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stxleslyds · 4 years ago

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Robin Jason, a friend and ally of the Titans.

PART 1.

Last Friday I was feeling extra rage-y after the news about the Titans mini with the Titans show line-up of heroes. I still think that a) Jason shouldn’t be considered a Titan or be in the team as Red Hood and b) that him going back to wearing a bat symbol on his chest is just bad but as @randomlut said there is a possibility of that book not being set in DC’s current universe and if that’s the case then okay, I will not complain about it anymore.

But this post isn’t about that Titans book it’s about Jason’s Robin’s appearances in volume two of the New Teen Titans!

Now, this won’t be an in-depth review of those issues from a story point of view, it will be a post in which I talk about Jason’s characterization and interactions with the Titans. Maybe I will even dive a little bit into why I think that the interactions that Jason and Roy have in those issues makes the relationship that they had in New52 very out of place.

Let’s begin!

· NTT (1984) #19

Jason as Robin appears here only in the last page of the issue. After the current team of the Titans appears to be falling apart Donna calls Jason and others to help in a mission, this team that she puts together resembles the “original” line-up with Robin, Speedy, (Kid) Flash, Aqualad and Hawk.

· NTT (1884) #20-21

Jason appears in the Titans tower along the OG Titans, when Donna finally tells them what the mission is all about (stopping Cheshire from interrupting a meeting) she asks if they are in on the job, Jason is not only excited about being there but about Batman actually letting him come all the way to the tower. A little bit of what Jason thinks or saw in Bruce is shown when Wally says that he “didn’t think the Batman could be thrilled by anything. He is always so grim.”

Basically, what Jason says is that the Bat isn’t that bad if you get to know him and that he cares about Jason’s education outside of vigilantism. Also, Jason seems to be grateful and very receptive of the things that Bruce taught him, he regards him as a very good mentor.

After everyone decides to help, they get on their jet. Here we have a very important interaction between Jason and Donna, she is telling him how she is feeling about the attitude of the rest of the team and about how she is a little bit lost now that she is in charge of the Titans and then she asks what Robin thinks about the whole thing, Jason is obviously thrilled once more, someone as experienced as Donna is asking him for his opinion? It blows his mind away! Batman never does that, he is always following his lead and never has a say on what they do so, to him, helping the Titans is only getting better and maybe he will ask the Bat to let him join them permanently.

Because they were talking Donna wasn’t paying much attention while flying and after they barely avoid crashing the jet, she apologizes to everyone and once more looks for reassurance with Jason, this time Jason is caught off guard but after Hawk teases him about his hesitation he tells her that “everything’s okay”.

When they arrive to Switzerland (where the meeting will be held) we have Jason’s first interaction with Roy Harper and him also slowly transforming into a burrito, that boy was cold and pissed off about it!

It’s really funny to me that Roy talking about Oliver’s pervy arrows is his very first interaction with Jason, who would have thought that a mad man would later make them besties?

They all go inside a building to get warm and for a while Jason is just chilling while the other Titans are all having an existential crisis, because here is the thing, Jason is a kid, he was presumably 14 here while all the other are in their twenties. Donna is having trouble with her new position as leader of the Titans, Wally is trying to live up to Barry, Garth is grieving his love, Roy is still very uncomfortable about being on a mission that involves Cheshire and Hank is just crazy. The others are trying to complete a mission while their real-life problems loom over them and Jason is just on an adventure with cool people.

Its not much later than Cheshire attacks the Titans, she first takes on Wally because he is her biggest threat and then detonates a bomb, now here I will give a little bit of context, Cheshire does not want to kill the Titans as of now, she just wants to incapacitate them because them being there is making her own mission more complicated, all I will say is that she doesn’t truly have villainous intentions and that she has a very weak spot for Roy.

Anyway, the bomb incapacitates Garth and Roy and Cheshire also managed to shoot Wally so only Donna, Hank and Jason are left standing to capture Cheshire, but here is the thing, Hank doesn’t want to capture her, he wants to kill her.

Jason has interacted very few times with Hank so far and it has always been Hank teasing him but now as Jason is going to fight Cheshire Hank interrupts him telling him that he will do “what has to be done”. Cheshire of course wont fall easily and I think that at this very moment she is thinking that killing Hank wouldn’t be a bad idea because he is going to mess her plans up! But not to worry as she is raising her gun Jason comes in to save his ass!

Jason is not a match for Cheshire and after that she quickly subdues him. But what’s important here is two things, first Jason doesn’t want or consider the idea of killing Jade, he just wants to capture her and bring her to justice, secondly, he doesn’t even want her to kill Hank, who has been violent towards every Titan and rude to Jason every single time that he has interacted with him. What I am trying to say is that this IS Robin Jason, he doesn’t think or act the same as Red Hood will in the future, he has his opinions on what punishments killers should get but he is not there to kill anyone himself.

There is this whole page where Donna beats Hank against a tree so he stops killing, because that’s not what the Titans do, she explains that if they do that then the public (that is already quite afraid of them) will just fear them more and they don’t need that, plus she believes that he is acting that way out of grief after losing his brother, as she is saying all of this though she is putting quite a lot of pressure on his chest and that might have ended up in her actually killing Hank if Jason hasn’t been there to stop her.

Donna is obviously not having a good time and after this she says that she “has had it” and that from now on Robin should “take command” because “its his group anyway”. Oh man…its clear to the reader that Donna is not having a good time being team leader but she also misses a certain person a lot. She is obviously not seeing Jason there, she is seeing Dick, the person that she is used to take orders from but he is not there.

Jason is aware of this, he might be a kid and might not have as many problems as the other Titans as of now but he is not a fool and he doesn’t want people to see someone else when they look at him, so he confronts Donna about what she just said/did.

Jason is just great in this scene; he just doesn’t want people that he admires to treat him as if he were someone that he isn’t. Just because Dick isn’t there doesn’t mean that he (because he is Robin) can replace him, they are not the same person and they do not have the same experience. He calls out Donna on her behaviour towards him and Donna being an adult takes responsibly for her actions and understands that ultimately, she was hurting Jason’s feelings. We have a kinda wholesome moment when they hug but because this is written by Marv Wolfman and he just can’t help himself, he proceeds to write Jason as a horny teenager. What a way to ruin the moment Marv…

Back to Cheshire, she is about to kick Wally’s face in when she decides to first tell him what he has to tell the others when they wake up, which is “Cheshire remembers”.

Wally tells the Titans Cheshire’s message but none of them truly understands what it means, Hank says that he doesn’t even understand why they are alive. Donna comes to the conclusion that Cheshire might want something from them and this is where Jason gives his thoughts, he says “Doesn’t matter what she wants. We take care of her. She’s a killer.”, its clear once more than although Jason (as Robin) wouldn’t kill anyone he does feel a certain type of way about criminals and wants them to be locked up.

After yet another verbal fight between Hank and Donna the Titans take a cable car to their next location, Jason is shown as exited about the view and the whole experience once more. When they arrive, they find Faraday (the guy that called Donna for help in #19) and he explains a bit more the situation but Jason once more is having trouble staying warm so he goes to the cable car tunnel nearby, but he doesn’t go alone, Roy goes with him because his “costume wasn’t made for this kind of weather either”, in this second interaction between these two we get to see Jason’s detective skills shine.

Jason has been watching Roy and he found his reaction to Cheshire’s message quite sus. Not only is he showing his detective skills here but he also said in a previous panel this: ��The Batman keeps telling me to watch people’s eyes. And every so often I notice you become awfully agitated…like something was going on you didn’t want to be part of”. Zdarsky, hey pal, I am talking to you, look at this dude! He read Roy like an open book, this is Robin Jason, he likes being Robin and he is brilliant at it, he is methodical because he learnt from paying attention and working with Batman, so, you sir are wrong, not only did UtRH disprove your dumb narrative but so does this interaction (along all his appearances in this book).

Roy is impressed by the kid, and yeah, he calls him kid because he is a kid…Roy is visibly older than Jason as he should, do you see it Lobdell? Yeah, there is no dubious age gap between those two as you made it seem. Roy is impressed because between both of them he is the one that is most experienced, not the other way around. How did Lobdell manage to make up a whole as run where not only were Roy and Jason close in age and besties but also Jason was better at vigilantism than Roy and Roy was the one being impressed. It’s wild, wild and bad.

Back to the issue, Jason taken out of the fight quite fast once more by Cheshire and she proceeds to talk to Roy, that’s where we find out that they were lovers and that she feels weak when she is around him because he makes her feel feelings but that’s not all, she tells Roy that he is “the man that fathered my child” …Oh and now she does want to kill him. That’s where #20 ends, so let’s see what happens with Jason in #21.

In the beginning of #21 Jason is conscious once more and when he hears Cheshire’s threat, he attacks her so she can’t shoot Roy, he also says this “Sorry ‘cat’ that’s a definite no-no. Don’t you know mommy’s and daddies should never fight” I, I don’t know why he had to say it like that…the 80s were weird. While Jason is being himself Roy is thinking “Don’t be cocky kid, Jade hasn’t got a sense of humour…” but because he wants to talk to Jade, he tells Jason to go, that he will handle Cheshire and he leaves.

Roy and Jade talk, Donna and Hawk are fighting bad guys and each other and at some point, Jason joins Garth and helps him take down a couple of guys, he also tries to make conversation with him but Garth is still not talking to anybody.

Cheshire tells Roy that he will never hear about their child again and that he needs to let her do her thing and stay out of it because he doesn’t understand what’s going on, Roy doesn’t do what she asks and she “poisons” him. Donna saves a guy that Hank was trying to kill. After Cheshire leaves Roy comes to the conclusion that she wasn’t there to kill the people from the meeting or that she poisoned him, but because they were there and everything went to shit now the people that were getting together are blaming the Titans for the interruption. The whole thing is a mess and the news channel are not nice about the Titans as a whole, but I am not interested in exploring that here. All you need to know is that the people that made Cheshire do what she did to the Titans were the Brother Blood people.

It’s on the jet that we see Jason again, he and the others are going back to the tower. Because the news are painting the Titans as bad when they are arriving to the tower Jason sees a lot of people protesting about them and he feels bad. This was his first job with the Titans and he is a kid, imagine how sad it would make you if you wanted to help and after getting the job done people were mad at you. But even though he is sad about that he takes time to ask Roy if he is okay after he sees him almost running away from the tower, he doesn’t get a response but he isn’t mad about it.

Jason’s stay with the Titans comes to and end and he says that he loved hanging out with them and is grateful for having been invited, he is so sweet!

· NTT (1884) #24

Here, for some reason, we see Jason saying goodbye to the Titans again and unlike at the end of #21 Roy is there to see him leave.

I am not going to lie though; I liked this goodbye better it feels like it’s more complete than the other one. Here he says that Batman wants him back in Gotham but that if the Titans ever need him again all they need to do is call. He also mentions Nightwing which is funny because he will be called by Donna again in #26 to help the Titans get Dick back from Brother Bloods Church.

I am going to cut this part here because issues 26 to 31 have a lot of Jason content that I want to explore and I can’t put any more pictures here, also this post is already long as it is now!

I just love Jason’s little moments in these issues, him confronting Donna and reading Roy like and open book in #20 are my absolute favourite, I just think this is a nice way to kinda show how wrong some current characterizations of Robin Jason are and what better way to do that than reading and looking into some good stories.

Oh! Before I forget, in #21 Roy leaves the Titans’ tower to go see Jade and he actually gets to meet his daughter Lian for the first time, so yeah, that was a wholesome moment!

#jason todd #robin jason todd #batman and robin #titans #new teen titans #donna troy #roy harper #cheshire #garth of shayeris #wally west #red hood #urban legends red hood

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alecmagnuslwb · 4 years ago

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Say Your Name Softly

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“Jaybird what happened to ‘don’t call any attention to ourselves’?” Roy asks as he looks around the bar where Jason has absolutely just caused a scene.

“I’m improvising,” Jason says throwing a wad of bills onto the bar for the owner as an apology for the trouble he’s just caused. “And choose between Jaybird or your trachea, you can’t have both,” Jason adds on because he doesn’t need Roy giving him some stupid nickname.

Roy, naturally, doesn’t listen. Jaybird sticks and despite his reputation and vague threats Jason never actually does anything to put a stop to it. Jaybird becomes common vernacular for Roy.

First Jason’s pretty sure Roy does it just to annoy him, especially when he realizes Jason wasn’t really serious about the whole trachea thing, delighting in every sharp glare that has less and less heat behind it every time Jason shoots one back.

From there it just sort of evolves, Jason stops glaring every time Roy says it and it becomes an everyday friendly nickname that as much as Jason is loath to admit it out loud he likes.

He’s Jaybird and well that’s fine.

***

Roy takes a running jump from the ledge of the building reaching out for the grappling hook and landing with a grace that sometimes still surprises Jason.

He doesn’t stop moving as he rolls to a stand and takes off, arrows knocked and aiming at the goons cornering them.

“Cover me Jaybird!” he shouts as he goes, expertly dodging gunfire while hitting three of the goon’s square in the chest with stun arrows. Jason curses under his breath already in motion guns at the ready. Beside him Dick chuckles.

“Jaybird?” he laughs and questions simultaneously as he stands and does a complicated flip jumping into the fray. Jason ignores him taking out the kneecaps of several of the guys while Dick kicks and punches his way through a pack of them, the blue of his Nightwing costume moving like a blur. Off to the side he hears the familiar thwip of a bow and thud of knocked out bodies.

Between the three of them they deal with the lackies easily, to the surprise of no one Black Mask doesn’t even bother showing his ugly, bony face. Jason’s tying up the last of the goons when he hears the sirens in the distance, Montoya most likely leading the charge. Jason stands to his full height about to shout over to Roy that at least he needs to get going, he’s not exactly on the best of terms with the GCPD just yet even if he’s been cleaning up his act.

Roy however beats him to it, “Jaybird!” he shouts from the other side of the roof where he and Dick have been chatting. “We better motor!”

Jason turns and shoots a thumb out to the direction of the next roof over so they can make their escape quickly before the cops show up not needing to say a word for Roy to know what he’s meaning. Roy nods in return before turning back to Dick, the two do some complicated bro handshake that ends with a loud high five before Roy immediately takes off in a run shooting another grappling hook for he and Jason to slide across.

“See you soon,” Dick shouts at Jason as Roy already makes his slide over to the next building. “Jaybird,” he emphasizes with a big doofy looking smile that Jason hates. He does not have time for his big brother teasing him about going soft or something by letting Roy call him a nickname.

“Hopefully not too soon, Dickie,” he shouts flipping his brother a playful middle finger as he takes off in a run following close behind Roy.

***

Dick isn’t the first, or the last to comment on the little nickname as more and more people hear it. Kory always gives Jason this look, this soft understanding look that he doesn’t understand every time he lets the nickname slide. Alfred drops on comms one evening to invite him over for tea and calls him Master Jaybird and Jason can hear his teasing smile in the words. One by one his family and Roy’s friends all start to just make little notices of it, like it’s some big deal.

Which it isn’t. It’s not like the words become more and more a term of endearment than a nickname, like lately Roy hasn’t taken to saying it a lot softer than he ever had before and started accompanying it with these lingering soft little touches. It’s not like Jason hasn’t found himself feeling something a little deeper than friendship of late when Roy says it, like he doesn’t absolutely melt when those little touches brush his skin. It’s just a silly name, that’s it.

“You good, Jaybird?” Roy asks his hand reaching out to turn Jason’s unmasked face to look at the cut along his cheek, all things considered it’s a minor injury.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jason says not making any move to stop Roy’s hand from lingering. That is until he catches sight of a small pack of Titans out of the corner of his eye. He clears his throat and steps back a bit a small grateful smile that he knows only Roy will notice on his lips. Roy just nods his head resting a hand a little too lightly to be considered some sort of bro slap on his shoulder before he steps away over to the little group.

Donna starts walking their way brushing Roy’s arm in a friendly manner as she goes, Jason’s stomach does a weird fluttering thing at the action. He’s not jealous, there’s no reason to be jealous. He and Roy are friends. Donna and Roy are friends. It’s as unmeaning as the nickname is.

“Jaybird, huh?” Donna says with a tittering laugh as she passes. They’ve just thwarted an apocalypse; Superman is somewhere on the metropolitan battlefield and that’s what she chooses to focus on. Roy just shrugs winking at her as he goes a look of some understanding passing between them that Jason can’t quite read.

Jason turns around bending down to pick up his helmet where it had been rudely knocked off of his head during a fight. Donna’s boots come into his eyeline, the amazon standing firmly beside him. He stands to his full height mirroring her stance with her arms crossed and hip cocked. She watches over where Roy, Dick, Gar and a few others have gathered checking in with each other.

“You better treat him right, Todd,” she says turning the full force of her warrior stance on him. Jason squints at her, the sky has turned back from its bright red to the sparkling night it should be, it makes the little constellations and stars on her outfit shine even brighter and makes her somehow more intimidating.

