#but he seems to have evolved from this Robin Hood figure to a son returning home

[oldtvandcomics]

I have seen multiple posts about the new Zorro show this morning, so I suppose it just started? So, while it is a subject people are talking about:

The very first Zorro book, The Curse of Capistrano, later renamed as The Mark of Zorro, is available for free on Project Gutenberg, and it was genuinely one of my top 2 books of 2022 (it's a tie with the German pirate novel Ein Meer aus Feuer). Genuinely one of the best-paced things I've ever read. 100/10, would absolutely recommend.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Do you have any good not fluffy/too fluffy Jason fic recs? He is my special interest and I like when he’s badass

luckily for you I read an exceptionally large number of Jason-focus fics for someone who probably talks about him the least of all the core Batfamily members. Here's a couple that I really like:

All the Roofs of Uncertainty, by Kieron_ODuibhir: For all the blood on his hands, Red Hood was never just a villain. And Nightwing never gives up on family, not for good. Or: The one where Dick bleeds a lot and Jason argues with everybody.

dead man's party, by TheResurrectionist: The “seeing ghosts” thing didn’t really bother him. Jason could do without the constant mother-henning from one in particular, though. [Or: Martha Wayne spends her afterlife making fun of and mothering Jason]

Deluge in the Wasteland, by Silver Spider: Maybe she'd been wrong. Maybe she was hiding from the wrong person. It couldn't hurt just to see him one more time before... Bruce/Talia. Post-'Son of the Demon' AU. [technically a Talia-centric fic, but Jason co-stars quite heavily]

It's a Hard-Knock Life (Except When There's Cookies), by Hinn_Raven: Jason Peter Todd would like it to be known that he did not adopt an orphanage. If anything, the little brats adopted him.

second impressions, by Valkirin: Red Hood doesn't know that Stephanie Brown is the new Robin. Tim Drake doesn't know anything about Red Hood or why he wants to fight Robin. All Tim knows is that a man in a red helmet just broke into his house. Jason needs to figure out what's going on, Tim needs a dad, and Stephanie needs to figure out just how long she's going to last as Robin.

Strays, by Cdelphiki: Three short months ago, Bruce brought Jason home after finding him starving, alone in an alley. Now he was doing quite well in his studies and training, but it broke Bruce's heart how much Jason seemed to expect the other shoe to drop any day. He'd never had a reason to trust the adults in his life before, so of course he was having difficulty coming to trust Bruce and Alfred.

So when Bruce came across a skittish little puppy while out on patrol, he started to wonder if adopting a puppy would help Jason out, help with his anxieties and give him the unconditional love he deserved, in a form he could tolerate. Maybe through teaching a puppy he was safe, he'd come to realize he was safe as well. It was worth a shot, and Bruce would be a gigantic liar if he said he didn't love their new puppy, too.

The 70 Days After Groundhog Day, by Ptelea: There's a time loop that only Jason remembers. It acts as a catalyst for changes within the family. Some arguments, some misunderstandings, some bonding, some healing, and quite a lot of conversations that mostly take place over food. Dick POV, focused on Dick and Jason but with the other Bats around and very present.

The Changeling, by Silver Spider: Jason is awake and aware but half-a-world away from Gotham in enemy hands. He thinks of nothing but escape, but what happens when he meets a certain little boy? Partial AU. Starts at Red Hood: Lost Days #1 then spins in its own direction.

the city carries ruins in its heart, by nex_et_nox: “Do you trust him?” Jim asked. “Yes,” said Batman, unhesitating. He didn’t know if he would ever like Red Hood. He didn’t know if he would ever be able to like working with him. He wanted to arrest the man. But if Batman trusted him, that would have to be enough for Jim.

Jim Gordon's evolving perspective on Red Hood.

Verdant, by Cerusee: Talia puts Jason in the Lazarus pit to restore his mind. Then she takes him home.

Bonus Young Justice-verse fics:

Come Alive, by CaptainOzone: Dick went to Infinity Island on a mission to rescue three. He never expected to return with an additional two. None of them did. AU of 3x06.

Resurgence, by Hinn-Raven: Healing is a slow process. Too bad the universe seems to have forgotten that. Even as the Team and the Justice League try to recover from the death of Wally West, the universe throws another obstacle for them to deal with. Post-Endgame Fix-It. Two-Shot.

