#DC’S Essential Graphic Novels

[soranatus]

John Timms’ cover art to DC’s Essential Graphic Novels (2023)

[themyscirah]

What runs/stories do you recommend for someone starting WW? Could you please be specific (/nicely)

Yeah ofc!

My Wonder Woman Starter Recs (specific style 😎)

First stops: for an initial introduction to Wonder Woman, I'd generally recommend going to at least one of three places first. These three are:

Wonder Woman: Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Wonder Woman: Year One by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman: the Hiketeia by Greg Rucka

Of these I generally recommend reading Historia first, as it's a retelling of the origin of the Amazons as a race and how Diana came to be (so it essentially starts from the beginning) and is also the most recent of the them (if that means anything). Something to note about Historia though is that it's a DC Black Label book, so it's events aren't strictly canon in the main DCU and there are some changes and new elements present. I don't think this is something that should discourage anyone from reading it though, it's the best WW origin story out there, and even in strict main canon over the years her origin is one that has had many fluctuations and small (& sometimes big) changes. WW:Historia is three prestige format (longer) issues.

You'll notice the third book there is WW: The Hiketeia. Hiketeia is a great book if you're looking for a view into Diana as a professional and experienced hero. It's a graphic novel so standalone and not too long, and has a great Diana and really interesting plot (Diana vows to protect a young woman and finds herself pressed against the wheels of Greek Tragedy). This is also the first work with Diana done by Greg Rucka, one of her most prolific and loved writers. A sampling of this work (and also Historia) I think gives a good guide to where to go next in terms of runs on her main title.

Wonder Woman: Year One is the second book on the list up there, but I'm mentioning it last here as it's a bit more complicated in terms of format. Unlike other year one books, WW: Year One is actually a series of issues on her main title, showcasing Diana's arrival to man's world in Rebirth (and also current p sure) continuity. The issue numbering for this one is strange (only the even issues 2-14 on WW (2016)) so I recommend looking for this in trade form if possible.

These 3 books I think give a taste of some of the best standalone stuff in the Wonder Woman mythos, and give the reader a good idea of where they may want to go next in terms of longer runs on the title. So I'll break that down here as a Step 2.

STEP 2: WHERE NEXT?

Here I break down some highly recommended runs based on what they have in common with the standalone books from step 1. As a rule, these runs are going to be much longer than the above and generally more connected to the wider DCU and other books. Look for the italics to see the introduction to each new work. Explanation paragraphs follow after each italic/bold rec.

Curious about Greek mythology in WW and the Amazons' origins after reading Historia? Liked the prescence of a supporting cast and Diana learning about Man's World from Year One? Willing to read a longer run? I recommend: Wonder Woman by George Pérez

George Pérez's time on Wonder Woman totally reinvented the character after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and is fundamental in establishing many core concepts of her lore. At 62 issues, 2 annuals, and a 4-issue crossover event at the end (War of the Gods), it's definitely a commitment to read, but it's the most enduring and well-loved run on Wonder Woman for a reason--it's just that damn good. Lots of focus on mythology (although with a lighter tone than Historia) alongside Diana learning her role in relation to Man's World & establishing herself as a hero and ambassador. Pérez's run also has almost-certainly the most expansive and developed supporting cast in WW comics, something that really drives the emotional core of the series, especially in later issues. Obligatory note that this series was written between 1987 and 1992 and contains some very occasional aspects that I thought were in some way dated/uncomfortable etc. while reading (details of Cheetah's origin, depiction of the Bana-Mighdall, Hercules) but despite that I still highly, highly recommend this run. The word fundamental cannot begin to describe it.

Liked the experienced Diana of the Hiketeia? Interested to see her attempt to balance the high stakes responsibilities of an ambassador and superhero? Looking for some really badass moments and fights? Haven't read enough terrible tragedy? I suggest: Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2003 EDITION.

Some of Diana's coolest moments of all time are collected here. Also one of her most controversial. The 1st Rucka run is very much the story for anyone who liked the Diana of the Hiketeia and the tragedy of that and Historia. 2003 Rucka Diana is a Diana tested, forced to make decisions that are anything but easy, and live with the consequences. She's extraordinarily capable, but her enemies know that and are prepared to that end. This run, along with the Pérez run, rank among my favorite Wondy comics of all time (those and Historia are my top 3). This run is such peak Diana, especially in terms of sheer badassery. Her final confrontation with Medusa is in my opinion perhaps the greatest Wonder Woman fight scene of all time. Her encounter with Athena in the second-to-last issue breaks me every time. Cannot recommend this book more.

*a note abt this run is that it is more context-dependent than the other ones listed here, as it's the run that finishes out the Wonder Woman vol. 2 book and so has some guest appearances from characters introduced in other prior runs (Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Cassie Sandsmark, and Vanessa Kapatelis, to name a few). I read this run before knowing much (if anything) about any of them, and still enjoyed it a lot, so I wouldn't be worried about this really but just thought I'd mention it.

Rucka's 2003 run is published from Wonder Woman (1987) #195-226. You can also find it in trade and I believe(?) omnibus. Sometimes the Hiketeia is included in collections of this series, as the 03 run is thematically similar in many places, just with a much deeper look at Diana and the world & with higher stakes.

Liked the specific characters and plot threads of Wonder Woman: Year One? Want to see what happens with Diana's exile, or learn more about Barbara Ann? Want a Diana in between the extremes of young and highly experienced? Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2016 EDITION may be for you.

...yes I'm putting ANOTHER Rucka book on here. He writes a great Diana, what can I say. This run is the same one that Year One came out of, just the follow ups to that story and versions of the characters. I have this run listed as separate from Year One though, as there's some really big time skips since the events of that first volume. A lot of time has passed since then, and there's more history between the characters, not all of it without drama. This run continues to be weird with the numbering, as well as some artist changes, so I definitely recommend looking into reading this in trade format (physical or digital) if at all possible. My recommended reading order is WW 2016 by Rucka vol. 2 "The Lies" (Wonder Woman: Rebirth Special #1, followed by 2016 main title odd numbered issues 1-11), then Rucka 16 vol. 3 "The Truth" (odds 13-23) then Godwatch (evens 16 through 24) followed by 25? But The Truth and Godwatch combine near the end so that doesn't really work either. This run is so good but recommending it is such a pain because the numbering is so all over the place. On God I never know which order to read this in. Going to revoke my previous statement and say read it as Rebirth Special 1, then only odds 1 through 11, then from 13 through 25 normally. That may lead to some weirdness as you read because the two stories take place at different times and have different art styles, but they come together at the end pretty dramatically so I think it's less confusing to read it this way? Maybe? So strange bc this is one of the go to good starter runs and yet it's set up so unintuitively. If someone has a better way to read this then let me know and ill edit, ik this explanation is super confusing bc neither way to read it is totally ideal imo and I feel I definitely read it in a weird order.

