#Putting 2004 joker in places

[putting-2004-joker-in-places]

[eng-yla]

As I promised before, here are some extra doodles for their designs along w some backstory + discarded costume choices!

The reason why I made full body references when I only did a half-ish body drawing was because I didn't had the composition figured out at the time.

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His costume design and backstory in the AU was heavily inspired by the Harley in the 2004 The Batman animated series because I happen to actually like how she was portrayed in that series.

Ofc I changed some key points, the biggest being the fact that he was never a psicologist because sdra2 already has Kokoro, plus, I thought that the idea of maintaining him as a journalist who caught himself in a mess was an interesting idea.

His civilian appearance was influenced by one of his beta designs.

The only discarded doodles I'm gonna show of him. They aren't detailed bc he got the role so I didn't see the point on detailing them.

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I already knew how Mikado would look like so he doesn't have discarded choices except when it come to the color palette bc that's always a battle for me...

His design was slightly inspired by both Joker's design in The Batman 2004 and the Joker in the Suicide Squad Isekai Anime.

For a moment I thought about painting him a smile on his face like the anime Joker but inmediatly decided against it because I was too lazy to draw that a bunch of times🤷‍♀️

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When I realized iroha wasn't gonna win I decided detail all her doodles and put them together so you could appreciate her design better!

Unlike Nikei, her costume design was more jester-like and includes the three diamond symbol bc I thought it would fit her very well.

If she would have won, her backstory would have been a lot more simple than the one Nikei has bc she simply got into the wrong place at the worst time and only helps Mikado bc he "promised" that if she served him, he wouldn't kill her so she doesn't even hide the fact that she doesn't feel love and instead fears him a lot.

[moonpoolcat]

No Significant harassment 2\6

FINALLY HE'S OUT!

Quick backstory (Short version)

No Significant Harassment is a hyper outgoing gen 3 iterator an co-senior of the Twilight local group alongside Looks tot he Moon. After witnessing Slivers death NSH noticed Moons behavior had changed, rather then taking pity on the senior like everyone else but instead became more then a friend an did what he always had done an stuck by her side becoming the ultimate emotional support making sure she recovered from the loss in peace. That was until the incident happened. NSH was the first to respond to Moons distress calls when Five Pebbles suddenly starts abusing the resources he shared in his attempts to break the taboo prompting the jester and Seven red suns to create slugcats in a futile attempt to save their senior well as the iterator he fell in love with all those cycles ago. but in his efforts of creating a slugcat to deliver slagkeys he had created Hunter a cycle too late an had to deliver them himself almost destroying his puppet trying to save Moon in a last ditch effort to hold together whatever life they had. But it was would all be in vain anyway as Moon had suffered a major error erasing almost every piece of their relationship broke the poor jester to pieces. Even though his attempt failed and the results leads to the disaster that was Moons death Sig had been introduced to a new reality. He had lost everything but continues to power through his own mental state maintaining the groups stability. Ever since Moons rampage of death an carnage he had done everything to keep the admin sane to no avail. He can only do so much being everywhere at once. But with the rise of the anti-sliverists how long can the jester keep on the happy façade with the rising danger that slowly lurks around the corner? or will he too finally snap an becomes a danger to everyone?

Explanation behind design Yes if you look hard enough he looks like a green Fizzoroli, I took inspiration from him to make Sig unique from the others. Making him a jester makes sense as Sig cracks jokes constantly or tries to make other iterators laugh fits his character. The jester hat antennas was a suggestion. I had him wear a hoodie in the first sketch but the antennas kept getting in the way so it was scrapped.

I didn't really enjoy that NSH's design looked too simple. Putting him in baggy clothes just looked off to me. I wanted him to fit a role that made sense. I had lots of fun with the color palette, it was a way of migrating locked personalities into an extroverted character as i am introverted IRL, his sleeves were inspiration from the 2004 joker from batman that gave me the idea to make Siggy a jester in the first place ditching the idea of giving him a jacket. He still has his scarf it's just really short an not noticeable, his antennas are long because it looked like hair to me so I went with that. It was not easy working with so many shades of purple. There was no way i was going with green on green i was not going to make him look like a walking pile of green shit.

Relations

Looks to the moon: NSH tries his best to entertain her to hopefully calm her mood. Still longs for the relationship they had but knows Moon will never remember their time together. Follows every order to the letter no matter the circumstance. He suffers slight trauma from watching her kill off the rest of the local group. He knows what she is doing is wrong but her manipulation tactics are flawless an hard to break away from and he doesn't want to be useless.

Seven red suns: They actually dated a while back but it was short because of Sigs attachment to Moon that broke them apart. He didn't want it to be this way being Suns long running friend when everyone else feared him. Becoming admin was a suggestion, he didn't think this action would cause his best friend to go off the deep end to trying to kill him causing all of this calamity to happen in the first place? He hopes to one day repair their friendship but for now he can only observe and make sure Sun's doesn't go postal. SOS: NSH always did enjoy participating in Slivers experiments, she was his inspiration for reaching out an trying new things being a common influence to his outgoing an 'zesty' behavior. Five Pebbles: His hatred towards Pebbles was a mistake after Moon died. Harming him while had had the rot crossed the line. He has some remorse for his pain of wanting to leave the cycle. Sig talks to Pebbles every once in a while mainly to help him with projects or just talk.

Chasing Winds: They didn't really bond that well so there is hardly any information on how these two got along. He did witness Winds and Suns fight at the last meeting they had. Wind was never fond of Sigs jokes though They don't really see eye to eye.

UI: A strong ever lasting hatred, NSH was more than pissed finding out the careless actions she had done that not only affected his friends but had ruined his relationship with Moon entirely. EOS: The iterator is busy being protected by his own sick twisted group but NSH is determined to kill him for the reason of abusing Suns.

Other local groups

Oasis local group: His partner is a senior of this local group and he temporarily runs as co- senior managing both the Oasis local group and his own group.

Zodius local group: His two sisters are within his group so it is not unusual for NSH to bounce back an forth between groups visiting them.

Jaded local group: NSH has not thoughts on this group, but if Moon wants them dead then so does he. Stormfall local group: Regularly stops by to visit Winds, sometimes uninvited. He still sees him as part of his local group that is considered family whether Winds like it or not.

Extra

Sig has an older and younger sister, (all three of them are speedsters) built after one another but his sisters would rather not get involved in Moons murder sprees. Their names are:  Carefree Evanescent Espionage and Sixteen flying bold affinity

Astral form: Goat

NSH is both pansexual an polymerous, known for being a total casanova Sig never stuck to one partner other then Moon an Suns at the time as he never was one for getting attached. Even if he is already married now his partner has no issue with him revisiting these past partners that are or so one night stands if anything while still keeping in touch with them all.

Sig is a speedster, meaning he can run almost at the speed of light if he wanted an can be in almost every place at once.

Regularly messes around with scavengers, he had become one with a tribe on top of his can and he normally takes them with him to pull pranks on his friends.

Fear of glass, specifically tight spaces surrounded by glass.

The city on top of NSH is forever set a light being an infinite power source. Anything left behind by the ancients that would have decade without power is still in perfect working condition stuck in time.

When stressed Sig will phsycally roll into a ball as a means of coping.

Since NSH has a small thing for music, his time with the scavengers while being semi feral has developed his own type of music, he hates the sound of silence so there is always some type of music playing nearby

His territory his can resides in littered in crystals an towers that respond to the aggressive electric activity caused by clouds when his can breathes or just Sig in general when he runs by.

The color tangerine makes him feel uncomfortable for some reason though its unknown why?

If Sig is overstimulated his body reacts by releasing high amounts of static but any creature that comes into contact with him is automatically immune to it.

