#daphne is the next batman actually

[scoobypineapple]

DAPHNE BAT-GAL AU!!!

MORE UNDER THE CUT

Okay y'all so-

At this point, Daphne has donned the Batgirl costume twice, helped to foil countless supervillains, from Gotham and beyond, and girl even got herself a new name

I just had to design her her own costume!!! Defo took alot of inspiration from 60s Barbara and Bette Kane.

As far as an AU goes, I could totally see Daphne taking up a new batmantle to bash some of the less monstrous that coolsville or crystal cove may have to offer. Besides, girlie is defo rich enough to have a mini batcave.

At some point you could even have the rest of the gang take on their hero personas (yellow lanterns Shaggy and Scooby come to mind), and they could form like a mini justice league it'd be so cute.

Anyways, with that I'll bid you all a-Doo with some alternate costume colorings I did to try and get a feeling for her.

[solar-wing]

⚣ Pizza Or TV Dinner? 🔪

⚣🔪 A/N → This was a request from my other account that is still currently shadowbanned and restricted. So re-posting it over here. My message on the original post stills stands as well. I'd absolutely melt like butter on a pan...is it still sad? Maybe. Do I still not care? absolutely. And thank you💛 I’m glad you enjoy them😊

⚣🔪 Summary → You're cooking dinner for you and Conner when you make a small slip-up. But, don't worry, your Kryptonian boyfriend has just the key to make you feel better, at the cost of your special dinner.

⚣🔪 Words → 933

REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 🔪

“Fuck!”

Now, you understood why your parents never allowed you within 10 feet of any sharp object. Well, really anything. 

You always somehow found a way to hurt yourself. 

As a joke, they’d call you Danger Prone-Daphne’s cousin, a nickname that to your extreme annoyance, your entire family had decided to brand you with.

“Babe!” You heard Conner, your boyfriend, shout from down the hall.

The Kryptonian was staying at your house, taking advantage of your parents being out of town so you two could have some alone time together. It was hard to come by since when both of you were at the Cave, someone was always around. And even if you two went to his room, someone would come by and disturb you.

Especially M’Gann with her jealous and needy ass. 

So when you’re parents announced they were leaving for the next couple of days on an anniversary cruise, you decided to invite your boyfriend to stay at your place for the extent of their vacation because, let’s face it; your pops would actually try to murder the dark brown-haired boy if he found out he was sleeping in your bed with you. 

When he got there, you decided you wanted to be romantic and cutesy and cook a delicious meal for you both. And everything was going fine until your finger had gotten too close to the knife while you were cutting the meat into smaller pieces.

Conner was in the living room, watching TV when he heard you shout with his super hearing. You didn’t scream that loud, at least you don’t think you did. He ran into the kitchen, his face full of panic as he saw you holding your bloody finger.

“I’m fine. I accidentally cut myself with the knife while cutting this steak into smaller pieces.” You affirmed, moving to the sink to stick your finger under cold water. You winced at the sting, watching the blood wash down the drain. Is it a bloody steak if it doesn’t have a little blood in it?

Your Kryptonian came over to examine your finger, rubbing his fingers over your wrist in a calming manner while placing his other arm around your waist, hugging you to his body.

“What were you even doing? I thought your parents said you weren’t allowed to touch sharp objects. Even Batman banned you from it after that incident with Robin’s Batarang.” He brought up, also highly to your annoyance.

“Okay, that wasn’t my fault! You shouldn’t have been sparring without your shirt cause you know that distracts me. And Wally shouldn’t have been standing so close.” You responded with an eye roll, crossing one of your arms over your chest in annoyance.

“I’m sorry my body is such a distraction to you.” He joked, chuckling at your childish behavior.

You let out a ‘hmph,’ not appreciating him laughing at you. He rubbed at your back, silently waiting for you to answer his question.

“I wanted to cook you dinner.” You whined, feeling your finger starting to feel like it was freezing from the cold water, but the blood was still running from the cut.

Conner’s heart swelled at your admittance, once again questioning how he ended up with someone so devastatingly handsome and adorable at the same time.

“I appreciate it, baby. But we could’ve just ordered some food. I’d rather that or even put one of those frozen TV dinners in the microwave than you getting hurt.” He voiced, moving his finger under the cold stream of water to rub at your sore finger.

“That’s not as special.” You replied with a whining voice still.

“Anything from you is special to me,” He remarked, kissing your head.

He held you against his body, now fully holding your hands in his, and then you felt your body vibrating, hearing a purring sound against your ear that pressed to his body.

Ever since you discovered that Kryptonians purr with their loved ones in any situation where they feel safe and loved, you found it so satisfying and reassuring whenever your boyfriend did it with you. It was like you were literally getting to hear his love for you without him having to speak words.

Whenever you two cuddled together after a long day, or when Conner was helping you take care of some of your harsher bruises or injuries, he’d start purring since it was also known to help speed up the healing process. Not by much, but it also helped dull any soreness and pain.

You tucked your head into his chest, loving the sound of his purr and his firm, calloused hand holding yours, which reminded you…

Add hand lotion to your shopping list.

Conner and the others made fun of you for it, but you were very serious when you said you’d rather see Joker in a bikini before letting your hands get dry and calloused. Besides, you knew he liked how soft and smooth your hands were. It helped you that you wore gloves whenever on missions as well.

You both sat silent for a while, not realizing how Conner’s purring was actually starting to vibrate the whole room, causing things on the counter to shake. You were jolted from your comfortable stances when you heard the sound of a loud crash, looking to see the cutting board with the meat lying flat on the ground.

“Welp, pizza or TV dinner?” You asked, looking up at your Kryptonian boyfriend.

“You choose.” He answered with a kiss on your lips.

“You know I hate it when you do that, right?”

☀️ | Conner Kent/Superboy | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[theusernameiwantisntavailable]

Can I ask about your extensive Scooby doo dc universe thing?

YES ABSOLUTELY! MY TIME HAS COME!

Okay so, as someone that has probably seen/read every Scooby Doo related thing under the sun it's fair to say there's more than a few Scooby Doo/DCU crossovers, and the more I've gotten into the DCU the more I've become interested in the logistics

It would be easy to say oh yeah dimension travel, but in a few crossovers it's implied Batman's already a thing there and also it lowkey makes sense to be in the same universe

I think it's easiest to use the mystery incorporated reboot as it has the most world buildingand has a concrete city where it's set - that being Crystal Cove

If we assume for now that Crystal Cove is near Gotham due to the scooby/DC crossovers always seem to involve Batman (shaggy in the discowing my love) which makes sense due to the crossover of detective themes

Now technically crystal cove is supposed to be on the east coast and Gotham I'm pretty sure is on the West but we're going to ignore that

crystal cove maybe not a part of Gotham but has links to it, I'm thinking on the coastline next to it

theres a company that appears in more than a few episodes of mystery Inc called Destroydo Inc. and has a whole plotline surrounding the pollution and toxic waste it's spreading so I imagine that due to the proximity that toxic waste is spreading to Gothams waters and air, which in turn further increasesthe pollution of Gotham's air and water

makes sense for it to be NEAR Gotham but not IN it

In one episode called Where Walks Aphrodite the main villain is a girl that makes everyone intoxicated on a 'love spell' in revenge for being humiliated at her graduation. We see that she runs away after the humiliation but we dont see WHERE (pretty sure the next scene is her in a lab making the formulae) so we could interpret that she could 've gone to Gotham and done research on the toxins there and adapted the formula basing it off of the base formulas for fear toxin or ivy pollen

again with destroydo, it's not only affecting the waters by them but seeping into the Gotham waters as well corrupting things further and the fumes from the towers adding to further pollution and mutations

We never really get a clear answer WHY Scooby can talk and have the same capacity for intelligence as humans, some reboots don't address it and other reboots can't seem to agree on a solid story

SO CANNONS MY PLAYGROUND

I think it would be interesting is Scooby was an ordinary dog that got mutated to be like that (maybe he fell in Gothams sewers or something) and either Shaggy found him whilst on a trip to Gotham or Scooby somehow escaped to crystal cove where shaggy found him

Professor Pericles could have the same story

(Would make them slightly more messed up looking but that would look sick)

I imagine that residents of crystal cove are relatively unfazed by the events keep happening (people running round in costumes causing crimes who are foiled by teenagers) because they're so near Gotham but aren't actually Gotham so aren't as desensitized so still get shocked/caught unawares

headless horror episode would be more easily believeable with all the whacky things that happen in DC

Velmas' mum's obsession with the occult is also much more believable

The amount of times it's bought up that Daphne's parents aren't at home or are away doing meeting/parties/holiday and them being rich as hell maybe she could have some links/ties to Gotham high society (can and will force galas into things)

You CANNOT tell me the hex girls wouldn't be a hit in Gotham

Gator episode/hotel could be set somewhere between cc and Gotham, the closer to Gotham the more creepy the towns/motels get

Velma runs a blog in mystery inc called the Big Blog of Mysteries where she talks about her adventures and any conspiracies as well as gathering info on odd circumstances and I am convinced that Bernard follows this blog and regularly comments on it

Going back to Where Walks Aphrodite it would make sense that a lot of villains get their gear/ their gear is inspired by Gotham

There's SO MUCH MORE but I have yet to put it in coherent words, once I have if anyone wants to know more please let me know I'm so happy to ramble about this!

I know this was more Scooby Doo geography focused but that's because I know more about it, the more I read Gotham based comics the more I'll talk about them, and probably the more I'll be able to make sense

But if anyone wants more please let me know!!

[els-last-eggo]

#79

-Every year for Halloween, the older teens plan their costumes accordingly to hand out Candy in one of their neighborhoods. The location changes every year on a rotation, and Steve always gets full size candy bars for the kids who are especially polite. The first year they did it, they dressed as the Scooby-Doo gang, with Robin's dog Tobin being their Scooby, Robin being Velma, Nancy being Daphne, Steve being Fred and Eddie being Shaggy. The second year, Robin wanted to be Donatello from TMNT, so Eddie was Raphael, Steve was Leonardo, and Nancy was April O'Neil, and they roped Jonathan into it to be their Michaelangelo. He complained at first, but he ended up having so much fun with them that he decided to do it with them every year. This will be their third year doing it, and Eddie wants them to dress up as Lord of the Rings/Hobbit characters. He already said that he called Frodo, Jonathan wants to be Gandalf, Steve said he'd be Legolas, Robin said she'd be Samwise Gamgee, and Nancy is going to be Galadriel. Steve gets to pick the next year, and he wants to be the characters from Back to the Future, where he'd be Marty, Robin would be Doc, Jonathan would be George, Nancy would be Lorraine, and Eddie (reluctantly) would be Biff.

-Once while drunk, the older teens started talking about things that embarrassed them as kids, and they somehow got on the topic of the most embarrassing Halloween costumes they've ever worn. Billy says that for Halloween when he was 2, his mom dressed him up as the Bazooka bubblegum mascot, Bazooka Joe, and gave him a little pink balloon to carry around like a bubble. It popped in his hands within the first five minutes of trick or treating, and he cried so bad that his mother had to take him home. Nancy actually dressed up as Nancy Drew when she was in first grade, complete with a magnifying glass and a little file folder for her 'case'. Robin was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz when she was three and her cousins dressed as the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Robin hated it because she would've rather been the Lion. Jonathan says that he wanted to dress as Robin from the Batman comics one year, but he wanted a batman to go with him, so his mom dressed as Batman to make him happy and everyone thought her costume was cooler than his was. Argyle said he forgot to dress up one year but he still wanted to go trick or treating, so he pulled a Wednesday Addams and said he was a homicidal maniac. Steve said that when he was only a few months old for his first Halloween, his mother dressed him up like a pumpkin because he was a really chubby baby. Eddie said his most embarrassing was when he dressed as Popeye, because even though he was really proud of his costume, he got way too into it, and until he was 11 and moved in with Wayne, every Halloween one of his old neighbors would bring it up and set the whole neighborhood alive with stories.

[ragingbookdragon]

Black Jeans & Daphne Blue Still Make Me Think Of You

Jason Todd x M!Reader One-Shot

Word Count: 2.4K Warnings: Mentions of Torture and Death, Explicit Language

Author's Note: Daphne Blue by The Band CAMINO has been my new favorite song. Enjoy! -Thorne

He knelt in front of the guy he had tied to the chair. Poor bastard. He thought. Always gotta make things so difficult. Reaching up, he slapped him across the face a couple times.

“Oi, wakey, wakey.” The guy startled awake, immediately whimpering behind the gag. “Oh, good morning sleeping beauty. Have a nice nap?” The guy groaned and he chuckled, yanking down the strip of fabric. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I don’t know anything, Sentinel, I swear to God.”

Sentinel eyed him behind the mask. “You really wanna do this whole dance all over again?” he poked at one of the guy’s broken fingers. “You don’t have any more fingers to break. The next option is your toes.” He started to pull of the guy’s shoes.

“Wait! Wait!” he cried, trying to yank away. “Please don’t!”

“Tell me what I wanna know and your piggies can still go to the market,” he lazily retorted, letting go of his foot.

“But he’ll kill me!” he cried.

Sentinel stared at him. “I’m still wondering what makes you think I’m not gonna kill you too.” he deadpanned, pulling out a silver dagger.

The blade itself was fairly simply, not engraved or marked with extensive decorations of gold or ivory. No, frivolous things such as that were only meant for special and expensive weapons. This dagger had been created by someone with a decent amount of money. Meant to withstand against weathering and usage—it merely served a purpose.

“Look, I’ll make you a deal. You tell me where I can find Two-Face and I’ll kill you quickly. That’ll certainly save you a lot of pain and fear from having your boss dump you in a pool of acid,” he reasoned.

The thug choked on a sob and let his head loll back. “Alright! I’ll talk!”

“Wonderful,” Sentinel smiled. “Where’s Two-Face hiding out.”

“The old courthouse in Arkham City. It’s in the center of the city, you can’t miss it.”

“How many thugs does he have with him at all times?”

