#Deaths of Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

[laysean87]

Batman & co. titles I've read over the last few months in 2024

Here a list of several Batman/Bat-Family comics I've read during the latter half of last year:

I hope I can find time to read some more of them. Especially those from the '90's to mid-'00's.

[frogaroundandfindout]

Dick thinks about his relationship with Helena and she tells him that the kid who got shot for talking to Batman died (Batman #694)

[dchuntress]

these days, i tend to pistol-whip first, ask questions later. call me crazy, but...

...no one... will ever... do that to me.

never, ever again.

when he saw my cross, i thought it might protect me. ward him off, like a vampire.

as men often do, he silenced me with my own fear.

he took it as some kind of sick souvenir. stole a child's faith and walked off, literally, into the sunset.

i reached at my throat as though it was still there, a habit.

there was only air.

my mother bled to death in front of me.

i tried to yell at god, but nothing came out and i just trembled. i held my fists so tight my fingernails drew blood. i wanted to bleed with them. i pleaded with god to just let me die with them.

but god is god. and i was just a little girl, like so many others.

...

every hero has a story. not like i'm some kind of hero. but there comes a point when, to survive, the hunted must become

the huntress.

[keycomicbooks]

Convergence #7 (2015) Amanda Conner Krypto Variant, Scott Lobdell & Jeff King Story, Aaron Lopresti Pencils, Deaths of Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal) 

#Convergence #7 (2015) #AmandaConner #Krypto Variant, #ScottLobdell & #JeffKing Story, #AaronLopresti Pencils, Deaths of Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Hawkwoman (Shayera Thal) "Showdown" The largest battle in the history of the Multiverse is here! Who will win and who will lose when Deimos battles the combined might of the Earth 2 survivors, the heroes from Kingdom Come, the Titans and Parallax? All this and more, as the heroes of The New 52 join the fight! https://www.rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Convergence.html#7 @rarecomicbooks Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA #KeyComicBooks #DCComics #DCU #DCUniverse #KeyIssue

[necrotic-nephilim]

as a Helena fan who's witnessed this whole bit go from silly jokes/memes to genuine vitriol, it's been utterly bizarre. from what i noticed, the root of the comparison came from people fanonizing Jason to the degree of saying "he has Catholic guilt (bc of the Flashpoint priest!Jason) and he'd be an English school teacher (bc i'm assuming, his taste for classic lit) and he's female rage-coded and he would adopt/protect children" which, are canonical traits of Helena. so at first, it was sort of a joke lamenting the fact ppl would rather force unrealistic headcanons onto Jason than consume content with a woman in the Batfam. because it's sort of a tad ironic/painful to see fanonized Jason Todd who's being called all these things he isn't, when there's a canon character who *is* all of those things right there. like if that's the character you want, why wouldn't you want to read about Helena. the issue started with frustration against fanon Jason, from my experience anyway.

but then, it spiraled out of control to become a comparison of their lethal moral code and their disagreements with Bruce suddenly making Jason this stupid boy clone of Helena. which isn't true and is an insult to both of them to claim they're at all the same. they kill for different reasons, they're at odds with Bruce for different reasons. a well-written Helena and a well-written Jason really have little in common. though their interactions could be interesting, i don't even think they'd get along tbh.

i think in recent months/years, the Batfamily fandom suddenly became self aware that they grossly ignore the women of the Batfam. and now they're trying *too hard* to course correct for that. to an extent, i get why Helena isn't in the majority of fanon content- she hasn't really *been* a Batfamily member since pre-Flashpoint. the New-52 and Rebirth versions of her character are arguably not even the same character and certainly not a character as important to the Batfamily as she used to be. so why *would* a fandom mostly pulling from modern comics know who she is aside from the couple WFA episodes she's been in. (which did her *no* favors for people understanding her and also whitewashed her before the art was fixed.)

but, i think everyone's now trying to prove how woke their fandom content is (i hate using that word, it sounds very republican but i can't think of a better one.) by including women and characters of color to prove they don't just care about the boys. and sure, it's cool and all if you want to pick up Huntress comics bc you're sick of reading about stories only featuring Bruce and his "sons", but now it's like. almost a competition to prove how much more you know about the Batfam than other people when you make these jokes. i've seen the same thing happening comparing Steph and Jason recently. yes, it's important to care about the more diverse characters of the Batfam as much as you care about the boys. but now they're put on this ridiculous pedestal of being the "more cool alternatives". an organic push for content about the underrated characters is one thing, but it's another thing entirely when it's born out of a performative nature, which is certainly what this whole... thing feels like.

and the irony is, you can *really* tell the people doing this the most haven't actually read much of Helena's content outside of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey. and my hot take is, i don't think Gail Simone does a *great* job with Helena and she's often pretty sexist toward Helena (making other characters slut shame her, making Helena very promiscuous which isn't something she has a history of, etc) so, while it's important content for Helena, it can be a shallow reading of her. where all you really get about her is "pro-murder Batfam vigilante with a crossbow and a sassy personality" which sure, feels a *bit* like a shallow Jason. but that's the whole point, you have to make them both *incredibly* shallow to compare them. bc it's not about actually liking the women, it's about getting the shallow brownie points of saying "look i know who she is and i think she's *totally* cooler than Jason he's a dumb copy".

