#dark times for teen titans fans

[lunanova99]

My favorite dc girlies!!!<3 I love starfires curly 80s hair so much so I just had to add it even if drawing curls is a pain for me, despite that tho raven actually took longer to draw cuz I was figuring out how to add the hood stuff and all that, but I love my space queen and my goth queen so muchhh!

[ID Start: three images with drawings of raven and starfire from dc teen titans.

Image 1: starfire floating in space with an amgry look on her face her eyes are glowing green and she's using her powers of green fire balls or whatever it is I don't know she has extremely long curly red hair that fades into orange midway and then yellow at the ends whoever she's staring at is in for a world of pain.

Image 2: raven floating somewhere she's wearing her hood up and has a very disinterested look in her eyes she's also using her black magic powers

Image 3: it's the same as image 2 but raven has her hood down showing off her jellyfish haircut because I have free will and I like that haircut

:End ID]

[punkeropercyjackson]

It's finally here!!!

Graphic design is my passion LMFAO but as i said i would do a while back,i've created a masterpost of all the Jason Todd content that's worth your time!This is rather long but he's existed since 1983 so!!

Base edit is my little sister @mayameanderings and tagging @coffeemilkcatz and @nanaonmars since they said yes when i asked if they wanted me to!Let's dive in then!

Batman 408-426,Detective comics 568-582,Superman annual 11,New Teen Titans 18-31,Blue Devil 19,Action comics 556 and 594,Batman Annuals 10-12 and Batman(The cult)for pre-reboot Robin!Jason my beloved

Nightwing Year One 101-106,New Teen Titans 55,Nightwing 10(1997)and Legends of the Dark Knight 100 for Dick and Jason siblinghood,Gotham Knights 34 for the short story of him and Alfred and Detective comics 790 for Bruce telling Cass about him as it takes place on Jason's birthday

Lost Days aka the Red Hood prologue

Under The Red Hood(2010)-The original comic is good in it's own right but the movie is leagues better written(Rare comic book adaption exception lmao)

Robin 177 and 182-183 for the actual Tim and Jason beef instead of 'replacement' and 'enemy to caretaker' bs

Azreal:Death's Dark Knight 3(Can't give commentary on this one since i don't know Azreal like that,sorry)

Red Hood and The Outlaws(2016).Unlike the Utrh comic vs the Utrh movie,the original Rhato has nothing positive like the reboot

Not TECHNICALLY Jason BUT Duke is his favorite brother and Stephanie's the only Batfam girl he's truly close to so you should also stan them since he'd want you to /lh

Red Hood:Outlaw for the confirmation that Red Hood loves black women from infinity to infinityyyyy(meaning his love interest Dana Harlowe is introduced and featured as an mc in this run)

Urban Legends 1-6 for his return to the Batfam-Messy tbh but i do enjoy parts of it!

Task Force Z for him and Stephanie being a vigilante team and it has a prelude,that being Detective comics 1041-1043

Unkillables and Joker:The Man Who Stopped Laughing for Jayrose goodies and more of the above

Gotham War if you feel like turning off your brain to look at good art and laugh at dogshit writing

Red Hood:The Hill is his current run and when our queen Dana comes home from comics limbo!!!

The following is a misc list that's not required to include in your Jason knowledge but HIGHLY recommended you do just for fun!

Tiny Titans 23,29,33,39,45 and 47,Bombshells 46,60 and 62,Bombshells United 18-24,Lego Batman:Family Matters,A Death In The Family 2020,Batman:The Adventures Continue,Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5-6,The Doom That Came to Gotham 2023 and The Teen Titans Go episode 'The Best Robin'(Pre-Reboot Robin Jason rights!!!).Also look up 'Nobody cares about Tim Drake' if you don't know what that is,you'll love it

Jason also appears in the Lego DC Super Villains games that i highly recommend as well especially because my girlfriend is a mega fan of it and i don't know much about Lego Batman 3:Beyond Gotham but please avoid the aformentioned original Rhato,Red Hood:Outlaws and the Gotham Knights game as they feature extremely problematic writing not limited to but including racialized misogyny and ableism and do disservice to Jason himself anyway so you wouldn't want to consume them to begin with if you want to like him.I have mixed feelings on the Arkham Knight and Injustice games series' but they are objectively fairly good so i wouldn't say no to giving them a shot to see if you like them

And for the finale we have Wayne Family Adventures-Definitely a good read but to be totally honest it does Duke DIRTY and it sucks so much of DC to have marketed as his series to not only not follow through at all and make it an ensemble cast instead but ALSO deprive him of his actual characterization and story to make him a demure weak black boy stereotype.I won't judge you at all for liking it if you decided to read it or have already but kindly keep this in mind and consider joining me and my mutuals in our rewrite of it to give our Signal of Hope and Chaos the writing he deserves or at least support us through likes and reblogs!Happy Jason readings and have a good day💕

[maria-from-ga]

Cyborg, the Greatest Titan

(Titans (2023) #7- Cyborg shows why no one can bring him down)

So there was once a seemingly innocuous question asked on Titans Twitter:

Though some used it to prop up their faves, it turned into a serious and big discussion: Who is the Greatest Titan, epitomizing what it means to be a Titan the most?

There were a variety of answers, majority being one of Dick, Donna, Starfire, Raven, or even Wally. But what I noticed was the surprising lack of one answer: Cyborg.

