pay off for both of these cases, and they were the writers trying to work with an actual point and theme for the seasons, not just have a random asspull in the second/third-to-last episode of a finale villain. I think my Nostalgia of how well it worked in seasons 1 and 3 of the original new who run (i.e. the daleks with Rose and the character pay off of satellite 5, and the fantastic build up with the master in season 3) kind of blinded me to the fact that RTD does not know how to do a finale that doesn't involve pulling back a classic Who villain. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with pulling back a classic Who villain, or that Moffat and Chibnall weren't guilty of it too (see seasons 8, 10, and 12), but at least they were TRYING to do something new with a season Arc with the silence and Tim Shaw and the Flux!

Also, on that note, I want every single person who said that the writing of thirteen was bad because the season arcs of 13 weren't that well done so it overshadowed the value of individual episodes but who is praising the individual episodes of rtd 2 (despite admitting that the season arc was weak) to come back and apologize to the entire writing team of Thirteen's run. Doctor Who's writing has always been a bit of a mess from episode to episode. Some episodes land, some episodes don't, and season arcs vary in quality. 13's run has its own weaknesses and valid critiques, but OVERALL is no worse than anything that came before it or anything that came after it. Yes, some individual episodes suck. Yes, some finales are weak.

But you cannot tell me but that does not also hold true for Moffatt and RTD. No Doctor Who show runner has ever had a great track record with handling race, as shown by the treatment of Martha and Mickey underneath of rtd, the questionable handling of black characters deaths under moffatt, or the infamous spyfall incident under chibnall. Likewise, there have been problems with gender throughout pretty much every showrunner. Moffatt's really questionable gender themes of season 6 and his objectification of Amy and River within that Arc are famous, but RTD didn't exactly handle gender much better with the way that he boiled down 13 to nothing more than the woman doctor in the 60th anniversary specials and didn't even let 14 wear her outfit. (Yes, I'm still mad about that, and I won't stop being mad about it!)

I think that it does a disservice to the show and individual writers on the show to claim that any one specific era of the show was more problematic or less well written than the others. There have always been clunkers (both in terms of quality of writing and handling of certain topics). There have always been bad finale and Bad season arcs. There has always been weak pay off and set up. And they have always been episodes that below our minds at how good they are. And personally, as much as I love a good plot twist or a reveal, no matter how much I absolutely adore Utopia/the sound of drums or The Parting of the ways or Hell Bent, Doctor Who has always been at its best when they are being creative and they are trying new things. The Story and The Engine and Demons of the Punjab are fantastic examples of individual episodes that kick ass, regardless of how questionable the season Arc or season finale is, and are both excellent examples of the importance of bringing in new voices and new writers to add to this rich tapestry of a show that has been existing for 60 years.

[mousathe14]

I will get through Sins of Youth and Finally talk about Lobo and Empresses’s date. I will get through Sins of Youth and Finally talk about Lobo and Empresses’s date. I will get through Sins of Youth and Finally talk about Lobo and Empresses’s date….

Oh hey everyone! Welcome to the stunning conclusion of Sins of Youth so I can finally get on with my life!

You following me go through this is exactly what I was feeling trying to get through it the first time, wondering why this is happening and asking when do I get back to the core I came here for.

Well here we are! The end!

Now what are the highlights?

Well, when we last left off, Klarion The Witch Boy was basically going to give it all up to save his demonic cat familiar thing, I pondered if Secret had a no-kill rule and concluded that she probably doesn’t, what I didn’t show was what happened after Klarion The Witch Boy quit.

Turns out The Agenda took Klarion The Witch Boy’s DNA and created Klarion The Witch Man.

Who is apparently powerful enough not need a demon cat in order to be really strong at magic?

I dunno.

“Let’s have a big dumb fight scene”

You said it, not me, Witch Man.

A handful of supervillains, a bunch of pocket monsters brought to life versus 3 of the greatest forces of good on the planet.

This is barely a fight.

So let’s have the speedsters talk smack instead.

Wally truly was a surly kid. Now he’s a boring adult.

So Klarion The Witch Boy couldn’t change everyone with magic alone, but Klarion The Witch Man can?