tbh even with the Jason Todd headcanons that are more egregious in feeling like "oh that's just Helena Bertinelli but a dude", it's not like it's being done on purpose. none of these fanon-only fans know enough about Helena to be purposefully stealing her traits and it really isn't that deep aside from sometimes, people just have bad headcanons that kinda make you wish they would read about characters aside from their main blorbos. but hey, they're not *required* to, and no one is an evil misogynist for having some OOC headcanons. you suck the fun out of fandom when you require people to interact with characters they aren't interested in. and depending on why someone likes Jason, they honestly might not like Helena. they're wildly different and have very different dynamics with everyone around them.

and i get it, Jason has had *wildly* inconsistent writing and there's debate upon debate of what's in character for him, what comics you should consider when trying to make fan content about him, and so on. i'm in the "anything past pre-Flashpoint isn't in the version i prefer" camp, but the whole mess of it scatters the fandom on how to write him. which i think is the actual root of him getting fanonizing beyond recognition, *not* people stealing from Helena. is it particularly headache-inducing to see Jason fans say "he's girl coded" or "he's female-rage coded"? yeah. but even those fans aren't ever going to be convinced out of their bubble by vitriolic comments made about how Jason's a total loser and Helena's so much cooler than him. and then the more canon-based fans who might *actually* like Helena and probably would read her comics if just given an honest recommendation of her character are *really* not going to want to be interacting her content/fandom. painting a broad stroke of the Jason fandom all seeing Jason as this cartoonish fanon version of himself does you no favors with anyone.

like i used to find the silly jokes/memes that were solely calling out bad fanon enjoyable as pure lighthearted "oh i wish more people liked this character the way they liked that character bc the fandom for this character is so small" vibes, but you're right about it getting out of hand. it's become the only thing people seem to talk about in the Huntress fandom space. i'd much rather discuss Helena for who she is then talk about Jason. because isn't it just a *little* ironic that in attempting to make this fandom more inclusive of the women, we still just *have* to make it about the men? you don't make Helena, or Steph or Cass or Onyx or any other underrated woman sound cool by comparing them to Jason. you just make it sound like you don't know how she stands as a character on her own. she's a cool character with a cool history (both in-universe and the meta history of the Huntress mantle) but this whole weird hate boner for Jason permeating the fandom space for her just makes people hate her instead of not know of her. and really, i can't blame anyone for that.

Like. Where and when did Helena vs Jason thing start? It's so fucking annoying and makes me think that I'll never want to interact with the Huntress fandom if/when I read more stuff about her. Which is a bit how I avoid interacting with the Nightwing fandom at large despite liking his stuff.

[wintersettled]

Here's a list of recs if you'd like to read somecomics about different batfam characters:

BRUCE WAYNE - Batman: Year One (1987) - Batman: The Long Halloween (1996) & Dark Victory (2000) - Batman: Knightfall Saga (1993) - Batman: No Man's Land Saga (1999)

SELINA KYLE - Catwoman (1989) - Catwoman (1993) - Catwoman: When in Rome - Catwoman: Selina's Big Score

DICK GRAYSON - Robin & Batman (2022) - Robin: Year One - The New Teen Titans (1980) - Nightwing (2016) #35-43 - Batman: Black Mirror

JASON TODD - Batman: The Cult - Batman: A Death in the Family (i dont actually care for this but i feel obligated to include it so here...) - Batman: Under the Red Hood - Robin Lives!

TIM DRAKE - Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying - Robin (1993) - Young Justice (1998)

CASSANDRA CAIN - Batgirl (2000) - Batgirl (2008) - Batgirl (2024) - Birds of Prey (2023) (which also includes Barbara!)

BARBARA GORDON - Batgirl: Year One - Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey - Birds of Prey (1999) (especially Gail Simones run!!) - Suicide Squad (1987) #49-50

DAMIAN WAYNE - Batman and Robin (2011) - Robin: Son of Batman - Robin (2021) - The Boy Wonder - Batman & Robin (2023) (currently ongoing! imo this would be a good place to start reading since its happening right now so you can see it happen along with everyone else!)

DUKE THOMAS - Batman: Zero Year - We Are Robin - Batman & The Signal

HELENA BERTINELLI - Huntress: Year One - The Huntress (1989) - Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood - Helena is also a character in birds of prey from issues #57-127 and a reocurring bat character in the 90s

STEPHANIE BROWN - Detective Comics #647-649 - Showcase '95 #5 - Robin (1993) #126-147 (steph has a ton of appearances in Robin 1993 so it would be good to read that for more or to look through her appearances on locg if you just want to read about her! these chapters are her as Robin.) - Batgirl (2009)

I haven't read a super large amount for every single one of them so disclaimer that some of the ones I mention here might not be their best! These are what I could think of but there are plenty more, especially as standalone issues, so if anyone sees this please mention more!! also, there are lots of comics that are questionable but this list was very much on the fly off the top of my head so i was kind of sat here with my head in my hands like 'god i need to give more than one jason todd comic dont i....' and this was all i could come up with that wasnt like.... a random detective comics issue idk

I'd also like to say these feature a lot of minis just for ease but there are a ton of really good guides available for these character -- imo a lot of Jason's best stuff is as Robin within tec and batman

[gnomewithalaptop]

