#We have Evil Batman With Metal Spikes now

[therealbeachfox]

I must humbly disagree about Random Gothamite.

To me, Random Gothamite is an 11/10 option. Gotham is -filled- with people who've had their lives ruined by the Joker. Dead children, dead spouses, dead friends, dead family, dead That Cute Guy Who Sat Across From Me I Never Worked Up The Nerve To Ask Out. Apartment got blown up with all of grandma's things inside. Funeral for a loved one interrupted by exploding hyenas.

There is so much of the city that is just fucked -pissed- at the guy. And also fucking scared shitless.

All it would take is for the Joker to leap out at some poor woman on her way back from a 14 hour shift at the diner, triggering all sorts of trauma from that time he held her Jr. High class hostage and killed her best friend in front of her with a pair of mechanical teeth, and suddenly she's standing over a dead body with her emergency In-Case-Of-Mugging gun in her hand and is freaking the fuck out because "Oh shit, I just killed the Joker, the Bats will want to arrest me, the Rogues will want to kill me, and the City will want to throw me a parade, and there is no way I wont get fired from work the moment the first reporter shows up to ask about me. How the hell do I hide this body?

And then... Nothing. It's been awhile since the Joker's done anything. I wonder what he's up to? It's been weeks since a sighting.

Then it's been months.

Then it's been over a year. And... It's Gotham. There's other things to worry about. Creepers with mind-control hats, giant cannibal lizards in the sewer, the occasional ancient assassin conspiracy, alien realities with too many black metal spikes trying to overwrite our own. The Joker drifts from everyone's mind. It's been ages, after all. There was no grand stand, no widely published videos of the takedown, not even a corpse or a confirmed kill or parade or anything to rally street gangs or rogues or pretenders to the throne around.

There's a woman, maybe a few of her very good friends, who knows what happened. Also some fish in the river. But otherwise...

He's just forgotten.

Like he should be.

It's the only way his story deserves to end.

Best people to kill the Joker ranked:

Bruce: 2/10 this would completely defeat the point of him as a character and throw away the entire Batman narrative but on the other hand his kids deserve it. Also Joker would never see it coming lol

Jason: 4/10 it will never be as satisfying as he needs it to be. And the point is not for him to have to do it

Dick: 9/10 LET HIM SNAP!! That’s his family. It would weigh on him for the rest of his life and he would have emotional problems over it but the Joker’s never touching any of his baby siblings/loved ones ever again

Harley: 11/10 and she doesn’t do it alone, she has friends and support there backing her up while she finishes him off. Someone films it, Harley and Ivy hug after. Ultimate catharsis and taking back her freedom

Tim: 7/10 the progression from baby stalker Tim to baby assassin Tim would be hilarious but it would cause so much family conflict. Jason would be offended that Dick or Bruce didn’t do it and declare Tim his new favorite brother. His undead alias has the last name Drake. He’ll fight Tim’s parents

Cass: -20/10 cursed option. Worst case scenario. She may run away afterwards

Stephanie: 5/10 lmao. I have to assume this is only the beginning of Steph’s reign of terror #chaoswins

Barbara: 8/10 stone cold there is no evidence whatsoever but she let Joker know it was her right before his death

Damian: 3/10 he gets grounded for committing murder but the city of Gotham also throws a parade, so it’s pretty mixed messages. He refuses to state his regret and gets grounded 3x longer

Duke: 6/10 who tf is Batman? The Signal is Gotham’s most iconic vigilante. They’re gonna put him on a coin, a golden coin. It’s limited edition and it does glow

A banana peel on the ground: -10/10 this is exactly how the Joker would wanna go out :/

Alfred: 11/10 and torture was involved. The body was disposed of very thoroughly in a way that absolutely no one ever could come back from. Proof is publicly given to the city somehow so everyone knows not to fear the Joker anymore

Commissioner Gordon: -1/10 there’s no good way to write this. Would not be handled well

Random Gothamite: 3/10 the entire city wants this man dead does he have the secret service protecting him or something? How much do you have to be paid for that to be worth it

Coordinated Justice League effort: 4/10 and they managed to do it without entering Gotham’s borders, which took significant planning. Enough is enough

Any Super: 9/10 completely impulsive, instinctive, and possibly on accident. They have to do a press conference. Twitter cannibalizes itself. Someone turns the scene into a gif. Gotham City decides Metropolis is okay now. Lex Luthor is frothing at the mouth.

[afterspark-podcast]

G1 Episode 16: Transcript

Episode Show Notes

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

S: At some point, I think, Soundwave and Blaster are fighting over them in Hawaii.

O: [snort]

[Intro Music]

O: Hello, and welcome to the Afterspark Podcast, an episode by episode recap of the generation 1 Transformers cartoon.  I'm Owls!

S: And I'm Specs!