The guy’s face pinched. “I don’t know, he’s got a personal guard and the normal group too.”

“No shit,” Sentinel griped. “Numbers, jackass.”

“No more than ten for his personal, but he’s got about thirty normal.”

“Weapons?”

“Anything you can think of,” the thug answered. “Guns, knives, lead pipes, everything.”

Sentinel leaned back on his haunches, thinking for a moment. “Who’s Two-Face allied with at the moment?”

“I—” The guy’s mouth opened, then he snapped it shut.

“Oh, come on, do you need me to cut off a finger?”

“No, it’s—it’s just…”

“Just what?” Sentinel demanded.

“There was supposed to be a meeting tonight about discussing new gang territories,” the thug answered.

He paused and glared at him. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

“You wanted to know about Two-Face only?”

“Where’s the meeting?”

“Penguin’s Iceberg Lounge.”

“Thanks.” Sentinel quipped and thrust the knife into the thug’s throat. His gasp turned into a gurgle as crimson poured down his neck and into his shirt before he ultimately slumped forward. He yanked the dagger out and wiped it on the guy’s pants before sheathing it and standing.

“Lovely,” he grunted. “Now I have to change plans.”

“You know,” someone said from above him. “Batman’s not going to be very happy about you coming into town and killing his punching bags.”

Sentinel whirled around and looked up, catching sight of a familiar Red Hood sitting rather comfortably on a metal beam, his head tipped in a cocky fashion.

He pressed a hand to his chest and dramatized, “Oh no, it’s the Red Hood!” He shut his eyes and groaned, “I admit it, I killed him. And I’ll consent to a full body search at your perusal, Red Hood.” When he didn’t hear a reply, he cracked an eye open and huffed, “You’re no fun, Nightwing usually plays along.”

Red Hood shifted and dropped to the ground, landing with a heavy thud. “What are you doing back in Gotham, Sentinel?”

“Are you asking me because you’re curious or because Batman told you?”

“I’m doing my job.”

“So, it’s because Batman told you.” he chuckled. “Since when did you become Batman’s errand boy? I thought you didn’t like him.”

“Just answer the question,” Red Hood sighed.

“Fine, fine,” Sentinel relented as he waved a hand. “Two-Face and I had a deal and he backed out of it, so now I’m trying to find him.”

The vigilante crossed his arms over his chest. “What was the deal?”

“Oh, you know, tamper with a few legal proceedings. The usual.”

“And what were you supposed to get in return?”

Sentinel scowled. “An obscene amount of money that he failed to deliver.” He started off towards the doors. “And I plan on getting what I’m owed.”

He could hear Red Hood following him. “Where are you going?”

“Our dearly deceased friend said Two-Face was attending a meeting at the Iceberg Lounge.” He cast a glance over his shoulder. “If they’re discussing territory, I need to do reconnaissance in order to learn where Two-Face is gonna set back up.”

“Want some help?” Sentinel paused and turned back around, practically coming chest to chest with the much taller vigilante.

“What kind of help?” he questioned, testing the waters by toying with the zipper on Red Hood’s jacket. When the vigilante didn’t move, he tugged a little. “Your skill? Or another kindof help?”

“I’m willing to part with both,” Red Hood murmured, reaching up to hold Sentinel’s wrist. “So long as you promise not to kill Two-Face.”

He chuckled and pulled his arm away, turning to leave. “And on that note, I’ll do this on my own.”

“You’re gonna show up to the Iceberg Lounge like that?”

Sentinel turned around as he opened the door. “Of course not.” He winked. “I’m gonna go undercover.” And he was gone.

***

He smoothed the front of his black leather jacket and blue shirt as he stepped into the chilly nightclub; he was glad he actually decided to go with something warm. Lazily scanning the room, he caught sight of the full tables as well as the upper level where people were sitting and smoking expensive cigars. One particular set of doors caught his eye and upon closer inspection, he saw two armed guards standing outside, one wearing Penguin’s gang colors, the other wearing Two-Face’s.

Bingo. He thought and in order to not raise suspicion, he made his way around one of the pillars that gave him the ability to hide, but also to see the double doors as well. One of the thugs had a walkie-talkie on him and he hummed, pulling out a small device from his pocket. He played with it for a moment and when the static cleared, he grinned and raised it to his mouth.

“Aye, you still outside the office?” he asked, watching as Two-Face’s thug grabbed the radio on his thigh.

“Yeah, boss is still in there with Penguin.” He glanced at the other gang member. “Why?”

“Somebody said they saw Batman poking around the area. Go check it out.”

“But we got orders to stay put.”

He frowned. “Orders ain’t gonna mean shit if Batman gets in there and throws the boss back in GCPD, shithead. Get crackin’.”

The two thugs looked at one another then to the door before shrugging and splitting up and leaving the doors wide open. He turned his back and waited for the guard to pass him before he slipped back and walked up to the doors. Quickly, he pressed his ear to it and listened, hearing someone that sounded like Penguin talking on the inside. He smiled and slipped a small device, no bigger than a thumbtack inside the keyhole, pressing it as he pulled his hand away.

“Hey!” someone shouted behind him. He spun and was met with the two thugs, both with angry and suspicious looks on their faces. “What are you doing here?”

He smiled. “I was looking for the restroom.”

“That ain’t it pal,” Penguin’s thug said.

“Right, sorry,” he excused, feigning an apologetic tone. “If you can point me in the direction, I’ll be out of your hair, promise.”

Two-Face’s thug tipped his head to the opposite side of the room. “Back that way.” He took a step forward and thrust the rifle into his face. “Don’t come back around here.”

He nodded resolutely. “You got it, sir.” He quickly fled before they changed their minds and disappeared into the crowd. When he was sure they no longer had eyes on him, he took a seat at the bar and pulled out an earpiece, discreetly slipping it in; he clicked the button on the outside of the piece and the conversation from inside the door flooded his ear.

“Word is that Sentinel is in town, Two-Face. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that now, would you?”

“What? Afraid that he’ll visit you?”

“Hardly. But the rumor mill says that he’s looking for you. Don’t tell me you pulled out on a deal?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t do—

“Is this seat taken?”

The low drawl made him jump slightly and he looked to the side, seeing a man smirking down at him. His eyes momentarily darted to the door before going back to the man’s face.

“Uh, no,” he replied. “It’s open.”

He hummed and sat down. “Thanks. Can I get you a drink?”

He inconspicuously slipped the earpiece from his ear and dropped it into his pocket. “I don’t know. What’s going to impress you? Something fruity? Or something…hard?” he flirted, propping his chin on his palm.

The stranger chuckled. “How about both?”

Grinning, he looked at the bartender. “Sex In The Driveway, please. For both of us.” The server turned and started making their drinks, and he shifted his attention back to the man beside him. “Got a name, handsome?”

“Jason. What’s yours?”

“(Y/N),” he replied, taking a moment to ogle the man. And boy was he pretty. Sharp jawline, killer set of teal eyes, midnight black hair, and oddly enough, a white streak. He had to be ripped under that red shirt and leather jacket he wore, and (Y/N) really wanted to find out. Their drinks were set in front of them, and he reached over, taking a sip of his.

“What brings you to this dingy nightclub? Don’t tell me it’s the scenery.”

Jason grinned. “I don’t know, the scenery right now is pretty nice.” He took the straw into his mouth and sipped, then set the drink down. “Wanted to see if there was anyone I could take home for the night.”

(Y/N) huffed a laugh. “Well, aren’t you just upfront about what you want.” He winked. “I like that in a man.” Twirling the straw with his finger, he asked, “You work in Gotham?”

He shrugged. “Mostly, but my job takes me where the money is.” Jason looked at him. “I bet you know what that’s like.”

“As a matter of fact, I do. I’m originally from Central City.”

“What’s someone from a safe place like Central doing here in Gotham?”

He hummed and turned in his seat so that he was facing Jason. “Just visiting a friend.”

“A boyfriend?” Jason wondered and (Y/N) snorted.

“Nope. No boyfriend for me.” He eyed him. “Yet…what about you? Have anybody waiting at home?”

“If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”

“You’re loyal? Isn’t that a charming quality.”

“What can I say? I’m a charming guy to be around.”

(Y/N) drug his foot up the side of Jason’s calf. “Charming indeed.”

Jason’s mouth opened, but (Y/N)’s attention was drawn away by the doors in the back opening, and Two-Face stepping out, followed by Penguin. His mood soured and evidently it showed on his face because he heard,

“Are you okay?” He directed his attention back to Jason who was looking at him with a cocked brow.

“Yeah,” he answered, then pulled his foot away and stood up. “But it’s getting late, and I have to get going.”

“Going back to see your friend?”

(Y/N) laughed. “Something like that.” He paused and gazed at Jason, then asked, “Gotta pen?”

He dug around in his pocket then pulled out a black sharpie and handed it over. “Here.” (Y/N) took Jason’s hand in his own and quickly wrote a set of numbers on the back.

Jason looked at it. “This your cell?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, it’s the number to my favorite Chinese joint down the street.” Grinning, he leaned over and planted a kiss on Jason’s cheek, murmuring, “I’ll be in town another couple days. Gimme a call sometime if you’d like to hangout.”

As he pulled away, he caught those teal eyes narrowed in amusement. “I definitely will, (Y/N).”

When he stepped through the exit, he sighed, knowing that he was going to have to spend hours going over the conversation in order to get a plan figured out. But hey, at least I scored a date. He thought with a grin.

***

“Have fun in lockup, Dent!” He called from the ledge as he watched the gang leader get loaded into the squad car. As they drove off, he checked his phone and smiled as the transactions followed through.

“Another night, another million,” he quipped and just as he was putting his phone away, it pinged. He looked back at it, eyes widening as he read,

So that’s what Sentinel looks like out of uniform? Black jeans and Daphne Blue? I hope you know I’m never not going to think of you when I see that combo now 😊.

(Y/N) froze and stared at his screen, millions of thoughts scrambling around his mind until he settled on, Who is this?

The little birdy you met in the lounge the other night.

He blinked and typed, Jason?

That’d be the little birdy.

How do you know who I am?

On your left, Sentinel.

He immediately looked up and his jaw went slack at the sight of Red Hood standing there, phone in his hand.

“You’re shitting me,” (Y/N) blurted out. His phone pinged.

Told you I was gonna call you.

Red Hood—Jason stowed his phone and walked up to him. “Wanna go get that Chinese you mentioned?”

(Y/N) gaped at him, then he let out a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, why not? I could eat.”

[darkpoisonouslove]

Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo! Review

I have to admit that I wasn’t paying the utmost attention while watching this movie but I had my memory on the plot refreshed enough to be able to get out my thoughts. Below the cut:

The movie definitely delivers Halloween vibes. Maybe a little too much. I know that silliness can be a great part of Scooby Doo but this time I am just not entirely captivated by the monsters here. They are supposed to be terrifying but that just does not come through. I feel like they used pumpkins as monsters because of the Halloween theme but also because the sticky insides of the pumpkins look a lot like blood (but orange) when the gang were smashing them left and right. It was a way to have kid-friendly gore in the movie and not really much more.

I cannot speak about the crossover qualities of the movie since it clearly includes some Batman characters? Or was the Arkham Asylum just thrown in for good measure? I legitimately have zero idea whether the Scarecrow character is an actual character from another media or they just made him up.

I can speak about the villain and I was not happy with what they did here. It’s always way more interesting when the viewer can try to solve the mystery along with the gang and figure out who the culprit is. But how are you supposed to uncover a guy you’ve never seen? That’s just not working. And I know he showed up as the sheriff but that still doesn’t count because it doesn’t tell you of any motives he might have to want the gang taken down. Also, how dare they set this in Crystal Cove and have a sheriff other than Sheriff Bronson Stone. Absolute disgrace.

The gang felt so much like caricatures. They weren’t rounded characters. Each of them was pretty much a one-track mind type of character and that did them a great disservice. Fred was clearly only obsessed with the Mystery Machine, Daphne was an Elvira groupie, Velma was stuck on the “monsters aren’t real” train again to the point where it interferes with solving the mystery, and Shaggy and Scooby were just scared and hungry as always which is two things and makes them probably more well-rounded than the rest of the gang. Velma’s mental palace was interesting but the concept wasn’t exactly executed all that well.

Also, the way the gang talked was extremely annoying. The entire movie was just hyperfocused on making them sound cool which wouldn’t have been necessary if they’d let them have actual personalities than making them one-dimensional puppets on strings for the promotion of the franchise. Because the entire movie seriously felt like they were just trying to appear cool to newer audiences that aren’t that into Scooby Doo and win over more fans of their next products rather than trying to make this movie interesting and able to stand on its own. They viewed it as a Halloween Special that didn’t need anything more than a batch of pumpkins and some fashionable speak tagged on for it to exist purely as an advertisement of the Scooby Doo franchise.

The pacing of the movie was weird. The entire car chase with the pumpkins was super drawn out and seemed to take up half of the movie. It makes it feel exactly like they don’t have enough plot or mystery to carry the story so they have to rely on an action sequence to be entertaining while nothing is happening for half of the runtime.

I was not a fan of this movie. In fact, I think it might be one of the worst Scooby Doo movies that I’ve seen. It didn’t have anything that was truly worth watching imo but I guess if you’re looking for Halloween vibes only, it could suffice.

[ivecaughtawritingbug]

There’s a lot of people out there who think What’s New, Scooby Doo is the original Scooby Doo show. Quick Timeline:

1969 - 1971: Scooby Doo, Where Are You? Focus is on the mysteries, there’s a new plot every episode, and the characters are static. The behind the scenes stuff is pretty interesting, like the character “interviews”, and the backgrounds for the characters are the ones I like the best. Total of three seasons.

1972: The New Scooby Doo Movies. Not actually movies. These are the crossovers with Batman and Robin, and the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Addams Family. It was done in the same animation and writing as the original. This is the final version to feature the original vocie of Velma Dinkly. Total of two season.

1976 - 1978: The Scooby Doo Show. Umbrella name for a couple of different shows that ran at the same time. Total of three seasons.

