#but feeling like batman is ultimately my favourite part

[quillthrillswriting]

"i love the internet because i get to learn new things" "i love the internet because i got to find a community"

HUSH. i love the internet because it lets me get as close to being batman as possible. i be sitting on public transit thinking "they don't know i'm a niche tumblr fanfic writer"

[leefail]

This is just a mini info dump from an Arab batfamily fan because I find Damian calling his siblings Akhi... adorable (for me as a native speaker watching a writer use Arab words) and, not painful, just... itchy, it URGES me to make a pptx with 300 slides and just? Talk about Arabic?

So... أخي, Akhi, Brother.

It's not incorrect. The word is used in the right place and delivers its intended meaning. Other Arab speakers might not find a problem with it. They'd feel odd like I did but will likely go "eh" and carry on. But I'm an Arabic enthusiast, so...

Like with every language with geographically widespread users, the Arabic tongue kind of- deviated from its roots. The language has naturally branched out into so many dialects I myself can't keep track of.

Arabs from different regions can understand each other. They use the same words but for different purposes and with different pronunciations.

The original root language that holds them all (Quranic Arabic) was simplified into an easier, standard version that is used for formal speeches and as a communication bridge (seeing that you can't, say, translate something to Arabic and say it's for all Arabs if you use a certain dialect. Because an Arabic dialect is an identity at this point, tell me somebody is Syrian, and I know them already)

Now, with the fun part.

See, no Arab calls any sibling of theirs Akhi, I myself would burst laughing if mine did.

Yakhoi يَخوي (nonstandard, everyday Arabic for o, brother) , maybe, if I'm calling a stranger from the streets or an offender I'm going to give a piece of my mind.

Or, hold your breaths, my brother is crying, and the lights are out and I NEED to use the tenderest, most loving, most adoring, most revering tone I could muster so he just knows he is loved and family. Y'know? This specific situation.

And other Arabs might just say, no, I use it when, I use it when, I don't use it, etc.

The point is, nobody will mention Akhi. Because it's a Standard Arabic word, a formal word, and a word used in translated texts and stories when a foreign character we don't consider part of us call their brother. It's weird, it's devoid of emotions, and it's like watching a robot trying to be emotional, but it's a translated text. That's what translated texts use, and it's fine.

It is fine, Standard Arabic has been used for stories so much that nobody questions its influence on a character's characterisation.

I'm not saying Standard Arabic shouldn't be used for story writing, quite the opposite, in fact. I'm just saying that if Arabic is used to represent an Arab, its usage should also consider an everyday Arab experience and manners.

Now to Damian.

Akhi is robotic. Damian's personality does allow him to fall under that category. If for his well refined manners and polite, formal speech.

But even the King wouldn't call his brother Akhi.

He'd call him by his name. For my community (and most, I'm sure) siblings are called by their names, and if we look up historic Quranic (Root) Arabic speakers, they, too, call their siblings by their name. Yes, even the Sultan.

If not by actual name, then either endearing or demeaning names.

Arabs LOVE endearing names, but they're dipped in a pool of honey I don't think Damian would like to dive in.

Talia, on the other hand, would most certainly call Damian Mama. Arab parents call their kids by their own titles. It's the ultimate expression of parental love of all times, in my opinion.

(Don't make Batman call him Papa, though. Pretty sure Damian would malfunction)

-

Well, I said all that, but watching writers include Arabic words in his vocabulary is still sweet. Tt is not even a word, but it's such an Arab thing it's my favourite.

If only I could make subtitles of everyday Arab talk and show you, their speech is heavy with, excuse my English, word softeners, it's like they're talking in a TV drama and not the real world.

Watching Damian adopting it would be interesting :D

[iliadicjasontodd]

Do you have any Jason AO3 fic recommendations? Or just DC AO3 fic recommendations in general?

Hello! Hi, yes I do.

So, of course, anything by yutro @boyfridged, first of all, such as paint it over, black out days, & leave no trace, but genuinely all of their work is incredible. They understand Jason on a fundamental level- though to say he understands only Jason that deeply would do him and his writing which is so, so skilled, a disservice :))

the clay steals the clay by zipadeea is beautiful.

I'm sure you're familiar with it, but PLUTO. by orpheusaki @damianbugs is, imo, a classic. It recalls some of the feeling of some of the best parts of Countdown for me, for obvious reasons.

all of ceramicheart's (who I'm not certain would want me linking his tumblr blog!) work also- in particular redshift, but all of that series and, like I said, I love all of her work. ultimate Kyle Rayner understander & beautiful writer.

What the Living Do, Anonymous, is one of my favourite fics, esp as someone trying to give Jason Cotard's Delusion at every possible occasion.

last word WISDOM better get some even too late by Esmenet is one of my favourite fics point-blank. the Anne Carson of it all...

Get Used to Dying, by papered_king is one I always associate with the above, stylistically also! Love the meta of this, love theatre as horror.

a second darkness by vlnlr @batphobique. This absolutely blew me away, and the script format was, personally, a major bonus. I will probably be reading this over and over again.

mushrooms at sunrise by bleepbloopskoodlebop & Amble On (and your friends will surely find you) by Nightsrk both feature Jason dealing with schizophrenia, and I am very, very fond of both.

the Emergency Line series by crucifixinhell

i am what i am by luuma.

dirt by sunspikes. It's horror to me.

Time Loop fic! Ad Infinitum; Modified by familiarities (twistsandturns)

The Cold Like Coming Home by cabezas_de_vaca.

Smashing Tail Lights by CunningCrow @redactedcrow. I have read this about 5 times. I am still (very patiently) waiting for part two. It was, I think, the fic I read directly after reading Lost Days for the first time.

Apollo by sparkypants. the horror of never letting go!!! the horror of bruce wayne specifically never letting anything go!!!

Incomplete, but which came first (the robin or the grave) by figofswords @figofswords. Two years on I'm still hoping for more but it's very good as is as well!

do you listen to the girl in red, white, and blue? by ThatSpicySeaFlapFlap. Stephanie Brown girl of all time Stephanie Brown

Trapped by lurkinglurkerwholurks. I must have read it about 15 times whenever I'm feeling anxious. Because something is wrong with me.

Song of the Insensible by Jade_green.

The Whale by chucklesbuckles if you want some very terrifying Jason, & Get Joker by them (featuring maybe one of the only Harley Quinn depictions in a fanfic I've found compelling, not that I know her well) also!

Your reflection, your bitter deception & dust in my mind by KangaRou.

Bloodstains Won't Make It Matter by skylarkblue.

This is orphaned, but The Last Laugh.

Enough by Lunette3002.

Batman Kills the Joker by DragonflyxParodies & Palimpsest by cabezas_de_vaca both take interesting metatextual approaches to killing that stupid clown.

You're No Hero to this Story, Just Another Wretched Pawn by EventualToast. The way this is written is so genuinely unmooring and perturbing; it feels very authentically like derealisation and the true experience of profound horror despite most of that being magic.

To My Brother by a_silly_gander, I’d feel less like St. Sebastian if you’d stop searching for another arrow by worthy_willow, i know (do you know?) by cuephrase, imperfections can be nice by mikkal, Where You Perfectly Stand by cherrysour, what's in your head? by sinistercacophany @sinistercacophony (also has very good aftg fics, as an andrew enjoyer I come back to their work often), . I am at heart just sentimental about Dick & Jason.

the prophetic spring by yellow_caballero @yellowocaballero. I need you to understand I barely ever approve of Reverse Robin AUs. It's a thing. I talked about it extensively. I don't even care about or actively dislike a lot of the characters this au focuses on but it doesn't even matter here, seeing as I've been a fan of this author's writing for ages. So much tragicomedy. If you, or anyone reading this ask happen to be a fan of TMA do yourselves a favour and go read their TMA work also.

Late Night Langoustining by whaleofatime. I rarely read fluff but I'm very fond of this one.

Stage Directions by confusedrambler.

I mention sparingly but arkham!jason was my first foray into DC at all- and so naturally Ill Weeds Grow Apace by LananiA3O is something I've come back to, mostly for nostalgia nowadays. And trauma of course.

So if you want to absolutely ruin your entire day and possibly week and possibly several months, Of Broken, Blazing Wings by FrEShAVocaNoob. It absolutely wrecked me, I felt genuinely unwell after, but it was worth it.

Clearly Calm and Keeping Terrorised by Batbirdies & the Make a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul series by bacondoughnut are others I think everyone knows, but I thought I'd mention them anyway.

Anyway, I'm sure it shows that I've got a bit of one-track mind when it comes to characters I read fic about, but I hope this is a good collection for you. It took me two hours in one sitting but for some reason I can't write an essay for my master's degree? Fascinating.

[glitter-stained]

I’m trying to get a handle on Jason as a character. I got a great answer on Jason and Tim from @ultimate-marysue but they directed me to you as the Jason Todd expert. I’m wondering about Jason and Damian now. Do they interact at all in canon? Are they friendly/friends, typical brothers, enemies, or just acquaintances? Or do they just ignore each other?

I hope you can give me an answer. Thanks either way!

Oh goodness, that's because @ultimate-marysue is an absolute sweetheart but unfortunately my Jason knowledge is far from exhaustive, especially when it comes to Jason and Damian since some of their relationship happens in, um, unfortunate comics that are hard for me to get through (they probably say that because I study developmental psychopatholgy and do in-depth analysis about jason through that length rather than exhaustive lore-knowledge).

Sorry to toss you around like a pingpong ball, but I know @daisybell-on-a-carousel is currently trying to read through every single one of Jason's apparitions in comics (godspeed), so depending of where they're at in the comics they're definitely the one to ask for stuff like that in general. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who posts a lit of lore/meta about Damian and Jason's relationship, but I do know @spicy-apple-pie loves Damian a lot and does really sweet comics so idk if they can help you but at the very least if they can't you'll get to read some cute comics.

The little I know about Jason and Damian's relationship:

-Jason and Damian's first meeting, from what I've gathered, is either from Battle for the Cowl (brutally butchers Jason's character, my second least favourite ever if I could go back in time to stop Tony Daniel from writing it I would), in which Jason shoots Damian in the chest, or Morrison's Batman & Robin run (somehow even more hated by the fans than Daniel, Morrison has admitted later to just not liking Jason's character. According to a survey I'm running these two are in the top three of worst Jason writers, but Morrison has a bonus of also butchering Talia's character to an unfathomable level and I don't know if I like his Damian very much either.) in that run (which is Dickbats with robin!Damian) Jason is portrayed as the classic "crazy evil villain" bs and making Dick his sworn-enemy apparently (he's more of a plot device than anything imo). So, we're off to a great start.

-The issue is, with the reboot, I find it pretty hard to clarify for some events which ones are still canon or not. The current state of dc comics is pushing the batfam conception more than ever before, with Jason back in the family (something that vaguely happened off-screen in the n52) and neither jason, dick, tim, damian nor anybody else seems to reference or resent anything about that despite how cartoonishly evil jason was in those so I think it's implied that they're not canon anymore (and I hope they stay this way and buried under twenty layers of retcon). However I don't think I've heard or seen any mention of a different first meeting for them so there's this shadow area of yeah btfc and morrison's jason probably didn't happen but then what did?

-currently as I said dc (ie tom king amongst others) pushes for a very "classical family batfam vibe" so they're on panel/on missions together but i haven't heard of them having arcs together in mainline (people who know more than me please feel free to correct me in the notes, in general but also if there's more about this specifically). I'm getting "siblings that don't really like eachother but don't hate eachother either vibes", especially on Damian's part. It's really not the most developed relationship in the batfam, of that I'm sure.

-for many people I've seen that their favourite damian and jason comic is juni ba's boy wonder volume 2. It isn't canon in mainline (and not my favourite jason characterization tbh) but since the two of them don't seem to interact that much in canon and the story is pretty popular and feels kinda parallel-ish to canon I get why people would consider it their reference. Also it has pretty sick designs for the both of them which certainly doesn't hurt.

-in the young justice show, a brainwashed/brain damaged(?) Jason is shown holding a baby Damian in his arms. This has no incidence on any dc comics canon but is extremely cute and therefore worth mentioning.

[zahri-melitor]

1,3,7.

1: Bruce Wayne (Batman)

This one was inescapable. The idea of picking a favourite issue or arc or run or title for Bruce is just overwhelming. How do you even narrow it down? I will agree with ink that Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive is probably the best interrogation of Who Is Bruce Wayne that DC's ever written. If I wanted to give someone a single issue to introduce them to who Bruce in the comics can be, it would be Gotham Knights #32, 24/7, which is famous for a reason.

But veering off the horribly obvious picks, I want to rep The Brave and the Bold: Batman and Wonder Woman (2018) again, which I was completely charmed by and really enjoyed the combination of Celtic mythology, Bruce and Diana.

Or for my recent pick, I would say read Batman: The Knight (2022), if you haven't read it yet. It was so satisfying, in what I wanted to see from a 'Bruce's world trip' story and it hit so many points that I expected and wanted to see elaborated. (I'm cheating slightly as he's credited as 'Bruce Wayne' the whole way through by LOCG but yeah, it'd be my 'want to sample recent Batman stories' pick for someone coming back to the fandom)

3: Dick Grayson (Nightwing)

Dick recs are equally hard, as it's like: "do I just reel off a list of the classics"?

If I were forced to suggest a single issue, part of me really wants to say Nightwing #143, Freefall Part Four, where Dick and Tim steal the Batplane and go raid a secret base together.

My other ultimate classic is probably Robin #13 (1993), but Dick's officially Batman in that comic, so I can't list it, even though "that's the way it is. Between fathers and sons" resonates in my mind.

