#but it might of been a different Batman novel

[lisaplant4]

"Fear, you must understand, is more than an obstacle. Fear is a teacher, the first one you ever had. It’s hard-wired into our brains, part of our chemical make-up like the sensation of pain and the urge to procreate. It is foolish to dismiss fear as a mere emotion, or, worse yet, as an uncontrolled and transitory reflex. Fear is a religion. Not the one we preach – the one about the Golden Rule – but the one we live, day-to-day, dollar-to-dollar. The unspoken conviction that there’s not enough of anything in this world, and that no one’s got your back. The utter moral certainty that you’ve got no choice but to watch out for numero uno, because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and only the fittest survive. Fear of starvation is what first prompted you to smile at your mother. Fear of social ostracism is what first made you desperate to please your father. Humans are gregarious, group-orientated animals by nature. Instinctively, we know that we cannot survive on our own. More than anything, we fear isolation and social exclusion. Fear of failure, you see, is fear of social embarrassment – you might get laughed at. But fear of success is fear of social ascendancy – you might be perceived as a threat and expelled from your group. None of this is conscious, of course. We don’t wake up thinking about these things, or discuss them at dinner parties. But we know the fear in our guts, all of us. And, oh, how these times embrace it! Today our government feeds us on fear. It’s our national diet. Cereal and a spoonful of fear! Beer and a fear chaser! Hamburger with an order of super sized fear on the side! And really, why shouldn’t we be afraid? In case you haven’t heard, life is terminal. Cigarettes will kill you. So will your cell phone. Your microwave, the power lines, the squirming germs that raw meat leaves behind on your kitchen counter and the chemical cleansers you neutralize them with... All potentially lethal. Your car is a deadly weapon, alcohol a quiet killer. Too much fat, too much sugar, too much exercise or not enough... Don’t lick the lead-based paint on your windowsills, don’t lick the back of that postage stamp, and don’t lick any strangers, oh, that can take you down quickly, indeed! Don’t drink the water and don’t drink less than eight glasses a day. Hold your breath in traffic, off-gas your furniture, stock up on duct-tape! Don’t talk to strangers, and if you’re female, don’t go home – you’re more likely to be a victim of domestic violence than of burglary, mugging, or any other type of physical assault combined. Your environment is toxic, your natural resources are dwindling, your days are numbered, but whatever you do, don’t panic! The stress, don’t you know, will kill ya.” – Professor Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow.

[writing-with-sophia]

How to get into the mind of a character? Honestly this can be for your OWN character or a fictional character. I'm wanting to write for characters- headcanons and fanfictions- and I'm so afraid I'll write them so uncanny to how they actually are.

How to get into the mind of a character?

To get into the mind of a character, you have to understand that character, believe in that character, and even "live" the character's life. But we all know each individual is different, and we cannot live different lives. A normal person who grew up in peacetime cannot fully understand the hardships of a warrior, and a doctor cannot know the thoughts of a mafia boss.

So, how can writers create believable characters? How can they possibly offer a believable soldier, cop, detective, alcoholic, or any given character type if they themselves haven't lived as them? How can they possibly offer a believable character in a situation that they've never been in?

Here are some tips you can use to get into the minds of characters:

Tip 1: Observe real-life people

To create well-rounded characters, observe real people around you. Pay attention to their behaviors, mannerisms, speech patterns, and thought processes. Take note of how they express emotions, handle conflicts, and make decisions. Drawing from real-life observations can add depth and authenticity to your characters. You can also search for novels and movies with different themes, study how characters with different pasts, biographies, occupations, and personalities act, behave, gesture, and speak. The best way is to prepare a small notebook and a pen so you can carry it with you wherever you go.

Tip 2: Create a detailed character profile

Develop a detailed character profile that includes information such as their age, background, beliefs, values, goals, and fears. Consider their relationships with other characters and how these dynamics influence their thoughts and actions. Delve into the character's past and explore significant events that have shaped them. Consider their upbringing, traumas, successes, and failures. These can provide you with a roadmap for understanding the character's mindset.

Tip 3: Use internal monologues and journaling

Imagine the character's internal thoughts and dialogues with themselves. Consider what they might be thinking in different situations, their hopes, dreams, and fears. (And why do they dream of that? Why are they afraid of that thing? What in the past made them afraid? Always asking questions.) Writing internal monologues or journal entries from the character's perspective can help you delve into their mindset and gain insight into their unique voice.

Tip 4: Consider their external influences

Characters are influenced by their environment, culture, and society. Reflect on how external factors such as family, friends, societal norms, or even the story's setting impact their thoughts and behaviors. This will help you portray their worldview more accurately.

Tip 5: Study the source material

If you're writing about an existing character from a book, TV show, or movie, immerse yourself in the source material. Pay attention to their dialogue, actions, and interactions with other characters. Take note of their personality traits, motivations, and backstory. This will help you develop a strong foundation for understanding the character. For example, recently I suddenly became interested in Nightwing (do you know him? Nightwing from the Batman series!), and I wanted to write a few short stories about him. So I found all the comics and movies that featured Nightwing and watched them one by one. I don't take notes because I have a pretty good memory (especially for characters I like), but I still recommend taking notes on special things to note.

Tip 6: Practice free writing

Set aside time for free writing exercises where you write from the character's point of view. Allow your thoughts to flow without judgment or editing. Just write, write, and write. You can reread and make corrections after you're done. Remember to gather your posts in one place; otherwise, you'll lose or forget them (like me!).

Getting into the mind of a character is an ongoing process that requires continuous exploration and refinement. The more you invest in understanding your character's thoughts, feelings, and motivations, the more compelling and authentic your writing will become.

Additionally, you can read my articles on how to write an effective character here:

How to create a superbad villain

How to make a villain's appearance memorable

Basic questions for your character

Describing a villain's appearance in a natural way

Create an effectively past for character

Common character motivations

How to create a good main character

How to avoid the instance where a secondary character stands out more/ is more lovable?

Character flaws

Writing a good Anti-Hero

Character positive traits

How to write an elderly main character?

Protagonist who is a ballerina

How to write a believeable egotistical character

[tossawary]

I found a beaten copy of the "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire" novel (set between Ep5 and Ep6) in the thrift store and I'm trying to read it. I thought, "Oh, this was written in 1996, so that's before the prequels or any of the more recent shows. Even if this isn't good, it's not a long book, and it'll be interesting to catalogue some of the differences in world building and vibes."

And then I actually tried to read it and, uh, I would call the writing "competent on a basic level but not sophisticated". Like, I was trying to read some of the "Jedi Apprentice" novels earlier and I guess I was expecting, hm, something a little more advanced than those books? It's serviceable! There are many turns of phrase that I enjoy! It's just not as compelling stylistically or in world building as I might have hoped. And it wasn't long into the book before I was like, "Oh, right. Ah. Hm. I forgot what it was like to read Older Sci-Fi Written By A Straight Man. Of course, the main villain has a human-looking killer droid assistant who looks like a sexy blonde woman! Of course he does! Of course!" None of the characterizations are great, but the Leia POVs are making me since.

I'm having trouble taking the main villain seriously because he's just... he's just not interesting. Prince Xizor's secret backstory where his family's deaths were Darth Vader's fault are revealed to us in Chapter 3 via narration, he's just thinking about it, and it's like, "Well, that seems like it could have been saved for a more dramatic reveal later." And generally, he's such a Batman Gary Stu of a character so far: he's an unfathomably wealthy businessman, he's also an interstellar crime lord, he's also a master of martial arts, he's got an impeccable poker face, he's Vader's rival, he knows everything because he has spies everywhere, and the narration takes the time to tell us twice in 3 chapters that he is (and his species is) very, very sexy. Reader, you MUST know this. Trust us.