O: And today we're gonna be talking about episode number 16, Heavy Metal War. Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?

S: Mm-hmm. We open in a construction site with a purple machine of some kind being moved.

O: And it's purple- clearly it's destined to be Megatron catnip.

S: We had a conversation about this.

O: [chuckles] We did.

S: I want to know what kind of world this is, like, half the time the stuff that Decepticon steal is already Decepticon purple. Or looks like it was built by them.

O: So, I don't know if you guys have seen the entirety of the Batman animated series that came out in the 90’s but there's this what episode where this guy opens a Joker themed hotel. And the reason he did this was because they had run out of money and he thought this would incite the Joker to attack the hotel, and then he would get the insurance money.

S: So it's an insurance scam.

O: Pretty much. Paint it purple and the Decepticons will come.

S: Suddenly, a sextet of lime-green construction vehicles show up on scene right out of nowhere.

O: That totally don't have purple Decepticon symbols on the front or anything, and the purple thing they've come to steal is apparently an energy disc?

S: It's not disc shaped? In any way, shape, or form, but okay!

O: The construction workers fetch their own construction vehicles to confront the Decepticon ones.

S: It's time for a demolition derby, baby!!! With construction vehicles.

O: Watch out! That dump truck has missiles.

S: They're hardcore!

O: [Laughter]

S: And, oh! Lo, look and behold, there are more purple things to steal. They steal another purple thing off a wall, and this one's called a power converter, interestingly enough. This one does, in fact, have a little satellite disk dealio on it.

O: Clearly, the construction workers got the names mixed up.

S: Yes! The construction vehicles transform into robot mode, introducing themselves as the Constructicons, and then they proceeded to fly off. And all the stuff that they stole- which got put in Longhaul’s truck bed, I pres- presumably went into subspace when he transforms, because it just poofs.

O: “Foolish man of flesh,” is my favorite insult for this episode, courtesy of Scrapper.

S: The Constructicons returned to a temporary Decepticon hideout where the other ‘Cons are waiting.

O: Megatron says something that insinuates the Constructicons were built on earth. I have so, so, so many questions about this. One: How? Two: Where did their sparks come from? And three: In a later episode, there’s an entirely different origin story for them, where they are very clearly from Cybertron.

S: Complete with mind-control tentacles. This is a theme.

O: Yeah, just in case you thought we were done with them. You're never done with mind control tentacles.

S: Definitely not in this cartoon.

O: [Laughter] Toy roll-call as all the Constructicons are listed individually: Scavenger, Mixmaster, Longhaul, Bonecrusher, Hook, and Scrapper.

S: Megatron and Starscream have another tiff. Starscream calling Megatron out on his bullshit.

O: Something along the lines of: Megatron has a plan to defeat the Autobots once and for all and Starscream’s like, “Where have we heard that before?”

S: Every episode.

O: Pretty much. I'm like, “Starscream has a point!” [Laughter]

S: Sometime later Megatron arrives at the Autobot base.

O: And the Autobots attempt to dissuade Megatron from whatever evil scheme he's got hatching and by coming to their base.

S: Cliffjumper attempts to freeze him because it's Cliffjumper.

O: Wheeljack attempts to shoot him but he's gun blows up of its own volition because it's Wheeljack.

S: Yeah. Optimus proceeds to shoot at Megatron and the two of them hold an entire conversation as Megatron does some vaguely ballet- well, vaguely air ballet-like moves in order to dodge the blasts. It's surprisingly graceful.

O: Megatron has come to challenge Optimus to a one-on-one fight and the loser must leave earth. He cites Cybertronian law for this. This is a stupid law, a really freaking stupid law.

S: The first of many. Wheeljack and Ironhide seem to support this, as it would end the war, but Cliffjumper isn't happy about it.

O: For once, I agree with Cliffjumper. I never say that!

S: Mr. Suspicious is right. Sometimes-

O: You should be suspicious of Megatron!

S: I mean a broken clock is right twice a day. So-

O: [Laughter] Every once in a while, Cliffjumper says something that is relevant or it seems to have some amount of sense.

S: It's occasionally correct, yeah. Optimus accepts the challenge and Megatron flies off.

O: Back at the Decepticon base, we see that Megatron is planning on being a Cheater McCheaterpants by using the machine assembled by the Constructicons to absorb the powers of all the other Decepticons. How are they doing this, you ask? With a power chip rectifier, of course. A thing we will never hear about again.

S: When do we ever hear about any of things ever again in the show?

O: Valid point. Starscream is hesitant and he tells Megatron that this is cheating.

S: Starscream's moral compass gets some exercise here.

O: Did he forget who he was talking to?

S:I don't know. Maybe, maybe he was channeling Skyfire?

O: [Laughter] It’s like, that one- I am convinced Skyfire is his, like, moral compass.