So maybe...Birds of Prey #8, the circus date with Babs. I love that story so much for what it says about Dick.

7: Clark Kent (Superman)

This is my highest non-Bat in the list, and sometimes it feels like I've read hardly any Superman stories at all (LOCG has me at 749 appearances read. I have read a respectable number of Superman stories, even a decent ish number for which he was the main character)

I think I have to pick PKJ's recent Action Comics run, though I've only read 1050-1060, and I keep meaning to go back and read the earlier part of the run. It felt like it understood the heart of Clark as a family man and Superman as a symbol.

(I also thoroughly enjoyed Bendis' Action run, sorry everyone, but Event Leviathan and the lead in were genuinely delightful stories to me)

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, round one of the losers bracket

Propaganda:

For Jonathan and Martin:

Season Five is so funny for this. Jon is like nooooo I can't kill these people I'm enjoying it what does that say about me and Martin is like FUCK EM UP. I think they end up killing like three or four people as part of that. Very swag of them

they go around an apocalyptic london smiting people but only if jon feels like it

One of them is an avatar of an eldricht god of fear, the other one serves a lonely god at some point. They try to be good but they actually did some terrible things. Jon ate some people's fear, re-opening their trauma. Martin is all about murdering the people who hurt them, once the apocalypse rolls around. They're canonically in love.

They literally bring the end of the world about, and Jon is the human embodiment of the fear of being watched. They also both have no concept of private property or privacy in general (they have broken into so many places). They also both share an affection for cows. They were living their best cottagecore life as the entire world was being thrown into a fear filled apocalypse that they caused.

For Edward Nygma and Oswald Cobblepot :

they ARE evil and they DO actually murder people together. and sometimes they try to kill each other. literally bonded over being murders when they first met. have done innumerable crimes since. gotham's worst on/off-couple.

The epitome of "the couple that kills together stays together" except that they are also often trying to kill each other. But that's just how love is sometimes. But yeah, Oswald confesses his love for Ed, except he also murdered Ed's girlfriend a little, then Ed tries to kill him, but then he hallucinates Oswald's ghost singing seductively to him because he's also definitely in love with him. They both do so much murder and they are both so in love with each other in such a messed up but ultimately devoted way; I genuinely think they are the most murderous and husbandly murder husbands out there. Plus they have all the delightful campy themed flair of Batman villains!

Goth x nerd couple except they're campy supervillains who like to spice their gay drama up with murder and they have soooo many issues. The spicing it up with murder includes both killing the other's partner out of jealousy and just trying to kill each other many MANY times. I wish the memory of this show was fresh enough in my mind to give you a breakdown of their relationship but alas. Anyway, these two are like the most iconic thing in this show for me, not only for their relationship but their personalities individually

[kevin-day-is-bi]

Embarking on watching all the Batman movies pt 8: Superman vs. Batman: Dawn of Justice (2016):

I actually really liked this one.

In terms of plot, it’s structured very much like a comic book, and there are a lot of shorter plot points feeding into an overall plot. While I personally really loved it, it didn’t work as well as I think they hoped it would. It was also fairly long (I watched the extended version which was 3hrs), and while I didn’t get the feeling of “ugh they could’ve cut this out” that I usually do in long movies, it still dragged on in a couple places.

When it came to acting, everyone did a good job. Henry Cavill plays Superman a little more on the serious side, which is rarer to see so I enjoyed that. Ben Affleck does a really nice the-cowl-is-barely-off Bruce, and it was fun to see the detective side come through. Obviously Gal Gadot is perfect in every way. Amy Adams does a great job of showing Lois’s sincerity. The younger, slightly more psychotic Lex was really fun, and it makes the timeline make more sense with this being a Batman Year Two and Superman still being fairly new on scene.

The movie opens with Bruce comforting a newly orphaned child, and I super loved that, because I feel like that aspect is missing from all the live action Batman movies thus far. A lot of the scenes were set up in a way that made them look very comic book esque, and that was super fun. I think this was a much more effective Batman Year Two than Dark Knight for a couple reasons, mostly because we actually see him go to the brink of killing someone several times, and we get to see him decide to back away from that path. He looks scary when he’s Batman, he’s still mostly urban legend, and he’s pretty awkward in almost every non-Batman interaction we see him in.

This movie also bucks the trend which all of the others followed, and has an exactly equal main woman to main man ratio. We have Batman, Superman, Lois, Diana, Lex, and the Senator. It made me able to stop feeling like I was watching a male power play for a bit and therefore I enjoyed it a little more. Lois had agency and ultimately furthered the plot more than either Clark or Bruce, which I loved because in the comics, the big three (Clark, Bruce, and Diana) are almost solely used as symbols for most of the time (especially 90s-2010s) and their side characters drive much of the story.

My biggest overall issue is that we don’t have any of the Gotham Rogues. All the villains are Superman’s, which was definitely interesting, but I feel like with the time they were given, they could’ve fleshed out the Gotham aspect as well as the Metropolis one. However, I loved the hints we got to the Justice League (and I do like the Justice League movie), and I liked that we got hints of the Lex/Kryptonian cloning process. With that being hinted at, and Cyborg being created, it felt like it was being structured very similarly to how a Batman/Superman Year Two comic would be structured, with hints of the next generation happening very early on.

My two personal favourite parts of this were that A, all the women had agency (and there were multiple women!) and B, it felt like they put a lot of thought into the timeline and any repercussions of the changes they made. I didn’t at any point go “this doesn’t make any sense!”, or feel as though they had done something that made another future canon thing impossible.

In terms of personal enjoyment, I’m going to give this a 6.5/10. Just like Batman 1989, this type of comic isn’t usually my favourite to read, but the way they adapted it was mostly good. As always, I wish we had more Batman side characters, but it was absolutely a step in the right direction. I got chills when we heard the Wonder Woman theme, and I clapped when she saved Bruce.

In terms of comic accuracy, I’m gonna give this an 8/10. I literally cannot think of a single thing that they changed that they did not work to ensure it would still work in-universe, and the plot was accurate (sometimes to its detriment, as it didn’t always adapt to the screen well). I especially loved the allusions to Death of Superman towards the end.

[itsblueberry13-blog]

#This is the single greatest essay on the Doyelism of Bruce Wayne's abuse I have ever read#OP I love you#THIS IS WHY I'M HERE#Batverse is the most nuanced and sympathetic portrayal of an abused family and realistic portrayal of an abuser I have ever encountered#The only thing that came close was the first three seasons of Supernatural#John Winchester was never just one thing in the narrative before mid-S3#after that the show decided to make Dean the biggest woobie there ever was and it all went down the toilet#there's so much complexity and tragedy and aching humanity in real life abusive relationships#it's the difference between humanized portrayal and apologia#it's why so many antis belong to the Good Dad Bruce cult. Purity culture runs on binaries of good and bad#The idea of acknowledging Bruce as an abusive father and empathizing with him as a scared and broken human being#acknowledging that toxic love exists#accepting that giving an abusive parent the opportunity to redeem himself and reconcile with his kids#is actually the best thing for them all#it requires a kind of compassion and nuance and tolerance that the black and white thinking of antis simply can't accommodate#I think it's also why I feel like fandom has changed for the worse since the '00s#people used to be fans of the Batverse because it was a fucked up family. queer people in particular saw ourselves in the uncategorised#unspoken and conflicted relationships that spoke to our understanding of kinship and found family#we related to those jagged and unlovely edges#but ig the reboot attracted younger readers who saw themselves in the children#and wanted the kind of uncomplicated respectable nuclear family they want for themselves#there is such a rejection of anything transgressive or...messy in the pop cultural landscape now. everything must fit into boxes.#the tags are getting away from me but yeah#the Batfam as it is is *important*#and it's on the fandom to acknowledge the story for what it is before engaging with that whatever way they want to#bat meta#favourite#anti bruce wayne

By @spite-and-waffles

#bruce wayne#totally agree with all of this#though i think it's notable that his internal narration is actually very rarely 'i'd never hurt my kids'#he's usually written as constantly thinking about how he has hurt and could hurt his proteges#but it's more a part of his guilt complex where he both is and isn't personally responsible because 'being close to him is dangerous'#and so his solution is to put them at a further emotional distance. which does not help at all#the most glaring example of this is batman and robin eternal#which is just dozens of issues of dick and jason and tim discussing how hurtful he's been as a parental figure#and bruce knows that he is (though his idea of what part of his behavior is hurtful is different from theirs)#but ultimately the narrative implies that the real problem is the emotional distance he's been creating to 'solve' this#and then hilariously we never even see him choose to not do the emotional distance thing#because he literally had amnesia during the entire story and thus was not there to learn any lessons from the conflict#although you do get a sense that the only reason the kids are discussing how he hurt them is BECAUSE he's not there#so there's that#still cannot believe the heartwarming emotional climax of the story that reassures everyone bruce loves them#is literally damian just telling them that actually bruce DOES talk positively about them all the time. just not to their face#do tynion and snyder have siblings??? because it's usually a bad sign when parents only praise a child behind their back to the OTHER child#anyway i think it's interesting that even when writers are in the 'loving' step of the cycle#(or just trying to prove that bruce IS a good parent deep down. which is what a lot of the 'loving' step tends to boil down to)#bruce's behavior is STILL not in line with what a responsible caregiver's would be

By @forevercloudnine

#(additional thesis: the format of long form comics has accidentally made bruce a shockingly realistic abuser too.) That would be an amazing essay!

okay, this is gonna be a lot more stream of consciousness and less polished than the post these asks are in response too, but i have finally looped back around to wanting to talk about it so here goes.

First off, I don't mean to say that Bruce is, like, the most realistic depiction of an abuser ever. When I say "shockingly" I mean it less like "very" and more like "it's shocking how close they got considering literally none of this was intentional."

We talk a lot about the inherent flaws in a massive comic universe like this--so many different writers and different books and different eras bring different ideas to a character. And when that goes bad, it's awful. You end up with characters who have no baseline personality at all, who act in incomprehensible ways, who are blatantly dancing to the whims of the current writers.

But also, there's something to that exact same trapping of the medium that I love. Because people are people; we have personalities, but none of us are the same person at every moment of every day. And in a weird and accidental way, comics can hit on that so well. Different writers show the same character from slightly different angles, different eras give the most gradual character development achieved in possibly any medium, and you end up with beautifully complicated and multifaceted and dynamic characters. (Who, yes, also all have some stories that are just terrible outliers, but we're going with the average here, alright.)

So. To Bruce. And being an abusive parent.

accidental nuance.

The thing about a lot of fictional abusers is that they're completely, obviously awful all the time. They live perpetually at 100%. They walk on stage just to do something abusive, and then walk off stage until their next cue to be cruel. (There are also very nuanced and genuine portrayals of abuse out there, but let me compare and contrast here)

But Bruce? Occasionally Bruce is really great to his kids and manages to support them just how they need it. More often he makes some attempt, but can't really get there (typically because he refuses to show the degree of emotional openness that his kids need). Sometimes he just kinda doesn't consider his kids or their feelings, or he cuts them down, or he relies on them to support him. Periodically, he is so blatantly awful it's obvious to everyone.

I threw out a brief comment in that post about "a parent who is nice to their kids sometimes and abusive other times is the definition of an abusive parent" and that's exactly it. The person who is always 100% awful surely does exist somewhere, but that's not really...the most common scenario.

No matter how good or bad a parent Bruce is, he is never a flat supporting character (on account of, yknow, being dc’s single most popular character with a million starring roles). He doesn’t appear in comics just to be abusive and then leave. Even when he appears in, say, a single issue of a comic about one of his kids to act as an antagonistic force, you can guarantee he’s simultaneously appearing as the hero in another book.

And most mediums just...don’t have 80+ years to slowly build this story of a man getting gradually more closed off, getting less supportive towards his kids, then more likely to lash out, and escalating the frequency with which he does, until it’s a predictable pattern, while also having the space to maintain him as a character completely separate from his children.

cycles.

This is absolutely the most unintentional of all, and yet.

The perpetual rotation of comics writers with different ideas on Batman and his parenting approximates something...weirdly close to a realistic cycle of abuse. In the shortest description possible, that cycle is: abuser escalates -> reaches their worst point -> acts super nice and loving again in the wake of things -> repeat. And like...how many times has Bruce being abusive to his kids under one writer been followed by another writer portraying him as more open and understanding and kind to them? How many times has he insisted (even in private narration) he never hurts his kids, despite obvious history to the contrary? And he always reverts back to hurting them.

And, of course, looking at any of those nice moments in isolation, they are just nice. Looking at them with a irl perspective, it’s obviously just a tug-of-war between writers. Bruce saying he’d never hurt his kids isn’t intended to be an aspect of his abuse; it’s intended as a pleasant retcon. He doesn’t always revert to abuse because he’s an abuser with agency; he reverts because he’s a fictional character under multiple writer.

But when I started to look at it with an overall, in-universe perspective...god it is wildly easy to see those moments as the honeymoon period in his ongoing abuse. (And I don’t mean to say that’s the only way to look at them. I acknowledge writer intent and regularly enjoy when Bruce is a good dad. But I also regularly pull back to a big picture view and go like. hm. there’s a pattern here.)

a tangent.

So weirdly, the first thing that made my brain start spiraling in this direction on more than a subconscious level was the way this manifests in fanfic. Like, let's ignore all the fanworks where Bruce is portrayed as a purely good dad for the moment, okay? We're only considering fics where his abuse and flaws as a parent are fully acknowledged. And (in my anecdotal experience) even then, the conclusion is almost never that the kids should just cut him out. The conclusion is about making him a better parent. Or forcing him to at least grapple with his failings. Or giving the kids distance and safety nets, not so they can avoid him, but so they can still interact with him, just in a safer way.

