#BAMF Cass

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

I would like to Say I am a Tim Drake Stan but also I love Damian I want them to be brothers but not in the oh Damian hurt him so let's kiss Tim's ass.

Tim literally gives zero fucks I don't even know where that came from everyone tries to murder Tim hell I love him but I want to murder him.

It's chill he don't even care. I want everytime they team up they take over the world. The younger birds are badass I want them giving the entire family grey hairs and cackling I want them sitting in chairs petting fluffy white cats.

Same with Jason now that would be a team up Damian, Jason, and Tim they would get rid of crime kill the Joker and give Bruce a panic attack while Dick cackles come on I want team ups sooooooo bad.

[catwoman-is-my-mom]

This is why people need to talk more about Cass my beloved <3

She's literally so cool it's insane. Her whole story isn't talked about enough and she's often forgotten too.

Cass’ literal deaths

I feel like people don’t bring up a lot of things in Cass’ story that I find really interesting so I’m gonna talk about them because there are a surprisingly minuscule amount of fics about them (these are all mainly from her 2000s run cause it’s her longest and also I’m newgen and haven’t caught up yet)

Most of these are gonna be about death and stuff mainly cause they’re the hardest ones to find stuff on.

ps I apologise If this is rambley and makes no sense or isn’t correct (which I will apologise for every 2 seconds) Cassandra Cain is my favourite one and my newest hyper fixation. (Further apology for if this makes no sense for her character at any point (newgen and im shit at characterisation)) also I wrote this at like 2am

First up Cass’ death wish she had in batgirl, I know she’s grown from it since 20 years ago but it was still a massive part of her character that people seem to ignore (correct me if I’m wrong again I’m newgen and I haven’t properly read any of the new verse stuff yet) It’s not like it’s not interesting either, the guilt she feels for her kill is so important to her character. Side tangent but I feel like it wouldn’t be ignored if Damian (or any of the other batfam members) felt so guilty about killing he was willing to be literally suicidal about it (Again if this happens and it gets ignored forgive me, I’ve been here like 2 weeks)

next victim is the fact Cass has literally died twice and I rarely see it brought up, even in cannon they just completely forget about it half the time. I mainly bring this up because A. The angst potential is unmatched and B. She literally took a dip in the Lazarus pit!! like trying to find any content at all about Cass’ fun swim in the lazzy pit is like trying to find lost media. And trust me as someone who loves angst and also cass I have been scouring. And it’s not like people don’t like the lazzy pits (cough cough jason) either!!

Also Cass literally has a whole brother (mad dog) and I’ve seen him mentioned like twice ever.

In conclusion, Cass’ story is unmatched and people should write more angst about her relationship with death because pretty please and also DC hates Cass.

[robinsleeping]

Spoiler Alert!!

[brucewaynehater101]

I live for Tim threatening Bruce. Let that old man cry when Tim gets mad at him

[ao3statistics]

Most popular tags on Ao3 connecting to Cass or Steph please

Here you go! For Cass Cain aka Orphan aka Black Bat aka Batgirl.

This is self-made. Date: 01.01.2024.

I assume no guarantee or liability for the completeness, correctness and accuracy of this chart despite my best efforts.

Includes fanfictions in all languages available on Ao3, NOT English only.

Character tags and ship tags were excluded.

More charts will follow. :)

Want to have a chart for different pairings, headcanons etc. in your favourite fandom? Send me an ask!

[joanofexys]

For the character asks

Cass Cain <3

How I feel about this character

This is my girl and she deserves the world. Wholeheartedly. I like don't even have words but I love her

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Steph is absolutely up there. As a timkon shipper do I dare say Kon or will i get in trouble? Also Harper

My non-romantic OTP for this character

CASS AND JASON ARE SO UNDERRATED IM SORRY

Also obviously Cass & Steph and Cass & Babs AND Cass & Duke

My unpopular opinion about this character

I wholeheartedly believe that Cass is the best fit for the Batman mantle out of all the batkids. Her and Terry have been favorite picks for Batman's successor, easily. I think she is so deserving of the mantle and that she has the understanding of Bruce's code and an understanding of what the Bat means to be such a good Batman

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Can I say having her confirmed queer or is that cop-out? Idc if it is a cop-out. I love it as a headcanon and I want queer Cass.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Birds in a Cage

by LysReadsBooksSometimes Nightwings gaze snaps to the camera pointed at himself, staring right into the soul of the person behind it. He doesn't even try to hide his concern. A worried leader, who wants to ensure his team's safety. But underneath it, Dick Grayson's emotions are a lot more simple. Tim is worried. Cass is frustrated. Jay is terrified. Steph is exhausted. Dami is crying. And Dick Grayson is angry. So pure, unbridled anger is cursing through his veins, that it calms him down to ice cold, calculating brutality. ------ The Bats wake up kidnapped in cells while an unknown foe tries to get Information out of Nightwing by hurting his siblings. Words: 3780, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: Gen Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake (DCU), Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Duke Thomas, Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Original Male Character(s) Relationships: Batfamily Members & Dick Grayson, Batfamily Members & Batfamily Members (DCU) Additional Tags: Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Angst (DCU), Angst, Hurt, Kidnapping, Electrocution, Psychological Torture, BAMF Dick Grayson, BAMF Barbara Gordon, Protective Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Tim Drake is Red Robin (DCU), Damian Wayne is Robin, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, Duke Thomas is Signal, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, POV Multiple, Good Parent Bruce Wayne via https://ift.tt/urHqjIJ