A series of crystals naturally grow on an his around structure and territory, they're highly attracted to lightning especially if Sig runs by them

Weapon of choice: Volt rings, the rings can be found only on his tail, they're conductors to contain the amount of electricity Sig picks up on a daily from natural surroundings, normally that would be otherwise lethal to other iterators. When taken off they can expand or shrink to whatever Sig desires to be used in certain situations and are automatically electrified to use as projectiles. Along with these are virtual panels that Sig summons at will, they don't do much accept become platforms or other means for him to protect himself or props when entertaining others. Just like last time if this reaches loads of likes i'll go suffer an write a longer NSH lore post.

[distort-opia]

Ok idk if this is common knowledge or if I'm misunderstanding, but do we have an idea of when joker fell in love with batman? Did he come out of the sauce like that or was it during his young villanhood?

-@Tinygalaxykid

The answer depends a lot on writer and continuity, I suppose... and on personal preference. Some (like Tynion or Snyder) retrospectively wrote Joker as being obsessed with Batman from the very beginning, from their very first interaction. However, even then, I would say there's a difference between obsession and love. Because if we're talking obsession, Batman also got unhinged about Joker very early on.

Older comics portraying initial interactions between Batman and Joker actually show that when first emerging, Joker didn't target Batman at all. He was interested in taking down Gotham, and Batman was just an obstacle in his path (and I guess now I can add King's The Winning Card here too). I have a longer meta in response to someone's question here that might be of more help, going into depth on Batman and Joker's first interactions and the development of their obsession here. Personally, I think there's a lot more canon attesting that Joker wasn't in love from the get-go and that he genuinely wanted to kill Batman-- and that it took time for him to realize he even wanted Bruce alive. Joker wasn't playing around, he wasn't pretending; his schemes and attempts to kill Batman were real.

However, there's multiple moments in their first years in which Joker thought he killed Batman... and he's not entirely triumphant. But I'll put the rest of this under the cut because I've gotten long again.

You can visibly see Joker struggle with Batman's potential death here, for example:

Batman: Batgirl (1997)

This takes place around Year 8, and as you can see, Joker's jostled... but only for a moment. At the end of the day, as I mentioned, Joker's approach depended on the writer; some had Joker as purely homicidal and gleeful in trying to kill Batman, while others wrote him as coming to avoid killing Batman because then he'd be losing his playmate. I think one of the earliest and overt instances of the latter was this:

Batman (1940) #408

And that technically takes place around Year 10 of Batman's career. So if we're taking this as a progression, it did take Joker a while to arrive at these sentiments, and even then, he's conflicted about them. He acknowledges himself later on that he pivots back and forth between trying to kill Batman in earnest and not.. another time he decided that no he definitely wants to kill Batman now:

The Brave and The Bold (2007) #27

By the 2000s though, we got the infamous story Superman: Emperor Joker. Which entirely hinged upon Joker's feelings for Batman, but also his unawareness of them. Superman manages to make Joker realize that Batman is fundamental to his understanding of the world, and that he could not erase him, not matter how hard he tried:

Superman: Emperor Joker (2000)

Joker's memories of this are taken away, but to be honest, I do think this marked... a change in Joker's understanding of himself. Because the first time ever, to my knowledge, that Joker's told Batman he loves him, is this:

Batman (1940) #625

This was published in 2004, and let's say taking place around Year 15 (though in realistic post-Crisis continuity, it's even later). So, if we're trying to look at the timeline, to me it becomes obvious that Joker's feelings and his own awareness of them were a progression. He's always been obsessed with Batman, but he becomes more territorial and more... in love, with time.

Because what happens in this time? Batman saves his life, time and time again. Batman doesn't kill him. Batman keeps playing his game, gives him attention, doesn't give up on him... with The Killing Joke as an essential moment in which Batman offers to help, despite what Joker did. All these things Joker could not have known immediately after they met. So I guess my opinion is that while obsession was near immediate, love (of the very twisted kind) came later.

[finniestoncrane]

EEEEE RIDDLER TALK

So, I also fell for him in 2022, I was more into MCU back then, watching that movie was a big thing for me because I've always liked Batman villains but I didn't really know them, I had only watched Joker (great movie but more elseworld than anything) and every now and then my aunt would come to our house and she would put on Gotham and I always got bored (can you imagine that?), but what I think the biggest part of it was that ever since the pandemic had begun I had gone to drive-in movies only, and I've always LOVED going to the movies so I was thrilled to finally go back to the movies.

I LITERALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH PAUL AND THE RIDDLER, the first moment he came on screen I was in love, I actually have a whole thread explaining why I love him and how I don't care what everyone says about him; I completely fell for his theatrics, drama, zodiac vibes, and OH the corruption he fights against (which is a topic I explain thoroughly in my thread) and of course I had to rush home and look him up!

So I finally watched Gotham, and I loved him, I then found out about Arkhamverse and ALL his other iterations through your writing and here's my top:

Dano

Arkhamverse

Gotham

Unburied

Audio Adventures

Telltale

Zero Year

Animated Series

2004

Carrey

see i do not enjoy superheroes all that much, so batman works for me because it feels sort of... based more in reality? i know that makes very little sense but to me it does lmao but yeah other than my husband forcing the wrong batman media on me in the first place i was made to enjoy it, since it's made for the girls, the gays, the goths and the theys and i am all of the above lol

also full disclosure, it took me another watch of gotham to try and get into it, but a lot of things i love with all of my soul took me a few times to get into (i watched the first episode of archer like. 5 times before i decided i would watch the second one lol)

a good solid list though!! i really need to watch jim carrey as the riddler, i think i've been putting it off because i hate his riddler look kkjhkjhasd

[mitamicah]

My experience having my birthday at a Blind Channel concert (Pumpehuset, Copenhagen April 22 2024)

Better late than never here's my few cent about my (birthday) concert with Blind Channel last month :3

Me and a friend arrived at 3 pm where a cute little queue consisting of 3 Finns and 3 german people had gathered. This was where I got my first birthday song of the evening (it wouldn't be the last).

The queueing reminded me a lot of Malmö yet this time I was less surprised since I have more experience with Danish queues. (we are not very good at queueing for long periods of time especially on a monday xD) I did meet a handful of lovely people tho including a fan France, one from the Netherlands and a fellow danish fan who'd seen the band four times. One of the german fans were so kind of gifting me their VIP bag (since they'd gotten quite a few on this tour alone having early entrance/meet and greet to more or less all the shows). Despite having nothing personally to gift the fans this time this wouldn't be the last bit of merch I'd get since a fan later gifted me a homemade silk bracelet :'3

At 5.30 (aka my time of birth) the queue was starting to form. Me however decided to play Käärijä from my phone so the first song I'd hear in my 29th year would be Cha Cha Cha. The three Finns from earlier were right next to me when I sang my way through the song and they were surprised I wasn't from Finland xD. Me explaining why in the world I chose to play CCC in the middle of queuing got people to sing a second row of Happy Birthday xD

We ended up getting a pretty good spot on third row at the concert. The venue was tiny (I believe it was the small one with the capacity of 300 people) yet I was hopeful since last intimate concert I'd been to (Malmö) became one of my favourites real fast.

First band of the evening was Cold Culture from Denmark. I couldn't unsee the resemblance between Mads the frontman and Bojan (you may have seen my other post about this x'D). So I was sorta stalking him with my camera the whole set and the one time I didn't, he reached out to hold my hand (just like Bojan x'D). I didn't get the same stomach churning awe as with Bojan however but it was still a magical moment :'D. The band were really good and I have been pretty hooked on their sound since pretty much one half of a song played that evening.

