#I can't wait to kill my hand with this in like every panel for the first chapter <333< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[damianbugs]

i spoke about this briefly before, and i think i have my thoughts more collected now to develop on it; i feel like comics which show bruce comforting his child self in flashbacks of the wayne murder in crime alley understand the purpose of batman a lot more than the ones that have him talking to his parents.

if you've been keeping up with recent batman comics, then you'll notice a theme of bruce getting the chance to talk to his younger self. the important part though, is that it is not because of time travel or some detached third party force — it's the young bruce in batman's head.

it's the him hidden behind the black door in his mind when he's fighting his nightmares —

Batman Knight Terrors #2, 2023. written by Joshua Williamson.

— and it's the him tucked away in corner of his mind after being drugged and tortured with his greatest fears.

Detective Comics #1075, 2023. written by Ram V.

after experiencing something traumatic, the one bruce sees suffering from it isn't himself, but the young bruce wayne in the alley. because at the end of the day, every hurt circles back to that night, to that boy, that he can't save no matter how hard he tries — because that boy never left the pool of blood he was sitting in.

i think people often attribute the existence of batman as something created for his parents. to avenge them, or to be the symbol that could have saved their life had he existed before, to stop anyone else from being killed in the same way. there's some truth to that, however, to me, the answer is a little more selfish.

i think it has always been for himself, but not the him now, but the him that is still stuck in that alleyway, waiting over his parents dead bodies. batman is a symbol of hope and reformation and justice, but at its core, batman is what saved bruce wayne.

as a result, the panels above have a very different feel to say, this moment when bruce sees an illusion of his parents in Superman/Batman #56, 2009. written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson.

it's an emotional moment for sure, but it didn't quite speak to me the same way this absolutely phenomenal moment did in Batman: Blind Justice, 1989. written by Sam Hamm.

of course this moment is a lot more cynical in how bruce uses batman to cope with his guilt, while the other moments focus on batman providing young bruce with the hope to continue that he isn't alone — the sentiment of batman being the one to pick him up from the floor and lead him away from the scene in a shared motif.

it reminds me of that one discussion that batman is a victims power fantasy. his own fantasy! because bruce has — in order to have a semblance of control over himself — separated himself from this event that it is a completely different child at the scene of the crime. it's this fact that let's him reach down, hold the boy's hand and tell him everything will be okay.

this bruce wayne is a child, his child, gotham's child, thomas and martha wayne's child, an orphan to protect.

batman was made for children like bruce wayne, to stop them from becoming like him and for them to hold onto when it does — because batman is still trying to fix a problem that has an endless hole. he can never reconcile this trauma and let the boy in the alley leave, because that's not what batman was made for.

batman was made to protect the little boy, and in order to do that, he must remain in that alley.

there's still a bruce wayne who had to grow up, who learned to fight and love and lose again and again, a bruce wayne who becomes batman. a batman who then, tries effortlessly to fix problems and save people, who goes out everynight because if he doesn't, then that boy in the alley is left there for nothing.

then there comes a moment where he falls through the cracks and he's face to face with the child who can't leave and can't grow up and knows nothing but loneliness and grief — and batman gets to tell this child that life becomes more than just this alley.

the child is happy, if even for a moment, that batman is there. that's what batman is for.

[the-kr8tor]

forgive me for hurting you, because I DON'T REGRET IT MUAHAHA>:) Daily Hobie HC! Detective victorian era au Hobie and R time Hobie Brown. The man who had your back in every investigation. The one who always pointed out the one thing which you brushed over. The missing piece in your heart, and the final, missing piece in the cause of all the murders. You felt betrayed, hatred competing with the love in your heart for the man in front of you. You stared at him, trying to read the emotions in his gaze but for once, you can't. You couldn't help but choke out 'liar', filled with betrayal and disbelief in your tone. Hobie was snapped out of his trance, trying to reason with you, pleading. He loves you too. From ever since you both had met as kids, to landing the job being detective partners together, he'd look at things, flowers, trinkets, remembering about you, knowing you'd like that. It felt wrong. So, so wrong. He didn't know you all his life. You didn't know him. Hobie was a murderer. The confliction was strong, your hand on the gun as you pull it out to point straight at his chest, where you once wished to lay your head and listen to his heartbeat, now, you're battling whether to take it away or let the frail organ in his chest continue to move. Hobie spoke desperately, trying to explain that he didn't choose to love you, knowing that he was the reason for the murders behind your back. He didn't want to keep lying to you, but there wasn't any safe way to say. A tense minute fell upon you both, before Hobie spoke up once more. You were so still, the gun pointed at him unwavering, your face as cold as ice. He wanted to know what was going inside that pretty head of yours, almost freezing himself as you let out a pained laugh. He betrayed you with actions. Pulled you in with words, and that damned charming smile. If you were to let him go, he could kill you next, or you would die just to let him roam. You gave him a warning, his time was up. With a saddened smile, Hobie simply just spoke his last words, that he loves you. Those words triggered your anger to overtake the one thing holding you back, your love for him. Anger electrified your body to move, your finger snapping down on the trigger and sending the bullet flying into his chest. Hobie stumbled back to drop to his knees from the impact, choking out the same words, saying he loves you, before his body went still. Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no...what have you done? -🐦‍⬛

I demand emotional compensation!! 😤

Daily Hobie HC ‼️‼️‼️

OMG YESSSSS @friendly-neighborhood-mushroom would love this!

I can just imagine the two of them having this conversation while there's a dead body between them like hobie was caught in the act by r

Qosnwisjkws i can feel the tension!!!!!

Hobie was like "i love you"

R: 🔫

I was abt to ask if they had guns back then, then i realized that they would've bc it's already Victorian times and even during bdas years they had guns 😂 my brain did a little fart

NOOOOOOOOOOOO

Wait wait, imagine that Hobie foresaw this before like he prepared a bullet proof panel under his clothes 🤯

(when I read 'what have you done?' pink pony club started playing in my head lmao)

[gallusrostromegalus]

How do Hisagi and Kira cope with all the chaos Tousen and Gin wind up causing?

So my concept of this is based off these panels in the Manga, where Shuuhei realizes just how much work goes into running the Ninth Division:

(I love Jushiro's r u fuckin' serious? face here lol)

From the interlude between major battles in the middle of the Arrancar arc, in a cafe in seireitei:

*****

Kira sat in awkward silence as his friend and mentor bawled into his shoulder.

"EVERYTHING! I SWEAR, HE WAS DOING EV-ER-Y-THING!!" Shuuhei wailed. Five drinks in and the teetering walls of Shuuhei's stoic facade has crumbled like day-old cookies. "Managing all our contacts and sources, writing in the cultural articles as needed, keeping the presses stocked and in working order, wrangling the other captains to actually submit their reports, keeping the filing up-to-date- He was even writing the crossword every week!"

"It's uh. It's been a change for me too." Kira mumbled, awkwardly patting his shoulder. Across the table, Rangiku has assumed a facade of gentle sympathy as she waited for the storm of emotions to blow over.

"WHY?" Shuuhei demanded, sitting back up. "WHY DIDN'T HE ASK FOR HELP? The workload must have been killing him- it's killing ME and I read at least twice as fast as he ever did! Did he just... Not Sleep?"

"Well, perhaps he found the tasks he had delegated to you to be difficult for him, but the stuff you're struggling with was easy for him?" Kira tried, optimistically.

"No, that can't be it- It's almost the same work, just more of it." Shuuhei sniffled. "Did- did he not TRUST me to handle the workload? He was always a stickler for details- was- am I not good enough?"

"There's also the whole Treason thing." Rangiku pointed out, unhelpfully. "If I were plotting to overthrow the government, I'd take on extra paperwork to keep it quiet."

Shuuhei slumped over the table, contemplating the thought despondently. "...Was I not good enough to take wi-?"

"-You finish that sentence and I'll break this bottle right over your skull." Rangiku threatened. "You were TOO Good for him to make you an offer like that. If anything he knew you'd do the right thing and turn him in."

Shuuhei sniffled, unconvinced.

"How are you holding up Blondie?" Rangiku changed the conversation with the gracelessness but irrefutable power of an ox.

Kira considered her question, chewing his lip awkwardly. "I... Well I don't know how to say this delicately but, um-" he glanced down nervously at Shuuhei, who at least looked like he couldn't get MORE miserable. "-It's actually been kinda great."

Shuuhei stared up at him from the table, scandalized, and Rangiku barked a laugh loud enough to make the room ring.

"Gin was a...hands off sort of manager. He would always back up whatever we decided to do of course- Heck, he crossed swords with the old fart that runs the Fon Clan for us once, but ah... well. As annoying as him being largely absent was, he was worse when he decided to help." Kira sighed.

"THAT'S GIN!" Rangiku cackled. "I swear talking to him was like talking to someone from a different dimension sometimes- not a damn clue how anything worked."

"Yeah..." Kira smiled weakly. "We had a secret staff calendar to make sure he'd be occupied with something if we had a REALLY important project going on, which probably should have been indicative of something, now that I say it out loud."

"It's indicative of a crap manager, which is a far cry from treason, even if both should be hanging offenses." nodded Rangiku. "Speaking of management- Any idea when you lads are going to take the captain's exam?"