“That’s all,” she says before he can scramble to say it’s not like that with a wide fake smile, she reaches out her hand and places it on Jason’s shoulder like Roy just had, but with a much firmer grip, a grip that means business. It takes every bit of his Batman training not to wince.

She smiles more genuinely after a moment and steps away her eyes trained upwards when she spots Diana fly above.

Jason just watches her go expression unmoving realizing that maybe everyone keeps pointing out the nickname for a reason.

***

Jason’s not totally certain how he ended up at an arrow family dinner, except for the fact that he’s weak in the face of a bright-eyed pouting Roy Harper. So when he’d asked Jason to come as a buffer in case things between him and Ollie got intense his big green eyes bright in the morning sun with a pout on his face as he gave Jason a giant mug of coffee just the way he likes it, well he didn’t have it in him to say no.

Roy had been dodging the invitations for nearly a year, but when Dinah showed up in person and asked him to come there was no way he could say no.

Plus they’ve been spending more and more time in the warehouse in Star City than the loft in Gotham these days anyway, so really it was more a matter of convenience than anything.

So here they all are surrounding a big green table, which Jason thinks is a little on the nose, and everything has been shockingly pleasant so far. Dinah had practically burst into happy tears when she saw Roy on their doorstep and she’d even welcomed Jason in with open arms.

It’s clear the other arrow kids love Roy he’s oldest of them and they all look up to him and it pains Jason to see how surprised Roy is by that fact all the time. He’s not a screw up in their eyes, he’s their hero who overcame a lot to still be sitting at this table today.

Connor and Cissie are fairly indifferent to Jason which is just fine by him, except for Emiko who keeps asking exceedingly inappropriate questions about Batman that Damian always refused to answer. Jason doesn’t have any qualms about answering them however and he’s certain he’ll be getting a stern call from Bruce in no time about it. Mia is even shockingly polite, which considering their history is the most shocking thing about the whole evening.

Even more shocking though is Oliver Queen himself who is nothing but cordial and corny the whole night through. He’s clearly trying to maintain an easy-going environment and watching his words carefully so that he doesn’t test any boundary or limit that will lead to even one tense moment between he and Roy.

He doesn’t like Jason, but he’s never liked Jason so the simple fact he’s made not one negative remark about Jason’s presence is just enough for him. Everything about this night is clearly a win in Roy’s book judging from the smile that’s rarely left his face all night.

Dinner is perfectly pleasant and even makes Jason a little nostalgic for his Robin days when he was still innocent and family dinners weren’t just the occasional tea with Alfred. They’re lingering after dinner clearly each just waiting to see who will be the first one to break and say they need to leave and go on patrol.

It’s a waiting game Jason’s seen and always been the first to break at every gathering of his own brood, the only reason he’s not tonight is for Roy’s sake. He’s not even really paying attention anymore just lingering over the Tupperware of insanely good chili that Oliver had pushed his way moments ago letting the family just be together.

“Hey, Jaybird,” Roy says startling Jason out of his staring contest with the chili. He looks up and meets Roy’s eyes followed by the amused little smiles of everyone else and Ollie’s wide eyed, confusion maybe? Definitely surprise. “You ready to go bust up that fight club?”

Jason raises an eyebrow. The fight club in question has been on their radar for some time now, they’re 99% certain they’re using meta’s against their will and have been planning a little coup of their own over the weeks. Roy has about one and half feet in the door as a high roller, playing the role of spoiled rich boy looking to blow money even better than Jason does.

The next time he shows up he’s certain it’ll be the clubs last night in operation, he didn’t think tonight would be that night.

“You sure?” Jason questions searching Roy’s eyes for confirmation that this isn’t because he missed something going sour. Roy’s eyes look clear and certain and Jason knows he hasn’t missed a thing, Roy just wants to get the job they started done. He nods grabbing the Tupperware and the rest of the arrow kids take that as their cue each signaling their own farewells. Ollie never stops watching the two of them however, he looks like his mind has been running a mile a minute as he leans against the counter.

He finally moves when they all makes their way out the door, Dinah hugging each of the kids and even Jason as they file out. Roy and Dinah chat for a few more minutes while Jason safely secures the chili to his bike.

Roy looks so light and carefree and it makes Jason smile against his will. They walk over to the bike together Dinah hugging Roy one more time before he turns to Ollie and they do a weird bro hug style farewell that’s only a little bit awkward.

Ollie grips his bicep when they pull back. “You sure you two won’t need any backup with whatever you’re messing around with tonight?” he asks eyes briefly flitting over to where Jason leans against his bike.

“Nah, we’ll be good, Jaybird’s got my back,” Roy says. Ollie gets this amused look on his face as Roy steps away and takes the spare helmet Jason offers him. Jason gets on the bike first ignoring whatever is going on with Oliver.

“Jaybird,” Oliver mumbles under his breath before shaking his head. “Well if you change your mind, Pretty Bird,” he says looking Jason directly in the eyes as he pulls her close and places a lingering kiss on her head. Jason can’t ignore the implication of that comparison the way he’s managed to ignore everyone else’s glances and little comments. “And I are just a call away,” Ollie finishes with a chuckle.

Roy gives him a smile and a salute as he puts on his helmet and slips onto the bike behind Jason sitting a little closer and holding Jason’s waist a little tighter than necessary. Jason throws down his helmet visor to avoid the way Oliver’s still looking at him all meaningful and vaguely threatening before speeding away.

***

Tearing down the fight club is a hell of a lot easier than Jason expected it to be. They gear up at home then they’re in and out and sending vans full of free meta’s to safe havens set up around the city by the Black Canary herself in under two hours.

They’re both a little banged up when they make it back to the warehouse, but it’s nothing a few band-aids and a little Neosporin can’t handle.

Roy starts discarding pieces of the fancy burgundy suit he was sporting as soon as they’re in the door, Jason follows suit pulling weapon after weapon from his person in what they lovingly refer to as the discard box by the door. It’s their go to spot for all the weapons that need a good cleaning or maybe a good recycling down in Roy’s workshop.

By the time Jason’s down to just his pants and an under-armor shirt Roy’s settled down at the kitchen island rifling through the first aid kit with one hand and holding his other to a spot on the back of his head.

Jason walks up behind him picking his hand up from the spot he’s covering carefully.

“Did someone slice you on the back of the head?” he asks grabbing the rubbing alcohol from Roy’s hand.

“Yup, not sure how, but yup,” Roy grimaces when Jason takes a cotton ball to the slice.

“Told you not to cut your hair,” Jason says as he keeps cleaning the wound out. Last month Roy had finally parted with his scraggly red locks for a new cut short on the sides and back and just a little longer on the top. It looks good on him, but sometimes Jason misses the tresses of hair that would always slip their way out of his hats and blow around in the wind when they stood on rooftops. The hair not even fazing Roy from making a perfect shot when they’d fly in front of his eyes.

Roy snorts. “You just miss braiding my hair.”

“Yeah during all our pillow fights and sleepovers,” Jason huffs as he finishes cleaning up the slice and moves to open the Neosporin. He can’t exactly bandage this up so he’ll just have to badger Roy to remember to keep it clean.

Roy sighs. “If only you’d accept all my invitations to those, Jaybird,” he says seriously and there’s implications not even an emotionally constipated Jason Todd can’t catch onto under those words.

“You’re always calling me that,” Jason says as he slowly finishes up on the wound.

“Jaybird?” Roy asks slowly turning around to face Jason when he gives him a tap on the shoulder signifying he’s done.

Jason nods swallowing the lump in his throat realizing this conversation is happening there’s no jumping around it anymore.

“Well aside from your attempts early on, it was pretty clear you didn’t mind it all that much,” Roy says leaning back against the island. He reaches out brushing the bit of hair that’s fallen into Jason’s eyes, it’s the part that’s shock white a stark contrast to the rest of his dark hair. “So, yeah I call you that all the time.”

“You know Oliver calls Dinah Pretty Bird all the time,” he says tracking the movement of Roy’s hand as it falls slowly down the length of Jason’s arm.

“That he does,” Roy hums as he reaches Jason’s hand and tangles their fingers together.

“And you call me Jaybird,” Jason says looking up from their joined hands to Roy’s eyes.

“That has been established.”

“You know some people might make implications based on those similarities,” Jason says holding Roy’s eyes.

“Yeah they sure might,” Roy says pushing himself off the island. They’re practically nose to nose, eyes locked. “Damn do I wish the right person would realize those implications already.”

Jason swallows again a small smile forming on his lips. He never thought this would happen, that he’d work up the courage and finally acknowledge this ever-growing thing between them. That it would lead to a moment like this.

“Well I think he’s catching on,” he says. Roy smiles bright and lifts his other hand to gently cup Jason neck.

“About fucking time,” he says before leaning in finally breaching the space between them and connecting their lips. It’s a slow, sweet glide with so much passion and over a years’ worth of tension all seeping through when their lips move and their tongues meet. Jason’s not sure how much time passes, but eventually breathing becomes a necessity.

Roy doesn’t let him go far, keeping his hand on Jason’s neck and their fingers intertwined. He tilts their heads together while they both catch their breath.

“Well that works, huh, Jaybird,” he says stroking his thumb up and down the side of Jason’s neck.

“It sure does, Roy Toy,” Jason says with a chuckle hating the nickname even as it leaves his lips. Roy’s head throws back in a deep laugh he can’t seem to restrain.

“No way, nuh uh,” he says still chuckling. “You’re gonna have to do better than that, I’ll have to take up your trachea idea if you try to make that a thing.”

Jason snorts. “I’ll keep workshopping then,” he says before leaning back in and kissing the bright smile off of Roy’s lips.

#my fic #jayroy #jason todd #roy harper #the implications of ollie calling dinah pretty bird and roy calling jason jaybird are A LOT okay

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dcubang · 5 years ago

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2020 DCU Bang Summaries

2020 DCU Bang Claiming Instructions | Claiming Form Claims are now open!

Summaries after the Read More

2020 Summaries

1 Title: Green (may be renamed) Word Count: 9961 Genre: Fandom/Universe: Batman - All Media Types Characters/Pairings: Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Jason Todd - Tim Drake/Jason Todd/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Jason Todd/Damian Wayne, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent (background), Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne (background) Warnings: Dubcon, non-consensual drug use Rating: Explicit Summary: Jason and Tim agree to coach Damian through trying weed for the first time. All is going well, until they realise they’ve been dealt Ivy-brand weed and inadvertently been dosed with sex pollen. Obviously, a threesome ensues.

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2 Title: Love and Other Four-Letter Words Word Count: 10.4k Genre: Angsty Romance Fandom/Universe: Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Birds of Prey Characters/Pairings: Hal Jordan / Dinah Lance / Oliver Queen Warnings: Angst (happy ending), violence, gun violence, drinking, threesome, polyamory, open marriage, emotional infidelity, swearing, depression, self-loathing, nasty past breakup Rating: E Summary: After yet another breakup with Carol, Hal and Ollie find themselves on a road trip across America. Along the way, Hal starts to realize he’s feeling a bit more than friendship for his best friend. The days pass, and the two grow closer, but all too soon the trip must come to an end. On Ollie’s insistence, Hal agrees to stay with him and Dinah in their Star City home. He easily falls into routine with them, but living under the same roof has caused his feelings to multiply tenfold. After a rejected kiss in the middle of the night, Hal has to finally figure out what it is he wants. Dinah, caught in the middle of the two, is forced to confront her own feelings on the situation, eventually making her thoughts known. After a mission turned sour and a near-miss, the three grow closer still, eventually developing a relationship with each other. The story is entirely in Hal’s POV and there is quite a fair bit of self-hatred.

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3 Title: The sky's gonna hurt when it falls Word Count: 12k Genre: Drama, Angst, "Romance" Fandom/Universe: Nightwing (comics), Batman (All Media Types), Heathers (All Media Types) Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd/Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson & Catalina Flores. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Catalina Flores, Harley Quinn, Crystal Frost, Barbara Gordon, Roman Sionis, Jack Napier. Warnings: graphic violence, suicide, bullying, violence in schools, underage drinking, parental neglect, homophobia, drug use, major character death, threats of non-con, underage sex Rating: M Summary: All Dick Grayson ever wanted to make Gotham High School a better place. So when queen bee Catalina invites him to be part of the most powerful and ruthless clique in school, he jumps at the chance to accept her invitation---after all, it's easy to change the system when you're the one making the rules. Things get complicated after the arrival of the dangerous new kid, JT, who urges Dick to bite the bullet and abandon high school politics before it's too late. But Dick can't help but feel that JT has another plan for the bullet... AKA the Heathers/Jaydick crossover no one asked for. This work is set in 1989 and contains excessive use of 80s slang. Like the movie and musical, themes of violence, suicide, homophobia, and bullying are present throughout. Situations of dubious consent and threats of non-con are mentioned but not in detail.

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4 Title: The Ghosts of Robins Past Word Count: 9,399 Genre: Action, casefic, drama, canon divergence Fandom/Universe: Batman Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Jack Drake, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd. Jason Todd/Dick Grayson Warnings: Kidnapping, mentions of torture Rating: PG-13 Summary: Bruce never planned or wanted to take on a third Robin. Dick seemingly vanished off the face of the earth at fourteen and Jason was murdered at fifteen. Thirteen-year-old Tim Drake came into his life while he grieved for Jason, insisting Bruce needed a Robin to keep him balanced. Against his better judgment, he accepted and began training Tim. Now, at fourteen, Tim’s more than earned the mantle of Robin and his place at Bruce’s side. But did Bruce make a terrible mistake in accepting him? If something should happen to Tim, could he handle another loss? Bruce hopes he won’t have to answer that question. Soon he has a new case on his hands. People are being killed with gold tipped knives with owl symbols on their hilts. Bruce believes the killer is mimicking the Court of Owls to scare Gothamites while Tim believes a Talon is responsible. Dismissing the claim, Bruce continues to fight Gotham’s crime while doing his best to keep Tim safe. Even the best intentions fail. After a wrist injury prompts Bruce to send Tim home early, Bruce is horrified to receive a call from Jack the next morning saying Tim is missing. Try as they might neither man can find Tim. And Tim at last discovers what happens to the long lost Dick Grayson: he was abducted by the Court of Owls and trained to be a Talon along with the resurrected Jason Todd. Now, they have their eyes set on him.

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5 Title: Cats and Devil Bats Word Count: ~5,900 Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Action Fandom/Universe: Batman (comics) Characters/Pairings: Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne Warnings: Noncon, graphic violence Rating: NC-17 Summary: Batman is a violent vigilante who stalks and kills criminals. When Catwoman finally runs into him, she fully expects to die. But she doesn’t. In fact, he seems to want something else entirely from her. Meanwhile, Selina Kyle meets the enigmatic and very wealthy Bruce Wayne and the two begin a relationship. What happens when their two lives finally cross? And what’s all this about a Bat demon anyway? Everything takes place in Gotham: on rooftops, Bruce Wayne’s penthouse, Selina Kyle’s apartment, Wayne Manor, and the caves beneath it. The noncon is Batman/Catwoman and occurs throughout. It’s not 100% handled well by either of them. Relatively graphic violence in the later chapters, but nothing permanent.

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6 Title: What I Know Now (subject to change) Word Count: 9k written, maybe 12k total Genre: Angst, fluff, adventure Fandom/Universe: DC Comics or Young Justice Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd/Dick Grayson, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Warnings: None Rating: PG, T Summary: Set in a YJ timeline where Jason and Dick are only two years apart, Dick falls in love with Jason when they're younger only to be devastated when he dies. And although Jason comes back to life as normal, he instead stays with the League and becomes a brother figure to Damian. Eventually Damian is sent to live with his father, and as his new family begins to grow on him, he begins to tell them more and more of "Akhi," who sounds achingly familiar to Dick. This story is set mostly in Gotham, with a few scenes in Nanda Parbat in the middle when Jason and Damian are with the League. No major warnings besides the Jason/Dick relationship if that bothers you. Some swearing and descriptions of Jason's death and resurrection, but it is not in explicit detail.

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7 Title: To the Fairest Word Count: 18,000 written Genre: Mystery Fandom/Universe: Batman (comics) Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Zatanna, Bruce Wayne, Zatanna Zatara, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Kara Zor-El Warnings: canon level violence Rating: Teen Summary: The Queen of Fables has another tale to tell… In this thrilling mystery Zatanna, the Mistress of Magic, wow’s audiences while solving crimes with the help of her new sidekick: Batman. Co starring in this mystical mystery are the youngest world's finest trio: Robin, Robin, and Supergirl. Will they be able to return a Talon to his nest or will birds fly? Join us in Gotham city, Metropolis, a witch's sales outlet, and a creepy shake filled with sentient vines. No warnings need apply.