[sizzlemourner]

at least Cass is serving me some bamf in these trying times

[cologona]

He isn’t cognizant of how lonely he is, or that he’s touch-starved. He grew up around other variously neglected rich boys so he's used to being independent.

He takes orders in the field well but he struggles not to chafe when Bruce shows concern; being pushed away or ignored feels more comfortable than someone worrying about him. He doesn’t know how to react to it and he doesn’t know how to reciprocate. He fumbles so much in the beginning- just terribly socially awkward and pushy yet simultaneously too closed off too. Even when he grows and gets much better at playing the part of a high society heir or leader of a team of heroes, that kind of intimacy doesn’t come naturally to him. It’s something he has to think through. (Batman and the Drakes are both terrible people to learn norms from.)

On an intellectual level he understands that the way his parents treated him was a bad thing, but in his heart he can’t help but be kind of ambivalent. Yes he was disappointed whenever his parents forgot their promises or extended their trips, but it was also convenient. Not only because he was Robin, but also because it kept him from having to witness their failing marriage firsthand. He could love them both from afar- not very satisfying but preferable, comfortable.

Robin is a role that he has to grow into and adapt to- and to him it is a role. Tim understands Batman and Robin as symbols, and Robin is supposed to be the light to Batman’s shadow; the hope and innocence in the darkness. Tim is smart and has his own sense of humor but he’s not as talkative as Dick or boisterous like Jason. He loses himself in his cases and is prone to anxious spirals. If anything he’s more suited to Batman's persona than Robin. And there’s no sweeping past the fact that he took the mantle knowing that his predecessor died. It's a grim start to his career, and at some point he must've realized fully just what sort of risk he was taking, and continued on anyways. That kind of hope is more conviction than faith.

Tim is very familiar with the flaws of all his guardians. As much as he loves and admires them, underneath it is a distance and he sees cautionary tales in all of them. He won't be like Jack, who is flighty and unreliable. He won't be like Janet, haunted by regrets. For all their similarities, he won't be like Bruce either. He refuses to be Batman, he prefers Robin.

He has an instinct for when he just knows he's right about something, and then he's single-minded in his pursuit of the truth. It's what led him to discover Batman and Robin's secret identities and it's what motivated him to search for Batman when everyone was certain that he was dead- even at the cost of working with Ra's and nearly losing his life.

I have so many fucking feelings about Tim Drake but I don’t know how to put them in a post because all my thoughts are connected to each other in this tangled mass that can’t be put neatly onto paper and AARHGHDHHGHKL

[snakeredbirdbatkatana]

Say it with me for the people in the back Jason should kill the Joker maybe DC should work on that instead of more issues, where Bruce beats his kids throws batarangs at their throats and now Bruce somehow kicked Cassandra mother fucking Wayne's ass explain this shit to me. I am begging you.

[internetgiraffekid1673]

Ramblings About Batfam Comics I Read This Week

So. I spent this week reading unhealthy amounts of batfam comics, and I have thoughts!

I have now read the entirety of the Red Robin solo comic, all of Batgirl Volume 3 (Stephanie Brown's batgirl run), Batman: the Road Home because I kinda had to for context, about half of the currently running Batgirls comic (Cass and Steph share the Batgirl role with Barbara as their mentor and also sometimes Batgirl), and The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

Why these? Simple, I wanted to read Batgirls, I wanted Red Robin Tim, and I wanted Carrie Kelley's existence. So, without further ado, here are my major thoughts!

You know me, my ramblings turn into long essays, so it all goes under a cut and subsections! As per usual, TL;DR at the bottom!

Multiple Comics:

1. Comics are funnier than we give them credit for. Even the edgiest ones I was reading left me cracking up every once in a while.

2. I have maintained this since I first started learning about the BatFam, and I will maintain it till I die---Batman has partners, not sidekicks. They don't follow his orders. He doesn't LET them do anything. He runs around doing damage control while a bunch of absolutely feral children fight crime. Batman doesn't make heroes. He finds heroes and makes sure they have access to a decent first aid kit, training, and some morals.