Stages of Deterioration, by aradian nights: After Bruce finds Jason Todd, catatonic and traumatized, miraculously alive on the streets of Gotham, Tim, Dick, and Barbara attempt to fix their broken brother. AU.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1206

Monday, March 26, 2018

 28 years. That's how long it's been since I left Vancouver to move to Ottawa. Leaving my Comicshop family was difficult but my own family here helped ease the pain. I spent a little time catching up with one of my Comicshop cousins yesterday who I haven't seen since coming home. It seemed like no time had passed at all since Colleen and I had last been together. I cherish friendships like that.

 Weapon H #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Cory Smith (art) Morry Hollowell (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I had a feeling that this new character would catch on with fans when he appeared in the Weapon X comic books and I was right. He's got his own book now and if you're not familiar with Hulkverine all you need to know is that he's a mix of the Hulk and Wolverine. Pretty awesome right? In his human form he's an ex-military contractor named Clay. He spends this debut wandering around the country trying to stay out of trouble but trouble always seems to find him. This reminded me a lot of the Hulk stories where Bruce Banner just wanted to be left alone. All his travelling necessitates a big global enemy and the Roxxon Corporation is just the evil conglomerate to fit the bill. I like this all new, all different Hulk so I'll be following his adventures from now on.

 Batman #43 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art pages 1-12, 17-17 and 19) Hugo Petrus (art pages 13-14, 18 and 20) June Chung (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Everyone Loves Ivy part 3. Now that he's engaged to marry Catwoman he's not so dark knight, but he's still a good detective. Batman figures out how to stop Ivy from taking over the entire population of the world. Plus he figures out who the real killer of Ivy's victims is. I like that we got to see how amazingly powerful Poison Ivy can be but not a huge deal was made out of it. The change of artists was subtle and I didn't notice much of a difference until the very last page. Bruce and Selina's wedding starts next issue and I'm going to crash it.

 Kick-Ass #2 - Mark Millar (writer) John Romita Jr. (pencils) Peter Steigerwald (digital inks & colours) John Workman (letters). I was confused when I flipped open the cover to the first page because I thought that Kick-Ass was caught by the bad guys at the end of last issue. I think I got this story confused with Mark Millar's new Hit-Girl story. There's a Robin Hood element to this new Kick-Ass. Her plan to make a living is fraught with extreme danger however and I hope she doesn't suffer too much down the road, but I know she will. That's why I keep reading.

 Runaways #7 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Best Friends Forever part 1. My favourite Runaway is featured in this second arc and I am a happy camper. Molly may be the youngest but her naiveté and upbeat attitude helps to make this book fun. I also wish I was thirteen-years-old again. Her best friend in middle school seems normal but the last panel is very foreboding.

 Superman #43 - Patrick Gleason & Peter J. Tomasi (writers) Patrick Gleason with Joe Prado (pencils & inks) Stephen Downer (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Bizarroverse part 2. This issue was easier to decipher because there was more normal dialogue mixed in with the backwards Bizarro speech. I would skip this story until the Bizarros disappeared but I really love the art.

 Avengers #685 - Jim Zub, Mark Waid & Al Ewing (writers) Paco Medina (pencils) Juan Vlasco (inks) Jesus Aburtov (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). No Surrender part 11. The Hulk is back big time but is he just mindlessly rampaging? There's a hint in this issue that I found very exciting.

 Super Sons #14 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Carlo Barberi (pencils) Art Thibert (inks) Dono San/Protobunker (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The Parent Trap part 2. Damian's mom is going to kill Jon's mom and the boys are trapped in an awful situation. I like how Peter is showing the boys' evolving friendship.

 The Mighty Thor #705 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The only thing standing between Mangog and the total destruction of Asgardia is Thor. This issue chronicles her ultimate sacrifice in a glorious battle that rocks the heavens. I don't remember if we've ever seen Thor without her helmet on but the last panel of Page 17 shows us how beautiful she is. This whole issue has awesome art but that panel was breathtaking. The last page made me start to grieve.

 Incredible Hulk #714 - Greg Pak (writer) Carlo Barberi (pencils) Walden Wong (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). World War Hulk II part 1. The recent story titles have got me feeling some déjà vu. If they were just rehashing old stories I'd drop this book but this new World War Hulk is precipitated by a different situation than the last one. If you didn't read the Hulk's return to Sakaar story that just wrapped up you really should to find out where the Hulk's head is at now. I'm going to be following this story with interest. As Logan says on the last page, "no way this ends well".