Going to call that a good rundown of some of my greatest recommendations in terms of Wonder Woman comics. If anything wasn't fully clear here or anyone (not just anon) has questions or wants to talk abt WW comics/my choices feel free to send as many asks or dms as you want. Have a good day everybody, & as Diana says, may the glory of Gaea be with you <3

[medusamagic]

So you want to know more about Big Barda

As Tumblr's resident expert on all things Barda, and as Kelly Thompson's Birds of Prey run brings far more attention to the character, I figured it was high time someone stepped in and gave the tumblr world a primer on DC's biggest and boldest heroine.

The Basics:

Introduced in Mister Miracle #4 by Jack Kirby, Big Barda was once the leader of Apokolips' premier death squad, the Female Furies. Trained from birth for a life of violence by Granny Goodness, Barda spent the first 250 years of her life as a living weapon. This all changed when she met Scott Free, a gentle Parademon-in-training with a mysterious past and a knack for escapes. Eventually, she and Scott both escaped to Earth, where they fell in love with both the Earth and each other. She's a lover, she's a fighter, she's a Pokémon card expert, but most of all, SHE BIG.

Barda's signature defining attribute is her raw strength. Her raw muscle allows her to keep up with heavy hitters like Wonder Woman. This isn't to suggest that she's a simple-minded brute, however-- Barda has centuries of military experience under her belt as leader of the Female Furies. She's mastered multiple weapons, including spears, swords, and her signature Mega-Rod.

Below are some reading recommendations for anyone interested in Big Barda:

Essential Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 1 #4-18 by Jack Kirby (1971-1974)

This was the run that introduced the world to Big Barda, as well as the Female Furies. If you want to know the basics of Barda, there's no better place to start. This run is collected in a trade, as well as a part in The Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1.

(NOTE: Even though Barda doesn't appear until issue #4, I suggest you start with Issue #1. It'll help you get acquainted with the rest of the mythos.)

Justice League International #14-24 by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (1988-1989)

Big Barda was on the JLI! She plays off the other characters as well as ever, and a lot of what's great about her in Jack Kirby's original run is still here! Definitely check this one out if you want to see her in another team setting. This has been collected in this omnibus.

(NOTE: Once again, I recommend you start from issue #1.)

Popular Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 4 #1-12 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (2017-2018)

Yeah, I know.

Listen, Tom King is a writer with... idiosyncrasies to put it nicely. The characters in the periphery of his stories tend to act really out of character, and his dialogue can be clunky at times. That being said, The Scott/Barda dynamic in this book is excellent, and this book has some of the best art that the Fourth World has seen since the 80s. The series has been collected in a trade.

(NOTE: Did you know that the CIA has over 2003 files on Tom King? Look up "Tom King CIA 2003" for more info!)

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles (2022)

If you're at all interested in the idea of a Young Adult reimagining of Mister Miracle and Big Barda's origin story with an all-black cast, this book was made for you. It's a bit heavy on the YA tropes, but the Scott/Barda dynamic is really solid. It was released as a standalone graphic novel.

Birds of Prey Vol. 5 #1-??? by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero (2023-)

Admit it, this is the reason you're here. The Cassandra Cain & Big Barda is so instantly iconic, I'm surprised no writer has paired them up sooner. It also helps that this book has the single best Barda look since Jack Kirby's original run. Plus, she gets to throw down with Wonder Woman! What's not to love? This run is still ongoing, but the first 6 issues should be getting a trade pretty soon.

(NOTE: I started writing this before BOP #8 dropped, I had no idea about that thing that happens in the newest issue.)

Stories to Avoid:

Action Comics #592-593 by John Byrne (1987)

This is not a comic book-- it's an infohazard designed to cause pain and suffering to anyone who knows of its existence. Its premise is vile and disrespectful on the surface, and it becomes more insidious when you learn the context of its creation. This pair of issues is profoundly evil, rivaling even Avengers #200 in terms of loathsomeness.

For those who dare to investigate this, Content Warnings for rape, mind control, and human trafficking.

Anyway, let's end on something a bit lighter, shall we?

Remember that Mister Miracle YA graphic novel I mentioned earlier? Barda is getting a graphic novel of her own this summer! It's not out at the time of writing, but the preview pages look promising!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that introduction to one of my favorite superheroes ever. Please get back to me on this, I have no one else to talk to about Fourth World stuff.

[aliteralchicken]

My local comic book shop let me have this let’s see what 2013 DC considered essential graphic novels

[dailydccomics]

art by John Timms DC’s Essential Graphic Novels (2023)

[kitkatopinions]

I literally cannot even with the RWBY JL thing. Like, first off, I'm not a DC girly, so this whole movie isn't for me because I do not care about Superman and Batman and any of them. I haven't seen either movie because I've never really been drawn to the DC characters even in their original content, let alone with writers I already think aren't good.

But second off, I think it's just one of the worst ideas that the RWBY writers/creators have had that wasn't bigotry related. Like, it's right up there with them making Penny human and then having Jaune kill her, and dropping their mains into another dimension for a season, in terms of just godawful ideas imo and it might even be an even WORSE idea.

Number one, this should at most have stayed a comic book or graphic novel thing, they shouldn't be using any money, time, or resources to make it full movies.

Number two, it feels like a desperate bid to both get new fans and to keep their own, like "WAIT WAIT NO, STAY, CURRENT FANS! I KNOW THIS LAST VOLUME WAS OUR WORST YET AND WE HAVEN'T GREENLIT VOLUME 10 YET, BUT LOOOOK BEES KISS PART II!!!!" And "HEY YOU, HEY DC FAN, DON'T YOU LIKE BATMAN? LOOK WHO HE'S WITH, IT'S SOME GIRL, DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW HER STORY?" Like the desperation that I get just from the vibes. XD

Number three, the RWBY world despite being filled with people with what's essentially super powers is really different it feels like than your basic superhero world? So it feels like... If the people in Star Wars were suddenly in Star Trek. Yeah, they're both space stories about spaceships and space weapons, but they're wholly different and they feel like they don't belong together.

Number four, I don't even know the DC characters, but I feel like even badly written, them outshining the mains is a real and major concern. These are some of the most popular characters point blank period, and then there's just like, not even just the RWBY characters now but like 'adult' versions of them in some terrible outfits lol, and it's just like... Who thought this was a good idea? XD

Like who thought this

Was a good idea?