And I was reading these descriptions of him thinking, "This style of introduction reminds me almost EXACTLY of something else... but what...? OH. He's getting introduced like a HARLEQUIN ROMANCE NOVEL MALE LEAD." Which is super funny because Wikipedia claims this villain is supposed to try to seduce Leia later in the book; an attempt that the publishers apparently wanted to be successful but the author refused to do, fearing fan backlash. Which is just... thank fucking goodness, I WOULD have been pissed off, yes. WHY would Leia fuck this guy? Everything about him suggests she would choke him with a chain like she will with Jabba the Hutt. Let this woman have her loser smuggler with a heart of gold boyfriend!!! I hope she gets to shoot at this guy for a seduction attempt, but that won't make up for how incredibly boring this character is to read about in his every single scene.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading roundup: May 2024

you guyssssss you guys you guys you guys I've been reading so much this month :)

sometimes my brain gets the itch to just DEVOUR books and it's really been on me, probably thanks to the burst of energy + free time that comes with the semester ending and summer getting started! the days are longer, the last of my season depression has been kicked to the curb, and I can spend hours reading on the porch every evening. the ideal!

right now, as the month ends, I'm feeling a particular hankering towards nonfiction and juicy new summer novels; I reblogged a Lit Hub roundup of new books the other day that got my brain buzzinggggg with excitement for the coming months. we'll see if that ends up manifesting in the June roundup, but for now, here's what kept me busy in May:

Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (Alexis Hall, 2022) - this month I read two romance novels picked by my beautiful patreonites; I did a compare/contrast between the two over on Patreon and I'll leave the majority of my thoughts there, but suffice to say that I am not a fan of Paris. definitely the weakest of the three Alexis Hall novels, and a real disappointment since I found the other two delightful. the story is straightforward enough and has some potential for sure, but Paris as a protagonist is a sodden mess who I found just insufferable. thumbs down from me, gang.

Chef's Kiss (TJ Alexander, 2022) - hi, it's the other romance novel. this one is a lot goofier than Paris Daillencourt, which is fitting since it's BA Test Kitchen rpf starring a bisexual Claire Saffitz and a nonbinary Brad Leone. it's frustrating because the story is definitely stronger than the one in Paris but the romance is piteously undercooked, although I was at least fine with the protag and her love interest getting together - they were boring but unobjectionable, unlike Paris and his love interest who I really thought would have been better off as friends. now that I'm thinking about it, you might get a perfect queer cooking show romance novel if you somehow mashed the two of them together. they're both, like, so close to working, but ultimately fall flat.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 4-6 (Ryoko Kui, 2018) - I don't even know what to say except that I'm still loving everything about Dungeon Meshi. the craft and thought that Kui puts into every facet of the world, from the big picture politics between fantasy races to the individual thoughts and feelings of each character, shows so much love for the world without ever being overbearing; it never feels like exposition is being hammered down my throat so much as little details are being tastefully arranged to be enjoyed at whatever speed and to whatever extent the reader likes. the world is getting bigger with each chapter and I'm looking forward to exploring more, especially now that Falin's hottie monster form and that good good catgirl have entered the chat.

Earthdivers Vol. 2: Ice Age (Stephen Graham Jones, Riccardo Burchielli, Patricio Depeche, Emily Schnall, Joana Lafuente, 2024) - once again I've done the worst thing that you can do as a comics fan, which is get invested in a series that's just starting out and is still releasing individual issues. the third trade paperback won't be out until December, so I guess I'm either going to have to go on hiatus with Earthdivers or start chasing down new releases on comic pirating sites, which feels shitty - that's how I read Batman comics that are the same age as me, not new stuff from authors I actually want to support! but Earthdivers might just be worth it. the second installment takes us to a wildly different setting than the first, Columbus-killing collection, dropping fearsome mother Tawny in a prehistoric North America. but while the setting changes, the series is still grappling with the question of what its protagonists are willing to sacrifice and who they're willing to become to change the past and save the world. we're starting to see bigger hints about how much history can be altered and catching some clues about the series' antagonist (???); I gotta know what happens next.

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Caroline Fraser, 2017) - here it is, the book that got nonfic so powerfully on the brain! this is a riveting history whether you grew up on Little House on the Prairie or not (I didn't), tracking Laura Ingalls Wilder from an impoverished girl constantly imperiled by life on the prairie to a beloved icon of American propaganda. for me, personally, this hefty book really picks up when it gets to the endlessly complicated and frequently nasty relationship that Wilder had with her daughter when said daughter was grown; Rose Wilder Lane is a FASCINATING figure in her own right and I'm kind of obsessed with what a shithead grifter girlboss she was. fascinating stuff all around.

The Brides of High Hill (Nghi Vo, 2024) - Vo's series of Singing Hills novellas has always woven from one genre to another, exploring new types of stories just as our protagonist, the cleric Chih, explores new lands. this installation takes us straight into a gothic horror that pulls out all the stops: an isolated manor, an enigmatic madman roaming the grounds, the strangling snares of social conventions, and a blushing bride who isn't exactly what she seems. I read it in one sitting, it's delicious.

Superfreaks: Kink, Pleasure, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Arielle Greenberg, 2023) - a poppin' primer for anybody who wants to learn more about the world of kink and what the fuck is going on out there. at one point I did catch myself thinking that I was a little underwhelmed and that Greenberg wasn't really putting forth anything that radical, but then I realized that speaking extremely candidly about and validating interest in basically any kink or fetish imaginable, and yes I do mean straight up any of them, is actually A Lot for many people to handle. so, yeah, good book, check it out for a friendly and enthusiastic intro to the wide world of kink.

Sex Criminals Vol. 2: Two Worlds, One Cop (Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, 2015) - the first volume of Sex Criminals left me feeling a little meh, but I decided to keep going because Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run was lifechanging and I know this series is pretty widely acclaimed, so I want to see where we're going with this. (plus it's free via the library, so what do I have to lose?) this volume really sold me on the series and particularly on Jon, who I was pretty lukewarm on initially. he really stole the spotlight in this one, and I like the way that the story is ratcheting up the stakes.

The Stone Sky (N.K. Jemisin, 2017) - GOOOOOOOOOD what a book! what a trilogy! in a series shaped by empires and natural disasters, the story ultimately ends with a quit confrontation of clashing ideologies, a young daughter determined to end the world and a mother equally determined that one of her children should live. and that shit hurts! I read the series a couple of times when I was younger but I was never before able to fully appreciate the work Jemisin does in crafting Essun and Nassun, showing us the way cruelty and fear have shaped both of them into the people they ultimately are and the choices they make. absolutely masterful, a legend.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World in Search of the Good Death (Caitlin Doughty, 2017) - this was another reread, and while N.K. Jemisin was blowing my mind, Caitlin Doughty was giving me a warm hug. I don't know what to tell you, reading about the ways that people all over the world care for their dead and take comfort in their memories makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. death can be really beautiful and comforting, if you're not a coward.

The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (Sasha Velour, 2023) - listen, I'm not really a Drag Race girlie. I first heard about this book when Velour was a guest on Nicole Byers' podcast, and while I was very charmed by her I was not expecting to be blown away by her book. it's just a little cash-in for a Ru girl, right? all she needs to do is slap together some cool pictures of her in drag and a few platitudes about being yourself and boom bang, that's a book. but readers, I owe Sasha Velour an apology: this book was so much cooler and smarter than it needed to be! Velour brings an impressive eye to forces of colonialism and capitalism that shape art and conceptions of queerness, and keeps this framework firmly in place while keeping the tone of the book bubbly and lighthearted. she also goes out of her way to spotlight a huge variety of drag performers and gender nonconforming figures throughout history, celebrating all the different means of expression that make up the tapestry of contemporary queerness. a great read, and one that I've already shelled out for. a friend and I are working on a documentary exploring the nuances of queer style, and I know I'm gonna want to pull heavily from Velour's thoughts and the history she's curated.