1979 - 1980: Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. These were half hour episodes with three seven minute shorts. For the majority of the episodes, only Shaggy, Scooby, and Scrappy appear as characters with no or limited mention of Fred, Daphne, and Velma. Scooby suffers from Anthropomorphic Shift: walks on two legs, speaks normally, etc. Everyone in my family thinks Scrappy is obnoxious. Total of two seasons.

1983 - 1984: The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show/The New Scooby Doo Mysteries. The name was changed in 1984. Done in the style of two eleven minute shorts in a half hour episode. Daphne reappears unexpectedly.

1985: The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo. Never heard of it, probably because it lasted less than four months.

1987: Scooby Doo meets the Boo Brothers. The first full length movie, direct to TV. I don’t remember any of the direct to TV movies featuring Fred, Velma, and Daphne.

1988: Scooby Doo and the Ghoul School, and Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf. Movies, direct to TV.

1988 - 1991: A Pup Named Scooby Doo. The show features younger versions of the characters. This is the final version that features the original voice of Scooby Doo. I know I watched it in reruns, though not as extensively as Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? My mother has Opinions on this one, which much like her preference of the original Power Rangers seasons, doesn’t make sense considering she was an adult with no children at the time of their release. Total of four season. This is the longest running version.

1994: Scooby Doo in Arabian Nights. Movie, direct to TV.

1998: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Is this the one with the cats? The first movie released direct to video, and had a completely different animation style to the others.

1999: Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost. For some reason my favorite sleep over movie when I was little. First appearance of the Hex Girls. Direct to video movie, with a similar animation style to Zombie Island.

2000: Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders. I think I’ve seen this one. Direct to video movie.

2001: Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase. Different animation style than Zombie Island and Witch’s Ghost, more similar to what would appear in What’s New, Scooby-Doo. Direct to video movie.

2002 - 2006: What’s New, Scooby-Doo? The first version to appear after the forclosure of Hanna-Barbera Studios and the death of William Hanna the year before. Also the first version to come out after I was born, and the oldest version that appears on Netflix. It features both the return of Casey Kasum as the voice of Shaggy, and his final appearance as the voice Shaggy. It’s the first real appearance of Idiot!Fred, Ridiculously Capable!Daphne, and Blanket Genius!Velma, especially by the time you get to season three. Still no overarching plots, still no character development. Total of three seasons.

2002: Scooby-Doo. The first live action theatrical movie. I love it. It’s so funny, and has good utilization of the Scooby-Doo Universe as a whole.

2003: Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire, and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico. Legend of the Vampire is the next appearance of the Hex Girls. Both direct to video movies.

2004: Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster, and Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed. Along with What’s New Scooby-Doo, Loch Ness establishes that Daphne has cousins everywhere. Loch Ness was a direct to video movie. Monsters Unleashed was a live action theatrical movie.

2005: Aloha, Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo in Where’s My Mummy? Direct to video movies.

2006 - 2008: Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue. Never heard of it. Total of two seasons.

2006: Scooby-Doo, Pirates Ahoy! This is the last one I can reliable say I’ve seen. Direct to video movie.

2007: Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! Direct to video movie.

2008: Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King. Direct to video movie.

2009: Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword, a direct to video movie. Also, Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins, a live action TV movie, prequel to the two theatrical movies.

2010 - 2013: Scooby-Doo, Mystery Incorporated. I never watched it, my brother may have seen a few episodes. The animation style, which is completely different from all the others, really bothered me for some reason, as did they fact that they changed everything I knew about the characters. I’ve heard both good and bad things about it since, and am unsure if I should try it. This is the only one I know of that had overarching themes, plots that take multiple episodes to resolve, and character development. Total of two seasons.

2010: Scooby-Doo, Abracadabra-Doo and Scooby-Doo, Camp Scare. Direct to video movies. Also, Scooby-Doo, Curse of the Lake Monster, which was a live action TV movie.

2011: Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Phantosaur. Direct to video movie.

2012: Scooby-Doo and the Music of the Vampire, and Big Top Scooby-Doo. Direct to video movies.

2013: Scooby-Doo, Mask of the Blue Falcon, Scooby-Doo Adventures: The Mystery Map, and Scooby-Doo, Stage Fright. Direct to video movies.

2014: Scooby-Doo, WrestleMania Mystery, and Scooby-Doo, Frankencreepy. Direct to video movie.

2015 - 2018: Be Cool, Scooby-Doo. Wacky animation style, but it goes back to the original characterization for the gang. Total of two seasons.

2016: Lego Scooby-Doo, Haunted Hollywood, and Scooby-Doo and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon. Direct to video movies.

2017: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy’s Showdown, and Lego Scooby-Doo, Blowout Beach Bash. Direct to video movies.

2018: Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Scooby-Doo and the Gourmet Ghost. Direct to video movies. Also, Daphne & Velma, a live action direct to video movie.

2019 - Present: Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Never heard of it. It premiered on Boomerang’s streaming service. The first thing that struck me, looking it up, is that it uses the original font style from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You. So far, only one season.

2019: Scooby-Doo and the Curse of the 13th Witch, and Scooby-Doo Return to Zombie Island. Direct to video movies.

2020: Scoob! I’ve heard it’s funny, and I noticed that Dick Dasterdly is the villain, which I love not only because it establishes a universe (a strange one, but a universe nonetheless) for them to live in, but also because I watched Wacky Races a lot as a kid too (I had trouble sleeping, still do, and the reruns were at 3 am, between the Flintstones and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop.) I haven’t had an oppurtunoty to watch it yet, though, as I went back to work the day it was released on Netflix.

And that’s all folks.

[why-i-love-comics]

New comics today!! ...well kinda

so a pretty big day today, it’s the first time new comics are being shipped to local comic shops since distribution was halted by Diamond Distributions on April 1st, (a little strange to do it on a Tuesday but I have to assume it’s something to do with the contract with Diamond) only problem is the new comics kinda suck haha first off it’s only DC comics today being distributed by Lunar Distributions and UCS, both of whom until now have been a pretty small time distributor but it’s really hard to overstate the enormity of the opportunity they’ve been given, we might be seeing some pretty big shake ups in the comic distribution world, someone might finally take down Diamond’s monopoly haha

the new comics today are:

Batman #89 (reprint) Batman Giant #4 (a Walmart comics) Daphne Byrne #4 Dreaming #20 Nightwing #70 (reprint)

so not exactly door busters but like I said I think this is a a stress test and next week there’s plans for more substantial releases like Flash and Batman and the Outsiders

it’s interesting to note that it’s only DC sending comics right now, I actually talked to a few people I know that own the local comic shops and they all pretty much said that they got a call from Marvel in late March with some pretty basic corporate “we’re here for you” “we’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as possible” stuff and haven’t been contacted since and I’m inclined to believe that with Marvel’s lack of statements to the public, but it’s interesting that the people I talked to ranged from a game store with a comic shelf in the corner to a guy who owns three locations and does millions of dollars in business every year so it seems like Marvel really isn’t doing a great job of communicating, even to the big fish, it’s likely they’re just waiting until Diamond begins shipping again, in their last statement they said they planned for late May

I know a lot of people are having money issues right now but another consistent thing with the people I talked to is that they pretty much haven’t made money in April, a whole month without income is pretty killer on most LCS which are normally pretty financially precarious in the first place, and while this is a step in the right direction I really doubt any of them are going to see actual profits until consistent comic distribution starts again so now is an amazing time to support your LCS, maybe get that last back issue you need to complete the set, or check out that trade paper back you’ve been holding off on, I’ve never been the biggest DC buyer and I don’t really see any DC coming up that I’m gonna be super interested in but just yesterday I bought a bunch of bags and boards, something I don’t need but I know I’m gonna need eventually, even the little stuff helps

[mysterylover123]

My Top 10 Christmas Episodes

mysterylover123

Everyone has a favorite Christmas Episode. That time of year from your favorite shows where the characters celebrate the holidays along with you, usually accompanied by big changes in their lives, gaudy decorations, and creative traditions. I’ve included my top 10 here, along with some honorable mentions. I’ve excluded Christmases I liked from book/film/comic book series, thought I think in 2 years time there will be a grand new edition to the list (aka My Hero Academia). Hope you all like them and have a Merry Christmas! 

#10. Futurama “Xmas Story” Airdate: 12/19/1999

I don’t broadcast it much, but I love classic Futurama. This little gem of a Christmas episode - sorry, X-mas episode - is a common staple of “Best Christmas Episode” lists, and for good reason. It’s one of those “dark” Christmas stories, featuring a murderous Santa Claus robot, Fry dealing with being 1000 years in the future where his old traditions have died, and some good bonding moments among the cast of Planet Express. I particularly like the “gift of the Magi” joke with Amy and Hermes, and the Harold Lloyd reference with Fry on the clock tower.  

#9. X-Men Evolution “On Angel’s Wings” Airdate: 12/15/2001

X-Men Evolution is a nostalgic favorite of mine - my introduction to the X-men in high school, the first show I ever read fanfiction for, etc. It’s Christmas episode has a very warm feeling to it, a rare dip into sentimentality for the show. It deals with Scott and Rogue going to recruit Angel for the X-Men while the others are home for the holidays, and clashing with Magneto in their attempts to do so. I’m always down for an episode focused on Rogue, and her bond with Scott over being the X-Men without families to go home to is great. The little montage that ends the episode always puts a smile on my face.

#8. The Simpsons “Holidays of Future Passed”  Airdate: 12/11/2011

I heard this one was thought of as a potential series finale for The Simpsons, as a bit of closure for their premiere (another christmas Episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open fire”, which I like but find a little too ‘early Simpsons’ to make the list.). Honestly, I wish it had been. Modern Simpsons is generally such a mess, it would’ve been nice to see it get such a dignified end in Season 23. This one is a great little trip to the future of the family, and it really feels like a nice vision of what could become of them somewhere down the line. I like that this one gives Homer a chance to be a good grandad, and a bonding moment between Lisa and Bart. I hope this is where they really do end up.

#7. Frasier “Frasier Grinch” Airdate: 12/19/1995

Frasier is the only show that ended up landing 2 Christmas episodes in my Top 10. And I felt I still had to cut a few of them that could’ve made the list easily. This series really had a knack for the Christmas episode. My 2nd favorite, obviously, is this little offering from Season 3, which deals with Frasier trying to get Freddy gifts in time for the holiday when the ones he ordered got misdirected. It ends up touching on an aspect of the holidays I wish would get covered a little more often: when you buy others Christmas gifts, are you getting them what they actually want, or just what you think they should want? Overbearing Frasier has made this blunder, and the episode helps him learn that lesson. Though as usual Niles steals the show. Niles in a toy store trying out a doofy hat is more than worth the #7 spot.

#6. Friends “The One with the Christmas in Tulsa” Airdate: 12/12/2002

Friends has a lot of Christmastime episodes, but most of them are just kinda coincidentally set around the holidays. Only a few stand out as actual “Christmas Episodes”. While I enjoy “Holiday Armadillo”’s comedy and “Creepy Holiday card”’s sentimentality, my standout favorite is this one, the last Christmas episode they did, perhaps because Chandler and Monica are my favorites on the show and their romance is the OTP. This one deals with Chandler away from home, working on Christmas at a job he hates and being separated from Monica. Through some clips and a bit of soul searching, he decides to finally quit the job he hates and pursue something he wants to do. It’s a great example of how to do a clip show/Christmas episode well, move characters forward, and remind us of why we love these two together.

#5. Buffy “Amends” Airdate: 12/15/1998

This one would probably be higher if there wasn’t so much Bangel melodrama in the last 10 minutes (sorry fans, I really hate Bangel). But the rest of it is more than good enough to put Buffy’s sole Christmas episode at #5 for me. What I love the most about this one is, well, the ‘amends’ of the title. Xander starts making up for 3 seasons of douchebaggery by being a good friend. Willow makes up with Oz. Buffy makes up with Faith. That latter one puts the biggest smile on my face of the bunch; it’s bittersweet, given what happens, but when Faith shows up on Buffy’s doorstep with presents for her and Joyce, my small Grinch heart grows three sizes each time. Definitely a must-watch.

#4. Parks and Recreation “Christmas Scandal” Airdate: 12/10/2009

Parks and Rec has 3 Christmas episodes and they’re all pretty good. I debated between this one and “Ron and Diane”, but since that one is more about Ron’s award ceremony, I decided to go with Season 2′s. This one is a very “Parks and Rec” kinda Christmas, dealing with Leslie getting involved in a dumb sex scandal, the Parks department putting on a “Winter wonderland” on Lot 48, some dating drama about Ann and Leslie and their boyfriends (At this point, since Ben and Chris weren’t around yet, Mark and Dave), and a very cute hug between a pre-marriage April and Andy. The biggest win in this one is the sheer Christmas atmosphere. It practically glows off the screen.

#3. How I Met Your Mother “False Positive” Airdate: 12/13/2010

HIMYM is another one with a lot of candidates, but “False Positive” really stands out to me as something special. It’s essentially an “It’s a wonderful life”-style story (as they’re going to see the movie) where Lily’s false positive pregnancy test inspires the friend group to each choose the more responsible path in life of their two choices, only to chicken out when the false part of the title is revealed. The way the episode ends is absolutely spectacular, a standout moment to me among the series’ many strong character moments, and leads to strong development for all around going forward. Definitely a highlight of HIMYM’s 6th season, and an episode full of  Christmas imagery, soul-searching, and classic plotlines.

#2. Frasier “The Fight Before Christmas” Airdate: 12/16/1999

My favorite Frasier Christmas episode feels like it combines a little bit of everything that makes the other ones good: a KACL office Christmas party with a whacky theme (we finally see it instead of having it going on in the background!), Frasier being pompous about Christmas celebrations and ending up karmically punished for it, a comedic scenario which crafts a comedy of errors, Martin’s decorating. In many ways though, the highlight of this one is how deftly it handles the romance reveal from the previous episode between Niles and Daphne. in the midst of all the crappy Christmas rom coms, it’s easy to forget how strong a good Christmas set romance can be, and the moment of tension as Daphne tries to reject Niles but just can’t quite do it is a standout for me. Definitely my favorite of Frasier’s 8 xmas episodes.

