#THE TWO ISSUES OF BATGIRL CONVERGENCE…….

[anthyies]

hi esha 🧍‍♀️ if u could force me to read any one comic series what would it be

HII JESSIE. oh this is really hard. my answers in general would probably be batgirl 2000. Red Robin 2009 1-12 with a big asterisk saying read the rest of robin first. and new mutants 1983 <3. however you have most probably read these.

[vinelark]

With the exciting news of Kon being in MAWS season 3 (!!!!!), do you have an specific recs for him when it comes to comics? (I know Young Justice is good for him, but not much outside of that)

hello! exciting news indeed!!! and hell yeah, here are some kon-centric comics outside of yj that i’ve enjoyed reading:

Reign of the Supermen arc (1993)

this arc has kon’s intro, well before he even had the name kon, and it’s worth a read if you haven’t already because of the way he shows up and is peak annoying immediately (said with love). especially Adventures of Superman #501! (the storyline spans a number of titles, reading order here)

(and for a related rec, the reign of the superman (2019) animated movie blends aspects of the original comic arc with the “kon is made with lex luthor’s dna” reveal/retcon; it’s a fun watch! left me with Much To Think About pang-wise, too.)

Superboy (1994)

the most concentrated amount of og jacket and glasses superboy you’ll find in one series; there’s a lot going on here, most of it so very 90s (both in the plot/world and on a more meta level) and also so many adorable kons. special shoutout to my favorite side character, krypto in his “tiny white terrier with a giant attitude” form. (and for a more specific rec i’ll point to issues #60 - 61, in which kon is hopping through multiple realities and we see, among others, robin!kon and “supergrrrl” kon.)

Batgirl (200) #41

this is the issue where cass goes “hmm, i should try to do A Romance” and shows up outside kon’s window to see what all the fuss is about, and they proceed to have the most lavender date of all lavender dates. i adore kon’s inability to shut up here, and also for obvious reasons need to give it a special shoutout for kon taking a “bat-babe” on a date in the clouds.

Adventure Comics (Vol 2) #1 - 6 (2009)

this arc serves to re-settle kon into the world (and smallville) after the whole [waves hand] dying and coming back to life thing. (technically it’s 12 issues, but you’re asking for specific recs so my specific recs are the first six!) this is about kon starting life in smallville and having a prolonged identity crisis re: the superman + lex luthor of it all. cassie, bart, and tim all show up as significant guest stars (one of my fav tim & kon issues of all time is in here) but it’s very kon-centric! i also really enjoy the art, especially when it does wide/landscape shots.

Superboy (2010)

this is a pretty direct continuation from the adventure comics arc, once again feat. kon’s 21st century black t-shirt (sigh) and also kon wearing the tiniest, goofiest pair of Disguise Glasses. that said, it’s a fun, classic “teen superhero juggles school and crushes and a statistically high number of supervillains for a small town (seriously, what the hell was poison ivy even doing in kansas?)” series. also if there were any justice in the world simon valentine would’ve been one of those crushes, but alas.

Convergence: Superboy (2015) #1 - 2

i’ll be honest, i’m not super familiar with the overarching convergence storyline, but i really enjoyed this two-shot featuring a kon who has been stuck in metropolis without his powers, only to suddenly gain them back and immediately start brawling with alternate versions of heroes he knows. i also like the art in this one, and the character designs overall—leather jacket kon my beloved!

Action Comics (2016) #1020 - 1028 (“House of Kent” arc)

this sequence brings kon back into the kent family fold after the timeline fuckery (and i think follows from the young justice (2019) gemworld arc where they re-find kon?)—so basically it’s kon’s re-introduction to clark, and to lois and jon (who’s visiting from his own future adventure) and kara and martha and jonathan. despite spelling conner’s name two different ways in the span of a few issues, it’s a neat speedrun of different kon+superfam interactions, and also a fun time for anyone who’s a fan of kon being solidly part of the kent family. also: jacket kon is back 🙏

this is not at all an exhaustive list, just some of my favs--happy reading!

[zahri-melitor]

I was discussing this with a friend of mine and I’d be interested to know your take.

We’re both big comics nerds for the batfam, and we’ve come to the consensus that even with the out of pocket moments, arcs that don’t hold up well(fugitive comes to mind), and the slew of other post crisis issues—We think the best version of the batfam would be right before Damian was introduced.

I know how this makes me sound and I’m not sorry, Tim as robin was great and I loved him as the younger brother of the fam but also not bruce’s son let them be weird friends like before identity cri-

I’m getting off topic. I apologize.

Batfam feels very bloated modern day, and I genuinely preferred when Jason was a crime lord, Dick and Tim were close tightknit brothers. Babs was oracle and Cass was batgirl. I’d want Steph to be alive and not taking cass’s job but one thing at a time. (also tim and cass are lovely as siblings/friends)

What is your ideal batfamily composition, what do you have the most fun with?

And I hope you’re doing well!

Oh here’s a dangerous question.

My favourite period of Bat comics is probably, hmmm, 1996 to 2004. Not only are there some great writers doing work during that period, the family dynamics are interesting and complex because there's fun levels of tension between various members, but also there are almost equal numbers of male and female characters and the women are allowed to be messy and complex and flawed while still heroic. You've got Bruce, Dick, Tim, Barbara, Helena, and Jean-Paul, plus Cass from 1999 onwards, with assistance from Steph, Selina and Dinah to varying degrees.

What characters and dynamics do I find the most fun? Well, I like there to be tension in the Bat family. I like every person in the group to be linked in differently, with different relationships with other members, rather than being "Bruce and his kids". There's this concept I have of what is the 'core' of the Batfam in the period between 1995 and 2009: it's not Bruce, it's actually a trio, consisting of Dick, Tim and Barbara, all of whom who have very strong ties to each other, managing and balancing the rest of the family between them.

Dick manages the broader community ties, rather than the Gotham ones. Dick's the one who all the other families know and are most likely to approach for help; he's got the respect of the Titans but also of the Justice League. Dick is basically the public relations guy standing between the Bats and everyone else.

Tim is the glue of Gotham. Tim knows everyone in Gotham and has teamed up with them at some point and knows how to convince them to come and help out, even if they aren't on good terms with the rest of the Bats, and can force people who are normally opposed to work together. Tim's the reason all the Gotham vigilantes aren't six separate bitter blood feuds or a perpetual mafia war.

Barbara is the expertise. She's not only the coordinator and planner who ensures that everything runs smoothly, who has everyone's contact details and the ability to pull in the specific assistance needed, but she also maintains contacts that still see Dick as 'Bruce's kid' with the way most of the Justice League only are familiar with her as an adult hero. She's got the best JSA contacts via Dinah. She can stand up to Bruce and tell him to back down and pull his head in in a way the other two cannot. And she's the only one of the three who has a proper working relationship with Jean-Paul Valley.

The changes in the Batfamily dynamics by firstly removing Barbara from Gotham, and then adding Jason and especially Damian, forced the shape of the dynamics to centre themselves around "Bruce and his sons" and "everyone else", rather than being a spread network that converged on a trio.