"What?!" Both yelped, startled.

"ME? CAPTAIN! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Kira shrieked, laughing nervously like a Hyena.

"Nononono-" Shuuhei waved. "I'm half-dead running things as is, and Tousen left things relatively tidy- Apparently Aizen absolutely TRASHED the fifth division's filing and casework on the way out and it's bedlam over there. For all his other sins, Capt- Tousen at least finished payroll out until the middle of November." Shuuhei shrugged.

Rangiku blinked at what Shuuhei said, confused, but was distracted by the sudden arrival of more friends.

"Hi Rangiku-Chan!" Orihime waved from the door, out of breath and lightly singed from training with Rukia, who followed her in, looking equally gleefully disheveled.

"HEY GIIIIRL!" Rangiku squealed with delight, waving for Orihime to come over for a hug, and the girl practically tackled her. "Oof- How's training?"

"She can throw any Hado up to the mid-seventies right back at me now!" Rukia panted, delighted. "We're gonna start on Bakudo tomorrow, to give myself a break."

"-And Miss Rukia has been casting Hado in the 80's and a 90th level one without incantations, so I can't predict what the next attack is be like!" Orihime bounced with excitement.

"Sorry you're doing fucking what?" Kira gaped as Rukia sat down next to him, looking more than a little smug.

"Casting without incantations Kira, try to keep up!" She teased.

"Goddamn." Muttered Shuuhei. "All I've been doing is drowning in paperwork and failing to drown my sorrows."

"Oh no!" gasped Orihime, joining them at the table. "What's wrong?"

"Besides the everything?" Kira laughed darkly. "Apparently Tousen had been doing like 90% of the Ninth Division's Work and now Shuuhei is playing catch-up."

"Oh, wow." Orihime nodded, patting Shuuhei's shoulder sympathetically. "-that's a lot of work! And with his Spinal Implants too!"

The table blinked at Orihime, confused.

"...what spinal implants?" Shuuhei asked, peeling himself off the table and staring at her.

"Oh! oh no, I didn't mean to blab medical information-" Orihime waved.

"Traitors aren't covered by HIPPA, What Spinal Implants?" Shuuhei demanded, calmly but firmly grabbing her by the shoulders to stress the seriousness of the situation.

"I- um, well- When I was being attacked by Mayuri-Taicho, um, Mr. Tousen stepped in and- well frankly, he saved my life!" Orihime mumbled. "But- he lost his um, what do you call it-? The white jacket? and the back of his uniform had been ripped open so I got a pretty good look at his spine and honestly I thought it was some kind of weird body piercing thing at first but when I asked he got really cagey for a bit and said something about 'spinal implants' but MAN, they looked like they had to have HURT, not to mention the big scars on his shoulders..."

The assembled shinigami shared wary looks.

"...Okay, you're not in trouble. In fact, you might be doing us a big favor." Rangiku gently put her hands on Orihime's. "-But I need to you be totally honest about what you saw, or didn't see, or what you think you might have seen but aren't totally sure about, okay?"

Orihime nodded.

"-Did you, at any point, see Aizen's sword, or think you saw one of it's attacks?" Rangiku asked, eyes focused on the girl in a way that reminded her uncomfortably of being stalked by a leopard at the zoo as a small child.

Orihime thought carefully. "I- um. I saw the big Kido spell he launched right before he and Mr. Gin and Mr. Tousen went through that portal- he was really far away, but I don't think he had his sword out. I couldn't actually see what he looked like, just where the light was coming from? It's kind of embarrassing, but I still don't know what this Aizen guy actually looks like?"

"Oh my god." Realized Rukia. "He didn't take Kyoga Suigetsu out the whole time he was at the execution grounds. If Orihime hadn't seen him before then, she was never under his illusion."

"Rukia, sketchbook." Rangiku demanded, hand out and Rukia rifled through her pockets for the book and a handful of pens. "Alright Orihime- do you think you can draw what you saw on Tousen's back?"

"Oh! yeah, I think I can do that!" She nodded.

"Remember, only draw what you're really, really sure you saw- no adding details!" Rukia prompted, remembering The Orihiminator form her art midterms.

"Right! Um- well, if this is his back-" She drew an outline of a human back, noting were his spine and shoulders were. "-there were these like? Little iron nails? Going up in pairs on either side of his spine. I'm not totally sure, but I'm like... 98% sure there was one pair for every vertebra. His hakama and scarf were in the way so I don't know how far up and down the went, but it looked like his entire spine? and then there was this bright red thread woven and tied in really elaborate knots between them- Um. I'm not sure how exactly, but it was something like this- if I saw pictures I'd be able to point the pattern out again." She explained, continuing the illustration.

"-And then on his shoulders there were a pair of Kanji that had been like- carved into his skin? They were bright red, like they were infected or maybe that's what they look like when he'd been running? but um- yeah, it was "Silence" on his left shoulder, and "Obedience" on his right- Like this!" She said, holding up the drawing.

The shinigami, as a group, turned white. Rukia slapped a hand over her mouth that only sort-of stifled the scream she let out. Kira started to shake and Shuuhei got up and leaned out the window like he might be sick.

"...They weren't medical implants like he said, were they?" Orihime winced.

Rukia reached over and gently pushed the drawing down so it was facedown on the table. "That's. um. That's a Curse Orihime. That's a really, really nasty curse." She explained gently.

"Shuuhei-" said Rangiku, frowning. "You said that Tousen had finished the Payroll, right?"

"Yeah, out to the middle of November." Nodded Shuuhei, still looking green. "Weirdest thing- he ended it on the thirteenth, a Teusday. Totally not like him."

"-Its also really weird for a guy who is allegedly planning on committing treason to make life easy for the people he's leaving behind by finishing out the payroll." Explained Rangiku, taking out her communicator and Dialing. "Shuuhei- I want you to go back to the Ninth and see what other work he finished that doesn't make sense, and keep track of the dates he finished them out to, Kira- you do the same for the Third Division. That Teusday thing is bothering me. Rukia- I need you to go find someone from the Kido Corps and meet me at the First Division. Orihime- you're with me."

"Yessir!" The three lieutenants jumped to their feet and took off as Rangiku finished placing the call.

"-Sasakibe-San?" She asked when the line clicked on. "Sorry to disturb you, but I think Miss Orihime has discovered something of critical importance. Can I meet you and Yamamoto-Sotiacho at the first division? Now?"

[murdockmeta]

Matt's Protective Tendencies Regarding Gwen

So, for this post, I want to focus on three moments (cause with that many this is still gonna be too long aha) that stuck out to me on my second read-through. It's important to note these examples because Matt's relationship with Gwen is the closest we get to seeing him caring about anyone or anything.

Matt threatening George Stacy

This one is the most complex of the three. There are many layers to this scene but I think it's telling how Matt makes Gwen the center of the conversation. Also, he resorts to personal attacks on George's ability to protect Gwen and be a good father to her.

Matt does seem controlled in this scene to a certain extent, clearly there with the intention to taunt George, but I think he's... not as controlled as he appears.

This is the first time in the run we've really seen him use a more hands-on approach. So far, he's used legal loopholes, threats, manipulation, and so on. He's dodged (quite literally in some cases) every chance at a physical altercation.

Here, he shows up in relatively casual clothes (another interesting choice. the only time we ever see this.) and he eventually ends up holding George Stacy in a chokehold over the side of a building.

In the previous panel he's in, he's meditating when he's contacted by George. He picked up his phone on the second ring (not the first, despite how obvious the disruption is. hes trying to give the impression of nonchalance). He goes through the efforts of pretending to not know who's calling even though he definitely does.

When we see him again, it appears as though he's only changed his shirt before showing up at George's house. It's not the next day, it's probably not even an hour later. He was waiting for George to call. I'd be tempted to say he was growing impatient.

He starts with cheap attacks on George's morality and his job, petty things. It very quickly escalates.

Frank Castle had recently proven to be quite a threat to Gwen. Castle wants to kill Spider-Woman. Matt is refusing to let that happen. But, he wants George to be the one to make the call.

He's very dedicated to protecting Gwen but he also needs Gwen to trust him a tiny bit. He knows that if he outright kills Frank that Gwen would lose all faith in him. She would drop contact immediately and refuse to work with him again.

Yet, he's so persistent about protecting her, he goes to George to try and get him to do it. Matt wants Frank dead. Out of the equation. He's willing to physically threaten George, to get angry, to show maybe just a little too much of himself. He's trying every personal attack he can. And in his desperation to force George's hand, he reveals a lot about his motives. Even George picks up on this.

George is talking about what he thinks he sees in Matt. He thinks Matt killing Frank outright would show how bad Matt is, how cold and immoral he is, therefore losing Gwen's willingness to work for him. When really, it shows how dedicated and desperate Matt is. Matt cannot-- cannot-- lose Gwen. He needs her because for the first time since he was a child he has the chance to no longer feel alone.

He needs his plan to work. He can't have Frank mess it up but he also can't push Gwen too far away from him. So, he does all of this instead.

This is one of the most interesting goddamn lines in the whole scene. This is in the middle of Matt's attempt to attack George's ability to be a good father, his ability to protect Gwen. In that, Matt lets this slip out.