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8 Title: we could put some roots down Word Count: 14378 Genre: Fluff, Romance, Drama Fandom/Universe: DCU (pre-New-52), Nightwing, Deathstroke Characters/Pairings: Slade Wilson/Dick Grayson, Batam Warnings: family drama, Bruce Wayne’s A+ Parenting, mention of Catalina Flores Rating: PG-13/Teen Summary: A set of multiple vignettes that center on Dick and Slade as they interact with the other members of the Batfam as Tim and Bruce come home to act as a catalyst of change. Dick grapples with what Bruce’s return means for his time as Batman while Jason teases that his relationship with Slade might be moving to the next stage. Dick and Tim finally get closure and the ability to clear the air between them while engaging in a bit of brotherly bonding and teasing. As always, Alfred holds all the answers. The story takes place mainly on the grounds of Wayne Manor, in the Bat Cave, or inside the Manor itself. The timeframe of the story takes place over the course of a few weeks to a month.

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9 Title: Scarlet Tears Word Count: 12,857 Genre: Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: The Flash Characters/Pairings: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart Warnings: mpreg Rating: Explicit Summary: Leonard Snart decided to take a break from the Legends, with Mick in tow. They head back to Central City, only to find Team Flash in a bit of trouble…well not the team just Barry. A young Meta causes trouble with her power exactly what is her deal?

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10 Title: The Date (or The Bargain, haven’t decided yet) Word Count: 6,040 Genre: drama, hurt/comfort Fandom/Universe: Batman, Red Robin, Ra’s al Ghul/League of Assassins Characters/Pairings: Tim Drake, Slade Wilson, Ra’s al Ghul, Kon-El/Conner Kent, Bruce Wayne. Ra’s/Tim pairing Warnings: Kidnapping Rating: PG Summary: After a long and exhausting week all Tim looks forward to is catching up on his sleep. Much to his surprise he wakes up not in his comfortable bed but handcuffed to a seat aboard Slade Wilson’s private jet. He soon discovers that Ra’s al Ghul paid Slade to kidnap him and deliver him into Ra’s’ care. Angry, Tim’s thinking of his escape when Ra’s presents him with a deal: if a member of his family contacts him in one week, Ra’s will leave Tim alone for six months. Tim accepts the deal. As days pass with radio silence from the Bats, Tim has to face the truth about how all of them have grown apart and they’ve done little to draw him back in. Is he better off staying with Ra’s despite their vastly different morals? Or does Bruce deserve a chance to prove himself?

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11 Title: When You Move, I Move Word Count: 9150 Genre: Fantasy, Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson/Catalina Flores, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne Warnings: Non-Con/Dub-Con (non-graphic) Rating: R Summary: Despite having been in love with one another since they were children, Crown Prince Richard and Dragon Slayer Jason are faced with the fact that they are bound by duty and law to never marry. King Bruce manages to come up with a plan that would allow the pair to remain close and for Richard to fulfill his duty as the future king. He proposes a marriage of convenience to a woman, Catalina of House Flores, who is on the brink of permanent maidenhood after having been passed over by too many men in the past. And though she was aware that the future king would never love her, Catalina grows bitter and jealous over the love between the two men and the love her and Richard’s son shares with that man. So she calls upon the help of a crone to curse both men to live this life and all future lives close to one another but never allowing them to be together. And though the crone grants the curse she places a contingency: if one of them were to die before their 18th birthday then the curse would be lifted and they would be reunited to share the love they have been denied. When Dick and Jason come into contact with the god Fate in their current life, the pair are made aware of what had been stolen from them decades in the past and shown that because of Jason’s untimely death at the age of 15, the curse has been lifted. And Jason is finally given the answer as to why he was awoken in his grave all those years prior. With the truth laid out before them, the pair must figure out what it means for them in this lifetime and all future ones.

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12 Title: The Sorrows Of Healing Word Count: 18k of 20-22k written Genre: Slice Of Life, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Character-centric Fandom/Universe: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), AU from Battle of the Cowl Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson & Tim Drake, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth - Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake Warnings: Off-Screen Character Death, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and Intentions, Racism, Past/Referenced Child Abuse, Hospitals and Therapy Rating: M Summary: It was Dick who had taken up the Cowl after Bruce had died. It was Dick who had become Batman, taking Damian, Tim, and Alfred with him to the penthouse for a fresh start. But things could never be that easy. All of them were haunted by sorrow: Tim not capable of believing that his second father was gone as well, Dick almost breaking under the pressure of standing tall in the face of a crisis, Damian uncomfortable and lost in these unfamiliar waters he was forced to navigate, and Alfred mourning yet another child. In a world in which Bruce actually died, becoming a family again is harder than some might think. In the midst of fights, the racist white Gotham High Society, and Tim, who fled the nest in a last attempt to resurrect something that no longer exists, it is hard to find hope, and yet all of them somehow manage to do so anyways. The story mostly takes place in their Gotham City penthouse, a ballroom, a Baghdad hospital room, and the graveyard. This is a story of healing - but also about the growing pains along the way - so be aware that Tim and Dick deal with depression (Tim with suicidal thoughts and intentions as well), that Damian and Dick face racism, that Damian's childhood will be referenced as the unpretty mess that is was, and that Bruce will not return. His children will have to learn how to fly on their own.

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13 Title: since you’ve been gone (I can breathe for the first time) Word Count: 9,134 Genre: whump, hurt/comfort Fandom/Universe: Batfamily comics (mostly preboot canon with occasional elements of New 52 & Reboot canons) Characters/Pairings: Tim Drake, Batfamily, implied one-sided Tim Drake/Ra’s al-Ghul Warnings: Body horror, depression, child abuse, body modification (consensual and non-consensual), terminal illness, child death, substance abuse (harmful self-medication). Rating: Mature Summary: A study of Tim Drake and his experiences with Hanahaki (specifically, familial Hanahaki), mostly following comics canon with a few changes. Starts when Tim is a child (pre-Robin). He befriends the Gotham Sirens after seeking out Poison Ivy to obtain a growth stopper for his Hanahaki, and later befriends Jason-as-Robin. After Jason’s death and Tim’s parents find out about his Hanahaki, Tim seeks out Batman and becomes Robin. Eventually, after he starts spending time with Bruce, his Hanahaki fades. Years later, following the events of Red Robin and Tim’s distancing from the family, it returns with a vengeance. This story is primarily set in Gotham (at Wayne and Drake manors and the Batcave in particular), with scenes in Iceland (including a glacier) and other locations around the world. Being a Hanahaki fic, the story does contain quite a bit of body horror and terminal illness. The depression occurs throughout due to the Hanahaki & events of Red Robin, as does the body modification (in reference to forced surgery and growth-stopping drugs Tim takes (also the substance abuse tag).). Child abuse is neglect on the part of Tim’s parents, and correlates to the non-consensual body modification tag. Child death is Jason Todd’s canon death.

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14 Title: Forging Friendship Word Count: 4k Genre: Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: Young Justice Characters/Pairings: Roy Harper, Kaldur’ahm, Black Manta Warnings: None Rating: PG-13 Summary: Green Arrow takes Speedy on a mission at the Star City Wharf with Aquaman and the new to the surface Aqualad. When the mentors give them a solo task, Speedy is very unsure about working with the new hero and tries to only focus on his mission. However, the mission goes wrong, forcing Speedy to risk his life, and face his fears, to save Aqualad. This story takes place primarily at night at a warehouse near the ocean. However actions scenes take place inside the warehouse with lots of crates that create a maze effect, and at the end of the story they’re all on fire.

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15 Title: (Better Things to do than) Chasing White Rabbits Word Count: 4k of what will likely be 6k Genre: Romcom and action/adventure Fandom/Universe: DC, Pacific Rim Characters/Pairings: Slade Wilson/Dick Grayson Warnings: violence, swearing, slurs (Gipsy Danger is the canon name of a jaeger), overprotective parent Bruce Wayne, sexual innuendo, secret identities, Slade's canonical bad parenting (but at least he's trying to work on that), accidental relationship, family drama, frenemies to lovers Rating: Explicit just in case, though I don't think sex will happen until the next installment in the series Summary: Rumor has it that Dick Grayson can drift with anyone. Slade Wilson has the opposite problem, and kids. Killing kaiju may be easier than parenting, and that's with Grayson playing mediator when he inevitably messes up. Dick, meanwhile, is tired of Bruce overstepping boundaries, and Slade just offered him a chance to help a villain redeem himself while also rubbing B's nose in the fact that clinging so tightly is more likely to drive all his kids away than make anyone want to stay. Even Nightwing has a rep for cheerful spite. Stacker Pentecost is too tired for this; he's got a daughter pushing to join the program, said program to run, and the Becket brothers are enough of a headache. That said, if an internationally wanted mercenary is truly willing to join the program, he'll welcome Deathstroke. He just doesn't want to lose Grayson in the process, or the Wayne family funding for the program. Jason, meanwhile, wins Best Brother accolades, and not just for donning Nightwing while Dick pilots giant robots.

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16 Title: in reverse, tragedy Word Count: ~12k Genre: Drama, Action Fandom/Universe: Batman, no specific canon Characters/Pairings: No Pairings, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul Warnings: Dehumanization of Talons, Canon-Typical Violence, Decapitation Rating: PG Summary: Around two years after Batman fires Robin and Jason Todd (AKA Batboy) returns from an interstellar mission to find his sort of little brother missing, Talia al Ghul's jet touches down in Gotham. Her objective? Take revenge on the Court of Owls, the secret society hidden under Gotham that ordered Ra's al Ghul's death at the hands of a Talon, one of their personal assassins. During her mission, Talia is once again confronted by the Talon she fought when defending her father. After an intense battle in the Court's underground labyrinth, Talia defeats the Talon. As she unmasks him, she realizes that this Talon is the key to answering a question that has plagued even the Batman: what happened to Dick Grayson? (Sort of a Reverse Robins story, but more accurately a Mix-'Em-Up Robins story.)

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17 Title: bury the dead where they're found Word Count: 8K-ish Genre: Action Fandom/Universe: Batman (Comics) Characters/Pairings: Dick/Koriand'r, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Slade Wilson, Gotham Rogues Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Murder Rating: PG-13 Summary: After returning to Earth and discovering his little brother is dead, Dick Grayson finds himself questioning how heroic Batman's "No Kill" rule truly is. Faced with Bruce's temper and the disrespectful ways Bruce has chosen to honor Jason, Dick decides it's time to take matters into his own hands, and makes a plan to remove the threat of the Gotham Rogues once and for all. Jason Todd, freshly back from the dead, doesn't understand what happened when he looks at the news in Gotham and sees that the Joker is dead. Determined to figure it out, he leaves Talia and makes his way back to the city that led to his death, only to learn from a strange source the truth of what went on while he was away. This story takes place in various locations, including the batcave, an apartment, Arkham Asylum, and the streets of Gotham.

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18 Title: Coffee Shop Love Word Count: 7,494 Genre: Fluff, Romance, Crossover, Alternate Canon Fandom/Universe: DC Comics/MCU Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Tim Drake/James "Bucky" Barnes, Owens/Pru/Z, Conner, Cassie, Bruce/Diana, Bart, Cassie/Cass, Jason/Roy/Kory Warnings: None Rating: PG-13 Summary: Five years ago, Tim Drake saved Bruce and walked away from his so-called family and with Owens, Z, Pru and Bucky Barnes the Winter Solider and started up a small coffee shop with only Conner, Cass, Bart, Cassie and Alfred knowing where he is. Tim was happy until the day the Bats and the Avengers found him. Dick has never forgiven himself for driving away Tim, he longs to make things right with him, even if they never become anything but brothers but those plans are derailed when it comes clear to him that James "Bucky" Barnes has more than friendly feelings for Tim. Soon it becomes Dick vs. Bucky for Tim's heart. Tim just wishes that they would have asked him first.

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19 Title: Against His Heart Word Count: 6,566 Genre: Angst, PWP, rape recovery, happy/hopeful ending Fandom/Universe: DCU, no particular canon Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Roy Harper Warnings: Past rape/noncon, slut-shaming, consensual nonconsent Rating: NC-17 Summary: The morning after Dick Grayson learns that Tarantula has died in prison, he gets on a train. Somehow he ends up at Roy's place. Nobody knows about everything that happened with Tarantula; even Dick forgets parts of it. He wishes he could erase everyone who'd ever touched him, even if that would erase Roy, so that Roy could touch him anew. They decide to pretend, and play out a situation where Dick is a virgin. A few awkward hiccups and a whole lot of feelings come out. It makes Dick realize something he wants--something he needs, maybe. He wants to pretend to struggle and say no and for Roy to keep going. They pick a safeword, Dick promises to use it, and so he does. Most of the scenes will take place in Roy's apartment which is somewhere in south New Jersey. It's not an AU (i.e. they are superheros), but they're out of uniform for the story. This is definitely a PWP, with a focus on sexual trauma, beginning to heal from trauma, and hints of a burgeoning DickRoy romance. There are no flashbacks to rape, but there are mentions of it throughout, including Dick's feelings towards his own body and his thoughts during sex with Roy. For a majority of the fic, Roy believes that Dick's relationship with Tarantula was fully consensual, before Dick ends up telling him that it wasn't. Dick is a trans man, and Roy is a cis man.

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20 Title: Stay Awake With Me Word Count: 10,738 of 40k Genre: Mystery, Case-fic Fandom/Universe: Court of Owls (comics) Characters/Pairings: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne Warnings: Major Character Death, Violence Rating: NC-17 Summary: When Dick goes missing, the family works together to try and find him. When Bruce goes missing, the mystery only begins to show itself. In an investigation which will span decades, Clark must work together with the remaining members of the Batfamily to unravel the secrets of Gotham's underbelly, and not only stop the Court of Owls in their bid for power, but to also catch Talon!Bruce and Talon!Dick. The fic will explore two timelines: the 'present' timeline which deals with the court of owls plot and a 'past' timeline that explores Clark's role in the batfamily.

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21 Title: The Maiden in the Tower Word Count: 6k complete so far, looking to be around 10-11k total. Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, light Drama Fandom/Universe: primarily the pre-Flashpoint DC canon, though that’s more of a guideline than a hard rule. Characters/Pairings: Everyone Loves Tim Drake, ultimately Dick/Tim; Klarion the Witch Boy, Bruce, Barbara, Cass, Cassie, Kon and Bart all have prominent roles. Featuring cameos from as much of the DCU as I can fit in before the deadline, primarily Titans and Young Justice. Warnings: Low-key canon-typical violence and a ‘happily ever after’ kiss for two (full-grown) adopted brothers. Swearing. A few people get made the butt of jokes but it’s nothing too mean-spirited. Rating: PG-13 (technically R for swearing but content-wise it’s strictly PG-13) Summary: Klarion’s idea of the perfect birthday present is to trap Tim in the highest room (Bruce’s office) of the tallest tower in Gotham (Wayne Enterprises) and flood the rest of the building with a mix of living vines and fairy tale obstacles that can only be overcome by Tim’s true love. Shenanigans ensue as half the superhero community competes for the hand of the fair maid Red Robin. Pay-off is Dick/Tim but the lion's share of the page time is spent watching people fight fairytale tropes while Tim and Klarion snark with popcorn. Light-hearted comedy in which some characters get made to look the fool, ultimately gets no sexier than a True Love’s Ending Kiss. Set entirely within a vine-infested, magically-warped Wayne Tower with everyone from the Bats to the Titans to Tim’s civilian friends dealing with fairytale nonsense: glass mountains, living office supplies, pixies swarms, catching the cat who has the key to the next floor, etc. Meanwhile Tim hangs out in the penthouse with Klarion and a pint of ice cream watching the event like a reality show and getting dunked on for being an archetypal Disney Princess. Fun times for all with a light sprinkling of angst for flavor.

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22 Title: The Antecedents to Reunion Word Count: 13,500 (out of approx. 20k) Genre: Steampunk AU, slice of life, case fic Fandom/Universe: Batman comics, drawing heavily from the Court of Owls storyline and Cass's Batgirl run Characters/Pairings: Cassandra Cain/Stephanie Brown (preslash), Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson Warnings: non-canonical limb loss, temporary character death, fake character death, grief/mourning, implied brainwashing, past child abuse, drug use in an interrogation by a minor character Rating: PG-13/Teen Summary: In a verison of Gotham that never existed, a version of Gotham where clockwork and steam bring the city through the night, Dick Grayson is believed to be dead, and Cassandra Wayne has just returned from Hong Kong. But as Cass settles back into the city, she quickly discovers that something-- or someone-- is trying to get her attention, and that the clock is ticking on how much time she has to figure it out. This is very much a "slice-of-life" fic, except it's set in a Steampunk AU. This story is set mostly in Gotham, with there being one flashback scene to Cass’s apartment in Hong Kong. In Gotham, characters go to the manor, a gala, an ice cream parlor, and the Iceberg Lounge. There is also a fight scene in Robinson Park against Poison Ivy, in a villain’s apartment against droids, and a brief chase scene across rooftops. The plot with the Court of Owls is fairly in the background of this fic, as the real focus is Cass, her relationships with the other bats, and the intricacies of mourning. This story has a hopeful ending, in that it ends with Cass discovering that Dick is alive, but the actual reunion is left to the reader’s imagination.