Also the outfit designs for Team RWBY in the part II of this are like 96% horrible ugly bad. Like I've been dying for the mains to get new outfits because the V7-9 looks are so bad, but this is just making me feel hopeless. I feel like we might have already said goodbye to the good outfits permanently.

[graphicpolicy]

The Batman: Hush Fanhome Edition is interesting compared to the recent DC Compact Comics release

The Batman: Hush Fanhome Edition is interesting compared to the recent DC Compact Comics release #comics #batman #fanhome

Fanhome has launched The Legends of Batman, an expansive series of hardcover graphic novels featuring the greatest adventures of DC’s legendary Caped Crusader. This incredible series of stories brings Batman’s life story together in an epic full-color collection. The Legends of Batman Collection includes the best and most essential Batman adventures by legendary creative teams. The collection…

[outlanderanatomy]

2024 SDCC – Bear McCreary Panel

Greetings all!

I continue my experience at 2024 SDCC with the Bear McCreary panel titled, “Musical World building!”

Before the panel came to the podium, heavy metal music filled the packed auditorium! 👂 Turns out, this music was from “The Singularity.” You can hear more of this composition by following this link: https://bearmccreary.com/thesingularity/

After the muscial intro, the panelists then came out individually and introduced themselves:

First  to the stage was Bear McCreary! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

We Outlander fans honor Bear who has brought us, over the seasons, the most wonderful renditions of the Sky Boat Song! And, of course, we fans are keenly aware of his numerous musical accomplishments beyond Outlander!

Next was Kyle Higgins who was unknown to me but, given the applause, was recognized by many audience members. He is best known for his work on the Batman franchise at DC Comics, namely writing the miniseries Batman: Gates of Gotham and for the Nightwing and Batman Beyond titles, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers franchise at Boom! Studios, and Radiant Black at Image Comics.

Matias Bergara was next.  He lives in Uruguay and is a video game designer, comic book writer and artist. After winning numerous awards in South America,  he works almost exclusively for the international market, and illustrated a children‘s book by Neil Gaiman, “Odd and the Frost Giants.”

Last, but certainly not least, was Raya Yarbrough! Raya is Bear’s spouse who was beautiful and poised as always. Raya, is an eclectic poet, singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Although she is most recognized as the singer of the theme for Outlander, her voice and original music have been featured in many TV series, including  Battlestar Galactica, Marvel’s Agents Of Shield, Da Vinci’s Demons, and Agent Carter.  Her album “Raya Yarbrough,” was released internationally on Telarc/Concord records. 

We were not allowed to video record this session, but I did make an audio recording. I hope you enjoy hearing the session in its entirety. Here it is!Audio Player

00:00

00:00

Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.

The following are highlights from the discussion in case you missed them.

*Bear talked about working on The Singularity, a graphic musical novel that required collaboration between numerous heavy metal groups and artists of word and graphics including Kyle, Matias and Raya. His goal was to develop one cohesive vision and bring it to life by collaboration. This is the backbone of musical world-building. 

In other news, Bear is working on a broadway show titled “Particle Fever!” It is based on the Higgs boson, aka the God Particle, discovered at the CERN large particle accelerator in Switzerland. He claims molecular physic’s time has come! 🤓

Bear said his musical score for Battlestar Galactic is tattooed on his heart because he got his start there at age, 24! However, his favorite score is from Godzilla: King of Monsters!

He revealed that he decided to score an original piece for the ending credits of Godzilla. When the film was first reviewed by the bigwigs, they started to leave as the credits rolled, but Bear asked them to wait. After the credits were done, they exclaimed they hadn’t authorized money for a final piece but he explained he knew that, he just wanted to do it! Presumably, for free! 🤩

*Kyle was asked what he would tell his young self. His answer: “just finish things!” 🤗 He also said clarity is very important. And, conflict with its tension and release plays an essential role in his creative efforts.

*Matias made a comic book out of music. He advised the audience to do things honestly and directly.  😇

*Raya is a poet, song writer and singer and is now a mother of two! She told us her mother wrote “Night Terrors” for Star Trek: the Next Generation. something I did not know! As a busy mom, she has to find time during the day to compose. She says while writing lyrics, she may not know what she is trying to say until she gets to the last line! 😮

Her latest project is a collaboration with Bear based on 82 ancient wheels and cogs found in the sea near Athens. These remnants comprise the oldest known analogue computer, an orrery (model of the solar system), known as the Antikythera mechanism (image below). Raya sings the voice of the machine as they explore its psychology! 🤔

There is much more to hear in the recording so I will close with gratitude for the gifts that Raya and Bear have given to the Outlander community. Looking forward to the second half of season 7! 🤗

The deeply grateful,

Outlander Anatomist

Follow me on:

Twitter: @OutLandAnatomy

Facebook: OutlandishAnatomyLessons

Instagram: @outlanderanatomy

Tumblr: @outlanderanatomy

Youtube: Outlander Anatomy

Photo and video credits: www.wikipedia.com, Outlander Anatomy, Bear McCreary

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Luke Arnold, Doc Wyatt talk the teamwork and insanity that defines ‘ESSENTIALS’

The compelling new OGN is funding via Kickstarter.

by Chris Coplan (April 18, 2024)

You may know Luke Arnold as Long John Silver in the Black Sails and/or INXS’ own Michael Hutchence in the Never Tear Us Apart miniseries. Doc Wyatt, meanwhile, is best known for his production work on the iconic Napoleon Dynamite and the animated Rocket and Groot for Marvel. So, what happens when a lauded actor and a TV writer/producer get together? Why a brand-new graphic novel, ESSENTIALS.

For ESSENTIALS, Arnold and Wyatt were brought together in part by The Lab Press, a new publishing outfit that focuses primarily on graphic novels. Together, the pair then collaborated with a veritable smorgasbord of comics artists, including Bill Sienkiewicz (who does the cover), Dani, Jason Howard, Andrea Mutti, and Glenn Fabry. (The book’s colors were provided by Jordie Bellaire, Brad Simpson, and Wesley Wong, with lettering from DC Hopkins of AndWorld Design).

Once fully assembled, this superstar team behind ESSENTIALS set about crafting a story in which “the world you see around you is not real.” More specifically, we follow “disgraced mathematician Harris Pax” as he and Buttons (an “interdimensional being possessing his niece’s favorite toy”) set about smashing the walls of this faux reality. ESSENTIALS asks some big questions — “What matters most in a well-lived life? Is joy more valuable than truth?” — just as much as it’s a rollicking, dimension-hopping adventure story.