I'm still too distracted to write so here have a list of YJ-cast centric fics that make me froth at the mouth

Kon-centric recs:

I Want It That Way (1990s Tim/Kon) by WynterSky / @wynterstars -- A revamped, 90s-style Superboy origin story with added Lex Luthor AND a lil bit of 90s Robin for spice and flavor. Honestly, this whole series is so elite -- goes hard with the Superboy mythos + angst PLUS the third fic leans hard into the secret identity shenanigans in a way that'd make Miraculous Ladybug jealous. The first fic splits its attention between Tim and Kon, but the latter two are solidly Kon-centric

one plus one (easy math) by connerdrakewayne / @comphetkoncass -- Cassandra Cain and Kon go to a gala together. I'm always a sucker for a good Cass + Kon friendship. This one's very short and sweet, and it gets the job done -- 10/10 would read again

a timeline can be a haunted house by connerdrakewayne -- post-universal reset Kon angst + terrible coping mechanisms! This one goes so hard I read it three times. Tbh this author has an excellent handle on Kon as a character in general, so I honestly recommend just checking out their whole fic stash

Tim-centric recs:

Top 10 Secret Identity Fails by @havendance -- Tim's new English teacher is his on-again-off-again superhero teamup Helena Bertinelli (aka the Huntress). This one's just fun, okay -- the whole thing reads like it could be straight out of Tim's 1993 solo run, plus I love the dynamic between him and Helena. Overall just a very cool vibe

only the dead stay 17 forever by Sky_Dust (couldn't find their tumblr sorry) -- Listen, I've really been restraining myself here, because I realize my love for time-travel bullshit is not universal, but I genuinely couldn't not include this one. This bad boy is a Tim-centric time-loop featuring a seriously unhinged Tim -- definitely a darker tone, but I can't stop rereading it

Bart-centric recs:

reflections on respawning: a gamer's uncertainty by merils / @mamawasatesttube -- Bart has a hard conversation about his death and subsequent resurrection (feat. Kon) man, I just vibe with this one so hard. It's such a thoughtful take on Bart's more contemplative side, while still managing to keep his personality intact

the backlash to the backlash to the thing that's just begun by @kermit-coded -- trans/gnc impulse my beloved <3 also we get some funky Max & Bart bonding, made much rawer and more real by the fact that it's the 90s and nobody knows what they're doing. Again, feels like it's straight out of Bart's solo series

Cassie-centric recs:

you and I, we are more than just this armor by @suzukiblu -- KonCassie bonding + gender feels. They're both so trans in this, and the author does a great job of really digging deep into their complicated feelings (both about gender and about each other)

(also PLEASE somebody give me more Cassie-centric fic recs I'm literally begging you)

Team recs

I'm all yours but you're all mine by suzukiblu -- Poly Core 4 Soulmates AU! Essentially, everybody gets their 'soulmark'/soulmate-identifier (not really, but the best word) right when Kon wakes up in his pod, and because Superboy hasn't really made his big splash yet, they misidentify their soulmate as Superman; this is an issue mainly because 1) they're all 14-15 and Superman is roughly 30-ish, and 2) by the time this fic takes place, Superman is pretty verifiably dead. Currently in-progress, but this is such an interesting and fun take on the usual soulmates trope. I pinky promise you won't regret reading it

Love, Not Loved series by @popsunner -- hoooomygod this series makes me cry literally every time I read it, it's genuinely one of the most realistic representations of grief I've seen on AO3. Basically explores the general fucked-up-edness of pretty much the whole YJ Core 4 Squad dying one by one, with each fic focusing on a different funeral (complete with survivor's guilt, regular guilt, and just plain old complicated feelings). We get Cassie feels, we get Tim feels, we get Bart + Kon feels -- it's the whole shebang. Don't worry -- there's a happy ending eventually, but you def gotta work for it. This series beat me up and stole my lunch money and I'd happily do it all over again

Lost the Last Piece of Me by InsaneTrollLogic / @last01standing -- YJ Core 4 Animorphs AU! I'm sad to say I've never read the original Animorphs series, but every single Animorphs AU I've ever read has been such high quality. Unsurprisingly (I love this author, okay), this fic is no exception to that rule. Solid alien-invasion plot, character driven, and the world-building is explained well enough that even a newbie like me can understand (feat. some TimKon, but it's not the main focus)

Ikonoclast by anantipodean (couldn't find a tumblr) -- Tim and Kon get sent to an alternate reality that's almost (but not quite) like their own. This one's just fun for me -- I love the TimBart buildup and the worldbuilding on the other Earth is a funky time. Also, the other universe's Tim is goth and absolutely cannot stand mainstream-reality Tim, and I find that extremely funny for some reason

[armed-with-a-waffle-iron]

a pretty ambitious ask, but let's go:

suppose, you are now in charge of writing a dual story for stephanie brown and helena bertinelli. it can be a mini, a standalone, a comic series, or an entire run. you can use any version of them (as in, any alias or any particular storyline) and it doesn't have to align with the current dc storyline — simply, the floor is all yours. it can have connections to blunt trauma but it's not necessary. you can also revisit any past storylines and rewrite them newly for this dual story.

how would you go about this? what ideas and themes would you like to explore? or would you like to aim for more of a buddy vigilante adventure action thing?