S: Probably. The remaining ‘Cons give up their power chip rectifiers without comment.

O: Scrapper turns on the machine for the transfer, with Megatron shouting a variety of things that sound pretty dirty without context. Mostly made up of a gratuitous use of the word, “More!” With a hefty serving of “More power!”

S: This works and Megatron orders the Constructicons to disable Teletraan 1 so it can't alert the Autobots to their deception.

O: And now Megatron can summon red lightning from his fist.

S: Through the power of being a major asshole and a huge cheating cheater.

O: [Laughter] In the Ark, it looks like Optimus and literally every single other Autobot head to the battleground, leaving no one behind to keep an eye on Teletraan.

S: This was not a good idea or well-thought-out, but apparently they all wanted to be spectators.

O: Apparently.

S: Both sides basically sit down to spectate this match.

O: Soundwave even releases his cassettes so they can watch. He pets Ravage, too. I love it.

S: It's very cute. Ironhide and Chip briefly mention the Roman gladiatorial fights.

O: In comparison to the Optimus- Megatron fight.

S: Yeah.

O: And I deeply wish I could butt in and tell Chip that Megatron was a literal fucking gladiator. I bet he'd be fascinated.

S: According to the g1 U- UK comics, he was, too, in addition to the IDW ones.

O: Yes.

S: So it’s multi-continuity.

O: Pretty much. It's later reused as backstory, both for the first IDW run and Transformers Prime.

S: Mm-hmm. And Megatron tosses Optimus over his shoulder one-handed.

O: Mm-hm! Throughout the match, the Decepticons point out which powers Megatron's using at any given moment. Starscream has the power of bombs! And his null ray.

S: Megatron uses his weird hip gun to shoot Optimus before using Rumble’s earthquake ability. Optimus Prime suplexes a boulder at Megatron, but he uses Skywarp’s teleportation ability to evade.

O: And if the Autobots had not figured out this incredibly obvious thing that was happening, then they really should have once he used Skywarp’s ability.

S: Yeah. Cutting to the Constructicons, they've made it to the volcano where the Ark is located.

O: And Scavenger’s just straight-up Ratchet’s VA doing a not-so-different voice, “Hi, Scooby.”

S: Megatron and Optimus continue to fight with Megs using Reflector’s ability to momentarily blind Optimus as he hits him with Thundercracker’s sonic booms.

O: Optimus is finally taken down by one more blast by Megatron's fusion cannon and Megatron declares himself the victor.

S: Honestly, I'm not sure how none of the Autobots couldn’t hear any of the Decepticon commentary.

O: I think that- that's a valid point, too. I’m just sort of like guys you really, really should have realized what was going on. That, and it’s Megatron. Do you really think he's going to play fair?

S: Uh-huh.

O: The Autobots head back to the Ark to fix Optimus, with the Decepticons escorting them.

S: This is not the first time, I think- or will not be the last time the Decepticons escort the Autobots to make sure they don't cheat. This is-

O: Which, I mean, irony. [laughs]

S: Hypocritical.

O: A little bit.

S: Yeah. The Constructicons make it to Teletraan 1, but not before the computer alerts the Dinobots. Who apparently stayed behind.

O: I'm not really sure why these guys were the ones left behind, they would have loved to watch the fight.

S: Probably because they would have wanted to join in on the fight.

O: Yeah, yeah, valid point. I don't think they would have taken no for an answer.

S: They’re very much guys who want to- want to get their fight on.

O: Yeah.

S: A fight ensues, with the Dinobots forcing the Constructicons out of the volcano.

O: And this episode marks the first appearance of the combiner, the ginormous Devastator! Which the Constructicons formed to fight the Dinobots.

S: Ratchet and Wheeljack succeed in fixing Optimus.

O: And then Spike and Teletraan inform the rest of the Autobots that Megatron was using the other Decepticons’ abilities, rendering their agreement null and void.

S: Outside, a giant Autobot shows up out of nowhere to scare the pants off Devastator.

O: An illusion by Hound, of course,

S: Mm-hmm, they're very- they're very handy.

O: The Constructicons are knocked into some handy lava, as are the rest of the Decepticons in the following fight with Optimus finishing off Megatron.

S: And Optimus says, “It is ended.”

O: He means for this season. The Decepticons will return with no ill effects from their lava bath in season 2.

S: It might count as a spa, even. And Megatron is pissed and vows to rise again.

O: Of course he does, and that's the end of season 1 of the Transformers. We did it! We'll be back in a month, at the beginning of season 2, but a few weeks join us as we talk about the crossover comic “Mars Attacks the Transformers.”

S: Mm-hmm.

O: And we actually have read the comic. It's quite fun, so we're looking forward to getting to talk about it.

S: Yes.

O: And, Specs, I believe we have some fanfic for today?

