#can't wait for the next batman and robin issue

[byghostface]

Nika + family members headcanons

↑Some notes and my HCs about Nika & Her family's appearance I drew/wrote back in 2022

-Grandfather

Regret about his past.

Doted on both granddaughters and called them "sweetie /sweetheart".

With his wife, don't weird out and scared by Nika's obsession with death, and indulge her behavior (they think Nika is just curious and feisty).

Bedridden when Nika was around 7-8 years old, rarely interacted with her since then. Especially when he needs to be at the hospital to monitor his health often.

Over time Nika grew more distant from her grandfather, only having some vague memory of the moments they had spent together.

Use to patch up Nika's destroyed plushies and toys.

-Grandmother

Having natural dark Hair.

Doted on granddaughters and called them "sweetie /sweetheart" the same as her husband, and called Nika "My little victory", Mila "My dearest" (sometimes their mom called them that too)

Passed away when Nika was 7 years old (Mila around age 9-10).

Nika has good memories of her but it's becoming vague as she grew up.

Loves to gifted candies and homemade sweets to granddaughters.

Both girls got the dark hair atavistic inheritance from their grandmother, and Nika had inherited some of the facial features as well.

-Elder sister: Mila (hc age- 2~3 years older than Nika)

Think Nika is annoying and attention-seeking most of the time.

Disgust by Nika's obsession with death since they were little. Blame her little sister's obsession with death for the reason that attracts/brings bad luck into the house (their grandparents dying).

Often verbally belittle/disapprove of Nika and her behaviors.

Exclude Nika when she is playing with her friends (her friends don't like Nika too).

Give up her toys to Nika to make her less pestering but failed.

Looks more like her father and mother.

Worried about things and gets anxious easily like her mother.

Emotionally affected by things, incidents, and surroundings more easily than Nika (cried when grandpa died, "She was always a bit more on the… soft side. Naive"-Nika's description of Mila in Batman & Robin 2023 #7).

Getting frustrated with how their mother would change the house rules to fit Nika's needs.

Prideful and hard work in her school studies, likes to gain approval from her parents and seniors elders.

Try to be a responsible big sister (oftentimes depending on her mood and situation).

Like to sing and go to the choir with Nika. Because they both get praised a lot for being earnest and good singers.

Really upset about losing her grandparents.

Terrified of the idea of not living/being not existing. Like to know her importance in living.

(She may have connected with death like Nika but is actually repressed/terrified by it, and seeing Nika so obsessed with it makes Mila feel really repulsive thus taking it out on Nika, making death associated with her little sister more instead of herself.)

-Nika

Tried to share her interests with her sister but always got rejected (aside from music-related topics).

She is resilient about it (sharing her obsession with death to her sister) for a long period of her childhood.

Love to "kill" her plushies and toys, then learn to patch them up by herself after grandpa is not in the house to do it for her anymore.

Later on realized her sister's distaste towards her, and her parents' disagreements about her. She was becoming closed off and less responsive to her family, and taking more interest in drawing to distract herself.

Keeping herself busy with the things she likes (hobbies— death theme, drawing, singing) to avoid/suppress negative emotions in life.

Feeling the pressure the grandfather's hospital condition has put on the family, sometimes thinking he's better off dead (peacefully).

Despite her obsession with death, she doesn't like the idea of suicide. She may have some suicidal thoughts or fake imagined scenarios but never commits them, because that's not what she wants her life and death to be (passive suicidal ideation). These hidden passive thoughts change greatly after meeting Damian on Lazarus Island.

Looks more like her grandmother and her mother, and looks really similar to Mila when she was little.

-Father

Most of the day is at work, rarely at home.

Think Nika is nothing but a troubled kid, unlike his good-manner elder daughter.

Often at the hospital take care of his father, and let his wife take charge of the kids.

Impact by his mother's passing, and later his father's condition. His mood is not very stable.

The source of living income of the household. Manage all the finances in the house and inheritance of his parent's property (under a lot of financial stress).

-Mother

Housewife, spends a lot of time with her children.

Love to nurture her garden and teach the plants and flowers knowledge to Nika who is interested in making her little playground graveyard in the yard pretty.

Worried about Nika's obsession with death and scared for Nika as the obsession progresses as she grows up.

Setting the house rules for the girls, so it would be fair and easy to discipline them. But it's really difficult with Nika, because she is more "adventurous" compared to the elder daughter.

Struggling to get Mila and Nika to make peace/behave toward each other, and it gets worse as the two sisters grow older(her husband is not helping by favoring Mila more).

Need to do some part-time jobs in later years to support the family and father-in-law's hospital bills.

.

Nika + family members hcs．Nika + family (dynamic) hcs

[zahri-melitor]

Ric Grayson, or Tim 'Nightwing' Drake: a story of how Tom King's Nightwing pitch would have functioned.

You can often see the remains of discarded or overruled pitches in comics, if you look at structural decisions and compare them to pitches that you know were made.

One obvious one people might be familiar with is that Helena Bertinelli, back in 2003, was being set up to be removed from the Bat books and transferred over to what eventually became Greg Rucka's Checkmate 2006. There's a whole establishing storyline done in Gotham Knights by Scott Beatty. However, Gail Simone's pitch for Birds of Prey, which was published a mere two months after the Beatty story wrapped up, took Helena and used her to expand the Birds of Prey roster. It's a move that likely redirected Helena's character arc permanently (though the ghosts can still be seen in the choice to use Helena B as Matron in Grayson).

Equally: I hypothesise the reason we got Ric Grayson is because we got Young Justice 2019.

If you look at the storytelling, in terms of cover dates:

Dick was shot in Batman #55, in November 2018

Tynion's 'Tec run finished July 2018

Young Justice 2019 started March 2019

City of Bane started September 2019

King's pitch for Tim to take over the Nightwing mantle would probably have been a 12 issue run, to my eye; with the schedule that Nightwing had at the time, it would have been 6 issues (twice monthly) and then 6 issues (once monthly), ending the run and placing Dick back as a restored Nightwing...in issue #61, August 2019.