He's obviously projecting himself onto Gwen. And I also think he projects his relationship with Jack onto George but that's a discussion for another post.

So, does he think he's protecting Gwen from becoming like him? Making the hard decisions so she doesn't have to? He acts like he wants Gwen to become as bad as he does but even Gwen says in the end: he wanted to lose, he wanted to be caught. So...? We know he hates himself. And with the above line, we see the closest Matt ever gets to admitting how he truly feels to someone he lets live.

Gwen's different because Gwen represents a chance for things to go right. Matt needs to protect her because he needs her to succeed.

2. Matt refusing Gwen's apology

I was going to just highlight his first few lines in this panel but the whole thing seemed relevant to this post.

So, when I first read this line, I thought it was borderline out of character. He, of course, can't just refuse her apology, he has to give some self-centered reason why. But, everything he follows up with unintentionally reveals his hand once again.

To Gwen, Matt's reasons sound selfish and cruel. She thinks he just wants to use her, control her. She thinks he's interested in what she can do for him. And, well, he is. But it's never just that.

He wants her safe. He plainly says it. He wants her safe so that he can make sure she's not in danger, to make sure she doesn't die or make any decisions she's going to genuinely regret.

I think Matt's heavy-handedness in regard to Gwen's morality is extremely intentional. You don't change someone's mind about their personal morals by telling them how ridiculous their morals are all day. You don't change their mind by trying to force them to make deals they rather wouldn't. Arguably, that's how you make them stand their ground.

And I think that's what Matt's counting on. He sees it as a win-win, whether Gwen ends up turning evil or not (because if she does then he can finally die). But really... I think he wants her to have a reason to be good. He knows how hard-headed she is, it's one thing he likes about her. So, he knows that antagonizing her will just make her more assured when she comes out on the other side.

If she can stick through to the end and beat him, there's not much that can stop her after that. One important thing about Gwen's development as Spider-Woman is that at the beginning, she doesn't have the strong conviction to do good that 616 Peter has due to his uncle's death.

Peter died in her universe, but it didn't serve the same purpose. She felt guilt over Peter's death, but not the kind that strengthened her morals. It was this crushing guilt that dragged her down, made her lose faith in herself. A lack of confidence like that can quickly lead down a much darker path and we see that in Gwen throughout volume two.

She still needs that push. That final act that'll let her come into her purpose fully. And Matt intends on giving that to her if she's willing to go along with his plan long enough. He crafts himself into a big, bad villain for her. Just so she can be good.

3. Matt protecting Gwen's identity

Matt goes out of his way to make sure Gwen's identity stays safe. He knows her secret identity is important to her. He made sure he tied up his loose ends with Toomes so he wouldn't tell.

The one that's more interesting to me is the fact he didn't even tell his ninja her name. These ninja are assigned to protect her from any harm while they are in a foreign country and an assassin is after Gwen. But Matt doesn't bother giving them her name.

There's not even really a reason for him not to tell them other than him being overly protective of her. It's not like they're going to tell anyone, they're fucking ninja. They're sworn to secrecy out of pure principle.

Yet, Matt doesn't say anything. He could've even used it as a bargaining chip but he doesn't genuinely threaten to reveal her identity even once. Would it have really even affected his plans long term? Her identity is revealed at one point, and he still gets what he wants in the end.

But he never brings it up unless it concerns her identity being revealed in a way that may harm her. He never dangles it in her face. He respects it and protects her.

---

These are just a few moments I wanted to talk about. Honestly, the George Stacy one could've been its own post and I'll probably end up making another about it eventually.

Matt is so multifaceted and he shows that best with the people he dares to form attachments to. The main one being Gwen. The way he treats her is the closest he got to caring about someone. It's the closest we get to seeing what he's really like under all his disguises.

He demands control because he thinks that is the only way to protect the ones he's attached to. He knows, in his particular position, that there really is no other way to go about it. And he doesn't want the people he cares about to like him. He doesn't think he deserves it, really.

He wants Gwen to be better, to do better, so he allows her to hate him so much that she has no choice but to come out stronger in the end.

[beevean]

When you take everything Surge did and compare her crimes to what the other villains have done, she's only an obnoxious high school bully at the absolute most.

Sonic's most dangerous opponent of all time indeed /s

Surge doesn't even compete with Knuckles in 3&K, who was just a nuisance, but an intriguing one due to his knowledge of Angel Island.

And you know, I could forgive it, if I sensed that this was the intent.

Surge has the blueprints of how to be a Sonic rival, but she sucks at it, like a pet kitten trying to be a feral cat. She's weak (her lightning powers are nothing impressive), she's unexperienced, Sonic doesn't take her seriously at all, she's a big ball of rage that she can't express into anything that actually leaves an impact, and she ends up whimpering and crying when facing the prospective of fighting Sonic and Metal at the same time. She's an underdog that I'm supposed to feel pity for, with her tragic story and identity issues.

Yeah. But then why did she steal the spotlight to the degree that Sonic the Hedgehog didn't feature in the main cover of the first milestone issue of IDW?

Why did we have to spend more than one cumulative year with her, in an arc that amounted to "she stole Eggman's shit to look cooler, didn't work"?

What was the point of all that hype focused on how cool and badass and threatening and scary and toothy she is?

And most importantly...

How dare you think I'd side with her over Sonic?

Oh yeah, a common defense of #50 is that it's shown from her perspective, hence why Sonic looks like the smuggest, preachiest prick in existence, or why that one infamous panel had the light of God shining upon him. It's Surge's distorted perspective, guys! Flynn is such a genius actually!

This is a weak defense, because 1) the beginning and ending of the issue are focused on Sonic, so there is nothing that suggests that his section is not from his POV like literally every story with him, and 2) Flynn himself confirmed in August 2022 that the events of #50 can be seen only from Sonic’s point of view. (I love having the FAQ on my hands <3)

But that doesn't change that the entire point of Surge and Kit's existence is to have other people still yelling at Sonic for his big sin of conceding freedom to everyone. See, it's his fault that he didn't kill Eggman and Starline when he had the chance (when?), which caused Starline to turn against Eggman, which caused him to think of a way to surpass his idol, which made him create those two. If Belle is the dragging corpse of Mr. Tinker's plot, Surge is the rotting zombie of the deconstruction of Sonic's supposed Principles, and this is why I'm meant to take her seriously, and pity her, and find her cool and badass and so #deep and #relatable.

I reiterate:

Surge is a narrative mess masquerading as clever meta commentary. Oh wait, I can't call her meta - that is reserved for the Pontaff games :^)

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 1

Oh boy! It's my first time reading this series that took Tumblr by storm. I can't wait to read about the adventures of Laios and Marcille and Chilchuck and...

who?

What do you mean there's a badass warrior lady in the party? Why did no one tell me this?

Actually, she's kinda struggling.

And she quit the team? This is the worst series ever!!

All jokes aside, the first chapter isn't wasting any time to give us the basic plot setup. The very first page gives us the bare details to give the plot an excuse to exist. By the third page, we've been given a rundown of the primary struggle the protagonists will have to overcome. By the seventh page, we have the personal reason for our protagonists to go on this journey.

So the dungeon is a great kingdom from 1000 years ago sealed away by a magician. And the reason people are exploring it is because whoever kills the magician inherits the kingdom.

I don't think the ruler of ruins is as grand a title as it sounds. This sounds like the setup to lure victims in to charge a lich's phylactery. But hopefully the story will give us more detail later.

I'm loving how the story goes over the actual logistics that would have to go into exploring an unknown area. Seriously, nothing ever talks about toilet paper.

Laios suggested Marcille and Chilchuck leave the guild so he could sell their equipment. So I guess there is an adventurer's guild that they have to be registered before being allowed to use their gear or explore the dungeon.

I guess it's more a means to get in contact with other adventurers and find job offerings and not really a union since it doesn't offer a means to rescue anyone or provide any necessities.

You have to already have money to make money as an adventurer. It's not an option for poor people.

This is a cute shot.

Laios did not hesitate to suggest they start eating monsters. He's coming up with every excuse he can to justify it because he's embarrassed that he just wants to know how they taste.

I do like the simple justification that there must be a natural food chain in the dungeon for creatures to survive in it and therefore people should be able to sustain themselves in there as well.

The first of what I imagine will be many tantrums from Marcille. She's so different from chapter 0 where she wasn't bothered at all and seemed to even enjoy eating monsters.

Senshi had been listening when Laios suggested eating monsters and was just looking for an opportunity to introduce himself. I can just imagine he was minding his own business when he suddenly heard Laios talk about eating monsters and Senshi just inched closer and closer into the conversation until the autistic need to talk about his special interest overtook every inhibition he had. Especially when Laios was doing it wrong.

That's a pretty cool concept for a slime. I guess it's based on a slug with how it has a foot for moving around. The actual body is super transparent. When Senshi killed it, he was grabbing at a certain spot in the slime. I guess he was feeling for where the slime was most firm so he knew where to stab the actual body.

Someone asked if the dungeon has been around for ten years. I'll have to make a note of that if it ever comes up.