(this is meant to be lighthearted and a roundabout way of me asking what sort of purple power comics you'd like to see more of, heh 💜💜)

Ooooo. It'd be a miniseries (4-6 issues), sort of a sequel to Blunt Trauma. I'm calling it Huntress/Batgirl: Blunt Instruments.

Dustin Nguyen is on pencils. It's set in the Batman: Reborn era. The Birds of Prey are broken up and Bruce is "dead". Stephanie is still established herself as the new, wild-card Batgirl and Helena has been vigilante-style globetrotting with bestie Renee Montoya. They're both feeling a little out of place and little lonely but won't admit it. They're both actually struggling with their complicated feelings over Bruce's death but won't admit it. They're both struggling with the open question of who they will become after this hard reset. Sky's the limit now right? So why doesn't it feel like that?

"Blunt instruments" is gonna be a phrase they've both heard Bruce use to describe them; undisciplined, heavy-handed loose cannons, ill-fit for vigilante work.

I wanna get to the bottom of what kind of heroes Helena and Steph are. What can they do just as well as Batman? (combat, crime-busting know how...) What can they do that Batman can't? (being more human than idea; approachability/intuition with people, viewing Gotham from a socially-concerned lens, lives/work outside batman-ing, faith/spirit, unpredictability...) What really drives them? (Helena as a teacher & Steph as a nurse) What's Gotham mean to them? (as people who live there and breathe the same air, instead of living in an ivory tower) To do this, they're gonna have to reckon with something close to home that raises old sins and old demons.

It's gonna be a mob story, drawn in the style of film noir but more playful. No super-powered threats. The antagonists are the Gotham Mafia, specifically the Inzerillo Crime Family who are primarily involved in racketeering and headed by an old-fashioned, "Mustache Pete" called Boss Enrico. The Inzerillo's secret weapon will be a young woman, Steph's age, who is the Boss's adopted daughter. She's an incredibly gifted assassin with a point to prove. She's desperate to "make her bones" and establish herself in a tyrannical, male-dominated space which ostracises her.

While they'll mostly be beating up male mafioso no-names, I also want Huntress and Batgirl dealing with youths and female spouses getting involved in the rackets; criminal receivers, runners for drugs, racketeering vandals and arsons, or even murders of those who dishonour the Family. I want these "complicit innocents" to have agency, and I want Helena and Steph get that (and get them).

I want them to deal more with the social ramifications of organised crime which Batman stories neglect. Lost kids, broken families, debts, addiction, incarceration, sexual exploitation, over-policing, police brutality... Things you can't just slap "Wayne Foundation" onto as a fix. I wanna show how better equipped these characters are with reckoning with more socially-concerned themes.

I also wanna really draw out their shared antiauthoritarian bent. The authorities, cops, and even Batman (Dick) and Robin will be barriers as they fight, dirty if they have to, to bring down a despot don with far reaching tentacles. What have authority figures ever done for them? They're used to flipping-off authority.

In a sense Batman, as an idea, that gave birth to Huntress and Batgirl/Spoiler and also represented to them a distant, disproving, unpleasable patriarch. Who are Helena and Steph in a world without God Batman? I want the story to be an answer. Batman will always influence who they are but who says they can't be independent and distinct in their own right.

Supporting cast. Their "mothers" will both show up to stir the pot, and by "mothers" I mean Catwoman and Dr. Thompkins. Oracle, and to a smaller degree, Misfit will help out on the case. I want them to come off as part of a (complicated) community, however alone they may feel.

Also, they're both only going to use their signature piercing weapons (crossbow and trick-batarangs) in the final issue, as a kind of we're not blunt instruments after all huh?

We're not getting a happy ending, but they'll come out with a hell of a lot of respect for one another (and hopefully themselves).

[fantastic-nonsense]

they literally just do not make comics like this anymore

about to go read a peak comic (Huntress: Year One) as a late night treat

[kevin-day-is-bi]

Beginner's Guide to Batman (and Batman-related) Media

(based on my knowledge and the things I enjoy)

Live action Batman movies are very hit or miss. Most of them are fairly middling, but the Dark Knight Trilogy is generally pretty bad. Poor Bruce characterization, white-washing, inaccurate representations of Gotham, etc. I have several thousand words written on that trilogy, and many more on live action movies in general (all of which are accessible thru my pinned post). The Batman (2022) is pretty widely regarded as being good and accurate. It has a much more emo depiction of Bruce. A major pet peeve of mine is that I, personally, don't think it's a very good Riddler, but everything else is good.

As for shows, those are generally less accurate but more enjoyable. Gotham is not technically canon I don't think but it has better aesthetics, canon accuracy, and character design than every live action movie imo. It starts with Bruce seeing his parents' murder and goes up until he first decides to become Batman. Gotham Knights is a much more AU-style show, detailing the death of Bruce and how his adopted son (invented for the show) handles it. It also has Stephanie, Harper and Cullen Row, and Duela Dent, plus great queer rep. Heavily recommended for people who want to know more about general character personalities or who enjoy AUs. Titans has Dick, Jason, and Tim, and while I personally don't think that they did well with the characterization of the other Titans, the Robins are well-done. If you want a good idea of Dick right after he became Nightwing, you want to see Jason as Robin, or you like Tim pre-Robin, this is the show for you.