[thebibliosphere]

Im glad you had a relatively good time playing the Batman telltale games but now.im wondering have you played Wolf Among Us? I think it also speaks to that critique you have of like, the illusion of choice and how nothing you do can fully change an outcome but I think it sort of works better for that storyline specifically because of who the character you play is in a way. Also bigby wolf is just Insanely hot

God, I love Bigby, both in the game and in the graphic novels. (The voice actor for Bigby can get it too, but specifically when he starts to go feral. Read me the phone book, you sexy 40-pack-a-day wolf man.)

And yeah, the lack of actual choice works a bit better for Bigby, given who he is and the circumstances they're in. They're basically living under enforced magical segregation where deviation from the rules can get your entire community killed. Bigby's moral choices are essentially "enforce the cruelty of the rules" or "let people die."

If he smuggles a bit of compassion in under the radar, it's also not necessarily expected because Bigby is a monster. He's the Big Bad Wolf. He got picked for the job of law enforcement because the other fables are terrified of him. He's eaten people. And he's pretty blunt about it. He might not enjoy when people suggest he enjoys violence, but the violence comes easy to him because he understands the necessity of being the biggest, meanest, baddest wolf around because that's how he survives. You see that in the graphic novels when he stops at nothing to defend his children. Not even his own siblings are safe from his wrath. Bigby is a creature of limited outcomes, and the limited nature of the game plays into that.

With Batman, whose entire identity is built around his moral code in defiance of the world around him, it doesn't really work. Not even when you pull the rug out from under him and proclaim his father to have been a villain, he's still got this strong sense of dedication to Gotham and the people closest to him.

And while you could make it interesting by highlighting his "bad" choices in the game, it doesn't have the same impact if there's no difference in outcomes. If Batman becomes a villain, treat him like a villain. But if your Batman stays true to himself, which is possible to do, it makes no sense to have Alfred treat him like he's given into all his worst impulses when he hasn't.

It's honestly kind of baffling and doesn't work for his character, not even when Bruce is behaving out of character and hurting people beyond his usual limits, it's because he's undercover and under extreme duress.

Treating him like the big bad villain because he punched some law enforcement out instead of letting Harley Quinn shoot them dead doesn't work. You see him hesitating and struggling in those moments. He hasn't abandoned who he is. Even if you pick the meanest dialogue, the character is still clearly emoting distress and regret. He's still Batman. He's just having a very not good terrible bad awful year and needs people to give him a Fucking Break.

[somefanficrecomendations]

February Monthly Recap

I had a lot of fics this month. Every one of these deserves a dedicated post of its own but in the interest of efficiency this roundup will have to do!

BATMAN

Uptown Girl by orphan_account (Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain), 60k, Case Fic, Friends to Lovers Stephanie Brown has three problems: a supervillain father with a deadly scavenger hunt in the works, a mysterious rich girl who's way too interested in her life, and one really, really painful hobby. Alternatively: a different kind of Spoiler origin story.

The Lois Angle by cabezas_de_vaca (gen), 15k, Bruce & Lois Friendship, Case Fic What she had with Bruce was novel, exhilarating. She had fallen in love several times, and that was like a great swoop of a wing, a flash and flush and then long tumble, but this was like a warmth that welled up from within. This was Bruce grappling up to her thirtieth story Metropolis apartment, stowing the Batsuit in the bathroom, and watching StarTrek with her. This was her driving to the manor when she couldn't sleep, only to find she could do it there. This was having a friend. Or: Despite the long shadow Batman casts and the demands of being one of the youngest Pulitzer winners ever, Bruce and Lois manage to steady each other, in the way that only friends can. Also, there's a case they need to solve. 

the scientific method by orphan_account (gen), 20k, Sibling Bonding, Duke-centric 5 stupid ways Duke's siblings discovered how his powers worked, and 1 time he figured it out for himself. "You have no idea," Dick said. "I had to live through all of their teenage years. They were each independently obsessed with Mythbusters at separate points in their life. I'm pretty sure Cass and Tim have wanted a meta to experiment on since they were 14, but Bruce always said no."

Meet Me Where You're Going by Hinn_Raven (Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain), 68k, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining When things get complicated in Hong Kong, Cass requests help from Batman Inc. Unbeknownst to her, Bruce dispatches not one of her brothers, but Stephanie Brown, who Cass has not spoken to since she gave up the Batgirl mantle. Steph is eager to reunite with her best friend, but things between them are complicated. Not the least of the problems is the fact that Steph might be falling in love… but of course, Cass is straight, so Steph really shouldn’t dwell on that. Friendship and romance, conspiracy and adventure await the two of them as they try to unravel a complicated plot that seeks to stop Batman Incorporated before it can truly begin.

when you move, fall like a thunderbolt by orphan_account (Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain), 5k, Villain!Steph, Canon Divergence In another universe, Stephanie Brown's plans to kill her father aren't interrupted by Batman. Which means nobody stops her from tripping and falling headlong into running her own gang, and then a little more intentionally rising to the top of the underworld. Meanwhile, seeing as Bruce only has one kid who actually wants to carry on the good name, Cassandra Cain takes over as the Batman of Gotham's future. This would be a fine turn of events if it weren't for the fact that they've been dating on-and-off for ten years.

falling without caution by coffeecrowns (gen), 17k, Bad Parent!Bruce, PTSD Jason is twenty, decidedly less into murder, trying to avoid developing agoraphobia, and putting together some pieces into a life. Tim is sixteen, riding the edge of burnout, and in a show of his truly baffling survival instincts, decides Jason is friend shaped. 

MICE ON VENUS by NEOCULTUREDAUS (gen), 3k, Tim & Damian Bonding “Timothy, if this is revenge for me trying to kill you, I need you to know I’m not sorry.” Damian’s eyes were clamped shut, hands fisting Tim’s hoodie so tightly that if Tim tried moving, he simply wouldn't be able to. “I’m not trying to get revenge. And open your eyes, you can’t ride a skateboard with them closed.” Tim patronized, prying Damian’s hands off him, you know, like someone evil who didn’t care for the wellbeing of his younger brother. Or The one where skater Tim takes his artist younger brother graffiti painting

So Sweet Saluteth Me by Lishalalalalala (gen), 7k, Good Dad!Bruce Sleep deprived™ Jason hangs out with Dick then they surprise Bruce at work with early lunch and some love. This fic is inspired by farmers’ markets on those summery days and the belief that if I run fast enough the sad can never catch me. (I mean you are telling me that Bruce Thomas/Alan Wayne wouldn’t be absolutely BASKING in joy if his kids just decided to randomly show up at Wayne Enterprise and pay him a little midday visit? )

to count by miles or days or people (when will i stop missing you) by jcp_sob_rjl_lmep (gen), 22k, Angst, Hurt/Comfort When Duke is kidnapped off of the streets of Gotham on his way back to the Manor from visiting his parents, it sends the entire Batfamily into a panic. With very little evidence to go on and time slipping past them, there's no help coming as Duke is forced to make a grand escape and get himself home before his kidnappers find him once more.

birds and brothers and other assorted synonyms by Ao3time, hoebiwan, quandaries_and_contradictions (gen), 21k, Series, Found Family A Reverse Robin AU in which Damian is a tired older brother, Duke is a ray of sunshine, and Dick is a baby talon.

Emergency rooms and chicken nuggets by Lilac_hyacinth (Bernard Dowd/Tim Drake) 7k “So…” Duke drawled, sounding suspiciously wide-awake for the day shift kid at two-thirty in the morning. “If I said Damian and I are in a bit of trouble, on a scale of Jason to Cass, how likely are you to kill us?” Clearing his throat and rubbing his eyes to try to wake himself up, Tim grimaced. “What the fuck did you do?” “Nothing.” Or Tim and Bernard get out of bed at two in the morning to go across town and pick up Tim's reckless little brothers.