Hon. Mentions: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, Batman Christmas with the Joker and Holiday Knights, Frasier Perspectives on Christmas, Parks and Rec Ron and Diane, HIMYM How Lily Stole Christmas.

#1. Smallville “Lexmas” Airdate: 12/8/2005

This one isn’t just a Christmas episode. It’s pretty much the Ultimate Christmas episode. Where to begin? A fancy Christmas party jam-packed with colorful decor. Superman - Clark - delivering presents as Santa for the Daily Planet. Clark talking/saving a depressed mall Santa (or is he real?) from committing suicide with an emotional heart to heart. Sweet family Christmas  celebrations (right before tragedy strike in the next episode). But of course, the real highlight of this one is Lex’s Alternate Reality fantasy. After getting shot, the titular Luthor has a vision of what his life could be like if he did the right thing, essentially an “It’s a Wonderful Life” style alternate reality. However, that reality ends in tragedy, and the tragic twist of the episode is that instead of leading the Grinch’s heart to grow, the Christmas dream only serves to help solidify Luthor’s fall to the dark side. It is certainly juxtaposed with enough holiday magic and hope to offset that depressing ending, but I will admit to liking a bit of subversion in my stories now and then. Everything Christmas episodes could have is jam-packed into this episode. 

[poisonbat]

Scoob! Thoughts nearly a month later

[gayfraphne]

do you think that fred and daphne would have kids? if yes, what would that look like in your hc - planned, unplanned, how many, etc?

this may shock people, but- despite fraphne being one of my top three ships- i actually don’t see them ending up together. or they do end up together, but it’s not until much later in life.

this is primarily because they really just want different things. daphne wants a career. fred, if he can manage to pull himself away from mysteries, would want a family. so already, there’s this problem.

fred wants to settle down (this is probably why he quits mysteries- he realizes he wants to get married and have a normal life, preferably with daphne). he wants kids and a big house and all that good stuff— but daphne doesn’t want to be a housewife. so, they never take the next steps in their relationship.

but all hope isn’t lost. fred manages to find an orphaned street kid, à la batman and jason todd, and takes him in. the kid is sassy and a troublemaker, but the two ultimately bond (think luke from camp scare.)

he starts bringing daphne around, and she and the kid get along— they’re both bratty and love giving fred a hard time. daphne doesn’t love kids, but this one’s older (maybe 14) and thinks she’s cool, so it works.

fred and daphne still want different things, but they date on and off. the kid starts to think of daphne as his mom to the same extent that he thinks of fred as his dad. it takes years and years of their lives being so intertwined, but i’m sure they finally get married in the end. but they don’t have kids of their own. Unnamed Street Kid is their kid.

tl;dr - i literally cannot imagine daphne having kids, but fred needs to be a dad. he needs to. so, he has to outsource orphans that daphne will begrudgingly love in order for them to work out.

[dcarevu]

Batman TAS: Eternal Youth

“Everyone’s got a gimmick…”

Episode: 29 Robin: No Writer: Beth Bornstein Director: Kevin Altieri Animator: Dong Yang Airdate: September 23, 1992 Grade: B

This episode we get to see the one-timer Beth Bornstein’s work as writer, tackling the red-headed eco-terrorist Poison Ivy. She once again comes from a place of revenge, wanting to rid the world of all who dare take the life of innocent flora. But this time, rather than simply poisoning them (Pretty Poison), she aims to turn them all into plants themselves from the inside out, taking a more constructive approach. She is making plant-life out of human lives! We see a little bit of the process out of context during the first scene in the episode as Poison chases an older lady through a forest to the point where she (the lady) collapses from exhaustion. The chase sequence is pretty well animated when it comes to the running, and throughout most of it, Poison doesn't run at all. She walks…menacingly! The older lady’s distress is evident, and when Poison catches up to her, spraying her with this green, gaseous substance, it’s hard not to feel bad. The lady freezes in place, and then we shift scenes. For some reason Poison Ivy is kept in the shadows, hiding her identity for the most part. But the legs of her costume are easy to make out, and we have seen her a couple times on screen already. Maybe the mystery is for people who didn’t see that episode? But it doesn’t take away at all, so no fault there.

Next we tune in on Bruce and Alfred. Bruce is on a business call, getting real stern with somebody for not informing him that some type of operation his company is involved with had plans to harm rainforests for the sake of it. This is to set up Batman’s involvement with Poison Ivy, or more directly, Alfred’s involvement. We get some great acting from Conroy here, and we hear that his angry Bruce Wayne voice and his Batman voice are not at all the same. He speaks with a completely different register. The range he has is awesome. Alfred goes through Bruce’s mail after the call, and he notices a video tape for some type of spa. Alfred plays it on the giant weight-room tv…wait, a giant weight room tv? It’s hard for me to not picture Bruce working out while episodes of The Gray Ghost play… Anyway, the tape is played, and it’s for this place called the Eternal Youth Spa. Dedicated to relaxation and feeling young again. It’s hilariously cheesy, much like many of the old promotional VHS tapes used to be. It was a time… In the middle of the tape, Alfred’s girlfriend Maggie stops by to harass him. At least, I think she’s his girlfriend? I really can’t tell. Maybe she's simply someone who is interested in him, but he can’t quite shake her. Which is always an awkward situation to be in, especially if you’re like me or Alfred and you don’t seem to have the ability to be mean. Maggie seems interested in the spa, and Bruce, much to Alfred’s dismay, invites them to both go in his place since he’s generally a pretty busy man without any time for fun. Alfred attempts to escape from the situation, but they end up going regardless, in the scariest-looking car-ride of all time.

Alfred’s general attitude in so far sets up some juxtaposition for when they arrive at the spa, and he starts having a genuinely good time. But the haunting music as they first approached the gates ends up being a bad omen, and it starts to get a little bit concerning. Alfred gets a little…too relaxed, and Bruce notices it as they talk on the phone. At the same time, Commissioner Gordon has been working on some disappearances, one of them being the lady that we saw running away earlier. Apparently there are no clues at all about her disappearance, so Batman, knowing that the police force could use some work in this town, investigates himself. He, of course, finds a tape for the spa in her home. I loved going from the bright, sunny spa to a dark, noir atmosphere like we did. Also, this is the brightest episode we have seen. The Clock King was pretty much day all the way through, but it was kinda cloudy. Not as much here. We see Alfred and Maggie enjoying themselves in a pool, sipping on some refreshing drinks and snacks made with Poison Ivy’s (disguised so she isn’t recognized) “eternal youth” enzyme called demetrite. But going back to Batman, that spa tape seems like a red flag that the Gotham police force really should have noticed. It’s a free spa. That’s already a little bit fishy. But if the woman hadn’t been home since going, it seems like it would be pretty simple to figure out where she was. Especially since it was not just her to was never seen again after visiting this death-spa.

Later on, Alfred returns to the manor feeling better than ever. But he is still acting weird, putting all kinds of plants down into the Batcave (much to our gothic hero’s dismay), and drinking water like the last time he had any was 3 days ago. But after he takes a giant sip, with demetrite coloring it a slight-green, he passes out. This leads Batman to doing a little bit of research on the compound, figuring out that it does some whacky things to human plasma. When he pours some of it into a test tube of plasma (a 50/50 ratio), it very quickly sprouts leaves, telling us that Alfred is screwed. Batman rushes upstairs, still in-costume and everything, and discovers that Alfred is gone. He and Maggie are back at the spa, both feeling compelled to go back. But they are greeted with a nasty surprise. Just like at the beginning of the episode, Poison Ivy is there to spray them with the green gas, freezing them in place.

Batman visits the spa to look around, and is eventually attacked by Ivy, Violet, and Lily (her goons for the episode). It is revealed that everyone who has gone missing has been turned into a tree, including Alfred and Maggie. Although still reversible at this point, it’s pretty scary to see Alfred turned to bark, and Batman can hardly say anything about it at all. Violet and Lily are then told to spray Batman with a liquid form of Ivy’s enzyme, much more concentrated than what Alfred was drinking. Apparently strong enough to give Batman a bark exoskeleton in seconds. I’m not so sure why Ivy didn’t do this to begin with. She could have cleared out a room of people at once, gas-chamber style (not to be ridiculously offensive). Maybe it was to be a little bit more inconspicuous? Because of some chemical that Batman sprayed his costume with, though, he is immune, so he escapes, and we get what is basically a hunter/hunted sequence. It’s a lot of fun, and everywhere Batman seems to go he gets Ivy’s arrows shot at him. Eventually, Batman manages to knock over a container of the liquid that he was being sprayed with, which immediately soaks into the ground and grows an enormous tree, which reminds me a lot of My Neighbor Totoro. I noticed that has the tree grew, it pressed Ivy to the spa’ ceiling, and I would think that this amount of force could kill her. Especially since it breaks through the ceiling. At the end, though, everyone, including Ivy, seems to be fine.

Though the plot-holes can be a little bit distracting, this episode is enjoyable enough. It was the 4th episode of the show I ever saw, so it was a treat to watch it once again, seeing how it holds up. Plant-themed episodes of any show which have a sinister flavor to them always creep me out quite a bit too. The Goosebumps episodes Stay Out of the Basement used to scare me as a kid, and they also featured plant-people and aggressive flora. Batman was able to make that type of tone work too, but I did prefer Pretty Poison. It had more effective drama, and seemed a little bit more grounded (despite the plant that tried to eat Batman). Seeing a lot of character development for Alfred may have been the best thing about this episode, although I sadly don’t think we see Maggie again.

Picture time!

Like I said, pretty good running animation! She slowly fades into the distance over the hill.

Seeing someone walk so slowly, chasing someone with deadly gas makes me shudder. 

They did a great job at showing a woman worn down. The voice actress is uncredited, so sadly I can’t praise whoever portrayed her. 

Nice shadow work here. I think this is one of Dong Yang’s better-looking episodes, but they usually look pretty good anyway!

The creepiness is upped by this unnatural appearance as she freezes in place. It’s like her arms are becoming branches already. Also, Alfred’s later exhaustion helps explain why she got so tired. 

Wayne Manor is gorgeous sometimes. 

Maggie’s design is kinda cute, she looks like a nice old lady for Alfred.

Not sure if we actually ever got any promotional tapes in the mail.

Violet and Lily. God their voices are so fake, reminds me of the ads that play where I work. Overly cheery. That last still is where she says, “And invigorating nature hikes.” before twirling around.

Alfred, if you like this woman, stop being a Bruce Wayne and show her some kindness. Alfred blushing is sweet. 

Nice shot of them in the convertible. 

Oh wow! Who could this be? I think it’s Two-Face.

Ivy’s disguise, Dr. Daphne Demeter. Maybe this is more along the lines of how she looked when she was a legitimate scientist? 

Everyone else is soaking in the experience while Alfred sits there whacking at flies. 

These demetrite cookie-things actually look bomb, though!

A really creative shot on Kevin’s part. We go from paradise to this night shot. It shows the separation of Batman’s world. I also liked Gordon’s quote, “We put that place under a microscope, and all we got was eye-strain.”

We see Batman, but through a reflection. It’s another nice flourish. I bet Akom would have made it look mediocre as hell. 

The tape, lying out in the open. Really? No one noticed this??

“Everywhere I turn I see another sign of nature’s...

...beauty...”

Cool to see the Batcave looking a little different, even if I much prefer it without the greenery. Talk about raiding the plant-store, Alfred!

This screenshot is just funny. It looks like Batman is whistling a surprised whistle. But his actual reaction was more intense than that.

Great sunset, I like how the light bleeds onto the window-workings.

And this shimmer is really nice as well. So is the color of the sky. This whole scene is very pretty. But the undertones are very dark, and you know that Alfred and Maggie should not be going back to that spa.

Notice the shadows.

I wonder if that picture in this room is typically there? If not, it’s a great touch, seeming as how Alfred has been sprucing the place up (tree pun). 

Poison Ivy looks very off in this episode. She’s usually quite petite-looking, resembling some type of forest nymph. Here she’s built like Wonder Woman.

Look at their pain. Very effective. And considering that at this point the bark is an exoskeleton, considerate pain is probable. 

The music here upped the ante, and made it all the more triumphant-seeming for Batman.

Very strange-looking background work. When Batman leaves the shot it somehow gets even weirder-looking. 

Poison Ivy riding the tree toward the camera was very well-done. 

Char’s grade: B Next time: Perchance to Dream

Full episode list here!

[ayellowbirds]

Keshet Rewatches All of Scooby-Doo, Pt. 26: “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair”

("The New Scooby-Doo Movies", Season 1 Episode 2. Original Airdate: 9/16/1972)

AKA, "Bat-Milk? BAT-MILK?"

While this episode was broadcast and released on video with the title above, surviving storyboards show that the title was intended to be spelled as “The Dynamic Scooby-Duo Affair”, making the wordplay clearer.

As the episode begins, the Mystery Machine hits a bump in the road and the lights go out. While Fred attempts a repair, Daphne worries about reaching their destination.

Yes, it’s the first formal recognition of the gang as anything more than a bunch of friends who do this on the side. While we don’t see anything of the Mystery Club convention itself, the idea that the kids were headed to one suggests that their amateur sleuthing has gone from something they fall into by accident as a result of running into mysteries wherever they go, and into the realm of a lifelong obsession. They’re not “Mystery Inc” just yet, but they’re close.

While Fred promises he can repair the Mystery Machine without losing time, Scooby and Shaggy hear something frightening... ominous music! No, really, the sound editing in this scene is terrible, and the music that cuts in almost completely drowns out the sound of an approaching airplane, flying so low over the road that it comes within mere feet of the roof of the van.

Investigating reveals that the plane has landed without lights in the middle of the night, and two men drive out of it in a jeep loaded down with an enormous wooden crate. The gang take a shortcut, and find that the crate has been dropped off at an abandoned-looking old house, where it’s been nailed down to the floor with leather straps. In fact, as the gang try to hide from a sudden sound of someone approaching, they find that everything is nailed down.