The chapter is not being completely consistent with what anyone's hands are doing at a given moment. For example, Laios pulled his monster manual out of his armor using his left hand while holding the mushroom monster in his right, but then he handed the manual to Chilchuck using his right hand. Later, Laios was using his left hand to try carving the mushroom, but in the next panel, he's using his right instead.

My best guess is Laios and Marcille are right-handed while Senshi is ambidextrous. He cut the slime and chopped the scorpion using his left hand, but he cut and chopped the tree branches with his right.

Laios definitely prefers holding things in his left hand and his sword is placed for right-handed use. Marcille holds her staff in either hand depending on the situation. If she expects combat, it's in her right hand, otherwise it's in her left.

I haven't seen Chilchuck do anything of note with his hands, but I'm guessing he's right-handed since that's the hand he was holding utensils with.

Note to self: Don't read this series while hungry.

back

[autobot-ratchet]

MTMTE 12-13

MTMTE 12

still so cute that Tailgate's happy place is movie night

damn they really just cut right to the aftermath of the battle like “oh yeah btw Rewind's injured and Swerve got his face blown off. Just to let you know. Okay back to the present”

Drift is in his element, look at that smile, you go baby, slice those dudes up

gfdjks poor First Aid is so done with Chromedome's fussing, give the guy a break he's just worried about his husband

also yeah god this is the first time we get to say explicitly that they're married, isn't it? I remember being completely fucking floored by that the first time I read it, like “wait what do you mEAN THEY'RE ACTUALLY TOGETHER??? LIKE IN THE ROMANCE WAY?!?!?” like I had picked up on the queercoding vibes but then the comic was just like “yeah coding-schmoding, they're queer” and I simply could not believe that shit lmAO

also btw Cyclonus is injured too. Just fyi

I've made fun of Tailgate for embellishing his past accomplishments but damn does he do a good job of stringing Rewind along lmAO kid's a pretty good liar under enough pressure

I love how they show us that horrifying panel of Swerve's fucked up face without context and then later the context turns out to be “yeah he just accidentally shot himself in the face.” he looked down the fuckin barrel of the thing god lmAO

I love the concept of innermost energon so much. For a race that's constantly morphing and changing to give away the one part of themselves that always stays the same no matter what, the fuckin romance of it all

I love Tailgate trying to gas up Chromedome by constantly trash-talking Dominus just on principle alone lmAO “Oh that's Rewind's ex? Fuck that guy he's got nothing on you” “Tailgate he was an incredible person” “Incredibly cringe, maybe”

sorry I am now distracted by the idea of Tailgate using the word “cringe,” that wasn't nearly as much of a thing when this comic was coming out but he absolutely would, holy shit

ooohhhgdjhfs Drift recruiting Chromedome for The Overlord Thing while he's at his lowest and Rewind's incapacitated is so slimy, he really does have to do all the dirty work for this project huh

Cyclonus immediately goes back to help Tailgate clean up, he's making progress, we're getting thereeeeeeeee

I think this is the first time (of many) that Cyclonus looks at Chromedome and Rewind's relationship and is like “...........huh.” Like, he definitely uses them as a framework for his own relationship with Tailgate and wants what they have, even if he doesn't quite realize it at this point

Ah, right, I forgot that Whirl helps Rewind jump his spark out of guilt for nearly killing him alongside Cyclonus lmAO

And Cyclonus protected Rewind.... nnnnNNGFHSDFNgsdf *points at Cyclonus* HAHA YOU HAVE FEELINGS... YOU CARE........

MTMTE 13

I like the implication that this isn't the first time Drift has grabbed Swerve like a football

also love Cyclonus calling Drift too young, both of you are old as dicks

I will never be able to think about the bit where Swerve asks Drift to be his roommate and Drift is like “no thanks, in my off time I prefer to be alone in a state of heightened isolation exploring the limits of solitude” without thinking about that vine that's like “sorry dude I can't go do social event, I'm busy” and then it cuts to him in his room alone, drinking a can of beer with one hand and playing jock jams on a keyboard with the other, this one, this is the vine

I fucking forgot Swerve was still here, I thought they closed the door on him lmfAO they really just had that whole conversation with the door wide open

I'm still so sad we only got the good holomatter avatar generator after Ratchet had used his old one, not to mention everyone whose avatars we never saw. Every day I wonder what Drift's avatar would've looked like

Magnus shoving his way between Swerve and Tailgate, making Tailgate scoot three entire seats over

“I think the program is struggling with human gender- Do I look like a 'Mary Sue?'” ah-HAH *slaps knee*

Aww, I forgot Magnus's avatar is Verity, that's so sweet. I didn't know who Verity was the first time I read this, but now that I do it does hit different lmAO

fuckin rip Magnus. Fhdksjkl I just noticed Rewind recording in the background, you can see the light of his camera on his silhouette

“Why do I get the impression that you can't remember your worst enemy?” nnnnnnNNNNNGGHH

drunk Magnus is cute

“Where IS Chromedome?” “Oh, he's, erm... I'm sure he told me...” NNNNNNNGGHHFFGHGHFGH

“Savor this feeling, everyone. You never know what's around the corner.” yEAH, YOU GUYS SURE DONT...

Cyclonus teaching Tailgate to sing in old Cybertronian... Tailgate said earlier in the issue that Cyclonus was the only link to his past and that was defs on purpose so that this could be Cyclonus's moment of realizing that Tailgate is much the same for him

aww Swerve, buddy... I mean to be fair I would've done the same thing in Blurr's position, Swerve comes on a little strong, but oh man. Swerve's not a bad guy, he's just unbearably lonely but Blurr never could've known that

oh right this is the first little written blurb we get hell yeah

Rung quietly marveling at the miracle of Cybertronian physiology like. That's YOU!!! That's more you than you could ever know!!!!! He doesn't even know that he's the originator of all that!!!!!!!!

it is still so funny that Rung regained the ability to move by getting so sick of Swerve's shit that he subconsciously mustered the power to move his arm so he could shush him

mmmmphphgndfm one of the only things Rung remembers during his recovery period was the smile Skids gave him when he corrected the mispronunciation of his name... SKIDS IS REAL SWEET........

gfdjk the gang watching Cyclonus browse a gift shop like they're ethologists and Cyclonus is a species of animal they've never seen before

godjdfska Magnus trying to make a joke and failing harder than anyone ever could is still so funny.. HE'S TRYING OKAY........ Also, absolutely hysterical joke to be telling to Rung specifically

God Rodimus is such an ass lmAO “What is wrong with people” he asks the therapist, genuinely. Simply solve mental illness, why don't you

ooh, get him, Rung, stick to your guns, attaboy

God. Watching Rodimus lie through his teeth about investigating the voice Rung and Red Alert heard... I mean, it was never going to work out, bringing Overlord onto the ship, it was a doomed endeavor from the start, but seeing all these moments of Drift and Rodimus trying to keep it under wraps is just so bitter lmAO They did their best, their awful, awful best

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol10 Part 4

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4

God why is this volume so long and full of so many epic pictures

Commentary for chapter 6 and 7 of Vol10, will do the last one in another post!

While I'm doing this, reading each chapter and after that, doing my commentary, I notice the effect of the volume lessening...damn! I should read it in one go first and THEN write my thougths but I'm afraid I'll forget what I want to say. Vol9 and Vol10 are in a way really meant to be read in one go for the full effect.

Chapter 6:

Yes! Wolfwood trying to end this fight not with his weapon, but with his bare hands is so important! He's not fighting to kill, he's not EoM's puppet, he's trying to bring back a friend...I can't say why but also the fact that this obviously pains Razlo more than bullets also feels right. That's how it should be. And then...there's Vash.

Oh god and then there's Vash.

This is...one of the most cruel images of Vash yet. To me it is THE most emotional in the whole series. Pure desperation. Sadness for things lost. Vash allowing himself to break down while we only hear the punches of Wolfwood beating down on Razlo. Looking at this image makes me sad. Damn it Nightow for making Vash have to grief before they even had the chance to start their future together.

But again, props to Nightow for the storytelling.

Vash promised Wolfwood to leave Razlo to him BUT NOBODY DARE INTERFERE.

LIVIOOOOOOO

And just when we fought we had gotten rid of him and he couldn't piss us off any more he's coming back round to hurt our boy

THANK YOU RAZLO. There can never be enough bullet holes in this dead man's body.

I really really like that Livio is not treating Razlo like the bad guy here, but acknowledges that Razlo is also a victim in a way. A victim of having to live through the fucked up shit that Livio could not cope with, of having to deal with that. (I hope I worded that all right, since I don't really know anything about the medical condition of which Razlo is the result?)

You did it, man. You saved Livio. And now you're even a person he looks up to you. Of the feels.

CRYBABY LIVIO IS BACK BITCHES oooh you earned that cigarette, Wolfie

Chapter 7:

I just love the kids and Melanie and how lively it seems. Surely it was hard and filled with loss as everybody had lost their parents, but it must also have been a childhood filled with love.

Baby Wolfwood oh my sweet boy... Sometimes I have wondered how little Vash and Wolfie would have gotten along. Or well, I'm sure they would've gotten along. I just would love to see them interact as kids. Out there, little Wolfwood, a long time ago, was once a boy drifting in space who would later be your most trusted friend. And who would, not in every way, but in an important way, save you.