3. Stephanie Brown is a BAMF who does NOT get the love she deserves. Not only is she smart, determined, and awesome in a fight, she's got something that many batfam characters lack: kindness. Stephanie is sweet and adorkable and nice to everyone while still managing to be a chaotic, hypercompetent, sarcastic menace to society. I'll go into more details under the Batgirl v. 3 section, but I am now a massive Stephanie Brown stan, and I will not tolerate slander! Put some respect on the name of Stephanie f*cking Brown!

4. I am now both a shipper of TimSteph and CassSteph. With occasional HarperSteph. This is unsurprising. I have multiple characters I like together in most mediums, and I don't give a crap about canon, so I can ship whichever one I'm in the mood for! :)

5. In a similar vein, reading the comics very much stoked my already strong DickBabs fire. I love me so Birdflash, RobStar, and Babs/Kara, but I'm beginning to think DickBabs is my favorite combo.

6. Stephanie's OG spoiler costume is her best one, but she's at her best characterization as v. 3 Batgirl.

7. F*CK YOU NEW 52! Nobody likes you, and you ruin everything! You robbed me of my favorite incarnations of these characters! DEATH TO THE NEW 52! BURN, YOU DISGUSTING INSULT TO NARRATIVE CONSISTENCY!

8. Damian and Dick as Batman and Robin are honestly precious together. I only got bits and pieces viewed through Batgirl and Red Robin's eyes, but I really like them and their dynamic with both each other and everyone else. I think my favorite thing is definitely that they have named combo moves where they complete each other's quips. It's adorable.

9. Bruce is a well-meaning a**hole. He really does care about his family, but he needs to trust them more and get MUCH better at communicating.

10. Did you know everybody has a cool base outside of the Batcave? Damian and Dick are based in Wayne Tower, Tim has his Nest, Babs has the Clocktower, and Steph's Team Batgirl has the Firewall which is below Oracle's apartment.

Red Robin Solo Run

1. Tim is one cool BAMF. Man fought the whole Court of Spiders at once---who were killing League of Assasins members for fun BTW---and won and got the civilian bystander out safely. He blew up ALL of Ra's Al Ghul's bases, then fought off Ra's double threat of a hostile takeover on Wayne Enterprises and attempts to assasinate all of Batman's loved ones. He took down the evil, corruptive, hive-mind dark-net that supervillains use to communicate (yes this is a thing that exists). He successfully got evidence that Batman was alive when NOBODY else believed him and then was one of the first to actually know he was back and easily pass Bruce's tests (yes, Bruce tested people instead of telling them he was alive, because he is a well-meaning a**hole).

3. Tim is an edgy teenager. He does at least as much brooding as Batman, but with this sarcasm and dry wit behind everything that Batman doesn't really have. Tim has a consistent "Well f*ck my life, I guess," mentality that is FASCINATING to read, and is the source of a lot of his humor. He has a habit of reacting to really dramatic and serious situations with a deadpan "Welp. That ain't good. Guess I'll either figure it out or die trying."

2. Tim is apparently a chick-magnet. Just in Red Robin, he's got a thing going with Tam Fox and Lynx, Prudence Wood thinks he's sexy, he almost gets raped by Ra's Al Ghul's half-sister, and he and Steph still have feelings about each other that primarily consist of "why does my ex have to be so hot?" I am now incorporating this fact into ALL of my headcanons. It also makes for some fun drama, because all of these ladies (except maybe Steph) are way more into Red Robin than they are Tim Drake, even if they're aware of his identity. I find this objectively hilarious.

3. Tim's cowl is stupid. Apparently, the artist got the memo about halfway through the comic since tim has a pretty cool, uniquely shaped domino mask when he's in the Ünternet. This should be his mask in all appearances. Clearly unique to Red Robin, but not the stupid earless cowl.

4. Tim has SOME sort of neurodivergence going on because my man hyperfixates like nobody's business. He literally has a page where he rambles about how something'll catch his attention and he'll get sucked into it and give it his whole focus and be unable to stop thinking about it, to the detriment of his other commitments.

5. Tim somehow manages to have a thriving social life and no social life at all, and the comic agrees with me. He regularly teams up with the Teen Titans and other Gotham Weirdos TM. He's got a civilian ally/life companion in the form of Tam Fox. He has his guy in the chair, Money Spider a.k.a. Anarky a.k.a Lonnie Machin. He's got Prudence Wood and a couple of other folks with questionable morals on his payroll. And of course, he's got Bruce. He even tells Ra's at some point, "I'm not Batman. I have friends." But he also seems to do a really good job at not telling people things and thus being isolated anyway. He doesn't really doesn't share much of his personal stuff with anyone, especially not initially, so they can't really help him with stuff or provide him with the right companionship. This is perhaps most evident in his relationship with Tam Fox, which he effectively destroys by not telling her that her father Lucius isn't actually dead, and Tim just faked it for one of his plans. He didn't even forget, he just deemed not telling her the best course of action. Both he and Batman are concerned about this.

6. Tim has MASSIVE supervillain vibes. Like, Tim would make the BEST supervillain if he hadn't decided to be so heroic. Lemme. Lemme just give you a list.