ESSENTIALS is currently crowdfunding via Kickstarter, with the campaign having raised $13,000-plus (of a seemingly $1,111 goal) on the way to its May 16 deadline. (Head here to contribute.) To get a better idea of the work that went into ESSENTIALS, we recently got to field questions to both Arnold and Wyatt. The duo spoke about the somewhat involved creative process, the big themes at the book’s heart, working with The Lab Press, and much more.

The talent behind ESSENTIALS. Courtesy of The Lab Press.

AIPT: I’m curious: what’s the collaborative process look like between a TV writer and an actor making a comic book?

Luke Arnold: It’s hard to summarize this process because there are so many stages. We broke most of the story on zoom between Australia and LA. Then, we outlined in pieces, trading them back and forth multiple times, rewriting and recrafting until we were happy. After that, we’d take a chapter each, write them, share them, editing and/or rewriting each other’s work. Then, it would go to the artists, and we’d wait for the first sketches to roll in.

Because the team (Doc, myself, and everyone at The Lab) is spread around the globe, we found that the best place to review artwork was actually in VR. We all got Oculus headsets that allowed us to sit around a table together with the art displayed on a huge board in front of us, marveling over the work and deciding on any notes to send back to the artists.

The next few stages would take place over email, and then when all the art was finished, Doc and I would get back on Zoom to take another look at the script. Once you have those final pages, you can quickly realize that a lot of dialogue feels unnecessary, so we’d go through and make changes before sending everything to the letterer. That was one of my favorite stages, as you have an opportunity to write some parts all over again, inspired by the work of the artists.

Doc Wyatt: Luke’s an actor, but he’s also a novelist. His novels blow me away. I knew Luke first as an actor, and on set, he was talking about these fantasy novels that he wanted to write. But when it actually happened, I was blown away. The Last Smile in Sunder City was Luke’s first book, and it kicked off a series that’s a mashup of the noir detective genre with urban fantasy. Anyone who’s missed it should catch up with it.

As a writer, Luke is intricate. He works in levels and layers, meanings behind meanings, and philosophical underpinnings. It was a really rich and rewarding experience because we’d start out talking about the story we were breaking, but the conversation would drift into all these other, unrelated places… until suddenly it would snap back into story mode, but bringing along all these influences from our seemingly unrelated conversations.

AIPT: What’s the elevator pitch for ESSENTIALS? It seems like there are a lot of big questions churning at the heart of this book.

LA: Our world has collided with another dimension and reality has become untethered. Most humans were killed in the collision, and those that survived are now trapped in their own subjective realities as their beliefs, thoughts, and fears become manifest around them. Harris Pax – the only scientist who foresaw this apocalypse and managed to protect himself – has teamed up with Buttons – a being from the other dimension. Together they must travel into these subjective realities and convince the people inside to give up their illusions and return to the real world.

DW: Honestly, it can sound complicated, but at the end of the day the story is pretty simple. A cosmic catastrophe has killed most human life, with the few survivors unknowingly stuck in their own bubbles of subjective reality. It’s the job of our heroes to pull them out of these private realities before they’re killed by them.

AIPT: Similarly, it seems like this book may be about/interested in simulations and subjective reality and the like. Why are those kinds of massive ideas interesting, and how do you come at them from a new angle?

LA: It’s a cliché now to say that we’ve never been so divided. We started writing this four years ago, and things seem to have only gotten worse. In this age of reactionary politics and algorithms, we really are starting to live in separate realities where even basic facts are up for dispute. But this feeling of disconnection was an existential issue long before the internet. Artists and writers have always explored the pain of isolation, our yearning for interconnection, and the despondency that comes from witnessing the perpetual division of the human race on both an intimate and planetary scale. With ESSENTIALS, we found two heroes, a villain, and a reality-spanning quest that allows us to dig into these concerns in a way that feels fresh and kind of limitless. There are already so many realities we’ve had to cast aside and many more we hope to include as the story continues.

The Jason Howard cover to ESSENTIALS. Courtesy of The Lab Press.

AIPT: What’s it like to be the debut release from Lab Press? Does that pressure help or complicate your process as creators and then also promoters of said creation?

LA: I can really only speak to it from a creative standpoint. It has awarded us a kind of freedom that is rare to find. The Lab and ESSENTIALS were formed at the same time, so the publishers had no preconceptions about what this book needed to be. There were no expectations, either from the reader or the company itself, so the book was able to find its form on its own terms. And being their debut, The Lab was likely more open to our wild ideas, such as jumping between so many artists in the way we do.

DW: For me, sure– it’s a little nerve-wracking to be the first book from a new publisher, because they’re going to be doing all their learning on our book. But that said, we believe in them. They’ve certainly taken a risk on our weird, little, indie book, so it’s only fair we take a risk on them!

AIPT: The book has a slew of talented artists attached, including Dani, Andrea Mutti, and Bill Sienkiewicz. What’s it mean to have such a roster of sheer artistic talent, and do you have any standout moments/pages?

LA: Even though this book has been in development for years, from the artists signing on to sending their pencils, their inks and colors, and now holding the final version, I still can’t really comprehend that we were able to work with artists of this caliber.

This is the first comic I’ve written, and so I was still wondering how all our scripts would come out after being interpreted by the artist. There’s a sequence in chapter two with a collage of a conversation that passes through a bunch of scenarios across a double page spread, and when Jason Howard sent us his pencils of that section, I started to believe that this world Doc and I had dreamed up could actually be realized.

I also have to say that I’m a huge Glenn Fabry fan. We gave him some of our weirdest pages, and his beautifully textured detail is everything we hoped for and more.

DW: The Lab Press had us submit a list of dream artists we’d be dying to work with. We did, thinking–well, they’ll never be able to get these… But they did!!! They didn’t tell me that they’d gotten Bill Sienkiewicz for a cover, who has been a very important artist to me since childhood. Instead they just revealed to me the fully finished cover at a party at New York Comic Con as a big surprise, and I just about lost it. It’s such an amazing cover. And it’s so Bill while still being so ESSENTIALS!

AIPT: Do you have a fave sci-fi book/film/show/etc. that maybe made its way into this project in some way (intentionally or not)?

LA: Doc is a font of sci-fi knowledge, and our original scripts were stuffed full of amazing references. Eventually, we decided to remove most of them before sending the scripts to artists because we didn’t want to cloud their minds with other visuals before we could see what their imaginations offered up. On quick flip though, you could see references to Alien, The Blob, and Night of the Living Dead, but we’ve done our best to use that imagery as a starting block to build something weirder.