One of the most popular Titans, whom DC clearly sees as one of the Titans Trinity (upper right corner):

(The Promotional Art for DC Comics' Dawn of DC Initiative by Dan Mora. Cyborg was to chosen to represent the Titans along with Nightwing and Starfire)

Whose removal from Titans lore caused a massive fan uproar, yet among Titans Twitter, probably the most dedicated of Titan fans, Cyborg's name was barely mentioned as a candidate to be the Greatest Titan:

Victor Stone who at his lowest, found the Titans, a team who became the family he needed who loved him without judgement:

(New Teen Titans #1 - Cyborg meeting the Titans for the first time)

(Teen Titans 5x10 "Go" - The prequel episode where all the Titans meet. Cyborg is ashamed of his cyber-mechanics but Beast Boy repeatedly assures him that they are cool and shouldn't be hidden)

The man who took what the Titans did for him and made it his mission to be that for others.

(New Teen Titans #22 and Titans Vol 2 #21 - (Left) Cyborg realizes the Titans mean so much to him because they are his friends who helped him not feel alone & (Right) Cyborg's internal monologue about how Titans taught him being part of team and accepting help from others was a good thing)

(Teen Titans 5x10 "Go" - Assured by Beast Boy, Cyborg tell an ashamed Raven she's a freak among freaks and fits in just fine, a nice callback to his NTT origin)

(Teen Titans (2003) #1- Cyborg relaunches the Teen Titans to include the upcoming generation of teen heroes so they can have a place to grieve Donna's death & find acceptance)

(Teen Titans 3x12 - "Titans East" - Cyborg helps establish the first off-shoot of the Teen Titans: Titans East)

He transformed the team from simply being a group of former sidekicks to a safe haven for all teen heroes

(Teen Titans #100 and Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - showcasing the multi-generational roster of Titans that Cyborg helped establish)

(Teen Titans 5x12- Titans Together - The global roster of Teen Titans that Cyborg helped to create that expanded from the initial off-shot of Titans East also started by Cyborg)

The Titans Are About A Team of Teens That Grew Into A Family

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Donna talking about how much the Titans grew from a team of 5 into multi-generational families)

A Family of Teenagers that not only help each other in the struggles of being a hero but also the struggles of being an adolescent, having turbulent emotions in a turbulent world

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Donna talking about how much the Titans had it tougher than the League because they had been facing Justice-League-level problems since they were kids, and yet every time still came out on top)

And who has committed to this mission more than Cyborg?

Victor who fought for the team when everyone including past leaders like Dick and Donna walked away:

(Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day and Titans (2008) #21 - Left: After Donna's death, Dick decides to disband the Titans and everyone walked away. Right: After Final Crisis and Prometheus' attack on Roy, nearly all the Titans have left the current Titans roster, but Cyborg stayed fighting for the team)

Why: Because he knew how much future teen heroes needed the Titans. To guide them and give them a home as the Titans did for him long ago

(Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day and Titans East Special- Left: After Donna's funeral, Cyborg sees members of Young Justice, especially Cassie, not handling Donna's death well and generally feeling worthless and he decides to restart the Titans. Right: Cyborg tried to convince the New Teen Titans and Roy to start up a new team of Teen Titans to help more teen heroes, but they all refused)

Stubbornly keeping Titans alive when everyone else wouldn't, allowing Titans to reach their greatest potential: a global network so any teen of any generation can find a home

(Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Last Stories of the DC Universe: Together - Titans across generations have gathered to join the fight against Batman Who Laughs)

A man who because the Titans gained utter defiance in who he is, saving not only himself from despair, but also became devoted to giving other teens that same courage, inspiring them to show that they are not freaks nor they are ever alone, thus changing so many lives (go to 2:38 for the start of the iconic speech, but I recommend starting at 2:17)

(Teen Titans 3x13 - "Titans East" - Cyborg's defiance in who he is prevented him from falling to Blood's mind control, defeating Blood saving his fellow Titans, and thus saving the day)

Victor is not only a candidate to be the Greatest Titan, but ultimately is the Most Deserving.

Cyborg is the Greatest Titan, the Lynchpin, without whom the Titans will not work and ultimately cannot because he believes in it the most and thus embodies its ethos the best

(Teen Titans #20- Tim Drake realizing how essential Cyborg is to the team and how he changed Tim and helped Tim after the death of Donna)

The Greatest Character in Fiction, An Inspiration, A Legend: BOOYAH!!!

[youngbounty]

I don’t think it should be a hot take when I say that Jonathan Kent should never have aged up. This isn’t about who is shipping whom, because I’d be genuinely surprised if even JonJay fans disagreed with me on this.

Let’s actually consider this: if Jon had not been aged up, how would any of his storylines and adventures have changed overall? Sure, yes, there would be a few tweaks, but would Jon’s age have prevented the events of The Legion of Super Heroes, Superman Son of Kal El, Dark Crisis and storylines afterwards. I dare even say it would have made those storylines and Jon’s character so much better.

Let’s go on this rabbit trail here for a second. Even if you liked Son of Kal El and maybe even shipped JonJay. If Jon had never aged up, stayed on Earth age 10, maybe grew to be 11 and met Jay at that point in time, it can go two ways: either Jay would be written the same age as Jon (11 years old) or Jay would still be 18ish and Jon would just have a one-sided crush on an older guy. Either way, the idea would have been more interesting in exploring Jon’s sexuality at a time when he’s just starting puberty. Because he’s young, it would have given room for Jon to grow and develop. Even the Teen Titans under Damian explored his sexuality despite his crush being terrible imo. First love’s are likely to work better if the character is still a child or minor.