My ideal Batfamily? It's Bruce, Dick, Barbara, Tim, Cass and Damian. While I think that Damian is part of a very clear change of direction in storytelling, I think there are worthwhile stories to tell about his dynamics with the others listed here, and on balance he allows for new directions of storytelling.

(Yes, there's an obvious name missing there. It's deliberate. I remain unconvinced that having Jason around as 'family' is a better use of his character than as a ghost haunting the narrative or, if he must be alive, as an extremely irritating villain)

[thatblondeperson]

What's your favorite timsteph moment from comics and what's one you've written?

Oh man, I have too many!!

Favs tho:

Their first date in Robin issue #57 and the moment at the end.

Neither of them wants the night to end, but just loOK AT TIMMY!!!! He's so happy that he just has to do a little flip on the swings, it's the cutest shit ever. And even though this next panel is from Convergence: Batgirl, it still is a part of this date and it's too cute not to add into the compilation of dorks being in love. LOOK AT IT.

Do you know how many times I've made this my wallpaper? Too many times.

Also this itty bitty bit of a page from RR issue #10:

Do you see it? Allow me to read too much into something. (And I don't even mean Tim still feeling like it's his job to protect Steph)

It's this.

This is my Ao3 pic and I'm gonna be a massive fangirl and say that even though this isn't like an official kiss, it's one of my favs because Tim's eyes are just ever so slightly open, like he wants to keep them on her. You've got both of them with those gentle touches on their jaws. Not to mention the subtext of Tim's memory of this being in pink, giving it a literal rose-tinted view, meaning this is a positive, optimistic, idealistic memory. Now these could mean many things, but given the nature of their relationship in RR, I'd say this is a sign of Tim forgiving the past a bit. He's not thinking negatively about Steph, he's remembering working together and being in love. It's cute, and imo displays some of those lingering feelings pretty blatantly. Your ex I'd about to be shot and you're thinking about how you two used to make out?? Priorities, Tim. (RR Tim was way too horny 🤣)

Plus next page you get this:

Look who's in love again.

LOOK AT HIM.

And this, in Robin issue #102:

I will never be over that intense look on Tim's face when he's planning on making Steph soup, it's just so intense! MUST MAKE MY SICK GIRLFRIEND THE PERFECT SOUP!!

And then he carries a massive pot of soup across Gotham and on the subway to get it to her. He loves her 🥰🥰🥰

And don't forget their whole date in Robin issue #111. The infamous piano date. Like I've said it before, @incoherentbabblings just made a post about it, but Tim and Steph aren't great at communication or opening up about difficult things. This arc is one of the better ones for their domestic growth, but I just love how vulnerable she allows herself to be in front of Tim, and how respectful and supportive he is of her. Is this sort of thing I wish we could see more from them, then leaning on each other and finding a space in each other that they don't have anywhere else. Little things like this that when over time it builds up, you end up with a relationship where they know each other so well, and can read each other easily. It's a special bond that they have, not broken even if they aren't romantically linked.

Also these, which are old edits by @fragileicicle I believe? But I love the quotes. They give me heart palpitations.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭

They were so in love.

BUT HEY YOU ALSO ASKED ABOUT MY FAV MOMENTS IN MY FICS!!

Which hey, thank you, I always wanna talk about my fics. People should ask me about my fics. Gonna put it under the cut though to not be annoying...

There's a lot of little things I like in my fics. I loved writing drunk Tim in Un-Bottled Feelings, especially the idea of him trying to picture a bigger Arkham built around the current Arkham to stop the breakouts. I just like the image of him strategically planning that out as a viable solution to keeping the worst criminals locked up instead of running amok.

I just loved writing completely helpless Tim being super flirty. The loss of inhibitions allowing him to be subconsciously unfiltered. It was fun! Though I need to fix that fic...the pros and cons list doesn't format right on mobile. Alas...

I really like the simplicity of Kisses From Tim Drake. I just saw a list of kisses and I was like "WHY NOT ALL OF THEM??" Any excuse I have to write happy couple TimSteph being affectionate and sweet with each other, building a relationship and whatnot.

For Finding My Way Back to You, just getting to write their flirtatious banter was fun, giving them a punchy back and forth. It's really fun in their first collision in their suits when Steph continuously calls him her potential sidekick. I like giving her the upper hand a little bit, even if I wanted them to end up in equal ground.

The whole Tim/Kon/Bart interaction in ch 5 was SO FUN! That was a chunk I had written way back before that fix was even written. I knew I wanted if in the fic, I just didn't know where. The whole bit with Tim climbing into her window at the end because he's scared of her mother, but he's just reminiscing on days when he used to merch out there smitten with her.

I kinda liked doing things like that in that fic, rewinding and resetting. The smack to the face, the casual Tim stalking, the coming in through the window, the usage of Scarecrow since he appeared in turning point fights for both of them, the starting over at the playground. A sort of "go back to the beginning to move forward" sort of therapy for both of them.

LOVED getting to address Tim's burn scars. Such a point of tension for both of them, but there's so much potential in allowing them to be a healing symbol for the two of them as well.

The whole little "not date" in ch 9. Funny thing about that...I pulled R-Patz name out of thin air because I assumed this fic is taking place in like 2011 and I looked up popular actors of the time, and of course Twilight was huge...but then after I wrote that he got cast as Batman and I just decided to keep it. It was perfect.

I got to do so much either this fic. I pulled out every cliché, I got to write jealous Tim, horny Tim which was recieved better than I thought it would be, I got to write Tim slowly opening up more and being more relaxed and carefree, a side of him we only got in internal monologues by RR it seemed, I liked writing Tim trying to apologize fof being a jerk while they're both in the middle of a hand-to-hand fight, I liked writing a new piano scene which no lie, that almost kiss was also drafted well before I'd even written ch 1. I loved getting to name Tim's fishies too. They deserved names.

I think the things I think of the most with that fic when I looked back on it were:

The scene talking about Steph's death. I saw a post saying that Tim doesn't have to apologize for that and people who expect her too are being ridiculous yadda yadda, but much ruder. And here's the thing...no she doesn't have to apologize for running off without telling anyone, that was her decision and she had her reasons, but that does not mean she wouldn't. People were still deeply affected by her absence and the grief of losing her. I loved writing this little bit especially:

"It's alright," Tim said, pulling out of their hug. Come back… He brought a hand up to her face and stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb. His hands really did feel nice, so incredibly nice. "I can't pretend to understand everything you went through, but I just… I wish you would have told me."

Stephanie leaned forward, letting her forehead rest against his, staring into his pale blue eyes. "Would you have let me go?"

Tim stared right back into her eyes, and Steph could have melted into his touch. "Would you have listened to me?" 

Steph smiled softly. Of course she wouldn't have, and Tim knew that because he knew her. Nearly every last piece of her. It was easy to feel safe with him. She wondered how much Tim felt the same in regards to her. 