AIPT: Why should anyone support the forthcoming Kickstarter for ESSENTIALS?

LA: Because this book is done and it’s incredible. We’re teaming up with Kickstarter because it’s the best way to get the books out to everyone around the world. We’re not asking for support to get it finished or anything like that. Not long after we launch, the book will be out of the printers and in your hands.

DW: We love our weird little story, and we want to tell more of it in the future, but we’ll only get the chance to do that if people read and love this one. We want to get the word out any way we can, so backers will find and support and read the book. It’s strange, it’s heady, and it’s not for everyone, but the people who it’s for– we hope– will really love it!

Source: AIPT Comics

[cantsayidont]

June 2024. Tremendously disappointing YA graphic novel about the early years of Jack Kirby's premier heroine is a frustrating example of the worst tendencies of fandom characterization: It carves out the heart of everything that makes Big Barda Big Barda — her butchness, her Jewishness, her no-nonsense moxie — and replaces it with generic YA heroine tropes. It's also dishearteningly heteronormative, even going so far as to no-homo all the Female Furies other than Stompa (telling, that), and asserting that while Granny Goodness has been literally torturing Barda since she was a child, the meanest thing she's ever done was telling Barda she couldn't ever be a wife and mother. Additionally, I'm annoyed that Ukazu takes some pointless liberties with Kirby's version rather than building around it. I don't know if I want to think about what editorial pressure Ukazu may have faced from DC, but the results are clever but not smart, and ultimately pretty empty, although the art is cute.

If your only awareness of Barda is from her supporting roles in comics and TV shows not by Kirby — like JUSTICE LEAGUE or the early '90s MISTER MIRACLE series, which reduced her to the kind of nagging wife joke Henny Youngman built his career around — you'll probably think it's fine, and even touching. I'll grant that it's not *as* offensive as the repugnant Tom King/Mitch Gerards MISTER MIRACLE series (a very low bar), but please, please read the actual Kirby series and maybe an article or two about Kirby's relationship with his wife Roz. Kirby's Barda was essentially Roz Kirby by way of Lainie Kazan by way of women's wrestling, and this is NOT that, at all.

[luthwhore]

DC released an “essential graphic novels” guide and i have…many complaints. like. you’re really going to give batman six pages of recs but only two pages each to superman and wonder woman?

where is superman: birthright? american alien? superman: for all seasons? the black ring and last son???? even rebirth action comics, which isn’t the most stand-out title, but is at least as good as some of the stuff that made it onto the batman list. there are so many iconic superman titles that didn’t make the cut in favor of cramming more mid-tier bat books recs in this list. 😭

you could have ditched most of the content on these two pages, given superman and wonder woman an extra page each, and still had four pages worth of batman graphic novels!!! literally nothing on these pages short of maybe court of the owls has had any long term impact on gotham lore!!! these aren’t even the best batman books!!!

also not a single pick on this page is what i would pick as an intro to these characters but especially rhato. if you were going to recommend a single jason todd book, why would you pick rhato over under the hood???

i would have put batman & robin ‘09 for damian and birds of prey or batgirl: year one for babs, and… maybe shadow is the batgirl for cass, since the trades for her old solo are out of print. and probably gotham city sirens for catwoman.

it’s also criminal that they didn’t include batwoman: elegy.

[fancoloredglasses]

Birds of Prey (minus Harley Quinn)

[All images are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery. Please don’t sue or paralyze me]

(Thanks to The World’s Finest)

It’s absolutely incredible that Bat-mania, that was always low-key A Thing since Batman's debut in the 1930s (but kicked into high gear in 1989 thanks to a little film starring Michael Keaton) is still going on (despite Joel Schumacher’s best efforts) It’s to the point that pretty much any DC film (and a number of TV shows) that doesn’t feature the Dark Knight is all but doomed.

This may have been the issue with 2002’s Birds of Prey, based on the comic of the same name. The show takes place in Gotham some years after Batman stopped being A Thing, but there is still Scum and Villainy in Gotham (or New Gotham) to deal with, so a new team was formed to deal with them.

The team is led by Barbara Gordon…

…AKA Batgirl…or at least she was until a scene ripped right from The Killing Joke graphic novel…

(Thanks to jbaltiero)

The Joker’s bullet shattered Barbera’s spine, leaving her a paraplegic. Still wanting to make a difference, she asked Bruce Wayne to set her us with a state-of-the-art computer system, which she used to hack into the city’s computer and surveillance network, allowing her to gain information on the underworld and rechristened herself…

...Oracle

The second member is the team takes her origin from her pre-Crisis years rather than post-Crisis.

The Huntress AKA Helena Kyle, daughter of Batman and Catwoman. When the Joker murders Selina Kyle, Barbera takes in Helena and trains her to be her partner on the street.

Finally we come to the final member of the team…

Dinah Lance is the daughter of the Black Canary. She has psychic abilities but little in the way of fighting abilities. As such, she’s usually held in reserve (or in danger)

The trio work to do what Batman did years ago, dealing with the Thug Of The Week.

However, as this was essentially a Batman series without Batman, plus for the most part there was no overarching storyline, the series only lasted half a season. Which is a shame, since the series had potential, even if the hardcore fans (like myself) may have had issues with the series taking too many liberties with DC canon.

However, the series was given a (sort of) proper sendoff 17 years later…

(Thanks to TV Promos)

If you would like to watch the series, it's available on Tubi or behind your favorite paywall.

If you would like to see an episode reviewed, let me know!

[autisticcassandracain]

Hi! I'd like to start reading comics about Cassandra but I'm unsure where to begin: Is Shadow Of The Batgirl to be preferred over the Batgirl-2000-run? And why would you prefer it over the other one?Thanks in advance!

Thank you for asking! I love Cass and I love talking about Cass and I love when people want to read up on Cass, so I'll help as much as possible!

This got long, and very rambly, so I'll put a short-ish explanation and summary at the top. What I am doing in this post is, essentially, explaining Cass's character history. I am doing this because it provides you with a foundation for her character, and gives context to many of her comics.

If you want a straight reading list that gives you just her appearances, here is one; it is comprehensive, easily understandable, and covers all major ground. My post is less intended as a reading list, and more an explanation of the main points in Cass's history, and the general fan reception/quality of the major comics she's appeared in.