City of Bane kicked off the next month, being King's big 'all family-in' storytelling climax arc. It would have been the perfect place to put Nightwing, once again himself, reuniting with people. (I cannot tell how this placement would have gone should King have got his full 100 issue run; but I don't think City of Bane was significantly shifted forwards?)

Now I can't tell if the twice monthly issues dropped to monthly because Ric Grayson went down like a lead balloon with the fandom, but that would have been a very fast turn around in solicits for DC to withdraw support on a new direction (about a month). If it was expected to remain twice monthly, then I still think it would have been a 12 issue story, but might have stretched to 18 to meet plot needs over in Batman (King doesn't seem to have an issue about padding stories to get timing to line up in ways he wants them to)

King's pitch was also made at the time when Tim was still Red Robin, but clearly there was internal interest in transitioning him away from the name and into some other identity as part of the shift away from n52. Putting Tim into the Nightwing suit for 6 months to a year would have been a nice intervening step to use as the prompt to give Tim a new identity.

It's a pitch from King that just...fits in really really well. I can see how he'd have had it interact with things. Especially as King really hadn't had an opportunity to use Tim in his run yet due to the Mr Oz storyline, and he'd been pulling so many other faces through his story.

(I will also note that the 'Drake' identity and costume for Tim appears in January 2010 in Young Justice; Bendis' initial concept was clearly taking Tim back to Robin before he also tried a 'new costume' growth arc).

But instead Bendis wanted to use Young Justice to anchor the whole Wonder Comics initiative, and he wanted Tim as Robin for it because the concept was to pull in all the nostalgia for everyone for Young Justice 1998, thus having everyone in their original identities. And that whole decision probably had more lead time than your average comic, so it took priority over suggestions of moving Tim to Nightwing (because they already had plans brewing).

(And then Young Justice got fucked over with SO MUCH editorial meddling, to the point that I cannot wait until enough people have left DC that we actually get stories about exactly how bad it was, rather than just inferring it from what can be seen in the text itself)

Come back next time for when I instead explain what I think happened with the accepted pitch for Ric Grayson (and how I cannot BELIEVE this was actually an accepted pitch, given the way it was treated as a hot potato; it feels more like an editorial dictate of a concept that was passed off until Dan Jurgens came up with an idea of how to make it into an actual plot)

[trincketbox]

Batman & Robin #8 spoilers bellow!!! Skip if you don't wanna see :^]

☠︎︎⋆♱✮♱⋆☠︎︎⋆♱✮♱⋆☠︎︎⋆♱✮♱⋆☠︎︎⋆♱✮♱⋆☠︎︎

Okay we're good

HER SPOOKY DOLL EYES

You don't understand, she's my child.

It almost made me forget about Damian's white washing, I love her so much.

Okay, back to the story.

["you'd do the same if it was a member of your batfamily"]

Uuuuh about that.

Like I GET where she's coming from and Damian for sure stands up for his family, but he sure as hell also has beaten their asses when they screw up (sometimes when they don't as well but y'know).

He did the cape thing guys.

I honestly saw this coming, but Im not mad that I did. It makes sense.

I really didn't saw Nika suddenly joining her sister on the family business, let alone with all the baggage between them. I know she's technically a morally good/grey-ish character but in this case her "betrayal" actually being one wouldn't fit her interests.

Me when Nika tries to protect Mila and get her out of a bad place while simultaneously beating her ass as she should and Damian even through still not enjoying the events understands her position and quickly gets over it

Also

who's gonna tell her?

Im still not over this

Damian, darling, you're asking this from Flatline, who's idea of inconspicuous is this pic

Aaaaand of course they're gonna try to take down Shush on their own.

This can go wrong in so many ways and Im so ready for it.

Anyways, had fun reading this. Can't wait for next issue !

[farshootergotme]

(Batman & Robin: Year One #1 spoilers under cut.)

I read the first issue of the new Batman and Robin comic and I've gotta say, not a bad start at all.

I can already see the future conflicts between Bruce's and Dick's way of doing things, and I'm loving the buildup.

I very much like how they're writing Dick's beginning as Robin. His personality is a delight. He's cheeky, a jokester and very playful. And you can tell he's a ten-year-old excited to be a hero and defeat bad guys and save the innocent.

But don't be fooled, even if he's still a preteen, he's very smart, agile and good at adapting. He's competent. However, of course, he can't start out being perfect. That'd not only be boring, but quite unrealistic. (It might be a fantasy world, and there's nothing realistic about their inhuman capabilities, but there's always a touch of reality somewhere that needs to be there to be more enjoyable, at least for me.)

So, Dick isn't fully ready yet, because for all the things he exceeds at, he's lacking experience.

Batman sees the talent, the potential. But Robin is too eager. He rushes into action, his adaptability causes him to act fast, which is a problem for someone like Bruce, who prefers to plan, think and observe before acting. Dick is also very bold and disobedient. He chooses to act on his own and doesn't stop to listen to Batman's orders.

Thankfully things didn't go as badly as they could've, but it's clear Dick's solo-acting and Bruce's poor authority will cause problems in the future. They will need to learn to adapt to each other's way of doing things and find a balance that will help them to work together as a team.

Now it's time to wait for the next issue and see how things continue!

[hood-ex]

Your post about that dialogue from Gotham Knights (the game) made me think back on how much I miss Bruce and Dick's relationship tbh. Like obv it was never the healthiest thing ever, and Bruce was always emotionally constipated, but it always felt a little more... equal? Recently it's just felt so toxic, like Bruce will be an asshole, and Dick will be hurt by it but will still come back to him and will remove the burden of Bruce apologizing for anything from him. Like the scene between them in Nightwing 100, where Bruce is rightfully apologizing for his crap and Dick says he doesn't have to. I do like that scene (even if it was over the top), but that's not right. Like, no sir, he has a lot to apologize for lmao. But that's literally been their dynamic for so long. Whenever Bruce should be called out, Dick just forgives him and Bruce goes back to doing the same old shit again, and Dick forgives him again, and rinse and repeat.