I just loved that section of dialogue. This whole scene of them breaking through some of the worst of their shared wounds, all while tim is stitching up a physical wound? I'm just really proud of myself for that.

The whole ch 18 talk/kiss interaction was originally very different but there's one paragraph in there that I desperately love in regards to Stephanie drinking her peppermint tea.

It tasted like Tim. Like late nights on rooftops poking fun at other heroes, watching the way Gotham came awake at night, making constellations with the lit up windows on the buildings when they couldn't see the stars, locking lips while the ambient sounds of the city rumbled around them. She gripped the mug tightly and brought it close to her chest while Tim cleared his throat, tapping nervously on the side of his own mug.

The whole point of that fic was to cover EVERYTHING. I read so manh panels of do many comics, trying to get all of their low points and traumas out on the table so I could go through them in the most constructive and healthy way possible while still playing true to their tendency to kind of be hot and cold with each other before they find a comfortable thermodynamic equilibrium space. Getting them to air out their skeletons so they can move on and start anew. I've wanted to write that fic since I got hooked on that ship. It's my masterpiece.

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK!!!! I'm sorry this was so long, I loved this question though. This took me forever to write up. I'm doing g this on mobile with like...10 tabs open. But thank you!!!! ❤💜

[swordofazrael1992]

Hi what are your favorite green lantern comics? Or even dc in general. I'm kind of new to comic books and I'm looking for recommendations

ooh you're in luck because i have SEVERAL recommendations

my first recommendations for people looking to get into new characters, families, or dc in general is usually going to be the 80th anniversary specials. all of them are about 100 pages each, featuring multiple new storylines for each character. in addition, each story will usually correlate to a specific era for those characters, often inviting back writers and artists who were prominent or influential to the character during those times. my favorite specials are the green lantern and green arrow specials, although there are also some for robin, aquaman, catwoman, wonder woman, and... unfortunately the joker (derogatory)

i really really like these specials because they give you the opportunity to find out what parts/eras /characters you like and read from there. for example, the green lantern special covers alan scott, hal jordan, guy gardner & kilowog, john stewart, sinestro, the four corpsmen (hal, john, guy, kyle), the hard traveling heroes, jessica cruz, kyle rayner, and simon baz. it's a really good way to get into comics, because honestly? the best way to start reading comics is to find a character you like, find the comics they appear in, and read.

some specific series recommendations for the gl's are...

green lantern 1990 (my personal favorite)

green lantern: rebirth (2004) and green lantern (2005) (nowhere close to my favorites, but important to understanding modern gl worldbuilding)

convergence: green lantern/parallax (a two issue mini, basically a little bit of a redo on events in the 1990 series in line with the rest of the convergence story)

green lantern/flash: faster friends (two issue mini focusing on the meaning of legacy heroes and one of my favorite dynamics: wally and kyle)

flash & green lantern: the brave and the bold (six issue mini focusing on the friendship between barry allen and hal jordan)

hal jordan & the green lantern corps (i have my problems with this run, but it is overall an entertaining read)

far sector (i haven't gotten around to reading this yet, but i have heard very good things)

next, here are some general recommendations for the overall dcu

batman: the long halloween

robin 1993, batman & robin 2011, robin: son of batman, and robin 2021

batgirl 2000, batgirl 2009

batman & the signal

batwoman: elegy

birds of prey 1998

flash 1987 (specifically mark waid's run, which becomes continues at about issue #61, but he and messner-loeb alternated a lot before that)

impulse 1995

the flash 2016 (i haven't been able to make it all the way through this, but it has some storylines that i enjoy). at issue #768, wally wests 2nd flash run begins, and i am LOVING it so far. definitely recommend it

green arrow: year one (seven issue mini, covers oliver queen's time on the island)

green lantern and green arrow: hard traveling heroes (covers green lantern 1960 #76-87)

green arrow: the longbow hunters (another mini, this one three issues)

green arrow 1998 (if you want to read for ollie, read the first 100ish issues, if you want to read for connor, read the issues after that)

green arrow 2001 (however... i would recommend taking the winnick part of this run with a grain of salt if you do read it. it is. not the best characterization)

green arrow 2016 (i had to consciously forget that this was technically new52 ollie in order to get through it, but i did enjoy it. worth reading for emiko and dinahollie, at least)

i also enjoy team books with younger heroes, such as young justice 1998 and teen titans/titans runs

naomi 2019, and naomi: season two

these recommendations are very biased towards batfam, flash, and ga, because that is what i read the most, so if anybody who is a fan of different characters has recommendations feel free to add on!! i have also compiled an entire seperate, far more comprehensive rec list on the batfamily before, if anyone is interested in that

[incoherentbabblings]

What are some TimSteph comics you would recommend to check out their relationship and have some nice moments between them?

Oh! Of course. A rec list. I can totally do one of those. Poorly.

So, this is heavily biased towards the good times, arcs and runs I like and such, and is focused around issues where they are together in one fashion or another. This isn't an overview of their whole relationship and is biased and sometimes missing contextual arc issues either side. The thing is... I can't... face... re-reading 30 years worth of comics right now...

So, fast track TimSteph - here's the issues that make Abbie go brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Early Days

Detective Comics Vol 1 #648: The Great Bricking

Robin Vol 4 #5: First Kiss (of dubious consent good job Tim you're as bad as each other)

Robin Vol 4 #16: Banter and more kisses - "Do I have to remind you that a warehouse full of killers is looking for us right now?" "Isn't it romantic?" "Not exactly." - but also Steph holding Tim's cheek, the first of many cradlings these two get up to, and the delightfully messy line "I see that your girlfriend must be a real jerk if she's running on you," pick me pick me pick me /j

Robin Vol 4 #44: By far their most romantically framed kiss pre actually getting together. Tim keeps trying to draw a distinction between Spoiler and Steph and Tim and Robin and Steph just doesn't get it. They're the same person? This will... crop up a lot. It's a thing. That I'm too invested in.

Robin Vol 4 #54: "Bad case of the Stephs" and the kissing on the cheek and "Big brave superhero." UwU

Robin Vol 4 #56: Tim's disease is declared terminal, and they get together. "This is what I've wanted. Even if I didn't know for sure until right now."

Pre-War Games

Robin Vo 4 #57: Date night and uh-oh someone's preggers. #57-#65 is the pregnancy arc in full, and contains a lot of very sincere and quiet conversations between the two on rooftops and kitchen tables. Includes Steph's first use of the 'L' word.

Robin Vol 4 #74 and #75: The start of the Brentwood Arc. Steph is beginning to become anxious about Tim's secrets.

Robin Vol 4 #92: Bruce, having been a tattle-tale let Stephanie know Tim Drake's secret identity. More importantly, it's the first time Tim uses the 'L' word.

Robin Vol 4 #100: The start of Lewis' run. I'd say read the entire 20 issue run but it is really lacking in the plot department, so for TimSteph specific moments, look to #100, #101, #103, #104 (the first time he says 'I love you' to just Steph), #107, #109, #111 (the piano issue), #116, #119, #120. The last issue of Lewis' run reiterates the 'Steph can't tell the difference between Tim and Robin' theme.