S: Yes, we do, we have two pieces of fanfiction to recommend. They are both Constructicon based since it's their first episode.

O: Right.

S: Might as well focus on them. So the first recommendation is Diversion by Steelcircle. It is based in the g1 cartoon continuity, it's rated K+, and it's a gen fic. There aren't any pairings, but our characters for this piece of fanfiction are Scrapper, Hook, Scavenger, Mixmaster, Longhaul and Bonecrusher, and in summary, “Bonecrusher and Mixmaster put their own spin on a human form of entertainment.” I am NOT going to spoil what that form of entertainment is, but we have actually seen it in one of our earlier recommendations.

O: All right. I haven't read this one yet so I have no frame of reference.

S: It's- it's good. it's pretty short, I definitely recommend it, and our theme for this one and the other one was Constructicons. So that's very short and it's a one shot. They're both one shots. And the second recommendation is “What are you in for” by Ckret2. It is set in the IDW G1 comic continuity, it's rated K, there is some slight shipping in it and our pairings are- the one pairing is Hook/Scrapper. The characters in this pick are Scrapper and Mixmaster, and there are actually some- some, like, mooks so who are there at the beginning and do some talking but they aren't important.

O: They’re not important, they’re not what we’re here for.

S: Yes, and in summary, “Scrapper finds himself in a holding cell for trying to help his friend, Hook, get into the medical caste, where he meets a quiet cellmate with a drum mixer on his back.”

O: Psst, it’s Mixmaster. [Laughter]

S: It is, it is. And, they're both really good and I like them and they're- that one's also a one-shot. Uh, they're short but they're good so I’d recommend them.

B: [Laughter]

S: And that's it for the fanfiction recommendations, thank you,

O: And there are no fan art today, like said we will be doing a comic next time, though.

S: Alright! And that just about wraps it up for us today. Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark[-]Podcast for any additional information, show notes, or links we may have mentioned.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word) and various other locations as Afterspark Podcast such as AO3, iTunes, Google Podcasts Stitcher and YouTube, just to name a few. Till next time, I'm Specs!

O: And I'm Owls!

S: Toodles!

[Outro Music]

[dculegacy]

Batwoman, Wonder Woman: Legacy

Chapter Four - Predictable One

Batwoman followed Diana out of the clock tower into the city. It was getting dark but it wasn’t hard for her to keep up with the Amazon. At least it wasn't until the annoying thudding in her head returned with a much stronger force than before. She managed to ignore it at first and follow Wonder Woman around Gotham, however as they passed by the Kane tower the pain became unbearable and the Bat found herself plummeting down toward the street. 

Kate was not able to move, an unwelcomed panic started growing in her guts. There was a slight chance that Diana was looking behind her and saw what was happening but the redhead didn’t count on it. This wasn’t a normal headache and now she certainly wished she had listened to her father and visited a doctor. The ground was getting closer and closer, Batwoman was surely getting some broken bones. She got mentally prepared for the impact, however before that could happen two strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back up. In a couple of seconds she felt the solid ground under her and someone’s body pressed into her side radiating an insane amount of warmth; Kate could only hope it was the Amazon.

“What just happened?” a soft and concerned voice filled her head, “Are you okay?” “I...I…” Batwoman tried to talk but her throat was too dry. She managed to gulp few times even though it was obvious that it wouldn't help. At least it gave her time to prepare explanation for her sudden fall. Kate knew she can’t just say that it was a headache, not after Diana saw her having the same issue at the gala. Even though back then it wasn’t so bad she didn’t want to risk anything. “Should I take you back?” The Amazon caressed the Bat’s jaw, forcing the other woman to face her. Although Diana couldn’t say if she is looking at her since half of Kate’s face was hidden behind the mask, the friendly gesture couldn’t hurt. “I just...really need to eat something.” The redhead smiled, finally finding her voice. “Are you sure that’s all?” “Definitely.” Kate nodded, barely covering a loud whine. Moving her head was something that she should probably avoid in next couple of hours but there was no chance of doing it. Looking for Klarion was more important, getting rid of the worried expression on Diana’s face was the second thing on her to do list, after that she could get some rest. “Well then, let’s get you some food.” Wonder Woman smiled and helped her up.