TL;DR for the stuff below the cut (and yes, this is the short version. sorry):

Shadow of the Batgirl is a non-canon stand-alone graphic novel; it's good and you can read it basically whenever you want, but it won't reflect Cass's canon character.

Cass's first appearances were in a crossover event called No Man's Land, which is pretty good, very important, and super long. Her introduction story, the Mark of Cain, can be found in Batman (1940) #567 and Detective Comics (1937) #734. I consider it a masterclass of character introduction and highly recommend it.

Batgirl (2000) is her Batgirl solo series and pretty much her characterization bible. It has its duds and its problems, but it's generally very good and a must-read for Cass fans. If you read nothing else about Cass, please at least read this.

People got really mad that Barbara Gordon wasn't Batgirl anymore and took it out on Cass. She was character massacred and turned into a villain starting with the last arc of Batgirl (2000). This continued for years. Cass's character has never recovered from this massacre.

Batgirl (2008) was an attempt at a redemption arc, but is generally considered to be Pretty Bad. I haven't read it beyond the first issue because I thought it was bad. However, this does have her adopted by Bruce Wayne.

Cass effectively disappeared from comics for years. Stephanie Brown unceremoniously took over as Batgirl, and Cass got sidelined. She got shunted off to Hong Kong and got a solo identity called Black Bat, but this got little to no exploration and she barely appeared in comics with it.

Red Robin #17 spent its first few pages giving an explanation for the Black Bat mantle. It's skippable except for completionists.

Gates of Gotham is the only notable appearance of Cass as Black Bat. It's a five-issue miniseries and also features some of the only meaningful interactions between her and Damian. It's pretty good and I recommend reading it.

The New 52 (N52) was a complete universe reboot DC did in 2011 in an attempt to make things easier for new fans. This failed. Two soft reboots have happened since then: Rebirth, and Infinite Frontier, the current timeline.

The N52 erased Cass and Stephanie from existence, and for the first few years of it, there was an editorial mandate that disallowed the use of their characters. Barbara was healed from her paralysis and made Batgirl again. All this, as well as the previously mentioned character massacre, was headed in no small part by a man called Dan Didio, a DC bigwig. We all hate him.

Cass was re-introduced in Batman and Robin Eternal. Her character and backstory was completely re-written, and she now had the hero identity Orphan. Fans almost unanimously consider this version of her character inferior to her pre-N52 one. Her fighting prowess was nerfed and most of her character traits were filed away to make her a quiet, sad former assassin. This is the version all later ones build on.

Batman and the Outsiders (2019) was perhaps the first major step forward (depending on who you ask). She was still Orphan, but had an interesting storyline with her mother, and got to bond with Duke Thomas, a bat character introduced in the N52. In my opinion she's still a shadow of her former self, but I'd ultimately recommend this book.

Dan Didio got fired in 2020. Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain were reinstated as Batgirls, although Barbara Gordon would also remain Batgirl (as well as Oracle). As a result, there are now three Batgirls running around.

Batgirls is an ongoing solo of these three Batgirls, launched in 2021. It's a lighthearted series that has gotten mostly positive reception from fans, though it is not without controversy. I haven't read it because I hate DC's magical curing of Barbara's paraplegia and also because I think it looks bad.

I don't know how much knowledge you have of DC comics or bat comics, so I'll be assuming you're starting at square zero. Sorry in advance if I end up explaining things that you already know.

Shadow of the Batgirl is not a canon comic; it's a stand-alone graphic novel for middle schoolers. It changes the world and Cass's backstory in order to work as a stand-alone story, and in my opinion, it does so quite well! The graphic novel is great as a stand-alone story and does a good job capturing Cass's core character, especially considering the changes made to her, but since it's not canon, it's not something I can really recommend to get to know her character beyond like, base characteristics. You can read it whenever you want, and if you want to start with it to get a taste of her character, feel free! But if you want to know Cass as she is in canon, Shadow of the Batgirl won't get you very far.

In general, if you want to get into a comic book character, I recommend finding a reading list; this is a list that lists notable appearances of a character, usually in order of publication, so that you have an easy guide on what comics to look for and read.

Here's one for Cass that's gonna do a much more comprehensive job at telling you what to read than I'm about to. It jumps around a lot between series, because that's just how comics are, but you can, of course, just pick Batgirl (2000), read through it, then work through what you missed. Since we already have a reading list (and this is far from the only one, you can find more with a little googling or looking through Tumblr), I'm just gonna focus on telling you about the big series and context and stuff.

Cass's first introduction was in No Man's Land, a batcomic crossover event. The premise of No Man's Land is that an earthquake devastates Gotham, and rather than spending money to rebuild it, the government declares Gotham a 'No Man's Land' separate from the United States, and closes the borders around it. This crossover event is absolutely huge; the Road to No Man's Land covers how this situation came to be, and No Man's Land focuses on the year in which Gotham was declared as such, and therefore effectively reads like post-apocalyptic Gotham. No Man's Land is something of a load-bearing event for pre-flashpoint batcomics, and had a lot of influence on them.

In my opinion, it's mostly pretty good and worth reading, but it's also very long and can therefore be a bit of a struggle to get through. I do recommend reading it in full at least once if you're interested in batcomics in general, but if you're just here for Cass, you don't have to read all of it. No Man's Land in its entirety is collected in Batman: No Man's Land (2011).

If you wanna skip to Cass's introduction, the above linked reading list will do you fine, but for completion's sake: her introduction is in Batman (1940) #567 and Detective Comics (1937) #734. I really recommend you read it; it's a masterclass in character introduction and immediately gets all of Cass's core traits on page.

She continues to have a role in No Man's Land after this, and the reading list above tells you in what stories she does, but since this is more of a highlights reel than a true reading list, I'll skip most of them. But Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 is kinda important because it's where she's handed the Batgirl mantle (though tbh I kinda dislike the issue).

After that, you can go to Batgirl (2000). This is her solo run, and it's where most of her characterization comes from. It's pretty long but reads easy due to its usual minimal dialogue. It has its issues (the fact that it often colours her yellow is a big one) and it definitely has its duds, especially towards the end, but it's mostly a really good series! It's an absolute must read for anyone who wants to know about Cass, and the series most Cass fans consider the peak of her character, with one caveat.

In the last arc of Batgirl (2000), Cass kills someone (voluntarily), and, subsequently, hangs up the Batgirl mantle. What follows are years of character assassination where she's a villain. There's retcons and attempts at softening the blow and stuff but it's a whole mess. Now, I'm no behind-the-scenes buff and can't really tell you the exact details in full confidence (here's a write-up on reddit with the exact details made by @fantastic-nonsense, who also has a post with additional information that didn't make it into the write-up here), but long story short is that a lot of people were still really, really attached to the idea of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl and really, really resented that Cass was Batgirl now (the fact that she was a disabled Asian girl who could beat up basically all of everyone's faves did not help the matter). So they abruptly cancelled her solo (that was still selling well) and made her a villain.