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23 Title: With Blood and Rage of Crimson Red Word Count: 6,968 Genre: Angst, Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: DCU, Batfam, Lantern Corps Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardener, John Stewart, Bleez, Rankorr, no pairings (however, I might include hints of Batlantern (HalxBruce) later) Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, mentions of past underage attempted rape, mentions of past drug use, mentions of past child abuse Rating: PG-13 Summary: Jason was only 11 when his life was irreversibly changed. Now the newest member of the Red Lantern Corps, he is immediately thrust into a dangerous game where losing could mean death. With practically half the villains in the universe after him and the rest of the Lantern Corps, Jason must watch his step at every corner. To overcome this threat and find a way to save himself and the people he cares for, Jason must first overcome his own inner demons and learn to trust himself and the people around him. This story is set on multiple planets throughout the DC Universe. On Earth, we see Gotham City, the Batcave, and the Watchtower, in space, they travel to Ysmault and other planets that I made up for the purpose fo the fic (so you will have mostly free reign with the design of those planets if you choose to draw scenes involving them). This story involves canon-typical violence throughout. At the start, there are mentions of child abuse, and there is camera footage shown of attempted rape of a minor, but nothing explicit. At the start of the story, Catherine Todd is found by Jason post-OD and that is mentioned a few times throughout the story. The abuse and attempted rape are mentioned a little throughout the story, but not much, as it is not the focus, rather a back story for Jason. Other than that, there is no smut, or even pairings (unless I decide to do the Batlantern, but that will be a minor background pairing). There might be some language, but it is kept to a minimum.

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24 Title: You Have Their Eyes (But You'll Never Have Their Smile) Word Count: 6,679 Genre: Action/Adventure, Mystery, Angst Fandom/Universe: DCU, Justice League Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd, Kyle Rayner, Donna Troy, Chris Kent, Lorena Marquez, Connor Hawke, possibly Jaykyle Warnings: Canon Typical Violence, Mentions of Past Character Death, might have some minor language Rating: PG-13 Summary: Eight years ago, the Justice League vanished into thin air. Since then, their proteges have been left behind to pick up the pieces of a broken world. Struggling to fill shoes that don't quite fit, the next generation of the Justice League is faced with their pasts as an old case makes a reappearance, eight years after the original Justice League closed it. This is set on Earth, in various locations like Wayne Enterprises, the Watchtower, the Whitehouse, Los Angeles, Malaysia, and Atlantis. As stated before, violence is a part of this fic, but nothing more than you would normally see in canon. Past character deaths are mentioned, including Jason's temporary death, and the supposed deaths of the original Justice League. There is cussing, but only like two or three words in the entire fic. There are also mentions of a court stripping away Donna's parental rights to Terry.

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25 Title: Heavy the Head Word Count: 4k~ Genre: Greek Gods AU Fandom/Universe: No specific canon Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, assorted batfamily characters Warnings: No real warnings; there's some smut at one point in the fic Rating: NC-17 (overall it's rather tame, but some smut) Summary: Slade is an old nature god, one rather bored with the politics of Olympus. He is, however, rather fascinated by the reserved god of the dead Richard, remembering how different the boy was back when he truly was just a boy. He's always like oddities and figuring out puzzles, and Richard certainly is one at that. Dick would really prefer that everyone leave him alone to do the job he was assigned a millenia ago. Visiting Olympus brings him no peace, not when he knows he'll have to leave again soon, not to see his family for another century or so. Of course, there's always Slade, who's happy to give more than Dick is usually comfortable accepting. Not that that ends up being a bad thing. This story takes place in Mount Olympus, at a waterfall, and in the Underworld.

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26 Title: Hearts Beating Side by Side Word Count: 3,600 Genre: Romance, Drama Fandom/Universe: Young Justice Verse Characters/Pairings: Garth - Tempest/Kaldur'ahm/Dick Grayson Warnings: Threesome, misunderstanding, pining, dirty talk Rating: Summary: On the precipice of changes in their lives, Garth and Kaldur find a momentary reunion and the repressed childhood love that they have both harbored for the other is reignited. But the weekend won't be an easy fall into long awaited love. Nightwing has reappeared after months of silence in the guise of his civilian persona, Dickie Wayne-Grayson. And even though he's playing the part of full-time playboy, Garth can see the spark that Dick lights within Kaldur. And it's not a one-sided feeling. A weekend of diplomacy is consumed by Garth and Dick's competing jealousy; each believing Kaldur has eyes for the other. Garth thinks Dick is leading Kaldur on, and Dick thinks Garth has won Kaldur's heart before the weekend even began. They bicker, and banter, until they Bang It Out. When Kaldur catches them, there's guilt, and confessions and polyamorous negotiations.

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27 Title: hold onto the fire even if you have to burn Word Count: ~7k Genre: Angst with a happy ending Fandom/Universe: DCU (specifically Batfam) and post-Underworld Unleashed Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Zatanna Zatara, John Constantine, Donna Troy Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd (endgame), Dick Grayson/John Constantine/Zatanna (temporary) Warnings: Threesome, rape/non-con mentioned, self-harm (through magic), depression, lack of self-worth, explicit content, graphic violence, temporary major character deaths. Rating: NC-17 Summary: Dick Grayson is no Batman. After Bruce Wayne refuses to resurrect the late Jason Todd, Dick takes matters into his own hands. Armed with the knowledge of a deal that didn't go through, Dick allies himself with Zatanna and Constantine in a bid to right the wrong that Bruce ignores -- even though souls come at a cost. Dick knows he's strong enough to take the pain to save Jason. But can he stop at Jason? Can he let his fallen friends and family stay dead? Dick is determined to save everyone he can, even if it means losing his soul. The story takes place in multiple locations, primarily in Gotham and Neron's throne room in Hell, with occasional switches to Bludhaven. Rape/non-con refers to past instances (Dick/Mirage, Dick/Catalina) that are discussed at length. Threesome takes place as part of a magic ritual. Self-harm is heavily implied through self-sacrificial actions and reckless behavior (as well as the literal deals with a devil). Graphic violence will be canon-typical. Deaths are canonical deaths and happen offscreen (with the exception of Donna Troy and Damian Wayne who die in front of Dick and are described vividly). There's an alternative ending that includes Dick Grayson dying, but that's only one of two endings that will both be written.

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28 Title: The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows Word Count: ~6500 written (~15000 total) Genre: Romance Fandom/Universe: General DCU, Batman, Green Lantern Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Hal Jordan Warnings: Unintentional Exhibitionalism, characters/relationship being outed without their consent Rating: Explicit/NC-17 Summary: Hal and Bruce have been fucking for a full year, but have only been in an acknowledged relationship for six months. A jealous co-worker, who will stop at nothing to destroy Bruce Wayne, has a private romantic encounter between Bruce and Hal taped, then releases photos of the encounter to the press. Hal now finds himself thrust into a part of Bruce's life that he'd only had a vague impression of previously. While he believes that his and Bruce's relationship is solid, he's still left wondering if this will prove to be too much trouble to bother with, for himself, for Bruce, and for Bruce's family. Takes place primarily in Gotham (WEI offices, the Batcave, and the manor), with minor placement on the Watchtower, in Hal's apartment in Coast City, and varying Bruce boltholes around Earth. No serious warnings, other than semi-graphic/graphic sex.

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29 Title: In the Shadow of the Empire Word Count: About 12 or 13k, just under 9k written Genre: SciFi, Action/Adventure Fandom/Universe: Batman (though no particular canon), Star Wars AU Characters/Pairings: JayDick, JayTim, implied DickTim, pre-DickTimJay, Cass, Steph Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, dub con Rating: NC-17 Summary: For most of the galaxy, life under the Empire's thumb was difficult, stressful, and painfully short. Dick and Jason knew this all too well, trying to keep their rustbucket of a ship in one piece while living job to job on the fringes of the Empire's control. It was a hard life, but as an ex-Jedi and a so-called 'troublemaker' wanted in multiple Empire systems, they didn't have much choice. But when a job goes wrong, they and their crew find themselves on the run from the Hand of the Emperor; a masked dark side user who is as feared as his origins are mysterious... and who is much more involved in Dick and Jason's past than either of them could guess. This story exists within a Star Wars setting, roughly around the time of the Original Trilogy. Scenes take place aboard Jason's ship, on a derelict Republic cruiser (i.e. no lights and without atmosphere or gravity), and on a small, heavily forested moon where the showdown happens between the ship's crew (Dick, Jason, Cass, and Steph) and Dark Side!Tim. The graphic violence is to the tune of blaster and lightsaber wounds. The dub-con occurs when Jason drunkenly sleeps with a stranger at a bar, who later is implied to be Dark Side!Tim undercover. This counts as dub-con because Tim is actively concealing his identity to get information out of Jason and because Jason would likely not have slept with him if he knew who he was and what he was doing.

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30 Title: There Be Dragons Word Count: 6425 words Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dragons Fandom/Universe: Batman Characters/Pairings: JayDick Warnings: Descriptions of burning buildings, violence, some gore Rating: M Summary: In Gotham, there be dragons. A pureblood dragon, Bruce revolved his vigilante persona around his ancestry, to become, Dragonman. Dick’s dragonhood was a direct result of Bruce’s ingenious DNA bonding–a gift he now refuses to use. For a moment in his life, however, he tolerated it, for Jason. Then Jason died. For six months, as far as Dick and Bludhaven was concerned, there were no goddamn dragons. Then one night, fire licked the sky. No matter how fast Dick ran, swung and flew, it was too damn late. A casino was razed to the ground. Human bodies stacked in piles. The shadow of a red dragon’s wings flapped in a distance. There was no question, however impossible, who did it. Dick couldn’t believe it. Dick wouldn’t believe it. This dragon flew around in Dick’s city on a raging warpath, knowing more than he was letting on. Dick intended to find it, and stop it.

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31 Title: When the Winds are Howling Strong Word Count: 3040 Genre: Found family, omegaverse, no capes AU Fandom/Universe: Batfam, Red Hood and the Outlaws Characters/Pairings: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson Warnings: Implied non graphic rape, intersex omegas, severe misogyny against omegas. Dick is a cop but he’s on leave through 90% of the fic Rating: PG-13/Teen. Nothing is graphic, but the topics are heavy Summary: Dick signed up to be a foster alpha, but never expected that he would actually be given an omega. Then Gorden’s men find an gang’s omega in heat and in bad shape. Since most foster alphas are searching for a mate, Dick is given custody over the omega. Jason was pulled off the streets by Joker’s gang when he was fifteen and life’s only gotten worse from there. As a gang omega, Jason served mostly as a form of recreation for the other gang members. After four years in hell, Jason’s given up all hope of escape. He’s got a new alpha who seems decent, but past experience has taught him those are the worst ones. Found family is the core of this fic. Dick helps Jason with his reintroduction into society/introduction to Gotham’s high society and both are forced to confront their internalized prejudices against other castes. It’s set in Gotham and explores both the slums and the glitzier districts. Jason and other male omegas will be depicted as wearing more feminine styles, including dresses and skirts. Key scenes: Dick taking custody of Jason, Dick and Jason growing used to each other, Tim and Damian meeting Jason by accident, Jason dumping out all of Dick’s liquor cabinet, Dick taking Jason shopping, Jason meeting Bruce and Alfred, Dick takes Jason to a gala and they work through a meltdown, Jason shows Dick where he used to live before Penguin and Joker, Dick and Jason fight after finding out everything Jason did in the gangs, Sheila makes an appearance, Jason is induced into an artificial heat, Dick and Bruce find Jason who is already making progress to rescue himself, End by Jason cutting the ribbon to an omega shelter.

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32 Title: Midnight Rendezvous Word Count: 4000+ Genre: PWP, Drama Fandom/Universe: Batman, Nightwing/Grayson Characters/Pairings: Midnighter/Dick Grayson, Bruce/Dick Grayson Warnings: Explicit sex, References to violence, Maybe unsafe sex Rating: NC-17 Summary: Dick is tired of the Golden Boy act. Tired of waiting for Bruce’s approval. And he’s beyond tired of not being noticed... So tonight, he’s going to find someone one who will.

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33 Title: crowns of violets and roses Word Count: 3009 Genre: Romance, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology Fandom/Universe: Batman - All Media Types Characters/Pairings: Bruce Wayne/Jason Todd Warnings: Attempted non con, swearing, descriptions of violence Rating: Explicit (NC-17) Summary: Modern Hades & Persephone AU. After Bruce Wayne’s parents die, he becomes lord of the underworld, leaving the seasons and harvest unattended. Replacing him are the two Robins, Dick and Jason, spirits of spring and growth, but neither is able to fully step into the Waynes’ empty mantle. Things are further complicated when Dick wants to move on to a new role and Jason’s propositioned by another god. Bruce pulls Jason into the underworld, offering him sanctuary from the threats above. In the shadows, Jason finds both his strength and love. But without the work of both Robins, the land crumbles, threatening the lives of mortals and the power of the gods. The only solution is for Jason to return, unless Bruce is able to out think their enemies. The setting for this story is largely modern with stylized elements from different periods (gothic, art deco). The Underworld, which is the primary setting, is heavily influenced by Wayne Manor and the Cave from comics and the animated series. Other places can have a more Gotham art deco influence.

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34 Title: Bruce Wayne, the Court of… Word Count: 4035 Genre: AU, humor, fluff, angst Fandom/Universe: Batman comics, Nightwing comics, Red Hood and the Outlaws comics, Batman: Under the Red Hood Characters/Pairings: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne Warnings: rape, death, beating, abuse, violence, spoilers for: Forever Evil arc, Court of Owls arc, recent Nightwing comic arc, recent Batman comic arc, Red Hood and the Outlaws #25, Batman and Red Hood #20 Rating: T/Teen And Up Audiences /PG14+ Summary: Bruce had made many mistakes in his life. The most horrifying and disastrous were the ones involving his family. The way he treated them, deceived, hurt and used finally blew in his face and he had to face the consequences. There was no forgiveness for him now, not from any of them. But maybe there was a way to avoid it all. This story is meant as a fix-it to all the mess the canon turned into. While the story focuses on talking about canonical events there are a lot of headcanon/fanon/tropes put into it as well ie. romantic relationship between adopted brothers. And although the topics discussed are serious matters the fic itself is slightly crackish. The story takes place in Gotham during the Batman: Under the Red Hood events. At first the action is placed all over the city: rooftops, docks, parking lot, train station; for it to narrow down to an abandoned hotel room.

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35 Title: Do You Love The Summer Like I Do? Word Count: 6116 words Genre: Romance, Action Fandom/Universe: Batman, Red Hood and the Outlaws Characters/Pairings: JayRoy Warnings: Descriptions of physical trauma, healing from injuries, violence, some gore Rating: M Summary: Those hazy nights spent blinking in and out of consciousness, events of Bruce cracking his hood open like an egg replaying like a neverending nightmare. Waking up to a stuffy bed, IV drips and the simmering heat. Roy’s dumb, handsome face hovering worriedly beside him. For those months of grueling physical therapy, Jason could depend on one thing to keep him going--Roy’ love. Jason would have put any grand plans of his to a screeching halt, if Roy asked him to stay on that island forever. But he had therapy to go to. Jason could respect that. Then, Roy died. And Jason missed the funeral. But unlike every other piece of shit who dared to call themselves Roy’s friends, Jason wasn’t about to let him lie. And he had a way of bringing him back.

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mor3tti · 6 years ago

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Boy Wonder & The Young Goddess -Chapter Three-

Dick Grayson (titans) x Reader

(Dick Grayson GIF not mine)

It’s been a long time, I know. But I’m back so I guess that’s good, right?

Please give me feedback on this series! It is my first time writing anything like this so help is welcomed!

Send me an ask if you have any questions/suggestions or improvements!

This will be a series! So stay tuned for more chapters to come!

The plot: When Y/N gets a sign from the gods to go after a troubled girl, she stumbles upon and reconnects with a dear friend from her past.

WARNINGS: SELF DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS BY CHARACTER

Taglist: @nightshade7117 @yetitty @affection-rabbit @drabby-abby @caitsymichelle13 @caswinchester2000 @petersunderoos96 @sataninsatin @chewie-redbird

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

You weren’t surprised that you both ended up sprawled all over the bed. Both of you had always been rough sleepers, tossing and turning through out the night. What did surprise you was that you woke up on his chest, his arm wrapped around you. He must of pulled you there during the night. The thing is, it was incredibly hard to wiggle out of his grip. Once his arms were wrapped around you, there was no escaping. Yes, it is quite a good thing, it makes you feel safe, you get to be surrounded by muscles and he’s very comfortable to sleep on, but the con of not being able to get out without waking him pushed all of that out of the way. You could easily transport out of there but your body was too tired to even think about it.