Next band was Rock Band From Hell that - unfortunately given their name - is not really from Hell but are from Finland xD. Another pleasant surprise and once again a band where I felt drawn to the frontman but this time because his fit was the perfect mixture of nostalgia (think 2004/American Idiot Green Day) and gender envy (fishnets and coloured hair included) for me. The songs too were heavily influenced by 2000s pop punk which is just up my alley so I had a blast. My friend caught a guitar pick from Frontman Jani and then gave it to me as a birthday gift which I am more than grateful for :'D <3

Blind Channel got on stage around 10 pm and their set too was a lot of fun. I had made a sign basically stating it was indeed my birthday (as it turned out I was the only one there with a sign OVO) which I put up after the third song. Joel noticed and then lead the audience through a round of happy birthday (I had honestly no idea what I'd expected to happen with the sign so this was a pleasant surprise). At one point the band started requesting for moshpits which was a bit of a disaster given half of us were not into it (think closer to the Joker Out crowd in terms of overwhelmingly being girls and gays present) and the other half trying way too hard to make up for it. When the band realised that this wouldn't work they instead started a circle pit and that felt more right (I was in it and Mads from CC was too). It took me almost the entire circle pit to realise Joel had place himself in the middle of our pit and stood there unbothered singning x'D.

When the circle pit stopped I found myself having lost my good spot at the front and where now closer to the back. It didn't matter too much given the tiny size of the venue so I could still see just fine. The danish flag got on stage during the Dark Side encore which felt really good experiencing actually seeing my own flag being tossed around at one of these concerts (I am so used to it being Swedish, German or Finnish flags now x'D).

After half-heartedly attempting to get a pick, drumstick or setlist after the concert (spoilers: I didn't get either) I went to the merch stand where I got to talk to Jani and Jere from RBFH (frontman and guitarist) and knowing me of course I ended up venting about Finland and Käärijä for half a minute xD they were really nice tho and I bought their album ^V^

Then I went to chat with Cold Culture and got pictures with almost the whole band (keyboardist Andy had to get home since he lived 4-5 hours away). the guys were more than a little excited learning that it was my birthday. They sung Happy Birthday to me at least twice and drummer Andy (there are two with the same name but pronounced differently to make the confusion even bigger x'D) were especially excited about my flag cape (I had a flag with arms on the entire evening x'D) so he got to wear it and I almost just gifted it to him then and there :'D.

Having spoken to CC for a while (I can confidently say Mads also has a personality that resembles Bojan) a merch person got out with a shirt that had a minor defect that they couldn't sell. Turned out that would be my last accidental birthday gift x'D.

After a while we got hushed out by security yet gathered around the venue to talk/digest about the concert. Standing close to the bus we got to say hi to quite a few of the members from Blind Channel including guitarist Joonas (the fan from France got a photo with him) and Joel (he remembered me as the person with the birthday so he said happy birthday again :D <3).

Around 2-3 am (so 12 hours after arriving x'D) we said our goodbyes and me and my friend went home to my mother's house were we were staying. I got like 3 hours of sleep that night and a sore throat but it was definitely worth it given the amount of experiences we got this one night. Definitely in my top 5 if not top 3 of recent concerts although personally I'd say Käärijä in Berlin and Joker Out in Malmö is still a bit higher for me personally even considering the amount of little blessings from this evening :'D

[batz-surveys]

12.

When was the last time you saw the person you like? This afternoon, before he left for work.

What are you listening to? The a/c and my dog licking her pillow.

Would you take back your last boyfriend/girlfriend? No times infinity!

Did you babysit for money when you were in middle school? I babysat, but I sure as hell didn't get paid. I was forced to look after my niece and nephew from the time I was thirteen, until I could get a real job at seventeen or eighteen.

Who is your favorite band? How long have they been? The Used. I've loved them from the first time I listened to their first album, which was a burned CD. That was when I was a freshman in high school, so either 2003 or 2004.

What do the last two texts you received from different people say? Hubs: "Damn, baby I'm sorry. I'll clean the tub tomorrow after I take you to work." I hurt my back last week, and couldn't clean it to take an epsom salt bath today. Mother In Law: "[heart emoji]"

Are you good at wrapping presents? I’m great at wrapping presents, but I prefer to put gifts in bags so that people can reuse them.

Who are you more like? Your mom or your dad? I would say I'm a pretty good mix of both, both personality wise and physical traits.

How do you respond to being nervous? Oh, not well at all.

Who were the last two boys to text you? You mean men. And it was my husband and my dad.

If you could have one thing right this second, what would it be? A winning lottery ticket so that I don't have to work tomorrow, and I can go see a doctor without fear of spending over $200 just for them to tell me I pulled a muscle.

How did you get your last bruise? Either a kid hitting me or me knocking into something.

Name something you disliked about today? My back hurt so bad when I woke up this morning, that I could barely get out of bed on my own.

Who is your favorite author? It's a toss-up between Clive Barker and Stephen King. Stephen King writes more, but Clive Barker's way with words and description is just wonderful. And then there's Edgar Allan Poe...fuck, I can't pick!

Do you like to have long hair or short hair? I like the way long hair looks on me, because my face is chubby, but I love that short hair is so much easier to manage.

Do you think doing drugs is cool? Haha, no? I think it's just something for people to do. That's like asking if I think doing the dishes is cool. It's not awesome, but people do it.

If you could go to Africa, would you? If I had time to research all the areas I would be going to, yes. And I'd have to take my dad. It's his dream to go to Africa.

What were you doing at 9:00 a.m. this morning? I was lying in bed watching Tik Toks.

How often do you see your most recent ex? Never, thank goodness.

Have you ever driven without a license? Haha, yes. But I don't drive. It was just some practice at our old storage unit place, and then I had a panic attack so...

Do you think you have made a difference in anyone’s life? I know I have. That sounds cocky, but it's true because people have literally told me.

Who were you last in a car with? A Lyft driver on Friday. Haha, it just set in that I haven't left my apartment other than to walk my dog since Friday.

What is bothering you right now? The weekend is over, my back still hurts, and I don't want to work because of it.

What are you planning to do on your 19th birthday? Ha! My 19th birthday was forever ago. I can't even remember what I did for it.

Do you like cheesecake? I have to be in the mood for it, but sure.

Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night? My husband.

Is there a high chance of you going out to the movies soon? Yes, I want to see Joker: Folie à Deux so bad! I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to. I'll probably have to play hooky on one of my husband's days off.

How old will the last person you kissed be on his/her next birthday? Thirty-six.

How did you meet the last person you kissed? Through Facebook. We had mutual friends, we talked for a couple weeks before meeting in person, he invited me to a band practice, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What does your hair look like? It’s in eight braids.

Do you like your hair? I like when it cooperates with me, sure.

Do you wake up cranky? Most days, yes.

Are there certain things that can’t be joked about with you? Sure, and they're obvious things that nobody should joke about in the first place.

Do you care who wins the Super Bowl? Not really.

Where did you get the shirt you’re wearing? I got it for Xmas a couple years ago. But more than likely, The Used's online shop.

Have you ever met your favorite band // singer? I have. Not the original line-up, but still.

Have you ever been in a life threatening situation? Yes.

Have you ever read the Hunger Games series? No.

Do you watch a lot of movies? A lot of horror movies, yes.

Have you ever had highlights in your hair? Well, I had streaks at one point. But they were teal.

Do you like to keep a routine? Not only do I like to, but I have to.

Who knows your biggest secrets? My journals.

Do you have any hickeys on you? No.

Have you ever made out with someone you weren’t dating? Yes.

Can you recall the last time you sincerely liked someone? Now. I love my husband.

Do you have any interesting tattoos/piercings? I wouldn't call my tattoos interesting, really. But I have had some wild piercings back in the day, haha. I've been pierced over like, twenty times.

Do you have a good relationship with your parent(s)? I do now, yes. Distance from my mom healed my relationship with her. And my dad getting sober healed my dad's relationships with all of us.

How many siblings do you have? I have two brothers, although I don't talk to one of them, and a sister.

What do you hear right now? The restaurant down the fucking street. Same three fucking beats, in rotation, almost every night.

What friend haven’t you seen in a while that you’d like to see? Oh man, I don't even want to pull at this string. Next!

Are your lips soft? Right now, not really actually. I just pressed my lips together and they feel a little chapped.

Who did you last shoot a dirty look at? Honestly, probably a parent of a kid at work.