And I don't mean to imply that those are bad conclusions! They are, by and large, written as incredibly compelling and complicated ways to deal with the struggle between "Bruce hurts his kids" and "his kids love him."

But it's a fascinating phenomenon to me. I can't think of a single other fandom I've seen where something like that happens. I can't imagine that flying somewhere else. Even if the protagonist loves their abusive parent or partner, the happy fic ending is always about dissuading them of that notion and getting them away.

...because all those abusers are flat and evil. But Bruce is too complicated to dismiss. Even if you do hate him, you understand the kids loving him, and you want happiness for them.

“realism” and the important point.

In terms of art and storytelling and, idk, getting at the heart of the human condition or whatever, depicting an abuser with depth and realism and ups and downs is valuable on its own. And art has inherent value as art, but in terms of “does this improve the world,” it’s also valuable to portray abusers as human so we can understand and be able to address abuse.

But the part that feels even more important to me is how key that is for the kids.

When you see the other kind of fictional abuser--the 100% evil one--you hate them from the start, because of course you do. And you hate them the whole way through. And when their victim is having complicated feelings about it, you're maybe thinking "ah, yes, I am aware that abuse is difficult and can mess with your head" but you aren't really feeling it. This person is so obviously evil. And you'd never say it about a real person, with real feelings, but with this fictional character...why do they even care about their abuser? Why do they have mixed feelings when this piece of fiction is so clearly black and white?

The thing about Bruce is that (even if you are jaded and hate him now) there was probably a time when you really wanted him to be a good parent. He's Batman! He doesn't walk on stage just to be evil; he walks on stage to be the hero, or the mentor, or the teammate, and that's how you meet him. And then you see him with his kids, and it's so easy to latch onto the nice moments. It's so tempting to point back to better times--forgetting or ignoring his flaws in those eras too.

He was a nice guy, even if he wasn't perfect. He's more closed off, but he's still trying. Okay, he hit his adult son once, but it was in a really dark moment, you see. Well maybe he's done it a few times. Look, though, he's being a great dad right now! Alright he manipulates his kids regularly and gives them little positive feedback, but he's a good dad underneath, really, we've seen it. Okay so maybe now he periodically hits a kid out of nowhere and then pretends it never happened, but he's not hitting anyone in between!

You can just...really easily put yourself in his kid’s shoes and get it, even if you’re simultaneously condemning Bruce from an objective third person perspective. Because Bruce was never introduced to be hated, never introduced to be evil. He just hurts them anyway.

[hiero-green]

Top 5 Batman portrayals? 👁️🫦👁️💕

OOOO OK OK

So Misha said they don’t have to be live action portrayals so there’s a mix in here! This was also SUPER HARD TO CHOOSE so for the record these aren’t so much ranked as they are a nebulous cloud of a top 5

Kevin Conroy in B:TAS/TNBA/JL. This was probably pretty predictable. Come on. He’s first voice I hear in my head while thinking about Batman (a close second tho actually is something like his voice in Arkham Origins and the Hush movie! Idk their actors tho) and he played one of if not the most important Batman portrayals ever. To get NUANCED about this briefly, I do have issues with the DCAU’s later writing for Bruce, namely how everything about him seems to get so grimdark and edgy compared to his warmth and gentleness in B:TAS BUT how and ever SO. Kevin Conroy king forever 👑

Robert Pattinson in The Batman. You know I love me my Rpatz. I can absolutely understand why he might not be someone’s favourite, especially if they’re a fan of the classic depiction of Bruce, but what I really love about him (and this extends to Riddler too!) is that despite being different in some ways on the surface, all his traits ultimately come from the same core character and experience as depictions that feature more galas, swimwear models and ski trips in the Alps Brucie Waynes. He’s both a very grounded depiction of a deeply troubled man yet he toes the line between the “realism” of ‘verses like the Nolanverse and more camp superhero stuff so well and he has so much potential for his sequel, as well as of course giving us the chance to see him be a detective!! Finally!! To mention Robert himself then, he did such an amazing job playing Bruce. I love Robert Pattinson, I really do, I seek out movies with him in them, and still every time I see him in a movie, Rob completely melts away and it’s just… the character. There truly are few actors I can say that about, but I feel it so strongly for him, and his Batman portrayal was no different. (Also autidm bruce yuh). I also love his dynamic with Jim, Rob and Jeffrey are so good together.

Bruce in Batman: The Imposter. A non-actor one on here! Admittedly I don’t read as many comics as I’d like, but Batman: The Imposter was one I had to buy in May after seeing The Batman and having it recommended to me. For a lot of the same reasons I like The Batman 2022 Bruce, I like B:TI Bruce. I find with him that there’s such a��� a softness to him. When he’s Bruce, there’s such a quietness, almost a meekness to him. He really reads as very pained but still somehow managing to find a kindness in his heart, even when he’s so isolated from the world. I also think it’s interesting — if slightly concerning — that Alfred is pretty much gone from Bruce’s life. A while after Bruce comes into Alfred’s care as a child, Alfred can’t handle him anymore, sends him off to boarding school, and dips from the Wayne family completely. Absolute worst Alfred I’ve ever seen, we do not stan. BUT my point is that, while I feel like there’s a chance the author wrote Bruce to be alone for the sake of cliche lone wolf edgelord, it just makes his shy nature outside of the Batman suit stand out to me more. Even so alone, he hasn’t lost hope. And. The page where he’s talking about his effect on Gotham, and he sheds a tear from under the cowl. Yeah. Yeah it got to me. Also! He’s the closest we have to a canonically autistic Bruce!

David Mazouz in Gotham. Okay. Okay. Gotham is not well-written, nor do I like the fact that Bruce plays a part in the show at all, I don’t like him being on a path to Batman from the moment his parents die. HOWEVER. I think David is a fantastic depiction of a young, struggling to grieve, anger-filled, doesn’t-want-to-feel-powerless Bruce. He’s a kid trying to understand himself and the world that’s been turned upside down on him, and David portrays a great balance of innocence and blooming maturity. Also, the older he gets, the more he looks like a perfect Bruce I swear to god. Even if I don’t like Bruce’s role in the show, I always thought David Mazouz was a great fit.

Bruce in The Batman 2004 cartoon. This one’s just fun. They don’t really touch on the darker aspects of him and they don’t mention his parents much at all (they don’t pretend they never died, but they’re very *very* vague and rare about their mentions of them) but I just think he’s really fun. He’s young and energetic but he’s not a party animal, and I think he’s interesting as a,, surprisingly stable Bruce. He also doesn’t have as much separation between Batman —> Bruce and Bruce —> Brucie as other depictions which I think is interesting! He feels very genuine and always like himself, but they’re also not afraid to show him being self-destructive or neglecting his needs for his work.

BONUS MENTION BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS: Ben Affleck in the DCEU. Okay okay OKAY I do not like the DCEU. I really don’t, and I think Bruce is grievously miswritten (???) in BvS. But. Ben deserved better. I can very easily see him as Bruce. I think he makes a very good older Bruce, AND he was great in the party scene in BvS where he meets Clark and they butt heads. Same as with Henry Cavill, they deserved to play better written versions of their characters.

Thank you for the thought provoking ask, Mish!!!!

[autisticcassandracain]

Duke Thomas

the only character that matters <3 focusing mostly on how I write him and what I try to keep in mind

Under the cut bc it's a bit long, but in short the aspects I find most important to keep in mind when writing him:

Duke's a massive adrenaline junkie

His parents' influence

Duke's strong sense of personal responsibility

Duke's way of connecting with people

Duke being extremely analytical

1. Duke's a Massive Adrenaline Junkie

Seriously. TBH this might be like, my favourite part of his character. I fell in love with him the moment he reacted to being shot for the first time with 'isn't that baller'. If fandom HAS to distill him to one assigned character trait, I want it to be 'the crazy one'. On a more serious character analysis note, I think it's one of the most interesting things about his character because it was born out of trauma. He explicitly states this in We Are Robin; after all of Duke's death-defying experiences, he started craving the thrill of escaping death at the last second. You know how heroes sometimes create their own villains (and how people will argue heroes create their own villains even when they don't)? The villains of Gotham created the Signal when they decided to pull their batshit stunts. I just think it's neat!

2. His Parents' Influence

Might be a bit of a weird one to include? I think canon does pretty well on this, especially when it comes to his mom, but in fandom portrayals I find it lacking. People often slot Duke in as yet another Wayne kid, and while I don't doubt he sees certain Batfam members as family (he explicitly considers Cass his sister), I really don't think he ultimately considers himself part of the Wayne family. He was never adopted by Bruce, just fostered, and his parents are still alive and he has a strong attachment to them. I think erasing his biological family (or at least, the family he grew up with, since I guess his biological dad is a villain) in favour of the Wayne family does Duke's character a massive disservice, since so much of his identity is wrapped up in the way he grew up and especially his mom's ideals and values. Also I think it's Pretty Shitty to erase his biological Black parents in favour of Bruce, a white dude.

3. Duke's Strong Sense of Personal Responsibility

@/phamtai did a wonderful meta on it here, which I feel like I don't have much to add to bc it said pretty much everything that needs to be said. Duke considers it his personal responsibility (and, by extension, the responsibility of others) to help if he's able to do so, and even if he's unable, he needs to try. He's absolutely the kid who got into fights with bullies in school. 100% think that's what the majority of the fights referenced in We Are Robin are about lmao.

4. Duke's Way of Connecting with People

IDK how to put this? I think one of Duke's most prominent character traits is (or at least should be) the way he connects to the people around him. This manifests itself in various ways in canon. One of them is that he's a great and natural leader/team player; we see this in We Are Robin, and also in Tales of the Dark Multiverse. (Personally, I think this is one of the main ways in which Batman and the Outsiders dropped the ball on him; putting him in a team but not having him truly and properly interact with it.) In addition, he's a natural at reading people; we see this when he figures out Damian's entire psyche in like, a day, in the ways he approaches villains and mysteries (trying to connect with Daryl, figuring out the motives and secrets of Szasz' victim in The Cursed Wheel, even the way he connects to Batman), etc.

Like, Duke just has charisma and is a natural at reading and connecting with people. He can get them to believe in stuff they otherwise wouldn't, and he's great at pulling them apart and putting them back together. His first response when faced with a human problem is almost always to try and reach out and understand them, and it often pays off. (TBH it's why I'm still kinda wondering how they're gonna play the 'Daytime Vigilante' thing with him, since it's by nature a very isolating position in Gotham, and I think Duke works better with a large cast because it highlights his people skills. It's part of why I'm so pissed they're ignoring the potential of the Robin Collective in his continued story.)

5. Duke is Extremely Analytical

This is something I pay a lot of attention to when writing, because I feel like it affects pretty much all of his thought processes. Duke is, by nature, extremely analytical. He tries to pull patterns out of the world and unravel them. You can easily see this in the way he tried to challenge the Riddler as a kid, the way he approaches/uses his powers, his natural talent for detective work, etc. This talent also got nurtured by Batman's training during the Cursed Wheel, so Duke's actively using and trying to improve on it. I think it affects how he sees and interacts with the world a lot.

[remosdeerica]

Batshit AU Pt #2: The Grandkids

So I mentioned in the last post Batshit AU Pt. #1 that I cover Dick and Jason's kids but since I've been thinking (read: fantasizing) about the future of the Batfam I figured I'd just do a post with ALL the grandkids!

Just a heads up: this is a LONG post.

First we shall start with the Grayson's:

Mar'i and Jake (Jake is not my original name I've seen it pop up in other media- dunno if it's canon in any timeline but I'm going with it).

Mar'i Grayson: Mar'i is the biologically daughter of Dick Grayson and Koriand'r of Tamaran (aka Starfire). Kori is unknowingly pregnant after one last one-night-stand with Dick before going back to her home planet to take over as queen. Unfortunately, because of Kori's sister Komand'r (aka Blackfire) causing civil unrest to try and usurp the thorn from her, Tamaran becomes unsafe for Mar'i as she is Kori's only heir.

-Kor'i goes back to Earth with an infant Mar'i and begrudgingly hands her over to Dick so she can live with him and be safe from Blackfire.

-Kori of course visits while she can but has a lot of responsibilities on Tamaran. When Mar'i is older she is able to go back to Tamaran to visit her mother.

-A few years later when Dick and Barbra get married, Barbra officially adopts Mar'i. Seeing both Kor'i and Barbra as her mothers Mar'i decides so call Kori "Mama" and Barbra "Mom/Mommy".

Jake Grayson: don't have much of an exciting backstory for him. He was basically just an orphaned infant Dick and Barbra decided to adopt after his bio-parents had been murdered.

Now he have the Todd family:

Because I am a heartless monster I decided that since Roy died in the comics without any sign of Lian and Jason was pretty fucked up about it, I would have Jason adopt Lian because Roy wasn't round to take care of her. So this is basically what happened:

Lain Harper-Todd: 1 year or so after Roy's death, Jason is visited by Jade Nguyen (aka Cheshire) who is carrying an infant Lian. Jade explains that she hadn't realised she was pregnant with Roy's child until after he was already dead and since she is not ready to give up her life as an assassin she states that Lian is better off without her. She then asks Jason if he would be willing to take Lian in as Roy's former partner (read into that how you will).

-Jason agrees, and decides to hyphenate her last name Harper-Todd so that she will always have a piece of Roy with her even if he can't be there for her in person.

it's not that I don't think JayRoy is cute! It's just that I honestly I don't really picture Jason dating anyone in my mind and the thought of him being a single dad is just precious. I'm also allergic to OC's (of my own making) so I usually try to keep to characters that are at least canon in some timeline and Lian was the first to come to mind.