It was nice to be cuddled up to someone after being alone for many years, but it wasn’t fair. In the room next to you a woman was lying there that cared deeply about Dick. She fought for him and attempted to kill you just to protect him. She didn’t know who you were or what you were doing here but she knew you were here with Dick and that struck her in the heart. They had been on a break but still, it wasn’t fair.

Eventually you gave up and decided to just lay there. Your head rested on his chest near the crook of his neck. You closed your eyes and took it all in. His breathing had become more stable and you could feel that the intensity of his pain had dulled down. You opened your eyes again and looked to his face. There was still blood there, some stained under his nose. Even when he was at his utmost relaxed position, the stress still showed on his face. Suddenly he took a deep breath in which scared you and he let out a grumbled “Why are you staring at me?” as he exhaled. You felt his arm loosen up and rub up and down your back. You brought your hand back closer to your body and started biting off the three month old nail polish out of habit, trying to avoid his question. Your nose twitched and you glanced back up to him.

“I wasn’t staring, I was observing how badly you got your ass kicked last night.” He let out a soft chuckle as he stared up at the ceiling but then turned his head back to you. He brought his hand up and started playing with your hair. “I was also thinking how we can’t do this to her.” You looked him dead in the eye and he looked confused. “She is right next door and you can’t lie to me and say there’s nothing between you two because I can see it, I can see how much she truly cares about you Dick.” You sat up from his chest and pushed his arm off you. You weren’t angry at him but you had to set this straight. He had a look of frustration on his face as he looked out to the window, slightly ignoring you.

“Are you going to reply or just sit there and grumble to yourself?” You stood at the end of the bed, trying to get him to look at you. He did this when he knew he was wrong, he would take it in and attempt to ignore it but you always got him to give in. You sat near his feet which were trapped under the covers. “We decided to take a break.” He mumbled to you, watching your hands play with the covers. His sigh was low and drawn out. You looked up to him and you could see he was hurt by it. His jaw was grinding a little bit and his eyebrows crossed. He wanted to say more but thought it wasn’t worth it. You patted the bed before deciding to get up. “I’ll leave you with your thoughts then.”

“No just...stay.” He said, the sentence getting quieter as he finished. Dick had a look of guilt on his face. He didn’t know what to do and he thought you would know. The feeling Kory brought to him was warm and gave him comfort and he needed that. Once they decided to take a break he felt off without it. You crawled back up the bed and sat up next to him. His head instantly dropped onto your shoulder, not knowing what else to do in this situation. You reached around his shoulders are scruffed his hair gently, continuing to play with it. Everything with you felt so much easier. He felt balanced and at home, but you were right and he knew he had to sort it out with Kory.

You clicked the button down on the kettle as you offered to make a cup of tea for Gar. Dick, Kory and Rachel had gone out to grab some groceries as the kitchen was just about bare. He sat at the kitchen bench tapping his foot on the stool, his head rested in between his hands with a questioning look on his face. You looked through the cupboards for the tea bags and sugar, which were on opposite sides of the kitchen. His tapping continued and you could feel his wild thoughts even though he was silent. You pulled the cups down from above you and set them down on the counter that you were leaning on. He was silently trying to even out his breathing while more questions popped into his mind. He was a fidgety kid, reminded you of Dick when he was younger. He calmed down as you brought his tea over, the steam opening up his lungs.

Together you drank in silence, sharing a look every now and then. “So I’m guessing you’re not from around here?” Gar asked. In reality he just wanted to know if you were going to hurt Rachel, take advantage of her like everyone else had. You sat your cup down near Gar’s and cleared your throat. “Is there something obvious? It’s not like I have green hair or something.” You teased with a smirk. He reached up to his neck self consciously. A little guilt pinged you so you made up for it. “Don’t worry, Dick dyed my hair red when we were teens. I loved it.” You reminisced on it. It was amusing to see your above shoulder length, fiery red hair turn into the luscious locks of the Goddess, it used to shock everyone even if they already knew it was going to happen. He looked back down to his tea with a soft smile and you went back to yours. “Plus, Batman thinks coloured hair is cool if that helps.” You quirked to him. A bright smile broke out on his face as he gushed over such a badass presumably loving his hair.

You rinsed the cups out and placed them upside down on the drying rack as Gar sat on the couch. He’d taped the cover of the remote back on and got it to work again so he was content. The clock on the oven read 12:34, they’d been out a bit over an hour and a half. There wasn’t much else to do around the apartment. You could only handle watching so much TV so you stared out the balcony instead, the view from the couch was pretty good. You could feel that there was a storm coming and it calmed you. The cool change had swept along with some rolling clouds. The others had stopped for lunch at a bakery not far from the apartment. The rain had kept them there but Dick just wanted to come back and be there with you. Things had eased slightly between Dick and Kory, his plan to go calmly grocery shopping worked and they had a steady conversation. She didn’t press him about you as she knew that the reasoning would come eventually.

The conversation between you and Gar was kept light. He asked about what the superheroes were like, so you answered. You shared some memories of what it was like being raised by them. Training with Diana, having deep conversations with Aquaman on the rare occasion and showing Oliver Queen who’s boss at archery. In turn he told you his story about involuntarily becoming a green tiger, how it felt to become this thing he never wanted to be. He also gushed about meeting the one and only Wonder Girl, Donna to you. You smiled along at his adoration for her, keeping everything else in. He was even blushing over her, but your lack of actual emotions other than smiling gave you away. He slowly silenced and instead tried to catch your gaze. “Not the best of friends huh?” He seemed a bit guilty after saying all this stuff about her. You sighed and looked around the room, looking for a nice answer. “Donna and I grew up together, like with Dick. We were practically raised together but you know how time treats people. We just grew apart.” You shrugged, hoping that would satisfy him. His hand came under his chin and nodded, totally not believing you. “You might want another cup of tea if I’m telling you all this.” You waved your hands around as if you were motioning to an array of stuff. Gar shuffled in his seat and stared at you, giving you the green light with a humble smile.

“When we were kids we used to run around the mansion together. Making fun of the paintings on the walls that Bruce had collected over the years.” You could hear the little giggles erupting from your younger self ring in your mind. “Dick strayed us away from the one of Bruce’s parents because he knew it hurt us both, with his parents being dead and me not even having any to begin with.” Gar chewed on his lip not knowing how to reply, you were over it by now as you knew you already had the only family you needed.

“He would always make up for my lack of parents by re-telling my own ‘origin story’ that’s what he liked to call it. Like Diana, I was made not born. She was made from clay, but I was much more. As a favour from the gods, they sent a meteorite their way. In the centre was a rock of stardust ready to be used, that’s what I was created with. They combined it with the clay they used on Diana and sculpted me.” You looked like a normal person and acted like one, Gar couldn’t quite wrap his head around you being a star. A smirk quipped up on your face. “They say my eyes have never glowed brighter than the day I came into this world.” You walked around the island in the kitchen and pushed the button down on the kettle, Gar spun around the bar stool so he was still facing you.

“The thing is, I’ve always had powers. I’ve been a bursting ball of energy and light my entire life. They trained me on Themyscira until I could ‘handle’ myself.” Exaggerating the air quotes. “This meant that I would be sent into the real world and that I the predecessor, would learn from my master. I just ended up living in the shadow of ‘The Goddess’, the one who came before me. Her name was Adelia Zeru, an Amazon who took it upon herself to train and become worthy of The Goddess’ armour.” Gar then repeated this name to himself, liking the ring of it. “Although I was the next of kin of the armour, she was stubborn to pass it on. To her I was deemed not worthy as I was born for the armour and didn’t train for it as she did. This resulted in her always passing me onto Diana which caused a wall to come between Donna and I. On one of the few occasions that Bruce and I talked, he told me the truth about Donna.” You stood there for a couple seconds, pondering if you should tell this kid who she really was to you, the chance that it could ruin her reputation with him. He had an innocent look on his face and beaming eyes that just wanted to know more.

“She put herself through training which ended up harming her more than helping her. She would push herself until she would collapse and then once regained consciousness, continue on. Any time I saw her I was treated with a cold attitude and frustration.” Your hands slowly crept into fists. “In the mansion there was a training room that us kids were allowed to use. Dick obviously used it the most but Donna was the one most attracted to it. During a Justice League meeting, Bruce noticed Donna was gone and mentioned it to Diana but she knew she could take care of herself. Going against Diana, he looked for her. What he found wasn’t the Donna they were all used to. She was thrashing into the wall, punching it as hard as she could, even past the point of her hands no longer looking human. Bruce ran in to stop her but she said something that held him back. While she was punching she was yelling at herself. ‘Come on you have to be stronger! She doesn’t love you like she loves her! I have to beat her!’ she was screaming with a scratchy voice on the edge of it snapping.

As her hands slowed down she let out a final sentence. ‘You have you be better than Y/N’. She broke herself with this.” There was a silence between you and Gar. It still haunts you. Just imagining Donna beating herself to a pulp because of you. The breath you let out shook through your chest and blew out onto the bench. Your eyes slowly glazed over as you heart tightened for her. “She was crumpled on the ground, crying over her own self worth. Bruce left her there, thought it would be better if he didn’t get involved. Instead he came back to the meeting and told me later that night.” Now the tears were falling. A sigh left you as your eyes met Gar’s, he was nearly crying. He never really thought of the real life of a superhero, what they struggled with. You gave him some time to let it set in as you turned back towards the bench, trying to calm the guilty tears. All you wanted was Dick to be here, even if he just left a couple hours ago.

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jbuffyangel · 8 years ago

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Happy Mid Season Premiere Week!!

Hello fandom family! Sorry I’ve been a bit MIA. Tried to keep up the posting but it was a bit quiet out there. Hiatus is so looooong.

NOT TODAY THOUGH!!!!

Today was an Olicity Marketing Blitz day and boy it was fun. About damn time.

Stephen and Emily were playing together on Twitter.

The CW Network was promoting Olicity on TWITTER.

And Marc did a big interview with EW. There were lots of goodies!

Today was the marketing equivalent of an ex sending flowers.

They are sorry fandom. Here comes the woo.

So, I wanted to talk a bit about the interview with Marc. There so many times I talk about interviews when they seem negative or are negative. I thought it’d be a nice change of pace to focus on a really great interview! As usual I have lots of thoughts...

I’m going to address the questions/answers I found most interesting.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Now that Oliver knows Prometheus’ vendetta is personal, what’s his next move?

MARC GUGGENHEIM: He learned two critical things in the midseason finale that will help him track down and identify Prometheus: He learned that Prometheus and he share a trainer, and he learned that Prometheus obviously was Justin Claybourne’s illegitimate son. That gives him two good clue trails to be following. He’ll be doing that in fits and starts as the season kicks back up.

Prometheus is OBVIOUSLY Justin Claybourne’s illegitimate son?

I readily accept this is probably wishful thinking on my part, but isn’t that part of the problem? That it’s so freaking obvious that it’s too obvious? Marc’s use of the word “obvious” feels like a hard sell to me. I don’t buy this Justin Claybourne backstory. No sir. Ashes and a baby picture and TA DA????? No. I’m calling shenanigans. There’s more to this. I sense a misdirect.

How does Prometheus force Oliver to reassess his decisions?

This goes to the larger arc of the year, which is Oliver questioning the consequences of his actions in general. What has been the prevailing theme of the season is Oliver is trying to grow and develop as a person, but the actions of his past keep literally haunting him, so it’s going to affect Oliver in a very big way going forward for the rest of the year.

I could meta on this alone, so prep for a long answer. I feel like this is Marc speak for “Oliver is becoming the light.” In reality, what season hasn’t Oliver’s darkness or past haunted him in some way? Pretty much every season right? The point of this season is trying to move him across the finish line of this five year journey. Part of that process is regression. We watch Oliver regress every season. In fact, his development as a hero and as a man has been a painfully slow (and frustrating) process. It’s one of the reasons I’m excited to drop this five year arc because I think it will free Arrow up a bit narratively.

However, this season has seen a lot of emotional progress from Oliver. He’s inherently more hopeful. He’s been more TRUTHFUL. The one area Arrow hit the rewind button on a bit is the kill/no kill vow because they wanted Oliver’s evolution in that department to be a bit more pronounced. This started in Season 4, with Laurel’s death and killing Damien Darhk. In the season where Oliver was trying to live in the light, he chose to kill. Doesn’t necessarily make his choice wrong. Damien Darhk was seriously evil. Nukes = bad news. But it does provide a layer of “grey” in the development of his moral code.

This season, the Big Bad is literally a creation from Oliver killing. That’s intentional. Arrow has often used the kill/no kill philosophy as a metaphor for Oliver’s evolving morality. They stuck him in a squarely grey zone at the beginning of the season because I think they want him to end this year with a much firmer moral code.

That’s not to say that Oliver will never kill again - because yes there are bad guys who need to be killed. But they specifically echoed the first kill in the pilot. Thea even argued with Oliver over the necessity of killing that man in 5x01. She specifically didn’t join the team because she wasn’t prepared to do “whatever it takes” like Oliver now is (because of Laurel’s death).

Oliver strongly feels that he needs to kill Prometheus - as will Felicity. So, this is going to be a nice push/pull effect on him and part of that process is seeing the effect the “Darkness” is having on his loved ones (Felicity & Diggle). It may ultimately push Oliver to a point where he’s toeing a much brighter line. Different in a way than Season 2, because a moral code is bigger than just killing or not killing. But I think Oliver will reach for the moral high ground in a way he never has before because he HAS to. Those he loves need him to because they are losing their own way.

How different is Talia to Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law)?

She’s definitely her own person; she’s not a Nyssa clone, by any stretch. You can definitely sense a familial resemblance. Having Ra’s al Ghul as your dad, it’s likely to forge a very specific kind of person. They’re close enough and different enough that I would love, at some point, to do a story with Nyssa and Talia. I think that would be a lot of fun.

Just gonna say I am excited about Talia. My Batman adoration demands it.

Can you talk about how the team will react to Laurel’s return?

I would say they react pretty positively. Obviously, this is wonderful news. We have a very good explanation as to how Laurel returned. The team is, by and large, pretty happy. Bear in mind, there are a few members of the team that didn’t know Laurel, so it’s fun to see their reaction, especially when they learn that time travel played a role in it.

Isn’t it cute when Marc blatantly ignores that the promo department ruined his episode?

Again, another misdirect. I think in a similar vein to the “obviously.” It’s not Laurel. It’s Black Siren. Sure, time travel had something to do with it, but it’s not bringing Laurel back. To all those worrying that somehow this is a huge redemption storyline for Black Siren and they are bringing Katie back...

Listen... if they wanted Katie on the show they wouldn’t be hiring a new BC. That’s just the ugly truth. Furthermore, they are trying to launch the new BC which gets tricky if Katie is around every few episodes. My bet? They used this guest contract to bridge the gap between LL and the new BC for the comic purists in hopes they could draw them back in. Anywho, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Arrow side of her contract is closing out and they shift her to Legends for a couple guest spots.

What can you tease for Felicity moving forward? She wants revenge on Prometheus over the death of Malone (Tyler Ritter), so how dark will she go and how far will she go to get it?

This is something we went into the season with. At the beginning of every year, we figure out: What do we want to see our characters go through? What are their emotional journeys for the season? We were intrigued by the idea of Felicity flirting with the dark side. The reason I say flirting is Felicity is very much the light of the show; she provides a lot of lightness in what is otherwise a very dark drama. One thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to tell a story where she suddenly starts becoming this dark element. You don’t want to tell a story where all the reasons why people love the character are gone. It’s this delicate balancing act.

In the wake of Malone’s death, she’s very influenced by her prior four years of watching Oliver and Diggle — and Laurel, Roy (Colton Haynes), and Thea (Willa Holland) for that matter. She’s been watching Team Arrow respond to darkness with what I would describe as moral compromise. What we’ve done is we’ve found a story where Felicity could be tempted by taking moral shortcuts in the name of the greater good, which is very much in keeping with the central dilemma at the heart of the whole show, which is becoming judge, jury, and executioner is the ultimate moral shortcut. She’s not going to become judge, jury, and executioner, she’s not going to become a killer, but we found the Felicity version, or the Felicity equivalent, of making a moral compromise in order to accomplish good.

Many have heard me complain about Arrow’s “Don’t Mess With The Rainbow” mentality when it comes to Felicity and this entire answer makes me feel a lot better. I think it strikes the perfect balance. First, it seems Arrow is recognizing that Felicity has been through a lot (DUH) and they really haven’t allowed her experience the effects of those events on a big level (also duh). It seems they are going there. FINALLY. It’s time. It needs to happen. I am thrilled.