Pick a Pocket Full of Pennies by Trekkele (gen), 24k, Found Family, Fluff, AU-No Powers The life and times of Dick Grayson, unintentional ringleader to a gang of pickpockets, and how he learned to let go and get adopted. Or something. 

SPIDER-MAN

Death Before Inaction by hppjmxrgosg (gen), 37k, BAMF Peter Parker, WIP “Fuck off, Nicky.” “Hasn’t anyone ever told you spider-napping is illegal?” “You can’t hold me here, I know my spider-rights.” “God, you guys are so old. What are you? Like 27?” “Scale of 1 to 10, how upset would you be if I told you I banged your mom?” - Or, I got my grubby little hands on the spider-man time line and fucked around a little bit. Not much (everything) changes.

[distort-opia]

hey tort, what you didn't like about Batman caped crusader new design? And apparently with what I seen of the news, Joker was left out of this one hahaha

Mm, well... there's some stuff I like the sound of:

"A cold, remorseless avenger of evil, seemingly more machine than man." It's funny to me he's talking about this as if it's that new of a take, Bruce has been weaponizing Alfred and Alfred's been enabling him in the comics for a while. But I am excited about an intentional approach to Bruce as a dark spooky offputting freak. Timm has been talking elsewhere about how he wants to depict a Bruce who's not very heroic and much darker, who's wearing a "person suit" over his true self which is Batman, and I think that could be quite interesting.

Meanwhile, Harley Quinn is now a serious psychiatrist who only fakes being bubbly... and actually a serial killer going after the rich of Gotham? The more you read about the changes, the more she's just a whole ass new character. I do get wanting to reinterpret things or bringing novel elements, but going "let's make everything about her the opposite" doesn't really land you in the realm of interpretation. Harley now sounds like a new person, with the only things in common she has with actual Harley Quinn being the name, profession and the harlequin-themed suit... which isn't even red, black and white.

And well. While the description of Selina isn't too flattering, I can't say she hasn't been depicted this way before. I just don't really like it:

Making her a rich person who's stealing because she wants to keep being rich... [sigh] I prefer the Selina who grew up impoverished, and who's got much more complex motivations to her being Catwoman.

Alas, Harley might be hard to recognize, but then there's Harvey:

The "let's take character traits and turn them opposite" approach strikes again! And once more, it makes the character very different, because Harvey being disfigured by acid after trying so hard to be good and save Gotham, and the disfigurement bringing Two-Face to the surface... it's such a core tenet of him.

I know some people might prefer these extreme changes over how the original characters were written, or even argue that they've gone through so many different origins and versions-- this is just another one of those. And I agree that this is just how things go, when a story that's almost a century old gets readapted, again and again. But well, especially when it comes to Harley and Harvey, I personally feel that if you're changing the core traits so much... at least don't call them by the same name, dammit. I'd feel similarly if they made a show about Batman and then went "oh we put a whole new spin on him by making everything the opposite!" and you find out he doesn't give a shit about his parents' murder and he kills people.

But who knows! The show isn't out yet. Maybe it'll be super well written, or these things have been blown out of proportion in interviews, and so on. We can only really tell once the show is out, so I'm waiting until then to truly form an opinion. And to be honest, I'm not that upset they left out Joker; DC has been overusing him for a while, and Joker fatigue is sadly not that hard to understand. Plus, keeping in mind all these major changes... they'd probably give us a Joker we can barely recognize, too.

[geekcavepodcast]

DC Announces 2025's Graphic Novels for Ages 5-7, 8-12, and 13+

DC Comics has announced six new graphic novels and a box set for younger readers going on sale in Fall 2025. The new early reader age group (ages 5-7) will get Superman's Good Guy Gang. Middle grade (ages 8-12) will get Kid Flash: Going Rogue and Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade. Young adult (13+) readers get Birds of Prey: The Origins, Teen Titans: Together, and Nubia: Too Real. DC also announced the DC Spooky Graphic Novels for Kids Box Set for middle grade readers.

Rob Justus' Superman's Good Guy Gang sees 9-year-old Clark Kent / Superman befriending super-powered kids Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner / Green Lantern. The three form a club "where other supers can be themselves, test their powers, grow together, and maybe earn some good guy points along the way." Future books in the series will include Mr. Terrific, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Superman's Good Guy Gang goes on sale on July 1, 2025.

Steve Foxe and Jerry Gaylord's Kid Flash: Going Rogue sees Ace West, aka Kid Flash, learning an important lesson on being a hero. Kid Flash may think he's got everything all figured out, but after one too many missions are jeopardized by his habit of signing autographs and taking selfies, his uncle Barry Allen takes Kid Flash and a group of teenaged rogues - Golden Glider, Pied Piper, Trickester, and The Top - "to a pocket dimension for an intervention. Kid Flash assumes he’s there to show the other kids how to use their powers responsibly, but when Flash gets unexpectedly called away on important Justice League business, Kid Flash must learn it takes a lot more than being super to be a hero."

Kid Flash: Going Rogue goes on sale on September 2, 2025.

Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones' Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade sees Linda Lee, aka Supergirl, tackling the 8th grade. Linda's powers should make things easier, "but they only seem to complicate things for Supergirl. Life gets even more messy when a new enemy named Belinda Zee shows up. Suddenly, facing down super-villains doesn't seem so bad.

Arch-frenemies, scheming faculty, an intergalactic orange kitty, and a flying horse are just a few things that come Linda’s way. Will Supergirl even make it to graduation?"

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade goes on sale on August 5, 2025.

Sara Shepard and Stephanie Pepper's Birds of Prey: The Origins finds teenagers Helena Bertinelli, Barbara Gordon, Dinah Lance, and Harleen Quinzel all returning to Gotham City, each with a potentially life-destroying secret. "When strange things start happening to students at Gotham Prep, everyone at the school is on edge, worried they might be next. Will Helena, Barbara, Dinah, and Harley be able to put their differences aside and learn to trust each other in time to find out who is behind the mysterious accidents before another victim turns up?"

Birds of Prey: The Origins goes on sale on November 4, 2025.

Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo's Teen Titans series brings the whole team together in Teen Titans: Together. "H.I.V.E. has been experimenting on teens with super-human abilities, and Kori Anders was next on their list. Dick Grayson, Raven Roth, Garfield Logan, Max Navarro, and Damian Wayne got to Los Angeles to save her before Slade Wilson found her, but should she trust these strangers? After all, they’ve accused her mom’s fiancé of abduction, experimentation, and torture! And Kori’s new friend, Victor Stone, has a summer internship designing next-level prosthetics in Edge Labs, a company funding H.I.V.E.

To make matters worse, Kori’s sister, Kira, is working with the organization and singing their praises. H.I.V.E. has a plan for taking down Raven’s demon father, Trigon. They’ve got a plan for training the next generation of superheroes. They’ve got plans for everything.

Lines blur as the teens struggle to decide what to do. H.I.V.E. might be their greatest ally…but at what cost? Can the Teen Titans pull together a plan before they fall apart?"

Teen Titans: Together goes on sale on November 4, 2025.

L.L. McKinney, Robyn Smith, and Manou Azumi's Nubia: Too Real is the sequel to Nubia: Real One. "After a turbulent school year, Nubia is both thrilled and anxious as she embarks on a transformative summer training with the Amazons on Themyscira! Amid the mounting pressure of expectations, she grapples with feeling like an outsider, letting the weight of her self-doubt strain her most important relationships.

Just when she thought her life couldn’t get more complicated, her biggest fear threatens the safety of everyone on Paradise Island. Will Nubia rise above the chaos and embrace her true self as the hero she was destined to be?"

Nubia: Too Real goes on sale on September 2, 2025.