Honestly, it feels like whoever wrote those scenes took a look at that one meme of Batman slapping Robin and said "hey, they like that, let's do that!" Like, you can't go a long time without Bruce hitting Dick. Because they think fans eat that shit up ig. They are so attached to their shock value Bruce and Dick fights and their image of brooding Bruce that they won't address their fucked-up relationship and won't change the status quo. We have gotten many scenes of them being great together and having sweet moments, but those all feel tainted by the rest of it. It's as recent as the amnesia arc where Bruce re-traumatized Dick and then didn't help him when he was living in his car and then pretty much emotionally manipulated him to become Nightwing again. Recent comics really have forgotten what Batman is about.

And it sucks, because Dick is my fave of all faves, but I also love the hell out of Bruce Wayne, and it's so sad to see him be reduced to this... only brooding, borderline abusive asshole. They won't let him grow or develop. I don't mind conflict, and I like that they have a complicated relationship. I didn't even mind Bruce punching Dick, because it's interesting. Once was fine, twice was fine, the same thing happening all the time without addressing it and with no change across years is kind of a problem. I'm only keeping up with the Nightwing run out of loyalty to my boy, but from what I've heard of the events that are happening outside of that, it seems that they are having issues again, and I'm waiting for the next Batman issue that features Nightwing to also feature another punch or something. It's always Bruce being coddled by the story and never being asked to make the step forward, it's always Dick that has to give in and make Bruce feels better about his flaws and free him of any responsibility for his actions even when it's time for Bruce to step up and grow up.

It's why I prefer the animated adaptations or the retellings. I think world's finest did a good job with their relationship, I feel like Robin: Year 1 from back in the day did too, and Young Justice animated for its many flaws has a solid dynamic between them. They still have a complicated relationship, but it isn't so dramatically awful. It allows for a more balanced and well-rounded portrayal of the character when you aren't pandering to some people by flanderizing the character ig. Anyway, sorry for ranting, you're like my fave Dick Grayson blog so I just wanted to share. Hope this wasn't a bother.

No yeah I hated that aspect of Nightwing #100. If TT wanted to do a scene like that, he should’ve built up a conflict between Dick and Bruce to give us some context as to some type of thing Bruce actually needed to apologize for. Then he could’ve had Bruce apologize, Dick accept the apology, and end it with that reconciliation.

Instead, he just had Bruce apologize like, “I’m sorry I failed you, I’m sorry I pushed you away, I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like I wasn’t proud of you,” which would’ve hit much harder if, again, they had shown some kind of recent conflict between Bruce and Dick to warrant that sudden apology. And for Dick to then express his own hurt and such over said conflict. And then for them to come to some reconciliation. But yeah it’s very unsatisfying for Bruce to just list things he’s sorry for, and for Dick to hug him and just reassure Bruce. Like nooo let Bruce feel bad. Let Dick feel bad because of what Bruce did to him. Let Dick be angry. Let them both hurt. Then let them heal.

As for the amnesia arc, I feel like they really did a disservice to Bruce by not focusing enough on his trauma from the sniper incident. If they really stressed how much it traumatized him and then showed how his actions were effected by that (like giving him a dire need to have Dick return to normal bc otherwise it’s like Dick just died in his arms on that rooftop) then that is much more sad and compelling, and we can at least kind of see where Bruce is coming from by showing Dick the sniper video (though it would’ve been better if they just… hadn’t done that all).

If I had been writing that issue, I would’ve had it from Bruce’s POV where he would’ve constantly been in a state of flashbacks. Like seeing his parents getting killed and then comparing it to Dick getting shot. And then having flashbacks of Dick when he was younger but then Bruce imagining that Dick keeps getting shot in the head in each of those memories. And all of that literally just like… pushing Bruce over the edge. And then of course when Dick wakes up and asks Bruce “Who are you?” Bruce spirals even further. And we see his descent to this very isolated and dark place where he just wants his son back at all costs. That would’ve been waaaaay more interesting. Extremely dark ofc. But interesting.

Yeah the comic Dick and Bruce relationship can definitely be toxic (and I’m not totally opposed to that bc I think it makes things interesting between them), and there are animated shows that show them in a more balanced light. The Batman (2004) is one of those shows as well. Dick was Robin then ofc, and Bruce wasn’t so dark at that point in life. But when you watch shows like that, it reminds you of the character Bruce is supposed to be, and it reminds you of what you like the most about him. So definitely nice to watch shows like that sometimes to remind yourself of the Bruce Wayne that exists outside of modern comics.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Where His Loyalties Really Lie

by Angelfire115 Jason can't believe what he's hearing. He almost killed this kid at the Titans Tower. Why is he willing to shoot Batman for him? “Oh, this is getting good.” Joker comments below his breath as he watches the scene before him in anticipation. He's ignored by everyone however, as Robin points a gun at Batman who's holding a syringe filled with drugs that will mess up Jason. He still can't believe this is happening. “... I can't.” Bruce finally says after several beats of intense silence. It doesn't even sound like he's convincing anyone but himself. Jason turns his head back to Robin, waiting for what he'll do next. Will he shoot Bruce? Or will his convictions drop and let Bruce drug him? Jason watches as Robin's eyes narrow further and he straightens. He's come to some kind of decision as his face becomes firm and assured. “Fine, then I'll do it myself.” —------- AU where Tim kills the Joker Words: 2071, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Loyalty of a Robin, Part 1 of Batfamily DC Series Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: Gen Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Joker (DCU) Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Jason Todd is Red Hood, Tim Drake Kills Joker (DCU), Tim Drake is Robin, Protective Tim Drake, BAMF Tim Drake, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort via https://ift.tt/WxezoDB

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Eyes and Ears

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: An AU where Barbara finds Jason instead of Bruce.