Last time you were sick? I had a little sinus issue last week. I think it was from cleaning the bathroom without proper ventilation, though, and not actually catching it from somewhere.

Who came over last? My husband's friend. He had just got out of the hospital, and he didn't want to be alone, so he came over Friday night to chill.

Where is your next date? God, I hope it's soon. I'm dying for romance. We've just not had the time.

Whose car were you in last, besides your own? I don't have a car. It's always my husband's car. But I guess other than his, then it was my Lyft driver on Friday.

What letter does your boyfriend/girlfriend’s last name start with? L.

Has the last person you kissed ever been to your house? Yes, he lives here.

What would you do if Jesse McCartney rang you up and asked you on a date?  I forgot about this guy - I'm pretty sure I thought him and Aaron Carter (RIP) was the same person.

Would you ever date someone who was absolutely gorgeous but thought they were better than everyone else? I'm married. But for the question's sake, probably not. I've done that before in the past and honestly, he wasn't even that cute and his attitude made him very unattractive.

Do you dislike anyone? No.

Why? I let go of the reasons I dislike a person when I let that person go. Like, the former question made me think of my brother that I don't talk to. I don't hate him, really. I just got fed up with all the things he's done to my family, and cut him loose. I want nothing but the best for him, and his family, because their my family, too. But, I also want nothing to do with that side of my family. I've had enough. It's not a grudge, like my mom likes to say, it's just the end of our relationship. Just because the same blood runs through our veins, doesn't mean we have to be family.

How would you feel if you got the person you liked? I got him.

Do you remember who you liked on New Year’s? My husband, haha.

Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough? Sure. It's something I'm working on to this day.

Do you understand football? Kind of. Not where I could explain it, but I can watch and follow along.

Explain your relationship status: Married to my best friend in the whole world.

Ever been called a jerk/bitch? Yes, both jokingly and seriously.

What do you think your mom does when she goes out? She's either running errands for my grandma or Ms. Betty, or shopping.

Do chickens have feelings? I think so. It's why I don't eat them. Tomorrow's seven years as a vegetarian for me!

Where is your sister right now? Probably at home.

What kind of phone do you have? Samsung Galaxy S8. Shut up, it still works fine.

What do you smell like? My leave-in conditioner, so kind of coconutty.

Are you allergic to anything? Yes, several things.

Have you ever been to a spa? No.

Do you miss someone? I do miss my husband. I'm still not used to his long, late hours yet.

Do you think they miss you too? I'm sure he would rather be here with me, yes.

Do you know how to do a cart-wheel? I've never done a cartwheel before in my life. I've always been afraid of breaking my neck, haha. Which is stupid, because I skateboarded in high school with no regard for breaks and bruises because I never wore pads or a helmet.

In one word, how would you define yourself? Tired.

How did you feel when you woke up? Tired and achy.

When was the last time you saw your father? Wednesday evening.

Have you ever passed out on the bathroom floor? Ugh, yes, thanks for reminding me of that fucked up time in my life where I was either always high or drunk to numb the pain of my life outside of the drugs and alcohol.

Do you like surprises? I like to say I like "item surprises." Like, gifts and things like that. But don't surprise me with a party, or a trip, or anything like that. I need two to five business days to plan and prep mentally.

Who was the last person you held hands with? My husband.

When was the last time you laughed really hard? It was either yesterday morning or this morning, I can't remember. My husband said some funny shit, as usual, and had me cackling before coffee even.

Is it hard leaving people behind? Certain people. But mostly, no.

[jokers-bat]

Every Joker and Batman Fic Idea I Have

I’m currently working on other projects but here’s what’s been buzzing in my mind lately!

None of these have titles or plots right now so:

2004 Batman Thingy

Takes place after the episode where Batman goes into Joker’s mind. Dr. Strange decides to keep exploring with Joker’s mind and it quickly becomes a form of mental and psychological abuse. Batman finds out but by then Joker’s mind is so broken he has amnesia. He brings him to Wayne mansion to help him recover only for Joker and Bruce to form a friendship that is later tested when Joker’s memories start returning. (Angst, hurt/comfort, possibly redemption and romance)

Joker’s Sisters

This is partly inspired by the Jack Stauber’s Opal short. Joker has two younger sisters who he left behinds when he became the Joker. Depending on the story, Ruth and Emily either believe their brother is dead or Ruth knows the truth but made a deal to keep it a secret from Emily as long as Joker never involves them in his crimes or does anything that could potentially harm them (I’ll post drawings of them sometime).

High School AU

Imagine if Bruce were a typical student at a school for troubled and traumatized youth. Though he puts on a cold and standoffish exterior, he feels lonely in this new school but with classmates like John, a class clown who everyone calls Joker, Selina who rescues and takes care of stray cats, and Ozzy who pushes everyone away, Bruce finds he’s not alone in this cruel world. (Basically a fic where Batman befriends all his enemies in a high school setting 😆)

And I really want to try a post apocalyptic society kind of fic too but the idea keeps changing. 😅

[wecouldmakediamonds]

Jukebox January: Day 3

the original post tag of all my posts

Today I'm doing C and Č, since I do have one Č song on the list! (I know there's a special characters day, but I have a different plan for that.)

California - Chappell Roan

I'm pretty sure I cried the first time I listened to this song, and I still cry regularly, because it hits that close to home. If I remember right, this song was written after she got dropped from her label and her partner broke up with her, all in 2020. For me, who had a hard time after graduating and feeling like I'm too old to achieve things (despite the fact I'm only still in my 20s!) it captures the feeling all too well. Also, I'm from the Midwest, and I grew up dreaming of places like California, so the perspective is very relatable to me.

Četri krasti - Prāta Vētra

Outside of Latvia, people may know them as Brainstorm (and as the best from Eurovision 2000, I will take no arguments). They're another favorite band of mine who's been around since the 80s. This particular song is the first on the album they released after their bassist died in 2004, and I think it makes a lot of the lyrics on this album very impactful. Prāta Vētra's lyrics are often layered in metaphors, and I'm always having to interpret them in a language I'm learning, but this one is particularly inspiring to me.

Carpe Diem - Joker Out

Could I really not put this one in, considering how much this band has become part of my life in the past half a year or so? Actually, while I enjoyed this song at Eurovision, I didn't vote for it--I voted for Latvia in the semifinal and Croatia and Finland in the final. The song that really got me into Joker Out, that'll be for tomorrow. I do have to say, though, my favorite things about Carpe Diem are the bassline and the structure of the song. In Eurovision, with the time limit of 3 minutes, I think it's hard to make songs that don't follow the exact "standard pop song" structure, but here we have two verses that are quite different, the guitar solo closer to the beginning than the end, and it even comes in 14 seconds under the time limit. I like it, I think it flows nicely.

Control - Poe

This song comes from one of my favorite albums in the world, which sadly kind of disappeared into obscurity because of some record label merger which resulted in Poe being dropped, losing all distribution of her album, and getting tied up in court over a bunch of things that happened around this. It's sad, because this is an artistically incredible album, with the songs woven with recordings of her father and young daughter speaking. It also ties in with the novel House of Leaves, which her brother wrote (though I've never read it, so I can't speak much about it). This song is so powerful and inspiring. I think my favorite lines are "All those things that you taught me to fear/I've got them in my garden now and you're not welcome here".

A couple more under the cut!

Champion - Fall Out Boy

When I want to feel better, this is one of the songs I reach for. "I'm a champion of the people who don't believe in champions" is the line that stood out to me from the first time I heard this song. I know Sia co-wrote this one, too. I have a complex relationship with Sia's music because some of her songs were really inspirational to me, but she's done some questionable things in recent years. Still, a song that feels good and gets me feeling inspired.

Crawl Out Through the Fallout - Sheldon Allman

Okay, so here's where I reveal my love for the Fallout games' lore. I've actually only played Fallout 4 (I have New Vegas too, but haven't played it yet). But I've always been fascinated by the duality of how nuclear technology is portrayed in society and media, how it's both futuristic and apocalyptic. So that's why I really love the Fallout soundtracks (and some other similar songs, which might pop up later.)