Fortunately feeling the Amazon's body pressed closely against hers, supporting her like she didn’t weight anything proved to be distracting enough from the string of pain currently ravaging her body. Kate could feel her back muscles going spasmodically stiff every couple of seconds but she could also feel Diana’s abs flexing slightly when she was being picked up. The cold air was annoyingly stinging her face and the redhead was only hoping that no one in Gotham is looking up to the sky now. It would be hard to explain why Wonder Woman is flying around with Batwoman in her arms, also it’s certainly not something that the criminals should see. Her gaze shifted back to the woman currently carrying her over the city, she curled closer into the warmth, trying to gain cover from the wind. There were so many emotions going through her head at the same time, her heart rate spiked up but her breathing remained calm and shallow. She was feeling weak and Batwoman doesn’t feel weak. She was also feeling very safe and Kate Kane doesn’t feel safe, she wish she could but it was never an option; until this moment. It would be crazy to think that the goddess wouldn’t be able to protect her, on the other hand that wasn’t something that Kate would want. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. Maybe it didn’t look like that a few minutes ago when she was lifelessly falling to the street but she could. Something inside her was making her feel disgusted about the security that the Amazon provided and the redhead started moving in her arms, trying to find a way to escape. Diana never intended to make her feel uncomfortable, yet when she felt the Bat’s subtle movements, she tighten her grip around her without any hesitation. After a few more metres she started her descent to the nearest roof. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Batwoman gathered all the strength that she had left and pushed her away. There was a sign of confusion on the Amazon’s face and Kate instantly regretted the rushed reaction to the offered help.

“Didn’t think that the Bat would be afraid of flying…” Diana joked but clearly she was upset about the situation. She wasn’t sure if Batwoman got offended by what she did or if there was any other reason for this behaviour. It was in her nature to always help everyone and it was evident that the Gotham hero was in no state of getting to the food source on her own. “I am not.” The redhead answered, “I just think that...if we will separate, we can search more of the city.” “If you think that I’d leave you alone after…” “I’m okay. Thank you for saving me from broken ribs but...there is a restaurant down on the street, I can pick up some food and continue searching.” Kate tried to persuade the Amazon. She really didn't want Diana to leave, in fact she could spend whole night working with her and that’s why Batwoman needed to go. “You are just going to walk into a restaurant like this?” Wonder Woman asked surprised, referring to the Bat costume. “It's Gotham, they are used to it.” “Are you sure? I don't mind going there and getting the food…” Diana offered and watched Kate burst into an adorable giggle. “Right...like you get less attention than me with the way you look.” Before her brain caught up with what she was saying, it was too late. The goddess curiously tilted her head to the side and waited, being once again entertained by Kate’s antics. “I...uuh-I should probably go now.” The Bat said really slowly. She hated when guys were hitting on her like this and now she was the one who did it. Even though she really didn't mean any harm, it was hard to say what was going through the Amazon’s mind right now. Kate could swear that she seemed somewhat pleased. “If you encounter Klarion, how-" “Take this.” The redhead handed her a small communication device, “If I’ll find him, I’ll let you know...but…” “But?” Diana reached for the device, her fingers briefly lingering over Batwoman’s. “It works both ways...if you find him-” “I’ll consider letting you know.” Before she could start protesting, the Amazon walked over to the edge of a roof and added, “Now go get some food, wouldn't want to find you in the middle of the street in few hours.”

What Wonder Woman didn’t know was, that it wouldn't take even half an hour before that could happen. When the Amazon left, Kate took a couple of long breaths, slowly moving towards the fire escape staircase. She reached for the cold metal railing when her legs gave up on her. For the second time in last few minutes, the ground was getting closer and closer and the Bat was helpless. The last thing she perceived was the impact of her body to the cold roof; then it all went black.

“So...what now?” Tim asked unknowingly, looking at his girlfriend. “Now? We can go through the footage from the last crime scene, hopefully we can find something to help.” She exhaled and turned the Gotham news on one of the monitors. “Didn’t you go through that already?” “Not the last one.”

“This is Vicki Vale with latest news from Gotham! Is the city lost without Batman? Last night there was an incident in the museum of Antiquities. A group of armed criminals attempted to steal one of the items from the building while holding several civilians hostage. Thankfully another superhero was visiting and decided to show up just in time. Yes, Wonder Woman prevented them to take the precious artifact and saved the poor visitors. One of the eyewitnesses sent us this exclusive recording of Batwoman arriving at the crime scene with the note saying: ‘You could say she was fashionably late and her skills were ridiculous.’”

Robin went a little closer and watched the news very cautiously. He could see Batwoman using the grappling hook. He could also clearly see that the part of the roof broke and it was hardly Kate’s fault, yet the reporter used it to mock her. Tim growled and clenched his fists when the annoying grin of Vicki Vale appeared on the screen again.

“Maybe next time instead of putting our money to charity, we should pay for training of these so called heroes-”

“Turn it off.” “What a bitch.” Barb scoffed and loaded up the footage from the last crime of the mysterious villain. Tim was awfully quiet, he always hated it when someone was mocking any member of the family. He tried to focus on finding anything that could help them identify this scoundrel. “Wait…” He suddenly jumped towards the table, “Rewind it and watch this shadow.” “This?” Oracle asked, zooming in on the situation in front of them, “That looks like…” “Can you zoom even closer?” Before he finished, Barbara already did what he wanted and the video started playing again. “Tim...That’s not...That’s not possible.” She turned to him, her eyes were wide with consternation. “Call her.” He said, rubbing his neck, “She should know why is he using her weapon.”