The problem comes down to Jon aging up to seven years in a few days. His character is now a shell of what he once was. Jon was already strong and developing. He was becoming his own little person separate from Superman. Hell, if we’re going to talk about making Jon diverse, he was already diverse and dealing with discrimination for being a mixed Kryptonian and human. He was hunted down by a Kryptonian clone of his dad to eliminate any “human impurities.” He was tricked and betrayed by his own hometown, who used alien cow’s milk to “protect him” from needing to be Superboy and as a result had hindered his powers from activating. Evil Tim’s Batman hunted him down to kill him because his human and Kryptonian genetics clashed hard enough for Jon to create a solar flare that was capable of destroying a part of the world. These are issues Jon deals with that are the equivalent of what children of mixed races go through such as health conditions, their own being skeptical of them because of the other half of their race from both sides and often being belittled for being a “half-breed.” Until Jon was aged up, he had to be checked by Batman himself because the Fortress of Solitude and regular human doctors weren’t capable of checking a half Kryptonian and Human child. Then, Jon got aged up and his health concerns and the discrimination conflicts from his own were thrown right out the window.

My point is that Jon’s character arc and conflicts were thrown out the window the moment he aged up. Sure, there are some good comics with Jon here and there like Tom King’s Super Sons’ Adventures in Babysitting, but for the most part, Jon’s character has been reduced to a clone of Superman. Whatever happened to Jon’s personality that came from his mother like his stubbornness, tamper and sassiness? Whatever happened to that Jon that led a bunch of demon dogs he rescued to save his parents? Whatever happened to the boy that went Emo over accidentally frying his pet cat to ashes?

I guess Jonathan Kent truly died in that volcano when he was sucked into a wormhole.

[umbrellacam]

Anyway, as I'm going back and reading a period during which the Teen Titans and other heroes were highly visible and active with the public, including Batman to a certain extent, and with camera!Tim and the idea of reconciling incompatible timelines on my mind -

I feel like the camera!Tim fanon where Tim follows Batman and Robin around in person for years could be (among other things, such as wanting him to interact with/admire Jason and encounter/join the Batfam early, etc.) partially a result of the retcon that B&R are shadowy, unconfirmed urban legends, and not public figures. Even for people who haven't read this retcon in the comics themselves, the "B&R as urban legends" world-state is still very popular, well-known, and often used in fic and fandom.

So during the 1994 Zero Hour event, there were a bunch of time anomalies and various adjustments to the canon, including (re-)establishing Batman (and Robin) as a hushed, menacing ~rumor~, more phantom and myth than man, as a matter of Bat policy. No public appearances. No clear photos, no hard facts.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #0

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #0

We even have Dick relaying a slightly tweaked version of his origin, implying that Batman did not swoop down and publicly comfort Dick Grayson in the circus ring after his parents' murder (as was shown to have happened in Batman: Year Three and A Lonely Place of Dying back in 1989 - and which served as the initial reason Tim started admiring Batman!), and in fact Dick "...didn't believe the stories about the Batman" until months after he moved into the Manor, when Bruce told him the truth and showed him the Cave:

Robin (1993) #0

And of course the many subsequent instances afterwards of the existence of Batman, Robin, Nightwing, etc. all being kept on the down-low:

Young Justice (1998) #52-53 - Tim creating his Mr. Sarcastic guise to avoid being on-camera as Robin.

Detective Comics (Vol. 1) #727 - Bullock and Montoya being true Gothamite bros to the Bats.

And many more, etc.

All of this is obviously incompatible with the prior era and many events where Batman and Robin were very well documented as heroes, including Tim's origin in Batman: Year Three and ALPoD, as mentioned above.

As Tim related, he followed them mainly in various news media, and it was in fact on TV that he fatefully saw Robin's quadruple flip, years later:

Batman (Vol. 1) #441

By contrast, the 2016 recap of Tim's origin in A Lonely Place of Living, which restored his pre-Flashpoint backstory, does have Batman appearing at the circus again, and even taking Dick with him, but it doesn't include anything about Tim following Batman and Robin in the news, clipping articles, etc. It doesn't even mention when or how Tim saw Robin performing Dick Grayson's quadruple somersault in order to piece things together:

Detective Comics (2016) #965

But okay, if Batman and Robin were subsequently retconned into shadowy urban legends that didn't regularly appear in newspapers or on TV, how do we reconcile that with Tim's backstory as a fan who stalked followed them super closely?? His creepy cute scrapbook of newspaper clippings and Moment of Revelation from watching them on TV can't exist in the same form anymore, it's incompatible.

We can fudge an in-universe explanation covering most of the retcon, like it was a policy change that Batman instituted early in Tim's Robin tenure, and say Oracle went back and scrubbed photos, videos, records etc. from existence. We'd probably have to lean into the sliding timescale of comics and pretend all of this happened in a more digital era, though, because otherwise there are all of those pesky physical records...

We can cover the gaps by handwaving that the 'shadowy urban legends' cloak of secrecy was never foolproof, and hard evidence of B&R's existence did exist here and there, but was limited and hard to find. This jives fairly well with the actual 'urban legend' era post-Zero Hour; they couldn't avoid being witnessed or interacting with people all the time. Kid Tim would just have to do more involved digging than snipping articles out of the daily paper. Maybe the hidden security camera footage of Robin's flip that was shown on the evening news was much more shadowy and ambiguous than in canon, and it's because of Tim's special interest that he was even able to recognize B&R, and what was going on? I like this one, personally.

But alternatively. We do know that he followed Batman in person and took pictures at least in Batman #440. We're pretty sure that he had to have followed Dick/the Titans around in New York before, given that he'd memorized the Titans' schedules and knew the locations of both Kory's and Dick's apartments (also Batman #440; Tim, pls...).