DC Comics is also releasing a box set of graphic novels for middle grade (ages 8-12) readers. DC Spooky Graphic Novels for Kids Box Set includes Franco Aureliani's Deadman Tells the Spooky Tales, Ryan North and Derek Charm's The Mystery of the Meanest Teacher: A Johnny Constantine Graphic Novel, Kirk Scroggs' We Found a Monster, and Matthew Cody and Yoshi Yoshintani's Zatanna and the House of Secrets.

DC Spooky Graphic Novels for Kids Box Set goes on sale on July 1, 2025.

(Images via DC Comics - Covers of Superman's Good Guy Gang, Kid Flash: Going Rogue, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade, Birds of Prey: The Origins, Teen Titans: Together, Nubia: Too Real, and DC Spooky Graphic Novels for Kids Box Set)

[murphychips]

a treacherous descent into werewolf romance fiction

okay so. this story begins with me being on facebook, scrolling through videos, and getting these adverts at the end of EVERY video clip from these sites:

and i mean EVERY single one. and out of deranged curiosity i ended up clicking them and checking out their previews only to find maybe some of the more garbage i've ever had the displeasure of reading. each advert was different and each story varied, but all of them had dogshit quality.

eventually, i wondered who was making this stuff; MULTIPLE apps were being advertised to me under a bunch of different names, and all of them were centred around werewolves or mafia or billionaires. sometimes all three!

so i downloaded a couple of apps to see if i could identify an owner, but those all varied too! most don't even have websites; the app is the only thing they have. almost none of them have author names, or any way to identify the writer, and there's no way to submit to most of them. eventually, i chased up a few of these apps on reviews to find most appear to be stealing content from across the internet:

some of these are stolen from amazon, others are stolen from similar apps are cross-posted, others--as one comment says--appear to be scalping from wattpad (and likely AO3 and fanfic.net, although i'm currently trying to find examples).

HOWEVER

one app that crossed my phone was Letterlux, which does feature a submit page and appears to actually promote original work! the genres remain the same--werewolves, billionaires, mafia, etc--and so i was like alright. this appears to be a publishing outlet of SOME kind. what's the catch?

the catch is the abysmal fucking offerings:

the 'exclusive' contract here is if you do the whole 'submit a thing and they extend an offer', whereas non-exclusive is you just posting the thing. but look at the numbers! look how low they are! $450 if your story is above 200,000 words????????????????? and you have to post EVERY DAY for the update bonus; if you miss more than 4 days, you're out of the running. HOLY EXPLOITATION BATMAN. never mind that for the non-exclusive, you get a measly $250 for 200,000 words and NO update bonus. with the signing bonus of a whole $50, that's $300 for 200,000+ words: a whopping 0.0015 per word.

another app that appears to promote original work is Galatea, owned by inkitt; it appears legit in that it's been advertised by a bunch of different places, i.e. Writer's Digest, and has a fairly slick site, but reviews from users say it's a scam--a less predatory scam than usual, but still a scam.

TL;DR, if you write heterosexual steamy werewolf romance, your shit is likely making money for some company in whoknowsistan, who use microtransactions to make you pay for individual books. and i haven't even TALKED about how some of these apps have some of the most crazy IP protection i have ever seen, such as banning you for an hour if you screencap ANYTHING, and hiding recorded videos:

but despite all this, and this horrible rabbithole of novel apps i've fallen down, nothing compares to me having to read all this fiction and realising that we are ignorant to the quantities of sheer bad werewolf writing out there, so much so that i'm honestly tempted to post my own straight-bait just to see how far i can get. things that i've noticed:

all the female protagonists start off as abused or hated and are saved by some Alpha/Alpha King/Alpha Demon/idk man

sometimes the werewolf aspect is just an inner wolf who like. yells at you sometimes?

there's gamma rank werewolves?

there's DELTA rank werewolves?????????????

i honestly think i'm becoming addicted to finding out just how unhinged some of these stories get, but that is beside the point: in the end, for the love of god, don't be a dumbass and use these shady apps, and do NOT submit to places who won't even give you an entire penny per word. also, check your shit; it might have been scalped for someone else's profit. okay. ciao.

[nightwingology]

Dick Grayson Reading Guide Part 1: Robin

I got a request to do a Dick Grayson reading guide, so that's what this is. This isn't going to be an exhaustive list of every issue he's in, just stories I think are good and/or important to read to get him. This website is good if you want to know every issue a character has appeared in, at least pre-Flashpoint: https://dcuguide.com/w/Chronologies

These won't be in publication order, but in chronological order for Dick's life. Due to the nature of comics published over many decades, some of these may have minor contradictions or differences in characterization, but they're all worth reading in my opinion. Some of these were unfortunately written by creators who many will not feel comfortable supporting. To that I say, there are ways to find comics second hand, or read without supporting particular creators.

Robin:

Batman: Dark Victory

This to me is the definitive Dick Grayson origin, though he doesn't show up until the second half of the story. That said, it is one of the best Batman stories ever written, and its version of Robin's origin has been repeated in several other tellings.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet

This is a nice little one off story, chronicling Dick Grayson's graduation from training. Batman puts him through one last test to see if he is ready to hit the streets as Robin. It also leads very nicely into the next story.

Batgirl/Robin: Year One

This is actually two stories collected into one trade, with Robin's set first. It chronicles his first year as Robin after running The Gauntlet. Big themes you'll see are Dick and Bruce having a rocky start, and Dick balancing life as a normal kid with life as a vigilante. Alfred narrates, and offers a lot of introspection on whether being Robin is really good for Dick. Batgirl's story takes place next, and while Babs is the main character, Robin plays a major part in getting Bruce to accept her into their war on crime.

Teen Titans: Year One

This is the story of the first time the Titans met and teamed up, and shows their growing pains. It illustrates what each member brings to the table, shows the difference in their relationships to their mentors, and shows the difference between Robin with Batman and Robin with the Titans. Bruce comes off a little harsh in this one, which some might find off-putting, but I think it makes sense for his character. He's protective, and not particularly good at communicating.

The New Teen Titans

This is the oldest book on the list, and a classic. If you're fond of the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon, this comic was the blueprint for it. It tells the story of the reformed team when they're all about 19 years old. At this point, Dick has dropped out of college and is at odds with Batman. His leadership of the Titans provides him with even more opportunities for growth and independence, and eventually he sheds the identity of Robin to become Nightwing, in The Judas Contract (about 40 issues in). You can stop reading after The Judas Contract if you just want to see Dick's last days as Robin and transition to Nightwing.

Extras if you want more:

Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Graphic Novel

This is a nice young adult graphic novel that tells a story about Dick when he was still in the circus. The art is phenomenal, and this story shows that Dick already had a lot of the foundations of Robin, and Nightwing, before ever having met Bruce. His parents are actual characters too, which is nice. Dick is slightly older in this than he normally is before his parents die, and it isn't really canon, but it is good.

Robin & Batman

This three issue series is essentially a different take on Robin's first year. It could or couldn't be canon, it's a little vague. Some readers will be turned off by how militaristic Bruce is, and how angry Dick is. However, I think these are both accurate representations of how they would have acted in their earliest days as a team. Bruce wants to be a good mentor, but doesn't know how yet, and Dick is still grieving the loss of his parents. The art is also phenomenal.

Year One: Batman/Scarecrow

This story takes place during Bruce and Dick's early days, but they are a well-oiled team by this point. It chronicles their first encounter with Scarecrow, and has a lot of cute moments between Bruce and Dick. Not required reading, but absolutely a fun one.