[putting-2004-joker-in-places]

he’s having fun

[sohotthateveryonedied]

As the knower of all things Batman Comics - any chance you’d be willing to give a rough timeline of Jason coming back to Gotham and what he does? I know about all these events - the fight at Titan’s Tower, him confronting Batman with Joker, him shooting Dick, taking over Crime Alley - but I don’t know what order they happen I ?? Are there important things to his return timeline that aren’t in that list? I can’t figure out where to find the relevant comics (or even which comics are the relevant ones). :(

(Alright so I'm gonna base these on publication date and hope there wasn't too much time-wonkiness making it so that some events were before or after certain other events in spite of the dates and all that)

1. Jason returns to Gotham — It's unclear exactly when this happens, but I want to say it's roughly 4-4.5 years after his death.

2. Jason confronts Bruce and slices Tim's throat before "revealing" it was actually Clayface the entire time (no it wasn't) — Hush was published from Oct 2002 - Sept 2003, so the time between that and the 2004 Under the Hood storyline I assume to be anywhere from six months to a year. Comics are confusing.

Batman #618

3. Stephanie Brown "dies" in War Games (Oct 2004 - Jan 2005).

Batman #633

4. The Red Hood appears in Gotham — There is no official source for this, but we can assume that Jason has made at least a few appearances at Red Hood pre-Batman #635 while planning his takeover of the city and showdown with Batman.

* I should also mention that Dick is still recovering from a leg wound when the Under the Hood storyline begins, as well as recovering from the traumatic event of Tarantula killing Blockbuster, which is a big part of the reason why Dick is in Gotham at this time and around to help Bruce when the Red Hood surfaces. That, and the fact that War Games just took place and they lost Stephanie. Jason picked a really stressful time to start his Gotham takeover lmao.

5. Jason kicks Bruce out of his own company and takes control of all his toys lmao (Dec 29, 2004).

Batman #635

6. Jason takes control of Gotham's gangs (Dec 29, 2004) — This is the first official appearance of the Red Hood that we see. This is the event that swiftly puts him in the spotlight as Gotham's newest and potentially most dangerous criminal. (This is also where all the "eight heads in a duffle bag" jokes come from.)

Batman #635

7. Jason reveals that he is Red Hood (June 22, 2005) — Bruce finds out the Red Hood is Jason and is given the evidence to prove it. We can assume that the other Bats (Dick, Barbara, Tim, etc) are informed shortly after this encounter, if only for their own safety than Bruce's generous decision to keep them in the loop for once.

Batman #641

8. Jason attacks Tim at Titans Tower (Nov 9, 2005) — Jason takes a brief break from fucking around in Gotham to go beat up his kid brother in ugly orange leggings. Then he returns to Gotham to mess with Bruce and Black Mask some more.

Teen Titans (2003) #29

9. Bludhaven gets nuked (supposedly killing Dick at first, but we all know he's fine). — This particular comic showing the event was published on Jan 26, 2005, eight days after it was first shown in Infinite Crisis #4. This information doesn't really matter that much, but it makes me sound smart.

Batman #649

10. The infamous Jason/Joker/Bruce showdown happens (Feb 22, 2006).

Batman #650

11. Jason disappears, then resurfaces after a year or so to cosplay as his big brother (April 12, 2006) — Jason lies low for a long while after that final confrontation with Bruce until the One Year Later event has passed, skipping us forward a year in time. Dick returns to Bludhaven to find Jason having lost his marbles, acting as a murderous version of Nightwing and being a general nuisance to everyone <3

Nightwing (1996) #119

[dailycass-cain]

How do you take a minority character in Cassandra Cain, who had an ongoing series that lasted over seventy issues, was part of the core cast at the time, downgrade them from an "A-list" (to me she was) hero to D level, and her importance gone? DC Comics found a way. Tonight let's talk about it.

(2022 me: I wrote these series of tweets back in 2020. Originally, I posted my original essay of this in five parts waaaay back in 2015. Here’s part 1). 

Like many things, it wasn't just a singular major cut but several ones, and lots of smaller ones that ousted the character from said position, and probably ran the fandom for the character to other places.

The first big cut is THE story of Batman in the early 2000s, Hush. Many people's "go to" or favorite story for Batman universe. Why? because it features almost every single Bat-Family and major rogues at the time appeared in it. Save for Bane and-- Batgirl.

For Bane it's quite understandable, he was in a story at Gotham Knights at the time. So his story was "being played" out elsewhere. Cass however, the story is notorious for excluding her. I believe even to this day because of the lack of appearance is a key reason why we're here.

Everything "birthed" from Hush has ruled the Batman comics roost for years since it's publication. You might say even to this day, Batman comics cannot escape the shadow of the story or some of the bad characterization within it (2022 note: Oh how right I was back in 2020 when I wrote all of this. We’ve gotten yet another addition of this story, a new omnibus, published this year with a new five page story from the same creative team). 

Key among them is this mythical level that the story puts Babs' time as Batgirl. It along with the Tommy and Jason portions are given Bruce's justification for wanting to kill the Joker in it.

There is this thing. This myth that Barbara was the greatest Batgirl ever because simply, she was the one who was in  live-action. The one in Batman: The Animated Series. That she should still be Batgirl was played out by writers during this period.

As I said earlier today she was given this chance. Where as Cassandra never really has ever been given a chance save for cameos and some really bad video games. But even then, Tim was in those too? Yet how did he get a pass but Cass did not?

There also lies a rather confession from now former publisher at DC for his distain for legacy characters. How they "age" characters up. I believe this also pertains why Barbara is always Batgirl as well. Since it ages her and Bruce up.

.The irony is, we always get the Robins (save poor Stephanie) in media too. So it's rather-- hypocritical and kind of sexist really that all the boys get their time in the spotlight but the gals do not? Why is that? This myth for Babs as Batgirl and viewpoint on legacies already puts a great hinder on Cassandra as a character.  You already have factors going against the character. But wait there's more.

There-in lies the second big cut. A great famous comic writer once told me on a forum, if he didn't like a character he'd just ignore them. Better ignore than write them badly. This sort of thing does make sense but-- in Cassandra's case for one writer it was taken to an extreme.

After War Games event in 2004 does anyone want to play a guess how many times Cassandra appeared in the mainline Batman comics to the end of her ongoing in 2009?

The answer isn't much, just a handful. Not to mention the love affair over returning Jason as well was all over the place. Jason this and Jason that. A fact that this was so metaly pointed out in Batgirl Vol. 2 #1.

There-in lies a revelation tonight I had. I always wondered why the writer of Batgirl Vol. 2 wrote Nightwing so awful in it. Then it hit me across the face tonight: the book's writer at the time. The thing from 2006 to even now there's been an editor/writer who kind of obviously doesn't like the character of Cassandra. In fact his own contribution to this happened in Nightwing as Batgirl Vol. 2 was ending. The whole "family" subplot throughout his entire Batman run.

There in lies the second major cut, the ending of Cassandra's ongoing. Why was it canceled? Not due to sales. Other comics that survived/relaunched into OYL were selling worse than Batgirl. No it was canceled to make room for a Batwoman ongoing.

A Batwoman ongoing (by Devin Grayson) that would never see the light of day. The inker of #73 confirmed this because I guess one female Bat comic was one too many for that day and age. Oh, the sexism was high at DC.

Of course, the third major cut came not too long after. Turning Cassandra into a "dragon lady" villain.

So you take everything fans loved and adored the character. And take it into the trash to give us the worst stereotypical character ever. Worse, is the aftermath following in Robin #152.

Why is it worse? Because it downplays Cassandra's importance in the family to now being a "sad troubled" girl. .....

Fans didn't take well to this all at all during the time period. Cue this article from Wizard #182 (which came out October 2006) when fans were ticked and higher ups threw the Robin writer under the bus at conventions.