It seems like extending these instances into a more regular pattern of Tim following the Bats around, and gathering photo evidence for his scrapbook by taking pictures himself, and witnessing Robin!Dick's flip in person, is one possible way to reconcile the inconsistency. And one even more likely to be used by people with only more general fandom knowledge, who are used to the 'urban legend' world-state but want to have Tim stalking the Bats at length anyway. (Which, along with New 52 Tim, is part of how we get baby super-hacker and electronic stalker extraordinaire Tim fanon, as well, I'm sure.)

[zee-rambles]

To celebrate the one year anniversary of the Rise of TMNT Movie, what is something you love the most about it that you don’t see anyone either talking about as much, or at all?

LONG POST COMING! Two things really…

1. The Lack of Romance in it.

I’ve seen one too many great shows be ruined by shipping, and one thing that annoys me more then anything is when you have a girl/woman and they’re almost always relegated to a love interest role. Almost every kid’s TV show (and a LOT of adult oriented ones) has to have a romantic element in it, but I’ve yet to see a single one that actually has a good one (besides Kim Possible, but that’s only because we were allowed to see the characters in a healthy, stable relationship). The fact that neither April, Sunita, Casey, Karai, nor Big Mama had to be pigeonholed into a romantic interest role is such a big plus for me. Even though Big Mama was later revealed to have had a relationship with Splinter, she was set up as a character first. Not only that, but each of the women are unique, funny, allowed to be a part of the action without anyone else telling them to step back, and have interesting or strong bonds with the group they are part of. If they do ever bring Rise back, I hope they continue to not focus on romance at all, straight, gay, or otherwise. Even though I joke about the boys falling for someone and Leo being bisexual, I wouldn’t want it. The focus on family, on brother/sisterhood, is so healthy and wonderfully depicted in this show. It’s rare to see something that reminds you that love doesn’t have to be romantic to be powerful.

2. The fact that the show is silly.

TMNT has always been silly. Even back in the first comic, though things were a lot more violent, it was clear that this was a spoof to make fun of how comically (pun intended) dark certain comics were at the time. Nowadays, a lot of people believe that for a show to be worth something it has to be serious in order to be taken seriously. I think that’s a load of baloney. The whole reason why the Marvel cinematic universe did so well is because it isn’t serious. It’s full of goofy jokes, characters, and moments where the heroes rise up regardless of their numerous failures. Avatar is one of the most beloved shows out there and its main character is a goofy kid, a overly logical genius that couldn’t’ get anything right in the beginning, and a sarcastic, hopeful stick in the mud. The first few episodes talks about a war and then shows a single kid literally prancing his way out of a dangerous predicament. The best shows are the ones that understand that balance. That life is, for the most part, light hearted and full of silly, often ridiculous moments. These shows also realize that when the threat is real, it’s time to get serious. Rise has that balance, just like the original Teen Titans did. Older TMNT fans really went against the one thing that is this show’s greatest strength. Stories that endure the longest, are the ones that are fun, but know how to affect you emotionally. That’s why TMNT is still a thing after all this time. And Rise handles the emotions well, only because we’ve seen the characters at their happiest. Because then, when things get real, we’re heartbroken that they don’t succeed, that they’re suffering. We want them to be happy again, just like we do in real life when times are tough. It’s no wonder so many people love Rise and say that it got them through tough times. The show knows what it’s doing.

AND IT DESERVES TO COME BACK!

[blackbatcass]

hii linden! i kinda needed some help

so, i wanna read some comics based on:

donna troy, cass cain and wally west

but i have literally noo idea where to start 😭 ofc ik the basics but i was hoping you could suggest something?? thank you so much if you do and have a wonderful day!

yeah i gotchu!! those are literally my besties lol i can definitely give you some recs. i'm not sure what you'd consider to be the basics so i'll just include all the big stuff to be thorough

donna troy:

first rec is always new teen titans as you probably would have guessed lol. it is a very long and arduous undertaking though so some more specific recs would be vol. 1 #38, #50, vol. 2 #18-21, #50-55.

i've gone into more detail on her appearances in darkstars, green lantern etc but honestly though they are important to understand the status quo & what was going on with her, i don't think they're very good comics to just read for donna. my next rec would probably be wonder woman (1987) #126-136, which is a VERY important arc for her. it goes into more detail on her origin, reconnects her to the amazons & diana, and i believe is where she officially passes on the wonder girl mantle to cassie. and she appears frequently throughout the rest of that wonder woman run after the arc if you want to continue on!

titans (1999) is another big one, beloved beloved comic. lots of good donna content.

titans/young justice: graduation day #1-3 YIKES! unfortunately pivotal to her story lol

dc special: the return of donna troy look. i know I gush about this comic like it's my full time job. but honest to god i adore it to pieces, it's a love letter to donna and her history and it's one of my favorite comics of all time despite only being 4 issues. begging everyone on the planet to read it rn

cass cain:

cass was famously introduced in batman: no man's land! now that event is very very long so it might seem tempting to skip straight to bg 2000 but i'm here to tell you to not do that. if nothing else it is PIVOTAL that you read her introduction issues (mark of cain pts 1 & 2), batman #567 and detective comics #734. probably the coolest most metal introduction of any comics character in history, it's that good. if you're interested in cass's role in nml but not the whole thing, here's a list of her appearances:

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #57

Batman Chronicles #18

Batman #569

Detective Comics #738

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #124

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92

Detective Comics #739

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60-61

Detective Comics #741

i think nml is essential reading for cass and it makes me sad that a lot of people skip it.