Batman One Bad Day: Mr. Freeeze #1

This is the most recent comic on the list, and a very interesting issue. It showcases an encounter between Batman & Robin and Mister Freeze during Robin's early days. It isn't their first time meeting, but Robin is young during this story. It's set around Christmas, and is a wonderful character study of not just Freeze, but also the difference between Robin and Batman, and how Robin brings light to Batman's mission.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #6

This is a single issue of Mark Waid and Dan Mora's wonderful 2022 series, that focuses heavily on Robin. Technically it picks up where the previous five issues had left off, but all you need to know is that Robin has been lost in time and Batman and Superman have to find him. It's a great showcase of Dick's skills as an older Robin, and features beautiful art by Travis Moore, using Mora's amazing Robin redesign. Fans of Dick's time in the circus should especially check this out.

Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus

This will likely be the least approachable for some readers, simply due to its age. The Bronze Age omnibus contains a selection of Dick's stories as Robin from the 1970s, while he was in college. It is a product of its time, in that Dick's college experience is VERY 1970s, and concerned with the issues of the time. I think it's a wonderful lead-up to The New Teen Titans, showing Dick striking out on his own as an adult crimefighter, over ten years before Nightwing was even conceptualized.

For those wishing for even more Robin content, I would point you in the direction of the Batman Golden and Silver Age omnibuses, the World's Finest Silver Age omnibuses, and the Teen Titans Silver Age Omnibuses.

I hope you found this list helpful, and I will begin working on a Nightwing reading guide soon.

[cleromancy]

"people only like wfa bc they dont like canon comics" do you understand that

wfa is in fact canon (published by dc), just in its own continuity, and

wfa is in fact comics, and

dc regularly publishes comics (as well as adaptations, novelizations, etc) outside the mainline continuity, which

regularly go on to influence mainline continuity if theyre popular enough, and

this has been happening since at least the god damn adam west batman show,

ya dinguses

furthermore for all its faults its longrunning and consistent and cute, and *it* is not to blame for the nuclear-family-ification of the House Of Batman, with esteemed patriarch batman and the legion of black-haired blue-eyed sons in line to preserve his sainted legacy or whatever, theyd been heading in that direction at *least* since bruce legally adopted tim in like 2008 (ish), and if you don't agree with me there you absolutely have to by the time they got to these new 52 era eyesores (long predating wfa)

like *that* crap predates wfa, and the mainline continuity keeps making bruce do worse and worse things to """his kids""" while still refusing to ever meaningfully acknowledge that he does those things and having them *instantly* forgive him, which is emphatically *not* what wfa (again. an entirely different continuity) is doing

furthermore its actually fucking fine to have alternate continuity comics appropriate for younger readers?? this may shock you but it has in fact been done before

it might even be a good thing, in fact, to have comics out there kids can read before theyre old enough that they should really be reading batman rearranging nightwings teeth with his fist.

like there are reasonable criticisms of wfa. and its not going to appeal to everyone. and people who think mainline continuity should reflect it wholesale are also way off base. but some of you people are jjst being intellectually dishonest and/or ignorant about how multiple canon continuities work and have historically worked. and blaming wfa for any beef you have with mainline continuity shit is dumb as hell and it gets on my fckin nerves

[kitkatopinions]

I literally cannot even with the RWBY JL thing. Like, first off, I'm not a DC girly, so this whole movie isn't for me because I do not care about Superman and Batman and any of them. I haven't seen either movie because I've never really been drawn to the DC characters even in their original content, let alone with writers I already think aren't good.

But second off, I think it's just one of the worst ideas that the RWBY writers/creators have had that wasn't bigotry related. Like, it's right up there with them making Penny human and then having Jaune kill her, and dropping their mains into another dimension for a season, in terms of just godawful ideas imo and it might even be an even WORSE idea.

Number one, this should at most have stayed a comic book or graphic novel thing, they shouldn't be using any money, time, or resources to make it full movies.

Number two, it feels like a desperate bid to both get new fans and to keep their own, like "WAIT WAIT NO, STAY, CURRENT FANS! I KNOW THIS LAST VOLUME WAS OUR WORST YET AND WE HAVEN'T GREENLIT VOLUME 10 YET, BUT LOOOOK BEES KISS PART II!!!!" And "HEY YOU, HEY DC FAN, DON'T YOU LIKE BATMAN? LOOK WHO HE'S WITH, IT'S SOME GIRL, DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW HER STORY?" Like the desperation that I get just from the vibes. XD

Number three, the RWBY world despite being filled with people with what's essentially super powers is really different it feels like than your basic superhero world? So it feels like... If the people in Star Wars were suddenly in Star Trek. Yeah, they're both space stories about spaceships and space weapons, but they're wholly different and they feel like they don't belong together.

Number four, I don't even know the DC characters, but I feel like even badly written, them outshining the mains is a real and major concern. These are some of the most popular characters point blank period, and then there's just like, not even just the RWBY characters now but like 'adult' versions of them in some terrible outfits lol, and it's just like... Who thought this was a good idea? XD

Like who thought this

Was a good idea?

Also the outfit designs for Team RWBY in the part II of this are like 96% horrible ugly bad. Like I've been dying for the mains to get new outfits because the V7-9 looks are so bad, but this is just making me feel hopeless. I feel like we might have already said goodbye to the good outfits permanently.

[thevindicativevordan]

What do you think about these rumors about Scott Snyder launching some sort of ''Ultimate DC''? And also, if you were tasked with such a job, what would you do?

Alright so for those of you not obsessing over DC rumors, Bleeding Cool claims that the word going around NYCC was that Scott Snyder has signed on to curate an "Ultimate DC" line of books. Quoting them:

Whatever this DC Ultimate Universe-style publishing line is, it is expected to be bigger and more comprehensive than Marvel's Ultimate line was – or will be. And it will also encapsulate a lot of classic DC Comics continuity, reshaped and refigured for the modern day, and emphasising creative freedom. Earlier attempts to mirror the Ultimate Universe with the Earth One graphic novel didn't go entirely as planned. But this… whatever it is… is meant to be very different.

Do I think there's merit to these rumors? Surprisingly yes. Now I have two other things to add to what BC shared: First off, I think Scott Snyder seeded the base for this at the end of Death Metal.

Remember "Earth Alpha", the Elseworld introduced at the end of Death Metal? Set up as the replacement for Earth 0 as the center of the Multiverse? It had a twin, Earth Omega, which became Darkseid's prison and was followed up on in Infinite Frontier. Earth Alpha however was seemingly forgotten and never touched on again. Apparently Williamson was asked about that and all he could say is that it was another creator's story to tell. Given Williamson is the one who brought back the Parallax Hal from Convergence when everyone else had forgotten the guy, he's not one to just ignore huge loose ends like there being another Earth which is at the center of the Multiverse. Snyder probably left this as a backdoor for him to do his "Ultimate DC" line if he ever came back, which is why Williamson never brought it up.

Second, someone on reddit shared that they had talked to Snyder around the time Death Metal was wrapping up, the two of them went to the same LCS, and he shared that Snyder told him he was pitching this. Seems Snyder was talking about his plans for Superman under this initiative, which that person thought sounded cool. Rando making unverifiable claims for attention? Maybe, but Snyder has always been bad at keeping secrets. I stopped reading his interviews because he would spoil entire lines of dialogue word for word. Doesn't feel at all unbelievable that he would share something like this.

I bet Snyder pitched a "Alpha Universe" starring the classic heroes while Didio did 5G with the main guys. We know Snyder was not on board with the 5G plans, to the point he asked Morrison to help him stage an "intervention". This likely was envisioned by him as an alternative: Didio could do his radical reboot, while Snyder and co reimagined the classic heroes on a new Earth. Understandable why Didio would reject that - if all your big names are working on the classic heroes, who would want to read the 5G guys? Who would read Luke/Jace Fox Batman while there's a new Bruce Wayne ongoing? Much like Earth One got rendered pointless via the New 52, 5G would have been overshadowed by the "Alpha DC".