Robin Vol 4 #124: Banter alone puts this on the list. 'My dearest dove'

War Games

...No

But if you really really want to. Batman Vol 1 633 and 634. Steph asks after Tim on her deathbed, being reassured by Bruce that he adores her, and Tim being told that she is dead.

Return to Flashpoint

Robin Vol 4 #174: 'I'm not dead smooches babyyyyyyy'

Robin/Spoiler Special: Stephanie compares Tim to Dexter (the serial killer????) and says 'we have our kind of fun' and I spend inordinate numbers of hours thinking about it.

Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead and Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive?: Time for that juicy angst whilst still touching each other far too intimatelyyyyyy. Yes I skipped all of FabNic's Robin run whataboutit?

Red Robin Vol 1 #2: ANGST

Batgirl Vol 3 #8 and Red Robin Vol 1 #10-12: Angst, but with hope that things will improve. The almost kiss. The apology. The waiting by the bedside only to yell at him about the engagement. Oh yes. That's the stuff right there.

Red Robin Vol 1 #15: Legitimately only for Tim letting his hormones get the better of him for a moment.

Convergence: Batgirl #1 and #2: The technical end of the Pre-Flashpoint versions of these characters, though this has been undone with recent Crisis events. They get back together in time for the world to maybe end, chosing each other as who they want to go out with. Wooft.

New 52 and Rebirth

It's my jam

Batman Eternal #52: A new first meeting. Siginificantly less violent than the first time around.

Detective Comics #935: Oh wait they're together again? Oh wait they live together? Oh wait they're having sex? Oh my. Okay on a more serious note you know my brand you know I'm blooming obsessed with their relationship during this run, but specific issues to point out just for moments of them will be #939, #940, #963, #969, #970, #979, #981. Oh what's that? Steph doesn't care about what Tim calls himself? Where have I heard that before?

Detective Comics Vol 1 #1000: Can we make out just a little?

Young Justice #5: Pink kisses and dear Bendis I am sorry if ever doubted you. Wish you'd have more of a plot but hey. Other issues worth reading are #8-10, #14 and 15, and finally #18.

Detective Comics Vol 1 #1027: Real true love is when you investigate gruesome murders with your partner for date night. Thanks Bendis.

Eh voilà! C'est fini.

For now...

Argh, I'l include Robin Eternal #1 and #2 as well. They're very soft on each other in that book, despite being broken up. Steph's a giant weak point for Tim, which his drugged up brain hallucinatory Batman takes advantage of.

Yeah, that's definitely it. These issues don't cover everything, but they are the ones that have impacted my viewing and understanding of their relationship the most.

[caainhurst]

convergence: batgirl #1 (june 2015) written by alisa kwitney, pencils by rick leonardi

fuck most of these two issues, but the stephcass was totally there

[stephaniebrowns]

BASIC READING

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1-6

Showcase ‘94 #5, Robin #6, Showcase ‘94 #6

Birds of Prey: Manhunt

JLA Secret Files #2

JLA #16-19

Batman: Spoiler/Huntress - Blunt Trauma

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood

Batman: Gotham Knights #37-40

Birds of Prey (1999) #57- (especially #57-59, #68, #74, #75, #77, #80, #86, #98, #99, #108, #110)

Huntress: Year One

Detective Comics (1937) #860/2-865/2

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (especially #2-4, #7, #14, #18, #20)

EXTENDED READING/CHRONOLOGY

From here it’s basically a sort of chronology, except only the comics that are actually good + have good characterization (imo)

Favourite comics bolded

The Huntress v1 (especially #1-6, #17-19)

(tw for implied csa in #1, discussions of csa as well as attempted rape in issue #5, child neglect and abuse in #8-9 and #11, rape ment in #13, racism + sexism in #14)

Justice League America (1985) #26, #30, #31, #35, #41 

Justice League International Special #2

Detective Comics (1937) #652, #653

Robin III: Cry of the Huntress #1-6

Showcase ‘93 #9-10 (tw for abuse, child abuse, child death)

Black Canary (1993) #9-12 (tw for slavery, abuse, racism, kidnapping)

Green Arrow (1988) #83

Showcase ‘94 #5, Robin #6, Showcase '94 #6

The Huntress (1994) (tw for past csa/rape)

Robin #17, Detective Comics #686

The Batman Chronicles #1

Batman (1940) #529, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #49, Detective Comics (1937) #696, The Batman Chronicles #4/2

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53, Batman (1940) #533

Detective Comics (1937) #701, Robin #33

Robin #34

Birds of Prey: Manhunt

Detective Comics (1937) #703

Robin Annual #6

Robin #45

Catwoman v2 #51-52

Detective Comics (1937) #720, #721

JLA Secret Files #2

JLA #16-19

Batman: Spoiler/Huntress - Blunt Trauma

Nightwing and Huntress

Batman 80 Page Giant 1/4

The Batman Chronicles #15/3

JLA #24-27

JLA/Titans

Batman 80 Page Giant #2/2

[x]

Helena played a really big role in No Man’s Land, and while Bruce wasn’t going out as Batman she took on the role of the Bat. During this for the most part she was basically pulling double shifts as both Huntress and the Bat and generally being an absolute legend

Batman: No Man’s Land #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83

Batman (1940) #563

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84

Batman (1940) #564

Detective Comics (1937) #731

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117

Batman (1940) #565

Detective Comics (1937) #732

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #86

Detective Comics (1937) #733

JLA #32

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87

Batman (1940) #567

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120

Batman #568

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126 (tw for abuse - joker and harley)

Batman #574

Detective Comics #741

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94

JLA #34-40

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #63-64

Batman: Outlaws

Wonder Woman #164-167

Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood

Batman (1940) #591

Batman: Family #4, #8

Batman: Gotham Knights #37-40

Batman (1940) #617

Birds of Prey: Secret Files

Outsiders (2003) #8-10, #12

Birds of Prey (1999) #57- (especially #57-59, #68, #74, #75, #77, #80, #86, #98, #99, #108, #110)

Manhunter (2004) #33-36

JSA: Classified #3

Huntress: Year One

Batman: Streets of Gotham #3/2, #4/2, #5/1-6/1

Detective Comics (1937) #860/2-865/2

Birds of Prey (2010)

Convergence: The Question

Secret Origins (2014) #8

Grayson

Midnighter (2015) #8-12

Batman & Robin Eternal 2, #3, #17-20, #23-25

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (especially #2-4, #7, #14, #18, #20)

Nightwing (2016) #26-28, #30-31

The Hellblazer #19-24

The Unexpected #4

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Batman: L'il Gotham #5, #10, #17, #19

DC Bombshells #17, #29, #30, #44, #46, #49-51, #53, #54

Injustice: Gods Among Us #18, #21, #25, #31, #34

Injustice Year Two #1, #6, #12, #14, #16, #17, #19, #21

Injustice Year Three #3, #4, #17-23

Justice League Unlimited #2, #20

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #11, #14

[stephaniebrown]

wait i dont get it i think i finished reading stephs batgirl run?? the last issue had her vs black mercy and that famous 'its only the end if you want it to be' but like is that it?? does the series end after that?? what happens to wendy?? klarion?? nick???? kara??????? WHAT WAS THOSE LAST TWO PAGES OF HER BLACK MERCY HALLUCINATION?? SHES NIGHTWING. please tell me we get more after this. i think i already know the answer but i dont want to

Stephanie Brown’s adventures as Batgirl were continued in Batman: Leviathan Strikes! (a fun little romp where Steph infiltrates a villain school) but the Nu52 sadly meant that we wouldn’t get to see Steph’s Batgirl again until DC: Batgirl Convergence in 2015, which… uh… well, some people liked it. 