next is, of course, batgirl (2000). it's her character bible it's god's (kelley puckett's) gift to mankind it's maybe the best comic ever written. what more can i say

she's also a fixture in gotham knights! cass was a part of most batfamily events in the early 2000s, ex. officer down, joker's last laugh, war games, bruce wayne: murderer? and bruce wayne: fugitive. it's pretty easy to find them since they mostly cross over with her batgirl run.

detective comics #790 is only one issue but it's. ough.

aaaaand then we get into the evil cass arc stuff which just sucks and isn't worth it. she's pretty much written out of the story for a while, other than red robin #17 & #25.

she does show up as black bat in gates of gotham! i really enjoy that story, and it's only 5 issues.

that gets us to new52. i would completely disregard her rebirth and batgirls appearances honestly. she is a part of the current birds of prey ongoing! and while i am not kelly thompson's biggest fan i do think she gets a lot of cool moments and for the most part she's done right.

she is also featured sporadically throughout ram v's gotham nocturne storyline (it started way back in detective comics #1062 if you want to read the whole arc, it's VERY good). i have to give a special shoutout to #1084, which has a backup story that's focused on cass and it legitamately blew my mind. like i couldn't believe my eyes when i was reading it, maybe it's because cass has been done so dirty over the years that anything makes me happy but to get a cass-centric story featuring shiva that cares about her as a character in 2024 was crazy 2 me i will rave about it forever. thank you alex paknadel.

wally west:

the good news is my wally reclist is WAY less complicated. as is predictable for me, pretty much the only wally rec I have is flash volume 2 (1987). it is for all intents and purposes The Story of Wally West tm. it's his character bible it follows him throughout nearly a decade of his life. because it's so long my specific rec would be to read waid's run on it, from #62-142. if you want more context to his life at the time you can start earlier in the comic, i think #31 is a good jumping on point if you want to experience some messner-loebs but not too much messner-loebs lmfao.

he's featured in titans (1999) until about issue #20, iirc. wally is just fated to quit titans teams lol. there is some good stuff with him up until that point though!

that is honestly about all i got until you get to more modern flash comics. after rebirth he's reintroduced in flash vol. 5, and #768-800 is the jeremy adams run.

he's also the main focus in si spurrier's flash vol. 6! aka the current flash ongoing. which... as i have often said, i am a big fan of.

AND THAT’S MY LIST!!! i hope it helped you out at least a little lol!

[jalapainio]

As I've been reading Comics, I've slowly been assembling a Batman readthrough Timeline, which encompasses the full scale of Batman. So far, I have only gathered the first ten years. I put the canonized Comics in Trade Paperbacks, as they sometimes throw in an extra issue or two of another comic run and it is easier for me to keep track of them that way.

Here it is! The ultimate Batman Timeline (years 1-10)

Batman Year 1: 21 year old Bruce (first of many soft head cannons) becomes Batman. Many early villains of Batman pop up, including Joker, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, Riddler, and Calendar Man. Canonized Comics include Batman: Year One, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Batman: Zero Year.

Batman Year 2: This year is dedicated entirely to the Long Halloween, which also introduced Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, and most famously, Two-Face. Canonized Comics include Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batman Year 3: Much like Year 2, Year 3 is dedicated to its sequel, Dark Victory. In it, a new serial killer known as the Hangman has started killing cops in Gotham. This year sees the end of the classic Mafia in Gotham, and ten year old Dick Grayson being taken in by Bruce Wayne. While he does put on the Robin colors and even goes out with Batman, he is not Robin just yet. Canonized Comics include Batman: Dark Victory.

Batman Year 4: This year gives the main focus towards training Dick. We can also assume that the Justice League, or at least a version of it, has been formed during this year. In addition, Killer Croc is introduced. Canonized Comics include N/A (seriously, I need something here. Anyone rec a solo Batman story that might fit in here?)

Batman Year 5: While most of the year is like the one above, a calm year for Batman, at the end of year, 12 year old Dick wears the Robin suit for the technically second time. He is the one who makes his suit, angry at Bruce for forcing him through constant training as a stall to prevent Dick from going out. Canonized Comics include Robin and Batman.

Batman Year 6: Dick goes through his next big villain during the spring of this year, facing off against Two-Face. After a brief moment when he is fired as Robin, he returns to the Cape, this time with a new perspective on his role. Canonized Comics include Robin Year One.

Batman Year 7: Dick, while working with Batman, notices Bruce's strange behavior. Collaborating with his other teen heroes he met in Year 5, he figures out that the entire Justice League is acting weird! Together, the five (Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Wondergirl) team up and work together to take down the Justice League! They called themselves the Teen Titans. Canonized Comics include Teen Titans: Year One

Batman Year 8: Barbara Gordon, 17 years old and an accelerated graduate of College (she has to be not on a normal track, or else her entire relationship with Dick would just be so weird) puts on a bat themed costume to spite her father, and ends up going against Killer Moth. Batgirl, as she's newly christrained, is supported by Robin (but not Batman) to become a superhero. Firefly takes up the costume with Killer Moth, and Batgirl takes them down. Canonized Comics include Batgirl: Year One

Batman Year 9: Batman and Superman work together to defeat the Devil Nazha, which ends up with Dick being stuck in time. Bruce rescues him, and the rest of World's Finest goes on. Canonized Comics include Batman/Superman World's Finest: Devil Nazha, Batman/Superman World's Finest: Strange Visitor, and Batman/Superman World's Finest: Elementary.