Now though, I could see something like this happening. It's a chance to do the New 52 right, the mainline continuity is all fucked up, DC needs an easy way in for new fans. Gunn is about to reboot DC in theaters, perfect time to roll out a new onboarding for casuals that everyone hopes are going to check out Superman: Legacy. And just like how Gunn is going to start his new universe with Superman, I bet Snyder is going to be writing the "Alpha Superman" book. Towards the end of his tenure at DC, he was on something of a Superman kick: Supes and Lex both had very key roles in Last Knight on Earth, Lex was obviously a big part of his JL run, he gave Supes a lot of cool moments in Death Metal, etc. I think he finally clicked with the character and had an idea for what to do with him. Might be he is finally coming back to do his shot. I noticed he was taking lots of pics with other DC creators at NYCC this year: King, Taylor, Aaron, Kaminski, Williamson. Perhaps those were the guys he was talking to about this line? Hope he brings in some new blood, confident he will since in the past he either directly brought in creators like Tynion, or mentored those who eventually found their way to DC like Rosenberg and PKJ.

TL:DR I do believe this is happening, I think it will be called Alpha DC, I think Snyder will be writing the Alpha Superman book, and I expect we will get an announcement at SDCC 2024 if I'm right.

As for what I would do, part of why the original Ultimate Marvel line succeeded was that they kept the line small. Four books at most: USM, Ultimates, UXM, and UF4 with the occasional mini here or there. Hickman's new line seems set to maintain that number. BC claims that this will be much larger in scope, which frankly I think is a mistake. Copy the number of Ultimate Marvel books at 4, and here's the lineup I would do:

Alpha Superman - Do the basic concept of the New 52 Superman as envisioned by Morrison again. Clark Kent is just starting out in his career, around six months in. He's wearing an outfit with a Fleschier style symbol, it can be either the t-shirt and jeans or a proper suit, I don't care. He can't even fly yet merely leap, he's working at the Daily Star not the Planet, he's roommates with Jimmy Olsen, and he's not dating Lois yet. Do not pair Clark with Lois or with Diana, do something else. I'd pair him with Leslie Williams, they both co-host a podcast for the Daily Star and are dating, with the relationship going south after Leslie becomes Livewire. Since they're alive on Earth 0, kill the Kents here. Pa is likely going to be dead in Superman: Legacy anyway. First year should focus on Superman fighting Ultra-Humanite, Intergang, Toyman, and Bloodsport. Brainiac and Lobo show up for Year 2. Scott Snyder writing and Miguel Mendonca on art.

Alpha Batman - Don't envy anyone trying to launch yet another Batman reboot, but I guess the appeal of this could be seeing Bruce actually start off alone, recruit Dick Grayson for Robin, and get to grow from there? It's Batman there's nothing new left to do with him, but a gritty realistic Batman book could compliment the over the top nature of the main Bat book. Get Christopher Priest to write and Ivan Reis to draw.

The Alpha Authority - The big twist of this universe under me is that Superman does inaugurate the age of superheroes - but not the age of superhumans. Those have been around for a while, but metahumans are forced to serve their governments as WMDs. A new kind of war has covered the globe - the Super War. Everyone is racing to create the most powerful metahuman, and the Authority serve as America's metahuman defense under the umbrella of Stormwatch. Their current mission: retrieving the Century Baby Jenny Quantum, reincarnation of Jenny Sparks, who has just manifested her powers in Singapore, before rival nations can acquire her. Si Spurrier writing, Jorge Jimenez on art.

Alpha Shadowpact - Our magic team composed of Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Constantine, Dr. Fate (Khalid), Deadman, Detective Chimp, and Etrigan. Khalid is the new guy and point of view character for the audience. He just recently finished training with his grandfather Kent Nelson, and has inherited the mantle. For ages magic has slumbered, but the birth of Tim Hunter has changed all that. The Books of Magic have manifested and every magician and sorcerer across the world is seeking them out, for they hold secrets of magic long forgotten, as well as the way to unlock new magical sources of power. And of course Tim himself has drawn the attention of everyone, for he is fated to be magic's brightest hero or it's darkest villain. PKJ writing and Rafa Sandoval on art.

In this new world, Superman and Batman are the first of a new kind of breed: superheroes. Outlaws with powers or tech who refuse to bow to governments. Ultimately I would have the World's Finest first team-up come about to bring down the Authority and Stormwatch, which threatens to turn the Super War hot as now America no longer has it's metahuman protectors. A new team must form to replace the Authortiy - a Justice League Alpha. The Authority book would last for about three years, and then give way to the Justice League book. I could see a Wonder Woman book happening later if the sales are good, but everyone else would just get minis. You would have to read JLA to get updates on Aquaman, GL, The Flash, Vixen, and Martian Manhunter. Is that would Snyder is going to do? Probably not. I expect he will have all seven of the Leaguers get books, but I hope he holds off on a JL book for a while. Build the universe up first, then do the big team up.

[dailycass-cain]

Well, now that I have time tonight, let's FINALLY dig into this film and my thoughts on putting an Elseworlds of Cass in it with Kai Li Cain.

I'll start with the adaptation itself. After the last few Elseworld adaptations modified the story (Red Son and Gotham by Gaslight) it startled me how mostly untouched the main crux of this one was.

The story is "mostly" beat for beat just like the original comic.  There are changes namely Killer Croc's role in the movie (compared to the graphic novel where he was a human mutated), taking out the Captain of Bruce's ship, and Talia's werewolf henchmen. The movie fixes a few flaws the original story had (Oliver has a handful of scenes in the comic while he's actively investigating and forges a bond with Kai Li). Not to mention his battle with Poison Ivy is expanded on (he doesn’t get trashed causing Bruce to save him. This Oliver backs up physically on being prepared for “the doom” that’ll destroy his city. 

Harvey Dent as well feels like a truly good-natured fellow who truly you believe can change the cesspool Gotham has become. Again, it helps with an extended scene. Not to mention switching Ollie for Harvey in some places helps more strength those bonds as well. 

But the true scope of what truly helps this animated adaptation is Bruce and the "Bat Family" in this. You really get a sense that after his tragedy, besides forging himself into Batman, Bruce made himself this family by adopting Dick, Sanjay, and Kai Li.

But also the movie explains better how Bruce had a foothold in Gotham by putting Lucius Fox into this tale.  It helps the further portions as well letting Fox be the one who is all, "I think Bruce might have cracked with all the death" he's witnessed in the few days back.

But I give the movie full credit in you really get a sense that Bruce cares and is snapped out of his obsession to end the madness by Kai Li for a better quieter moment than the book gave with Tim (who Cass replaces here).

Really it astounds me how much Kai Li has a role in this film. She's the human anchor to Bruce and shielded by Ollie from the terrors of Gotham. That's not to say this kid can't handle herself, it's just Ollie/Bruce have been thru A LOT in this story.

They really don't want Kai Li going down the path both went down to end the madness that plagues Gotham.

However, that really what differs between Tim's original intent of the story and Kai Li's. She's a seeker just like Ollie/Bruce, while Tim's character is just-- there. He isn't given much sadly (then again none of the Robins are). Kai Li’s scenes feel more justified while Tim’s is more he just walks into the exposition by accident. 

That's why I do enjoy about this story more it feels like Dick/Sanjay are active more than Dick/Jason in the comics along with Kai Li. Plus there's a twist in the climax with them that only adds to the ordeal Bruce has to go thru in this to save Gotham.

Why this story's end has that finality to it but--- due to Kai Li being a Cass/Carrie Kelly hybrid I kind of want a sequel actually. Just Kai Li adopting the Bat mantle and trying to save the city from another supernatural threat.

Heck, you can have the BAT-man warn her of the incoming threat to deal with before he's forced too.  Like you can easily visualize it being around the 40s and well how Indiana Jones or the Mummy it could get.

There's still a bunch of Gotham Rogues you could bring to it (Scarecrow, the Court of Owls, Bane, and Clayface just for starters that pop in my head). 