And that would come in Titans East over in Teen Titans in early 2007 where we get this crazy retcon to explain it all.

With some extra padding in some oneshots of 52 to show, "Hey Cass did good things in the missing year. Things we'll never see." Aka devaluing her story unlike say Tim who we got to see the complete tale of him at the time.

Back to Titans East, throughout the story neither Tim/Dick help Cass in her problems they instead hinder her more after learning the truth. Thankfully for Tim that characterization would later be course corrected. Dick-- not so much.

So DC said they had "plans" for Cassandra. After East we were teased things in Black Canary mini in the summer of 2007 that Cass had feld from her sect of the League of Assasins.

And as I let you all know here. Well, we all know where Cassandra ended up, as a supporting character in Batman & the Outsiders.

But this in line also ties into DC Nation blurbs where we were teased in Batman & the Outsiders #3 we would be getting a new mini for Cass.

So interesting to note during this period as you know Chuck Dixon was writing Batman & the Outsiders. He really laid out his plans for both this and Robin on podcasts (and one issue of Robin slipped into solicitations). 

When I personally attended the Wizardworld Chicago 2009, Dan DiDio said at the DC panel when the subject of why  eventual writer for Batgirl Vol. 2, Adam Beechen was person writing this comic. DiDio answered by saying Beechen was the only creative at DC giving him pitches on Cass. 

Turns out, DiDio lied as prior to that year in December 2008, Dixon went on the Word Balloon podcast and talked about a “filler” issue of Detective Comics that could include Cassandra Cain.

Of course, as we got said mini with one hand, on the other hand several Bat Family comics were winding down. Those included Robin, Nightwing, and Birds of Prey. And as #6 was closing things out so this was being teased in the final issue of Nightwing.

That is so not Cass, but Barbara as Batgirl kissing Dick in his current Nightwing costume. The heck? Well, at it turns out (as we later learn). Higher ups already were planning Cassandra's ousting from Batgirl even though they gave us a mini. So DC giveth and DC taketh away.

However, prelim hype around the book teased Cass would be Batgirl going in. Note the bulletin board on who was listed as Batgirl (courtesy of IGN, but here’s the Multiversity article on it). 

Of course, DC didn’t know WHO was going to Batgirl even at the time this article was posted as they were debating all over the place at this point. Much so in fact it made it to another DC Nation (after Stephanie was chosen):

"2010 will have big plans for our favorite non-lethal assassin".

Yes, we did get Cass in 2010 but just in Red Robin #17. Such a "big plan" that was. A single appearance.  Well, okay we did get the retcon on why Cass wasn't Batgirl any longer too. But there wasn't much at all.

So you have DC downplaying the character. And then you get Black Bat.

But as I said before a few days ago, any importance of Cassandra that was coming from the new Batman writer was short-lived as the New 52 rolled out fully on Babs back as Batgirl.  Many got their wish (higher ups included) Babs was back as Batgirl.  The "myth" was a reality again.

At the very least, Stephanie got one final adventure as Batgirl even if, plans were in place to make her Spoiler just in case her as Batgirl wasn't allowed.

What followed was an agonizing three years of DC downplaying the two characters completely. Why you ask? The easiest answer: jealousy and sexism. Look at how loyal we fans of the two characters are.  What if that love was directed at them instead of Babs.

I guess you could say now "two" female Bats were okay, but FOUR?! FOUR iS SIMPLY OUTRAGOUS!!!!

Course the controversy would be a embargo of the two characters by DC. Embargo that hit Stephanie more with the online Smallville comic and Lil Gotham.

I'm also reminded the mindset of DC higher ups at the time period post Battle for the Cowl as we recently learned from the SDCC: Batgirls panel (2020): Higher Ups: "Cassandra leaves." Writer: "WHY?!" Higher Ups: "Cause she just does-- so your book can exist."

Suddenly this begins to explain Lady Shiva and the lack of Cassandra Cain in Batman: Hush now.

That's the cruel mindset DC higher ups had with Cassandra and eventually Stephanie. So when you say, not to give either character a chance. This is what people you're defending.

So you add ALL OF THAT, four years is quite a long time. A long time for fans to move on or just forget DC Comics. But we Cass/Steph fans persisted. Better we did get them in 2014 even if it was an alternate reality (and Gail's final issue).

BUT... Cass in the main universe?  Yeah, Stephanie can be slotted in because she has the Spoiler identity to fall onto. But Cass? She was Batgirl. So what do you do when you have a Batgirl, but can't use Cass?

Simply you just create a new identity, Orphan. But by not making her Batgirl you take away three key things away from the character. #1 Who she's truly loyal toward.

#2 Who mentors her.

#3 Where she is in the Family order. By including Babs as the new "daughter" figure in Bruce's life. You take away Cassandra's. Why do you think a certain DC Direct statue with the family earns my ire anytime I see it? For that.

Babs is no daughter figure to Bruce, she's an equal. That's a downgrade to her role in the family. But it is rather curious two ongoings with Barbara and not a single appearance of Cass in them (so far). Makes you wonder?

So you take away Cassandra's importance in the family, you downgrade her identity, don't give her a bat symbol, take away her mentors. What does that leave you?

You wonder why. Why do I'd stick around? I mean honestly, there are probably really vocal Cass fans out there in this world still. One of whom did a retrospective multipart video earlier this year of Cass (and he comes to the EXACT same conclusions).

Because as I said quite recently, "What is the greatest lesson for Cass fans in Batman media given all the mess DC and Warner Bros. does in treating this character?

It took almost TEN YEARS to finally see Cass in her OG Batgirl suit earlier this year. Almost TEN YEARS to see a solo story which-- dammit was like the greatest gift to us. Like seriously to all those involved going thru all of this.

I really hope the creative team realizes just how special that graphic novel is to the fans. Like literally, it showed all the greatest things we love about the character. The fighting is just the added bonus. I bow and try not to cry at being so grateful to this creative team.

But this is the road we fans and the character of Cassandra Cain have to endure. So if you're wondering why we're ticked at the Gotham Knights video game (2022) not including her outright? This is our reason.

This is why I am still grateful for BoP movie. It may not have been the role I wanted to see of Cass as the damsel in distress, but goddammit we got so much Cass comic content this year because of it.  JUST FOR THAT ALONE-- I'm grateful.

That's why if any person in media can hear me. Just give Cass a chance. A short. A main role in the video game. Heck, an episode.  JUST GIVE CASSANDRA A CHANCE PLEASE! You might be surprised at what you get.

Just know that Cassandra will NEVER be a placeholder. She is Batgirl, and dammit she deserves that role and that role so BADLY.  I know Stephanie is too.

Gods I love Stephanie too. But I just always hate that DC did that to both characters. Pitting their fans against one another. It guts me. Like the lowest thing for DC to do is pit these two close friends against one another.

That's why it kills me. Part of me YEARNS for a new Cass ongoing, but goddammit Stephanie got screwed too in this. So if both get ongoing with Babs I am okay with this. Because dammit these characters need love, not freaking hatred.

DC really does owe it to both characters and their fans this. THEY REALLY OWE THEM for the hell these characters had to endure because of idiotic higher-ups who had horrible agendas and wanted to push a fast buck.

So now you know how DC did it. How they took this character who was a major fixture in the Batman comics and downplayed her SOOOOOOO much with bad storytelling and shuffling her off to be a side character.

I'm mentally exhausted worn now. I just hope you take these lessons to heart. To learn this shady stuff that DC Comics did and turned an amazing character-- to something less. How fans want more from that character again.

Update July 2021: Gail Simone’s tweet (that she deleted soon after) on this nugget of how the character of Cass was changed due to studio higher ups. 

Update September 2021:

.... 

Here I go again with an UPDATE. After all these years. Confirmation at last (even if they aren't mentioned).  We all know WHICH characters by now Dan DiDio is talking about here.

(You can read the whole interview here.)