Chapters: 7/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Sheila Haywood, Original Character(s)

Relationship(s): Jason Todd/Original Character(s), Past Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Older SIbling Barbara Gordon, Jason Todd-centric, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Jason Todd is NOT Robin, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Has a Crush, Adopted Siblings

Chapter Seven: Seaside

Barbara went out as Batgirl shortly after dinner, leaving Jason home alone to wait for Jim. As the night progressed, Jason lay on the couch watching tv. He wanted to be awake when Jim returned. It reminded him of how Jason often waited for his parents to come home, and that's what worried him most. As hard as he tried to stay awake for Jim's return, he couldn't keep his eyes open past two in the morning.

Jim dragged his feet as he entered the house around three in the morning. His body and mind were weary as he hung his coat up and kicked his shoes off. He turned the tv off and smiled at Jason, who lay curled up on the couch, holding one of the throw pillows to his chest. Jim picked Jason up and held him for a moment before taking Jason to his room to tuck him into bed. Jason took hold of Jim's wrist and mumbled, "Don't go... Please don't go." His voice was broken. Jim pushed Jason's hair back.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here... We might have to go get ice cream in the morning, though," Jim whispered as he sat down on the floor by Jason's bedside. Jason turned on his stomach, facing Jim, and he opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked. Jim took a deep breath.

"Mind if I tell you what happened and why I was gone so long?" Jim asked. Jason nodded.

Jim talked about his work with Batman and how many bombs they had to defuse around the city, and Jason stopped him. "But are you okay?" Jason asked. Jim paused, and his shoulders dropped.

"I'm exhausted, and I feel bad for how I left you earlier... I want you to know that I would've come home hours ago if I could've. I don't want you to think I abandoned you," Jim whispered.

"You were working," Jason yawned.

Jim left the room and showered, and climbed into bed. He lay awake for a few minutes only to hear Jason's footsteps in his room. Jim lay still and listened to Jason make a shuffling noise before complete silence. He turned on his side and met eyes with Jason. Despite the pounding in Jim's head, he opened his mouth and whispered, "It's cold down there. Come up here." Jason hesitated for a moment before climbing into Jim's bed, and he closed his eyes. Jim threw the blankets over Jason and took a deep breath.

"I was dreaming about my mom... My birth one. I mean, I don't know her, but maybe this is the way she wanted things to be. Maybe she didn't want me," Jason whispered, "Maybe she doesn't want to be found..."

Jim kissed the top of Jason's head. "I can't imagine someone not wanting a kid like you... But I honestly hope that even if you do find her, you'll consider making this your home for good," Jim whispered.

"You'd want me to stay for the next five years? Like until I turn eighteen?" Jason asked.

"Or until you're ready to leave home. I figure if you're still living with me by the time I retire, we could go live in Maine... Get away from all the noise. We could go fishing there," Jim whispered as he went on to describe the coastal cities and the lighthouses and the silence. Jason's breathing slowed, and Jim kept speaking as if Maine was some fairy tale place.

Jim drifted off to sleep only after he knew Jason was fast asleep. They both slept late into the next day, only waking once the sun was too bright to ignore. "Pop?" Jason asked as he sat up, and Jim groaned. "Therapy?"

"Mhm, we'll pick someone out together... But first, let's go eat, okay? I promised my son I'd take him out for ice cream," Jim smiled. Jason got out of bed, and he stood in the doorway.

"I know I just kind of got you, but... You're the best dad I've ever had," Jason whispered before waving. The words made Jim's heart heavy. He got cleaned up and dressed before leaving his room and ran into Barbara in the kitchen.

"You do realize that you just can't promise him ice cream and make things okay, right?" Barbara asked. Jim nodded solemnly.

"I know," he replied, "But I did talk to him about therapy, and he said he'll give it a try as long as I'm there with him."

"How'd you manage that? He wouldn't even—."

"I took a different approach. Do you want to come with us to get ice cream?" Jim asked. Barbara nodded.

"Sure, why not. I have a day off... Also, I noticed... This is the second night in a row that he hasn't slept in his bed," Barbara noted. Jim nodded.

"I know. But last night was sort of my fault. He was gonna sleep on the floor," Jim explained. Jason came out of the bathroom and stretched out. "Hey, I'll be downstairs." Jason nodded and moved to follow Jim before Barbara took his hand.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Barbara asked. Jason nodded and stood in the kitchen with her. "You okay?"

"Train me," Jason whispered.

"What?" Barbara exclaimed. "No! Are you crazy? You're just barely thirteen, that's way too young—."

"How old was Robin when he started? He didn't exactly look like he was in his early twenties," Jason whispered.

"Robin wasn't my baby brother. You are," Barbara replied as she tried to walk past him, and he grabbed her wrist.

"I already lost one family. I'm not gonna lose this one," Jason tightened his hold on her wrist, not to hurt her, but to let her know he was serious. She sighed.

"I'm not letting you in the field, but I'll consider it," Barbara replied, and he embraced her. She stood still in shock for a moment before hugging him back. "I'm serious. It's not a yes. I'm just thinking about it."

She tried to keep a stern look on her face, but she couldn't help but smile. "I call shotgun, Barbie!" Jason smiled as he ran down the stairs.

"Wait! No one calls me that!" Barbara shouted as she locked up and followed him down the steps and out to the car. Jason chuckled to himself in the front seat.

While they were eating ice cream, Barbara tried to think about the idea of a partner, but she knew he was far too young and much too traumatized to be out in the field. On the other hand, he would be too busy training to worry about losing them and decided that keeping Jason preoccupied was her best option.