Tim has a hit list. And those aren't my words. He calls it a hit list. It's mostly supervillains, and he specifically designs his schemes so that one arrest leads directly into the next. But it also has Robin as a contingency plan and a couple of other people who are decidely not bad guys.

He's a schemer. Bruce's whole test for him involves testing how he does at improvising because Tim has a penchant for creating carefully crafted plans like some sort of maniacal supervillain. And they work pretty much every time.

Tim's subconscious mind manifests as The Riddler. Lemme explain. While Tim is in the virtual reality, Ready-Player-One-esque dark net that the supervillains have set up, his attempt to puzzle out what's going on manifests as The Riddler giving him cryptic clues. The Riddler. THE RIDDLER! This is decidedly his own doing, not the Ünternet's.

Tim keeps his morals because he promised Batman, not because he actually has those morals himself. This sounds worse than it is. It's not like he actively wishes to break his moral code, he just comments multiple times in sticky situations that he would do X thing if it wouldn't be so disappointing to Batman and other people. On multiple occassions (see, blowing up the LoA bases), he actually does X thing because he thinks it's more important than approval.

Tim has ambitions to make Gotham the leader of the world. He specifically starts a number of international outreach programs for Wayne Enterprises with making Gotham the World Hub in mind. He has other altruistic reasons, but this is the one he's most focused on. This scheme also inspires Bruce to start Batman Inc., a.k.a. the thing Bruce has been doing since his return from his vacation in the time stream. Tim acknowledges that he's the inspiration and also that Bruce does not consciously know he was inspired by Tim.

He's manipulative and will work with all kinds of people if it serves his goals. This includes unpredictable people like Anarky, dangerous people like Man Bat, and morally questionable people like Lynx and Prudence Wood. His manipulation tactics mostly come in the form of cutting off other people's options until helping him is their best choice and withholding information until sharing it suits him. Batman in the making.

You see what I mean? Kid would make a GREAT criminal mastermind. Definitely got them villain vibes.

7. F*CK YOU NEW 52. The comic ended really abruptly on an ominous note with an unfinished plot because suddenly we had to do a whole reboot of the universe. Because the New 52 SUCKS!

Batgirl Volume 3

1. *ahem* STEPHANIE BROWN IS THE BEST CHARACTER! STEPH STANS UNITE! WE RIDE AT DAWN!

2. No, but seriously. I mentioned in the general section that Stephanie is a total BAMF who also has SO much heart! I think something really unique about her is her ability to be kind to and befriend literally anyone.

She becomes tentative friends with this absolute jerk girl Jordanna who's really mean to Steph because she's possesive of her friends, who all think Steph is cool. Steph doesn't judge, presses on, and manages to get Jordanna to at least accept her, if not be actively kind to her.

It's due to Steph's efforts that Wendy Harris a.k.a. Proxy a.k.a. Oracle in Training really feels accepted in her new hero role.

Steph looked at Damian in the height of his brat era and said, "You know what this kid needs? A bouncy house! Yeah, I'mma teach him how to have fun and be a kid by forcibly taking him to a bouncy castle!"

Batgirl is noted as. . .not as legal as Batman, but she still manages to make her own police force connection.

She's helpful and chill to Klarion the Witch Boy even though, as usual, all their problems in that issue are his fault.

She beats up a dude who's trying to blow up a train, and her ability and tenacity impress him so much that he becomes the Grey Ghost and tries to help her out. She thinks it's annoying and is worried about him (rightfully so, since he gets shot), but she does listen to him.

Steph will look at almost anyone with kindness and without judgement and has an astounding capability to befriend people because of this.

3. Steph is FREAKING HILARIOUS! Steph is probably the chattiest hero, especially when she's fighting bad guys, and it is both so effective and SO funny! She'll just start totally random conversations about WHATEVER while she's busy beating people up, and it makes me cackle every time. She also literally teaches people banter and gives them turns! It's amazing! Like, I'm not sure I'd call her quippy since she's not actually usually insulting people. She's just making casual, friendly conversation at really inappropriate times for it.

4. That's not the only way she's funny, either. Steph also has "inner monologue problems" where she'll say her thoughts out loud. This becomes a running gag to the point that Babs'll continually have to tell her she's using her "outside voice." It's funny and awkward every time! And then there's her habit of paraphrasing stuff that culminates when she tells Wendy the entire batfamily history in chibi doodles with absolutely zero respect. Never fear, Stephanie is here to make you laugh!

5. Steph is a GRADE A BAD-A**! My girl will challenge anyone, get in over her head, make decisions on the fly, and still win! Technically, this is a Batman Road Home Moment, but when Batman pulls his "I'm testing people instead of telling them I'm back" BS on Steph, she b*tch slaps him and then runs away while saying "I'm glad you're not dead." Bruce's only response is Bruce-speak for "I deerved that." When literally all of Gotham turns into mind controlled zombies that are after her, she outruns them by hijacking an equally mind-controlled ManBat, wrangling him until they crash into the airport, and then hitching a ride with Proxy in the T-Jet that they barely know how to fly. This works. Even when she's getting knocked around, Steph is kicking butt, taking names, and refusing to let her frankly awful lot in life get her down.