Steph appeared as Batgirl, alongside Cassandra Cain and Tiffany Fox in Future’s End, but that’s not in the same continuity. 

The Nu52 reboot removed Steph entirely from history, and she wouldn’t reappear outside of a few cameos in other universes until Batman: Eternal, where she was finally introduced, but as a new superhero on the scene (in contrast to Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian, who had emerged from the reboot with their histories… relatively intact, with some maiming), although recently it was revealed that Stephanie’s past as Batgirl (and Robin) is semi-canon again, but there’s no indication that she will pick up the mantel, those storylines, or that characterization anytime soon, sadly. 

But we dream, and write fanfic. 

[dailyjasontodd]

Do you know any good stephcass comics? I love their friendship so much and I always see panels of them talking and hugging but I can’t find out the issues :(

yes, off the top of my head

Robin #88

Batgirl V1 #20

Batgirl V1 #21

Batgirl V1 #26 (okay not really but stephanie thinks about cass and i cried like three times sue me im counting it)

Batgirl V1 #27

Batgirl V1 #28

Batgirl V1 #32 kinda (its a team up w robin/tim and green arrow/connor hawke so they dont have a lot of interactions just the two of them but u know)

Batgirl V1 #38

Batgirl V1 #53

Batgirl V1 #54 (at the very end but… that interaction kills me everytime im so sad)

Batgirl V1 #55 (this one also kills me)

Batgirl V1 #56 (this one doesnt have interactions but it has cass trying to find steph)

Batgirl V1 #58 (again, no interactions but just ugh)

Batgirl V1 #62 (not really an interaction but read it…pls)

Batgirl V1 #72 (the last page. just read the last page)

Batgirl V3 #1

Convergence- Batgirl #1-2 (n52)

Batgirl: Future’s End #1 (n52)

Night of the Monster Men has them here and there (Batman  #7 / Nightwing  #5 / Detective Comics #941 / Batman #8 / Nightwing #6 / Detective Comics #942) (Rebirth)

Detective Comics Rebirth, only Tynion’s run (that i remember, #935,#943-945,  #947, #971, #980)

We really don’t mind answering questions outside of Jason but we don’t know as much about other characters as we do Jason so if you have any other questions you could check out casscaindaily or dailystephaniebrown

[anti-tony-god]

(Sorry kinda long) Cass Cain!! I love her! She has her own series: Batgirl (2000)! The problem is Cass’s education was neglected, so she doesn’t know anything at first. Then she gets magicked and knows words, but can’t speak. Then she can speak, but in broken English. She can’t read either, even pretty far in. I am iffy on Bruce’s part because he sucks and reteaches her to fight, he’s her adopted father but uhh this is before that and while he does worry for her like all his protégés it feels a bit like white knight to me (mostly cause I hate Bruce and Cass should be able to kick his ass at any point in time). Barbara Gordon takes her in, too. Idk if that’s a turn off for you. Shes like 16 so she needs someone looking after her anyway.

I’m going to warn you the art is…… well someone definitely drew that. But it gets better further in. Onyx Adams is there and doing amazing!! Cute Cass/Steph moments!! The end is disappointing and the amount to black villains has me a bit concerned but it’s not 100% and there are black good guys so I’m not going to throw down the racist card.

#30-32 has Connor Hawke in it

Kinda bloody. Suicide, murder, the works. Cass can really kick butt and she’s super sweet but she lets Bruce get in her head when she should be letting Barbara in instead. I actually don’t mind that part, it’s kind of interesting to see even if it does make me mad.

The thing I do absolutely love about her is that she speaks in movement, which is poetic and beautiful. I just wish there was more of it. She had a rough growing up and finally got the family she deserves (except Bruce he sucks). I hate that they make reading body language a power or secret weapon of some sort that can be taken away. I’d have loved it if they kept that.

Batgirl (2008) starts off rough, the other batfam members start off acting like dicks, I know that the first intro of a character makes me judge them afterwards (why I hate black widow) so idk if you think that’ll ruin them for you. She still speaks brokenly but it’s revealed she took an esl class, so it’s better. This is definitely something you read if you want to see more Cass, you run into a bunch of characters but don’t get into her as a person enough except for that part she gets a bf. It’s Cass on a deeper level (talking about her trauma, seeing her sister). She is on a mission and it shows. 2000 is a lot lighter, not as serious.

2009? Cass upgrades to her ultimate form and says fuck Bruce Wayne and then leaves. Unfortunately, that’s the most you’ll get from her. Stephanie Brown (blonde white girl) then becomes batgirl. Which, now that I think about it, is kinda fucked up.

Don’t read any batgirls past that, it’s Barbie Gordon and she sucks (I will find you)

Here’s a rec list for her if you still want to see stuff on her, she probably speaks brokenly (really brokenly or somewhat brokenly depends on the time) or not at all in them. She didn’t have any speech problems in batgirl: convergence but Steph is batgirl in that, she’s black bat. In rebirth she’s known as ‘orphan’ which is worse than ‘signal’ so uhh I don’t know shit about that and never will. Also she respects Batman which is sad :( https://fyeahcassandracain.tumblr.com/recs

Don’t read One Year Later

Connor Hawke!! Oooo I hate Oliver Queen and you will see why but Connor? Connor is my baby!! But all black DC characters are because I’m black and I said so.

He originally had a temper (“angry black man” but also Uhhh Oliver Queen’s son) he was picked on as a kid since he’s mixed (¼ Korean, ¼ black, ½ white) he has the occasional white washing too. His mom would kick your ass if you started making fun of him.

Nothing else I can think of I don’t read him much, sorry

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lornahs.tumblr.com/post/95199039664/where-to-start-reading-connor-hawke-lets-first/amp

Ok I did Connor Hawke: Dragon’s Blood and don’t fucking read it he’s whitewashed in the first part then kissed his fucking half-brother’s mom noooooo

People like Connor and Kyle Rayner together plus it’s outside of the Arrow Fam so none of that shit will pop up probably (hopefully) they don’t have a run together but I did run into them a couple of times, they’re so cute!!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lornahs.tumblr.com/post/156635510974/kyle-raynerconnor-hawke-recommended-issues/amp

I’m kinda traumatized so no I will not sample any of those for you. Also he respects Oliver which is sad :(

Duke Thomas!! I did like the little glimpses of Duke I got before he moved from background to foreground, but I never read him much. 1. Because I hate Bruce (BATMAN & the signal) 2. Because his new name sucks if they just called him Lark like everyone was voting for I would maybe do it 3. Because it was new 52 and I couldn’t care less about Robin War

I am curious about Duke too tho, I will never read Robin War (nothing immoral about it I don’t think, I just don’t give a shit and it sounds boring also respect for Batman which is sad) but I did get into Batman & The Signal

Writer attempts to console the audience about having too many batfam members while showing us said batfam members, one (or two if you count nightwing) of which is whitewashed, another that is ablewashed, and the PoC and Jewish ones are put in the corner (but to be fair, they’re trying to center the more popular ones and THATS why I hate this fuckin fandom).