She understood where Jason was coming from, but she was no Batman. She could only allow him to dream, nothing more. Barbara secretly hoped that he would lose interest as his fear of loss subsided. Only time would tell.

[sugarlesswriting]

I always knew that Gotham War was going to be stupid because Selina's plans of stealing from the rich has flaws and Bruce has his whole Zurr still lingering in his mindscape thing, but like goodness. So after I read the first two issues of the Gotham War event I'm wondering if I'm the only one who noticed this

Now this might just be me grasping at straws to try and make their ooc moments seem in character but why would Barbra correct herself? We know from Batman/Catwoman Gotham Wars Issue 1 that Bruce said that he turned off his comms, but did that include monitoring? Also, why would Bruce take out his suits monitoring but still keep the tracker in there? For plot relevance yes, it makes sense but this is delulu town and I'm making up excuses.

I feel like some readers are looking at the ooc moments and going well that doesn't make sense, which fair because girl same, but I got to this sentence and was like Oracle babe why did you correct yourself? Why did you feed intel to Jason knowing that he is working with Selina?

UNLESS

They know that they are being monitored. It's been weeks since Bruce got into his coma, right? (I refuse to say he was just sleeping because that's not how sleeping works) So what if something happened during that time that has them acting like this? Because I simply refuse that all of the batfam drank dumb bitch juice for breakfast 8 weeks straight. Again let us be delusional for a bit longer.

They know that whoever is working the bigger game here wants Batman to be alone, to be at his weakest, so they play that part.

Whoever is watching them now knows that Batman is going off the deep end, he can't be helped because who knows what he'll do next, and they are going to help Selina if she asks. This gives the unknown watcher the thought that he won't have backup when he needs it.

We already know that they're being watched by The Riddler

But I refuse to believe that they're being like that because of the Riddler, like he's good villain, don't get me wrong but it just seems too easy for it to be him.

Hell they aren't the only ones being watched I mean even the villains are being secretive

Of course the villains are going to be meeting each other in secret but we are indulging on the idea that even they know something bigger is in Gotham and watching their own every move. Could they be talking about Batman? Maybe. But they also could be talking about an unknown being.

I know this is just a theory that probably isn't true but I can't live through another Civil War 2 type of hero vs hero. I didn't like it when it was Avengers vs X-men, (even though Scott was in the right #Cyclopswasright), or the many times when heroes had to fight against each other to create sales. On a side note wouldn't it be funny if this just tanked? Like I'm not going to buy anymore because to me it's a waste of money.

Anyway, I know that they're doing this to go back to the status quo of Batman and Robin being the only heroes in Gotham and that the Joker (boring) is going to be back and it'll be like the good old days of the crime duo fighting together. I mean who can't wait to read the amazing villain known as Shush (She-Hush)? Joking aside I'm sure it'll be good but dear god that villain name.

Anyways the only good thing about Gotham War was this banger of a line.

I don't know which one wrote Batman's line, Howard or Zdarsky but it was the greatest thing that I read so far. 10/10 made me laugh and was able to foget how bad the premise to this whole war was.

[havendance]

Having Finished Batman Eternal, I think it's a good time for another new52 read checkpoint/roundup:

Batman Eternal

This was a comic with far too many plotlines. Also, way too many twists. The ending sequence was pretty badass and I am a sucker for a good old 'let's all rally under the bat symbol!' montage but did we really need like three different twists in the last three issues?

I do think it had some fun beats for Steph especially at the end with her antagonism towards Batman

I wish I could have been more invested in the Row siblings but I think I have to admit that those characters just aren't for me. I do have thoughts about the parallels between Harper becoming Bluebird and Identity Crisis (the first one) (I think) for Tim (the story where he fought scarecrow) and how he became Robin there.

Just, Harper in general is a character that hits similar beats to Tim and I'm not sure why I'm neutral on her. Maybe it's because when she does it I miss post-crisis Tim.

On a different note, all the crime-lord Selina stuff is tempting me to go pick up her solo now

Julia was a highlight of this comic for me. She really grew on me and I love her now <3 Like, she did get stuck being an off-brand Oracle by the end, but also I am obsessed with her as this piece in the Bruce and Alfred relationship. Like, I think it would easy for her to hate Bruce, but she can't help but love and be sucked into his mission like everyone else and Bruce is also over here like 'alfred raised me' and he's sort of self-centered about that in a way but also he thinks Alfred and Julia's relationship is more important than either of them do and it's juicy!

Anyway, glad to be done (at least until I need to start Batman and Robin Eternal soon...)

Batman - I am currently still procrastinating on reading Batman: Endgame. I am sincerely toying with the idea of just skipping it because I do not particularly want to read another Joker event.

Batwoman - I finished reading this series and the last arc definitely felt weaker. Having an entire 'in medias res' issue to kick the thing off? I felt like I spent the whole issue waiting to get to the part where we flashed back to see how we got there and it just did not happen. I did like the Nocturna drama and the continued Kate-Maggie drama but the main plot was not all there imo. Oh, and the return of Alice, that was also fun. That being said, I am sad that this series got canceld because there was enough there that left me go 'well maybe the next arc would've been better'. Alas.

Arkham Manor - This was just a fun mini. It had a good mystery and some nice humor to it, and it was just a pleasant change of pace from everything else.

Grayson - Loved Grayson: Futures End, otherwise I keep re-writing this as I read to match the secret good version where Helena's in character in my head.

Batman and Robin - Damian is now back to life! I found myself largely uninvested in the whole Apokolipse fight though. Reading Kirby's Fourth World stuff endeared me more to those characters and that mythos but whenever Darkseid shows up to be a villain it sadly remains the most boring thing ever to me.

Detective Comics - I am enjoying the Manapul and Bucellato run on 'tec so far. Very good art. I remember enjoying the mystery, but it's been a minute since I read the first arc so I don't remember all of my thoughts there.