I thought the whole point of the JSA going to space was that magic alone could not work because the original aging problem was caused by a combination of magic and technology working at once.

You cannot tell me that Zatanna and The Wizard Shazam could not alter them but Klarion The Witch Man can.

Robin doing his big one there.

So Klarion The Witch Boy has his cat back and is now at full power! And he!

Completely annihilates his clone! Talk about having a negative self-image. Is this that thing called “Ego Death”?

And sends all the villains back from whence they came. Which is cool. Now we can finally get over this-

DAMMIT KLARION THE WITCH BOY.

You know, if Secret hadn’t taken Teekl to THE ABYSS then this whole thing would’ve been a bust.

And it almost was! Because Secret doesn’t want to.

And it’s an all or nothing deal. Because Klarion The Witch Boy makes no exceptions apparently.

Secret understandably has issues with aging down.

Surprisingly, none of them have to do with the fact that she’ll never be able to grow up and everything to do with what it means to be a helpless child.

Gods, Amanda Spence is just a cliched villain through and through, huh? No nuance, just an absolute jerk from start to finish. I really did not think I was going into this comic discovering that Superboy has his own personal arch nemesis that just loathes him personally.

You know, I didn’t think much about this promise. I just thought it was nice that Tim was assuring her that he would always be one of her good friends, there to help ‘til the end.

But then we get to the Spoiler story and we find out, oh boy, do we find out how much that promise meant to her. Tim gets all the girls. Did you know Arrowette kissed him on her way out of quitting?

Just planted one on him out of nowhere in front of everybody? Insane. How did this Batman nerd get a full 20 charisma stat?

Everyone’s back to normal, with caveats. Superboy is, well, less than his usual self.

Also, I did not pick up on this on first reading, I did not realize Klarion specifically said “On Earth.” Which only partially explains things.

For example: How did Lobo get caught in the spell in the first place? He wasn’t even near the rally when this whole incident started! Why couldn’t he be turned back, why did Klarion get so specific?

And how did Lobo find out that what happened to him came from Earth?

Ugh, too many questions and not enough answers.

We finally finish up with the moral of the story, Impulse’s favorite part. Alls well that ends well.

Let’s go back to regular Young Justice.

[batboopp]

Can you rec me some batgirl comics that are as good as the og Batgirl run by Scott/Puckett?☹️ I've been giving Cass new solo a shot but the writing is pretty disappointing compared to 2000s Cass imo. I feel like she still carries a lot of baggage from shitty misogynistic retcons and bad writing that happened around the 2010s. for example her very complicated relationship with David was one of my favorite parts of her story, and I hate how he's been demoted to one dimensional villain who doesn't even love Cass.

hello!! <3 amazing question but the most heartbreaking thing you’ll realize as a cass fan is that there really isn’t any better batgirl solo stories than Puckett’s Batgirl 2000. however some cass comics before 2010 i DO recommend are:

Batgirl Secret Files and Origins (2002) 💖

DC’s First: Batgirl/Joker (2002). THIS COMIC IS SO SHDJSJ. Barbara’s and Cass’s dynamic and relationship KILLS me, plus the artstyle is the classic ethereal grittiness that Cass so well captures!

Harley Quinn (2000) issue 10-11. not exactly cass centered but there are some cute moments that I think really contribute to her character-wise, such as her family relations and her idea of what batgirl should stand for!

Nightwing Volume 2 (2003) issue 81. Again, not exactly cass centered, but still a good story that builds on her relationship with Dick, which is always and ingesting point of discussion! However i do think if you want context for why Dick had his arm broken/shot you need to read the previous 3 or so issues. also Cass gets to beat the fuck out of Deathstroke again in Batgirl 2000 issue #63-64 :)

Robin Volume 4 (2005) issues 132 and 135 is also a good Cass story (placed right after Stephanie’s death) which i THINK was continued in Batgirl 2000 issue 57 or 58 under the story title Fresh Blood? idk but i think it’s really interesting reading Cass from others people’s perspectives!

Batman: Allies Secrets and Origin (2005) This took place post War Games after Stephanie’s death and i REALLY didn’t want to recommend anything War Games but i do think it’s interesting how Cass and Tim interact and mourn Stephanie.