I’m going to choke this writer, speech bubbles and boxes are two different things I don’t care if he’s talking to both the audience & the people around him it’s confusing and I hate it how am I supposed to know when it’s in his head or not

“No good names left” I’m so mad there are so many birds that exist do you even know how disappointing it is to hear Duke is getting to be part of the batfam everyone’s so exciting making stuff up for him “oh Lark this Lark that” and then his name is fucking SIGNAL what’s he do make bird calls whenever the bad guy is outside??? “Oh uhhh there’s crime Duke hit the button for the batsignal” fucking SIGNAL

Him trying to figure out his powers is boring as hell I DON’T CARE literally “Jason Todd Death Joke” “Someone Gets His Name Wrong” “I’m A Mystery” “I’m The New Guy” this writing is so lazy ahhhh

Black “blue” dude with a big ass nose that’s the bad guy

I got bored again and skipped panels then found a disabled Asian woman, I am interested again… Wow I want a comic on her she’s more interesting than Duke lmao

I SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IF ITS REDEEMABLE AND SEE A WHITE WOMAN WITH DREADS BYE “but it’s ok ‘cause she’s part robot or whatever” I’m not reading anymore especially since Barbie is there probably preying on another young black guy to not be racist with

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lornahs.tumblr.com/post/155680034759/where-to-start-reading-duke-thomas-his-first/amp

Rec list, he’s mostly in batman sorry fam *F* also he respects Batman which is sad :(

If you decide to stay away from batfam please take me with you

If you decide to stay away from DC PLEASEEEEE take me

I should probably explain this since I keep throwing it onto you without explaining what it is Barbie Gordon: Barbara Gordon (second batgirl, most popular) was attacked by the joker and was paralyzed from the waist down. This was an extremely sexist comic that was complained about by all sorts of straight white able-bodied feminists even after DC turned that trash-fire into a glorious fireworks display

She was amazing as Oracle! She was a genius, badass, wheelchair-bound asskicker!! Even the justice league wanted her!! She was so reliable and strong mentally, physically, and emotionally! She was one of the only people to step up during No Man’s Land! She took in Cass and didn’t give up on her when she took Bruce’s stupid advice over her wisdom! And she lost her respect for Bruce which is great! She had more respect as Oracle than she could ever dream of as batgirl. She realized Bruce was bitch and became twice the man he could ever be. She didn’t let that moment define her, and she decided she wouldn’t let anyone hold her back anymore. She didn’t have Bruce’s “huh they look like they can beat someone down hard 🤔🤔🤔” view of worth, she saw people as they were and did what she could to help them improve. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

But with enough whiny bitches DC will do anything, and Barbara was given back her legs, her respect for Bruce, and her wisdom while also gaining a black boyfriend that had no business being there (MY Luke??? I appreciate the bowtie pics but FUCK YOU) that she would soon dump for her light-skinned ex, and a victim complex.

She lost both her dignity and everything great about her.

No one hates Barbie more than me. No one. If I find out that you even glimpsed at her I will hunt you down.

Also recently they made a new Oracle, since she mostly deals with computers it’s sort of a robot thing and it’s STILL FUCKING ABLE BODIED THE POINT FEW PAST THEM AT A THOUSAND MILES AN HOUR

THE MADDEST I’VE EVER BEEN

–

Thank you so much for all this! Idk what a lot of it means since ive literally never read a dc comic but ill keep it in mind when I start reading!!

[anthyies]

top 10 pages that make me crazy forever and ever. i LOVE arguing and i love conflict over vigilantism being a foundation of their relationship and i love cass taking off her cape on the very same page hahahaaa yesss!!!!!!!

[whothefuckiscassandracain]

Convergence: Batgirl Vol 1 1: The Love Song of Stephanie Brown

We start this issue with Steph, Cass, and Tim in a desert, and Steph asking Cass to take over guard duty for her (while admitting to herself that Cass is stronger, faster, and better than Steph will ever be). Tim has come to the same conclusion and asks Cass why she thinks Stephanie of all people, who hasn’t been Batgirl in a year at this point, was chosen to fight for Gotham City. Cass’ answer: because Steph is unpredictable. Little Lady Of War: 52 Fast As Lightning: 45

Steph is ambushed by Flashpoint!Catman and the two start fighting. It’s when Catman keeps stalling and Tim starts acting really weird that Steph realizes Cass is in trouble. When she sees Cassandra attacked by Gorilla Grodd, we start a flashback that goes from sad (Steph deciding to give up being Batgirl, despite Cass and Tim both assuring her that she’ll be fine) to hilarious (Steph talking Killer Moth out of shooting her by playing on his insecurities after she’s just helped delivering a baby) to contemplative, because she realized that sometimes just wearing the bat symbol was asking for trouble. Also, turns out she’s spent the last year living with Cass and she calls her “honey”. Shippers, rejoice!

The two of them did end up fighting over whether they should slaughter and cook their guinea pigs for meat, since food has become really scarce thanks to the events of Convergence. It is here that we are once again reminded that Cass is as awesome a fighter as she is because she can literally read her opponent’s moves. Little Lady Of War: 53

The “fight” between Cass and Steph is broken up by a news report which lists the people that have to fight for Gotham’s survival. Batgirl is on the list, but Blackbat and Red Robin are not. It’s at this point that Cass reveals she and Tim saved Steph’s Batgirl suit after she ditched it in an alley, although in true slob fashion for both of them, they did not bother to wash it.

Steph then starts training with Cass. In her Batgirl prime, she was good enough to be a match for Tim (but not Dick or Cass), but she misses the time when she was just young and silly. The dome that was previously covering Gotham is lifted and GCPD has its hands full keeping the people in the city because there is literally nothing left outside the dome but a big desert. Batgirl manages to talk the crowd down, but is then transported out into the desert, with Cass and Tim clinging on to her, which brings us back to the beginning of the issue…

[lananiscorner]

God I can’t get enough of your blog. I haven’t had the chance to sit down and read any of you works yet (clearing my schedule just for that) but I was wondering if you had any tips for just getting into a character’s headspace and thinking like they do. I’ve recently run into trouble writing Damian in particular. He and Tim seem to be the ones I have trouble understanding in little ways (mannerisms, speaking patterns, thought process, priorities, empathy, etc.) Any tips?