[crascet]

Honest Thoughts: Justice League Unlimited (Waid/Mora)

I will make a write-up for these first issues probably next week after my Finals are over so expect that soon.

For now, I have read JLU on its release today and I have thoughts on it. This became my most anticipated book this month since Waid and Mora are working on this book together as I have enjoyed WF and Absolute Power, so naturally I wanted to read this. There is also the fact that it's named after one of my favorite animated series: DCAU's Justice League Unlimited which other than the name, does showcase the whole DC Universe and the characters that live throughout it, both old and new.

Spoilers Ahead!

This first issue sorta follows Air Wave being a new member of the JL and having a tour of the Watchtower by the Flash and the heroes inhabiting there: the homebases for some of the already established groups like the JSA, Titans, and the Super-Family, the head of security, The Question, the Atom Project who are overseeing where the lost powers went to and finding a way to restore them from the events of Absolute Power, the Phantom Zone Prison Gate, and the Robin's Nest which is where Red Tornado's A.I. is at and is the central communicator and strategist on which hero gets sent to which mission based on their powerset.

Speaking of missions, the first one in this book has the Alpha Wave squad of the JL, consisting of Wonder Woman, Superman, Star Sapphire, Black Lightning, Firestorm, and Kid Flash go to Balhauzer, South Africa to stop a set of War Wheels set by the secret organization known as the Inferno to search for Iridium. And its here we see the importance of which heroes get sent, as WW and Supes focus on destroying the drones while the rest of the group helps the civilians during the attack. It's also showing the type of person Star Sapphire is here, as she is a new member here too, and she wants to save anyone from the chaos, with her and Black Lightning seeing a dying soldier, shouting his wife's name. It's thanks to Air Wave briefly joining the mission to look for the soldier's wife and Kid Flash bringing her to the soldier that Sapphire can heal him with their love for each other, which is some nice heartwarming stuff to see, especially as I first heard how Sapphire was originally a sort of antagonist in the GL books, or at least the Lanterns she is a part of which is weird since Compassion isn't a bad emotion at all and not associated with evil, but I could be misremembering things.

Meanwhile, Batman and Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle III head to Costa Rica to investigate a series of child kidnappings by a winged creature that carries kids into the forest. As the two head there, they soon see a collection of alien eggs as they are slowly surrounded by what seem to be Parademons as seen in the cover of the next issue, so that's a big problem.

The story then ends with the Alpha Wave squad stopping the War Wheels and Superman receiving a message from the Inferno that they will take over the Earth and they already have an agent in the League, as well as the twist that Air Wave being the agent sent by the Inferno and his true mission of killing the JL.

There's also a back issue that is the prologue of a storyline in the mainline Batman books that's a sequel to Hush simply called Hush 2, done by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee, the same team behind the original Hush storyline. Also, why is there a sequel to Hush? I know it was a popular storyline, but why now, especially with the new characters and retcons made from that point? Guess that's just how the industry works sometimes.

Other than that, this first issue was pretty good and has me interested in continuing the book with whatever missions the JL will go on and which heroes gets to be selected and showcased and see the arc Air Wave is going through and if he wants to fulfill the mission set to him by the Inferno. Can't wait for issue #2 next month!

My EU write-up will be released later today probably and all that's left is the Absolute Universe and other third-brand company comics.

[wesavegotham]

Not only did inserting Lazarus Planet between Batman vs Robin #4 and #5 mean we'll have to wait even longer for Damian to be free of BvsR, even the Lazarus Planet issues that he's in got pushed to the back of the event to publish a bunch of oneshots that add nothing to the main story, they only exist to set up other character's next stories.

They threw him under the bus to start this storyline, dragged it out to elevate other characters and in the end he'll sacrifice something important to atone for the stupid mess he was written to be the cause of while everyone else seems to leave this event with an upgrade and a promise that they'll have a role to play in the near future.

While main continuity Damian has absolutely no confirmed content for March or April and considering that DC seems done with their announcements for new titles for the first half of 2023 I'm not optimistic that it will be any different for May and June. Of course I can't see the future. I don't know how Batman vs Robin #5 is going to end. But I think I shouldn't have to wait until the very end of a long storyline to see if Damian maybe gains anything from being in this shit. I just want to be able to feel excitement for a Damian story again.

I don't want to hear the writer talk about how he wants to teach Damian "humility" for the nth time, I don't want a writer to threaten me with Damian sacrifing himself again to prove something he shouldn't have to prove again, I don't want to fear that my favorite character will die or end in limbo just because a writer wants to "leave their mark" on the Batman mythos. Why is it so hard to simply write a cool superhero story in which Damian simply gets to do good (without causing the problem first) and gets to have a relationship with his family members and friends? Who told DC writers that having them constantly punch each others faces in is good entertainment? It's not.

[byghostface]

BATMAN AND ROBIN(2023) #8 SPOILERS

Their faces😭 He is so mad and she is so sad and clinging to him to apologize for her action😭😭

Honestly, Nika is partially telling her truth to Damian here, she only asked for Damian to help her find her sister, and he did, so she thanked him, promising to talk later. She just trying to buy time for her plans to work while stopping Damian from getting more involved and making Mila trust her.

Look at how cheerful and cute Nika is with her sister… Mila is so pretty… they are so cutee☹️☹️🥲

This is probably the first time they’re having fun and understanding each other, and Nika already knows she has made the decision to sacrifice this possible renewed kinship by betraying Mila's trust while keeping her safe. ( look at her sad face ungghggh my baby ueueee😭😭😭 she knows she will have two people she loves mad at her simultaneously in one single night…)

Just thinking that Nika still cares about her sister a lot, and probably knows this criminal life will not do well for Mila in the longest run, so she track her down and decided to make a plan to get her out… And all this time Mila is blinded by jealousy of not having power as her, then when she gets the power she doesn't even once try to find Nika😭😞😞

I'm just hoping Nika will keep in touch with their mother and tell her what happened to Mila…

Nika immediately blasts Mila with the ice guns once Mila wants to severely harm and poses a danger to Damian. Mila must have called Nika weirdo so many times as an insult when they were little kids, cuz Nika is still mad about this (I don't blame her, you go girl!! Tell her to back off, seems like your sister still doesn't know that words still hurt).