6. Steph is an improviser. My girl almost never has a plan. She thrives on the chaos. She's far more likely to disobey orders and go in guns blazing and figure it out on the fly than waste time trying to meticulously plan out something that'll probably go wrong anyway. Like, she knows the value of planning and does it every once in a while, but I feel like Steph would win almost any fight where both parties have 0 prep time simply because she's so much better at thinking on the fly and getting herself out of scrapes than anyone else.

7. Steph doesn't follow ANYONE'S orders because she is an independent adult, dammit! At the beginning of the issue, Cassandra Cain runs off to Hong Kong and hands off the Batgirl mantle to Steph. Literally everyone she comes across gives her crap for not being Cass, tells her to stop, and thinks that she shouldn't be doing that job. Everyone from random street level goons to Barbara and Dick. Steph doesn't listen and keeps going until she finally shows off enough determination that Babs gets her head out of her ass. Even after that, Steph'll happily disregard orders from Oracle, Batman, Red Robin, her mom, the cops and anyone else who tries to boss her around if she thinks it'll help. And the best part is, she's right almost every time. Steph has good judgement. She knows when she's right, and she won't let anyone tell her different.

8. I absolutely loved the dynamics between all the members of Team Batgirl. Babs taking Steph under her wing and helping her come into her own as Batgirl is amazing. One of the sweetest moments in the whole thing is when Babs gifts Steph the original Batgirl costume (she'd been using Cass's up until that point). In turn, Steph helps Babs open up and find joy and purpose in her life again, when she'd mostly been running on spite at that point. They also are so in sync with each other that it's hilarious. My favorite example is, in a situation that is getting progressively worse, Babs and Steph have the exact same inner monologue: "Crap. DOUBLE crap." It only gets better when Wendy's around, with Steph and Babs connecting to her issues each in their own way. It's beautiful and really helps Wendy grow as a person and heal her heart.

9. Steph needs to do more team ups with people. Yes, she's fantastic and compelling by herself, but she becomes downright marvelous when she's got someone to bounce off of, and her natural friendliness makes her a good pick for team ups. One of my favorite issues was definitely the one where she hung out with Kara and they beat up vampires together. It was adorable.

10. F*CK YOU NEW 52! WHY DID YOU TAKE THIS FROM ME?! WTF!

Batman: The Road Home

1. I only really read this one for context on what was going on in Batgirl and Red Robin, but I do have a couple thoughts.

2. Alfred and Co. have basically kidnapped Hush a.k.a. Thomas Elliot and are holding him hostage in a penthouse. They force him to do appearances as Bruce Wayne while Bruce is still missing, and he is soooooooo salty about this. This is objectively funny.

3. Vicki Vale is actually a really cool character who deserves better. A bit lacking in the common sense and self-preservation departments, but cool nonetheless. She's pushy and invasive and catty, but she is good at her job and I would be just as irritated as her if I had fallen as far from grace as her.

3. Bruce, you're an a**hole. You wanna tell people you're home instead of putting them through insane tests of skill and character while disguised as some random and possibly malevolent vigilante? They GRIEVED you! Some of them are probably STILL grieving! Give Dick a hug dammit!

4. Ra's, you're a creepy weirdo. Go back to brooding in your vampire box now please!

The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

1. These books are REALLY FREAKING GOOD. I know, who woulda thought, seeing as how it's one of the most popular and talked about Batman comics ever. But seriously. You should read these. I was reluctant to do so, since a lot of people were like "Oh it's Frank Miller, he's edgy, and his Batman has all the tired edgy Batman tropes." I'm sorry, you don't see him using guns, you don't see him killing anyone, you don't see him being a terrible person. This Batman NEEDS a therapist. Desperately. But he's also still a good person. This is ACTUALLY cool edgy Batman, where his issues are used to create a more compelling narrative, not the "cool" edgy Batman that operates under the "grimdark is cool" principle.

2. I almost cried a couple times! This comic has an overwhelming melancholy feel that I just really enjoyed. Everything and everyone feels tired and sad. Everyone. The best part is that this comic is told primarily from Bruce's perspective and Bruce is SO empathetic and caring, that he feels not only his own melancholy, but everybody else's too, and it's so effective! I think the best example is when Two-Face, recently released from Arkham, goes full relapse and Batman is forced to tie him up and leave him for the cops. He looks at Harvey and just goes "That's a kindred spirit, and I feel for him."