Also I'm a angst-hungry monster so...

Drake-Wayne/Dowd/McGinnis household:

Lol, this family has too many names.

I already went over Terry and Matthew McGinnis' backstory in Batshit AU Pt. #1 but if you are too lazy/ don't feel like reading it I'll try to make sure to cover the important details.

Terry & Matthew McGinnis: A few years down the road, Tim is the current Batman and married to Bernard Dowd (my new fave batship). One night on patrol he finds the boys hunkered down behind an garbage container and approaches them.

-Terry is extremely protective of his younger brother Matt and becomes immediately aggressive, swinging a baseball around and threatening Tim to leave them alone.

-Tim finds it admirable/endearing that Terry is willing to face Batman alone in order to protect his brother and tells him so. He then asks them where there parents and and Matt (trusting Batman) tells Tim that they were killed by the 'Bad Men' who are now looking for he and Tarry.

-Tim is worried for the boys safety and offers to take them to the Police, but Tarry only says that they already tried that and that there are spies in the GCPD who ratted them out to the 'Bad Men'.

-Tim figures out that the boys are in more danger then he first realized and takes them home with him in order to protect them.

-Tim eventually finds out about Project Batman Beyond, an experiment orchestrated by A.R.G.U.S. in order to create the perfect child to usurp the Cowl and give A.R.G.U.S and 'in' with the Justice League and the super-community as a whole. A part of this project is making sure the children are biologically Bruce Wayne's in order for them to also gain influence over Wayne Enterprises.

-Tim realizes that there is no real safe place that he can send the boys and after discussing it with his husband, Bernard, the two decide to adopt the boys.

I think this adoption story is one of my favourites. Especially because I find the idea of Bernard not at all being surprised by his husband brining home black-haired blue-eyes orphans, hilarious.

Bernard: I figured since you are now Batman it was only a matter of time.

Tim: >:(

Wayne-Kent situation:

DamiJon is one of my absolute favourite ships in existence. But since both boys are so young in canon my version of their future relationship truly is creature of my own design, I will explain them a little and then the kids. I'll be quick about it. Promise. (There is also a 2 part series I'm working on that goes into my version of events called "Jon and Damian" if anyone is interested. Jon's chapter is done but Damian's is still in the works).

Jon: he is the one that I really have to explain. I call my version of him "Dark-ish Jon" or 'dark ish jon' for the tags. For those of you who already know the deal (or don't really care) y'all can skip to the *** for the kids.

-basically Jon was kidnapped by Jon-El (Clark's Kryptonian Bio-dad) in order for Jor-El to mold Jon into the perfect weapon for his plan to conquer the universe. They have a machine that Jumps through various timelines so no one can find them, and Jon-El trains/tortures Jon for 2 years.

-Jon eventually discovers new powers that allow him to kill Jor-El and escape but he ends up spending the next several years trying to find his original timeline.

-He eventually meets the Legion of Superheroes that help him get home, but once he arrives home he realizes that for him it has been 7 years since he was kidnaped, but only 2 weeks for his family/friends.

-Because of this he and his family find it hard to adjust to the new situation and Jon ultimately decides to return to the Legion but visit occasionally.

Damian: Honestly I don't think I really have to explain much about Damian for y'all to get the kids but I do want you to know:

He has long hair

He has peirced ears

Possibly tattoos?

He's has more of a slim figure than Bruce's bulky one

He is a fashion icon and kinda has 'bitchy white girl' energy

Bacically he very pretty and looks a LOT like Thalia

And yeah. The two eventually reconcile after Jon is done moping in another timeline and they decide to retire from crime fighting and build a cottage/farm and live in peace.

***

Athanasia: So she is actually Bruce's bio-kid from the Injustice timeline. And for my AU she is still Bruce's biologically and she does recognize him as her father, but because she and Damian are 13/14 years apart and she knows him better she lives and defers to him as her caretaker. I shall explain:

-Athanasia was created by Thalia in a fit of madness after Damian's death. Because of what happened to Damian, and because Athanasia turned out to be a girl (and therefor Ra's would have no use for her), Thalia keeps the little girl locked away and a secret so that no one can harm her.

-Years pass and Athanasia has never seen the outside would. Eventually something happens (will depends on the Fic -because I will get around to writing this shit eventually) and Athanasia is given to Damian (the only other person Thalia ever told her about.)

-At this point Bruce is getting older and most of his current children already have their own kids, so both he and Damian agree that because Athanasia is mostly attached to Damian and doesn't really know who Bruce is outside of being her father, that she will live with he and Jon.

-Athanasia get's older and eventually meets another girl at her school named Carrie Kelley. The girls form a quick bond, Carrie's louder personality complementing Athanasia's more quiet one.

Carrie Kelley: being best friends with Athanasia leads to Carrie spending a lot of time over at her house. This allows Jon and Damian to get to know the girl and become quite fond of her.

-one night after a sleepover at Jon and Damian's house with some of their other friends, Carrie's father comes to the house drunk and carrying a shot gun. He accuses Jon and Damian of being pedophiles because of their sexual orientations and calls them a variety of homophobic slurs.

-It's his attempts at shooting Jon that leads to Carrie calling 911 and having her own father arrested.

-Because her mother had already left and Carrie only had her dad to take care of her, Jon and Damian offer her a place in their home and eventually adopt her along with Athanasia when the girls are teenagers.

So, yeah! That's it for now. I am absolutely obsesses with this AU. I just love the idea of Bruce deciding to take in Dick leading to him having an army of children and grandchildren so large that all family gatherings have to happen at the Manor because nowhere else is big enough.

[emotionallyits2009]

deancas fic rec list!

hello everyone! happy christmas to those who celebrate it, my gift to you is my fic rec list that i said i would make like a month ago. the only thing it is organized by is canonverse vs alternate universe. tried to cover a variety of subjects but there are in particular many fics of the genre “postcanon where cas is human and he and dean live together and slowly finally get their shit together” because i know what i’m about, son. HOPE U ENJOY. and if you wanna talk about any of them or rec me other fics please do. :) 

Canonverse:

where the weeds take root by deathbanjo, 30k, explicit “Are you happy? Y’know. Just—being here,” Dean says, gesturing to the yard with his beer bottle. “Being with—I mean, you used to fight in celestial wars and—and save the world. Now you’re growing vegetables and talking about chickens.” There are many fics set in a post-canon universe where Cas is human and he and Dean live together and slowly fall into a relationship. Imo this one is the best of the best of that genre. This was one of the first fics I read back in July when I was getting Back Into Supernatural where I was like oh fuck I’m like in this. Dean builds Cas planters and bookshelves and a chicken coop and they fight and work through it.

Cuckoo And Nest by komodobits, 10k, explicit For a long time, Castiel thought that every earthly possession other than the immediately necessary was excess to requirement. But Dean – Dean who named his car, who keeps a photograph of his mother in his wallet, some thirty-plus years after her death, who still has the crumpled ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign with a sleeping pelican emblazoned on it from the Microtel outside of Roanoke where he first kissed Castiel, clumsy and unsure, under the unsteady fluorescence of an exhausted bathroom bulb – is sentimental. It puzzles Castiel, where Dean draws the line between what is meaningful and what it is worthless. Really Gets the dynamic of Cas doesn’t think Dean wants him to stay/Dean thinks Cas will leave the first chance he gets. Also a nice example of Cas thinking he’s not wanted if he’s not useful/powerful and being told otherwise. Another all-time fave!

lonely hearts by outphastthemoat, 4.5k, gen He thinks he might give up having his own anything just to be able to step foot inside the room next door and sit on the edge of Dean’s bed instead. This one is for the CAS GIRLS who know what LONELINESS feels like.

Helionneiros by aeli_kindara, 24.2k, mature In which Dean visits his mother, and Claire takes Cas on a hunt. I’m always on the lookout for more fic with Claire and Jack. Jack doesn’t show up until the end here but the relationship between Cas and Claire is really nice.

Crawl by aeriallon, 11k, explicit It’s been almost four years since Castiel left Kansas; he'd eventually settled in an island town where he has a job, a house, and a life without the Winchesters. Every winter, Dean drives down to the coast to see him. Another fic where Cas is human but in this one he took some time for himself and got some distance from the Winchesters! He gets to be competent and weird as a human and we love that for him. I must warn you all that this fic contains one use of the phrase “making love” which would normally put me right off but it’s still worth reading. The first of a three-part series.

home where you hold me by microcomets, 1.6k, gen Cas and Dean, in the moments between their battles, ache for quiet spaces. Technically this is a coda to 10x20 but you don’t need the episode for context. Short and very sweet.

Build a Home by domesticadventures, 20.1k, teen After they save the world, Dean expects Cas to come back to the bunker with them. He doesn’t. This one is so cute it’s like what if once they were done saving the world Sam and Dean actually invited other hunters to move into the bunker with them. Obviously Dean wants that to include Cas but doesn’t know how to use his words.

the taste of gravel in the mouth by deathbanjo, 22.4k, explicit This is what Cas gave up Heaven for: greasy diner food, shitty motel rooms with even shittier cable, long car rides spent in complete silence except for the same six tapes playing over and over again, and a burnt-out husk of a man who can barely hold a conversation anymore. Angst fic! They go on a road trip and Dean is severely fucked up post-Mark of Cain.

Unknown Quantities by xylodemon, 8.6k, explicit No one ever tells Dean anything. Another nice getting-together fic.

Creature of Habit by trinityofone, 5.2k, teen The more you love someone, the more you want to kill them. Or: How Cas developed some bad habits, and Dean coped surprisingly well. This one is ancient by destiel standards (written during season 5) but it manages to nail the married couple vibes they give off in later seasons. Cas is a bitch and Dean likes him so much. <3

The (Mostly Accidental) Courtship of Dean Winchester by Tuesday, 11.2k, mature Angelic marriage rites were never intended to go quite like this. Another old one that is a lot of fun! They get Accidental Angel Married and if you don’t enjoy dumb fanfiction tropes like that I don’t know what to say to you.

Vena Amoris and Other Old-Fashioned Bullshit by pyrebi, 4k, teen In which angelic marriage bonds are apparently stupidly easy to trigger, Cas wages multidimensional war in Heaven, Dean can't catch a break like ever, Sam rather enjoys being a dick, love saves the day, and nobody consummates anything. The OTHER accidental angel marriage fic written in 2010. 

Crazy Diamonds by pantheon_of_discord, 24.8k, explicit A week ago, Dean was pulled out of Hell. Now, he’s apparently woken up in 2018, and the angel that a mere twenty-four hours beforehand had threatened to chuck him back into the pit is sleepily pouring himself coffee and wearing Dean’s second-favourite Zeppelin shirt. It all seems like a perfect happy ending, but with Hell’s scars still so fresh, Dean can’t imagine how he could have possibly gotten there. At the same time, the Dean who went to sleep in the bunker, right next to Cas, wakes up on Bobby’s couch in 2008. He’s instantly bombarded with questions by a Lilith-obsessed brother and a man who’s been dead for years, and must decide between keeping his finally-perfect life intact, and the lives he could save by re-writing history. Regardless of these choices, both Deans are trapped in the wrong decade, and their only way back lies with a Castiel still very much under Heaven’s thumb – one who might find the future Dean describes difficult to believe. Time travel is FUN. There’s an excellent part where (minor spoilers) future!Dean is like, “Guess what, asshole? You like me so much you marry me!!!!!!!!!!!” to 2008!Castiel that made me laugh out loud the first time I read it. Also just a good reminder of how most problems in life are temporary and if you could go back in time to talk to your younger self you’d be like, “Hey man. Chill out. You get through it.”

The Path of Fireflies by museaway, 63.7k, mature After his humanity is restored, Dean wakes up in bed with Castiel, a wedding ring, and no memory of the past twelve years. There’s a lot of amnesia fic and djinn fic out there were Dean wakes up ~suddenly together with Cas~ but I like this one in particular because he’s initially very confused and kind of a dick about it until he acknowledges that being with Cas makes him happy.

take the long way home by dothraki_shieldmaiden, 95k, explicit Three months ago, when Dean decided to retire, he thought his life was going to end up differently. He'd thought that he might get to have it all, Sam, Cas, Jack, and nice little place to live. Instead he gets Sam and Jack off on their Summer of Love Tour, radio silence from Cas, and a never-ending road trip consisting of himself. Still reeling from the loss of his grace, Castiel travels the country in search of hunts. Driven by a need to prove his usefulness, he pushes himself beyond all limits of endurance. Together, with the help of a few friends, a crumbling Victorian house, and a stray cat, Dean and Castiel patch themselves back together and create a home together. Do you wanna read almost one hundred thousand words of Dean and Cas having extremely intense feelings but refusing to voice them aloud? Haha of course you do that’s why you’re here. There’s also a lot about Cas adjusting to being human and being depressed about it which might resonate if you’ve ever felt weird about having a body. To be honest the author could stand to use a few more commas but there were also half a dozen moments that made me put my phone down and drag my hand slowly over my face and whisper “oh my god” to myself which is like, the ultimate measure of a good fanfiction so it gets to be on the list.

like moses and batman and james dean by saltyfeathers, 31.6k, explicit dean used to turn tricks. over a decade later, he met cas. Have you seen the fanon (apparently pioneered by Mr. Jackles “Original Deankin” Ackles himself) that Dean used to prostitute himself to feed himself and Sam when they were younger? Are you interested in exploring that concept in fanfiction? Well, this is the only fic you need. Mind the tags on this one! It’s not what I’d call happy but it’s good.