[mischiefandspirits]

Gone

Barbara Gordon was targeted. Richard Grayson disappeared. Jason Todd ran away. Tim Drake was kidnapped. Stephanie Brown crashed. Damian al Ghul was killed.

Hawkfire rose from the ashes. Nightwing soared through the sky. Red Hood hunted the streets. Red X found the trail. Spoiler haunted her targets. Renegade vanquished his foes.

Batman watched over them all from the shadows.

Followed by Black Bats

Deleted scene

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Barbara Gordon was fourteen years old when she was targeted by Pamela Isley. Pamela, calling herself Poison Ivy, blamed Commissioner Gordon for the accident that resulted in her chlorokinetic abilities. She launched an attack on the Gordons’ home that landed the commissioner in the hospital then proclaimed she would reward anyone who could take down the commissioner's daughter. When word got around, it was a free-for-all. The commissioner tried to get Barbara protection, but faith dwindled after a corrupt officer sold information that resulted in the girl taking a gunshot that nearly paralyzed her. Then Barbara’s security detail was attacked by an unknown assailant as she was being escorted out of the hospital. When the girl failed to reappear, the city mourned. Isley was questioned, but she had been locked up at the time and, according to her, no one ever came forward to claim her reward. The commissioner was realistic due to his years in the force and didn’t try to push the searches past the routine timelines. When asked, he would say that they would likely never know what happened if no one came forward with information and he could only console himself with the knowledge that she was likely in a better place now.

Richard Grayson was nine years old when he disappeared from the circus he’d been born and raised in while it was stopped in Gotham. The Gotham police searched, but there was never any sign of him. Commissioner Gordon reached out to Batman, but nothing came from it. After two months the search was called off. There was too much work on GCPD’s plate for them to be putting so much of their focus on one missing child, no matter how publicized the event had been thanks to quite a few of Gotham’s elite seeking to help the poor boy. The Lost Gray Son of Gotham, they called him. His parents remained in Gotham in hopes to find their lost child, but they never succeeded.

Jason Todd was twelve years old when his father reported that he’d run away. Willis Todd, owner of the luxury casino Solitary Wing, reported that his son and an associate had been traveling to the casino together when the boy suddenly leaped from the car while it was at a stoplight and disappeared into the crowd. Despite Willis using his connections to keep it going, the search didn’t last more than a month. Runaways were just too common in Gotham for the police to put much work into it. Willis paid men to keep looking, but after a year all they could come up with was a sighting early on of a boy vaguely resembling Jason disappearing into an alley with a tall man so Willis had to give up. He and his men continued to keep an ear out for the boy, just in case, but nothing ever came of it. The closest thing was a small conspiracy theory about how a boy killed in Ethiopia by the Joker and former Gothamite Sheila Haywood a few months after his disappearance matched Jason’s description, but the theory quickly faded into obscurity.

Timothy Drake was eleven years old when his parents called in his kidnapping. The boy had been home with his nanny when someone snuck into his third-floor bedroom and stole him away. The figure was nothing more than a shadow on the cameras, long and lithe. Every one searched for the young heir, police, Batman, and civilian alike thanks to the hearty reward the Drakes offered, but the search had to be called off after a year passed. His parents continued to offer the reward for any honest information, to no avail. All that appeared were a few claims of people seeing the boy stalking the streets at night with a camera in the years leading up to his abduction, but the Drakes waved it off with the assurances that the boy’s nanny never would have allowed that.

Stephanie Brown was fifteen years old when she and her mother disappeared. Her father reported that his ex-wife must have absconded with the girl after she’d lost custody in their divorce due to an addiction problem. Three months later, Crystal Brown’s car was dredged up from the bottom of a river in Burnside with bags filled with clothing belonging to her and her daughter. The police reported both had died due to the crash, which was likely caused by Crystal’s drug habit. Stephanie’s father continued to search after he discovered their bodies were not located, but he never found them.

Damian Tate was ten years old when he was killed. He had come to Gotham with his mother to meet his father Bruce Wayne for the first time. He was taken days after their introduction by an unknown group. They held the boy for ransom, but when Wayne paid, all he received in return was a video of the boy’s death by a gunshot through the head. When police tracked down the shack he’d been held in, all that remained was charcoal and a few bits of DNA. His parents grieved, even as his mother left Gotham.

Six stories ending in grief.

This is what the news told you.

Hawkfire was the leader of the Birds of Prey, a team of heroines who operated out of Platinum Flats, California. She’d made herself known when she, Black Canary, and Huntress had teamed up to face down the Daughters of Platinum. Instead of having powers, she utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary computer skills and pyrotechnic gear.

Nightwing was the leader of the Titans, a team of outcast heroes who operated out of Jump City, Florida. He’d made himself known when he led a group of teens against an alien invasion threatening the city. Instead of having powers, he utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary acrobatic skills and escrima sticks.

Red Hood was the leader of the Outlaws, a team of antiheroes who operated out of a hidden island in the Caribbean. He’d made himself known when he and Artemis of Bana-Mighdall clashed over a job. Instead of having powers, he utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary strategic skills and an assortment of firearms.

Red X was the leader of Young Justice, a team of teen heroes who operated out of Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. He’d made himself known when he, Wonder Girl, and Impulse freed Subject 13 from a Cadmus lab. Instead of having powers, he utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary investigative skills and a Bo staff.

Spoiler was the leader of the Outsiders, a team of covert heroes who operated out of Steel City, Washington. She’d made herself known when she and Beast Boy helped save Raven from cultists. Instead of having powers, she utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary stealth skills and invisibility technology.

Renegade was the leader of the Teen Titans, a team of legacy heroes who operated out of San Francisco, California. He’d made himself known when he learned that certain young heroes were being targeted by the Demon's Fist. Instead of having powers, he utilized a belt of gadgets as well as extraordinary martial arts skills and a katana.

Oracle was a powerful computer program, one utilized by Batman in his war on Gotham’s underbelly and occasionally brought in to help on Justice League cases. Some theorized it may be a form of artificial intelligence, but none have ever been able to confirm it.

Black Bat was an urban legend, a shadow sometimes said to be seen at Batman’s side as he worked in Gotham. There was no proof of their existence except the whispers. No one could agree if they were child or adult, male or female, short and stocky or tall and lithe.

Six stories of hope and power, one story of logic, and one story of rumors.

This is what the news told you.

What the news won’t tell you?

Hawkfire’s teammates know her as Babette "Betty" Kane, but her family calls her Barb, Barbara, Mistress Barbara, Babs, Barbie, Babsy, and Kane. She was the first Oracle. She was the second to stand as Black Bat.

Nightwing’s teammates know him as Dixon Malone, but his family calls him Dick, Master Dick, Pixie, Dickie, Flyboy, and Brother. He was the first Black Bat. He was the second to work as Oracle.

Red Hood’s teammates know him as Jace Knight, but his family calls him Jay, Master Jason, Redjay, Little Wing, Red, Scrappy, and Knight. He was the third to work as Oracle and Black Bat.

Red X’s teammates know him as Alvin Draper, but his family calls him Tim, Master Tim, Shortie, Timmy, Timtim, Chipmunk, and Draper. He was the fourth to work as Oracle and Black Bat.

Spoiler’s teammates know her as Carrie Kelley, but her family calls her Steffi, Stephanie, Mistress Stephanie, Shadow, Stepstone, Stepher, Steph, and Kelley. She was the fifth to work as Oracle and Black Bat.

Renegade’s teammates know him as Terrence Malone, but his family calls him Damian, Master Damian, Dames, Dami, Demon, and Terry. He was the sixth to work as Oracle and Black Bat.

Batman to most was Gotham’s Dark Knight. A few of his Justice League companions know him as Bruce Wayne, but his family calls him something else. For Alfred, he was Master Bruce. For Barbara, he was Uncle Bruce. For Dick and Tim, he was Dad. For Jason and Stephanie, he was the Old Man. For Damian, he was Father. For all of the kids, he was their protector.