As for animated shows, the usually widely loved ones are Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman: The Animated Series. B:TAS is largely accurate to the comics at that time, though it plays a little fast and loose with the Robins (goes straight from Dick to Tim). Plus, it's the first appearance of Harley Quinn! Additionally, I enjoy The Batman (2005), though it plays with the timeline a little and targets a younger audience. Batman Beyond is amazing if you want to get into the future of Batman/Terry McGinnis universe. The accompanying movie, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker covers Tim becoming Joker Jr.

Speaking of animated movies, there are a Lot. Standouts include the Batman Unlimited movies, which are some of the only ones to include Tim. They're very futuristic, so if you enjoy AUs or the science side of Batman, these are the ones. There are a lot of AU style ones, like Gotham by Gaslight (which I personally really love but don't think is anything particularly special outside of being interesting for characters), The Doom That Came to Gotham, and Batman Ninja. Batman Ninja isn't one of my favorites, but it is very good and has general good characterization. If you want to know more about how Barbara became Oracle but you don't want to read one of the most sexist comics ever, watching the Batman: The Killing Joke movie is a good way to do it. It frames the movie from Barbara's perspective and focuses on her story. If you want to know more about Damian, Son of Batman and Batman vs Robin are good. They detail him becoming Robin and his brush with the Court of Owls. Batman: Under the Red Hood is absolutely necessary viewing for anyone who likes Jason, as it details him coming back to life and becoming the Red Hood (along with having one of the all-time most depressing lines in-context ever).

When it comes to media that doesn't have Batman in it but is Batman-affiliated, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn is a really good post-Joker pre-Ivy look at Harley, and it has Helena Bertinelli (Huntress), Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Detective Renee Montoya, and an AU-ized Cassandra Cain. The show Young Justice, particularly the first season, is a really good look at Robin!Dick in non-Bat teams, as is the animated Teen Titans. Both take slightly different routes when it comes to his personality, but both are equally good (especially if most of what you know about Robin!Dick is "holy dental hygiene, Batman!" or his vague backstory). They also both provide introductions into other team families, particularly Young Justice, so if you've just gotten into DC via Batman and want to know more about other characters, YJ is the way to go.

My personal idea of best piece of media for any character:

Bruce Wayne

Pre-Batman - Gotham

Batman: The Animated Series

Alfred Pennyworth

Batman: The Animated Series

Barbara Gordon

Batman: The Animated Series and The Killing Joke

Kate Kane

Batman: Bad Blood

Dick Grayson

As Robin - Young Justice

As Nightwing - the Son of Batman/Batman vs Robin/Batman: Bad Blood trilogy

Jason Todd

As Robin - Titans

As the Red Hood - Batman: Under the Red Hood

Tim Drake

As Robin - Batman: The Animated Series

As Red Robin - Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem/Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts

Stephanie Brown

Gotham Knights

Damian Wayne

Son of Batman/Batman vs Robin

Feel free to send an ask about a specific movie or show (or if you want a detailed list of everything a specific character has ever appeared in!) - I'm currently watching every Batman movie in existence and writing reviews literally so I can provide better recommendations to people (on part 41 rn). I will gladly provide more details about any movie or show. Also if you want to know more about specific media or what media a specific character has appeared in that is Bat-affiliated but is not a Bat, I probably have info! Anyone who's ever been a Titan, most Supers, most of the JLA, etc.

I can do another of these for comic recommendations if anyone wants bc I Do have opinions, I've just had some folks ask questions about specifically non-comic media recently!

[havendance]

What’s your favourite Helena Bertinelli/Renee Montoya moment?

Oooh, good question. I am partial to them in Birds of Prey (2010) #13. This is very fun between them:

Huntress: What is it, lady? Question: I don't even know these people. Awfully assumptive, aren't we? Huntress: Okay, sure. Sorry. Deep breath. Would you very much like to go with me on a very possibly suicidal and ill-defined mission that may or not only not save my partners-- --but may in fact lead to nothing but horrible death and unmarked graves for us all? Question: When you put it that way… …I just wanted you to ask the question, you know?

[annah-kitathryne]

7, 12, and 24 for helena bertinelli?

Helena Bertinelli

7. A quote of them that you remember?

Kid: Do you have super strength?

Helena: No.

Kid: Are you invulnerable?

Helena: I'm afraid not.

Kid: Then how are you gonna save him? What are you gonna do?

Helena: I'm going to do everything I'm capable of doing!

-)(-

Helena: Hypocrite

-)(-

Helena: Jabberwook

12. Sexuality headcanon?

I'm of two minds that exist hand in hand. Demisexual, Demiromantic, Bisexual. She wouldn't use those words for it, though. She knows she's queer and Bi, but doesn't exactly want to dig any deeper.

Also just realized the flag colors for all those identities (except for the demiromantic green) have matched her costume at some point throughout her history. No serious it matches.

24. What do you think is a secret they have that they never told anyone?

I think about this one a lot, actually. So far up to my reading, she doesn't talk explicitly about memories she has with her immediate family.. I think she keeps those to herself. She talks about her family history, but that's stuff that reasonably anyone could find out, but the personal stuff? She keeps those to herself. The moments where her mother brushes her hair or would pick out a dress, the moments at meals where they were almost normal. What she named her toys. She also keeps all the memories of her brother to herself.