Ah, just below is the panel where it says "six years have passed since that day" that always confuses me?? Still now because 6 years is not possible? I will wait for any explanation that you, my fellow bookclub readers, will come up with.

Don't scream at him!!!

Vash wanting to explain it to them is killing me. And Wolfwood's expression here is so...unclouded. Completely honest. Vulnerable. No my sweet boy you are no monster, did that not get into your head??

With the little time left...maybe he's right, maybe he can not explain to the children what he is, all the complex stuff.

You know, Vash, Wolfwood is tired. This moment, he just wants to spend it with you, and isn't that enough?

Wolfwood saying this...and then Vash begging to GOD, praying to not lose that man.

I never really got the grip on what Vash means with "stupid things". There's been this theory that Vash denies Wolfwood telling Vash his true feelings, but I don't think so. I think they both at this point know how they feel about each other. I think Vash just...can't stand to hear the emotional talk now because it's simply too much. Maybe it would be nice if they could talk out their innermost feelins at last. But maybe, they don't need that. Have their actions not proven enough already by now?

Throw that confetti guys

If some of you are on twitter and have followed the trigun fandom there you might have stumbled upon the marriage tweet my friend made when she read this scene the first time. I have nothing to add apart from that it rips my heart and soul in two. Now, there's one more chapter to this volume but this arc kinda already concludes with this here...and so I just want to say: I have NEVER before read something that felt so deeply emotional and tragic like this whole...Wolfwoof dying scene. Or, I might have and I might not remember, but in my mind this is the most tragic thing I can recall. Because...it takes its time. It already starts in Vol08, with Wolfwood's inner thoughts, and then it goes on for the whole next Volume where the stakes are getting higher and higher, until Vash appears to save them and save Wolfwood but it STILL is not enough. And Vash is shocked, is in denial, is in anger and is griefing and then we get a short moment of breathing, before it hits us again. We're living this all through Vash, and...and he can't bring himself to smile in the end. He can't. He only stares blankly until he then slumps down. Oh, and I read in the Trigun Wiki I think that this scene here is the only scene where we see Wolfwood cry. Which....gives it also so much more impact.

And, all in all, I think this is not the worst ending for Wolfwood. Of course I am devastated. Reading so much fanfiction, seeing so much fanart, makes it pretty easy to forget that there is no future for these two in canon...not together. (which is WHY I read the fanfiction because good lord did I need something to cope) And when I think about how they never get the chance to live the life together as they both may have wanted...then the feeling of loss hits the hardest. But then, on the other hand: First, killing off one of your main characters while giving them a metaphorical wedding scene is a sick move. An evil, sick move. And second: it fits the series. Because Trigun feels so real, and in real life, things don't always turn out the good way. And Wolfwood, with his life, never really had any future...but the thing is also, he died while knowing that he was able to achieve what he always wanted: the orphanage is safe and he brought Livio back. It is all he ever wanted to do, and it is thanks to Vash that he was able to do it. Would it have been dope if he lived on and if he and Vash could build their own orphanage and be caretaker dads together? Oh hell yeah. But, within the story of the series...it was always unrealistic. Wolfwood died smiling- whatever we think about it, he was content with what he achieved. (I think so at least! The panels where he cries out, they always strike me as a defiance, not wanting to die, but that might be reading to much into it. The whole thing for him is so emotional, the confetti, which tells him they welcome him back, despite knowing who he is...it would be a wonder if he didn't cry. So it might just be the emotionality of the whole scene.

PHEW I'm sure I could say more if I thought a bit about it but I'm gonna shut up here now. Time to do the last chapter, though I'll make another post, this one is far too long already.

[halt-kun]

Hunter x Hunter Chapter 407 - Negotiations

Soooooo the procession of Halkenburg begiiiiiins

the troupe is trying to kill some Heil-yi while some Heil-yi are trying to kidnap some of Tse's childhood friends.

Ah yes, for some reason, everyone is back in their body

WOW, the quantity of people there

soooo many

It's a prince after all

I still love every panel with the black whale even though they make me anxious eveytime because this is day 12 out of 56

Oh no, one girl is missing

I'm all for seeing the girlsquad dealing with their own problem but they don't have nen so I'm scared

I don't remember their name too

Oh wait I think I just remembered that they're not all girls and some are men

My brain just wants them to be butch lesbians but alas Togashi didn't think so

Very on point, except theywant her to cooperate I think. They definitely used manipulation to abduct her tho

So they won't be doing anything until the end of the ceremony, well shit

does this mean we'll switch point of view again ?

She was indeed manipulated and is in front of Morena now

well this is going to be fun

She's way more calm than expected

well she must know she can't do much and they expect something out of her

their might also be room for negotiation

"It's not mandatory"

I'm pretty sure you'll kill her if she refuses but you want her to willingly follow you

They're future Kurapikas if they awaken nen

smart and calm

I love them

Saying yes before you know the conditions is fucked

it could also be a way to trigger a nen ability

very annoying

CARD GAME ????

TOGASHIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !?!?

did you just invent a card game for fun and then wanted to put it in a chapter somewhere ????

that's quite a huge restriction if Borksen loses

OKAYYYY

weird game

so this will be an interrogation as a game then ?

These negotiations are negotiating hard

I agree with Borksen, I don't see her leaving this without agreeing

WELL FUCK

you have to play knowing what you want to answer and you light get forced into servitude or death

I agree that both yes and no cards are awful, Joker makes you choose between yes and no but it's not better and the R card technically means you have to reuse a card you might not want to keep to the end

Terrifying

Okay what's the third trap ?

OHHHHH this is getting interesting

Oh so it's only for closed questions

it can be useful but I have no idea what I would ask too

most answers would end in the "yes and no"

I LOVE HER

So a lot of words on language to mean she won't cheat as she answered No as her own subject which mean Yes would mean she would cheat.

I thought Borksen only had one yes and one no card

oooooh, joker counts too and this means it's the last one between joker, yes and no in her hands

Deal with the devil, got it

Well, Togashi likes to edge HxH fans a lot

but it's fine

I'm used to it

I really hope we get something fun in the last 4 chapters.

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 168

Chapter 168: "Dad"

I know this is the same room Isabella & Peter were seen having their discussion in back during ch165, but to just have two plain chairs in such a large, empty room seems so extra. Regardless of that, I do like the panel of the trio here, even though they're surprised to find no one here due to the fake footage Peter fooled Vincent with that lead them there.

Dunno how all the kiddos are hearing Peter's message since the teams seem to only have one person with a communication device but whatever. Perhaps he's speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

Although I have a hard time believing the Ratri men were able to tie up the Adam clones without a fight, I guess anyone will yield once you hold them at gunpoint. Also, the absence of Hayato in this panel is a nice hint to his role next chapter.

While the demon guards don't cause much of a problem during the rest of the story, it still would've been better if the kids killed them off instead of put them to sleep. I get that they didn't wanna kill if they didn't have to, but it would've been one less thing to worry about. Hearing about Sonju & Mujika's execution definitely adds to the stress. Not as much as their deaths could have, but we're thankful Peter was stupid enough to actually wait three days.

Along with all the citizens who drank the evil blood being killed, the Ratri clan and the higher-up demons taking control of the government, let's add the plan to assemble a ton of new Lambda farm into the mix as well. Talk about a big time panic. The premium farms don't sound so bad now huh?

Oh Vincent, you dunno these kids as well as you thought if you honestly believe they would shoot the adults in front of them. Emma, Ray, Don & Gillian couldn't manage to fire a shot at Andrew back when he held Dominic & Alicia hostage after the shelter raid. You're best bet would've been Oliver. This goes back to that old post of mine wondering who, among the kids, would be able to shoot at another human, but I still believe Ray could manage it, if only as a last resort.

The thought of Norman firing at another person was always a toss up for me though. Of course he showed no mercy towards demons during this WM phase, so even with the clear difference between demon and human, I wouldn't have been completely surprised if that cold persona of his came back with a vengeance once he heard Vincent get shot. Peter's been a thorn in Norman side ever since Lambda, so having this bastard personally hurt one of his friends just adds fuel to the fire. Norman (& Ray) did often mention taking down Isabella & Krone back during their GF days if they wanted to escape successfully, so they have level of brutality, it's just been real lowkey. Thankfully none of the children need to get blood on their hands. They've suffered enough already.

Please never say those words with your mouth. No one in this world considers you as that.

Hell yeah Oliver, let him know what's up!! I love that he, Zack & Gillian feel so strongly about the word "dad" because of the relationship they had with Lucas. The same can be said about Ayshe & her father but I can ramble more about all that next chapter.

Favorite panel/moment:

If you've been around me for a while, then you already know how damn hilarious this panel of Norman is to me.

I mean, in context, it's pretty serious, but thanks to a silly edit I've made years ago, I can't look at this panel anymore and not laugh like an idiot. So, now's the perfect time to upgrade it from a noticeable bad edit I made in the car on my phone once upon a time to something more worthy to use every time I lose my mind.

[harrowharks-iliac-crest]

31 (continued)

Oh, the chapter continues! For some reason I thought that was it. Delighted that it's not!