Nika came to him and Batman to ask for help to find her sister and make sure it would be fine for her to handle Mila's situation (minimal the chance for Mila to be sent to Gotham prison, and stick to her plan). She explains her plan and actions to Damian and tells him that it's not all an act with him.

She wants to return the favor by helping his cases and making sure that's fine with him too (She's so open to talk and gentle to Damian here… and meanwhile he looked so sad thinking she's leaving again so soon😭).

Man-bat in Nikola's style is sooo good!!! I love how he looks here, so brutal and threatening! This page is one of my favorite.

Love these panels too, Batman being dragged into the darkness by Man-bat… Shush why are you looking so shook here, even though Batman save you from Man-bat's strike a few seconds before… I thought you wanted him dead?

Erica's face lowkey reminds me of that one Shrek image… she's so funny with that stare she gave to Damian😂

NIKA IN HER CIVIL CLOTHES‼️‼️RAAAAA I LOVE IT SMMM😭😭♥️♥️♥️SHE LOOKS SO FRICKING ADORABLE‼️😭😇😇🙏💕💕

The tie, the red skirt and the knee-high boots… She's my everythinggg🥹🥺🫶♥️🖤💕💕

Can't wait for the next issue! If Ms. Hall is actually Shush, it would be so interesting for her to see Damian sneaking Nika into school to help him try to uncover the principal as Shush.

I had a feeling that in the next issue, Nika would punch Damian's bullies for calling him names (look how she did with her sister, she definitely would not tolerate that I fear), or something they planned together this time would happen to get both of them to the detection.

(I'm kinda sad that Mila's appearance is so short, hopefully she can return in later issues… reasons number 97676443178 why I need a Flatline solo!! To explore more with her family!!!🙏🙏)

.

Batman and Robin(2023) #8 spoilers- preview thoughts．issue thoughts

[oldtvandcomics]

This PowerPoint is getting me back to think about superheroes, right now, the Superman/Lois Lane dynamic Back In The Day (ca. 1940s - 1950s). Back before Lois really became his equal, when the stories treated her more as the main threat. It ending up in a spectacularly toxic dynamic.

And the tragic thing is, it shouldn't have been that way.

Clark Kent is Superman, and Lois Lane knows this. Clark Kent is Superman, and Lois Lane will remind him when he is giving himself away, she will point out the little inconsistencies in his cover stories with a twinkle in her eye. Clark Kent is Superman, and Lois Lane is waiting for him to tell her, because they are friends, because, if only they can figure out the fragments of his identity, they might be something else.

Lois Lane knows that Clark Kent is Superman, but Clark Kent doesn't realize this. Clark doesn't see the twinkle in her eyes, Clark doesn't see the times she covers for him, Clark only sees her picking and poking at his lies, always so close to uncovering the truth. And Clark Kent is convinced that when that truth is uncovered, it will mean the end of his life as he knows it. Clark Kent probably is even right about that last bit.

And so Clark doubles down on his lies, and Lois amps up her needling, because what else can she do, because he is her friend, because he claims to love her, and yet he doesn't trust her. And, Lois being Lois, because she likes mind games.

And the mind games get out of hand, and Clark teams up with his friends Batman and Robin, companions through shared secrets, and together they do their best to keep hidden a secret that never was one, and because Clark keeps giving himself away, the best they can do is try and make Lois doubt her own perception. They're literally gaslighting her. Not the whatever the Internet thinks that term means version, the real version, the original version. The domestic abuse version.

And Lois... She plays the games as well as she can. And every time, there is a point where it becomes too stupid and she is just like '....Whatever', and moves on. But she doesn't realize, Clark is suffering too.

Because Lois might be playing fun mind games, but Clark is not. Clark doesn't know that Lois knows his secret and chose to keep it. As far as Clark is concerned, Lois Lane presents an existential threat, because surely the moment she learns his secret identity, she will run to their boss and write an article about it and ruin everything that he has.

Clark Kent is living in a constant state of fear from Lois Lane.

And it could be resolved, quite easily, if only they talked. But that would require trust, and that would require seeing Lois Lane as an equal and welcoming her in the little boys' club that Batman, Superman and Robin have going on, and above all, that would require the characters to change, to break out of the status quo, and we can't have that, because comic books are a serialized medium, and we need some easy drama for the next issue, too.

And, just... Girl, get out of there. The earlier stories were fun, but it stopped being fun a while ago. Seriously, Lois, leave, they're hurting you.

But she can't, because it is a serialized format, and we need cheap drama for the next issue, too.

IDK, at least that's how I see their dynamic.

[thevindicativevordan]

Comics this week ?

Action Comics #1060 - You can tell PKJ meant for this plot to run longer and be bigger, and he has to compress it down since he's getting moved. A shame, I hope the Annual manages to give a satisfying ending to his run but I'm expecting it to be rushed given how many plot threads he has to tie up. Zod backup was great, can't wait for the series proper to start next month, I'm happy both Eradicator and Henshaw have been taken off the board again.

Superman: Lost #9 - On one hand I love Priest's Lex. Man was trying to bait Superman into killing him out of sheer spite, keeping the cure for Lois on him so Supes could either find it after killing him and realize he broke his code for nothing, or Supes would accidentally destroy it while beating Lex to death and thus (or so Supes would think) doom Lois as well. I guess my only qualm is that Priest started out teasing some very big risks and ended up playing it safe. Lois didn't die and Clark didn't cheat... unless that pregnant Hope represents a last minute twist, which I expect to be another fakeout.