BUT... we don’t need Felicity to be Oliver’s version of dark. Or Diggle’s. Or Laurel’s. Or Thea’s. We need Felicity’s version of dark to be like everything else with this character: Felicity’s darkness should be uniquely HER.

What struck me, for the first time that I can think of, Marc came out and said “judge, jury and executioner” is wrong. This applies strongly to OTA. Oliver, obviously, has embraced the “judge, jury and executioner” mentality. Diggle, who normally was the moral compass for Oliver, chose to be “judge, jury and executioner” for Andy. Both of these men are morally justified in their actions, but Marc stating flat out that it’s a moral shut cut is extremely telling. They are pushing all the characters, not just Oliver, to be BETTER. To be heroes. Heroes draw the moral line in the sand and they HOLD TO IT. Because at the end of the day, that’s all that separates them from the bad guys and it’s what keeps them from becoming the bad guys. It’s not always easy. In fact, it’s often the much more difficult path, but it’s the right one to take.

It’s why Prometheus is having such a strong impact and why he’s the perfect villain for S5. OLIVER IS THE VILLAIN in his eyes. Oliver needs to come to a place where that perception cannot happen. Where even the bad guys cannot deny he is the light.

So, it’s essential that Felicity be pushed this darker place too. Where she is judge, jury and executioner. Where she takes moral short cuts. She’s on a hero’s journey as much as Oliver and we need to see Felicity’s moral code tested as well. But it doesn’t have to equal killing. It’ll be Felicity’s version of dark and immoral, which should strike a contrast to Oliver’s. Yes, she is so often the light, but the whole point of pushing Felicity to the dark is so that OLIVER is forced to be the light FOR HER. It’s pushing them both to a place where they absolutely need to go.

Having been through situations like this himself, will Oliver be able to help Felicity navigate this? Or is she pushing everyone away?

I don’t think she’s really pushing everyone away, but she’s definitely on her own path. The best answer to the question is it’s neither one or the other fully. Oliver for sure will be trying to — not help her — but give her some guidance. In episode 12, both Diggle and Felicity, for different reasons, are flirting with some darkness in their lives. Oliver basically, in this really great moment, tells both Felicity and Diggle, “Look, I’m basically a dark dude, I do bad things, but the ship has sailed with me. The whole reason I am aligned with you guys is because you guys are fundamentally just better people, you guys are more moral than I am.” Part of the fun of that episode is seeing how that advice to both Diggle and Felicity operates on them. It’s not necessarily going to operate on them the same way.

I’ve been harping on this concept of Oliver and Felicity walking in each other’s shoes this season. Being able to understand your partner’s perspective, in a real way, is a great catalyst for change. Thus, the shift in roles is absolutely necessary. First, this show is about Oliver Queen. He is destined to become The Green Arrow. He’s suppose to be the light for everyone and that INCLUDES FELICITY. In many ways, Felicity is echoing Oliver’s darker path in S3. It was Felicity who wanted to live life to the fullest and held the line even when Oliver lost his way. She harnessed the light within Oliver and he found his way out of the dark... and back home to her.

Now, they are shifting roles in S5. Felicity was always a voice of guidance for Oliver, but Oliver always made his own choices. I believe it will be the same for Felicity. What’s interesting about Marc’s “the ship has sailed” dialogue, is the impact that it will have on Diggle and Felicity. I predict two things: One, Diggle will toe the moral line again more immediately. Felicity will not. Diggle’s darker spiral is ending. Felicity’s is just beginning.

It’s not going to be enough for Oliver to say, “I’m a dark person. You guys are have always been better than me,” this time. That’s the status quo with Oliver and Felicity. Felicity won’t shift her behavior post 5x12, which will probably lead to whatever deception Oliver discovers in 5x15. It could push Oliver to realize that the status quo has to change. He has to set the example this time. He has to provide the guidance through action, just like Felicity has always done for him. The ship can’t sail for Oliver because that means it will have sailed for FELICITY. I don’t think Oliver can abide by that.

In the end, of course, Oliver will harness Felicity’s light just like she’s always done for him. She will find her way out of this darker place. My bet is all of this is the foundation for Smoak Technologies and she’ll find a renewed purpose in what she wants to do outside of Team Arrow, just like Oliver has found in being mayor. Seeing the change in Oliver (in action - his hopefulness, his truthfullness, being the light, etc), understanding his darkness on a deeper level because Felicity will recognize her own darkness in herself, maybe even Oliver’s forgiveness for whatever deception there is... this all leads back to one singular concept: Felicity will find her way back home to Oliver in the end. Only this time... he will be the man she’s always deserved. He’ll be ready for her in every way. It feels like they are on opposite paths, but those paths are actually a ying/yang effect. They aren’t separate. They are connected... and it all leads back to one another.

Diggle seems to be facing the consequences of being set up by his C.O. head-on now. What’s next for him?

Coming into the second half of the season, we felt a very strong impulse to basically bring the whole General Walker storyline from the beginning of the year to a conclusion. There’s a reason why we returned Diggle to prison and it’s all to set up what will be a climactic episode. We’ve dedicated basically a whole episode to resolving the General Walker storyline. What’s nice about that episode, that’s episode 12, is that it ties into Oliver’s Russia storyline, it ties into Felicity’s storyline, and it even echoes back to the Diggle storyline with his brother last season. So a lot of threads get tied together and some threads get tied up in that 12th episode.

I know many are frustrated about the lack of OTA and I understand. I’m ready for them to key up more OTA eps too. However, I look at Oliver, Diggle and Felicity as the three main leads. The fact that Arrow’s primary season arc is connected in an obvious way to all three characters gives me a lot of hope for 5B. 5A is always set up (and to a certain extent 4B). I think 5B will finally be the follow through that connectively binds these characters on completing each of their hero’s journey. Oliver isn’t the only one who is going through a five year arc. I think they are preparing to launch Arrow into a new phase come S6. That said, Diggle needs more attention so I’m glad he’ll be getting some. Sounds like 5x12 will be a HUGE OTA episode which is fantastic because it’s such an wonderful call back to one of our favorite OTA episodes of all time... the trip to Russia in 2x06.

What can you tease for the introduction of Tina Boland and what we’ll be seeing for her?

You’ll get a glimpse of her at the end of the midseason premiere. It’s funny, I don’t want to tease too much about her. There’s a lot of stuff that’s out on the internet in terms of casting breakdowns, which I hate talking about because a lot of the casting breakdowns we release are false because we know they leak. But I think we have a really wonderful character here. Juliana [Harkavy], who plays her, is a terrific actress. We’re going to be doing some new and different kinds of things. Because of the internet, I guess I’m very tempted to — as always — I’d prefer to let the story tell itself and play out, and then people can make up their minds.

It’s really interesting that Marc mentioned the leaked sides for Tina again. When they first came out he tried to pretend it was all fake, but of course, this was the casting side that was sent out to all the actresses who were auditioning for Tina. So, it became pretty obvious they weren’t fake. He also tried to pretend the character’s name wasn’t Tina. So, when the character’s name was revealed to be Tina I think many took that as a sign that these “sides” would be actual scenes in Arrow.

The reason it had so many concerned is because there was a “chemistry” read with, presumably, Oliver. Many concluded Tina will be a love interest. Also, the BC comic history reared its ugly head in combination with a subtle/back burned Olicity and its led to a lot of concern. Here’s why I think it’s interesting that Marc mentioned the sides- if these scenes show up in Arrow it’ll be very easy to point to his interview and say, “Ummm... they aren’t false.” So, I’m feeling pretty confident those exact scenes won’t be in the show. I think his larger point is that some of the assumptions the internet is making about Tina’s character, based on the sides, isn’t necessarily true and we’ll see that when the show plays out.

So, I continue to stand my belief that Tina is not a love interest for Oliver.

We know Oliver is going to end up back on that island. We know Susan Williams (Carly Pope) is investigating Oliver’s ties to Russia. How are those two storylines going to intersect as we head toward the finale this season?

There’s going to be a very cool and awesome payoff to Susan’s investigation of Oliver. That payoff is going to come sooner than you think. In other words, it’s going to come sooner than the season finale.

Susan discussion, yes, but she’s at the end of the article and it’s a blurb at best. Vast improvement promotionally speaking. Marc just flat out told us that Susan’s investigation is going to blow up BEFORE the season finale. IMDB has Carly Pope slated for 5x12, 5x14 and 5x15. Perhaps the investigation blow up is happening around these run of episodes? Especially coinciding with the Bratva focused episode in 5x12? Methinks yes.

I think some are wondering how Oliver and Felicity can “rebuild” if Susan is still around. This isn’t an either or situation in terms of storyline my friends. It can happen simultaneously and it will happen simultaneously. Think back to Ray and Sara. Oliver and Felicity were very much “building” their relationship (and where it was headed) throughout the full season WHILE they were dating other people. As Oliver and Felicity grew closer, Ray and Felicity fell apart. Sara was slightly different timing wise, but she imploded around the mid season as well, with Oliver finding his way to Felicity in the end. It is possible for Arrow to “rebuild” Olicity while Susan Williams is sharing screen time with Oliver. Susan can be playing a role in that rebuild in her, ultimately, failed relationship with Oliver and what it will teach him. Think of it as multiple lanes of traffic eventually converging into a single lane. Multiple storylines eventually push to one singular end. That’s what is happening this year. That is what happens every year. ALL ROADS LEAD TO OLICITY.

So don’t fret about when Susan is leaving or when she and Oliver will be done. They will be done. She will leave. It will happen. Understandable if you don’t enjoy the storyline and would rather it be sooner than later, but the end result is still the same.

Psst... did you notice? Not a word about the newbies other than Tina. Nice change in pace! All in all... I am very pumped for the rest of the season!!

#arrow #olicity #arrow spoilers #spoiler theoretical #felicity smoak #original team arrow #john diggle #oliver queen #arrow 5x12 #susan williams #tina boland #anti katie cassidy #anti laurel lance #arrow interviews

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hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff · 5 years ago

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https://ift.tt/2RJepmT This is, by far, the biggest crossover the Arrow-verse has ever pulled off. Five hours of TV, an unfathomable number of DC Comics superheroes making appearances, and an entire multiverse facing destruction. Warning: The following contains spoilers for the first three hours of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. If you haven’t watched and don’t want to be spoiled, look away now. The first three hours alone are littered with Easter eggs and references to not only newly-discovered corners of the Arrow-verse, but old DC TV shows and movies, as well as nods to the comics that are responsible for all of these properties. There are so many, it would be easy to miss a handful of them. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about that. We’ve paid very close attention to all three hours of the crossover so far, documenting all of the Easter eggs for you. Take a look at them all below while you prepare for the final two episodes when they air January 14 on The CW. 1. What a headline The first thing we see in Crisis is a glimpse at Gotham City on Earth-89, otherwise known as the Gotham that Tim Burton’s Batman films exist in. Batman was released in 1989. Get it? It’s hard to see the date on this newspaper, but given that Joker (Jack Nicholson) died in the 1989 film, either this is the next day or that Gotham is being hassled by a successor to the original Joker. Either way, we want to know more. Interestingly, the Gotham City Gazette is not the newspaper featured in Batman (1989). In that film, it was the Gotham Globe. 2. Oh, hey Knox And who better to serve as an introduction to this version of Gotham than Alexander Knox, the journalist played by Robert Wuhl in that Batman film. 3. Meanwhile, on a streaming Earth After jumping to another Earth, we are greeted by Hawk (Alan Ritchson) from the DC Universe original series, Titans. His appearance wraps that show’s continuity into the larger Arrow-verse, even if we only see him briefly. 4. But that’s not all We also see a brief glimpse of Jason Todd (Curran Walters) in his Robin gear, as he and Hawk face down the destruction of their Earth. 5. And over on Earth-X We also catch a glimpse of The Ray (Russell Tovey), who was first introduced as a hero in the 2017 Arrow-verse crossover, Crisis on Earth-X. 6. Holy Robin, Batman We knew this cameo appearance was coming, given that it was teased at Comic-Con. Still, seeing Burt Ward–the original live-action Robin–appearing in the Arrow-verse is a special treat. He even has a typically outlandish Robin line, exclaiming, “Holy crimson skies of death!” 7. This technically counts as two Easter eggs Look, kids. It’s Wil Wheaton. The former Star Trek: The Next Generation star has done voice work in a number of DC animated shows and movies, but this is his first live-action appearance on a DC project. What’s more, the sign he’s carrying is a replica of one that appears in Superman II. 8. Superman does dirty diapers Our first glimpse as Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) as a Superdad is a funny one, in which he takes care of a super dirty diaper. Not only is this a nod to Superman being a dad in the comics, but it’s also a look at what the potential Superman and Lois Lane spin-off that’s being developed could be like. 9. Quantum towers are not pretty Yes, the quantum towers are pulled from the comics. They were constructed by the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) to slow down the progress of the quantum wave destroying the multiverse. 10. The next Green Arrow We know that Arrow is coming to an end and a female-centric spin-off is in the works. It looks like when all is said and done, Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara) will be the next Green Arrow, based on the costume her dad had made for her. 11. Yet another Wells Tom Cavanagh rarely plays the same version of Harrison Wells for more than a season. This time, though, even that’s been cut down. His latest incarnation–Nash–has now become Pariah. In addition to the new name and fancy costume, this character–which also appeared in the Crisis comics–can travel between Earths to collect heroes. 12. The death of the Green Arrow Sure, Oliver’s only “kind of dead” when all is said and done, but the death of the Green Arrow is another story twist pulled from the pages of the Crisis comic book. In the miniseries, Earth-2’s Green Arrow–the Golden Age version of the hero–died during Crisis. 13. Luke Fox returns to his comic book roots On Batwoman, Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) is essentially Kate Kane’s (Ruby Rose) nerdy Alfred. He’s portrayed a bit differently in the comics. On Earth-99, though, Luke resembles the version comics fans should recognize, as the nerdy persona is nowhere to be seen. 14. Batman’s gotten old While we see Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) in an exosuit that definitely conjures images of the character’s appearance in Kingdom Come, that’s not who this particular Batman is. Instead, this Bruce takes a cue from The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman has turned cold and killed off several of his enemies. 15. The Death of Superman This quick glimpse at a TV recreates imagery from the Death of Superman comic. Thankfully, the Arrow-verse’s primary Superman is fine. 16. Hey Constantine Yes, John Constantine is a regular character on Legends of Tomorrow. However, he’s also a character that ties yet another DC show–the defunct Constantine on NBC–into the Arrow-verse. 17. Somebody save us Talk about a blast from the past. Tom Welling reprising his role of Clark Kent from Smallville was a special moment. Even more interesting was learning he gave up his powers to live a normal life with his wife Lois (Erica Durance) and their kids. 18. Speaking of Lois The Smallville-set scene also provided an appearance by Durance as Lois Lane. 19. Yet another Clark Kent Hey, he looks familiar. Not only does Brandon Routh star on Legends of Tomorrow, but he also played the Man of Steel once upon a time in Superman Returns. Thanks to Crisis, he gets to suit up as Clark Kent once more, but this time a different take on the character. 20. Anyway, about those people Batman killed Naturally, Bruce Wayne keeps trophies of the enemies he’s killed. The first we see is a Joker card. At long last, the Clown Prince of Crime finally got what was coming to him. 21. Two-for-one We then see a shot of Riddler’s cane and what looks like Mr. Freeze’s snow globe, meaning Batman has definitely killed them both off. 22. But not this We also see Clark Kent’s glasses as it’s revealed that Batman actually killed Superman on this Earth. 23. Lots more dead people Back on the Earth of Routh’s Clark Kent–which resembles the Kingdom Come storyline from the comics–we see all those the Man of Steel has lost, including Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and his wife, Lois Lane. 24. Thanks to the Joker, of course Clark reveals that it was a psychopath from Gotham that played a “prank” on the Daily Planet because they weren’t writing about him enough. 25. And Kingdom Come Superman was born At that point, this Clark puts on his Superman costume, revealing the iconic Kingdom Come design that was previously teased. 26. Superman vs. Superman It’s not Batman v Superman. It’s actually better as Routh’s Superman, under Lex Luthor’s control, attempts to destroy Hoechlin’s Superman. 27. Another familiar face The Legends have plenty of experience with Jonah Hex, but not this version. Johnathon Schaech reprises his role in the Arrow-verse, playing another Earth’s Hex. 28. Another super baby We learn that Routh’s Superman either has or had a son named Jason. This is a nod to Superman Returns, where it’s hinted that the son of Lois Lane–Jason White–is actually Superman’s child. 29. Enter the Anti-Monitor At long last, we meet the Monitor’s arch-nemesis–the Anti-Monitor. It’s a terrible name and, yes, it’s pulled from the comics. 30. A true Bird of Prey It may have only lasted 13 episodes, but it’s exciting to see Ashley Scott reprise her Birds of Prey role as Huntress. Like most of the cameos, though, it ends quickly. 31. The All-Star Squadron Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) is justified in being blown away by seeing all of these superheroes assembled. The All-Star Squadron he mentions, though, is an actual team of superheroes. They were introduced in a 1981 issue of Justice League of America and have included a long list of different heroes over the years. 32. Who is Ryan Choi Believe it or not, Ryan Choi is a character in DC Comics mythology. In fact, as in Crisis, he’s a big fan of Ray Palmer in the comics. In addition to that, though, he also becomes the Atom in the comics. 33. The devil, you say Everyone’s crossing over this year. Even Lucifer (Tom Ellis), from Netflix’s Lucifer, made a quick appearance, pointing Constantine in the right direction to track down Oliver’s soul. 34. Welcome back, Barry John Wesley Shipp returned as the Flash from Earth-90–otherwise known as the Flash from the 1990 TV series. It’s always fun to see that old suit. 35. Black Lightning’s back For the first time, Black Lightning was officially acknowledged as part of the Arrow-verse. Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) arrived to help out the rest of the heroes and learned that his Earth was wiped out by the anti-matter wave. 36. Batwoman v Supergirl Thankfully, this didn’t turn into an actual fight. Still, seeing these two come face-to-face, ready to battle, was a special moment that hopefully gets explored in the future. 37. A nod to Gail Simone Ryan Choi was co-created by Gail Simone. With that in mind, it’s nice to hear the prolific writer get a small nod with Choi’s daughter being names Simone. 38. Flash vanishes in Crisis It’s been promised since The Flash first premiered on The CW. In the end, though, it wasn’t Earth-1’s Barry that was destroyed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead, it was Earth-90’s. 39. Poor Tina Before his demise, though, Earth-90’s Barry flashed back to a moment with the woman he loved, Tina (Amanda Pays), from the original Flash series. 40. The Spectre While tracking down Oliver’s soul in purgatory, Constantine and company happen upon Jim Corrigan (Stephen Lobo), the Spectre. He wants Oliver to become a Spectre, rather than being resurrected. It’s interesting to note–which Constantine does–that this is not the Corrigan that John knows. On NBC’s Constantine, the role was played by Emmett J. Scanlan. 41. The Vanishing Point The place where our heroes are sent to is pulled right from the comics. The Vanishing Point exists in a dimension outside of the time/space continuum. 42. A Crisis reversal This shot of Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Superman (Routh) puts an interesting spin on the cover of the Crisis on Infinite Earths comics. On the cover, Superman is holding a dead Supergirl. from GameSpot - All Content https://ift.tt/35oaAYl