Batman Year 10: 17 year old Dick and the rest of the Teen Titans fight off a rabid cult of fans! Canonized Comics include World's Finest Teen Titans.

[beginnerblueglass]

I finished Titans S3 and it's everybody's problem!

No, I have not yet seen S4, I just felt that seasons 1-3 formed a perfect little three-part story, and I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS

About six years ago I was a staunch Marvel fan living in a Marvel household, and I was in deep. DC was not spoken of in my home, EXCEPT for a little annoying cartoon called Teen Titans GO! that my younger siblings were obsessed with. I never liked it very much, but I was forced to watch.. a lot of it. At the time I had a habit of going onto IMdB every day and watching all the new trailers. Imagine my surprise when I noticed a new trailer for a show called Titans. "Oh, they're making a live-action show about the Teen Titans? How interesting!" Then I watched it. I was horrified. Horrified. Why is it so dark? Why is it so violent? Why does it look so scary? Why is there so much blood? Why is Starfire killing someone? Did that grown man dressed as Robin, covered in blood, just say "f*ck Batman"? What is happening? I decided right then that I never wanted anything to do with this show, and for the next several years I heard nothing more about it. What happened since then? I don't know. I grew up and became interested in DC? After I saw it while browsing Netflix, I looked it up. Most of the reviews were meh to negative, but I decided to give it a try, just starting with a few episodes.

And oh my goodness?????

This show surprised me so hard.

Season one is rough. It's very dark and gritty and violent. Like the creators are saying, "Look at me!! I'm edgy!" The subject matter is extremely dark, there is minimal music and almost no soundtrack, the language is coarse, and the colour scale is ✨grey✨. At first, this was very offputting, especially since seasons two and three have a completely different tone. The Doylist explanation is just that the creators were doing the cliche "kid's media adapted for adults, and make it unmistakably for adults," thing. But the Watsonian explanation? Ooh boy, that's interesting.

One thing that I found so captivating about this show is how the audience's viewpoint is halfway inside the main character's head. So much of this show is Dick Grayson's internal mental landscape presenting itself onscreen. We see his dreams, visions, flashbacks, memories, and hallucinations. Whole episodes take place inside his head, and the things going on in his head regularly escape. This happens at times on some level with the other characters, but when Dick is onscreen it's like he pulls the audience in and we see things the way he sees them. This show does "immersive" very well.

Why is the first season so dark, Watsonian-ly speaking? (Watsonian-ly?) Because this is set during the darkest time in Dick's life. He's depressed and suffering from an identity crisis, he doesn't feel like a human being and has cut himself off from everyone who cares about him. Why is there no soundtrack? Because pop songs aren't really going through Dick's head right now. Why is there little to no humour? Well, Dick isn't really feeling the jokes at the moment. Why is there so little colour? He's seeing everything in bleak shades of grey (of course, Kori comes into his life in a pop of colour 🥰). He is completely immersed in a cycle of violence and bloodshed that he doesn't know how to get out of, and it's torturous. The tone of the season matches his mental state perfectly. It is easy to watch? No, but if we're looking at it this way, it shouldn't be easy.

Dick begins the healing process starting in season two, and the tone immediately shifts. There's colour and a soundtrack!! There's humour and even some happiness! The Doylist explanation, of course, is that audiences didn't want more seasons like S1, so they made the tone a little more friendly. But the Watsonian explanation is that Dick is in a better place, mentally and emotionally, so his surroundings respond in kind. This continues through season three.

Now, the action-centred plot lines in seasons 1-3 range from being really interesting, to really boring, to being absolutely riddled with plot holes. Don't watch this show for that reason. Watch it for the character-centred emotional arcs. They don't disappoint. Seasons one, two, and three form a three-act story, centred on Dick's emotional journey expressed in his relationships with Bruce Wayne on one side, and Jason Todd on the other. Dick's journey of blame, anger, running away, self-examination, and forgiveness is repeated in each season, but it doesn't feel repetitive, it feels symmetrical.

(I already made a post about how I feel that they dropped the ball right at the end of season two in this regard, so the "forgiveness" aspect of the cycle didn't really land, but that's why God gave me an imagination.)

In season one, Dick blames Bruce Wayne for making him into what he is (a killer, someone who is capable of terrible things, who has hurt people, and will continue hurting people, as he doesn't know any other way to live). He is so steeped in that anger that he has become someone he barely recognizes. A year ago, he ran away, cutting himself off from everyone and everything. After being thrust into a mission to protect a young girl who needs his help, Dick is forced to do some self-examination. In the end, he realizes that healing for himself will only begin if he takes some responsibility for his own actions and forgives Bruce.

In season two, since he is no longer blaming Bruce for all his problems, Dick is blaming himself. Again, the resulting anger causes problems, he tries to run away, and he ends up being forced to take a hard look at himself. He realizes that his running away is selfish and isn't fixing anything and that healing, both for himself and the people he's hurt, will only come once he takes responsibility for his actions and forgives himself.

In season three, there's a three-way system of blame between Dick, Bruce, and Jason. Jason blames Bruce and Dick for setting him up to be Robin and then (as he sees it, and he's not totally off-base) giving up on him and casting him aside. Bruce blames himself for failing first Dick, then Jason. And Dick, having learned to stop blaming either Bruce or himself, blames Jason for turning evil. Whew! The cycle I was talking about comes to a crescendo in this season, and the resolution is so satisfying. This time, it's Jason who lashes out in anger and it's Bruce who runs away. Dick still has to do the "self-examination" thing though. In the end, he comes to realize that (you guessed it) healing for all the people involved will only begin when each party takes responsibility for their actions and forgives each other. Dick begins with himself; he realizes that he is partly responsible for the way Jason turned out, so he is the first to extend his hand in both an apology and forgiveness, which begins the healing process, which literally cleanses Gotham City. It's beautiful, ok?