Some Assembly Required by narrow_staircases, 47k, mature It’s September of 2005, and Dean Winchester, in an attempt to outrun old mistakes and painful memories, finds himself in southern Kentucky on a wild goose chase. He’s completely certain this weird religious movement he’s “investigating” is a hoax, despite the miraculous healings people report, and he’ll be back on the road in a day or two. Things are looking up when he meets Cas, an awkward (and gorgeous) graduate student who’s actually doing honest-to-god research into the local tent revival meetings. When that research takes a weird and personal turn, Dean’s left to face two very serious realities: one, this may be a real case after all, and two, he’s fallen way harder for Cas than he should ever have let himself. Stanford-era AU of Dean trying to avoid his father and getting in over his head on a case.

Alternate universe:

And This, Your Living Kiss by opal_bullets, 57k, mature Only a very few people in the world know that the celebrated and reclusive poet Jack Allen is just Kansas mechanic Dean Winchester, a high school dropout with a few bucks to his name. Not that it matters anymore; life has left him so wrung out he never wants to pick up another pen. Until, that is, a string of coincidences leads Dean to auditing a poetry course with one Dr. Castiel Novak. The  professor is wildly intelligent, devastatingly handsome...and just so happens to be academia's foremost expert on the poetry of Jack Allen. Mundane AUs in this fandom have to be really, really good to catch my attention and this one is! It’s exactly what it says in the summary and the characterization is spot-on. 

Out to Drift by deathbanjo, 20.9k, mature Dean drives a black car with a loud engine. He lies too easily. He keeps a gun in the back of his jeans, and Castiel isn’t sure, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Dean has killed someone before. Two people in fucked-up unstable situations meeting and forming a connection. Honestly guys I really just love deathbanjo.

[stackthedeck]

what are your favourite superhero tv shows?

If I had to pick just one it'd be Jessica Jones, it really leans into the dark aspects of superhero nonsense and does not shy away from heavy themes, but that makes the few moments of levity all the more impactful. The way it handles how messy PTSD and SA are is so kind and grounded, not just despite the fantastical elements, but because of them. Like truly this show is a work of art, every shot and line is packed with meaning. But honestly Daredevil is a close second. The cinematography makes me insane!! Like the continous shot hall fight scenes!!! And the way the lighting and costume department uses color!! (Also Luke Cage is definitly worth watching, it stumbles in places but it is very good! Also defenders as some amazing character moments but the plot is not it. and iron fist is...there.)

Loki and Wanda Vision are stellar shows, the costume and set design alone are enough to elevate these shows. The acting and choreography are so good and they have all the right kind of weirdness I want from comic book properties! Unfortunately, the writing issues are glaring. Like the early episodes are masterful, but they are less than the sum of their parts which sucks ass I wish these shows were better. Falcon and the winter soldier doesn't have the writing problem, I totally see what the show is trying to say, the dramatic moments hit so well. It is very grounded, but it doesn't grip me the way the Netflix shows do, mainline Marvel movies have a color pallet problem. Like this is an important show and it's deeply meaningful I've watched it three times, but like I can't shake the feeling that the messaging is reform or the police and military and not abolish, which is not the move. But it understands why the issues exist which is really good!! (Also I haven't watched past episode 3 of moon knight, but I'll finish it soon-ish, but I like what I've seen so far)

Also Invincible!! It's an amazon prime show based on a comic that's not DC or Marvel, which like hell yeah!! This is THE superhero parady show! It is so meaningful and pointed in its parady, like it is truly is saying something about what the genre of superheroes represent. I'm not going to tell you what they represent because spoilers, this is truly a show you should go into blind, but also it is worth watching over and over again. All the character moments are deeply impactful and it's truly a beautiful coming of age story and I'm so hyped for s2 (Also Sandra Oh is there and she plays a milf, it's fantastic)

Speaking of cartoons! The Batman animated series was what hooked me on the idea of superheroes (the original superman movies were my introduction, but these cartoons got me to stay) I remember going into blockbuster and begging my mom to let me rent the DVD copies of this show. At some point, Batman beyond got mixed in there, also a fucking stellar show. Oh my goodness don't even get me started on Teen Titans!! Like DC's cartoons do not miss!! The Harley Quinn show goes fucking hard!! (very different target audience and tone than the animated series, but like Harley deserves it)

And while we're talking about cartoons, the ultimate spider-man lives rent-free in my head. I could not tell you the plot or even if the show is good, but Peter is so fucking funny. Also, the DC CW shows are my guilty pleasure. I know they're bad but Supergirl is hot and Katie McGrath is SO FUCKING HOT as Lena Luther. Don't ever watch these shows, but man I love them

[ranniecrl]

007: NTTD Movie Review (Spoiler Alert!!)

Before we start: obviously the following will contain heavy movie spoilers, so exit before it is too late.

I will be taking a few key points from the movie and comment on them one by one, with references to the previous Bond movies. Mind you, I have only watched Daniel Craig’s Bond films, so all my thoughts are based on how I feel about him as Bond and how I feel about his previous movies. Also, I’m a hard core 00Q shipper, naturally I’m biased regarding Bond’s relationship/interactions with Q, and I will be focusing on a few points about the two of them. I will try my best to be neutral, but no promises.

Ready?

1. About Vesper

First, I was a little surprised they had put Vesper in the opening titles, but I guess she would always be a part of DC’s Bond identity, and it is only fair to include her in his final film. However, it was just redundant at this point to continue dragging her into everything Bond did, while trying to establish that no, Madeleine is the “true love”, not her. They had been painting Vesper as the “true love” for years until Spectre (cuz obviously they were out of ideas), which just made Bond’s sudden change of love interest very awkward and insincere. Not to mention the villain had to blow up her family grave? Now that’s just rude.

2. Vesper vs. Madeleine

Like the first point, I have been sick and tired of the films comparing Vesper with Madeleine. In this film, Madeleine wanted Bond to visit Vesper’s grave and finally let her go, which was just ridiculous. I guess they were trying to make Madeleine seem understanding and supportive, but honestly it looked more condescending to me. Vesper was a long-lost memory that Bond had obviously hid under all the baggage he had been carrying all his life. He knew she was in the past, and he had already moved on with his life and career. Madeleine never told Bond anything about herself, and yet she had the reason to demand Bond to make a clean cut with his previous love. She kept getting Bond into life-or-death situations while never actually did anything helpful herself. She is like the ultimate example of a damsel in distress, which is my least favourite kind of character of all time. And yes, I totally blame the writers for this unsuccessful character design. 

3. Madeleine’s daughter

And…. Of course they had to go THERE.

Well, ever since pictures of that little girl were leaked back in 2019, we all speculated that Bond had a daughter, so it wasn’t a big surprise to me when she showed up. It was cliché to the highest level, but considering how NTTD was so focused on parent-child relationships, it kind of made sense that Bond would have a daughter. They wanted to show Bond as someone who’s also human and vulnerable, and they wanted Bond to exit like a man, so it made sense for him to sacrifice himself for his family. I think I would be angry and find it unacceptable if he sacrificed himself only for Madeleine.

4. Bond’s ending

Truth to be told, out of the many ways NTTD could have ended, Bond dying was my #1 choice. I found it to be the only reasonable and acceptable way for DC to exit as Bond. I couldn’t imagine them pulling another drove away into the sunset and lived happily ever after bullshit they had already done in Spectre. Nonetheless, it was cliché, and for a second I thought I was watching a smash of Ironman/Batman/Mission Impossible/Captain America. You can’t tell me that last phone call with Madeleine didn’t remind you of the one Captain America had with Peggy before his plane crashed into ice. I admit I shed a tear or two when he disappeared into the explosions, but I can’t deny I didn’t let out a hold of breath thinking thank God this is finally over. Needless to say, Daniel Craig did a wonderful job in this one, and it was much better than Spectre. However, Skyfall will remain #1 in my heart forever, followed by Casino Royale. At least he exited with dignity and a legend to be passed on.

5. Bond’s successor

Honestly, I didn’t feel much for the female 007. She was great, but she was overshadowed by Bond (obviously), and she didn’t get to show us her potential. Regardless of whether she would be the one taking over the role or not, I personally think the production company might take a few years off the franchise so we can process and let go of DC until we are ready to welcome a new one. At least I hope they do, because I sure as hell am not ready to see someone else replace him yet.

6. References to previous films

They brought in Felix as a tribute to the beginning of DC’s Bond journey, which was expected, and I liked the idea. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was having Bond watch his dear friend die and descent into deep water like how he had to watch Vesper die. That’s just mean.

A kudo goes to the opening titles, where they put spades on the clock hands as a reference to Casino Royale. That opening was so beautifully done I almost cried.

The following will be focused on Bond and Q, coming from a shipper’s POV

1. Bond’s return

I loved how Bond just automatically assumed Q would be on his side whenever he needed him, and Q in return, just dropped his dinner date and took on whatever job Bond needed help with. Regardless of what kind of relationship they have, I’m grateful that out of the few people Bond had ever trusted in his life, Q had always been one of them. He trusted Q almost unconditionally since day one, and he trusted Q to understand him about his last request. There was a time when I was so angry at how Bond just waltzed in and demanded the car in Spectre and left Q like he was nothing more than an acquaintance, but that was mostly the writers’ fault. I’m glad they had put the two back on a somewhat balanced and cooperative relationship, instead of keeping Q looking like a lost puppy chasing after someone that would never love him back.  

2. Q’s character development

I guess the three Bond films Q had been in showcased the three stages of his character development.

In Skyfall, he was the young and obnoxious genius who had just taken over the Q branch. Bond was probably the first agent he was taking care of as the Quartermaster, and he was much older and experienced than him. He wanted to impress his agent, but he made a mistake and let the villain get away. As an indirect result, lady M was dead, and that probably put a lot of emotional pressure on him. He thought maybe Bond was disappointed in him as his Quartermaster.

In Spectre, Q was nervous when Bond was in the same room, and he tried his best to keep his façade. He was eager to make amends and he wanted Bond to trust him again, so he jumped on the plane for him and almost got himself into trouble. He did everything Bond wanted, and yet he had to watch him drive off with that woman with a smirk on the face, as if he meant nothing to him. The last smile on Q’s face was so broken it gave me PTSD for years.

In NTTD, Bond had been gone for five years. A lot of things can change in five years, and Q finally grew out of the “childish crush” he probably had for Bond. He had matured and moved on with his life. He thought Bond was off somewhere beautiful, enjoying a peaceful life with his true love. He’s happy for him, really, because in their line of work not everyone could live to have that happy ending. Of course, Bond just had to come knocking when he was having a dinner date, and he walked in with a big smile on his face as if nothing had changed. At this point, Q had learnt to feel indifferent towards Bond, so he helped him as part of his job to keep the world safe. This time, he thought he would just be the colleague he ever was to him. He would do his job and go on with his life as if Bond was never back. He remained professional throughout the mission, but he couldn’t help but begin to panic when he realized Bond was not leaving the island. He called him James, voice trembling, trying to think if there is anything he could do to help, but there wasn’t. When Bond asked him to put Madeleine on the line, Q probably already knew he was not coming back. He listened to his final words with everyone else because that’s what he was, a colleague. At least he was there with him as his quartermaster until the last moment, and that was enough for him.

3. Final words as a 00Q shipper

A fellow long term 00Q shipper friend watched the premiere in London back in September, and to say she was devastated was an understatement. She was so depressed and heartbroken that I was seriously worried about her emotional wellbeing. I was stressed myself because of her reaction and I was afraid I might have a mental breakdown in the theatre when I finally got to watch it. However, I felt fine. The ending was as expected, and the few precious moments of Q and Bond interacting with each other were very in character. I’m grateful Q was there when Bond died, instead of having him just getting a memo after the fact.

As a 00Q shipper, I know that Bond dying would put a lot of people in tears. However, it is inevitable because Daniel Craig can’t be Bond forever, and they would never make 00Q canon. I have learnt to separate the films from our fandom, because the Q and Bond we felt in love with were actually the ones we have imagined them to be. Everyone’s version is different, and I personally feel the 00Q ship we have come to love is not based on the original films, they are created by our fandom. In the world of fandom, anything is possible. I consider the films to be the sources of information/video contents/prompts that we can utilize. They are like ingredients, and we are the chef making the dishes. Q got much more screen time in NTTD, which meant more contents for us to use. I’m confident the wonderful and talented people of our fandom will make magic happen and continue to keep our ship sailing.

What are your thoughts on the movie if you have already watched it? Please share with me!! I’d love to discuss everything about the movie or about 00Q with you! 

[collectivefandomstuff]

Title: A Hindering Hand Type: Fanfic, crossposted to AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270097) Status: Complete. Chapter: 1/1. Fandom: DC/Batman Rating: T Warnings: Language. Beta: No beta we die like Jason Todd and also Damian Pairings: None. Word Count: 4k+ Genre: Humour/Comedy Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne. Summary: When Dick is refused the opportunity to coddle Damian, he decides to lavish his other siblings with his questionably helpful assistance. They are palpably ungrateful.

Excerpt: Damian didn’t answer the first time, so Jason made use of his annoying gene(s) and called him over and over until he picked up. “Todd,” Damian snarled, “I am at school. I realise that you were incapable of finishing your formal education but-” “Your fucking Dick of a brother broke into my apartment and re-decorated my living room.” Jason informed him. 

”You have got to be kidding me.”