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eddycurrents · 6 years ago

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For the week of 31 December 2018

Quick Bits:

Action Comics #1006 pushes forward more of the ongoing plot of the corruption that has infested Metropolis from the top down. Brian Michael Bendis is definitely playing a long game with his Superman stories, but it doesn’t necessarily feel as decompressed as something like say his Daredevil which I only found enjoyable in the collections. I’m still getting a John Byrne-era Intergang vibe from this arc, which is welcome. Gorgeous art again from Ryan Sook and Brad Anderson.

| Published by DC Comics

Animosity #18 concludes the “Power” arc from Marguerite Bennett, Rafael de Latorre, Elton Thomasi, Rob Schwager, and Marshall Dillon. This issue features one hell of a reckoning, deserved, that also shows how twisted people and their behaviour can become in this kind of dramatic change of the status quo.

| Published by AfterShock

Archie #701 continues with the “Archie Forever” soft relaunch and I’m really liking what Nick Spencer, Marguerite Sauvage, and Jack Morelli are doing with it. It’s more serious than the previous “New Riverdale” initiative with Mark Waid, but it’s finding more of a balance as a teen drama rather than the harder edge of something like Riverdale. It’s also really damn good. The mystery of Reggie’s father’s disappearance is compelling, there’s some nice character work with the gang, and Sauvage’s art is gorgeous.

| Published by Archie Comics

Archie 1941 #4 continues to explore the real human cost of war, both at home and on the front, taking an interesting look at sacrifice. The art from Peter Krause and Kelly Fitzpatrick continues to shine.

| Published by Archie Comics

Batgirl #30 begins the “Old Enemies” arc and it drills down on one theme that Mairghread Scott has been exceptionally good at writing, politics. The conflict between Batgirl, the police, the politicians, and the people is a powderkeg just waiting to explode. Great art from Paul Pelletier, Norm Rapmund, and Jordie Bellaire.

| Published by DC Comics

BPRD: The Devil You Know #12 continues to let the dominoes fall, showing the connections and intersections of all of the Hellboy stories since Seed of Destruction. This issue feels like the quiet moments before the end, with beautiful haunting artwork from Laurence Campbell and Dave Stewart.

| Published by Dark Horse

Champions #1 kicks off the new, larger era from Jim Zub, Steven Cummings, Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, and Clayton Cowles focus on a broader team solving problems around the world. But there’s a catch, something hinky seems to be going on that we’re not quite sure of. It’s a good start, probably more in line with what Mark Waid left before Jim Zub started in the last volume, but with the more personal voice and problems that Zub was developing already.

| Published by Marvel

Coda #8 hurts. Everything falls apart, everyone is betrayed, and we all die a little inside as people try to force positions that aren’t natural. Wow is this a punch to the heart. Si Spurrier, Matías Bergara, Michael Doig, and Jim Campbell deliver what is quite possibly the best issue to date. And damn is that art phenomenal.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Crowded #6 concludes the first arc with a confrontation with Trotter and, boy, is it a doozy. Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Tríona Farrell, and Cardinal Rae have just packed this series with action, excitement, and interesting characters with the mystery hanging over our heads still as to exactly what Charlie even did to get the bounty on her head.

| Published by Image

Detective Comics #995 continues “Mythology” and its full court press on Bruce and his family from Peter Tomasi, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, David Baron, and Rob Leigh. It’s pretty dark, and reminds me a bit of the feel of “Hush”, “Knightfall”, and what Tom King has been building lately in the Batman title itself, but it’s good.

| Published by DC Comics

The Empty Man #3 takes an even bloodier and more violent turn as the Whisper Oracles make a full-on assault on the Kerrys’ neighbourhood as they believe they’re ushering in the next stage of the Empty Man’s wishes. This is disturbing and horrifying, but incredibly entertaining. Great work from Cullen Bunn, Jesús Hervás, Niko Guardia, and Ed Dukeshire.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Flash #61 continues the “Force Quest” adventure, but I’m kind of getting tired of it. I like the exploration of the new forces, I like the new characters and situations that the Flash and Iris are getting into over the course of their globe-trotting, but I’m not getting a lot of substance. It seems like the Flash is off to a new location as quickly as he arrives and there’s not a lot of actual in-depth exploration and investigation of the new ideas. That may, indeed, be part of the point, with the Flash coming up empty, but it feels like we’re getting a lot of being zipped around.

| Published by DC Comics

Giant Days #46 gives Susan a case investigating the thefts from Esther’s shop. The noir Sin City-esque sequences while she’s on the case are a wonderful use of the medium, really building the atmosphere and putting you in the right headspace for the story.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Immortal Hulk #11 begins Hulk’s journey through Hell (or wherever they really are) beyond the Green Door and everything waxes a little philosophical. Even Puck and Creel left at the opening. This feels like a turning point in the story and Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Paul Mounts, and Cory Petit continue to make this incredibly compelling.

| Published by Marvel

Infinity Wars: Infinity #1 is weird. It’s kind of an epilogue to the Infinity Wars event, it’s also kind of a prologue for whatever comes next, teasing things more than giving any kind of really concrete story.

| Published by Marvel

Jughead: The Hunger #11 concludes the Franken-Moose arc with some hints as to what Milton was doing with his resurrection experiments and a revelation about Jughead’s blood. It’s suspect, of course, but it’s an interesting development. Joe Eisma’s designs for the various patchwork men is very impressive.

| Published by Archie Comics / Archie’s Madhouse Presents

Justice League Odyssey #4 continues the investigation of the Ghost Sector as the team transports some refugees off to one of the Machine Worlds where Cyborg is worshipped as a god. Like the other planets, things don’t really go to plan. It’s interesting as to how many losses Joshua Williamson seems to keep throwing at the characters (even if not being devastating as such). It definitely is leading to a world in conflict. Also, Darkseid finds a familiar face.

| Published by DC Comics

Killmonger #3 gets even more interesting as Fisk burns King and his crew, sending them all scrambling as they’re attacked by Bullseye. There’s another twist in the tale from Bryan Hill that really needs to be witnessed. The art from Juan Ferreyra is just next level. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

| Published by Marvel

Low #20 is confusing. Part of that is intentional as Stel gets tossed about from situation to situation of losing and finding her children for reasons that aren’t entirely clear at first. The other part of it is that it’s been a year and a half since the last issue, and even with the recap, it’s still a bit of “who are these people?” and “what the hell is going on?”. Absolutely bloody gorgeous artwork from Greg Tocchini and Dave McCaig, though. I really need to go back an re-read the rest of the series though to get a better appreciation for the story.

| Published by Image / Giant Generator

Man Without Fear #1 from Jed MacKay, Danilo S. Beyruth, Andres Mossa, and Clayton Cowles picks up from where “The Death of Daredevil” left off, but you needn’t have read that to understand this (though I still highly recommend reading the last run of the Daredevil series). It’s more explicit and abstract in Matt’s journey for survival, while also focusing here on the impact this is having on Foggy. It’s very good and looks like it’s going to serve as to a bridge to what comes next in “Know Fear”.

| Published by Marvel

Marvel Knights #5 circles back around to Matthew Rosenberg and Niko Henrichon as T’Challa storms Fisk’s tower and we get more surprising revelations for the cliffhanger to this penultimate issue. There’s a lot of action, beautifully realized by Henrichon (with colour assists from Laurent Grossat), but I think the thing I like most about this is how they handle the Hulk. His presence through the series, and this issue, has been mostly implied, much like how he was portrayed during Bruce Jones and John Romita Jr.’s tenure on the Marvel Knights volume of The Incredible Hulk. It’s a very nice touch that enhances the tribute that this series is meant to be.

| Published by Marvel

Olivia Twist #4 is the end to what has been a rather strange and loose adaptation of Dickens’ Oliver Twist in the future from Darin Strauss, Adam Dalva, Emma Vieceli, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano. It definitely goes off in unexpected directions and is all the better for it.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Rainbow Brite #3 continues to be a fun adventure as Wisp tests out the extent of her powers. It’s a shame that this series is ending with its fifth issue as this is a solid all ages fantasy from Jeremy Whitley, Brittney Williams, Valentina Pinto, and Taylor Esposito.

| Published by Dynamite

Scarlet #5 is an interesting conclusion to this mini, getting Scarlet out of Portland and a revelation as to what’s been going on outside of the city. It doesn’t really feel like an end, though. Just a stopping point for this chapter. I definitely hope there’s more somewhere down the line as Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, and Joshua Reed have made this as entertaining a ride as the first volume.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

The Silencer #12 is one of the few of DC’s “New Age of Heroes” titles left standing and, even though it too may not be much longer for the world based on the story’s direction, it’s pretty easy to see why. It’s a good action thriller, with some interesting intrigue in regards to Talia al Ghul’s Leviathan organization, and some great art.

| Published by DC Comics

Star Wars: Age of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 is the latest one-shot spotlighting the Star Wars characters throughout the ages, with this one providing a tale of Obi-Wan during his period with Anakin as his padawan, from Jody Houser, Cory Smith, Wilton Santos, Walden Wong, Java Tartaglia, and Travis Lanham. It’s not a bad little tale of acceptance and understanding in perceived difficult situations.

| Published by Marvel

Stranger Things #4 concludes this mini from Jody Houser, Stefano Martino, Keith Champagne, Lauren Affe, and Nate Piekos, spotlighting what happened to Will Byers while he was trapped in the Upside Down and serves as a bridge to the second season of the Netflix series. The art from Martino, Champagne, and Affe is wonderful as always and I love how Houser brings it back around to the fantasy and D&D themes that permeate the show. Also, a great nod to one of the primary influences in the library sequence.

| Published by Dark Horse

Strangers in Paradise XXV #9...man. Terry Moore is a master at changing the tone and premise of his stories at the drop of a hat. You start out as an action thriller, then you blink, and suddenly you’re in a biblical end of days scenario. Damn that’s some good stuff.

| Published by Abstract Studio

Titans #32 presents the origin of Mother Blood and a change to the Red since the breaking of the Source Wall from Dan Abnett, Clayton Henry, Marcelo Maiolo, and Dave Sharpe. It’s an interesting excursion giving hints as to the next direction for the series. Plus, a possible name drop for Primal Force, which would be an interesting return.

| Published by DC Comics

Tony Stark: Iron Man #7 continues “Stark Realities” as all hell breaks loose within Tony’s virtual world as The Controller takes..um...control. Great twists and turns here, with some interesting character developments for Amanda, Jocasta, and Friday.

| Published by Marvel

The Whispering Dark #3 blurs the lines of reality further as we’re given no reason to believe that the hallucinations aren’t real or that any of “reality” isn’t a hallucination. It’s great. Gorgeous artwork from Tomás Aira.

| Published by Dark Horse

Winter Soldier #2 is possibly even better than the first issue, as we get a flashback for who RJ was and then a confrontation between him and Bucky. The artwork from Rod Reis is gorgeous, presenting interesting layouts and colour choices flipping between the past and the action in the present. Though, there is definitely a twinge of suspicion at what RJ’s goal actually is.

| Published by Marvel

Wonder Woman #61 makes “The Just War” a little more interesting as a confused, reborn Aphrodite is brought into the mix, unsure whether or not she still wants to be the goddess of love. The mythological aspect that G. Willow Wilson is playing with in this story is interesting after the abandonment of Olympus and what’s been going on in Justice League Dark. It definitely feels like there’s something bigger going on than just the war. The line art chores are handled by Xermanico, who has a style not unlike Cary Nord’s, but somewhat cleaner, leaning somewhat towards Stuart Immonen and Terry Dodson. It looks good, but what really pushes this issue over the top is the colour work from Romulo Fajardo Jr. The colours just look stunning here.

| Published by DC Comics

Other Highlights: Bloodborne #8, Books of Magic #3, Conan the Barbarian #1, Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #3, Gasolina #14, Halo: Lone Wolf #1, Hex Wives #3, Invader Zim #38, Old Lady Harley #3, Princeless: Find Yourself #3, Project Superpowers #5, Redneck #18, Rick & Morty #45, Runaways #17, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #3, The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #4, Unnatural #6

Recommended Collections: Black Hammer - Volume 3: Age of Doom Part 1, BPRD: Hell on Earth - Volume 4, The Conan Reader, Death of the Inhumans, The Girl Who Married a Skull & Other African Stories - Volume 1, Iron Fist, Jim Henson’s Power of the Dark Crystal - Volume 1, Jinx, The Mighty Crusaders - Volume 1, Pestilence - Volume 2: A Story of Satan, Powers - Book 2, Spider-Geddon: Edge of Spider-Geddon, Tony Stark: Iron Man - Volume 1: Self Made Man, Witchfinder - Volume 5: Gates of Heaven

d. emerson eddy works hard for his monkey. So hard for his monkey. And he’s going to treat it right.

#This Week in Comics

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daleisgreat · 7 years ago

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2017-18 TV Season Recap, Part One

Previous TV Season Recaps – (2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17) 2017-18 TV Season Recap - Part 2 (South Park, Roseanne, Evil Genius, Orville, Riverdale)

Greetings and welcome to my annual TV season recap! Enjoy as I ramble on about nearly a dozen of the TV shows I attempted to keep up with throughout the television year. Please check out the links above for past installments of my TV recaps. I am splitting this year’s installment into two parts for now. Part one here will feature my breakdowns of the six shows based on comic books I followed while part two will feature everything else! In a few months like last year I will add a bonus part covering three or four more shows I plan to binge throughout the summer. Enough with the intro, let us get onto the year of television that was 2017-18. Gotham – I have no idea where to begin on the fourth season of Gotham. Like I mentioned in past annual recaps, since season two Gotham went kind of bonkers and dove deep bringing in a wide array of vintage Batman villains. A lot of them you may have seen from prior cartoons and films, while many others are getting their on-screen debut in Gotham. Plenty of past recurring villains return along with some new ones to keep me on my toes for each episode. The primary villains this season after Gordon and Harvey put away early filler head villain ‘The Pyg’ in a enjoyable several episode arc early in the season are Ra’s al Ghul and the Jerome/Jeremiah brothers that many of us know better as The Joker, even though the show does not officially label them as such. Gordon’s old love interests Barb and Lee both get some sadistic twists this season with Barb getting some unexpected powers as she clashes with Ra’s and Lee becoming a crime lord of sorts when she teams up with The Riddler and becomes known as the ‘Queen of the Narrows.’