The themes of fatherhood and family trauma are so subtly interwoven throughout the story, but it's powerful. The show shines a spotlight on the effects of all the father/son relationships and makes them the beating heart of the storyline. It's actually beautiful how Dick's final internal battle ends with a vision of both his past and his future: he sees himself as a little boy with his birth father, who announces that he will always love Dick no matter what, and then he sees his own future daughter. Father/child relationships are a powerful force in this show. They are the source of great pain, harm, and damage, as well as great strength, hope, and love.

This show has changed my brain chemistry.

One more thing. Dick is portrayed by Brenton Thwaites. Do you know who he is? Let me now confess that he was my first celebrity crush. I saw him in The Giver and I was gone, but I don't think I'm biased when I say that he is such a good Dick Grayson it isn't funny. He plays "internally haunted" extremely well, as well as all the other things Dick Grayson needs to be. Now Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne really threw me at first, but I have to admit he has grown on me. He's an older Bruce Wayne, kind of the spiritual successor of Adam West, minus the campiness. Not the best Bruce Wayne in cinematic history, but give him a chance. His scenes with Dick and Jason are *chef's kiss.*

There's more to the show than Just Dick, Bruce, and Jason, but like I said, they're the beating heart of the show. I could go on, but I have to go eat dinner now, and get started on season four. Happy ending, here I come!!

[localebra]

Hench Women of Riddler

Echo & Query

Technically fist appearing in Secret Origins Special Vol 2 #1 1989, but under the names Query and Probe. We will have to discuss all the different names before going into them as individuals.

Detective Comics Annual #8 1995 is the first time they are who we truely know today as Query (Diedre Vance) and Echo (Nina Damfino). At the time working at a sex club called Pandora, they were petty crooks who decided to rob the Riddler after a heist. He was not only able to convince him to not Rob him, but to become his hired help.

Quiz and Query help him with his game show host astetic in Batman: Riddler 1995.

Along with dark skined twin version of Quiz and Query in The Batman and Robin Adventures #3 1996.

Not a woman, but I must mention Kwiz Kid from Teen Titans Go! #15 2003. The Rival to the Robin and boyfriend to Kitten. He is rather a fan, apprentice or spn of the Riddler.

Enigma the Riddler's daughter (Allegedly) first apeared in Teen Titans #38 2006 Joining the heroic team before shortly making an appearance in Gotham alongside her father to carry out his crimes. Eventually betraying the Titans along with Joker's daughter to Teen Titans East. Until being doubled crossed by Joker's daughter and losing to the Titans. Shortly afterwards while working with her father she was killed by him. Dark Crisi she was named Quinn Nash appearing in the Arkham Academy program inside Batman urban Legends 21 2023. Were it is stated father would go on to be mentally abusive. Pushing her to be just as smart as him, when she failed to show this, Riddler tried to kill her for not being as smart as him. Next appearing in DC's 'Twas the 'Mite Before Christmas (2023) #1 where she goes on a date with Batwoman and helps her unravel her father's plans.

Quiz real name Miyu Tangram from Legends of the Dark Knight #2 2021. Marketed as Riddler's Punchline she sent him a riddle which led to an easy bank robbery. He had the wrong code for the safe and she revealed her self from the hostages in told him the code and to take her with him. A massive fan of his work and later on his lover.

Miss Tuesday the Riddlers short lived sidekick in Batman: The Audio Adventures (Podcast) 2021.

Enigma real name Evelyn Rhyme and actual daughter of the Riddler in Batwoman season 2 2021. In which she is a master hypnotist who worked for Black Mask and made Kate Kane think she was Circe Sionis. She effected many other but was killed by Ocean to prevent her from reversing her work on Alice.

For thoughts I feel a story from the perspective of Query and Echo could be very interesting into aspects. Not only would it give us the inner workings of The Riddlers work, but a unique view as a henchmen. At no point of a stepped on or looked down upon unlike other henchmen. They are the lowest of below but they're on top of the Heap. In regards to the various children, partners and fans I think actively bringing them together could be something interesting. Maybe Riddler actively puts a test out there to attract people who are the same level of intelligences him. Trying to build a team to take over Gotham through brains instead of brawn. Project Daedalus it could be called and each of the characters could have a different specialization.

[nitewrighter]

My "favorite" memory of someone asking about getting into comics was a Teen Titans cartoon fan asking me what Starfire was doing in the comics and if she should check it out. At that time, Starfire was part of the Outlaws and trying to sleep with Jason Todd and Roy Harper at the same time. So immediately steered her to the older stuff.

Ohhhh man I remember there was a fan comic a while back that was like "This is Amy--Amy grew up with the 2003 Teen Titans and her favorite character is Starfire! Now Amy's older and wants to read about Starfire in the actual comics!" And then it cuts to Red Hood and the Outlaws Starfire going 'I'm bored. Show me your penis.' Amy goes 'This is garbage' and decides not to read the comics." Although i also know a solid number of fans who like RHATO Starfire because "Omg polycule energy!"