Now, 'DC has it out for my fave' is a very common thought process and is usually not true, but in this very specific case: DC quite literally had it out for Cassandra Cain, and nothing that was done in this era was done in good faith. It was pure, unadulterated, targeted character assassination, and despite efforts to salvage her, she's simply never recovered from it.

Attempts to salvage her began a few years later, albeit really lukewarm attempts. Batgirl (2008) was essentially a redemption arc for her, but it's widely considered to be, you know, not good. I've never read it, save for the first issue, because I really disliked the first issue and I at least try not to read comics I know I'm gonna hate. The important thing about this series is that it re-integrated her into the batfamily and even had her be adopted by Bruce Wayne.

Only for her to then promptly disappear from comics again. Cass barely appeared in comics for a long time; eventually, it was explained away with her being in Hong Kong as part of Batman Incorporated (long story), which was a really convenient reason not to write her. She was given the solo identity Black Bat, which got very little expansion beyond the name, and the Batgirl mantle was given to Stephanie Brown in a very unceremonious, hand-wavy fashion, and that was that.

During this era, basically the only comic of note for her is Gates of Gotham, a four-issue miniseries that stars her as Black Bat. That's also the only series that stars her as Black Bat in any meaningful fashion. Luckily, it's pretty good, and features some of the only meaningful interactions between her and Damian, so I do recommend reading it. There's also Red Robin #17, which spends a few pages at the beginning to establish how Cass got the Black Bat mantle, and it's.... fine, I guess, but skippable unless you're really invested in getting the complete picture. Red Robin #17 comes before Gathes of Gotham. Again, the linked reading list has a comprehensive overview of appearances.

Then we hit flashpoint and the N52. Again, since I'm assuming square zero knowledge in regards to comics, I'll give a quick explanation. In 2011, DC decided to completely reboot its universe in an attempt to make it more accessible to new readers (an attempt that failed royally, by the way). Flashpoint was a Flash-centric crossover event that gave an in-universe explanation for this. This reboot era is called the 'New 52' (N52 for short) because it launched with just 52 titles; these titles usually have a 'New 52' sticker on the cover.

What this reboot meant is that a lot of characters got erased, and even more had their histories/personalities retconned and rewritten. There's some good stuff from this era, but most people agree that it was pretty much a flop, and DC has slowly been walking back most changes made in this era with soft reboots. The first of these soft reboot eras is called Rebirth, and the second, in which we are now, is called Infinite Frontier. Rules for this era are still a little unclear to me, honestly, but apparently, everything is canon again now if the writers want it to be. What this means is highly dependent on the character and, once again, I don't really get it, but if reading comics teaches you anything, it's how to tolerate being confused as hell.

For Cass, this matters because the reboot was a brilliant excuse to erase her from existence entirely. And that's what happened: for years, there was an editorial mandate that disallowed the use of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown entirely. Multiple writers wanted to use them, but weren't allowed. Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon was put back in the Batgirl mantle, with a hand-wavy explanation was to why she could walk (despite having the Killing Joke and her subsequent paralysis remaining canon). She was de-aged and heavily promoted during this time.

(It should be noted that one of the main players behind this and Cass's character massacre was Dan Didio, bigwig at DC in various forms for 18 years and notorious hater of legacy characters. He's gone now (since 2020), but I am telling you this so that you know why pretty much all Cass fans fucking hate him.)

The N52 is also where my knowledge of Cass drops off. She was eventually re-introduced, but she was a shadow of her former self, and while she's definitely better off now than she has been for years, she's still, in my opinion, that shadow of herself. As such, I simply haven't bothered reading a lot of her comics since then, and the few I have read, I mostly did out of obligation and I mostly remember an overwhelming sense of frustration from them rather than, you know. The plot. I'll give as good of an overview as possible, but again, please refer to the reading list.

Her re-introduction was made in 2015, in Batman and Robin Eternal. While it was obviously great that she now existed again, most Cass fans consider the version of Cass's character reintroduced here to be a shadow of her former self and just not very well-written. In this, Cass was re-introduced as Orphan, an identity she would maintain for years. She's consistently nerfed in fighting ability, and has most of her defining character traits stripped off her to be largely reduced to 'quiet sad former assassin'. There's a slew of other problems but I'm not gonna get into them because we'd be here forever. It's just bad.

The first major sign of things kind of looking up came in Batman and the Outsiders (2019). This series puts real, genuine effort into Cass's character; it flashes out her relationship to Duke Thomas (a bat character introduced in the N52 and one of my personal favourites) and gives her a plotline with Lady Shiva, her mother, that is nuanced and interesting. She's still a shadow of her former self in this series, in my opinion, but that shadow is given respect.

Then Didio got fired in 2020, and Cass and Stephanie were both reinstated as Batgirl. Yes, both. Barbara is also still Batgirl, but also Oracle at the same time. She's also still walking around, unfortunately (though DC has been willing to let some writers write her as disabled in non-paraplegic ways, because apparently they think that's a compromise). The result is that there are currently three Batgirls.

In 2021, they all got a solo series called Batgirls. This is a light-hearted solo that has mostly gotten positive reception from fans except when it hasn't. It's a little controversial of a series; some fans really like it for its art, its cute character interactions, and for being the first major comic for Steph and Cass in years, and argue that being light-hearted doesn't mean it's bad. Others argue that it oversimplifies the characters to the point of being OOC, doesn't do anything interesting with them (even by light-hearted series standards), and that, ultimately, everyone in it is still a shadow of their former self. From what I've seen, a majority of fans enjoy it for what it is, but wish it was more.

Personally, I haven't read it, mostly because I don't want to read a series where Barbara is a main character until she's paralyzed again, but also in no small part because frankly, from what I've seen from it, it seems pretty bad, at least in my opinion. Nothing I've seen from this series has peaked my interest in the slightest beyond the art, which is not enough. But it is the first major series Cass has gotten since the early 2000s, so. On the list it goes.

Anyway, this got long and rambly, but if you got through all this, you should have a pretty good idea of what's up with Cass's character in general, and a foundation to jump into basically any point on the reading list.

[jedivoodoochile]

Happy #NationalBookLoversDay, Gothamites 🦇📚 What is your favorite Batman comic to re-read?