I will nitpick a little bit because season three ended with a tease of Bruce donning his first set of the classic caped crusader costume as he sought out vigilante justice. The fourth season quickly backtracks away from that within a couple episodes as Bruce realizes he is in over his head after some early failures and he winds up going on a depressing party binge for several episodes and betraying the love-able Alfred to go out and party before finally coming to his senses. That said I am amazed at how Gotham managed to juggle its mammoth ensemble cast with almost something to do for every character this season. On almost any other show I would be irate for the lame explanations for characters cheating death and constantly coming back. I can get on board with the unbelievable returns in Gotham due to how off the rails the show has become by this point. Only way a person stays dead in Gotham is via bazooka. I was disheartened to see FOX announce that Bruce Wayne’s version of Smallville will come to an end with this fall’s fifth season being the last, and being only a half season at that. At least that gives the writers several episodes to wrap up this insanely awesome Batman project. Grade: A- Arrow – Season six of The Arrow means it is time to rejoice since there are no longer any more flashback periphery story arcs. Since Oliver is now the mayor of Star City, that means there are numerous enemies constantly trying to frame him and remove him from office, and while they are at it continue the laughable annual trend of trying to expose Oliver as the Green Arrow. The season gets a little messy with the core of Team Arrow splitting up for more than half the season and constantly being at odds with each other while the primary antagonists have some surprising twists of their own. I will give my supporting character MVP this season to Quentin Lance as the only one who stood loyal to Oliver through thick and thin this season while nearly the rest of the entire cast was at odds with Olly at one point or another this season.

That is saying a ton too as Quentin has his own season-spanning arc where he encounters another Earth’s version of his daughter, Laurel and never gives up on her despite her sinister ways and it seems like a laughably lost cause from the get go, but Quentin’s resilience and perseverance paid off after many weeks of effort in a way I was not anticipating. Arrow featured a dramatic season finale which will surely have profound changes for the series going into next season. There were a few missteps during the course of this season, but it managed to find its footing by the end and got me back on board again. Grade: B+ The Flash – I hate to see this trend, but the fourth season of The Flash continues the downward trajectory of the series after an underwhelming third season. The problem here is with the season-spanning villain Clifford DeVoe, aka, The Thinker. Thinker is after the unique energy force from a group of metas that got their powers on a mysterious explosion on a bus. So the whole season sees Team Flash try to track down each ‘bus meta’ one-by-one, but only consistently fail to protect them and see them fall victim to having their life force harvested by The Thinker. Most of these battles that play out are depressing to watch to see the Flash regularly disposed of with ease. One of the bus metas, Ralph, winds up joining Team Flash, but his forced humor is cringe-inducing and his run on the show went far longer than it had any right to be. The only reason this managed to stay above the ‘D’ range is because the series continues one of its positive trends of a great Christmas party scene and an awesome wedding between Barry and Iris that was at the core of a fun four-part crossover event with all four CW DC shows. Grade:C-

Legends of Tomorrow – Legends of Tomorrow was the surprise hit of the DC Arrow-verse this year. Its first two seasons were decent with their fair share of highs and lows, but ultimately suffered with a huge cast that stretched episodes thin to cram everyone in. The team on Legends got it right for season three by dialing back the cast a little (which means some heartbreaking moments this season) and somehow achieving the impossible by making Steel marginally less of a dope and even having an episode he excelled in what was my favorite episode of the season with its take on the classic film, Groundhog’s Day. CW must have had a serious makeover to the writer staff this season because at first I grimaced when they added the insufferable Wally West from Flash to the Legends team halfway through the season, but his personality surprisingly meshed well with the team and he blended right in! Sarah Lance is also coming into her own now as the group leader, and the intentionally campy-yet-amazing Damien Darhk and his daughter are the perfect season-long foils for the legends. A throwaway gag in a midseason episode in the form of a cuddly stuffed animal called, Beebo, returns in a memorable way for a surprisingly awesome season finale! Having its season not as padded out and several episodes shorter compared to the other CW DC shows also significantly helps. Grade: A- Jessica Jones – The second season of JJ on Netflix was a surprise step down from its unforgettable debut season. It is still one of the stronger Marvel Netflix series, and a big step up from Defenders and Iron Fist. The second season starts out strong with Jess meeting some new neighborhood characters setting up the season and the affable Malcom stepping up his role as Jessica’s assistant. After a few episodes things start to gradually unravel though with Trish relapsing and her arc slowly evolving from curious to cringe-worthy by the end of the season. Jeri’s periphery arc is also frustratingly inconclusive and vague and seems to be there for more shock than substance. The season shapes up midway through when Jones reconnects with figures from her past that the show does not paint in a bright light. Jessica Jones does not seem to care to drive home the destination point of this season and I could not help but feel the undertones from the cast this season in their body language read something like, “you are not going to particularly care how this season wraps up, it is just going to be there.” And that is exactly what happened, with the show doubling down on new characters this season that are not fun to root for or against and are essentially a nonfactor by the end of the season.

One last nagging point I have to touch on is Jess is her usual badass self most of this season threatening to rip people’s spines out for not divulging her info. However, at a couple crisis points this season she uncharacteristically gets pouty when it comes time to walk past the metaphorical ‘line’ she bemoans “I’m not a killer” before offing some painfully stereotypical antagonizing prison guard in one of the low points of the season. The second season feels like a wash by the end to wipeout all the good momentum established in the first half, including an awesome prequel episode set several years before the first season that wound up as one of the season’s few saving graces combined with a few other strong early episodes to prevent this from hitting the C range. Grade: B- The Punisher - If you know me, I am a huge Punisher mark, so this summary is admittedly a bit biased. Season two of Daredevil was a great introduction of the character, but Punisher’s own self-titled Netflix exclusive series dives deep into his psyche. As expected, a lot about his origin is constantly referenced throughout for the impetus for him going on his crusade. The PMC group Punisher squares off against is a formidable foe for Frank to go to war with, and I also thought the producers managed to walk that fine line for a secondary villain this season who is a middle east veteran suffering from PTSD who gradually loses before taking matters into his own hands. Rest assured there is plenty of action in each episode, and easily more than any of the other Marvel Netflix series.

They still sprinkle in a good back story for some breathing room, and Franks does not waste a word of his intentional limited dialogue as every word he speaks means business. The person Frank interacts with for his tech-backup is a good sidekick, but not worthy of the Micro name as the Netflix version veers off in some significant ways than how he was portrayed in the comics, but they capture the core of Micro’s role providing tech support for Frank. Micro’s family played a little more into the overall plot than I thought they would, but by the end of the season I thought they all earned their spot on the show and I was invested in their arc. As a die-hard Punisher fan this is a near-flawless portrayal of him, and this debut season easily surpasses all prior on-screen representations of him and I loving the tease for the villain they have in store for Frank in season two. Grade: A Past TV/Web Series Blogs 2013-14 TV Season Recap 2014-15 TV Season Recap 2015-16 TV Season Recap 2016-17 TV Season Recap Adventures of Briscoe County Jr: The Complete Series Angry Videogame Nerd Volumes 7-9 Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Season 1 OJ: Made in America: 30 for 30 RedvsBlue - Seasons 1-13 Roseanne – Seasons 1-9 Seinfeld Final Season Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle Superheroes: Pioneers of Television The Vietnam War: A Ken Burns series X-Men – The Animated Series: Volumes 4-5

#tv/web series #Gotham #The Flash #Flash #arrow #green arrow #legends of tomorrow #Jessica Jones #punisher #Stephen Amell #grant gustin

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hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff · 5 years ago

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This is, by far, the biggest crossover the Arrow-verse has ever pulled off. Five hours of TV, an unfathomable number of DC Comics superheroes making appearances, and an entire multiverse facing destruction. Warning: The following contains spoilers for the first three hours of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. If you haven't watched and don't want to be spoiled, look away now.

The first three hours alone are littered with Easter eggs and references to not only newly-discovered corners of the Arrow-verse, but old DC TV shows and movies, as well as nods to the comics that are responsible for all of these properties. There are so many, it would be easy to miss a handful of them. Luckily, you don't have to worry about that.

We've paid very close attention to all three hours of the crossover so far, documenting all of the Easter eggs for you. Take a look at them all below while you prepare for the final two episodes when they air January 14 on The CW.

1. What a headline

The first thing we see in Crisis is a glimpse at Gotham City on Earth-89, otherwise known as the Gotham that Tim Burton's Batman films exist in. Batman was released in 1989. Get it? It's hard to see the date on this newspaper, but given that Joker (Jack Nicholson) died in the 1989 film, either this is the next day or that Gotham is being hassled by a successor to the original Joker. Either way, we want to know more. Interestingly, the Gotham City Gazette is not the newspaper featured in Batman (1989). In that film, it was the Gotham Globe.

2. Oh, hey Knox

And who better to serve as an introduction to this version of Gotham than Alexander Knox, the journalist played by Robert Wuhl in that Batman film.

3. Meanwhile, on a streaming Earth

After jumping to another Earth, we are greeted by Hawk (Alan Ritchson) from the DC Universe original series, Titans. His appearance wraps that show's continuity into the larger Arrow-verse, even if we only see him briefly.

4. But that's not all

We also see a brief glimpse of Jason Todd (Curran Walters) in his Robin gear, as he and Hawk face down the destruction of their Earth.

5. And over on Earth-X

We also catch a glimpse of The Ray (Russell Tovey), who was first introduced as a hero in the 2017 Arrow-verse crossover, Crisis on Earth-X.

6. Holy Robin, Batman

We knew this cameo appearance was coming, given that it was teased at Comic-Con. Still, seeing Burt Ward--the original live-action Robin--appearing in the Arrow-verse is a special treat. He even has a typically outlandish Robin line, exclaiming, "Holy crimson skies of death!"

7. This technically counts as two Easter eggs

Look, kids. It's Wil Wheaton. The former Star Trek: The Next Generation star has done voice work in a number of DC animated shows and movies, but this is his first live-action appearance on a DC project. What's more, the sign he's carrying is a replica of one that appears in Superman II.

8. Superman does dirty diapers

Our first glimpse as Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) as a Superdad is a funny one, in which he takes care of a super dirty diaper. Not only is this a nod to Superman being a dad in the comics, but it's also a look at what the potential Superman and Lois Lane spin-off that's being developed could be like.

9. Quantum towers are not pretty

Yes, the quantum towers are pulled from the comics. They were constructed by the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) to slow down the progress of the quantum wave destroying the multiverse.

10. The next Green Arrow

We know that Arrow is coming to an end and a female-centric spin-off is in the works. It looks like when all is said and done, Mia Smoak (Katherine McNamara) will be the next Green Arrow, based on the costume her dad had made for her.

11. Yet another Wells

Tom Cavanagh rarely plays the same version of Harrison Wells for more than a season. This time, though, even that's been cut down. His latest incarnation--Nash--has now become Pariah. In addition to the new name and fancy costume, this character--which also appeared in the Crisis comics--can travel between Earths to collect heroes.

12. The death of the Green Arrow

Sure, Oliver's only "kind of dead" when all is said and done, but the death of the Green Arrow is another story twist pulled from the pages of the Crisis comic book. In the miniseries, Earth-2's Green Arrow--the Golden Age version of the hero--died during Crisis.

13. Luke Fox returns to his comic book roots

On Batwoman, Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) is essentially Kate Kane's (Ruby Rose) nerdy Alfred. He's portrayed a bit differently in the comics. On Earth-99, though, Luke resembles the version comics fans should recognize, as the nerdy persona is nowhere to be seen.

14. Batman's gotten old

While we see Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) in an exosuit that definitely conjures images of the character's appearance in Kingdom Come, that's not who this particular Batman is. Instead, this Bruce takes a cue from The Dark Knight Returns, where Batman has turned cold and killed off several of his enemies.

15. The Death of Superman

This quick glimpse at a TV recreates imagery from the Death of Superman comic. Thankfully, the Arrow-verse's primary Superman is fine.

16. Hey Constantine

Yes, John Constantine is a regular character on Legends of Tomorrow. However, he's also a character that ties yet another DC show--the defunct Constantine on NBC--into the Arrow-verse.

17. Somebody save us

Talk about a blast from the past. Tom Welling reprising his role of Clark Kent from Smallville was a special moment. Even more interesting was learning he gave up his powers to live a normal life with his wife Lois (Erica Durance) and their kids.

18. Speaking of Lois

The Smallville-set scene also provided an appearance by Durance as Lois Lane.

19. Yet another Clark Kent

Hey, he looks familiar. Not only does Brandon Routh star on Legends of Tomorrow, but he also played the Man of Steel once upon a time in Superman Returns. Thanks to Crisis, he gets to suit up as Clark Kent once more, but this time a different take on the character.

20. Anyway, about those people Batman killed

Naturally, Bruce Wayne keeps trophies of the enemies he's killed. The first we see is a Joker card. At long last, the Clown Prince of Crime finally got what was coming to him.

21. Two-for-one

We then see a shot of Riddler's cane and what looks like Mr. Freeze's snow globe, meaning Batman has definitely killed them both off.

22. But not this

We also see Clark Kent's glasses as it's revealed that Batman actually killed Superman on this Earth.

23. Lots more dead people

Back on the Earth of Routh's Clark Kent--which resembles the Kingdom Come storyline from the comics--we see all those the Man of Steel has lost, including Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and his wife, Lois Lane.

24. Thanks to the Joker, of course

Clark reveals that it was a psychopath from Gotham that played a "prank" on the Daily Planet because they weren't writing about him enough.

25. And Kingdom Come Superman was born

At that point, this Clark puts on his Superman costume, revealing the iconic Kingdom Come design that was previously teased.

26. Superman vs. Superman

It's not Batman v Superman. It's actually better as Routh's Superman, under Lex Luthor's control, attempts to destroy Hoechlin's Superman.

27. Another familiar face

The Legends have plenty of experience with Jonah Hex, but not this version. Johnathon Schaech reprises his role in the Arrow-verse, playing another Earth's Hex.

28. Another super baby

We learn that Routh's Superman either has or had a son named Jason. This is a nod to Superman Returns, where it's hinted that the son of Lois Lane--Jason White--is actually Superman's child.

29. Enter the Anti-Monitor

At long last, we meet the Monitor's arch-nemesis--the Anti-Monitor. It's a terrible name and, yes, it's pulled from the comics.

30. A true Bird of Prey

It may have only lasted 13 episodes, but it's exciting to see Ashley Scott reprise her Birds of Prey role as Huntress. Like most of the cameos, though, it ends quickly.

31. The All-Star Squadron

Ralph (Hartley Sawyer) is justified in being blown away by seeing all of these superheroes assembled. The All-Star Squadron he mentions, though, is an actual team of superheroes. They were introduced in a 1981 issue of Justice League of America and have included a long list of different heroes over the years.

32. Who is Ryan Choi

Believe it or not, Ryan Choi is a character in DC Comics mythology. In fact, as in Crisis, he's a big fan of Ray Palmer in the comics. In addition to that, though, he also becomes the Atom in the comics.

33. The devil, you say

Everyone's crossing over this year. Even Lucifer (Tom Ellis), from Netflix's Lucifer, made a quick appearance, pointing Constantine in the right direction to track down Oliver's soul.

34. Welcome back, Barry

John Wesley Shipp returned as the Flash from Earth-90--otherwise known as the Flash from the 1990 TV series. It's always fun to see that old suit.

35. Black Lightning's back

For the first time, Black Lightning was officially acknowledged as part of the Arrow-verse. Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) arrived to help out the rest of the heroes and learned that his Earth was wiped out by the anti-matter wave.

36. Batwoman v Supergirl

Thankfully, this didn't turn into an actual fight. Still, seeing these two come face-to-face, ready to battle, was a special moment that hopefully gets explored in the future.

37. A nod to Gail Simone

Ryan Choi was co-created by Gail Simone. With that in mind, it's nice to hear the prolific writer get a small nod with Choi's daughter being names Simone.

38. Flash vanishes in Crisis

It's been promised since The Flash first premiered on The CW. In the end, though, it wasn't Earth-1's Barry that was destroyed in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead, it was Earth-90's.

39. Poor Tina

Before his demise, though, Earth-90's Barry flashed back to a moment with the woman he loved, Tina (Amanda Pays), from the original Flash series.

40. The Spectre

While tracking down Oliver's soul in purgatory, Constantine and company happen upon Jim Corrigan (Stephen Lobo), the Spectre. He wants Oliver to become a Spectre, rather than being resurrected. It's interesting to note--which Constantine does--that this is not the Corrigan that John knows. On NBC's Constantine, the role was played by Emmett J. Scanlan.

41. The Vanishing Point

The place where our heroes are sent to is pulled right from the comics. The Vanishing Point exists in a dimension outside of the time/space continuum.

42. A Crisis reversal

This shot of Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Superman (Routh) puts an interesting spin on the cover of the Crisis on Infinite Earths comics. On the cover, Superman is holding a dead Supergirl.

from GameSpot - All Content https://ift.tt/35oaAYl

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