But they have no reason to fear those who enter the house:

Because it’s the guileless, friendly and gentle-mannered Seventies Batman who enters, along with the Boy Wonder. In spite of the gang’s incredibly suspicious appearance, a bat-shaped transitional wipe is all it takes for Batman to explain that he and Robin were on patrol—bat-patrol—in nearby Gotham City (the location of the Mystery Club convention? It would be appropriate), when they were alerted to the unlit aircraft and suspected smugglers. It’s the second episode in a row to suggest a specific location for the events, placing most of the episode in and near Gotham. 

Just as they’re about to investigate the crate, someone comes out from upstairs.

Attentive viewers will have most of the mystery solved by noticing this suspicious character’s first appearance as a hooded figure, though as she lights her lamp, she’s revealed as a little old lady, Mrs. Baker.

Baker claims to have never seen the crate before—figuring that, like the gang, someone assumed her house was abandoned due to its condition—and even reacts to Batman and Robin like they were ordinary strangers in need of assistance, rather than colorfully costumed crime-fighters. This would be suspicious enough, but like i said, 70s TV Batman is guileless. He suspects nothing and has a kind word for almost everyone.

The contents of the crate are revealed as a stand-up “punch clown”, one of those inflatable bottom-heavy types designed to keep bouncing back as you bop it. Batman hurls the clown away, and then slaps his hands on his waist in a brave and bold pose. “An amusing toy,” he declares. If this show was a bit more clever, I’d say he was covering for freaking out at the sight of a clown.

Scooby plays a bit with the doll, but one particularly solid swing knocks its noggin right off, revealing that it’s not full of air... it’s stuffed with money! Batman picks up a bill. “Just as I suspected,” he declares. “Counterfeit. A masterpiece of duplication, except for one tiny slip-up.”

It’s an artistic error almost as embarrassing as Batman’s hands suddenly having no gloves. And Batman should know. He’s fought alongside Lincoln.

In spite of having faced counterfeiters before, the gang are astonished at the idea of phony money, and join Batman in the search for the culprits as Mrs. Baker tells them that the jeep’s tire tracks must lead back to a nearby auto junkyard—next to the old cemetery, of course. Baker claims people fear that human ghosts haunt the "auto graveyard” as a result.

The problem with this scenario is that they saw the plane leave, and had no reason to suspect that the jeep wasn’t loaded back onto it. Even so, they find it almost right away at the junkyard, and start looking for the driver. As the gang and the Dynamic Duo split up and start looking around, the poor nighttime lighting leads to lots of mistaken identity antics involving a cloaked figure that is quite obviously Mrs. Baker again. Some differences in the design of her cloak and robe don’t obscure that it’s in the same colors as before... 

...which seems to be another error, because Shaggy refers to this “sneaky little” figure as wearing a black hood. Batman winds up saving Shaggy and Scooby from being compacted along with a car, and Fred attempts to wrestle the cloaked figure away from the controls of the crane that dropped them there, but winds up wearing a mask like the one under the hood, and he’s mistaken for the culprit himself.

Now that Fred knows how it feels to have a mask abruptly pulled from one’s head, will he be more understanding and cautious when unmasking "monsters”? Unlikely, considering he eventually winds up pulling a zombie’s head right off its neck.

When the gang go back to check Mrs. Baker’s house, the entire building has vanished. Fred and Velma are certain that they’re looking at the right location, but it’s just an empty field with some trees. Well, that’s what we’re supposed to see, but the view never pans beyond the gang looking at the scene. It’s not until much later that we actually see what this scene was supposed to so dramatically convey. 

Batman, the Dark Knight Detective, has one guess as to what’s happened:

That’s right, Batman’s first guess is that there never was a house, nor a Mrs. Baker. Instead, they were all mesmerized to think they had entered a nonexistent building and interacted with a woman who wasn’t there. The only problem with that notion is that the Batmobile is gone, too. 

Batman quietly retires his hypothesis.

Fortunately, the Batmobile has a tracker! The gang offer to be blindfolded while Batman and Robin drive the Mystery Machine to the Batcave to check the Bat-Computer, and because a trend has been established, Batman offers a hungry Shaggy a snack of Bat-Milk and cookies.

Yes, Bat-Milk.

And cookies.

Scooby eats the whole thing and slurps down Shaggy’s milk when he’s not looking. A loyal canine friend.

The Batmobile is tracked to the Gotham City Amusement Park, stopped right in front of a building dedicated to Batman and Robin. The Dynamic Duo conclude that the thief is disposing of the Batmobile there so it could be mistaken as part of the exhibits, hiding it in plain sight.

The car is just fine, parked right in front of the exhibition building, and Shaggy and Scooby offer to sit and wait—and play at being Batman and Robin themselves—in the car while the others look for clues. Which is fortunate, because it lets them spot the carjackers in the attraction across the way.

Fred figures the punch clown is “practically the Joker’s calling card,” and it seems like the case is solved. It’s now up to just Batman and Robin to take down these dangerous criminals, while the gang wait safely outside. What follows is a series of antics as the two villains manipulate their amusement park Haunted House hideout from its control room, trading quips and barbs with each other. A sampling:

Erase your doubts, my web-footed friend.

Why the raucous outburst of mirth, you babbling buffoon?

My fine feathered friend, I shall achieve my goal with a white-sheeted ghoul.

Now, Pengy-wengy....

...my rakish rogue.

Zoinks it, this episode is making me ship the Joker and the Penguin.

Batman and Robin don’t fall for any of the sound effects ("recorded on tape by talented, professional thespians”, Batman insists) or the Joker’s “ghoul” (“nothing more than an ordinary bed sheet, and a cheap one, at that”), but the Joker manages to bait them into a deep pit simply by broadcasting his voice to make it sound like it came from behind a trap door. When the gang move in to see what’s keeping Batman and Robin, the crooks turn their attention to them, instead.

It’s the second episode in a row with scenes in an amusement park, and shockingly, it’s the first of the two to actually make use of that. Antics ensue, but not before Shaggy has a moment of clarity, wondering how it is that Scooby gets the reward of Scooby Snacks while he has to deal with the spooky situations alongside him, with no compensation.

Scooby has a simple answer, gesturing to his brains.

I’m astonished this didn’t become a meme.

The Hanna-Barbera laugh tracks start to wear really thin during these "funhouse” scenes, often playing in scenes with no apparent joke except “the boys are scared by a legitimately dangerous, scary situation”.

Eventually, the criminals resort to dressing up in skeleton costumes to frighten the gang off. Because, you know, being notorious criminals wanted for violent acts wasn’t enough, they had to put on bargain store Halloween costumes.

Astonishingly ,everyone except Fred buys into it, and the gang flee for a solid few seconds before Scooby abruptly stops, turns around, and starts talking about “DELICIOUS-LOOKING BONES!”

The horrifyingly hungry hound manages to chase the Joker and the Penguin right into the pit where they trapped Batman and Robin, and the crooks are caught. The Joker’s wordplay throughout this is actually decently clever, something you don’t see in later incarnations, and the Penguin has a habit of alliteration that makes his lines pleasing to the ear. They wind up being the most enjoyable villains so far...

But they’re not the final culprits. Someone called them anonymously and arranged for real cash payment in exchange for the punch clowns. They know nothing about the vanishing house, and don’t seem to care who has been funneling counterfeit cash to them.

Batman and Robin open the front door to reveal a pair of Gotham City detectives. “Gentlemen, you may take them away!”

So, the Joker and Penguin start to drag off the detectives.

No wonder this city needs superheroes.

Everyone’s worried about Mrs. Baker, “that poor, sweet old lady”. But the gang and Dynamic Duo realize there’s probably a reason that the house’s contents were nailed to the floor—one that explains its disappearing act, as well as the fact that the house has reappeared when they return to where it was last seen.

Once again, Scooby and Shaggy remain with the cars while the others investigate inside. But when a rabbit darts out from the underbrush, Scooby is spooked up a tree and onto a branch, which judders down under his weight, revealing...

A sequence ensues where the entire house rotates upside-down, revealing an alternate empty field and bringing the building into an enormous cavern, while the boys fuss with the branch-switch to try to get the house upright, and Batman and Robin work an alternate switch to bring it back around again.

In the tunnels of the cave, Batman spots the purple-cloaked crook, and the heroes give chase, finding their way up and out into a crate-filled warehouse loaded with all kinds of toys—tying back into the punching clown gimmick of the counterfeiting operation and allowing for even more chase antics in a gag-filled setting.

At one point, Scooby crashes into a stack of boxes, and the villain pops up out of one—running in place in mid-air before dashing out of view across the screen, without ever landing on the ground. It’s kind of jarring, and makes me realize that that’s the sort of visual gag usually reserved for the good guys. It’s also really poorly timed.

Exactly where this warehouse is located relative to any of the rest of the setting is really unclear. Is it underground? A short distance from Mrs. Baker’s house, previously unseen and perhaps near the auto junkyard?

And how does the villain manage to ride a unicycle at speed while wearing a full-length robe and cloak? 

After a lot of chasing—for once, mostly involving the costumed villain being chased, rather than menacing the gang—Scooby manages to knock the crook into the Dynamic Duo’s hands.

The scene cuts to the field above, the mastermind in Batman and Robin’s grip and the gang ready for this all to end.

“Before the cops come take him away, make him tell us what happened to Mrs. Baker,” Fred demands.

“Yes, that dear, sweet old lady,” Daphne agrees.

Velma opines, “The poor woman was just an innocent bystander in all this. She simply vanished.”

Batman turns, waiting. “Well?”

“You fools, Mrs. Baker didn’t vanish! She’s been here all this time.” the villain growls, ripping off the cloak and mask. To the shock of no-one who can perceive the color purple, it’s Mrs. Baker.

Naturally, the gang, Batman, and Robin are all blown away by this.

YOU.

ARE.

DEFECTIVE DETECTIVES.

Mrs. Baker has been running a counterfeiting operation out of her complex system of a disappearing house and secret tunnel for who-knows how long, with this possibly being just the first time she’s been caught at it.

Yeah, a dear, sweet old lady.

Who tried to crush Scooby and Shaggy in a car compactor near the beginning of the episode, and led the gang into the hands of two of Gotham’s most notorious criminal masterminds.

Scooby is ultimately responsible for capturing all the criminals of this episode, and for once, without fouling up a trap or anything, having boldly given chase and forced the crooks into Batman and Robin’s arms. Now, Batman has no Scooby Snacks to offer this uncharacteristically brave canine...

Boy, yeah, that looks appetizing. You feed Ace those, Bruce?

(like what i’m doing here? It’s not what pays the bills, so i’d really appreciate it if you could send me a bit at my paypal.me or via my ko-fi. Click here to see more entries in this series of posts, or here to go in chronological order)

[oisinwrites]

Scooby-Doo Team Up - It’s Scooby Time! (Review)

Now that I’ve reviewed the full 6-part Aggretsuko series, its back to Scooby-doo team-up, since I had only reviewed one of them so far. It was difficult to find book two in the comic-book shop, since there was an issue#4, an issue#5 and some un-numbered ones, so this is an un-numbered cross-over comic which features seven mad-cap stories, each one a crossover involving Scooby-Doo and other classic cartoons. Some of them are classic DC super-heroes, such as classic Batman and Mister Miracle.  Unfortunately, it still doesn’t feature Green Lantern but, on the plus side, does feature Dastardly and Muttley.

For those unfamiliar, this is a classic cartoon about a wacky air-force squadron who are always inventing bizarre flying contraptions to catch the messenger pigeon who is smarter than the humans trying to catch him. their leader is a man called Dick Dastardly who is actually stupid but thinks he's a genius and has a pet dog called but Muttley who is actually smarter than him but isn't loyal and only does anything for medals and dog biscuits.

In the first one, the Dastardly flying machine-team have failed to catch the pigeon for exactly the 3608th  time, so they call upon the four meddling kids and their dog for assistance, lying to them that it's a ghost pigeon. Soon the joke is on them when it turns out the Scooby-Doo Team were only pretending to be fooled.  They caught the pigeon, painted it luminous green and released it again, to make Dastardly & Muttley think that the story they made up was actually true all along.  Frightened by what they think is a ghost pigeon, they run into a hidden trap and get themselves caught instead. Mystery Inc. reveal the hoax and promptly release them, while Velma argues it is only fair that they get to trick them back. It is also revealed that this wasn’t to do with war but pizza-delivery.

Since world war one and world war two are both long past, the pigeon was actually working for a rival pizza-chain and Dick Dastardly is just a vintage enthusiast who thinks that old-model air-planes dating back to world war one can still be useful today. This story had wackiness, double-crossing and a creative way to update an old war-era cartoon, keeping the characters the same age but changing what time it’s set in. Personally, I was delighted, as Dastardly and Muttley in their flying machines is one of my favourite cartoons that was on all the time when I was a little kid, but I haven’t seen it in a very long time.

Next, mystery Inc. Team up with two super-heroes who are married to each other yet they are from two different planets, Mister Miracle and Big Barda. They go through the portal and are transported to the planet Apokolips, where an old woman called “Granny” is a charismatic leader but she might be involved in something suspicious. It turns out Granny is raising an army, but Daphne, Velma and Big Barda outsmart her by pretending to be affected by Grannies mind-control, and attacking her at just the right moment. A story with two charming superhero characters and some more sophisticated double-crossing.

Next, they visit Garfield high school for careers day and talk about being crime-solvers. They then find out the teacher is secretly a super-hero called Black Lightning and he wants their help fighting a villain who’s raising an army of school drop-outs, all of whom are making very bad decisions. The stay-in-school message was pretty corny, but what was even more hilarious was its ending which addressed one of the most common criticisms of scooby-doo as a series: Black Lighting actually asks the mystery gang why they aren’t in school. It turns out they all managed to graduate early but still embrace learning by taking online classes and Scooby attends Obedience School. This one also had them visiting a costume shop for some disguises, and it was fun seeing them in fancy masquerade and funky disco costumes.