—————————————————————- I also enjoy her arcs in No Man’s Land, like:

Batman issue #567 (Mark of Cain part 1)

Detective Comics issue #735 (Mark of Cain part 2)

Legends of the Dark Knight issue #120 (where Helena stops being Batgirl and the mantle is given to Cass.)

Batman issue #569 (CASS BATGIRL FIRST SOLO <33)

Azrael: Agent of the Bat issues #56-57 and #60-61!! (They are SUCH a good duo, definitely recommend!)

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000) issue 2 (just, beautiful all around in Batman and Batgirl’s budding relationship and understanding of each other.)

The Batman Chronicles issue #18 (which takes place maybe 5-6 months after Cass’s solo? idk I’ll have to check again. but anyways this issue is SO good oh my god Leslie and Bruce’s relationship PLUS Cass’s thoughts on the whole of Leslie’s non-violent nature were excellent focal points.)

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and finally, some REALLY good Cass stories after 2012 are:

Shadow of the Batgirl (2020) part one and part two. It’s a graphic novel created with pastels and a soft artstyle (so not an average cass story) but it still manages to portray a young cass-and all the angst that comes with that- in an amazing and heartfelt manner! There are some inconsistencies writing-wise (especially because im pretty sure the novel is supposed to be taken as an elseworld), but it’s still a good and cozy read, and the writer obviously loved Cass with her whole soul <3

Batman Urban Legends (2021) issue #7 “Hunter…or Hunted?”. SOO PRETTY AND THE ART/FIGHT SEQUENCES ARE FANTASTIC! and some cute bruce and cass interactions <3

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i should also say that obviously in reactions to your very correct statement that Cass is a constant victim of fandom typical misogyny, these are not perfect. Cass IS a girl, and is aware that she is or presents as one even if she didn’t feel in touch with her femininity for the first ~20 or so years of her life, which is usually held against her in many ways throughout some of these comic arcs. however, I do think the exploration of Cass’s idea of femininity and girl-hood (or person-hood in general really, when she starts accepting the idea that she still counts as an actual person even when she’s not wearing the cowl.) is a fantastic point of exploration, which was so beautifully done in Batgirl 2000 (another reason why you’re super correct, im pretty sure nothing will compare to Puckett’s Batgirl run!)

I also recommend checking out this Cass Cain Reading list for more misc appearances before and after the 2012 rebirth!! have fun and sorry this took me so long to answer <3

[halo20601]

So, I'm sure we're all aware of a "Clayface" horror movie in development for the DCU with Mike Flanagan writing the script and potentially directing. Seeing how they bring Clayface to life on the big screen will be interesting. Still, many fear it will fall into the same trappings of other supervillain movies. As in, they will make Clayface into an anti-hero who strays too far from his villainous roots in an attempt to make him more sympathetic to audiences. Similar to what Sony did with Venom, Morbius, and Kraven, it potentially alienates fans who want to see his character stay true to its origins.

But this post offers a pitch on how a Clayface movie could stay true to the character's villainous nature by looking to the DCAU for inspiration, particularly in the "Batman: The Animated Series" episode "Growing Pains," one of the darkest episodes in the series, and I think, ill, it could serve as a blueprint for the film. After all, James Gunn said that the DCAU greatly influenced the direction he would take with the DCU.

Here is how I would go about adapting that story (assuming that it will take place before "Creature Commandos"):

The film's main characters will be Clayface (obviously), Annie, Jason Todd, and Batman. I know that it was Tim Drake in the original episode, but if "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" is jumping straight to Damien as Robin, then it's safe to assume Dick is already Nightwing, Jason is already Red Hood, and Tim is already Red Robin (and possibly a member of the Teen Titans). I think Jason would make for a great protagonist in this story, and it would lay the groundwork for his eventual falling out with Bruce and transformation into Red Hood.

The main story will be about Jason trying to help the amnesiac Annie, a spawn of Clayface in the form of a little girl, who he is pursuing. Sprinkled throughout the film will be standard horror movie tropes as Clayface tries to reabsorb Annie and kills people who get in his way. Annie will also have a series of nightmares: Clayface's memories of his life before becoming a villain and the events that transformed him.