Jason stared at what used to be his perfectly clean kitchen; now a hollowed out shell of its former self. Cabinet doors were thrown open, his carefully organised supplies haphazardly shuffled around. Every single counter and parts of the floor was covered in flour, cocoa, and something wet and heretofore unidentified. He didn’t even want to look closer at the stove or the sink, both filled with sticky, clearly misused, pots and pans. There was a smell hanging in the air, the same one that had set his inner alarm bells off when he entered the apartment: burnt sugar and something that smelled suspiciously like rotten fruit. Jason took a deep breath to stop himself from just whipping out his guns and shooting at the mess. It would be cathartic, but ultimately unhelpful. Instead, he fished his phone out of his front pocket and thumbed through his contacts.

He got through two rings before the line opened.

“He got you too?” Tim said on the other end. His tone reminded Jason of Bruce, which was usually a clear indication that Tim was fucking done.

“How can he be this useless?” Jason ground out.

“He was raised by Alfred.”

“So was I. And you.” “Fine. He was spoiled by Bruce.” “uh-huh,” Jason agreed, daring to move into his living room. Thankfully, the carnage hadn’t spread there, though there was an oven pan, placed strategically in the middle of his coffee table. The contains looked like what Jason imagined “dubious food” in Zelda looked like in real life. “I have to stop hanging out with you,” he told Tim. “Why?” “I just made a video game reference in my head.” “Which game?” “Not the point.” “I mean-” Tim began, but before he got any further into arguing why the specific game was “of import” to the discussion -fucking dweeb -Jason cut him off: “I’m going to kill him.” Tim was quiet for a moment. “What did he do exactly?” “Hi Little Wing,” Jason recited from the note that had been stuck underneath his brand new fucking oven pan Dick you bastard that was expensive. “I made you some brownies!” Jason stopped to look closer at the brown sludge that he was pretty sure was stuck to the bottom of his new pan. Martha herself recommended it, Dick goddammit. “I hope they turned out all right! Don’t work too much! D.” There was a pause. “Did they turn out all right?” asked Tim. “No,” Jason gritted his teeth, “No, they did not.” “He’s really on a spree this week.” “Yeah?” Jason muttered absently, poking at the sludge with his gloved finger. It jiggled. Somehow, that made everything so much worse. “Mm,” Tim said, and Jason could hear the tapping of computer keys in the background which meant that he had about 30% of Tim’s attention. “He hit Cass and Steph a few days ago. I guess since Cass is staying there when she’s in town he thought it was two for one. Tried to do their laundry.” “Why haven’t they killed him?” “They’re working on big drug bust. So, no time.” “Well I have time.” Jason groused, already trying to reorganize his plans for the evening. He would need at least three hours to repair the damage Dick had done to his kitchen. “Good,” Tim said, his voice cold, “because so do I.” Jason stopped trying to figure out how many new appliances he would need to buy to focus for a moment. “What did he do to you?” Tim was silent for a long while, then: “He tried to clean my apartment.” Jason shuddered. On one hand, he understood the compulsion. His replacement’s usual idea “clean” was “nothing hazardous is currently growing somewhere”. Still, the only thing worse than Dick trying to clean was Bruce trying to clean. Or cook. Or do laundry. Or vacuum. The Batman he may be, but Jason had never met a more incompetent homemaker in his life. Once, Bruce had tried to dust a little and they had to call the fire department. “And?” He prompted. “He moved everything,” Tim said, deceptively calm, “and threw out at least thirty-four irreplaceable things.” Oh shit. There was a reason why Jason stomped down the urge to clean Tim’s apartment. He once moved an old magazine when the younger boy wasn’t even there and the next day he got received three upset calls and a computer virus for his trouble. “He re-organised my desk. My cases. My clues.” Tim continued to rattle off. “And he didn’t even manage to clean properly. I’m pretty sure he tried to scrub my TV with vinegar.” Jason bit his lip to keep from laughing. Looks like Tim got it worse. “Shut up,” said Tim grouchily. “I didn’t say anything.” “You were laughing at me.” How- Jason’s hand clenched around the phone. “I told you to stop putting cameras in my apartment.” Tim snorted. “So find them and take them down. Think of it as practice,” he said, lilting the word “practice” in the same way Bruce usually did. “You’re such a creeper.” “Says the murderous crime lord.” “At least I’m not a stalker.” “Have you checked your bottom cabinets yet?” Jason stilled at the sudden change of subject. “Why?” “Looks like the re-organising urge lived on.” Oh, he had better fucking not. Jason stepped back into his kitchen and, with the care of someone opening a bomb case, edged open the door to his pots- and pans cabinet. He came face to face with his toaster, nestled between a pasta drainer and three boxes of cereal that he had not owned this morning. It was the sugary shit too. “Son of a-” “I think he put your spatulas in the fridge,” Tim said cheerily. Jason was going to wring his little neck. Right after he had stomped on Dick until the unbridled rage in his chest went away. “This is why I don’t want any contact with this family for-” “You know why he’s doing this right?” Tim queried lightly. Jason frowned. “I don’t keep track of the family gossip, pretender. I have better things to do with my time.” Tim made an offended noise at being called “pretender”. “Fine. Then why don’t you try to make him stop and call me when he’s tried to clean your guns?” Jason rolled his eyes. The dramatics, honestly. Bruce 2.0. “Why is he doing this, Tim?” He asked reluctantly. Tim sniffed. “Damian told Dick that he wasn’t needed at the moment, which was the little brat’s way of trying to get Dick to take some time to de-stress, but obviously Dick took this to mean that Damian has cast him aside and considers him a bad parental figure.” Jason spent a good few seconds rethinking the whole “moving back to Gotham” idea. He could just… leave and never talk to this insane family ever again. It was entirely doable. Just, one little call to Roy and hasta la vista you absolute nutjobs. He sighed. “So we have to talk to the demon child?” He asked tiredly. “Yeah pretty much.” “I still think my first plan was better.” “If you kill Dick, the family will never leave you alone.” That was a surprisingly good point. Dammit. “Can I punch him a little?” “I’d encourage it.” “Hey,” said Jason suspiciously, “just what are you planning to do him exactly?” “Honestly?” Tim replied. “I’m going to send a false tip to the department of Agriculture, fabricate evidence, and make them recall his favourite cereal.” Jesus fucking Christ this family was a pizza bagel of crazy with a sociopath topping.

-

It took them a while to track down Robin during patrol, and when they managed to find him they were met with immediate resistance. Which, taking into consideration who they were, wasn’t all that surprising. “Calm down.” Red Hood said placatingly while he jumped out of range from Robin’s swords. “We just wanted to talk to you about N-” He dodged a batarang that was clearly aimed at his throat. Add psychopath topping to that pizza bagel. “Would you knock it off,” Red Robin snarled, spinning out of the way when Robin spun to aim a kick at his stomach. Hood seized the opportunity and darted in to restrain the tiny beast that, let’s be real, was absolute proof that Bruce should not be allowed to procreate. Robin thrashed in his hold for a good three minutes before he finally settled down, glaring murderously at Red. “What do you want?” Robin spat. Even when Hood could feel him literally vibrating with supressed rage, he still kept perfect syntax. No abbreviations here. Little freak. “We need you to call N,” Red said. He looked a little ruffled and more than a little miffed. “I will do no such thing,” Robin sniffed. “Think again,” Hood said in his ear, letting his voice drop into a menacing tone. “Look,” Red Robin said. His hair was sticking up at the back after the struggle and he looked real fed up with this. Hood could relate. “N is running himself ragged trying to prove he’s a good parent or something and you need to make him quit before he injures himself.” Robin stilled. “What would Grayson be doing that would cause him such stress?” “He’s cooking,” Hood drawled. “And cleaning,” Red added. Robin’s whole body tensed. “I will take care of it.” He declared imperiously. Hood looked at Red, who shrugged. Yeah, good enough, I guess.

-

It was not good enough, he guessed, Jason realised as he took in what used to be his living room, but was now a cut out of a living room no one would ever willingly ”live” in from Garishly Tasteless Designs Magazine. He had his phone up and dialling before his eyes had even swept up the full length of the dirt-yellow curtains. It took a while to get the full effect of them, because he kept getting distracted by the frills and the suspiciously Nightwing-esque pattern. “Yeah?” Tim answered on the other end of the line. His voice said he was knee deep in something and wasn’t really paying attention. Probably his revenge plan, which Jason was seeing in a whole new light right now. “He redecorated.” Jason’s voice was so low it was almost a growl. There was a pause. “It didn’t stop?” Tim sounded much more alert and aware this time. “No it did I just went out and bought this lime green couch myself from Blind, Bath and Beyond,” Jason snapped. He heard Tim groan into the receiver. “But we even talked to Damian,” his replacement whined. Like he had anything to complain about. His living room didn’t have- was that a fucking Billy the Bass? Jason was going to shove his guns so far- “I’m calling the brat,” Jason ground out before hanging up and redialling. Damian didn’t answer the first time, so Jason made use of his annoying gene(s) and called him over and over until he picked up. “Todd,” Damian snarled, “I am at school. I realise that you were incapable of finishing your formal education but-” “Your fucking Dick of a brother broke into my apartment and re-decorated my living room.” Jason informed grimly. “He- you must be mistaken.” “Look, kid, there aren’t a lot of things I know, what with my not completing my formal education and all, but if there is one thing I will never unlearn it’s how to spot Dick Grayson’s fucking taste in fabrics.” “I see.” No, you little shit. You don’t see. Jason was the one who was cursed with seeing this absolute monstrosity of a- was that crystal?! “You said you were handling it,” Jason reminded him, firmly putting his back to the living room. Looking at it was bad for his blood pressure. “I do not understand.” Damian said seriously. “I specifically told Grayson to stop bothering you and go back to Blüdhaven where he could be of use.” Oh. Oh Damian. Jason resisted the urge to smack the phone into his face. Sometimes Damian’s age and social inexperience really shone through. Jason took a deep breath to keep from screaming. “Listen, Damian.” Jason said carefully. “Dick is feeling a little neglected right now, and what he needs, what we asked you to do, was to start hanging out with him again.” “-tt-” Damian was probably rolling his eyes. Jason could have Tim check later, he was sure the little creep had cameras in every building in the city. “That is preposterous!” “No,” Jason said dangerously, “it’s not. So now would you just call him and tell him you need help with your homework or something?” It was truly a testament to Jason’s level of desperation that he was willing to be this nice and patient. “Grayson needs to rest-” “Just FUCKING CALL HIM!!” Ok, so there was a limit to that patience. Oh well, he was only human. Damian, however, apparently thought that this was one indignity too far because the call disconnected. Jason glanced behind him and immediately regretted it. Porcelain figurines. Oh, how he missed the days when he was a big-name villain, and the only thing Dick did was fight him. In the corner, a cuckoo clock struck seven and a tiny robin popped out and chirped at him. Jason’s vision blurred with sickly green for a moment. Yeah, he was staying in a safe house tonight.

-

It took for days of no progress and Tim having his entire coffee-stash replaced with decaf (“cheap decaf, Jason. Low-level, buy in bulk decaf.”) before they threw in the towel and went to the manor. The estate looked as menacing to him now as it had when Jason first saw it as a little kid from Crime Alley. It probably always would, no matter how many times he was back. If Tim was feeling apprehensive, it didn’t show. He just looked grumpy, like a particularly displeased cat. His replacement rapped his knuckles on the door and stepped back to cross his arms, frowning. He looked very intimidating. Like a squirrel with an anger management problem. The door swung open to reveal Steph, dressed in a t-shirt that Jason was pretty sure wasn’t supposed to be a splotchy pale blue. Her jeans looked new. “He’s not here,” Steph told them in a biting tone. “Who?” Tim asked. “Dick. Though for the record we have to come up with a new name for him because ‘Dick’ is going to be real ironic soon.” And whoa, Steph did know how to look properly intimidating. “What’d he do?” Jason asked her. Stephanie stepped back to let them inside. “There was an incident with a waffle iron,” she said icily. “He tried to cook?” Tim guessed, taking off his shoes. “He tried to laminate.” Steph corrected. Tim grimaced. “Is Damian here?” Steph snorted. “Damian is useless. We need to strike back.” She lowered her voice, her eyes cold. “And strike hard.” Damn, if this continued, Dick wouldn’t even be allowed back into Gotham. Actually, yeah he would. Only Batman could bar people from entering Gotham, apparently. Because Bruce was only one with any rights around here, that fucking- He was getting off subject. Also, not paying attention. “-alking to Dick,” Tim was saying, “trying to talk to him is a good way to make this worse.” “I wasn’t suggesting we talk to him.” Steph said, cracking her knuckles. Tim looked unimpressed, which frankly impressed Jason a little. Stephanie was scary. Not Batman scary but- Hang on. “Hang on,” Jason said, holding his hand up for emphasis, “Batman is the only one who can bar someone from coming to Gotham.” “What the hell is your point, zombie boy?” Steph asked, crossing her arms. “We don’t need to redirect Dickies attention back to Damian. We just need to redirect it. To someone.” Jason grinned at them and it probably only looked about 30% insane. “Someone with the power to stop him.” Understanding dawned on Stephanie and Tim’s faces. “Someone who deserves to have his clothes ruined,” Steph whispered reverently. “Someone who has time to redecorate because he doesn’t have a job,” Tim added gleefully, “someone who flounces into board meetings too late and does nothing.” “Exactly.”