Barb nodded and tried the comms; when she received only silence as an answer she tried to call Kate directly on her phone but even that didn’t help. She took a deep breath and looked at the screen again. It was hard for her to accept that someone else from the Bat family could be evil. Even harder to accept that it would be one of her closest friends. If it really was true and Kate was the mysterious villain then there was only one person in the city who would be able to defeat her. However, Barbara knew that she will need more than a lousy video as a proof to ask Wonder Woman for help.

“Do you have files about the last fight between Batman and Klarion?” Tim asked all of sudden. “I can find them, why? What are you thinking about?” “It doesn’t make any sense, there is no one else with a weapon like this.” Robin was thinking out loud, “If Klarion is capable of using magic...maybe he...maybe he made her do it?” “I’ll find the files.” Oracle nodded as she look into his hopeful eyes, “What if…” “Don’t.” He dismissed the idea of Kate being evil without even thinking about it. “Tim, we have to consider every option.” Barbara deadpanned, her voice shaking. “If it is really her.” He put a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed, “I will stop her, without hurting her.” “You seriously think, that you can just go and beat Batwoman.” She frowned and put the notes on the big monitor. “Someone will have to do it, Barb.”

Without further conversation, both of them started going through the files. If there was anything that could help explain what is happening with Kate Kane, Oracle would not miss it; Although there wasn’t much to begin with. Bruce kept the his notes short and most of it was just useless discoveries or personal observations. Tim was slowly giving up, he knew that Barbara was right, there was no way of him defeating Kate but he wouldn’t let anyone else to do this job. His gaze fell at his girlfriend desperately trying to find even a smallest clue that would salvaged Batwoman right now. The Amazon would be able to overpower the Bat alone and most likely in matter of minutes but they all knew about her methods. Diana was against killing but if it was necessary she would do anything to protect the innocent. He ran his hand through Barb’s hair, closing his eyes and already trying to figure out how they will tell all this to Bruce.

“Look!” Oracle’s voice pulled him out of preparing his speech. “Curse?” Tim whispered, quickly skimming through the text, “Robin started acting weird...headaches...Klarion is definitely controlling him somehow...cursed mask.” “Kate did suffer from headaches lately.” Barbara exhaled, the happiness sneaking back into her voice. “We have to try and get the mask off.” He said, picking up his mask and getting ready to go. “Wait...y-you can’t…” “There is no one else who can do it.” Tim kneeled down in front of her, taking her hands into his, “I can do it.” “You don’t know if the mask is enhancing her physical abilities, you don’t even know if she is conscious…” “Barbara…” He smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, “I have to do it, I have to.” “You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, Tim...you don’t even know where she is.” Oracle shook her head, trying her best to persuade him to not go but she knew that this is the only chance. Of course they could ask Diana but she would certainly not play on coincidence. Unless they were sure that Kate was actually cursed, a fight with Wonder Woman could be deadly for their friend. “You can find her...I can take care of her. As a team...like old times.” He kissed her again before standing up and going to the secret exit. “Just...be careful and come back.” Barbara smiled sadly, turning back to the computer and working on finding the Bat.

Diana was on her way to the location of the second magical item. It took her a couple of minutes to get there, she used this time to retrace her day, which is a thing that was usually not necessary. This time though, her mind promptly drifted to her morning session with the daughter of Colonel Kane. The Amazon felt bad about leaving so fast and without any explanation, she enjoyed her time with Kate. On the other side, that was her job as Wonder Woman, whenever help was needed, she went there without giving it a second thought. That also meant, barely having enough time to do anything for herself, such as giving training lesson to a captivating young woman. She decided to do it at least once more before leaving Gotham. Then there was the situation with the Bat. Diana was glad that they managed to resolve the problems but she was feeling a little confused about the behavior of Batwoman. Although, most of the time Diana found human reactions irrational and for her, definitely amusing. The comms that she now shared with the Gotham hero were quiet. For some reason, it made her feel less worried. It wasn’t a question of underestimating others but she was a goddess and her presence in a fight with Klarion would certainly be better for everyone; except him. She landed right next to the item, the Silver Wheel of Nyorlath. Some of the weight was lifted from her shoulders when she saw the item stand in it’s place. However something seemed off, Wonder Woman looked around, analysing every corner and possible hiding place.