A subplot will involve Jason and Bruce drifting further apart as Jason becomes more involved in helping Annie. This will lead to tensions between them as Jason questions Bruce's methods and priorities. This will build upon the inevitable tragedy of Annie realizing she and Clayface are the same person, ultimately leading to her sacrificing herself to save Jason like she saved Tim in the original show.

Distraught by Annie's sacrifice, Jason confronts Clayface in a showdown where he seemingly kills him. Batman, who saw the whole ordeal unfold, failed to arrive in time to stop Jason. He'll chastise Jason for killing Clayface, reminding him they don't kill their enemies. However, Jason will have none of it and argue that Bruce's moral code allowed Annie to die in the first place. The rift between Bruce and Jason has grown beyond repair, and we all know where this is heading.

Clayface will be revealed alive in a typical horror movie stinger at the end.

What do you all think of my rough idea for how to do a "Clayface" horror film adaptation within the DCU? What would you all want from the move?"Clayface" will be released on September 2026.

[imagitory]

I was talking to some of my coworkers about the new Snow White earlier this week, and the things we might've tried to make the film better had we been part of the production team. I thought a lot of these ideas were fun, so here's a compilation of them here -- treat each bullet point as a separate idea, rather than a combination, since many of them came from different people.

Cast Anne Hathaway as the Evil Queen instead of Gal Gadot. She's gorgeous, a Disney movie alumnus, and a talented actress and singer.

Have the Evil Queen be the one character in the film who DOESN'T sing, to make her more of a dark shadow over the rest of the cast. If nothing else, Disney villains in the early days didn't sing because singing was subliminally more associated with heroism than villainy.

Have the Evil Queen sing a song more akin to Lana Del Rey's cover of Once Upon a Dream: something haunting and sinister, rather than campy.

Have the Evil Queen sing a song akin to Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, depicting her destructive obsession with destroying Snow White.

Have the Evil Queen sing coldly and unemotionally until she becomes the Hag, and then have her go off the friggin' deep end both sanity-wise and musically, the way Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde does in the song Alive in the musical Jekyll and Hyde.

Make one of the Dwarfs the Prince. Yes, you read that right -- if the Prince is so underdeveloped and the Dwarfs are so central to the story, have one of them be Snow White's love interest. They basically already did it in Pretear, an anime based on Snow White, by having their "Grumpy" role as a tsundere love interest, as well as in Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs. Only this time, have the love interest be played by an actor with dwarfism and flesh him out into more of a bad-ass warrior, Thorin-Oakenshield-type dwarf. No transformations into someone of average height who's "conventionally handsome."

Give the Prince and Snow White a childhood backstory, not unlike how Bambi and Faline do in Bambi or Robin Hood and Maid Marian do in Robin Hood.

Have Tim Burton direct the film, or at least take some inspiration from his overall visual aesthetic. A Gothic twist on a fairy tale about a girl with hair as black as ebony, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as blood could've been interesting.

Have the Queen compare Snow White's beauty to an apple, not a rose, to tie into the overall theme. For the Queen, the idea is not only can Snow White's beauty rot away, but she's also easily able to be devoured with what's left of her being tossed aside, unlike the Queen, who's a "far superior diamond." But of course, diamonds also provide no nourishment or life -- it's cold beauty that only has as much value as greedy people bestow upon it.

Have Dopey use sign language to communicate rather than speak.

Have the Dwarfs unhappily mine gems for the Evil Queen, giving them both a reason to fear her and a direct stake in seeing her defeated in the end.

Flesh out the Dwarfs so that their up-and-coming actors can show off the breadth of their abilities. Make Doc the oldest and resident "doting mom" of the group. Make Sleepy the laid-back, sassy old grandpa type. Make Happy the peacemaker who just wants everyone to be happy and get along. And so on.

Don't make a straight-forward remake at all, but instead a documentary or historical-fiction retelling a la Saving Mr. Banks about the making of the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It'd be an amazing underdog story that focuses around the very first full-length animated film ever made as well as arguably the first Hollywood blockbuster. Have Tom Hanks reprise his role as Walt Disney and have Rachel Zegler sing as Snow White for the soundtrack.