The news will tell you a lot, but they don’t always know what’s going on behind the scenes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If anyone's confused, Barbara comes first because I like The Batman (2004)'s timeline of Batgirl coming before Robin. It kind of eases Bruce into both having a partner and being a parent before Dick shows up in all his traffic light glory.

All their aliases are references so see if you can figure them out. I think Jason's is the most obscure, but we'll see (No, it's not Arkham Knight. I only remembered that connection after I'd settled on the name).

[jseawrightarts102-03]

The piece that caught my eye during my time at the museum is The “Lost Scores” painting by Beatrice Riese. She was born in the Netherlands and lived from 1917 to 2004. She studied art in the 1930’s but had to escape in the 1940’s due to Germans invading Paris. Most of her work is abstract. From the description the painting has squares that have a tirt and whorl of abstract forms in them. She earned her living as a textile designer which helped her develop her abstract painting style. This painting was made in 1976, and is an oil on canvas piece. At first glance of her painting I thought in the square were legs. They all were just placed to try and make something unique and had to take a second look at it to truly see what it was. However that is not the case. I do like the design of it with the middle of the painting being lighter than the rest of the painting. I think that was her focus point on this piece, I could be wrong. 

This painting is sort of an inspiration to my upcoming project. It has the same sort of concept of having something placed in the middle of a square, but in my case it is a card. While putting bugs or beetles in the middle of the card to show the representation of beetlejuice. It is sort of like a joker card since he is a trickster so that is how I came up with that idea.

[duketectivecomics]

Hey I was wondering if you know the official order of bruce gaining all the kids including harper, Barbara, and stephanie? I know its Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian but where does the other 3 and duke and cass fall in? Tia!!

So I’m gonna assume that you mean the order in which they get adopted, since finding First Appearances is one of the easier things to google for any character. (Getting First Appearance issues afterall is part of the reason some comics retain their value, so it’s usually well documented when a character first shows up. Side note: DCUguide is an excellent resource if you’re looking to comb through appearances for characters, although I’d also recommend asking for reading lists from other fans, since usually those have been curated down to essential storylines only)

I tried to provide actual issue #s where I could, but a lot of the time in comics, it’s usually something that’s dropped or hinted around or casually mentioned rather than outright boldly stated.

Also some of these characters span DECADES and their histories change depending on continuity. So I tried to account for that where I could.

But also canon is fake and everyone in fandom cherry-picks anyways so yknow. Keep THAT in mind too.

Before we dive into this, I wanna have a quick convo on what Legal Guardianship vs Adoption is.

While guardianship includes some of the same responsibilities as adoption, it also comes with a few key differences, such as allowing any living parents (also possibly any living relatives) to contest the guardianship. Adoption would make the child fully and solely the potential parent’s responsibility, and would nullify any legal ‘say’ that the biological parents may have. Also of note, is that  guardianship does not allow the child in question a claim to inheritance unless the guardian specifically wills it to them, as there is again, a bit more of distance that is placed between the child and guardian, as more of a mentorship is expected to take hold. One way to look at it is that adoption is permanent (& usually a longer drawn out process bc of that), while guardianship can be more legally flexible.

With that out of the way, let’s start~

Dick: pre-flashpoint/52, it’s stated often that Dick was actually Bruce’s ward, that Bruce has legal guardianship over Dick. I know this is a nitpick and doesn’t matter bc it’s usually retconned/ignored in favor of Dick being adopted. But I think it’s a fascinating point of potential contention nonetheless. especially given the historical reason, that it was absolutely unheard of at the time for a single man to adopt a child, but no one would bat at eye if he was taking Dick in out of a sense of altruism & duty. Contract this with decades later, when he DOES appear to adopt Jason outright, which puts some friction in place between Dick & Bruce. and well, you’ve got a whole story & conflict to explore right there.

Barbara: Usually dons the Batgirl cowl after Dick becomes Robin (the only exception to that was The Batman (2004) cartoon and it was absolutely galaxy brain of them honestly) She has her own Dad though (idk if y’all know him? Jim Gordon? Yknow? The Commissioner?) so she doesn’t get adopted. She’s considered a core batfam member mostly in the sense that she’s been there so long and esp as she makes herself absolutely essential when she becomes Oracle. She has never, and will likely never be adopted by Bruce (bc again. W h e n is that gonna come up? When Jim dies? L m f a o)

Jason: pre-crisis it’s assumed from the go I guess? I could only find slight confirmation and ended up finding more info that there was a custody battle and that Bruce would won Jason back officially in Detective Comics #548. post-crisis, Jason’s history is redone, though & I remember his adoption being touched on, but could not for the life of me find a particular issue. N52/Rebirth it’s simply assumed from the go as far as I’m aware.

Tim: Batman #654. This was after his father died, though he’d been Robin at this point for at least a decade. For n52/Rebirth as far as I can tell he’s also been outright adopted by Bruce (though I think he’s parents were still alive but in Witness Protection? Idk. I haven’t read at all for Tim’s history there so take that with a heavy grain of salt)

Steph: another one who is not adopted (Crystal Brown is very much alive and taking care of Steph (barring the time Leslie Thompkins squirreled her away after faking Stephs death BUT)) She does show up pretty soon on Tim’s tail when he starts as Robin. Again, she’s considered a staple of the family because of how long she’s been involved with them. I like to think of her like Kimmy in Full House. She’s a Good Friend who’s Constantly Showing Up and is one of the family through mutual agreement on everyone’s part.

Cass: Batgirl (2008) #6, though like Tim, Cass had been Batgirl for nearly a decade at that point in continuity. She’s shown and stated many times that she considers Bruce a father/father figure and likewise that Babs, who had been mentoring her, was the closest she has to a mother. In n52/Rebirth, I have yet to see or hear about official adoption for her, but again. We usually ignore canon on that part anyways. I mean they made her into Orphan so uhhhh. Not super great yknow?

Damian: since he is biologically Bruce’s, it’s never really addressed as far as I’m aware (I have yet to read Damian’s appearances Altho he’s next on my Robin list). I personally think it’d be interesting to explore the fact that he was likely born outside of the country and what that means for Bruce gaining legal custody & whether or not Talia would contest that? I’m sure there’s probably SOME thinkpieces about it out there, but I’ll search for them on my own time eventually

And now we’re getting to *drum roll* Harper and Duke!

Harper: her appearances are mostly kept to the n52 runs, though with Tynion returning to Detective, it’s likely she’s coming back into Rebirth soon. She’s a unique case where, due to her abusive home life, she emancipated herself and took her brother, Cullen, with her. Neither she nor her brother were adopted by Bruce, and as far as I’m aware/understand, they’re fine with it that way. I know Stephanie was living with them at some point (it’s dropped in Batman & Robin: Eternal at least?), so I certainly think it would have been nice if DC also brought them into the fold like Steph. Just a couple of kids who are Really Good Friends with the family and continue to insert themselves in batfam business lmao

Duke: I actually addressed this fairly recently here! Duke’s guardianship (bc like Dick, Duke is not outright adopted by Bruce, likely to afford Duke’s parents the opportunity to regain custody should they recover from Joker’s toxin) its a little more up in the air at this point in Batman & The Outsiders. Since Bruce is very clearly taking both him and Cass away on globetrotting adventures. It would make things EASIER ofc if he is under Bruce’s guardianship. But given that it’s not really addressed, it’s led most of fandom to simply assume it instead. And really? Considering that DC themselves probably doesn’t realize that they’ve written themselves into this corner, it probably won’t be fully addressed or recognized anyways.

So to answer your first question actually: Babs, Steph, and Harper? Not adopted, likely never will be, but they ARE interspersed fairly regularly in the line-up. Everyone else? Varying degrees of being under Bruce’s guardianship if not outright adopted.

We’re all happy that they’re here, though!!! And we love and appreciate them ALL.