-

Tracking down Nightwing turned out to be the easiest thing they’d had to do so far. He didn’t even try to avoid them. “Hey guys!” N smiled cheerily at them as if he hadn’t spent the last two weeks putting them through some kind of Donna Reed inspired psychological torture. “Nightwing.” Red Robin greeted coldly and, yeah, in costume the replacement could totally pull off intimidating. “Whoa, what’s with the murder faces?” Nightwing said, stepping off the ledge he’d been standing on and walking closer. Hood crossed his arms. “You’ve been busy lately,” he commented and even the helmet couldn’t filter away the unvoiced insult at the end. “I guess?” N replied. “Did you like the brownies?” Hood tried to remember that they weren’t here to beat him senseless. Based on Spoiler’s clenched fists it seemed like he wasn’t the only one struggling with that. “N,” Red Robin said with the calm voice he usually reserved for interrogating suspects, “we appreciate you trying to… help us.” On “help us” Red’s voice broke through the calm and straight into “I’m going to kill you and bury you in store-brand decaf coffee” territory. “But we really are doing fine on our own.” Nightwing pursed his lips. “You are all working so hard-” he started, but Red cut him off. “Yes, and that’s why we appreciate it. But we’re actually worried about someone else, who needs your help a lot more than we do.” Nightwing paused and Hood could almost see the gears in his head whirring. “Who? Damian?” “Not Damian,” Red said, because they all knew it wouldn’t work to say it was Damian, “B.” Nightwing crossed his arms. “You think B needs help?” And here was the fragile part of their plan. Hood cleared his throat. “B,” he said, trying to keep his tone civil, “works himself to the bone and he doesn’t accept help from any of us.” “He has Alfie though,” N argued. “Alfie is busy taking care of Damian, since you’re not helping him as much anymore.” Spoiler rebutted. And damn, blondie, good answer. “We struggle too,” Red said, “but we help each other, right guys?” “Uh-huh,” Spoiler agreed. “Right.” Hood lied, thankful that the helmet veiled his eyeroll. “You guys help each other out,” Nightwing said with obvious disbelief. “You.” “Red is always helping me with cases,” Spoiler said, “and studies and stuff too. And I help him with staying alive and acting like a human.” Red nodded. “And Red and I work together on cases,” Hood said truthfully. “And sometimes Hood makes sure I eat and stuff,” Red added, “and I help him with security.” “They also hang out and play video games and watch nerdy movies,” Spoiler revealed. The little snitch. “Really?” Nightwing said, looking between the three of them. “That’s great!” He shuffled around a little. “So, you guys don’t need me either, huh?” Oh god. Oh dear god it was the voice. The patented Richard Grayson sad-and-feeling-neglected voice. The voice that could inspire shame and guilt in the most hard boiled criminal. At least he was wearing the mask so he couldn’t give them the accompanying puppy eyes. “Well,” Spoiler said and Hood could see her wavering. She didn’t have the years of experience needed to withstand Dick’s manipulation. “But B does!” Tim exclaimed, dragging Spoiler to stand behind him. Good move. “And the little brat too, even though he doesn’t admit it.” Hood added. Nightwing bit his lip. “Look,” Red’s voice was genuine now, “we all really do appreciate it, but B and Dami need your help more. And frankly, the last time I saw B he looked dead on his feet. We’re all good. But he isn’t. He sleeps less than I do.” Maybe that was even true. Huh. Were they doing B a solid here? Wait, no. No they weren’t. It was recommended by Martha, Dick you absolute menace. “Ok, I hear you.” N said solemnly. “I just wanted to help out.” Martha. Think about Martha. “We know,” Red said, patting N on the back. It was really awkward. “Did I tell you B has started eating power bars for dinner?” “Wait, seriously?” Nightwing looked disturbed. “That’s so bad for you.” “Yeah,” Hood said as if he hadn’t watched Red do that at least three dozen times, “he’s really setting a bad example for li’l D, isn’t he?” He thought Red might have done the wave if he could have. Hood certainly wanted to give himself the wave for that stroke of genius. “Okay, I know you guys are manipulating me,” Nightwing told them drily. Shit. “But you have a point.” Oh thank Jesus. N stretched. “Well,” he said, “I’m going to make sure B doesn’t kill himself. And yes, I’ll stop helping you guys.” He shook his head. “You three should really open up more, you know?” They nodded, because at this point they would do anything to make him stop “helping out”. Red cleared his throat. “So, good luck, uhm...” Nightwing grinned. “I’ll stop, but you all have to give me a hug before I leave.” Fuck. N pounced on Red like a jaguar on a gazelle, completely ignoring the scandalised (and very undignified) “meep” Red let out. Hood turned around, ready to make a run for it. “If you leave before a hug I’ll make you dinner next time!” Nightwing called cheerfully, still holding onto Red Robin like he was a life vest. Triple fuck. Hood sighed. The things you do to not have your living room secretly re-decorated.

-

As awful as it was to get cuddled by Nightwing, it was all worth it about a week later, when Tim climbed in through his living room window for their bi-weekly movie night. This week: when the great go bad- The Godfather 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions. “I see you got rid of the ruffles,” Tim remarked. “You didn’t see that on your stalker cam?” “I’ve been busy watching Bruce lately.” “Oh?” Jason prompted, putting the pizza boxes on the coffee-table. “He tried to call me five times today,” Tim said. He walked over and got two beers out of the fridge. Jason sniggered. “It’s that bad?” “He’s only got one target now. B is about to break.” “Tell me more, tell me more,” Jason said, making himself comfortable on his new -fucking stylish thank you very much -couch. “Like, did he do something to his car?” “I can’t believe you just made a Grease reference, you absolute nerd,” Tim commented flatly. “Musicals are cool,” Jason told him. Because it was true and he would fight anyone who said otherwise. “Was Olivia Newton John your childhood crush or something?” “Who’s to say it wasn’t Travolta?” Tim gave him a deadpan stare. “Because,” he said drily, “unlike Dick, you actually have taste.” Jason mulled that over. “Touché." He shrugged. "Now tell me about B.” Tim looked up from where he was connecting his computer to the TV and grinned sharply. “You want to experience what the Germans call ‘Schadenfreude’?” “Hell yeah I do.” Tim hit a key on his laptop and the Cave flickered into view on Jason’s TV. At least, he thought it was the cave. “Is that?” “He re-decorated the cave.” Tim laughed. It was not a nice laugh. Jason approved. On the screen, Bruce had just entered through the door to the storage area and was making his way to the computer. Trailing after him with a plate of questionable looking sandwiches was Dick. Jason nabbed a beer from the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. “Oh we are so watching this tonight. Sofia can wait.” “I made a compilation of the past week,” Tim said smugly, picking up the other beer and folding himself into Jason’s new armchair. It was beige and, most importantly, neither pea-green nor suede. On screen Bruce collapsed into his new, avant-garde office chair and put his head in his hands while Dick chatted pleasantly in his ear. “You know,” Tim said thoughtfully while Dick re-arranged Bruce’s files, “sometimes I think he’s being purposefully bad at this.” “Why?” “Oh just,” Tim reached for the pizza and Jason handed him the box, “whenever he starts doing this, we all have to interact with each other to make him stop. Like how you and I only started hanging out to begin with because he kept breaking into our safe houses to make ‘breakfast’. Well, that and that time he gave you a haircut in you sleep.” Jason stilled with his beer halfway to his mouth. “He…” Oh god. “That’s totally what he’s doing isn’t it?” Tim looked at him over his slice of pepperoni. “Yeah, probably.” Jason slammed his bear down on the table. “THAT SNEAKY FUCKING BASTARD!” Jason glared at Tim, the proof of Dick's successful manipulation. He didn't even like the replacement. Why the hell was he hanging out with him? Stupid, meddling big brothers who ruin your life. "It's okay," Tim reached over and patted his hand, "I just confirmed that they're taking his cereal off the shelves this week." And yeah, that made it a little better, actually. "I still don't like you." He told Tim. "I know. Wanna watch Bruce find out that Dick redid his wardrobe?" "Yeah ok," Jason grumbled. Maybe, he admitted to himself only, the replacement wasn't all bad. The screen zoomed in on Bruce's expression as he came face to face with a sequined suit. Yeah, Jason thought, taking another sip of beer, not all bad.

[elysian-entries]

One film, two visions; The Justice League

It’s 2017; the highly anticipated “Justice League” film, directed by Zack Snyder, is set to be released later in the year as a continuation of the DCEU.

A blockbuster movie showcasing the biggest DC characters uniting. Taking down the ultimate super villain; bound to fulfil millions of past and present children’s, as well as current adults and elderly dreams.

Then a fork in the road appears, Snyder and his wife, Deborah, step down from the colossal project due to the incredibly woeful loss of their daughter, Autumn. News hits the fans like a brick. Resulting in Joss Whedon and the Warner Bros. Studio stepping up to the mantle. Or at least attempting to.

Whedon's theatrical cut lost Warner Bros. Pictures approximately $60 million dollars. With overall painfully negative reviews and reception. Breaking the hearts of DC fans everywhere.

4 years, campaigns, hashtags, sky banners, petitions, and billboards later; I can’t say how many of us would have predicted receiving the holy gift that is the “Snyder Cut”, in its full 4 hour running time glory (in a 4:3 ratio, which somehow adds to the grandeur). 4 years of dedicated, passionate and determined people helping in any way they can for the cause. It was a journey to behold.

A large section in Snyder’s 4 hour venture is used to build dimension and depth in the characters. Making an absolute world of a difference. Something that was sorely lacking in Whedon's cut. The film had a completely different feel and atmosphere instantly.

There's no better example of increased depth in characters than Cyborg's (Ray Fisher's) narrative. I was engaged, and intrigued by his story. In Whedon’s cut, he isn't even given a second thought. His entire backstory was cut as well as his father's important role also being stripped. His scene where he sacrificed himself in order for them to find the mother box was gone. And it took away such an important, integral part in Cyborgs story, and in the film in general I believe and also realised having seen the two movies; the complicated but delicately developing relationship between father and son. And just the whole story in general made such a difference in Snyder's cut, it really is almost indescribable the difference it made. It just felt so much more genuine and heartfelt. Like a real developed and executed narrative.

In Snyder's cut we were shown detailed flashbacks that fully fleshed out his character, his morals and his relationships. Creating a much needed deeper connection with the audience. We experience his conflicting journey to accepting his responsibility, accepting the past, the "gift he has", and his purpose in the league. Leading into receiving closure. He was given great and meaningful importance and purpose in this cut.

Similarly, Ezra Miller's Flash was too given a largely more meaningful and impactful role that left quite the impression on me. His character was light-hearted and charming but still had those important, emotionally impactful scenes. Which were painfully lacking in Whedon's cut. I was left loving Barry Allen a lot more than I already did. Barry's scenes with his wrongly convicted father were hard hitting for me. They also play a large part in making later scenes more impactful. Like his detrimental importance during the final fight. In Whedon's cut his big hero moment was saving a Russian family. The overall the inclusion of the family was superfluous and extraneous, along with the robber at the start and many other things. Not only that but Whedon's cut gave the Flash a silly, attempted comical relief role. To be fair he attempted to give everybody a comical relief role. Which hardly worked because none of the attempts were actually funny and were at time agonizing. It ultimately lacked substance and came across as almost immature. The scene where Barry went on about brunch was painful. Leading me to ask, why? Why was this so important to film Whedon?

After re-watching Whedon’s version, I had gained a new found appreciation for Snyder's representation of Barry. '"Make your own future, make your own past"; he echoes his father’s words. "Your son really was one of them, the best of the best," as his theme "At the Speed of Force" plays in the background of this pivotal moment. A powerful scene reflecting Barry's ulterior motive, doing his father proud. Which invoked many tears. And still does whenever I re-watch the scene or listen to the song. As if it were the first time experiencing it. Thomas Holkenborg's soundtrack truly amplified emotion and made the scenes much more powerful, It makes for one of the absolute best scenes in the movie; I'd say one of, if not my absolute favourite.

His job in charging up Victor was completely removed and I have to wonder why. Instead Barry was left to participate in "bug duty" (bugs being one of his fears also). Barry's role in Snyder's cut, and that one incredible scene where he broke the rule was arguably better than Whedon's Justice League as a whole.

I think the only scene in Whedon's cut involving Barry that I thought was actually meaningful was where he was faced with his first real mission. And he was confronted with his fears of "obnoxiously tall" beings. He appeared anxious and frantic. Fearful. Communicating to us his inexperience. And Batman simply told him to just "save one". To which he then, without struggle, saved them all. And was also able to participate in the final battle. The "save one" scene made those achievements more meaningful.

The scene after they won the battle, showcases the victorious team standing proud; and Barry with a sweet, goofy, golden retriever-esque smile plastered on his face. What a loveable smile.

An interesting contrast is the scene in where Barry reveals to his father his new position at an “actual job”. In Snyder’s cut the father was absolutely over the moon, shouting at the top of his lungs, "his foot is in the door!" repeatedly in excitement. It tugged at my heart strings; his shameless pride in his son. Making me wonder how he would have shown his pride if he found out Barry saved the whole Earth and humanity. We can assume Barry had that unequivocally powerful underlying thought too. Contributing to his saccharine reaction. In Whedon’s cut the reaction was softer and more timid but nonetheless a sweet moment. Barry becoming bashful.

It was a sweet touch to have Cyborg and Flash finally fist bump during that victorious scene after Victor rejected Barry's initial advance in Whedon's cut. Ezra Miller improvising that “racially charged” line, acknowledging the possible racism attached to a fist bump I assume. The whole fist bumping being "racially charged" was not included in Snyder's cut. The grave digging scene was entirely different. Which I far more preferred. It was a group excursion. With a little positive interaction between the Atlantean and the Amazonian. And funnier, more light-hearted dialogue between Barry and Victor.

Aquaman’s contrast was interesting. In Whedon’s cut he actually sought out to obtain the trident to help the league (although he was always disagreeing with them). Compared to Snyder; where he was apprehensive and had to be hesitantly persuaded by Willem Dafoe’s character Vulko (who was completely absent from Whedon’s cut). This was also an importantly established relationship by Snyder. Arthur first makes his desire to help the the team known saving them from the water rushing from Gotham Harbour. He isn't acknowledged in the theatrical cut but in Snyder's cut Diana notices and takes a moment to take in his presence (I assume?). Then Barry asks who that guy is. And of course we all know, it's Aquaman.