“I know you are here.” Her voice echoed through the empty room. “I am impressed…” The evil chuckle and a dull thump behind her was exactly what she expected. “You are predictable.” She turned on her heel, her hand resting near the lasso, while the other reached for the communication device, “I found him.” “I am afraid that your friend is not in reach, Princess.” Klarion smiled, accompanied by meowing of his cat. “I don’t need my friend to take care of you.” The Amazon smirked, “You’ll never get the items, give it up now and save us both some time.” “See…” Klarion started walking around the room, her eyes not leaving Diana, “That’s where we disagree. I am getting this one without a doubt.” “You seem awfully sure about that.” Even though magic could not hurt her much, it was indisputable that the witch boy had a plan and she would be a fool to rush in. “Well, what can I say...your friend was a great addition to the team.” “I...what?” Diana was caught by surprise. “Your friend...the Bat, she’s wonderful, isn’t she? A little too stubborn for my taste but still an incredible helper.” Klarion was enjoying the changing emotions on Wonder Woman’s face. “She would never help you.” She scoffed. Batwoman was hard to read but one thing was undeniable, Bruce would not leave anyone evil in charge. “Oh, I can be very persuasive. Want to see?”

Before Diana could answer a computer monitor lit up with a live feed from security camera near the Gotham museum. Upon closer inspection, she could recognize the redhead tying up hostages and putting them into a back of a truck. On the ground next to her, there was something dangerously reminding her of a huge bomb. Batwoman didn’t get the package, her intentions were interrupted by someone else. Robin landed in front of the car, immediately gaining her attention. It didn’t make much sense to the Amazon, she talked with the Bat, she should have noticed something amiss but she didn’t and now all of these civilians were in danger; and now even Tim. Wonder Woman saw him fight before and she hated to come to this conclusion but if only half of what she heard about Batwoman was true, Robin would be dead in couple of minutes. When the redhead leaped forward and threw him across the street, Diana averted her gaze from the screen.

“What did you do to her.” She growled at Klarion when he started giggling like crazy. “Merely offered her a chance to join the winning side.” He tilted his head with a cocky smile, “Because right now...right now you are losing.” “This is not over.” “Now who is the predictable one, I’d love to say see you at the Red Jar but it looks like you’ll be busy for quite some time now, Princess.”

There was no time left to deal with the little brat and Diana was very aware of that. She clenched her jaw and jumped into the air, flying rapidly towards Gotham. Klarion won the first round and he was right, she would hardly get to Red Jar of Calythos in time to stop him. The only soothing fact was that all items were needed to perform the ritual and there was would still be one more. The Amazon reached the city in a record time, however when she got to the museum her breath got stuck in her throat. Batwoman was straddling Robin’s near lifeless body with a knife in her hand, wiping the blood from her jaw with the other one. Hostages were still in the truck but the cloth cover from the back was gone and they could all see what was happening around them. Without further hesitation, Diana flew down, her body crashing into the redhead. In a matter of seconds, she released the civilians, ordering them to run and proceeding into the middle of the street. Just in time to face the Bat who now had blood on more places than just her jaw. Nonetheless she was not fazed by that because as soon as her body regained some stability, Batwoman rushed towards the goddess, not thinking about the consequences.

[comicsrelaunched-blog]

The 5 Books We Need from DC Rebirth

Rebirth is exactly what it needed to be for DC. DC had lost its footing since its hard reboot in 2011. Relationships had been broken off, characters were missing and the quality of storytelling was down on what it was before. Now it’s not to say that everything from DC’s New 52 and You eras were bad, far from it. Some of my most beloved runs come from the New 52 like Snyder’s Batman (before DC You) and Azzarello and Chiang’s Wonder Woman. It also contained some great moments like Forever Evil and The Darkseid War. And let’s not forget about Rob Williams excellent 12 issue Martian Manhunter series.

Now we are in full swing with Rebirth, and the goal of Rebirth was to bring back the heart of DC, what truly means to be a DC comic. The Pre-Flashpoint Superman returned, so did Wally West, Green Arrow and Black Canary finally got to meet and instantly fans were rejoicing that they were back together, the Justice Society Of America were teased to return, and Ted Kord got back behind the wheel of the bug. While some are working better than others, i’m looking at you Blue Beetle, the initial novelty of a nostalgia filled DC line-up is starting to drop. So what can they do to grab the attention back, i have 5 book suggestions that DC could use to really elevate this new status quo of the DC universe.

Blue and Gold

Where is Booster Gold? Well the Pre-52 version was last seen during convergence, where along with his New 52 doppelganger, his sister Goldstar and son from the future Rip hunter were key to the fall of Telos and Braniac. During this time the Pre-52 Gold fell into the earth-4 dome where he met the Charlton comics version of Ted Kord Blue Beetle a nice tease of what once was. 

Ted Kord was reintroduced into the DC Universe at the end of Forever Evil where he refuses to sell Kord industries to Luthor, since then he has developed the beloved vehicle known as ‘The Bug’ and has become the mentor of the current Blue Beetle Jaimie Reyes. This however is the New 52 version of Kord, so he has never actually been the Blue Beetle and does not have the history with Booster Gold.