Ianthe had walked away from you, all split lips and gay loneliness; had she walked, less drunk with every step, toward the little room where Ortus bent over a dead woman? Was his ruined heart a gesture for your benefit? Would she leave so much blood; would she come here?

Simple answer: No.

Can't help but read "gay loneliness" a certain way. (eye emoji)

All around him, the incinerator mechanism rumbled to life. You spun away and looked up. In the protected plex booth stood Cytherea, spotlit by the strong white light from the panels above her,

Cytherea with the steel chair!!!!

In the second that you saw the ruddy white surge of flame, you did not know it was hot enough to melt steel. You only saw the steps of what you had to do.

Harrow what the fuck!!!! You're gonna go and save Ortus???

It was the first time, as a Lyctor, exploding such tonnage of bone into an incinerator’s flame, that you looked upon the limit of your power: and that limit still stretched so far out into the goddamn distance that it was out of your sight.

Wooooowwww. Holy heck.

“I know you’re there,” he rasped. “Kill me all you like. I would know you in the blindness of my eyes … in the deafness of my ears … as a shadow smudged against the wall, annihilated by light … stop. Not here. Not now. Let it go, love. I just want the truth … after all this time.” Ortus dropped his hand and said, with intent: “Just tell me—back then—why you brought along the ba—”

The what?????

HELLO?????

Hi what the fuck??????

“You saw what you saw,” you said. “You must have seen her stab you. The blow was from the front, with your own spear.” Ortus said, “I don’t know.” “You were conscious. You spoke to me.” He said, “I don’t know.” “We had a conversation. I want to know what it meant.” He said, “I don’t remember.”

Glad to know I'm not the only one who wants to know what this is all about.

Ortus also insane??? Harrow's present also messed up???? Both somewhat plausible.

Later on, when the Mithraeum was searched, Cytherea’s body was no longer on its altar; and God said he could not detect it anywhere on the station at all.

Cytherea and her steel chair have fled the scene. Typical. And just when I thought we'd get some answers.

(Hah. I don't think I actually thought that.)

...wait, hang on -

“If you mean the other—you were in serious danger of overegging the pudding. Nobody would ever believe you would get that drunk accidentally.” “Piss off,” came the response.

Mercymorn and Augustine are back to arguing - and it seems like they were... working together to distract God, and it was an act?

It was an act???

Huh!!!!

... Thus ends Act Three.

[zeroducks-2]

has anyone asked abt batjokes for the ship game

you're the first anon! And DAMN YES

I ship it!

What made you ship it? Reading The Killing Joke at the ripe old age of eight. My mother thought comics were for kids and bought me a big ass "essential Batman stories" book, which started out with The Killing Joke and it rewired my brain I guess (my Batman experience up to that point had been random episodes of Batman Beyond).

What are your favorite things about the ship? I reckon I'm going to go on a bit of a tangent here. Sorry Anon I don't suppose this was the answer you were hoping for, but I am unable to contain myself :> So being that this is my first DC ship (and it might even be my first ship PERIOD), I'm more of a "I nostalgically ship it from afar" than an active, fanfiction-reader/writer kind of fan, but surely my enjoyment has always been rooted in the fact that it's a villain/hero situation where they're two sides of the same coin, at the point where they can't exist without one another. I ship Batman with 50% of his rogue gallery tbh, and unless it's just 'cause it looks hot, it tends to be about how Bruce tries to see the human side of these people (sometimes because he's known them since before they were rogues), how he extends a helping hand when he can, how he refuses to kill them because there has to be a way to rehabilitate them (and sometimes there is, and it's just the tragic nature of these stories which prevents the "rogues" from getting their own form of happy ending). This happens with the Joker too, and the most memorable occasion in which this happens is after Joker tortured and crippled Barbara (someone Bruce is supposed to love and care for), beside what he also does to Jim Gordon (also someone Bruce is supposed to be friends with). Joker himself tells Batman more or less "I hurt a defenseless girl, I terrorized an old man, what are you waiting for just beat the shit out of me" to which BRUCE SAYS NO. He says no because "you're just like me except you had one bad day too many, and I know you can get better, and I want to help you". We all know how The Killing Joke ends, with the proverbial joke and them laughing like maniacs about it (I have the panels always around so yall can experience them with me)

And the image of them laughing together is forever seared into my brain, especially because even if this guy did whatever the hell he did (and will keep doing it), Bruce replied with empathy and compassion. A monster, the irredeemable one who's never going to stop before anything because he's not even human, at this point he's the embodiment of everything wrong there can be in a person - he just got smothered with compassion and it almost worked. The "joke" (two madmen escape the loony bin, etc) is Joker's way to say "I'm sorry I really want to take your hand but I can't, I just can't do it", and Bruce understands this and for a brief moment of six panels it's just two friends laughing together. And that part of me which will always see itself in the ugly, irredeemable, rejected monster was and will always be so profoundly fulfilled by this.

Of course I am also not immune to the whole "you need me, you love me and you can't live without me" thing to which Batman reacts by kicking and screaming that it's not true, but which is indeed true and in every story in which Joker actually dies, Bruce cannot for the love of him cope one single day without him. This post puts it briefly but beautifully, go give it a look if you're rabid a fan of the dynamic such as I am.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship? Liking this ship (and Joker in general) is unpopular in and of itself lol, but I guess I can say that my unpopular preference is that as much as I ship them, I don't see sex involved in any part of their relationship which is more based off of beating the shit out of each other (or laughing about a dumbass joke in a stormy night in an abandoned amusement park), and being unable to let the other go when the chance presents itself. I see sex as essentially unnecessary in their dynamic, but it's also true that I don't really peruse Batjokes content beside the occasional fanart, so the sex part might have just not clicked with me yet.

[mercurygray]

While I'm waiting for the dust to settle on my last round of voting, I thought I'd treat you all to YET ANOTHER AU - an act never before seen on this stage! A SPACE AU.

He knew he shouldn't be here. Even if it was the officer's corridor, and he was an officer, there were cameras and monitors and the last thing any Fleet ship needed was more gossip, not when there was already enough to run a starliner into the next galaxy.

But he needed to see her.

The comm-panel hummed when he touched it, waking up to transmit his message. "Commodore Winters to see Commander Warren." And then, quieter, directly into the panel, as to the ear of a lover - "J, it's me. Please let me in."

The door slid to the side, and Dick stepped inside, letting the door close silently behind him before he took another step into the room. The lighting in the whole room was low, the internal sound system playing the Old Earth jazz she loved so much. He half expected to see a glass of wine on the table - one of her favorite vices after a long day - but the only thing he could see was a carafe of water and a small divided tray of pills, accompanied by her commpad, still displaying some typed notes from medical. He'd tried to shake down sickbay for the full report, but her staff were strangely loyal, even after all the places they'd been. "Let her tell you that, sir," Mitchell said, uncompromising. "She deserves that much."

And here they were - in her darkened quarters. His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark, finally finding the pale flash of her legs stretched out from her favorite chair. She was wearing the robe he'd bought in San Francisco the last time they'd been on leave, the deep blue one with the irises. I think this is my favorite possession, she'd said once. It feels like you. "How's the arm?" he asked, as directly as he could.

"I'll live."

God, what an answer. "I wish you wouldn't keep throwing yourself in front of things like that."

"Who else is going to?"

"Someone else who isn't in command of the whole starship, for starters. You have a crew, Joan, let them do thier jobs. It's what you trained them for, and they're good at it."

The idea looked like it pained her, and for more than a few moments she was silent. "I learned that from the best, you know."

"Yeah, well, now he's in charge of several starships," Dick replied. "And it's killing him every time he can't beam down to get you." He let that settle a moment. "So. How's the arm?"

She sniffed and held out the offending appendage, letting Dick carefully move forward, closer to her, and roll the sleeve of her robe up so he could see the damage, the red and angry inkvine welts under the transparent mediflex where the creature had attacked her, stretching from her hand all the way up the length of her arm, her skin looking for all intents and purposes like one big burn. Something in the saliva, the medbay had said, before they'd clammed up and claimed loyalty overrode an officer's privledges.

Marj had apparently spun things a little bit - this was worse even than he'd thought. He was glad Lee had shot the thing when she had, or it would have sucked Joan down whole. Mitchell down in medical could fix a lot of things, but chemical burns over an entire body would have been a tall order, even for her. "Does this hurt?" he asked, tracing his fingers as lightly as he could over the surface of the bandage-like mediflex.

"Billie's got me on some pretty serious painkillers," she admitted. "Said I'm not allowed back on the bridge for a few days and Marj will have the con." She took a deep breath. "It…it's not just on my arm, Dick."

He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, trying to calm himself so he could open the front of her robe, and draw the silk back so his eyes could follow the welts up over her shoulder and across her bare breast. He was afraid to touch any of it, because if he did that, if he followed the scars, he'd see just how close he'd come to losing her. If the poison had gone to her heart…

"Will you stop scaring me, Joanie? Please?" It was as close to begging as he would go.