Thanks for your ask, Anon.

Very good question and I know I’m going to be a bit of a hypocrit here, because there are definitely times when I have winged it hard and skipped some of these steps (*cough*StephDukeDamian*cough*), but here is my recommended process for really getting into a character’s headspace:

1) Pick a continuity and timeframe. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Jason in the 80s as Robin and Jason in Under The Hood and Jason in Red Hood And The Outlaws are three very different characters. Damian has gone through massive character development since he was introduced. Batman in Bruce Wayne: Murderer? is a very different character from Batman in Convergence. If you do not pick a timeframe, you will open up a can of worms for yourself in step number two.

2) Do your research. If your character only has a cameo, this can be as little as one or two issues closest to the time you need. E. g. if I were ever so inclined to abandon all hope and write Tim-centric Battle For The Cowl fanfic, I would not need to research all of Damian’s or Jason’s interactions with him. I’d just need to read Battle For The Cowl to understand how Damian and Jason were acting at that time. Obviously, the more important a character is to your story, the more research you should do. If they are the main/POV character, I recommend at least checking out their origin story in whatever canon you chose, their solo runs, if they had any, such as Robin Vol 1,2, 3 and 4 for Tim and Batgirl Vol 1 for Cass, and whatever comic covers the timeframe you chose. Yes, that’s a lot of reading, but the best way is not always the easiest.

3) If you do not have the time to read all that, either postpone your fic (recommended) or get in touch with people who have already done the reading for you and can give you a sufficiently detailed overview of the character’s personality and history, such as @fuyunoakegata for Dick Grayson. I know tumblr’s search function is crap, but if you search for character names + comic recs, you can find help rather fast.

4) Humans are products of both nature and nurture and the best headcanons usually come from the question “how would someone who has been through X possibly act?” If you don’t know, because you have never been in situation X, do more research. For example, Jason grew up in the worst part of town and lived on the streets for a while. He was surrounded by violence and scarcity for most of his childhood. Such an environment does not breed trust, but rather lends itself to wariness, food insecurity, and a very basic hierarchy of needs. Meanwhile, Tim grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, but his parents were almost never around. To him, food security and general safety would have been a given. It doesn’t really factor into his hierarchy of needs, because it’s just there, but it would be likely for him to have trouble with social conventions around how to properly care for and nurture the relationships he builds with people. I fall into neither of these categories, but I have friends who do and I used them (plus some basic research into child psychology) to fill that gap.

5) Understand that growth of character is a continuous thing, both in fiction and in reality. Just because Damian was a murderous, self-righteous, insufferable little shit in his early days does not mean that he has to be stuck like that forever. Let your characters grow with the story, if necessary, i. e. if the events you put them through have been significant enough for them to warrant change. This brings us back to the canon research part again, because how else will you know what’s significant enough? Would a quick conversation and half-apology like in Convergence really be enough to make peace between Bruce and Jason in Post Crisis? No, because Bruce was horrible to Jason in almost every single interaction since Jason’s resurrection and Jason can carry grudges forever (he also suffers from Pit Madness, major PTSD and mild brainwashing by Talia and has made some truly awful choices in addition to that).

6) Approach feedback with open ears and open eyes. By that I mean listen when people tell you “whoa, Cass is wildy out of character here - she would never kill!”, but don’t just go “oh, ok, sorry guess you were right”. Look up the works she was in during this specific time frame and read up. There is a good chance whoever critiqued your characterization might be right, but if you happen to be dealing with her Dark Days of Robin OYL and Batgirl Vol 2, then YOU were right. Cass at that time did kill. Because she was brainwashed. And Adam Beechen’s writing was terrible. And really out of character. But if that’s the story in which you set your fic, then you have a good reason to write her like that.IMPORTANT: You don’t have to justify your opinions/headcanons to anyone unless you want to, but they don’t have to like them either.

7) Understand that headcanons are just that: head-canons. As in, they come from someone’s head. They are not set in stone and unless they go completely against something that has beenconfirmed in the comics canon already, they are not mischaracterization. They are merely your interpretation of that character. E. g. “did Post Crisis Jason kill Felipe Garzonas?” Who knows? It was never confirmed or denied in Post Crisis. He may have. He may not have. It’s your choice.

8) Last but not least: know what your characters’ goals and motivations within your own story are. Is Rebirth Jason undercover working for Black Mask? Then he has very, very good reason to be an ass to the rest of the Batfam, even if he does not mean it. You, as the writer, have the perfect tool to demonstrate that, by deliberately tailoring his speech to be as menacing and insulting towards the Batfam as possible, while going into what’s happening in his head when the confrontation is over, Black Mask is gone for the day, and Jason can be truly himself. For extra bonus points, do a quick google search on what undercover ops do to a person’s sense of self in real life.

That’s all I can think of for now. I know this was relatively vague and yet incredibly long, but if you really want to stay true to an established character, then there are very few shortcuts you can take. Just remember that there will always be someone who hates how you wrote a certain character, just as there will always be someone who loves how you wrote them. You cannot please everyone in life, so for starters, try to please yourself by doing the best you can with diligent research and careful consideration of your character’s situation.

TLDR: Research! Research! Research! Research the character, especially their origins and the timeframe you are dealing with. Research what the circumstances they are/were in would do/have done to an actual person. Draw your headcanons from canon and research rather than fanon (tumblr) whenever possible and be prepared to accept and investigate feedback. Have a clear goal and motive for your character.

[thatblondeperson]

So I learnt from that Tim Drake Guy's tumblr that Steph is a bully and abusive with Tim is that true. I ask since I know you seem to agree with a lot of the thoughts expressed on that blog. Can you help me find some examples of Tim/Steph comics. I was going to get YJ but the same tumblr blog says it's bad

So I want to preface with some very solid advice I've learned from being in fandom. It's really hard to learn anything from any blog because so much of it is opinion based, that the line between headcanon and canon gets far too muddied too often, and there's also always going to be biases that come from very personal spaces. It's important to take everything that every blog says ESPECIALLY in the DC fandom, with a very large grain of salt because half the fandom really doesn't actually seem to source their information with anything other than out of context panels, shitposts, or their own perfect ideals of what they want to gleam from the pages of each comic. It's all interpretive, and I'm sure that sounds a little bit petty, but I'm adding myself in here too because I have my own opinions separate from others, despite my firm ideology in staying as close to canon as I possibly can.

As far as that blog, I actually strayed away from them because I no longer agreed with a lot of what was being said. It got to the point where it was getting very unnecessarily negative all the time, and I want no part in this ship war that drives practically every bit of drama in the Tim fandom. I think that there is a lot of merit to some of the opinions on that blog, and they're clearly an expert on Tim in many ways. I knew them personally, so I can attest to that. But I think they also read only what they WANT to read on every page, and I think that makes for a lot of gaps where misinformation can leak in. That got filled with a lot of straight up wrong assessments of Stephanie Brown, and unfortunately that blog was already prime traffic for antis to spew unnecessary hate, so once the blog itself got on board, I tapped out.