So where would this book come from? Well Jaimie doesn’t really want to be the Blue Beetle anymore, we could see Ted reunite with the Scarab. This is where we innovate, this time Ted finally bonds with the scarab giving him all the powers that Jaimie has. As for Gold, similar to how Wally has managaed to bring back the stolen memories of Barry and his fellow Titans, Booster when reunited would trigger Ted to remember his true best friend.

I argue for this book because while the whole line up ha become a bit more optimistic, DC are currently lacking comedy titles. Blue and Golds relationship has always been a fun but yet endearing and genuine aspects of the DC universe going way back to the days of the Justice League International. DC is really missing a big best friend duo and this book could be the answer.

Justice Society Of America

Team books have been great in Rebirth and the JSA is what started team books. Way back in the 1940s these heroes were keeping the world safe and while for many years they were made redundant, they made an epic return in the modern age and became a beloved aspect of the DC universe once again. In the new 52 the gang were re-imagined in Earth 2 as the Wonders Of The World, however many DC fans really didn’t like this.

Now DC have set the stage for the return of the JSA, Johnny Thunder was seen in DC rebirth as an old man in a retirement home where he is told to find the Justice Society, Kent Nelson Doctor Fate has been turning up in Blue Beetle and when Barry Allen entered the Speed Force he saw Jay Garrick’s hat.

So the premise, once they have all returned it would be nice to see them back in full force in a similar position to that of the JSA run by Geoff Johns where the older veterans were training newer heroes as part of the team. It would be nice to see Jay, Carter, Ted and Kent dealing with this new universe and training some new members, while reminiscing about their times in the war. Possibly using the same technique of the Wonder Woman comic telling two separate stories.

Wally West

When we talk about Legacy there is no character more important than the Flash. For 20 years, Jay Garrick was the flash, then for another Barry was the flash, but after the universe altering Crisis On Infinite Earths Wally West took the mantle. He stayed as The Flash for years to come and for a younger generation Wally is often seen as the definitive Flash.

In the New 52 Wally was replaced with a younger more brooding version of himself. This change did not please fans and for 5 years people were waiting for the return of the original Wally West. DC gave us that with the rebirth one-shot. Barry and his nephew were reunited and everything felt right again, Wally went on to reunite with the Titans and down the line hopefully rekindle his love with his wife Linda Park

While Titans first 6 issues has mainly dealt with Wally, it looks like it is about to head into some important Rebirth developments. For this reason it would be nice to see Wally break out into his own solo series where he can fight classic rogues, outsmarting their every move because he knows them all so well, while also trying to restart his relationship with Linda. Also we still await for the moment that Wally and Iris are reunited.

Black Adam

DC needs a Doom equivalent, a villain that is more complex than your average criminal but also has the capacity to do good. With Luthor tied up trying to be Superman and being the ruler of Apokilips, this role should go to Black Adam.

With DC now planning on splitting the Shazam movie into two with one focusing on The Rock’s Black Adam, now is the perfect time to launch this book. Following Black Adam being the ruler of Khandaq, where people worship him like a god, and having run ins with the some of the biggest names in DC. As Shazam himself hasn’t had the best of growths since the New 52 I feel it he would struggle to hold his own title. However that doesn’t mean he can’t face of with Black Adam, this book could reintroduce the Marvel family and even possibly Black Adams love Isis (they may want to change that name though).

Legends

Now i’m not usually a fan of cashing in off the movies or TV but sometimes it works. Legends could be a very special book. While a books called Legends Of Tomorrow gave us 4 ongoings in one including Metamorpho, Firestorm, Sugar and Spike and The Metal Men, this book would be a team book. It wouldn’t necessarily have to have the same roster but it should be a similar premise

Where this book could shine is ability to showcase unused characters, just imagine Rip Hunter could lead a team of Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Red Tornado, Zatanna, Fire, Ice and Mister Miracle on an adventure through time. The roster could be ever changing and could act as more of anthology series showing short stories of the team stopping time aberrations. 

The Show has taken a bunch of lesser characters and turned them into something really special, hopefully this book could do a similar thing. 

So there you have it 5 books that could elevate the DC Rebirth line-up, and while some are more likely to happen then others (i’m looking at you again Blue Beetle) i truly believe that they would grab back those few DC fans that still haven’t found new hope within DC. While you wait for the slight possibility that these books come out, we are getting some new rebirth books in February. Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion take on Batwoman, Steve Orlando takes gives us a new Justice League Of America and Jorge Jiminez hits us with a new generation of World’s Finest with Super Sons. We also have Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman centric JLA event and Geoff Johns Watchmen story to look forward to.

DC are back on the rise with Rebirth and we can only hope for more greatness as DC continue to unravel the mysteries of this new status quo.