When she spoke, her voice was quiet. "I can try." A pause. She gently tugged the robe back over her shoulder, tucking it down. "Were you - were you thinking of staying?" she asked, lightly, the voice she used when she was trying to make you think it didn't matter when it absolutely did. He tried not to make a face. "Not - not for that, I'm…I'm not all here, with the meds, it wouldn't - wouldn't be - good. But just to - to feel you. Please."

"I'm expected on deck in a few hours," he said, less excuse than explaination. "But I can stay." She nodded, rising stiffly from her chair, and made her way over to her bed, laying down on top of the covers so that her injured side was up and she was facing the wall. Dick eased his shoes off and carefully removed his uniform tunic before crawling in next to her, allowing her a little space.

But Joan wouldn't take it - she reached backwards and grabbed for his arm, dragging it over her body so she could hold it close, between her breasts, like a child holding a favorite toy.

He wasn't sure what made him say it, the openness of the dark and the music, or the subtle terror still surging through his body. All he knew was that it needed to be said. "I love you."

There wasn't even a pause this time. "I love you, too."

[megashadowdragon]

Sly Cooper 5 Prediction: The Death of The Panda King.

Now, for some backstory behind the pic, for those who love fandom as much as I do: the return of the villainous Clockwerk, arch-nemesis of the Cooper family of master thieves!

"What? But Clockwerk was destroyed at the end of Sly 2!" I hear many who played Sly 2 exclaim. To this, I reply: "More specifically, his BODY was destroyed." Sure, the Hate Chip that fueled its indestructibility was crushed, causing the whole thing to age into nothingness. Killed Off for Real, right?

But wait! Those who paid attention to the espionage mission in Canada during "He Who Tames the Iron Horse" will remember Arpeggio mentioning a "Clockwerk Brain."--ostensibly, the one remaining piece of Clockwerk that was organic (though likely sealed inside a plexiglass bubble and preserved with sci-fi fluids). But we never actually SAW it...and, since Arpeggio planned to use Clockwerk's body for his own, I suspect he left that part out when putting the FRAME back together.

So sure, all the OTHER major Clockwerk parts were accounted for. But the question remains...what became of Clockwerk's BRAIN? What if it had still be active all this time--if CLOCKWERK had still been cognizant? And what if the Hate Chip was really just a CONDUIT for Clockwerk's hatred--something to gather the negative forces seething in his mind and channel it throughout his mechanical shell, just as he could once focus his hate through every fiber of his flesh and blood?

Which brings me to the events of my fandom--though few were ever aware of it, he secretly influenced events behind the scenes. For more details, I've got a fanfic up on FF.net called "A Cold-Hearted Interlude," via my handle: Lonephantom

Long story short, Clockwerk survived. And now he's returned in a new body--sleeker, more graceful, and far more worthy of his stated goal of surpassing the Cooper family's skill as master thieves. After all, his old body--large, heavily-armored, and equipped with heavy firepower--is suited more for outright warfare than for the stealth and subtlety of a master thief.

That isn't to say that he's a pushover now, though. Far from it. Clockwerk's new body includes, among other things, upgraded versions of his old body's weaponry...

--- -Integrated pulse blasters built into his palms, modified from the first weapon he employed during his duel with Sly back in the Krack-Karov Volcano.

-The razor-sharp talons on his feet and hands have been specially honed, allowing him to slice into plates of steel--and thanks to his new humanoid frame, it's much easier for Clockwerk to utilize them in hand-to-hand combat.

-His artificial eyes are equipped with multi-purpose camera lenses, allowing him to see in regular, nightvision, infra-red, and ultraviolet. More importantly, Clockwerk's improved upon the hypnotic qualities that made his old set of eyes so valuable to the Contessa--by making eye contact with his foe, he can emit an eerie pulse of light that disorients them, leaving them more susceptible to both physical and emotional attack.

-Fans of Sly 1 and 2 will remember one of Clockwerk's deadlier weapons--the electro-rings that Sly had to fly through in the first game and shoot out in the second. In his new body, the mechanical owl's pectoral plates can slide open to expose a pair of integrated launchers, from which they can be fired. Like in Sly 2, these rings can generate a building charge that bursts out in the immediate vicinity like a land-mine, or an inward current to zap anyone who gets caught in the loop. What's more, the rings now have the ability to constrict, trapping an opponent in a rope-less lasso before emitting their debilitating shock.

-See those darker panels on his wings? Clockwerk can focus energy into them to generate a protective shield, allowing him to withstand the likes of a full rocket barrage from the Panda King! However, using the shield eats up power, so the villainous owl can't keep up the same kind of perpetual force-field that he apparently had in the first game (the thing that Carmelita's Shock Pistol had to de-stabilize before Sly could get his shots through).

-Laser bits--just as his old body could unleash security lasers in a last-ditch effort to protect him if he was ever badly damaged, Clockwerk has installed a set of miniature drones equipped with multidirectional thrusters, each one capable of emitting a concentrated laser beam. While relatively easy to dodge separately, the drones have been designed to operate in tandem with one another, creating lethal patterns of scarlet energy or snapping off quick bursts. On the plus side, though, they're rather fragile--a deftly thrown projectile or explosive could short-circuit them. And, like Clockwerk's wing-mounted shield generators, the beam bits have to recharge now and then--they can't fire endlessly. ----

[soir-rouges-esprit]

xxxiv.a: The Demagogue, I sit at The Cazbium's Throne … the control seat … with my legs wide spread, feet firmly planted, as I gaze out through the Gothic-like windows at the land just beyond my complete reach, The Insidious City … as I'm tethered here, I can't realistically leave the ship for very long without my power fading … without my influe- … *grunt* … I hear little footsteps approaching swiftly from my left, coming up the side steps that were attached to the ship's bridge. I slowly turned my head which was resting in the palm of my hand, as I leaned my arm against the cold hard armrest towards said noise … then, bursting through the metallic door *WHAM* “LOOKY LOOKY WHAT I GOT HAHA!!!” The Relay! My head jolted up. “Yep! See for yourself” he placed the strangely small antena-like hunk of machine in my hand. This is it? Looks a tad tiny is it not? “Not about the Size, it's how you use it” I roll my eyes … yeah sure, said by every small dicked prick ever. I stand and hand it back to him. Go … install it … AND MIND … do not! … fuck this up. “Yeah yeah … I fucking got it here didn't I? Not gonna fuck it up.” Then out of seemingly nowhere. *VRMMMM* We both JOLT DOWN to a crouch and start looking everywhere! … as loud machine noises start to hum to life and LCD screens start to flash on and brightly all around. WHA- What The FUCK IS HAPPENING!! “I- I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE DON'T LOOK AT ME!” Then we here this large echoed *rumble* come from the main center doors behind the throne … then again *rumble* We tensed up and faced the door. *rumble* *Rumble* … *RUMBLE* … … … the two large doors opened … slowly … with orangish lights creeping through into the room along the door seams ever-increasing gap, to then … *Rumble* … *Rumble* … and out through the door stepped Body, in a slight slouch … he raised from that slight slouch he was in, and gave us this confused look, then crossed his large arms and said “Engine is up … power is up … and The Rudder is attached … in other words, we’re loaded and ready to burn the sky in whichever direction you wish.” We both raised, and gave a *sigh* “FUCKIN LOUD ASS … Could have just said something via the intercoms, instead of scaring the shit out of us.” “We have intercoms?” “WH- … YES!!!!” ALRIGHT! … Enough, don’t start you two, I’ll fucking kill myself if I have to hear another shouting match. I turn around, look at the throne once more … and … so many thoughts rush my head … this … was something I had been waiting for so long, and here it was … finally ready … finally It was time to act and go after the contract, ripping it to shit … to finally end this suffering … this eerie buzzing sound got louder and louder as my gaze fixated on the throne. From way back then, when I casted So- … when I tossed Red to the depths … when the ledge was so close … when I lost it all when I had nothing more than just this name … Wrath … *bzzz* … what a stupid name … how am I the Wrathful one? … it was you that survived it all, and yet chose to not remember any of the previous … *Bzzz* you can’t fool me … you will not hide from me … you can’t run from me, as you’ve done the others, I cannot be casted away … I can NOT … be absorbed … *BZZZZZZZZZ* I feel this hand touch my shoulder and I jolted up, and turn to face the hand. “Wrath? Why are yah staring like that? Given even me the fuckin creeps” “are we going now? Or what?” Ah … yes … let’s go now. I walk around to the front of The Throne, and … sit … The Wheel comes to life, giving off this slight reddish hue, slides forward on a track, and positions perfectly for me to comfortably sit and grab the large wheel with ease, along with the side panel that had a throttle, then this chain lowered from the roof with a little hand rail attached *Rattle* *Rattle* … I look up at it, and pull it … then this loud deep echoed horn yelled out from above the cabin *BRRRRRR VRMMMMM* sounded like the war of the worlds alien horn. I put my hand on the Throttle … and very slowly push it forward. The ship begins to slowly move forward ... [To Be Continued]

[an-android-child]

¡JAJA! YOU HAVE ACTIVATED MY AUTISM TRAP CARD

SPECIAL INTEREST

SO, first let's get to Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne's clusterfuck of a relationship.