3. The story is told interspersed with TV stations and news radio fighting and bickering and reporting. Nobody is quite sure what to make of the Batman situation, and almost all of them feel negatively about it. The only reporter who actually seems in support of Batman is Lana Lang, and she's also one of the few people who feels RATIONAL during the comic. Like, everybody is reacting very poorly and with panic and contempt towards Batman's return, and it really really isn't helpful. You get this feeling of "it's us against the world," and it really contributes to the vibes.

4. Bruce is an old man. He's technically only 55, but a lifetime of fighting crime, trying (and failing to quit), and becoming dependent on alcohol to keep away the nightmares and the call to dress up as The Rodent of Vengeance will seriously mess up your body. Every time he gets in a fight, he is extremely conscious of how slow he is, how much more he can feel each hit, how much of an advantage all of the youngsters he's fighting have on him. It's to the point that he literally has to plan around his old age and failing body.

5. Alfred is PEAK SASSY in here, and it's beautiful! I actually think this might have the best characterization of Alfred, like, ever. He loves Bruce. That's his kid. Not his master. His kid. He's not gonna leave him alone. But, he also has too much dedication to his role as "butler" to actually stop him from doing anything STUPID, so he resorts to just sassing the man RUTHLESSLY instead. And for all the sass he gives Bruce about being Batman, he's also just as deep into this weird lifestyle. The highlight is definitely Alfred telling Bruce after the first night out that if it's suicide he's after, Alfred has an old family recipe that will be just as slow and excruciating, but less illegal.

6. Commissioner Gordon does not, never has, and never will get paid enough for dealing with this. Commissioner Yindel has no idea what steaming pile of sh*t she's just stepped into, and Gordon tried to warn her. Gordon, even though he continues to not particularly approve, remains one of Batman's staunchest allies through the whole thing. It's actually really heartwarming to see their "brothers in arms" thing they've got going.

7. OHMIGOSH CARRIE KELLEY! That is one AMAZING Robin right there!

Do you know how she becomes Robin? She sees Gordon turn on the batsignal, and she's ✨inspired✨ She saves up two weeks of lunch money, buys a Robin costume, grabs a slingshot and some fireworks, and starts fighting criminals and discreetly following Batman around. Like, that's just some sheer tenacity right there! My girl has moxie! She has grit! She has heart! She's the perfect Robin!

Anytime I do stuff with Carrie Kelley, I will be including the fireworks. Her first act as Robin is to stick a firecracker in a mugger's back pocket. Seriously.

Her first thing she does with Batman is to follow him to a really dangerous fight, find him at the end, drag his unconscious, broken body back to the batmobile, splints his arm with her girl scout training, and get him back to Alfred so he doesn't DIE! Batman, already feeling extremely sad because he misses Dick, decides to train her and take her on.

Poor Carrie! Her parents are awful! Like, they don't remember they have a kid level awful! Being with Bruce might be child endangerment, and he might be a quiet stoic bastard who keeps threatening to fire her, but at least he acknowledges her existence!

Carrie, my darling, my dear, my sweet baby girl, I don't understand HALF the stuff that comes out of your mouth! You and your 80s slang. Sweet mercy.

8. I think this universe had a. . .um. . . Marvel Civil War thing. Like, the whole thing is that Superman works for the government, invisibly, instead of publicly. He has to follow their orders, and he doesn't like it, but it does mean he still gets to save people. Oliver/Green Arrow apparently didn't listen and is rotting in jail (Bruce has to bust him out in the last issue). It's implied to be, along with the death of Jason, the thing that made Batman quit. Now that he's back, the whole government is NOT HAPPY about it. They mostly just try to ignore him with "not my circus, not my monkeys," but, the president does sic Clark on him to try to talk him down. Clark predicts that this'll go badly, but tries anyway. His prediction is correct.

9. Poor Selina! You didn't deserve that. TBH, nobody except Joker deserves what happens to them in this book. It's all just really tragic and sad.

10. Bruce is a deeply unwell man in this comic. Like, he definitely seems at his most emotionally healthy and lucid while he's being Batman, but that kind of obsessive drive clearly isn't good for him, mentally or physically. He's kind of just, purposeless and slipping away before he takes up the cowl, and afterwards, he is so so sad and feels like he's succumbed to his worst impulses. It's a lose lose lose situation for him. Poor dude.

11. F*ck you Joker. 'Nuff said. Stay dead this time please.

12. Batman, you've emotionally adopted Carrie. I know you're actively doing child endangerment and stuff, but you care about this little girl. You can stop referring to her as "good soldier."

13. The shot of Batman on the horse makes me want to write a Wild West AU of Batman, because that was a vibe and a half!

14. Just go read this one, seriously, it's good.

TL;DR

I know I didn't put in a segment on Batgirls, but I wanna finish that one first! It'll probably get it's own post!

Basically, this post boils down to:

Batfam comics are really great. I like reading the comics. At least the outdated ones that I was reading.

Steph is the best, put some respect on her name.

Comic books are funny.

Comics are heartwarming.