Story number four begins right after they’ve dealt with a case involving a muck monster resulting in scooby being covered in muck and its never pleasant when a dog is covered in something smelly, especially when you’re driving. They stop by at Peebles pet-shop, hoping to find a doggy-bath but then Mr. Peebles has just found out that a particularly loyal customer was actually a mad scientist who is using them in twisted experiments and they must stop him or the pet-shop will lose its cruelty-free certificate. This one had a very weird ending, where the mad scientists head-swapping machine had created hybrids like a lion-mouse and Mr. Peebles decided to sell the hybrids because this made them more rare and exotic, meaning that it ended without them being changed back to normal. Presumably, this would also mean the mad scientist still has his head accidently stuck on to a parrots body and is on sale. It is after all, an exotic pet-shop. Story number six sees them visiting the home-town of the flash, where this time they are called on by crooks to catch another crook, someone who’s been stealing everything they steal and ruining their grand robberies. After they defeat “The Top”, a villain who uses spinning tops, some small, some big, some giant, as weapons, "The Rogues” then begin a grand robbery of the Flash museum, now that the Top isn’t there to ruin it anymore, but are stopped by a magician and two of the Flashes, (referred to as “Kid Flash” and “The Original Flash”) since the other Flash is in a different galaxy.

The second-last story in this comic-book begins with the mystery gang visiting Stagg enterprise, where they meet the boss, Mr. Stagg, his daughter, Sapphire and his Neanderthal assistant named Java. Mr Stagg turns out to be evil and they are now faced with the boss using the ancient Egyptian orb of Ra to control Urania, a super-heroine with the power turn herself into any substance or compound and his extremely strong Neanderthal henchman who still doesn’t know he’s evil in a scramble for the orb which gets dropped on the floor and everyone rushes to be the first to pick it up. Scooby has it for a while, but Daphne decides it should go to Sapphire.

This one seemed to be the toughest battle, but they had ways of outsmarting the toughest opponents which I thought were cool, such as Daphne, not just the “girly” girl, using her rarely seen kung-Fu skills to turn Java’s strength against him and Metamorpho, another hero with the same power asking shaggy to throw water on him as he changes into sodium just before he succumbs to mind-control too. This ends with Metamorpho mentioning a holiday away from him, while Fred waves, which presumably means they’re sending him to jail?

The seventh and last story begins with the mystery gang unmasking a particularly ridiculous Gotham villain called the Camera Man, who is dressed like a performing magician but with a helmet that is a giant camera. They are thanked by Batman and Robin, but then other Batmen and other versions of Mystery Inc. from different genres start appearing. It turns out to be Bat-mite and Scooby-mite, who aren’t evil but just don’t realise the trouble they’re causing when they’re making things “fun”, and they are using their reality-warping powers to bring them all into one dimension. However, it actually took all of them, each dividing into teams of the same character working with themselves, to take down a giant Scrappy-Doo crying “puppy power!” and they soon discover a giant belly-zip which they altogether un-zip, revealing Vincent van ghoul, the Hex Girls, Robi the robot butler, Flim Flam and Red herring. Once they are out of the giant scrappy-doo costume, they are then scared away by all the different Scrappy-Doo’s. Then the two mites finally get bored, sending them all back to their own universes and replacing them with the special, ultra-tall anniversary cake with both logos of Scooby-doo and Batman.

And so, this comic-book ends with a special dual “Happy Anniversary” message, but they should have known Scooby and shaggy would just eat all the cake and leave none for the rest. These were seven fun-filled stories with lots of cartoon craziness and enough double-crossing to impress James Bond, but the second one seemed lazily written. Apparently, an effective method of brainwashing is to put your subjects in a cinema-room and expose them to rapid-fire images, but it wont work on someone who either has, or is wearing the glasses of someone who has, terrible eye-sight? Since that lazily explains how Velma and Daphne resisted mind-control, Big Barda used the same sci-fi tech that transported them to this planet, the “mother-box” which also has the power of mind-control protection as well as planet-hopping? All that techno-babble seemed to me like it was hastily thrown together at the last minute, but this comic-book still brings me back to Scooby and other classic cartoons, while also being an introduction to some unfamiliar ones and was a delight to read. 

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 (5 of 10)

Our next instalment of episodes from Batman: The Animated Series season 1 will bring us to a major highlight episode of the series, but first we begin with an introduction to another Batman’s various foes.

Episode 27: Mad as a Hatter

Plot (as given by me):

Wayne Enterprises scientist Jervis Tetch has been neglecting development of microchips to enhance the potential of the human brain, focusing instead on similar technology that acts to allow one person to control others.  While Bruce Wayne is accommodating to Tetch, his supervisor Dr Cates is far less understanding.  Tetch is comforted by co-worker Alice Pleasance, with whom Tetch is smitten but unable to obtain due to her having a boyfriend.

 In private, Tetch contemplates either leaving Alice alone or using his mind control devices on her, but neither option appeals to him; he can’t give up on her, but he doesn’t want her to be a mindless shell either.  However, when he learns Alice has had a fight with her boyfriend and the relationship is over, Tetch decides to woo her.  He takes her out for a night on the town, dressing himself up to resemble the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and using mind-control devices to make other people serve him, creating the impression he is a man of great reputation in Gotham.  Along the way, he uses two of the devices to stop two muggers and tells them to jump off a bridge.

 The attempted suicide draws the attention of Batman, who saves the criminals and recognises the technology involved as Tetch’s work.  The next day, Tetch is infuriated to learn that after his ‘date’ with Alice, her boyfriend apologised and proposed to her, resulting in them becoming engaged.  At the same time, Cates informs Tetch that Wayne wants to see him.  As a result, Tetch takes control of Cates and leaves, then takes control of Alice’s boyfriend to make him break their engagement off.  That evening, Tetch tries to woo Alice again, but he is confronted at her apartment by Batman.  Forced to even greater extremes, Tetch sets two mind-controlled henchmen dressed as the Walrus and the Carpenter on Batman, then puts a mind control device on Alice before fleeing with her.

 Examining one of the Mad Hatter-style mind control cards and learning the card component came from Storybook Land, a literary-based park, Batman goes there to confront Tetch.  Battling his way through an army of mind-controlled people, among them Billy and Dr Cates, and overcoming various wonderland-themed obstacles, Batman finally subdues Tetch.  Billy removes Alice’s mind-control headband, freeing her while Tetch watches brokenheartedly from where a Jabberwock statue has him pinned.

Review:

The Mad Hatter is apparently a Batman villain who has been around for a long time according to Wikipedia, going right back to an initial appearance in comics back in 1948.  However, unlike some of Batman’s other rogues he doesn’t get draw as much attention when it comes to adaptations.  Certainly, his only appearances in Batman films have been the animated direct-to-home-release ones, but he’s managed to make a few good showings in TV show adaptations, this one included.  The basic elements of his character, namely an obsession with the works of Lewis Carol in general and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in particular, and mind-controlling people are both incorporated into this episode. However, the episode incorrectly shortens the book title to Alice in Wonderland, doubtless due to Disney and others shortening it in adaptations before this.

 It’s a decent introductory episode, and while we can initially empathise a little with Tetch over the unrequited love aspect of his story, his increasingly disturbing use of mind control to win the day for himself swiftly puts his creep factor through the roof.  While his motives remain understandable throughout, his methods simply make him someone you’re not going to really feel for by about half-way through at the latest.  Overall, I’d give the whole thing 8 out of 10.

Episode 28: Dream in Darkness

Plot (as given by me):

Batman is trapped in a cell at Arkham Asylum, restrained in a straitjacket and not being listened to by the doctors as he warns them of imminent danger to Gotham.  A few days before, Batman interfered with someone’s plans to poison the water supply of a local spa, and in the process was exposed to some kind of gaseous chemical.  Initially believing himself to be unaffected, Batman later began to experience terrifying hallucinations.  Batman later gained confirmation that he was affected from Dr Wu, the hospital doctor treating the would-be saboteur.  However, as treatment would put Batman out of action for too long, the dark knight proceeded to Arkham, having deduced the gas to be the Scarecrow’s work.

 Crashing the Batmobile due to another hallucination, Batman has now been admitted to Arkham, where the staff are clueless to Scarecrow’s escape.  However, when a check of Scarecrow’s room reveals he has escaped, Batman deduces he is actually beneath the asylum.  There is a river running through the caverns under the asylum that provides Gotham with water, and Scarecrow is going to put his fear chemicals in the water; the attempt on the spa was a test-run for this.  The doctors try to stop Batman due to him still being affected by the fear chemicals, but he is ultimately able to overcome them and get to the caverns.

 In the caverns, Batman battles the Scarecrow’s men and his own hallucinations to foil Scarecrow’s plan, and in the process, Scarecrow is exposed to his own chemicals.  While Scarecrow is returned to the care of the asylum, Batman finally takes the treatment back in the Batcave and sleeps.

Review:

This is an ok Scarecrow episode whose plot mirrors part of what would end up being the overall story of the 2005 film Batman Begins.  It’s also kind of interesting to see Batman being treated as an asylum inmate, although the episode doesn’t really explore the premise as fully as a live-action Batman show might.  In fact, this is a key reason why I’d like to see someone do a live-action Batman show instead of a Bruce Wayne/Jim Gordon prequel like Gotham or a spin-off character show like Batwoman.  Batman is a character that makes for better TV fodder than film fodder, but sadly no TV show fully does him justice.  Even this series, iconic as it is, falls short at times because of its animated and supposedly child-friendly nature.  All in all, I’d give this episode 6 out of 10.

Episode 29: Eternal Youth

Plot (as given by me):

As Bruce Wayne angrily threatens to fire one of his executives for making a deal with a slash-and-burn company, he and Alfred stumble upon a video invitation to the ‘Eternal Youth Spa’ in Bruce’s mail. The video invites Bruce for a free weekend at the spa, but Bruce declines.  Instead, Alfred is convinced to go along with his lady friend Maggie. At the spa, they are welcomed by scientist Dr Daphne Demeter, who has imbued everything at the spa with a restorative chemical she called Demetrite.  Alfred is sceptical at first, but changes his mind upon sampling the spa’s food and water.

 Meanwhile, Batman learns a number of corporate executives have disappeared, and when he investigates, he finds one has received the same video invite to the spa that he did.  He calls Alfred, who claims the executive in question checked out some weeks ago and has seen nothing untoward, but Batman remains unconvinced.  When Alfred returns, he becomes something of a green fanatic, continuing to consume Demetrite and filling the Batcave with plants. However, when Alfred collapses, Batman grows even more concerned and begins an analysis of the Demetrite. Batman’s analysis reveals the chemical can turn human plasma into plant matter, and when he tries to warn Alfred, he finds that his butler has left.

 Alfred and Maggie have been drawn back to the spa, but soon find themselves transformed into trees.  When Batman follows, it turns out Dr Demeter is actually Poison Ivy; she has been luring corporate executives to her spa to turn them into trees as punishment for business decisions that caused devastation to plant life.  Apparently, Alfred and Maggie were targeted in Bruce Wayne’s absence due to the brief-lived deal with the slash-and-burn operation, but Ivy explains her victims are only covering in a tree-like exo-skeleton at the moment; a full transformation will take months of additional spraying.

 Ivy then tries to have Batman transformed, but he’s coated his uniform with a herbicidal antidote.  He quickly subdues Ivy’s henchwomen, but in trying to tackle Ivy, the chemical enzyme is spilled and causes a massive tree to grow, pinning Ivy to the roof of the spa’s greenhouse before crashing through.  In the aftermath, Ivy’s henchwomen are arrested and her victims cured, but Ivy herself is missing.  Later, Bruce tries to cheer Alfred and Maggie up with the ill-chosen gift of a plant.

Review:

Out first Poison Ivy episode since she was introduced very early in the series, and to be honest it’s not a great follow-up. Again, we have a mystery that isn’t really a mystery because Ivy’s involvement is given away very early on, making it a boring slog as you watch Batman try to catch up with what the audience already knows.  We also have the random one-off character of Maggie as a possible love interest for Alfred…why?  Based on my knowledge of the comics, not only does she seem to be a one-off character for the show, but in the comics Alfred had a bit of a love interest in Dr Leslie Thompkins.  To my mind, putting both of Bruce’s surrogate parents would have made far more sense. I’m giving this one a meagre 4 out of 10 and hoping for better on the next episode.

Episode 30: Perchance to Dream

Plot (as given by me):

Batman pursues some criminals into a warehouse, but is then knocked out.  Coming to back at Wayne Manor, he finds that everything has changed; the Batcave is gone, he’s engaged to Selina Kyle and his parents are still alive.  Even stranger, while Bruce is talking with Selina at Wayne Enterprises, they both see Batman intervene in foiling a jewellery heist.  Going to see Dr Leslie Thompkins as the only doctor he can trust, Bruce is lead to believe his life as Batman was a disassociation fantasy, something he created to compensate for his hollow life as a rich playboy.

 Bruce is ready to embrace this until he tries to read something and finds all the words are jumbled and make no sense. Realising this is all somehow linked to the Batman, Bruce runs away, picking up supplies at a sporting goods store but then abandoning them to escape the police.  Finding his way to a belltower he knows to be part of the Batman’s nightly patrol, Bruce confronts “Batman”, and discovers Jervis Tetch, AKA the Mad Hatter, behind the mask.  It turns out Bruce, the real Batman, is in a dream machine created by Tetch.  The machine reveals nothing to the outside world, so Bruce’s dual identity remains safe; its purpose is to create an ideal reality the occupant of the machine won’t want to escape.

 Bruce deduced that he was in a dream based on his inability to dream, claiming that reading was a function of the opposite side of the brain to the one generating dreams.  He refuses to live a lie and further deduces that killing himself in the dreamscape will awaken him in the real world.  To that end, he hurls himself from the top of the bell tower, and reawakens in the warehouse as Batman.  Quickly defeating Tetch’s henchmen, Batman demands to know why Tetch put him in the dream machine.  Breaking down into tears, Tetch reveals he was so desperate to have the Batman not interfere with his life, he was willing to give his foe any life he wanted.