She also keeps a lot of stuff private about her faith. Sure, she talks about it and devoted it with Artemis, but it's another thing for herself. Something that can't be taken away. Her family is dead, and a vigilante identity can be stripped, but her faith is her own. Even in the moments where her faith won't allow her in, it's still hers and hers alone.

I think she also stays quite on just how lonely she can be. How she doesn't have a family, she only started making friends later on, how that friendship can feel conditional, how separated she can be from people. It's never quite there, but still there. She loves working on her own, being herself. She does it and loves it. But sometimes it hits her just how alone she is. Moments where she remembered she was the only one in her building, using recorded conversation to fill up the empty space.

I also think she keeps quite on just how much she cares for the younger vigilantes. Robin and Spoiler, to be exact. Now, in canon so far in my reading, Huntress and Spoiler have met and teamed up 1.5 times. I think despite that very short list, Huntress cares a lot. She doesn't want another kid in a costume, as seen from Blunt Trauma. She's a teacher, she cares about her students, and she cares about the kids she saves. She goes out of her way to try to help kids even if logically she knows it's doomed. She doesn't want more kids going down the vigilante path. She sees Spoiler, and she hopes that it's not too late to turn her away from vigilantism even though she knows it won't work because she cares. She doesn't want anyone else to become a part of this life. Robin (Tim) she has a much longer history. She would never admit how much she wants to be an older sister, how she feels like an older sibling when around him. She won't admit it but she's proud of him.

She won't ever admit, not even on her death bed, just how much Batman's rejection into the main circle hurt. Sure, people know it. But not how deep it was.

[ao3feed-drstrange]

Distorted Justice

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UEfez6t by SonicFan32567 Life hasn't been kind to Peter Parker, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He's lost nearly everything and everyone he loves. However, when an attempt to help by Dr. Strange goes wrong, Spider-Man now finds himself in a new universe where he not only has to bond with The Justice League, but he also must restore his own broken hope. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and everybody else are here for the fun. (Spider-ManXWonderWoman) (Other ships are in here) Words: 4922, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), DCeased (DC Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Superman (Comics), Wonder Woman - All Media Types, Wonder Woman (Comics), The Flash - All Media Types, The Flash (Comics), Green Lantern - All Media Types, Green Lantern (Comics), Martian Manhunter (Comics), Doctor Strange (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M Characters: Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Diana (Wonder Woman), Batman, Bruce Wayne, Superman, Clark Kent, Flash (DCU), Wally West, Green Lantern, John Stewart (DCU), Hawkgirl (DCU), Shayera Hol, Martian Manhunter, J'onn J'onzz, Aquaman, Arthur Curry (DCU), Stephen Strange, Mephisto (Marvel), Lex Luthor, Black Canary (DCU), Dinah Lance, Oliver Queen, Huntress, Helena Bertinelli, The Question (DCU), Joker (DCU), Stan Lee, Mr. Ditkovich (Spider-Man (Movies - Raimi)), Lois Lane, Wong (Marvel) Relationships: Diana (Wonder Woman)/Peter Parker, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Clark Kent, Shayera Hol & John Stewart, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Dinah Lance/Oliver Queen, Huntress/Question, Arthur Curry/Mera (DCU), Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker/Gwen Stacy, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Action/Adventure, Action & Romance, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Action, Humor, Romance, Adventure, Fanfiction read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UEfez6t

[zorilleerrant]

Bruce Wayne's relatives, for people who are new to the Batfam or don't want to read the comics, and wonder which relationships are canonical and which are fanonical:

Alfred Pennyworth: Bruce's legal guardian and primary caregiver for most of his childhood. Superhero support role.

Lucius Fox: Not related to Bruce. An employee and later CEO of one or more of Bruce's companies. Superhero support role.

Jim Gordon: Not related to Bruce. Sometimes first responder to Bruce's parents' death. Superhero liaison.

Jacob Kane: Bruce's uncle. The biological brother of Bruce's biological mother. Sometimes villain/antagonist.

Kate Kane: Bruce's cousin. The biological daughter of Bruce's uncle. Batwoman, self-taught and trained by her father.

Selina Kyle: Not related to Bruce. His love interest and frequent wife, mother of his daughter, Helena. Catwoman, self-taught.

Talia Al Ghul: Not related to Bruce. His love interest and mother of his son, Damian. Assassin and sometimes antagonist.

Kathy Kane: Not related to Bruce. (In-law to Kate.) His love interest. Batwoman, self-taught.

Khoa Khan: Not related to Bruce. His friend and implicit love interest. Ghostmaker, various teachers. Currently runs Batman, Inc.

Dick Grayson: Bruce's foster and later adopted son. Robin, later Nightwing, trained by Bruce.

Bette Kane: Not related to Bruce. (Related to Kathy.) Batgirl, trained by Kathy, somewhat trained by Bruce.

Babs Gordon: Not related to Bruce. (Jim's daughter.) Batgirl, trained by Bruce. Later Oracle, self-taught and formal schooling. As a rule, included in both Batfamily and Brucefamily events, and Bruce refers to her as like a daughter. Other Waynes call her family.

Jason Todd: Bruce's adopted son. Robin, trained by Bruce. Later Red Hood, trained by Talia and various villains. Sometimes antagonist.