Tim has supervillain vibes and sad wet cat vibes at the same time.

The Dark Knight Returns is really sad and really good.

F*CK THE NEW 52!

That's all I've got for you! I still gonna be stewing on these for DAYS, but this at least helped get it out of my system. Now go read some comic books!

[thatthirdtriplet]

Relationships:

Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Dick Grayson & The Team (Young Justice) Dick Grayson & Jason Todd Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson Damian Wayne & Slade Wilson Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake Cassandra Cain & Damian Wayne

Characters:

Dick GraysonJason Todd Tim Drake Damian Wayne Bruce Wayne Barbara Gordon Stephanie Brown Cassandra y Wilson Deathstroke Robin Nightwing Red Robin - Character red Hood Artemis Crock t he Joker (mentioned)

Additional Tags:

Kidnapping torture psychological Torture apprenticeship slade Is An Asshole but what´s new kidnapped Dick Grayson kidnapped Damian Wayne Jason Todd Needs A Hug kidnapped Tim Drake kidnapped Stephanie Brown kidnapped Cassandra Cain cass is Queen BAMF Cassandra Cain Everybody is kidnapped protective Dick Grayson Dick would do anything for his Brothers kidnaped Jason Todd Dick has a bad time blackmail angst hurt/Comfort hurt abuse implied/Referenced Child Abuse Protective Jason Todd protective Tim Drake Damian Wayne is Robin protective Damian Wayne protective Stephanie Brown protective Cassandra Cain

Summary:

1. Protecting the Batbrothers

2. Project W.I.N.G.

When a new foe arises, the Batfamily has to do anything in their power to save Gotham and each other. After discovering the impossible, secrets are revealed, hidden truths and memories so dark, they have been hidden and locked away in the far corners of their minds. But someone is out for blood and they have their eyes set on Gotham's favorite birds. One by one, they goes after the city's vigilantes, but no one could have guessed their end game and motivations, no one could have prepared the heroes for their revenge.

To top it all, Jason and Dick are still struggling with what happened to them, Dick with the guilt and Jason with the fear. If they want to have any chance at recovery, they will have to face their trauma... and the darkness inside.

[brucewaynehater101]

Can I ask for a littlebit sibling bonding dami-tim? 🥺 I've looked a lot and can't find anything I haven't already read 😢

Hmm.... I'm assuming you'd like a little piece of writing? It's not fluffy in the slightest, but here ya go!

Tw: auditory descriptions of torture, blood, pain, violence

Hurt/comfort, BAMF Tim, angst

----

Damian's family is full of fools. They are competent, skilled fighters and master tacticians. Each one is a superior detective and powerful leader in their own right.

Yet, they are, undoubtedly, fools.

If each of them were asked who of the family is the largest threat, they would answer wrong. They would praise Cass's unfathomable combat prowess, the unending reach of Oracle, the terror Red Hood brings, Batman's plethora of contingency plans, or the charismatic destruction of Dick. To them, these members would be the top contenders.

Damian is not indicating that these family members wouldn't be formidable. He's not even saying they are unworthy to be wary of. No. Only a fucking idiot would dismiss the very real peril of these vigilantes.

The issue lies in how obvious they are. Everyone knows to especially prepare defenses against them. They are terrifying as opponents and ruthless when provoked. All Bats are.

However, Damian knows, as he has always known, that none of them are a threat in the way that Timothy Drake is.

Drake isn't physically imposing nor is he well-known for his ability to decimate his enemies from afar. He's a Bat and he's competent, but he usually upholds a supporting role. He fades to the background and hides in the shadows of his predecessors. He doesn't alarm people nor automatically register as the most dangerous person of the Bats. He can completely decimate his opponents, but he's overlooked in comparison to the others.

It's why he terrifies Damian.

Red Robin is a disregarded, unseen hazard. He meticulously and carefully hides his culpability and capabilities even from allies. He's vicious and cruel, a liar, a con man, and a thief.

And yet he's selfless and kind. He's caring.

He's a complicated headache of a man.

It's been... rough trying to ignore Damian's initial assertion of Drake. The problem lies in the fact that it's not wrong. Red Robin is conniving. Drake could easily make Damian disappear without a single Bat suspecting otherwise.

Trusting Drake is the same as handing Red a sword and knowingly turning his back to him. It's idiotic. And it's expected of the youngest brother.

For years, neither Damian nor Tim could get past this hurdle, this mutual distrust. It simmered between them as they recognized the monster of themselves in the other's eyes. They were similar enough to know better than their family members. To know better than to put aside their fued.

But it started to shift.

Damian can't point to when he stopped wearing weapons around Drake's presence, only that Drake lacked his as well.

Red became a bit more brutal against the goons who hurt Robin, and Robin was callous to those who managed a hit on Red.

One by one, the children who used to bother Damian at school either became passive or they moved. One by one, fewer Gotham socialites whispered scandalous rumors about Timothy Drake.