Review:

For the first time since the early episodes of this show, we have a Batman villain making a return appearance only a few episodes after they initially show up, and unlike the recent Poison Ivy episode, the mystery isn’t revealed too early.  It takes a while to discover what is behind Bruce suddenly not being Batman, but even then, the episode isn’t quite as well-executed as it could be. Part of this is based on an episode of Justice League Unlimited, which used a similar concept but to better effect. However, a far larger part is based on a graphic novel in the Justice League series entitled ‘Divided We Fall’.

 The graphic novel in question occurs right after ‘Tower of Babel’, a story arc in which contingency plans created by Batman for taking down his fellow heroes were stolen and used by Ra’s Al Ghul.  In the climax of the follow-up arc, an energy-based being known as Id was altering reality based on the wishes of people it encountered.  One wish, made by Superman, was that the members of the Justice League didn’t have to have dual identities that made it difficult for the team members to trust each other.  As a result of that wish, those members of the league who had dual identities became split into their separate identities.

 The split didn’t last because the members found that each half of themselves stabilised the other, and in Batman’s case, the Batman persona was a vessel through which Bruce Wayne could direct his aggression and frustration over being helpless to save his parents.  Now granted, that story came to the comics years after this episode, but for me it’s the definitive idea of how Bruce would react to not being Batman if you didn’t go back and change history to achieve that.  Bruce would never come close to accepting not being Batman in any situation where he had any memory, any awareness of being Batman, and as such I can’t buy into even the brief moments where he ends up being ok with it.  It’s just not who he is, plain and simple.  My end score for this episode is 5 out of 10.

Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

Plot (as given by me):

When bearer bonds ear-marked for humanitarian aid are coerced from a diplomatic courier by means of a death trap, Batman suspects the involvement of one Josiah Wormwood, also known as The Interrogator. To confirm Wormwood is in Gotham, Batman visits Baron Wacklaw Josek, an associate of Wormwood’s, and tries to intimidate him into leaving Gotham for a while.  Later, Wormwood meets with Josek, who asks him to obtain the Batman’s cape and cowl.  Wormwood wants to know why Josek wants them, but Josek will only reveal this if Wormwood will tell him who hired him to steal the bearer bonds, something Wormwood refuses to disclose.

 Batman is later summoned to Gotham Police Headquarters by Commissioner Gordon via the Bat-Signal, where he learns one of Wormwood’s rhyming riddle invitations has been left.  The note leads Batman to Traintown, a heritage railway park where Wormwood tries to use the trains as a death-trap.  However, Batman is more resourceful than Wormwood expected and escapes, forcing Wormwood to prepare a second trap.  This time, he sets the death trap at DeLarue’s Wax Museum, and this time the trap proves too much for Batman, forcing him to hand over his cape and cowl.  As a precaution, Batman has a secondary mask under his cowl, so his dual identity is not revealed.

 At Josek’s office, Wormwood makes his delivery and his desire to know what Josek will do with the cape and cowl prompts him to finally explain the bearer bond theft.  At this point, it is revealed that the Josek Wormwood dealt with was really Batman in disguise; the real Josek left Gotham as Batman had earlier insisted.  Wormwood tries to escape with the key that is required to retrieve the bonds, but Batman battles him and ultimately defeats him.  The bonds are recovered and Wormwood sent to prison, where Batman sends him his cape and cowl with a rhyming riddle-clue note of his own.

Review:

After a stretch of several proper Batman rogues, it can be nice to get an episode that takes a break and does something different, but this episode isn’t the best break the show could have gone for. The riddle-style clues, while meant to be more rhymes than riddles, shouldn’t have been just because they’re a hallmark of the Riddler (who the show had yet to introduce its version of) or Cluemaster (a more lucid professional criminal who copied the Riddler’s M.O. in the comics to avoid suspicion).  I also don’t like the ending where Batman sends his own riddle clue in return; it’s too silly an action to come from a character like Batman, which just makes me think no one took this episode seriously.  It seems to just be a ‘let’s put Batman in a bunch of death traps because we’ve not done enough of these’.  People, for goodness’ sake, if you want a show about a DC superhero getting out of death traps, make a show for Mr Miracle.  I give this episode 4 out of 10.

Episode 32: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 1)

Plot (as given by me):

A stake-out at a construction site results in Batman and Robin tackling a gang of protection racketeers in the bones of an incomplete skyscraper.  Capturing one of the criminals for interrogation, the dynamic duo press him for the name of the person running the protection rackets in Gotham.  The criminal gives up the name of Billy Marin, which prompts Batman to dismiss Robin to grab the Batmobile, using the time alone with the criminal to extract more information.  Batman then returns Robin to the Batcaver before leaving again, refusing to explain his sudden shift in attitude.

 Suspecting the mention of Marin’s name is what caused Batman’s sudden change in attitude, Robin looks up the name on the Batcaver computer, and learns that Billy Marin is an alias for Tony Zucco.  Robin then flashes back to his childhood; back then he was Dick Grayson, one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze act at Haley’s Circus. His parents were the other two-thirds of the act.  One day, the young Dick saw Tony Zucco arguing with Mr Haley, who refused to pay protection money to Zucco, prompting Zucco to threaten Haley in return.

 That night during a charity event for the Wayne Foundation, Dick’s parents fell to their deaths as a result of Zucco sabotaging the trapeze ropes.  Having been in the audience, Bruce Wayne remained behind and learned from Jim Gordon that the boy had no family, and while the circus folks wanted to take Dick in, his status as a material witness to the crime meant he could be in danger. As a result, Bruce offered to take Dick into his care at Wayne Manor.  Dick was given the room that was Bruce’s as a child.

 Meanwhile, Batman experiences his own flashback to the same period in time.  Leaving Dick in the capable hands of Alfred, Bruce went out looking for Zucco as Batman. Going undercover to some back-alley street gambling, he learned Zucco was being sheltered by his uncle Arnold Stromwell, and proceeded to press Stromwell on the matter as Batman. Leaving behind a bug, Batman listened in as Stromwell disowned Zucco, but he was then discovered by one of Stromwell’s guard.  In the ensuing conflict, Zucco made his mistake.  Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred convinced Bruce to give more time to Dick, and the two orphans bonded over their shared loss.

 In the present, Robin radios Batman in anger, demanding that he be allowed to be in on finally apprehending Zucco.  Batman refuses and cuts the radio link, prompting Robin to head out on the Bat-cycle.  Alfred tries to convince Robin that he should listen to Batman, but Robin states before leaving that he can’t do that this time, and maybe never again.

Review:

It’s been a long time coming, indeed too long in my view, but finally we have a Robin origin episode, and it’s a two-part story as well.  More to the point, it’s the origin arc for the original Robin.  By this time in comics, Dick Grayson had left the role of Robin behind to become Nightwing, Jason Todd had been introduced, revised via the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ reboot event and killed by the Joker, and Tim Drake was the third Robin, and it would have been very easy for the series to play to the times as they had incorporating elements from the Tim Burton films.  However, the series made the smart move and stuck with the longer-standing original, and apparently the part 1 instalment resulted in the series winning an Emmy award.

 The episode is great on a few fronts.  Not only does it really honour the classic origins of Robin, but it also takes some visual cues from major works in Batman’s comic-book history.  There’s also a solid effort to keep the origin story flashbacks consistent with the series by incorporating crime boss Arnold Stromwell from a previous episode. The censorship standards for the show also forced the series to depict the deaths of the Graysons in a stylised manner that makes the scene more effective, and on top of that, you have the contrast of the strained present-day relationship between Robin and Batman, and the earlier, more caring relationship between Bruce and Dick.

 Throw in the show’s usual high-quality voice-acting and it’s an episode that I can understand the award-winning status of.  At last, we’re back to an episode where I can hand down full marks, even with a pesky part 1 in the title.  10 out of 10 and on to part 2.

Episode 33: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 2)

Plot (as given by me):

Robin attempts to follow Batman to Zucco, but Batman detects this and cuts off whatever means Robin was using to do this. Refusing to bow out, Robin reflects how he managed to find Zucco unaided once before.  Some days after Bruce and Dick began to bond with each other, Jim Gordon informed him that Zucco might be trying to skip town.  If so, it might prevent Zucco being brought to justice, but could also ensure Dick’s safety as his material witness status would mean nothing without a suspect to charge.  Overhearing this, Dick decided to take matters into his own hands.

 Running away from Wayne Manor, Dick tried to track down Zucco on the pretence of Zucco being a relation.  After saving a prostitute from her abusive pimp, and being treated to dinner at a diner to repay him, Dick learned Zucco was seen coming and going from an abandoned building nearby.  Heading to the building, Dick learned Zucco was packing to leave and tried to call the police, but accidentally tipped Zucco off to his presence.  Zucco was prevented from harming Dick by the arrival of Batman, and in the ensuing scuffle Dick fell into a channel of water.  Batman opted to save Dick over capturing Zucco, then took Dick back to the Batcave, revealing himself to be Bruce Wayne in the process.  This signalled Bruce’s intention to have Dick stay with him and become his apprentice.

 In the present, Robin cold-calls Zucco from the home of the arrested saboteur to obtain Zucco’s address.  However, Zucco is already paranoid from his run-in with Batman years ago, and when he hears noises overhead, he strafes the ceiling of his apartment with machine gun fire.  It turns out the noise was Batman, and when the gunfire causes the ceiling to collapse, the dark knight badly injures his knee upon landing.  However, Zucco’s panicked firing has made him run out of bullets, and Batman escapes under cover of a smoke bomb.

 However, Batman does not get far and is soon pursued through the abandoned boardwalk carnival nearby by Zucco and his men. Zucco, scared to insanity after several years looking over his shoulder, prepares to fire through his men on the carousel in order to get Batman, but before he can, Robin appears.  Using the Bat-cycle, he drags Zucco down to the end of the pier, where he then gains the upper hand over the gangster and begins to smack him around.

 Batman calls out to Robin to stop, causing Robin to angrily yell that Batman can’t know what he’s feeling.  However, the moment he says this, Robin realises Batman knows precisely how he feels and apologises.  As Zucco is finally taken into police custody, Robin concludes Batman tried to keep him off the Zucco case because he was worried Robin would cross the line and try to kill Zucco.  However, Batman reveals that he actually tried to keep Robin away out of fear Zucco would kill Robin.  Making amends, the two heroes head home.

Review:

Part 2 of this episode does a good job bringing part 1 to a decent, satisfying conclusion for the most part.  Like the show’s makers, however, I feel more should have been worked in showing Dick actually becoming Robin and seeing him grow up, but sadly this episode doesn’t deliver on that, and nor do any subsequent episodes.  Frankly, I think that’s a pity, and it would be nice if Warner Brothers and DC could put together a film or series set between this episode’s flashback and the present day of this show detailing the early years of this Robin.  That aside, it’s a good part 2 episode, but the lack of young Robin moments means I can’t quite give it top marks.  This time, it’s only 9 out of 10 that I’m prepared to bestow.

[toki-macross]

Fun meta asks for writers

[To preface this. I am a shameless, Scooby Doo Fanfiction writer since 2005. So, 15 years been writing, in 73 posted stories and countless ones to come.] This is long, so Read at your own risk of me babbling about my fanficiton and answering questions from a writer blog.

  Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?: Falling for the Bat. Oh god... I have been indulging in some For ME type writing. Since my main account of fanfiction has self imposed rules. Which, I do honestly love to have, and make stories that keep up my rules. (PG content, not definite pairings, cute and fluff stories) But with my alternate universe story line I am working on. I get to sink my teeth into some permanent and serious things. So, I get to make all the pairings and things and end up a bit more serious. But well, still be all the cute fluff and romance. Falling for the Bat has Bruce Wayne realize that the cute, nerdy braniac that is working for him in Velma Dinkley, and he has to pour on the super annoying Playboy jerk mode on. Less she find out he’s really Batman, is kinda handed another option from Alfred, to stop lying. And Bruce realized that he has never considered that he might be able to find someone able to handle both sides of him before. And so it’s a fun story about him trying to apologize and her reacting after finding out the truth. And all the fun chaos that entails! Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project:

Falling for the Bat: There are so many moments that are going to be fun, but also getting to those points it also fun. I have a partly made story that is further in the story line, so getting to that would be really cool. And also classic things, like them getting married. Meeting the Folks. Not sure kids though. At least not at this point. Girl time with Barbara, Daphne, maybe even some Villains as well. Since canon that the gang has worked with Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. As well as being adopted with Diana aka Wonderwoman. So, like PJ party of ‘No cootied boys allowed’ with tubs of ice cream and boy talk XD

My Main account: Oh god, so many things in the chute but waiting for me to have less chapters in the lik, 11 unfinished works so far. So, I hope to have a fun cross over, and a classic second generation Gang story, and lots of others I have started but not finished to post, or well, need other stories to be done first.  What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway):

I’m working on it... TT_TT But I am not ready yet to face down a new Mystery that I have literally building up towards on my main account, because mysteries are HARD! I started leaving clues about this story in 2006... so 14 years of knowing about this story, but still... not getting around to it. Since I have only done like two legit mysteries and both I was happy at the time, but as I have progressed in writing, ugh all the issues. Putting down clues, distracting from facts, introducing suspects, argh so hard.

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like):

"I'm honored. Though, I understand. Having you as a girlfriend is probably the biggest relief compared to all those ladies I had to fake date in the past. Their conversations could be really draining at times."

"Oh, how dare you be popular." Velma couldn't help but snark at him, though regretted the words as soon as it left her.

"Yep, it's terrible to be popular and stupidly filthy rich. Having to listen to all the nonsense that those ladies thought I wanted to hear. And the countless of them wanting to get close to me for my money. So, snark accepted, but it was honestly a hassle."

"So, you would rather have a short, dumpy woman toss herself half naked at you... and end up crying and ruining the mood?" Velma voiced her self doubt, not knowing why he put up with her.