🖼️: Batman and Superman by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, cover to DC Entertainment Essential Graphic Novels and Chronology 2016.

[thevindicativevordan]

Apparently Kevin Conroy just died. RIP

66 is way too young for him to leave us, what a tragedy.

Conroy was Batman for multiple generations and across multiple forms of media. Millennials grew up with him as the voice of Batman in the DCAU, Batman: The Animated Series show was just as essential in reshaping the public's perception of the character after Adam West as The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke were. Zoomers knew him as the voice of Batman in the Arkham and Injustice video game series. That's not even counting all of the smaller animated roles he played over the years, like his appearance as the Phantom Stranger in Batman: The Brave and The Bold. He has cast a long shadow over other Batman VAs, and will only continue to do so with his passing.

But aside from the loss of Kevin Conroy the actor there is Kevin Conroy the man, possessed of a fascinating and tragic backstory worth of Batman himself. Like many others I assume, I didn't know he was gay (and I didn't know he was married) until relatively recently. He kept his private life a secret, as was his right, which makes the story he shared in DC Pride all the more powerful. It's a brief glimpse beneath the mask at all the pain Conroy was carrying around inside of him, the result of striving to care for a brother suffering from mental illness, from dealing with all the homophobic insults and attacks, from being a struggling artist trying to break out. I had hoped he would write a full blown autobio graphical novel that would expand on the brief glimpse he gave us before, because his story is a testament to the ability of Batman to connect with others, and a testament to Conroy's own ability to carry on.

A shame he won't get to write more stories for us, but this brief one off he did is as emotionally moving and powerful as his long career as the Dark Knight. Rest in peace Mr. Conroy.

[livepoultryfreshkilled]

i have a couple comic runs planned if dc ever lets me in. the first that comes to mind is my leslie thompkins villain-ish thing, inspired by gotham but in a different universe, where she becomes “the doc,” who is first a bioterrorist against the rich running the exploitative medical industry but is turned into a kind of paragon of disease who is attempting to speed up the whole “meek inheriting the earth” thing by doing, essentially, reverse-eugenics. like killing all the healthy people. it’s a lot inspired by my experience with the medical industry and as a chronically ill person and also i think it would be so cool. 

the other is “hip to be square” which is a lot more planned out and would probably be a vertigo house run, not a graphic novel like serious house on serious earth but definitely self-contained. i have a lot of thoughts onit which i need to make more cohesive so i would actually love asks or dms about it (answering questions makes me better at explaining) but in it the villain is like, this kind of YIMBY/gentrifying force taking over gotham and making it “normal.” productive, profitable, clean, MARKETABLE. as opposed to like the other exploitations of the poor in batman it would be about how modern gentrification takes away the culture and soul and individuality of the world completely, cleans it out, and how that would destroy everything about gotham that MAKES it gotham. they dont just stick to the poor, they also attempt to get rid of all the rogues. they’re after the eccentrics too, people who do not behave in a way that is conducive to exponentially increasing profits and being as marketable as possible. they are significantly more successful than batman in getting rid of the rogues because they convince the middle/upper middle class of gotham to exchange privacy for “security” and let them literally sell/buy away their privacy for the sake of PREVENTING crimes. you know how this happens in real life? the way we no longer trust each other because everyone is a potential threat so we pay companies to keep us safe? this is the first part. theyre working with batman and batman has to pretend he is fine with this and that he DOESNT need the rogues to continually break out and fight him again (he soo does, this one does at least) but they eventually turn on him too for being too violent and not working within the confines of the law and refusing to be regulated. also for being a little weirdo creep. bruce is NOT a playboy in this btw he is a creepy greasy little recluse and selina is a weird cat lady (and she has facial hair because how have people not given CATWOMAN whiskers yet, also its cool) and they have weird creepy love. there is riddlebird in this as well. oswald is kept as a kind of oddity/mockery for a period of time, but ed gives up the riddler persona, so does jonathan, and they both conform lest they be killed. which they do btw. there’s a whole mob execution of two-face, condiment man, lots of batman’s villains, they raid hugo strange’s laboratory and kill all of his “children”. joker is killed alone in a back room with no cameras, and he begs to have them kill him in public so he can at least be seen, but they shoot him and burn his body without ceremony. batman is burned at the stake with his suit on and his mask melts into his face but he doesnt die because selina saves him. it’s kind of like earth one in that waylon jones (my dear beloved waylon jones) is in the sewers, as is strange and selina, and they revive him. then its all the surviving rogues (oswald eventually is taken to be killed but he escapes #cockroachqueen and he attempts to recruit edward, they have a thing, there’s an additional arc between them. ed and jonathan have a thing that’s kind of about masking and conforming to a capitalist world even when it kills you, its also kind of trans. jonathan kills himself but ed is like FUCK this love is love im the ridler baby) and they also get the gothamites, the real gothamites, to do what they do best: be insane and wear a hat about it. all the gothamites becomes rogues themselves and they kill/drive out the betterment association (gentrifying group) and all the yuppies. thats the gist of it

the third is one where, due to a couple factors, batman is a villain in gotham. i believe that the joker/batman dichotomy would exist regardless of who represented “good” and who represented “evil”, as joker is not evil but instead the abject of batman (using julia kristeva’s definition of the object/abject relationship.) so batman, instead of order, becomes a figure for control, meaning that joker forms as a figure for freedom (instead of chaos.) they retain their personalities/ideals, but with different values: joker believes in #1 COMMIT TO THE FUCKING BIT. #2 be as annoying as humanly possible. #3 fuck cops suck cock and also that taking a life is the ultimate repression of freedom and also NOT even funny, batman believes that the only way to save gotham (and prevent something like his parents death happening again) is to gut out the sickness by force. dick grayson is taken in by joker (not immediately like he was with batman, but instead joker sees his parents die and is like HA. fucked up but i lold. sorry kid but eventually comes across him in the foster system and is like whoa i HATE systems. systems are my LEAST FAVORITE. i’m stealing this gymnastic tween) and dick becomes the flying squirrel instead of robin. gaggy the clown is batmans robin equivalent but let me be clear. gaggy is a full grown man. he is potentially even older than batman. but he is also his tween son. alfred is not there because alfred is the reason why bruce grew up to be good (alfred not being there was one of the factors of batman being evil.) gordon has to work with joker but oh he hates him so bad. joker is so ay and weird and annoying but gordon hates corruption more than he hates this fucking gay clown. sadly. harvey will be very interesting to explore but i havent figured out quite how yet.

anyways what do u all think? thoughts? ideas?