 Not to mention heroes around Gotham with mystical or into the occult (Kate Kane, Ragman, the Creeper etc).

I also just love the voice cast all around this film. Jeffery Combs easily delivers as Langstrom (not surprisingly). While David Giuntoli is starting to make me want him to voice Batman more.

Giuntoli gives his Batman a different darker edge here than Batman: Soul of the Dragon. So it's amazing how he can handle a 70s Batman while going a bit into the grit here.

Christopher Gorham as Ollie is kind of extraordinary in this to me. Literally how he flips from this drunken mess of a person to reveal the inner turmoil within him.  Like Gorham is exceptional here.

Tati Gabrielle as Kai Li just channels perfectly that innocence and trying to be that anchor of "reality" for Bruce given she's all that's left for him.  But also does a good job showcasing the tragedy she has to watch as her father figure descends to madness to save Gotham.

Literally, I'd say everyone in the voice cast delivers nicely here. If there's any negative well...

It's just Talia and Ra's are still by the numbers bad guys here. There's no real motives for either other than freeing an otherworldly creature. I do like Talia is an active player here than the book buuuut...

Her motives are just eh. But that was the problem with the book as well. I do like they gave her a better fate here than the comic (ugh at what that comic did to her).

But still, her and Ra's motives are just so paper thin.  But I digress that's the one flaw this movie could've corrected but didn't. The villains are so hollow and stereotypical. They really needed better motives.

Even with those flaws, I rather did enjoy the story. Honestly more so than the original book.  Cause the movie makes me yearn for more. I mean you have Kai Li here and not have her go down this path with maybe BAT man saving her from his fate.

Okay, I admit it. I want 1940s Bat costume with Kai Li. I just want to see her kick ass and continue where Bruce left off.

Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham doesn't hit that note Batman: Soul of the Dragon did, but it does come close for me. If they've expanded on the villain's motives than just have them be the same as the comic I probably would've enjoyed the film more.

Still, the places it did expand on I quite enjoyed. Plus the movie feels more like a Batman than the book which had a more pulpier Batman in it.  I'd rank this probably my fifth favorite Batman film (Under the Red Hood, Mask of the Phantasm, Soul of the Dragon, and '89 being my top favs).

But this movie was a pleasant surprise after the mess the last attempt at a Batman Elseworlds gave us that barely resembled the original story (or Batman: the Long Halloween for that matter) I kind of really dug this film waaaaaaay more as the add-ons felt warranted.

Batman: the Doom that Came to Gotham might surprise you. Save for Penguin and Etrigan’s bare butts. That will be sights one will never forget. .... I didn’t mind Etrigan’s. 

Just a last note on Kai Li. I'm okay with it being a loose adaptation of Cass.  You can see the tomboyish nature of Cass shine with Kai Li, the love she has for life, and seeing the good in others (Oliver, Harvey, and pulling Bruce out of the darkness for a tiny bit).

Her impact isn't physical, but hey a sequel can fix that. The seeds in this story can bare one where she becomes a vigilante too. The "wine cellar" and all the toys are good.

She saw the hope bats can bring to Gotham. Sooo maybe sequel bait? If not give me an older Kai Li as a Bat.

[detectivereads]

Manga Series Master List

Hi everyone, Ok I know If you go through this list a lot of these series has a 5/5 score. That's because these series are some of my favorite's series. I love these series a lot. I really wanted to share these series with others as well.

I do love My Hero Academia, SpyXFamily, One Piece and Komi Can't Communicate, I LOVE Case Closed. I might do reviews for the whole series for these one because these series are either still ongoing or they are massive.

Lately I have been finding some weird manga, but I am ok with it.

New Manga/Future Reads:

Detective/Mystery Manga

Horror/Mystery:

The Strange House

Food/Cooking/Cozy:

Delicious in Dungeon/ Dungeon Meshi:

Click here to see my Delicious in Dungeon Idea page.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 1

Delicious in Dungeon vol 2

Delicious in Dungeon vol 3

Delicious in Dungeon vol 4

Delicious in Dungeon vol 5

Delicious in Dungeon vol 6

Delicious in Dungeon vol 7

Delicious in Dungeon vol 8

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu:

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu vol 1

Restaurant to Another World (Manga)

Restaurant to Another World vol 1

Toriko:

Toriko vol 1

Toriko vol 2

Superman Vs Meshi:

Click here to see Batman/Dc comic/Comic Heroes list

Superman Vs Meshi vol 1

Superman Vs Meshi vol 2

Superman Vs Meshi vol 3

One Shots (Series that only have 1-3 volumes):

One Piece Shokugeki No Sanji

Giant Spider & Me

Slice of Life:

Mr. Villain's Day Off:

Mr. Villain's Day Off Vol 1

Mr. Villain's Day Off Vol 2

New Game:

New Game vol 1

Light Novels:

The Hero and his Elf Bride Open a Pizza Parlor in another World

Restaurant to Another world (Light Novel):

Restaurant to Another world vol 1

Adventure:

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun:

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 1

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 2

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 3

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 4

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 5

Romance:

Let's Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World:

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 1.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 2.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 3.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 4.

Let's Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 5.

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife:

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 1

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 2

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 3

The Savior's Book Cafe:

The Savior’s Book Café Story in Another World vol 1

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol 2

Love's in Sight!:

Love's in Sight! Vol 1

A Sign of Affection:

A Sign of Affection vol 1

[ravnloft]

writer interview

tagged @bardic-inspo (*´▽`*) thank u my friend these are so fun

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

3 lol. eventually i'll post more. probably. maybe

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

100,989 (not counting the original "draft" of wicked turns because a lot of that got reused in the current version)

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

girl (gender neutral) i don't even have 5 fics total... top kudos though is wicked turns :')

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes!!!! comments are so nice and they let me know i am not posting into a void and that other people are actually interested in what i'm writing!!!! if you have ever left a comment on anything i wrote you have such a special place in my heart and you make me so happy!!!!!!!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

haven't finished it yet but it's going to be drowning lessons :)

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

also have not finished it but everyone in how to win friends will come out SO happy and well-adjusted. it's at a good little stopping point for now and i might skip into act 2 for the next chapter/s... idk it doesn't really have a plot it's just me giving myself like. writer aftercare from the stuff in drowning lessons or wicked turns fjgdfjjfdgj

7. Do you write crossovers?

not anymore but if you know the ancient piri lore of when i did tumblr rp......... the harley quinn/norman bates "it started out as a joke and now we're really invested" ship still makes me go insane from time to time...... i have a type and it is unhinged men who fall for somehow even more unhinged women

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

nah

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes. the kind where i get wine drunk or have an edible and then scream into my hands after typing each word because i hate writing smut but damn if it ain't relevant to the storyline

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

no but i HAVE had my peebles art stolen/reposted on at least one site

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

if you count tumblr rp as co-writing fic, then yes

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

ough. waugh. how can i choose between my beautiful children

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

yeah so i have. the loose outline of a peebs fic. and it has been rolling around in my brain for years and years and years. but in order to truly do it justice i feel like it would be a full-on multi-issue comic series and the last time i tried making a graphic novel-style work (shoutout to princess huntress, your worldbuilding lives on but i'll never finish you) i got maybe 8/100+ pages done and then spiraled into art burnout for like 4 years

15. What are your writing strengths?

i like to think i am good at writing horror and gore teehee <3

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

sex scenes...... i don't like writing it, i don't like publishing it, i am ehhhh about reading it, but again, damn if it ain't relevant to the storyline

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

don't trust google translate. just use <> or whatever if you don't know the language.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

batman (stares wistfully out the window for 10 hours)

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

i REALLY want to write a skyrim long-ish fic. i have so many thoughts on it. there would be two LDBs (amma and sigg). both of them are cursed by daedra but in wildly different directions

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

wicked turns :)