Without skipping a beat, he responded against her doubt.

"Every time and always. And twice on Saturdays for good measure."

(Part of my Bearing her Soul, story with her finally confessing to him her greatest trauma in Ben Ravencroft. I love giving her relationship issues with Ben, because she fell so hard for him, and her facing that with Bruce was so much fun to do. And the story starts out with her trying to seduce him at home, and it ends up more her telling the story and well, Bruce being Batman XD)

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?: Always been Velma, she feels closest to myself and yet so radically different. And she is also so much smarter then me, so to write her properly, I actually push myself to learn about what she would know and be able to say in things. What character do you have the most fun writing?: Oh dear... i really have grown to love the whole gang. I literally struggle to decide who would be better to use, Do I do a Velma snark here? Or oh, dorky Fred would be perfect there! Shoot, should I have Daphne being a sweetheart here, or a mischievous imp there XD Choices choices. I used to be Velma centric, but to expand my writing skills, I have gotten to the point where they exist as a unit. And I can’t go back, and not sure I would want too. It is like a lot of my favorite shows. Firefly, Leverage, MASH, Big Bang Theory. Each character is strong enough to stand on their own, but as soon as you put character A, with Character B. More story options open up. and well, the combinations and variations of options are so much fun, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which would be the most entertaining. Not only to write, for the readers who are fans of the characters as well. Needing to do my best.  What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?: Hands down, I have not only been told, but enjoy being the cute fluff writer. I aspire to rot out your teeth with cute, and fun character interactions. My bread and butter being that it’s what happens to the Scooby Gang, between mysteries. So, when they are at home, relaxing, recovering, being bored out of their skulls. XD All of the things that happen off screen between them being on one mystery to the next. Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Depends. I certainly do have a preference for cute. But I love anything that is well written and thought out. Even if it might even clash with my own thoughts. And while I might not have something in my own canon, I am not against seeing what another writer might think. 

Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

I do all of the above, but seem to have lost the ability to write small stories under a certain length. I ramble and have a lot to say. So, I try to make short things but they tend to end up like several chapters long, mainly 3 is my ‘short stories’. So length wise, they aren’t too bad, but I sometimes feel bad for not having more snippits of cute for easy digestion. And well. Some of my stories that are not done, can be beasts in word length. Reunion is about halfway done at 37k words 15 chapters and many chapters to go. 

How would you describe your writing process? Depends on the story sometimes. I have had moments of sitting down and in one go, smashing the keyboard and ending up with like 4 chapters of a story in a blizkrieg of work. While some have been in the works for years, and have notebooks dedicated to information, characters, backgrounds, and sometimes previous stories that tie into things. I have a habit of leaving ‘seeds’ of things, that might not make sense in the story that they are in, but is actually linking to other stories that are down the line to weave the world together. Chaos... Chaos is a good word XD What do you envy in other writers? Consistency... some people are able to get work out on a regular basis. And I wish I could do that. Granted, the amount of work I am doing is hard to see if you are just looking at like, last time something was posted. I truly have a lot of things on the background that is never seen until I can finally post it when it is done, or I finish something else. But I do seem to go dark sometimes for months, and I feel bad for my fans that I don’t have something out there for new content comparatively. I am always working on SOMETHING, but it’s hard to see what isn’t online.  Do you want your writing to be famous? It is, and I am not sure how to handle it most of the time. I am one of the pillars of the Scooby Fanfiction.net community since I have been around for 15 years, and one of the oldest, still posting artists out there from my original time period when I started posting. And have influenced countless readers and writers and I HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO HANDLE IT... I’m me. I’m just a dork who likes Scooby. I don’t know how to handle people being fans. Though I’m glad they like my work. So, I didn’t really wish to be famous, I am glad people like my work though. And are fans. But Did I want to be famous. No, that was not my intention at all. 

Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

https://www.fanfiction.net/u/739744/Karianasan# (Main account with 73 stories) https://www.fanfiction.net/~fallingforthebat (Alternate universe, self indulgence)

I keep things to myself when they are not finished. Since My main account has 11 unfinished stories in various degrees of unfinished. So I am trying to be good and only post something new if it’s complete. To not add to the number. Though I have sometimes finished one of the 11, to then replace it with a new one. So I have yet to chop down the number. I was originally not going to post my first romance I wrote, for my own personal shipping. (Velma x Fred) but I ended up having a roleplay go south and I wanted to write a better (Daphne x Fred) then what happened in the RP, so since I had half the main 4 pairs, I decided to make all of them. And well, since then that is what I try to do. Keeping the balance between the four main pairs (Fred x Velma, Fred x Daphne, Shaggy x Velma, Shaggy x Daphne) Keeping my stories PG, I have restrained myself from dipping into any obvious (Daphne x Velma or Fred x Shaggy) But well, I have made a few stories that are them being best friends, so a reader can always see it as something more. Which is usually how I write my pairings anyway. As well as being able to keep most of the stories in the same timeline. (Though it kinda makes them a poly gang overall, since they do kinda pair up and rotate, but again... you can read into it how ever you like. Nothing is set in stone.) Also, makes it easier for the mom’s that have contacted me, that read my stories to their kids, not have to deal with having to talk about those subjects unless they want to. So, less obvious the better. It’s just meant to be cute, fun stories between a group of people who are really close friends.    At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Depends on the stories. Some are instantly ready, others might be named a more obvious thing and get the final name later. And my naming conventions are drunk anyway. I have things like, Wearisome Persistence of the Common Kind and Grand Illusions of Ridmore Mansion. And on the other side of the spectrum, Breakfast and Tag. My Game of tag on the lawn, was dubbed Lawn Calls, but ended up being named Grass Stains. Which I like better. And Twenty Die, my geeky gang playing a D&D like game, is saved under Maidens and Monsters, the name of their tabletop system I made up. Want to do some Mundane Magic? is saved as Bubbles. But I like being mysterious even if the summery might ruin it. But, it’s Scooby. So I have to have some type of mystery in there somewhere. Even if it’s a silly title, or a cliffhanger from one chapter to the next. It’s habit. 

Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)? Again, hard. XD It depends on the story for either the name is hard, or the summery is hard, or both, or neither. It really is a story by story basis. Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

I always consider new fandoms, but I have been in Scooby for so long, it’s hard. But I guess I am doing something new with Falling for the Bat, since it’s a Cross over, and kinda my first. So, I now stress about getting canon writer for TWO massive universes, not just one. XD Scooby has been around since 1969, Batman has been around since 1939.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! XD

Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Well, I would hope that each reader will find what they want to find and enjoy out of my writing. And sure, I am writing how I write it, but its also for their happiness. Their enjoyment and entertainment in the work that I do. Being normally in the entertainment business, working on films and movies, I know what is written in a script, most likely isn’t going to be there in the final creator, at least not in the same form. So, for me. As long as the main spirit is there, and well, someone enjoys it and hopefully might smile, Then the effort is worth it.  Though, I have met several of my fans in chat rooms and forums, and I certainly ruin the famous person idea. I’m just a dork, who likes to write. I am me. And hopefully that is good enough for people. And that my work, brought joy, or made them think, or heck, even if someone read it and didn’t like it, but it inspired them to do something else that someone else found joy from. I’ll take it.

Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them. Falling for the Bat is one such a thing XD Though I made an account just for it. It does follow my main universe up to a certain point, since I love the world I have been building this whole time. But it’s given me an opportunity to make things more permanent and all that comes with it.  But I like AUs, though my account doens’t have many of them at the moment. I do need to dabble in some. Though I do have plans to make some things canon in my own universe, that the cartoons have only given us a taste and then nothing. I do have plans in both AU and main universe, to have Crystal and Amber show up. But well, only in Falling can Shaggy finally get his girlfriend back. And MAN I can’t wait to do that! Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?) I make mysteries in the smallest things, because I’m writing freaking SCOOBY! But some are just an odd naming convention, or a mess of times it’s ‘who is speaking right now’ till it’s revealed. Like Daphne calling Fred and Shaggy, Nerds, in What to Cast some Mundane Magic? Or who’s POV Present for my Pal, was, till the end. What is inside Fred’s Closest? In Fred’s Little Secret, and Twenty Die. Who is howling under the table? In Reunion. Little things, that add a flair of mystery in normal, everyday events.  Though I do love me some running gags, and also to help perpetuate the universe and have the readers come back to the same world every time. I like sewing connections between my stories. They are a timeline history and often will refer to things from the past.  Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

SEEDS! I have rambled to many people about my Seeding. Basically I have in my 15 years of writing, been slowly weaving things in stories that might not make sense in one piece, but is actually tied together with others. My complete bloom is from Fred’s Little Secret. It started in 2006 with Back in the Habit, with Fred being shifty, hiding something in his desk and pocketing something that was never explained. So, basically I only knew what it was. But then in Fred’s Little Secret, it’s revealed that he has been making miniatures for many years, of the monsters they have defeated. But been doing it in secret and in this story, only Velma finds out. Being bribed to keep it a secret. Later, in Stars and Skeletons, Fred hides something in his desk, but it’s never revealed what, at least in that story. With the whole thing coming to a bloom in Twenty Die, when Velma tries to convince Fred to make Daphne her new Mini for their table top game, Maidens and Monsters, and Daphne eventually comes along once he has agreed to help and finds out about the mini’s in the closet (which is mentioned that off screen Shaggy and Scooby found out, and well they have been using Fred’s mini’s in the game for a while.)  But this is one of may seeds that exist in the 73 stories that I have. Many future things I have planned, have had parts pop up already. Like, Fred mentioning he is a fan of aliens, or that there is some mysterious comic books that Shaggy doesn't know who brought to the clubhouse. Or that some troublemakers haven’t been seen the last of.

What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?) Well, they exist in alot of things already. Being Scooby. But actually seeing my work in some format. I would love to see fanart. That would be cool. Or if I was skilled enough, to make some of my favorite scenes in like a webcomic/graphic novel form. But well, copywrite so I don’t own them anyway. But there is a faint posibility that I effected canon in the Scooby verse with something I wrote. I gave Shaggy the ability for Origami in 2007, and in 2009 he got the skill. So, small % that, someone on the writing staff read my work, and was influenced by it to give it to Shaggy.  Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them? OH god yeah. Some of them I eagerly go back to and read when I want to feel better or just happy. I love some of them alot, and some are even surprising. Since one of my go too. Is not my default pairing. Popcorn Memories is a story between Shaggy and Velma being cute and solving a silly mystery in a snowy night. I get joy out of converting people who are normally Die hard fans of one pairing, to still enjoy and delight reading a pairing they might not normally like or agree with. But can see if how I write it. Massive compliment. And well, it works for me too. While I do really love my Fred x Velma stuff, some of the ones I gravitate or have fond memories writing and love to re-read are not those ones. Though some, yeah, there are some that I wince to look at. Infection, story about Scooby and Fleas is SO BAD. I don’t. And I am happy that my Morning Redone, was such a improvement, since I made so many problems with the first story I ever wrote. And well, all of my Mysteries make me regret and want to do better next time. But it’s a tall wall to concur and thus been a wuss to write another one.  What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest? Oh man, longest? Let me check my notes. Yeah, Mystery with the Family. Temp title, but yeah. Setting: The gang decided to bring all their parents to a vacation. They head off to a resort and end up stumbling over a mystery that they have to solve with their parents. Gives their parents a one on one experience they will never forget. Again, full blown mysteries are scary. But I really want to have the gang go on a like cruise with their family, or a resort, and then have to break up into groups to solve it. And it’s got to have mixed groups, so like Shaggy is running away with Fred’s mom and Daphne’s Dad. And Velma’s off solving clues with Shaggys dad, but hiding from Fred’s dad’s camera. Just, getting to mix up the groups and then using the unique skill sets that each of the parents bring to the table. But it seems like lots of chaos. I also have a move serious sort of... mystery not mystery. As the story starts with them finishing a mystery, but Scooby get’s dognapped and the gang get captured one by one. Split up and in different rooms, the evil villain wants them to dispair and cave to his bidding. Forcing them to admit they were wrong with an accused relative who was a villain from a previous story/show. something that way. And the gang runs around a house they already solved a msytery in. And leave notes and stuff as they all run about the house and only bump into one another. So the gang has to kinda commuicate to pass along various clues, for them all to reach the same consluson and then get together at the end ot solve it. But htings like, Shaggy putting a pillow to catch Velma’s knees when she trips. And Daphne hiding a candy bar for Shaggy’s stomach. Making loads of things that they all work with eachother, even being in differnt parts of the house only cossing paths in notes, or clues or a chase sequence in the hallway. But it’s comlex, and I’ve re-written the sucker many times, in many years and itterations. And well, at this point, my style is more light hearted and soft. So, dunno if I will ever get to this. But it’s got years into it at this point.   Would you say your writing has changed over time? I hope it has. I hope that I have gotten better at storytelling and conveying my words to others. And being entertaining. I write to make me happy, and keep in mind all the time to make my readers happy. I can’t spell, I am terrible with grammer. But I hope the spirit of the stories will be the strong point, and be the kinds of things that people will seek out to enjoy, be entertained and overall be happier by reading my work. I would love that. What part of writing is the most fun? The moment when my fingers hit the keys and everything is just there waiting for me to get it down. Most of the time, the whole thing plays in my head like a cartoon. I feel that I am an artist, before I am a writer. So, my brain sees them in moving pictures and cute scenes... and then I have to sit down and describe what already exists in my head and then hope that it makes it to the text ok.  But I really love sitting down, getting to just type and see the story come alive with cute moments, and lines that I will look back later and be utterly floored and in disbelieve that it was my fingers doing that. And then realizing that six hours have passed and I am looking at chapters of content that I can’t wait to share with others. That is the best feeling. 

Though the worst part of writing and then sharing my writing... is posting it and then never getting comments on it. I think everyone who posts a bit of themselves when they make a for public viewing, story... it’s always nice those rare moments when someone lets you know what the story means to them. And how it made them feel. Validating why you made the story in the first place.