As everyone will tell you, comic's canon is like gender: a social construct. If anyone tries to tell you there's a main canon they're lying to you. It's true that the comics TRY to market it as such, and we've been through so many reboots and continuities that I believe the present default is, literally, that everything is canon, depending on what the writer or story calls for. Which is as confusing as it sounds, and has been regarded as, possibly, the move of all time.

And I want to make it explicitly clear that I am not taking Elseworlds (official dc aus for their ocs, like Batman being a pirate and shit like that) into account. This is literally all "main continuity" in all its rebooted as shit glory. I'll specify what continuity I mean, but basically know that every once in a while DC has the compulsive need to kill off their entire character universe and start it all again "from the beginning", except it's literally never that because half of this reboots need the reader to know the characters already, so what's the point, and that they tend to just make everything worse and deliver the most dumb possible comic events in history, with few exceptions. But that's a personal opinion and it literally doesn't matter.

At the end of the day, here's the thing. There are... A shit ton of interpretations about their relationship, because it literally varies from writer to writer. No, I'm not kidding.

Let's start from the beginning. Literally.

First Main Universe

Detective Comics (1937) #38

Writer: Bill Finger

The first appearance of Dick Grayson is hilarious because it doesn't mention any legal procedure regarding anything related to the fact that Dick's an orphan now. Batman sees a traumatized child and thinks "is anybody gonna kidnap that" and doesn't wait for an answer. There's no real label for their relationship either, aside from the cover's vague remark of "taken under his mantle", and literally those two panels where it implies that Dick will be working with Bruce as an aide or something. Or better said, that they will be going on adventures together lmao. I mean, I guess.

Also unrelated but I love the fact that Bruce caves like a wet paper towel for his kids so much, even at the beginning. No, you can't be a crime fighter vigilante, wait no no don't look at me like that here I'll train you for months here's my secret identity and all my money please come live at my very big and lonely mansion

Detective Comics (1937) # 39 & #43 & #47

Writer: Bill Finger

So yeah, for a while, the og Batman writer basically referred to Dick as an aide. Whatever that means. Unpaid internship go brrrrrrrr.

Detective Comics (1937) #40

Writer: Bill Finger

But even from the beginning, it was obvious that their relationship was special and that they cared for each other. Hell, Dick was the first person to ever know Batman's secret identity. That's a huge ass deal. Not even his fiancé knew. Before Alfred even existed, Dick Grayson was already living in that house lmao.

Detective Comics (1937) #41

Writer: Bill Finger

The FIRST ever mention of any type of legal relationship between them is this off-hand comment made when they're trying to infiltrate a boarding school to find some killer I can't remember the name of. I place some legitimacy in it because they're literally going as Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, no disguises. When did Bruce do the paperwork for this? When did the trial take place? Who knows! It will be explained. Later. Somewhat. Don't think about it.

As time progressed, the relationship became more explicitly parental. You could argue this was because of the controversy, but whatever it may be for, Bruce doesn't shy away from telling/showing Dick how much he loves him. He also does it when he thinks no one's paying much attention to him lol

Batman (1940) #20 (this issue is very cute)

Writer: Bill Finger

Batman (1940) #66

Writer: Bill Finger

Sometimes though, he would insist they were just the best of friends.

Detective Comics (1937) #166

Writer: Don C. Cameron (i'm not sure if it's really him, but i can't find any other sources claiming any other writer, and it kinda seems like his writing style)

Ironically, Dick seems to be the one to insist they're just good friends the most, which I find an interesting choice.

Batman (1940) #3 & #20 & #118

Writer: Bill Finger

Except... When he doesn't.

Batman (1940) #57

Writer: Bill Finger

Batman (1940) #339

Writer: Gerry Conway

Either way, don't be fooled. No matter what, this little guy cares.

Batman (1940) #13 (in this story Bruce is just pulling off a ruse with a dummy so Dick doesn't get killed, but instead of telling him he leaves the house lmao. Also, oh, the irony)

Writer: Bill Finger

The general consensus though, if there's anything like that in a world as cruel as this one, is that Dick was never formally adopted, just taken in as a ward. This was because, in the 40's, single men couldn't adopt even if they wanted to, so that was the next best thing. But that's another entire can of worms.

So yeah, Dick was never really adopte-

Detective Comics (1937) #145

Writer: Don C. Cameron (again, I can't be sure, but the comic references two other issues written by him, and I'll eat my left shoe if it's anyone else)

Yeah let's just. Let's just move on.

Second Main Universe

In the second universe, things start getting messy. Writers have decided angst is what they want, and their relationship becomes way more rocky. They fight, Dick becomes Nightwing, Bruce gets his back broken, Jason fucking dies, not in that order. Y'know the drill. The focus on father and son shifts, but let's start with the basics.

For some context, in this universe Dick isn't adopted, but Bruce is his legal guardian.

The Untold Legend of the Batman (1980) #2

Writer: Len Wein

So yeah, Dick isn't adopte-

Robin (1993) #0 (thank you so much @northoftheroad for helping me find this instance!!! there are way too many comics sometimes lmaoo. i recommend her blog so much, and she specializes in Dick's whole comic history)

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Ignore that.

He's just a ward-

Robin (1993) Annual #4

Writer: Chuck Dixon (IS HE ADOPTED OR NOT DIXON)

Ignore that.

I meant foster chil-

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989) #100

Writer: Dennis O'Neil

Fuck.

Look. This is a mess, we both know it. Let's pretend consistency is a thing that exists and that DC gives a shit about it.

In the second universe, Dick ISN'T adopted, and doesn't care much that he hasn't bee-

Tales of the Teen Titans (1984) #50

Writers: Marv Wolfman & George Pérez

I actually meant that he cares and wants to be Bruce's so-

Batman (1940) #439

Writer: Marv Wolfman

I mean, he was a child when he said that! Character development I guess! In a way! It's the same author. I don't understand the point of the conversation at the wedding if Dick literally asked him not to. I can get behind tha-

Secret Origins (1986) #13 (thank you so much @tiffanybluesclues for helping me find this instance!!! they have this super fricking cool meta i can't recoomend enough if you want to see more clearly for yourself what Bruce's and Dick's whole deal is about lmao)

Writer: Dan Mishkin

Okay this is getting ridic-

Batman (1940) #217

Writer: Frank Robbins

YEAH. WHY NOT

DID I MENTION THAT THIS UNIVERSE TRIES FOR THE BROTHER ANGLE. Except when it doesn't.

In the First Universe we had the best friends angle, now we have the brother one. They want to keep Bruce young so bad, even at the cost of consistency.

Robin (1993) Annual #4

Writer: Chuck Dixon

And also the best friend angle. Again. Because of course we do.

All this mess is just the first two universes and I'm leaving so many details out. Jesus Fuck.

Third Main Universe

The universe I was referencing, the one where Dick is adopted by Bruce as an adult, is the third main continuity. From one of my favourite comic writers (who was done so dirty, and I'll never forgive some fans for how they treat her, or DC editorial for not letting her finish her Nightwing story properly).

Batman: Gotham Knights (2000) #17 (this issue was released in 2001)

Writer: Devin Grayson (my beloved)

You'd think this would be a pivotal moment for their relationship, in the sense that it would shape how other authors wrote them from then on. As times have changed, the focus on a much more character driven story has been the cause for many changes in DC comics. One of the reasons the Second Universe was so full of angst (not as much as people make it out to be, but way more than we were used to), was precisely that fact. And now, in the present, one could argue the focus is still there, perhaps even more so. You'd think this would mark the end of an era, the beginning of another. You'd be correct, in literally any other circumstance.

But this is DC.

52 (2006) #30 (this issue was released in 2007)

Writers: Geoff Johns & Grant Morrison & Greg Rucka & Mark Waid

Batman and Robin (2009) #7 (this issue was released in 2010)

Writer: Grant Morrison

Batman (1940) #713 (this issue was released in 2011)

Writer: Fabian Nicieza

This will always be DC.

Fourth Main Universe

Nightwing (2011) #0

Writers: Kyle Higgins & Tom DeFalco

So, yeah. Canon is a social construct. Some writers see them as brothers, some as best friends, some as equals, some as father and son, some as fricking colleagues, and I'm sure you can find someone who sees them as lovers. This is literally a pick your poison type of deal here.

And all of this. All of this just to talk about Dick and Bruce. I have barely even touched the present continuity (the fourth one, I'm not counting soft reboots because everytime a new writer appears it is a soft reboot istG). I haven't even gotten to Jason.

I'll do a part two in the reblogs later about him, lmao. Probably make my own post as not to clog op's notes (this was supposed to be a short answer and it got way too long)

If you want some recs about a character in particular, or a specific type of relationship, feel free to hit me up! I'll see what I can find

dick and jason trying to give tim the crash course on what it's like to be robin, except tim leaves the conversation more confused than he was before, because everyone quickly had the realisation that there was. definitely a favourite child

dick goes on about how bruce's teachings gave him healthy outlets for his grief and anger etc etc, whilst jason's very much confused because he was kinda under the impression that robin was an outlet for bruce's feelings.

dick says that the father-mentor ratio was really well balanced during his time as robin, and bruce always saw him as a son first. and jason's just like "....i didn't even know he saw me as his son until after i died????"