Tim Drake: Bruce's adopted son. Earlier in his superhero career, only a neighbor and not related to Bruce. Robin, Red Robin, adult identity currently under discussion, trained by Bruce and Dick.

Steph Brown: Not related to Bruce. Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl, self-taught and trained by Bruce and Babs. Usually included in Batfamily and often included in Brucefamily events, and Bruce refers to her as like a daughter. Other characters have called her Bruce's daughter. Other Waynes call her family.

Cass Cain: Bruce's adopted daughter. Black Bat, Orphan, Batgirl, trained by assassins.

Damian Wayne: Bruce's biological son (with Talia). Robin, trained by assassins, Talia, Dick, and Bruce.

Duke Thomas: Bruce's foster son. Signal, self-taught and trained by Bruce. Included in family portraits. Bruce refers to him as a son and other Waynes refer to him as a brother.

Claire Clover: Bruce was her primary caregiver for a while. An alternate universe version of Bruce's father was her legal guardian and primary caregiver for a while as well. Gotham Girl, trained by her brother and Thomas Wayne. Ambiguously part of the Batfamily. As of current, homeless and with no guardian or caretaker.

Luke Fox: Not related to Bruce. (Lucius's son.) Batwing, self-taught and trained by Bruce. Part of the Batfamily, not the Brucefamily.

Jace (formerly Tim) Fox: Not related to Bruce. (Lucius's son.) Batman of New York, various teachers. Ambiguously part of the Batfamily, not part of the Brucefamily.

Tiff Fox: Not related to Bruce. (Lucius's daughter.) Batgirl, Robin of New York, self-taught. Ambiguously part of the Batfamily, not part of the Brucefamily.

Bao Pham: Not related to Bruce. Clownhunter, self-taught and trained by Khoa. Former antagonist. Works for Batman, Inc.

Maps Mizoguchi: Not related to Bruce. Debatably Robin, self-taught. Bruce's neighbor and Damian's classmate for a time.

Helena Wayne: Bruce's biological daughter (with Selina). Huntress, trained by Bruce and Selina.

Helena Kyle: Possibly Bruce's biological daughter, or unrelated to him. Huntress, trained by Selina and Babs.

Helena Bertinelli: Not related to Bruce. (Except under conditions where she's an alternate universe version of Bruce's daughter using a fake name.) Huntress, various teachers. Not necessarily part of the Batfamily, but works with them.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Serendipity

by Grom1sk0 Serendipity - "El efecto por el cual uno se topa accidentalmente con algo verdaderamente maravilloso, especialmente mientras busca algo que no tiene nada que ver"   Isha no sabe como llego, extraña a Jinx pero ahora tiene a una gran madre O Barbara termino salvando y dándole un hogar a una pequeña niña Words: 873, Chapters: 1/1, Language: Español Fandoms: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021), DCeased (DC Comics), DCU (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Multi Characters: Barbara Gordon, Isha (Arcane: League of Legends), Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake (DCU), Superboy (DCU), Clark Kent, Alfred Pennyworth, Diana (Wonder Woman), Jonathan Kent, Jinx (League of Legends), Black Canary (DCU), Lex Luthor, Jim Gordon (DCU), Kate Kane (DCU), Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Carrie Kelley, Helena Bertinelli, Duke Thomas, Jean-Paul Valley Additional Tags: Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Barbara Gordon is Batgirl, Barbara Gordon Needs a Hug, Protective Barbara Gordon, Isha Lives (Arcane: League of Legends), Isha Needs a Hug (Arcane: League of Legends), Autistic Isha (Arcane: League of Legends), POV Isha (Arcane: League of Legends), Adorable Isha (Arcane: League of Legends), Bruce Wayne is Batman, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Tentacle Dick, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Soft Tim Bradford, Tim Drake's Missing Spleen, Tim Drake and Jason Todd are Siblings, Damian Wayne is Robin, Tim Drake is Red Robin (DCU), Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Protective Damian Wayne, Good Sibling Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown is Spoiler, Stephanie Brown Deserves Better, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Cassandra Cain is Black Bat, Cassandra Cain Needs a Hug, Good Older Sibling Cassandra Cain, Kate Kane is Batwoman (DCU), Mentioned Kate Kane (DCU), Protective Kate Kane (DCU), Good Sibling Carrie Kelley, Helena Bertinelli is Huntress, Helena Bertinelli is Batman, Duke Thomas is Signal, Good Sibling Duke Thomas, Duke Thomas is a Batfamily Member, Duke Thomas is a Ray of Sunshine, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Good Grandparent Alfred Pennyworth, Protective Alfred Pennyworth, Mentioned Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth is Bruce Wayne's Parent, POV Barbara Gordon via https://ift.tt/iTFm0hl

[whywhywhymoney]

a pretty lengthy ask mostly about miss wayne cause i'm feeling chatty and brave, please take your time and no pressure to answer all of these!! 💜

• which continuity or more specifically, origin story do you prefer for helena wayne?

• i think it's kind of a shame that in the two origin stories i know for hel, selina dies. to be fair, i do understand that later on helena loses all of her loved ones including bruce, but i kinda would've loved to see earth 2 selina still be alive for longer.