Titus and Alfred the Cat received gifts and treats left in Damian's room. Drake's apartment walls received a mural.

Damian became Dames. Drake became Timothy.

They still snarled and snipped and wrestled and attacked each other. They couldn't hold a conversation without either one blowing up in anger. They never acknowledged the changes. They didn't seek out each other's presence.

But it continued. Damian now only grumbles when Timothy ruffles his hair. Tim moved an extra desk into his office if Damian wanted to work on WE or school. Tim finds truly abhorrent charcoal portraits of himself, and Damian finds his gifted drawing in picture frames.

They don't like each other and they won't admit to caring about their brother. They just, maybe quite possibly, don't hate the other anymore.

While the Waynes are disappointed the two don't get along, they have noticed the shift. It's enough for the family that the two no longer wish each other harm. After everything, that's fine.

This is why Damian's scream comes as such a shock to everyone but Tim.

It's been an hour. An hour since Robin was captured, his GPS was scrambled, and his com was left untouched. An hour of the entire family desperately scouring the city for their youngest bat.

Thirty-seven minutes ago, Damian woke up.

The Bats were forced to listen to him acknowledge his kidnappers and the sound of flesh being hit as of thirty-four minutes ago.

Damian's ability to muffle his own grunts of pain broke down seventeen minutes prior. He started screaming twelve minutes ago.

Eleven seconds ago, with a voice gritty from the hollering and blood, Damian allowed those who captured him to know they left his com in place. He finally addressed one of the Bats while in the kidnappers' presence.

With a tone threaded with pain, with a slight sob, Damian begs, "Timothy. Please."

All of the Bats but one turn to each other in confusion. In their momentary bewilderment, Red Robin disappears.

Tim was barely holding onto his control. He was trying to continuously remind himself why he operates the way Batman prefers. His grip on his restraint was slipping with every whimper, cry, and shout from his baby brother. Tim was going to function Bruce's way. He was.

Swallowing down his wrath, his uselessness, his grief, and his frustration is a well-known habit. Red knows how to choke down his own feelings and desires in his pursuit of "the greater good." He's aware that Bruce's path, as flawed as it is, is better than the one Tim instinctively knows. The Batman way prevents the type of future that Red is constantly trying to prevent of himself.

So, even though the sounds of Damian's torment is riping into Tim's own mind, Red was going to go about it Bruce's way.

But then Damian asked.

There's nothing in this world, in this fuckkng universe, that could prevent Tim from answering his baby brother.

The Bats couldn't hear the threads snapping from Tim's control, but Tim could. Damian, from wherever he was, could as well.

Between the blood pouring from Robin's nose and forehead, a cruel and wicked smile carved into his face.

Timothy, not Red Robin, was coming for those who harmed his brother. They will not escape. They will not survive past today.

[ao3statistics]

Date of creation: 29.04.2024

Okay, so... I should've just done it this way in the first place. I don't know why I didn't (...laziness or not thinking things through come to mind) but although these charts especially are not meant to be taken too seriously, the results of course depend heavily on how many stories there are for a certain character in total.

This new chart however displays the percentages of how many stories from those including a character's name used the tag "BAMF [character's name]".

Example: There are 16.053 (= 100 %) stories with the character tag "Cassandra Cain" on Ao3, 230 of these stories use the tag "BAMF Cassandra Cain". 230 of 16.053 are around 1,43 %.

I know the numbers may seem small but "BAMF xy" is just one tag of many, so.. To make up for the half-assed chart from before I made this one extra colourful! :D

Date of creation: 12.01.2024

Tim for the win again.

There were no results for Luke Fox.

I assume no guarantee or liability for the completeness, correctness and accuracy of this chart despite my best efforts.

Includes fanfictions in all languages available on Ao3, NOT English only.

More charts will follow. :)

Want to have a chart for different pairings, headcanons etc. in your favourite fandom? Send me an ask!

[wildwinterlunas]

@writingisawildride

Fuck it I've been meaning to make more Martina content for awhile so may as well explain this HC.

For an explanation of this HC, part of this is a combination of me thinking Gabriel has a type, me liking the potential of Martina's character and me shipping Reaper76. Meaning his type to me would be, grew up on a farm and acts like it. Basically I like to think Martina grew up either on a farm or in a farming area. Not only would that make her a foil to Jack (specifically in regards to present Reyes) but I just like the city person x country person ship dynamic.

As for Cassidy getting his aesthetic from Martina, yes, Cass has always had the cowboy aesthetic, but during Deadlock he looked more biker then cowboy. Meaning he fully went into the aesthetic in Blackwatch.

I like to think that not only did Martina have a country/cowboy aesthetic, but actively encouraged Cassidy's interest too. In fact, part of the HC is that she's the one who gave Cassidy his old serape (this is inspired by the HC that Cassidy got his BAMF belt buckle from Gabe).