No, Stephanie is not an abuser or a bully. I think tumblr throws around the word abuse far too casually. At most, Steph teases Tim, but never to a malicious or purposefully hurtful extent. She pokes at him, just like you would with a best friend. He barely even protests. A simple "Steph..." every now and again, but he even teases her back often and jokes with her. She's not an abuser, in fact, she herself is a victim of severe abuse in her childhood. Her flirting at the beginning of her and Tim's relationship is a bit intense, but she's 15, and doesn't know how to catch his attention. Her boyfriend was clearly way older than her and did not treat her well, her father abused her mother, and she was sexually harassed by her father's friends. She's never seen a healthy relationship to know how to act. Once they get together, she mellows out and is actually very compassionate and kind with Tim, and especially supportive.

A lot of haters throw around all this terrible stuff she did.

They say she stole Robin from Tim. He stepped away from the mantle, and she thought she caught him cheating, and Bruce opened up the opportunity for her.

They highlight a time when she almost blew Tim up. Bruce told her to do something drastic to force Tim to be a better Robin. Should she have thought it through? Yes. But she was young, and still desperate to prove herself.

Steph is a loose canon throughout a lot of her appearances. She doesn't always think before she acts, and that is one of her major flaws. She gets into trouble often, and that causes a lot of tension between her and Tim, often from him becoming overprotective of her.

Steph starts out fairly cynical in the beginning and softens up over time. After the explosion stunt with Tim, she does get her act together and she goes through a fantastic character arc where she really improves upon herself. She becomes a beacon of hope, but she really already was one. She's always been a source of light for Tim. She's a constant tether for him throughout their relationship, and she constantly bringing him back to reality. I think their dynamic is really great, and it does hurt me a lot how often she gets dragged through the mud now. It's tumblr, what can you do?

It's also interesting to me how often Steph is called out for being the unhealthy one, and they never talk about how Tim was the shitty boyfriend way more often:

Kept his identity from her but didn't respect keeping hers private

Kissed her when he was dating someone else at the time (he's actually kinda known for subtle two-timing, but this is hardly brought up by fans)

Essentially stalked her for a while

Often told her she needed to stop being Spoiler (overprotective nature yes...but still)

Interesting how the relationship is only toxic because of Steph. Hell she even gets shit for getting upset that Greta straight up tried to kill her in Young Justice, because they think it was selfish of her that she was desperate to learn Robin's identity. Yeah sorry...murder vs wanting to know your crushes name? Which is worse?

I'm also not going to sit here and demand that everyone love Steph. It's ok that people don't like her, I could give 2 shits, but if they're gonna spew hate, I'd prefer it be rooted in truth. Some of what I see written about her is just so so wrong...there's a trend in anti culture to even write her as Tim's rapist which YIKES. That's so beyond a healthy amount of dislike for a character.

Anyway, comic recs!!!

Detective Comics 647-648. (First appearance of Steph/Spoiler with classic "love at first brick" moment.)

Robin 57-65 (First date issue which is the cutest thing ever. Robin does a little flip at the end because he's so happy. And the chronology of Steph being pregnant which Tim was supportive of the whole time. Super sweet)

Robin 100-104 (Steph gets sick and Tim brings her soup. Lots of cute domestic moments, and you get more into Steph's past)

Robin 111 (more about Steph's past with Tim being super supportive, also the infamous piano issue which is a personal favorite of mine)

Robin 116 (very cute moments after Tim forgets his bday and everyone, Steph included, surprises him)

Robin 119 (supportive bf Tim, strikes again)

Robin 120 (Steph being an amazing supportive gf)

Batgirl 8 (Steph's run, where she and Tim collide again for the first time in a long time. Awkwardness and tension ensues, Tim tries to make a move)

Red Robin 10 (more crossover, very fun. More awkwardness and tension)

Convergence Batgirl (Not the best run, but a nice bit of closure for the pre flashpoint universe. Very sweet and wholesome.)

There's way more that I could list but I'm awful with issue numbers tbh. I know the stories, but I don't have the catalogue memorized. Better people than me have probably made a masterlist of TimSteph comics lol

I don't think you should let any blog turn you away from any particular series. I think if you wanna try out the new YJ, go for it!! I'm very cynical to anything published post 2011, but YJ is the only thing I've consistently read that's NEW, in years. I find it fun. Is it the best? No, not by miles, and it gets stuck with a lot of nonsensical filler often. But it's still a very cute and fun run.

I hope this ask gave you a lot of good info! I also recommend the very long post that should be just below this that goes into a lot of fandom misconceptions about Stephanie brown with more picture examples to highlight everything. Thanks for the ask, anon! I hope you have a lovely time reading these comics and hopefully many more!!

🖤💜❤😊😊😊❤💜🖤

[coolgirl]

do you know of any good harlivy comics to read?

yeah sure! i tried to put the ones that have the best interactions.

pre n52

Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999) this one has a lot of joker too so be careful

Harley Quinn (2000) #1, #3, #5, #11-19

Catwoman #83 (2010)

Gotham City Sirens (2009-2011)  this one is basically all about them + selina, some people dont really like the characterization but i enjoyed it.

n52

Harley Quinn (2013-2016) #2, #6-7, #15-20, #25, #29 (lots of ugly scenes with the joker, b careful), #30

Harley Quinn Annual #1 (2014)

Batman: Black and White #3 (2014) that one iconic scene with ivy and harley saving the little girl from her abuser

Harley Quinn Road Trip Special #1 (2015)

Harley Quinn Valentine’s Day Special #1 (2015)

Convergence Harley Quinn #1-2 (2015)

Catwoman #50 (2016) ok they appear supper briefly but they look cute so,

rebirth

Harley Quinn (2016- on going) #1, #2, #3, #8, #9, 

DC Holiday Special #1 (2016)

alternative universes or other

The Batman Strikes! #41 (2008)

Arkham Unhinged (2012) #17-19

Batman: Li’l Gotham (2012-2013)  #4, #14, #19 

Injustice – Ground Zero #21 / Injustice Year Four #2 / Injustice 2 #7

DC Bombshells (2012-2017) #14, #18, #42, #44, #46, #49, #50, #53, #54, #76, #77, #79, #80, #82, #83, #85, #89, #93, #95, #100

Batman: Arkham Knight #38 (2015)

Scooby Doo Team-Up #23 (2015)

set on the animated universe

these are a bit mmmmn and where the whole “ivy abuses harley as much as the joker!” myth comes from, but tbh its really not serious.

The Batman Adventures #12 (1993)

Batman Adventures Holiday Special (1995) this one is iconic and also appears as an episode in The New Batman Adventures (Holiday Knights)

Batgirl Adventures #1 (1998)

Gotham Girls #1-5 (2002-2003)

Batman: Harley and Ivy (2014) i have this as only one book but i think you can also find them as three separate issues. It includes The Bet, Harley and Ivy: Love on The Lam, and Batman: Harley and Ivy

Batman Adventures Annual #1 (1994) ok they barely appear but there are two cute panels that i love w all my being so yeah