• your thoughts on her relationship with karen starr? i love them SO MUCH, platonically and romantically both! i am absolutely rooting for them as a couple, but i also just love seeing them vibe and kick ass together like the dynamic duo they are!!

• what do you think about helena wayne being a lawyer in the golden age era? and do you think if she'd be a lawyer again or even have a dayjob at all in the current storyline? i would understand if she sticks to just being a vigilante, because in the former, helena would often have reservations about her dayjob and felt that she made more of a difference as huntress.

• i think it's really cool how helena has had a lot of mantles at different points, and she was awesome in all of them not to be biased or anything... robin, huntress, batman, batwoman, and famine. i like huntress as a primary identity for her, but it's really interesting and fun to see her in different roles.

• you had asked me about this in the past, but i still would love to hear your thoughts on this: how would you go about crafting a helena wayne and helena bertinelli crossover?

Oh wow, okay this is amazing first of all and second of all THANK YOU, like I don't consider myself an authority at all but I do just love this character sm 💖

Tbh I think the only origin I don't really like is the current 2022 one. It really feels like the writer didn't get that Helena's whole thing is that she DID get to enjoy a childhood free from angst and the way Selina talks to her totally doesn't gel with me. But I think I like the new52 origin a lot, not just because it was my introduction to her but also because it shows both of her parents being present. I know Selina was present in pre crisis but we never really got to see that due to.. death... which leads me to ->

Oh I totally agree. Like on one hand, it's very cool that the daughter of Batman actively chooses to honour both her parents with her mantle, but favouring Selina. It feels like something that wouldn't happen today. I say this all the time but it's true 😭. But, especially in new52, it feels really unnecessary for Selina to be the one that dies first when Helena loses everyone anyway. I don't think this is particularly sexist- maybe so in the 70s - but atp it feels like writers see this as an Uncle Ben moment for Helena. I guess 2022 Helena gets points for imagination for not doing that but I have issues with it lol.

THEY ARE THE ____ EVER. I'm not a huge shipper unless a dynamic really breaks my mind, but I'm a big big found family/friendship stan and I LOOOOVE these two and how their friendship literally transcends time and space. I think Worlds' Finest was really great for showing how close they are and how they balance each other out, especially how they both had moments where one was down and the other picks them up. Also a side note - I LOVE the small detail in Worlds' Finest for Helena and Karen, and when the comic switches to Batman and Superman, the apostrophe moves so it's World's Finest. Huntress and Power Girl, the Finest on MULTIPLE worlds, suck on that Bruce.

I also truly love Helena being a lawyer because it would have been so easy for that to just not be a thing. Instead we're told she graduated a year early in a difficult degree and is flying in her career by 25. I think how I would change it though is to have Helena work in a DA office rather than commercial law, and I think she totally would start feeling that disillusionment with law, especially when criminals get off or kids go down for minor crimes disproportionately. She would definitely go through a period of sticking with being the Huntress but then something would come up where after the direct action is taken, who was there to make sure justice was served? I think that would then motivate her to pivot to public interest law, which I think makes her feel like she's finally making a difference. I definitely have a rough outline for Helena being a lawyer in this day and age but ooh who knows when I'll write it properly.

Running outta space so to skip to the last qs (I might ramble on 😭) - how I would do this crossover is fairly inspired by new52 Helena and post crisis Bertinelli. She crosses over to this Earth when she's only 15, and as resourceful as her and Karen are, they're both still kids. I do think she avoids Gotham like the plague, and is actually unaware of Hel B (let's be a little realistic, most vigilantes don't get high profile, and I think Hel B prefers it that way). I'd say this is probably around the time that the Relentless arc is happening and the Birds of Prey are established by now. Oracle picks up some weird interference from Wayne Enterprises and gets Hel B to check it out. Meanwhile Hel W is inside stealing a shit ton of money thinking "damn this was kinda fun. I'm understanding mom on a deeper lev-" *glass shatters*. I think the funniest thing that could happen at this point is Hel B to ignore the outward similarities they have and focus on why tf this girl looks like Selina Kyle but with Bruce Wayne's eyes, and then when Hel W stands up to her full height something clicks for Hel B and she kinda goes tongue in cheek, "What are you, the secret lovechild of Batman and Catwoman?" And Hel W considers this for 2 seconds and thinks, what's the worst that could happen? And goes "Yeh". And they both just stare at each other for a while. Hel B is probably thinking, 'shit, first time I try to joke with a suspect and this is what I get? This is why I shoot first' and Hel W is probably thinking 'if I shoot her first and leave with no witnesses nobody will believe her'. Hel B notices her mannerisms and wtf. She's legit frowning just like Batman does. This is officially too weird for her and she's not abt to become part of some weird custody dispute so she nopes out of there and tells Oracle it was a domestic disturbance, which Babs also accepts easily bc like... yeah any of the batboys would probably break into WE if they felt like it. For the longest freaking time Hel B is convinced that Hel W is just an open secret every one knows about, meanwhile Hel W was seriously confused but grateful and begins to seek out Hel B for help during cases of her expertise (the mafia). She also takes the opportunity to mess with the rest of the batfam during her short stays in Gotham. I'm not sure how the rest of this would pan out but I'm so on board with Hel B randomly acknowledging Hel W and everyone's like wtf is she talking abt. Things that are so funny to me