I particularly liked how Snyder chose to include Barry asking for Arthur's opinion on military hats. It's an odd, minimalistic thing to include - the reasoning as to why I like it. I also thought it was quite charming.

A scene I think deserves a mention is when Aquaman is first introduced, and then rejects Bruce's offer, he then makes his way back into the ocean. A farewell song is performed. This was quite early in the film and I think the voices being hauntingly beautiful, yet slightly eerie/poignant set the perfect atmosphere. A well done scene.

His overall character was also contrasting. He became a genuine hero who was proved capable of more than water powers and silly moments. Including that god-awful lasso of truth scene. In the theatrical cut he was bitter, a bit of a joke, not caring too much about the events that were unfolding. He had more of a heroes’ sense of purpose within Snyder’s cut.

Gal Gadot did not gain too much from the extra scenes. Though different to the theatrical cut, Snyder had paired her with a repetitive character establishing theme. It could be referred to as ancient lamentation music. Hauntingly beautiful. Something I could only assume would be the battle cries of the Amazonian warriors and the Amazonian warrior inside Diana. In some ways possibly over used, though I thought it was brilliant. It has a special place in my heart because I love that type of soundtrack. The almost eerie, maybe poignant but overall emotion provoking type. Especially her introduction scene where she faces off against the terrorists )which was overall better in Snyder's cut) The haunting warrior moans fade into her classic theme to create an incredible atmosphere. And that atmosphere was definitely missing in Whedon's cut, in more than just that one scene. It was also sorely lacking the lamentation music. We also didn't get that sweet interaction between Diana and the little girl.

When Diana began detailing Steppenwolf and the mother boxes past to Bruce, the cuts were very strange and abrupt/awkward in some way. And it felt silly and rushed; and I think that perfectly describes the whole film.

Whedon's cut also included uncomfortable scenes. Almost forcing characters to be funny where it was just completely out of place and character. Or just downright inappropriate. To be fair, Whedon is known for the Marvel movies in which fourth wall dimension breaking and odd self ware/ironic jokes are heavily used. One of the main reasons I don't particularly enjoy them, but rather enjoy the darker, more meaningful DC movies. I say meaningful in the way in which we are completely transported into this universe; where it's taken seriously and has obvious effects and meaning to the characters. Compared to Whedon's Marvel films in which the threat is joked about and the characters make fun at their expense.

Another negative contrast is the colour grading and overall shots. A good example is the conversation between Lois Lane and Martha Kent. In Whedon's version the colour is poppy, reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or The Office. As if it were an empty shell of a TV show. Lacking any artistic or symbolic aspects. Whereas Snyder's conversation between Martha Kent (who was actually Martian Manhunter) and Lois Lane was beautiful. The lighting was dim, with steam from their hot coffee creating a brilliant shot and conveying the perfect mood. Almost a piece of art. A lot of Snyder's cut looked as if it were ripped straight out of an incredible graphic novel. His talent when it comes to filmmaking is grandiloquent. Compared to Whedon's over saturated and flat scenes as if it were from a cliché sitcom.

Whedon also made the Justice League a lot more dysfunctional than it needed to be.

The scene where the team unanimously come up with the plan to revive Superman seemed really silly and lackluster in Whedon's cut. In Snyder's cut it was a genuine moment. A "wow" moment where the penny dropped. It gave me goose-bumps. The way it was implied, the explanation/analogy with the house, and then Cyborg creating a Superman visual as the team, standing around the table, stared at it in awe. All thinking the same thing. Without even having to say it (as Barry pointed out) It was a uniting moment. Whedon's version was just, disappointing. Lacking any impact at all. And it made the team seem disconnected in a way. Whereas in Snyder's scene the league's thoughts were in unison.

There was also an agonizing amount of Wonder Woman praise. I think praise is a...well...nicer way of putting it. It was more so adolescent boy humour, immature if you will; with her being the butt of the joke. To the point where it was little uncomfortable and borderline unnecessary. And to another point where Gal Gadot refused to do a scene, (the one where Flash lands on her) and Whedon insisted so much on still including it - that they used a body double. A scene so stupid and pointless it actually hurts. Why, Whedon?

Superman's main feature in this film is his moustache. Or, lack thereof. At the beginning of the theatrical cut, we witness the infamous Superman film scene, where we are introduced to his CGI moustache…then “Everybody Knows” by Sigrid plays as we see the aftermath of his death. I really enjoyed this scene, the song and the atmosphere. I think it was a strong start, setting the poignant mood. But of course it all goes out the window and downhill from here.

The biggest difference between the two Superman’s was the elimination of the godforsaken CGI removed moustache and the introduction to the “Recovery Suit” in Snyder's cut, which was a brilliant touch. We actually see Clark stumble upon the suit. A scene where various voices from his past, echo in his mind. An equally important and impactful scene; where he flied up into the universe, overlooking the Earth he is to protect.

I also really liked the whole, "Lois Lane is key" setup, with the eerie premonitions and glimpses into the “Knightmare”. Adding yet another deeper layer to the narrative. Setting the scene for Snyder's envisioned sequel.

In Whedon's cut during the first confrontation where Clark is confused immediately after his resurrection - the previous BvS battle is implemented more. With the "Do you bleed?" question being revisited. Giving us an unwanted closer look at the strange looking $3 million dollar CGI.

I liked Snyder's first confrontation better. It included more action and participation of all parties. And it was just a longer scene, making it seem more plausible and less silly. Before Clark reached Bruce he went through every member. Resulting in a little appreciated interaction between Arthur and Barry. I also thought Whedon’s scene showing Superman throwing Batman away like a ragdoll added to the ridiculous nature.

During the final battle. (Not mentioning how uncomfortable the colour grading was causing an unlikable atmosphere. Especially when it became daylight, taking away the exciting and intense atmosphere.) Whedon's Superman's entry was a little plain. Maybe cliché. Banging on about "truth" and "justice". Which isn't necessarily bad. It's just, maybe, too Superman? We then see the relieved faces of all the members. Batman's giddy smile was by far the best. It was nice to see genuine happiness and I think that played an important role in communicating to us Bruce's character arc. From lowest of lows, and his conflicting attitude towards Superman in BvS, to Superman giving him incredible hope. Though it slightly made me uncomfortable.

Snyder's entry of Superman was brutal in the best way. Appearing just before Cyborg was chopped to bits. Giving us that epic moment of 'He came.” Superman mercilessly rips into Steppenwolf for the next minute or two. No breakaways. Which was a great choice. It perfectly showcased his abilities. Though in the theatrical cut he was shown to be the only capable one of saving the world and being the real “hero”, in Snyder’s cut, especially The Flash, they were all shown to be powerful with meaningful parts to play.

Bruce Wayne appeared more guilty and conflicted about what happened in BvS in Whedon's cut. Though he was overshadowed in terms of writing by Superman and Wonder Woman. He also was the one who brought in the "big guns" a.k.a Lois Lane as a contingency plan in case the Superman resurrection went awry. In which it did. In Snyder's cut it was coincidence, or the doing of Man Hunter in that mysterious scene. Bruce was also quite tense and wasn’t too much a bright beacon of hope as he was in the Snyder cut. Even despite Snyder's vision of him being reminiscent and heavily inspired by Frank Millers version; darker, older, broken and violent in a way (which is brilliant) he still had this character arc. The lover’s tiff he suffered with Diana was irritating and what I thought was superfluous. Creating an unnecessary disconnect with the group. It wasn't an interesting sub-plot/complication at all .

Bruce's character arc (from the dark BvS time, to the hopeful present) was more thoroughly shown in Snyder’s cut compared to Whedon's. I briefly mentioned Bruce's schoolgirl grin when Superman arrived right on time. Though Snyder more effectively showcased this positive rise through his obviously increased in optimistic attitude. When the team are off the defeat Steppenwolf once and for all Alfred asks Bruce how he can be so sure of the Man of Steel’s arrival. And Bruce replies full of vigour, “Faith, Alfred, faith!” And in another instance Barry questions their strength against Steppenwolf due to the amount of demons he has won against. Bruce declares that, “He’s never fought us. Not us united.” It was a powerful statement that heavily elevated excitement for the final fight.

During this final fight, Batman basically goes out on a suicide mission. Then the rest of the league join him for a family reunion. The Snyder cut better represented this with an astounding freeze-frame, slow motion shot of the team. It nicely established the power of unity in this case.

The way in which Steppenwolf was defeated was vastly altered. Changed completely. Mostly due to Darkseid’s absence in the theatrical cut. Darkseid added an important extra layer of looming fear, and even gave Steppenwolf more depth. It gave him an important reason as to why he was doing what he wasy doing. As we saw his utter dedication to Darkseid. It alerted us of the larger dangers that were present. Steppenwolf’s death in Whedon’s cut was ultimately debilitated after seeing Snyder’s version. Instead of being anti-climactically eaten alive by his bug minions as the sun rose; (maybe it’s a personal preference but I heavily dislike the daylight, especially for action scenes) his head was chopped off, first horn by horn, then from the neck. His decapitated head thrusted back through the portal into his own world, landing at the horrifying Darkseid's feet, along with the terrifying parademons. Engulfed by a fiery hellscape. The horror that Earth could have faced. But still could face. It reveals the deeper and darker enemy, beyong Steppenwolf looming just beneath the surface.

A sinister tune plays, as we see the victorious Justice League looking back at them. The portal then closes. Although a victory, we can’t help but wonder what the demonic and powerful entities, far more powerful than Steppenwolf, have in store for Earth’s future.

The Knightmare vision being apart of that future. It's set up from BvS to the very end of Justice League. It's a very intriguing part of Snyder’s vision. The moment where you can link up and see the connections between all the post-credit scenes and the “premonitions” is an epiphanic moment. It’s a whole other narrative on its own that you can analyse, hypothesize and discuss. It’s a very intriguing/exciting concept to think of what would have been Snyder’s future movie where Barry (as we saw previously reverse time) goes back to warn Bruce that “Lois Lane is the key”, to avoid the whole disastrous scenario. We can gather that he is referencing what we see at the end of Snyder's cut, Superman turned evil. The death of Lois Lane, whose skeleton we saw Superman cradle previously, we can assume had a hand in that, and possibly the Anti-Life equation too. It's an incredible narrative, and there are few things I would love more than seeing the Snyderverse come to life on this epic scale again.

We also finally get a glimpse of Snyder’s joker. A very exciting moment for me. Seeing any new iteration of the Joker is an exciting moment. Could Jared Leto somehow redeem himself?

Well, it sure was infinitely times better than the Suicide Squad rendition. This Joker was actually eerie and unsettling. I felt almost uneasy watching these scenes, and his odd laugh caused shivers to form down my spine. Jokers comments about “boy wonder”, whom we find out was indeed Bruce’s adoptive son, were heartbreaking (I believe he was actually referring to Dick instead of Jason surprisingly as his grave was once seen in a previous movie) Leaving me holding my breath, wondering what Bruce would say next, or what other wretched thing Joker could say. Of course the "reach around" comment was a bit off, but I’ll just brush over that.

We also learnt of Arthur Curry’s death, Harley Quinn’s death. Proving that Snyder had such a colossal plans for all the characters, dead and alive.

It’s a poignant feeling; to see this incredible, vast narrative, just beneath the surface, unfold. Knowing that we won’t be able to see it fully developed. As of now.

While watching these two completely different cuts of the same movie; it occurred to me and I am sure many other people, that attempting to produce such an in depth narrative intensive movie on the small scale that Whedon attempted, will commonly end in a painful, empty and superficial representation. Or maybe that really was just Whedon's vision.

As the epilogue ended, the credits rolled. Hallelujah began playing, sung by Allison Crowe. And as they rolled, in big letters the words; "For Autumn" took center focus. White against black. Clear as day. Like a bus, it hit hard. The reason I was sitting on that couch finally having the great honour to watch such a film. The courage it must have taken to continue and finish such a project is beyond admirable, it's heroic. Also non-profit. It only further proves what we already knew, that the intentions were pure, as no one ever doubted.

Also acknowledging the giant billboard on one of the buildings promoting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. A very important cause, especially to the Snyder’s. To date fans have raised over half a million dollars to the AFSP in honour of Autumn. A truly incredible feat.

When looking at the two movies side by side, it blows my mind to see the difference that I do. The emotion, meaning, the depth. It all just made sense in Snyder's cut. The emotion was palpable, absolutley unmistakable. Things mattered more. The people mattered more. There were reasons, and purpose. It was a genuine journey for every one of the characters, and I felt it. There were so many little scenes that made so much difference that added depth and meaning, emotion.

And I cannot say such words for Whedon, though I won’t put all the blame on him. Warner Bros. is about equally responsible. .

The true, original and intended Justice League; expatiated heroes, people, stories and journeys coming together on a grandiose scale, executed with passion and care. But also giving us a bittersweet taste of Snyder’s epic trilogy that could have been.

The end of the saga; and the rest of Snyder’s visions, are left unfulfilled; as of now. But regardless, remains as one of the things I hope to see come to life. Watching this movie, and the feeling I had during and afterward is indescribable. I want to say a massive congratulations to Zack Snyder. The film was beyond breathtaking. It really is so special and it will forever have an important place in my heart.

Though I think the most important thing to take away from the Snyder's incredible work is Autumn's story.

Thank you Zack Snyder.

For Autumn.

www.imdb.com/title/tt12361974/