Danger Street #12 - Solid enough ending I suppose. Don't really have too many thoughts.

Detective Comics #1079 - Should've seen that Catwoman twist coming, I saw it with Snyder Batman in Endgame, but I was surprised and I cheered when V played his hand. V is in his element here with Catwoman and a heist story.

Green Lantern #6 - Xermancio... fuccccckkkkkk this dude's art is on another level. Adams lucked out having him on board.

Batman & Robin #4 - Dropped it. With V's Tec humming along and my surprising enjoyment of Zdarsky Batman, I don't need a third Batbook right now.

Immortal Thor #5 - Finally realized that Thor's portrayal here reminds me of Superman in All-Star. He's incredibly powerful, stronger than he normally is, but he wins the day by using his brain rather than achieving victory through feats of strength.

Blade #6 - Love the portrayal of Dracula here, cool to see Blade get a power up, but oh my God the art here conveys zero sense of movement. For an issue heavily focused on action the filler artist they chose just did not cut it.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

An a adventure with age reversed Robin's!

by xiwsh0 While patrolling on Gotham like a normal Wait there is no normal day in Gotham. Well.. Meet the age reversed Robin's! I.. Can't assure you if they're still Robin's or not.. No Angst (yet) Bad language Probably grammar mistakes Enjoy it! Words: 3019, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Tim Drake (DCU), Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Flatline (DCU) Relationships: Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bernard Fitzmartin, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Flatline/Damian Wayne, Flatline & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Damian Wayne is the Demon's Head, Damian Wayne is Robin, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne are Siblings, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Damian Wayne is Not Robin, Damian Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Protective Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson is a Ray of Sunshine, Dick Grayson Has Issues, Dick Grayson is a Gift, Dick Grayson is Bad at Feelings, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Protective Jason Todd, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd is a Batfamily Member, Jason Todd is Arkham Knight, Jason Todd is Good With Kids, Tim Drake Needs a Hug, Hurt Tim Drake, Tim Drake is Not Okay, Tim Drake is So Done, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Protective Tim Drake, Protective Damian Wayne, Drawing, flatline is only mentioned thought, ugghhh, I love that girl, flatline will MAYBE show up in oyher chapters, STEPHANIE IS GOING TO BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, Unmentioned ships - Freeform, A liiiittle bit of Damijon is gonna be in one of the next chapters, i ship daminika thought, whatever via https://ift.tt/gW41dMr

[havendance]

Santaquest Pt. 4: New Comics Version!

Taking a break from reading the endless old comics holiday anthologies to check out some *new* DC comics!

DC's Twas the Mite before Christmas!

We've got an appearance of who I believe is the real Santa in the Booster Gold story: The Santa Copies.

Booster Gold: Whatever this looks like, I swear-- I didn't kill Santa!

Santa gets hit by some piece of Alien technology that causes anyone who touches him to turn into him! Booster, who had touched him, proceeds to go off and stop a mugging while in Santa Mode:

Rip Hunter: Booster! Get back here!

Only when he touches the muggers, they turn into Santa too! And then they all go off to deliver presents:

Skeets (voice over): "...we've lucked out with the man they're turning into." Booster: Merry Christmas!

Fortunately, Rip Hunter is able to reverse it and things return to normal.

Batman - Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1

This one's from last week, but since we'll also be covering #2, let's get caught up first.

Strange vampires attack some carrollers. When Batman and Robin show up to investigate, none other appears to aid them than Santa Claus! (And also Zatanna)

Santa: I came as soon as I heard. The draug never got Farther than Norther Europe before. For them to be free again and in GOtham City is... ...bad tidings. Prancer (he has glowing eyes and looks rad): Snort. Santa: Easy there, Prancer.

We learn that Batman once trained under Santa Claus! (If I didn't have like 5 other wips I want to get done, I'd almost want to write that story)

Santa: That it has. I've followed your exploits. Robin (Damian): Wait, What-- Batman: We met during my years abroad. He showed me a few things I still use.

This isn't your average Santa though, he's jaded and cool:

Damian: Clau-- You can't be serious. I don't believe in Santa! Santa: You and me both, kid.

Uhh, this is getting kind of long, so let's put in a cut. The rest of issue 1 and issue #2 beneath!

This Santa also doesn't need to worry about Christmas, he spends all his time hunting monsters! (Man there aren't enough exclamation points in these new-fangled comics. I've got to use more in my summary to make up for it!)

Santa: It's fine-- It hasn't needed me to happen in centuries. No, I hunted and trapped all the Draug and somehow they've been set loose again. That's why I'm here. Someone freed them from the catacombs I sealed myself. Deep underground. Only I knew they were there.

The issue ends with the Krampus attacking and injuring Zatanna! Santa once sealed him away, but now he's back!

Batman - Santa Claus: Silent Knight #2

We open with Santa taking Zatanna away for medical treatment. He leaves a message for Batman and his allies and they retreat to a Batcave to view it! During a flashback sequence we learn that Santa and Krampus used to be friends, working together to bring order!

Santa: And one day, hopefully, the carrot alone will be enough. Krampus: Bah! The stick, the stick! Nightwing: Interesting--they brought order to chaos by scaring the wicked.

However, this all came to an end, when Santa mistakenly thought the Krampus had eaten some children and banished him! Once he realized his mistake, it was too late for him to fix it. The next night, the draug are Batman, but Batman calls in Miss Martian, Green Arrow, and Black Canary to help! (And they all look super bad-ass while doing it) In the end of the battle, someone else shows up--Superman!

Superman: You never said-- --that you knew. Santa.

What's Krampus up to? Does Superman also know Santa? Is he upset that his extremely secretive friend kept secrets from him? Will Santa and Krampus be able to reconcile due to Christmas Spirit? All this more I'm sure we'll find out in the next issues.