Tbh it is kind of wild how much mainline continuity comics can differ from their cartoon contemporaries. Like I'm reading comics that were coming out around the same time as BTAS right now and like, this is absolutely the time when millions of kids were falling in love with Batman because of BTAS--and like, I can't make a full judgment because this is Bruce as he's showing up in other heroes' titles and big crossover events and not his solo titles, and it may also be my residual "sick of his ass" from Dark Nights Metal talking, but a lot of the time it's like, "Wow Bruce is kind of an asshole, huh."

BTAS Bruce is my dad because he raised me and he loves me. Comics Bruce is my Dad because he has significant control and communication issues.

[emixion]

So i’ve seen a lot of eah fans sharing hcs which makes me very happy so i’m going to share some too. (Pretty much just Raven because she is my blorbo)

Raven’s music taste is wildly eclectic. She obviously loves Taylor Swift and artists with similar vibes but is prone to bouncing around genres. Other artists she loves are Paramore, MCR, Ashnikko, Scene Queen, and really anything else she can scream.

She’s a picky eater. This is kind of hinted at in Storybook of Legends but never outright stated so I still consider it a HC. There’s a lot of different types of meat she doesn’t like to eat and she has a hard time with texture of certain foods. She also went through a period where her anxiety would reduce her appetite. (Same, twin 😗✌️)

She can sense the beat and signature of any music within her earshot with her magic. She calls it her sixth sense.

She’s a comic nerd. Before she had any real friends and was still dealing with her mother, she used them as an escape. Her favorite comics are The New Teen Titans from the 80s-2000s and she has a huge shelf of them back home in her room.

She loves scary movies.

Taught herself how to do makeup quickly because she doesn’t like looking in the mirror too long.

Considers the core rebels (Maddie, Cerise, Cedar and Hunter) her family. They were on her side and defended when the whole school was against her and she will never forget that and will always be grateful.

Alright this one is canon but this is just a reminder that she is an absolute MANIAC on guitar. Like Sparrow carries his around every day and yet she outshines him every time she plays.

Nevermore got her name when Raven’s dad suggested it as a joke and Raven, being a little girl at the time, didn’t get the reference but loved the name and it stuck.

Favorite anime is Tokyo Ghoul but she hates the ending.

Her eyes have a sort of “glow” to them that you can see in the dark.

As she gets older, she eventually cuts contact with her mother. She never leaves their visits feeling good, quite the opposite, so she finally decides to prioritize her self and her mental health and stops showing up.

An absolute beast in Smash Bros. Her main is Zelda.

She often wears her headphones around even if she isn’t listening to music in case she suddenly wants to. Plus they’re comfy on her ears and help her avoid unwanted attention.

[spidermannotes]

Two Massive DC/Marvel Omnibuses Coming this Summer

Covering around 25 years of DC/Marvel crossovers, the two comic book giants are giving fans young and old the chance to appreciate classic characters together in memorable tales.

Press release:

The vast and varied history of DC versus Marvel returns to print for the first time in decades with two massive volumes collecting the universe-bending comic book crossovers between the greatest characters in pop culture! These fantastic stories, originally co-presented by the two powerhouse comic book publishers, have been highly sought after and hard to find for most readers—but they’re making their return in DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus,both publishing on August 6, 2024.

Who would win: Superman versus Spider-Man? Batman versus Captain America? The X-Men meeting the Teen Titans? DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects crossovers between the core DC and Marvel characters, from 1976’s Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man to 2000’s Batman/Daredevil. Included are stories from some of comics’ most revered talents, namely Dennis O’Neil, George Pérez, Dan Jurgens, Chris Claremont, Walter Simonson, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Bagley, Gerry Conway, John Romita Jr., and more. DC and Marvel fans alike can’t miss these thrilling pieces of unearthed comic book history!

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus features stories, first told in 1996, of the two superhero universes fused together into a new Amalgam Universe, combining DC’s and Marvel’s heroes, villains, and mythologies. The result was a series of unforgettable one-shot comic books starring the likes of Dark Claw (Batman and Wolverine), Super Soldier (Superman and Captain America), Iron Lantern (Iron Man and Green Lantern), and many more! These stories, from creators such as Peter David, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid, Dave Gibbons, Ron Marz, José Luis García-López, Gary Frank, Bill Sienkiewicz, Claudio Castellini, and more, represent one of the most fun and unlikely periods in comic book history, and now are available in one omnibus. Included in this volume are the historic DC Versus Marvel miniseries and its sequels, perfect for fans of both DC and Marvel!

DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects Batman/Captain America #1, Batman/Daredevil #1, Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1, Batman/Spider-Man #1, Daredevil/Batman #1, DC Special Series #27, Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger #1, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1, Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1, Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights #1, Silver Surfer/Superman #1, Spider-Man and Batman #1, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1, and Superman/Fantastic Four #1.

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus collects DC Versus Marvel #1-4, DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4, Unlimited Access #1-4, Bat-Thing #1, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Bullets and Bracelets #1, Challengers of the Fantastic #1, Doctor Strangefate #1, Iron Lantern #1, Legends of the Dark Claw #1, Lobo the Duck #1, Speed Demon #1, Spider-Boy #1, Super Soldier #1, Thorion of the New Asgods #1, X-Patrol #1, and more, plus a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material.

DC Versus Marvel Omnibus (9781779523259) and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus (9781779523266) will both be published on August 6. The two volumes will each have a direct-market-exclusive cover available only in local comic book shops, while supplies last.

[foxwitchaine]

What red flags do you think Adrien has?

First and foremost, Adrien hasn't changed during the series. Like, at all. If this had been any other series with a "Status Quo is God" mentality, I wouldn't be so nitpicky. The problem is we were promised plot all the way back in Season 2. And plot typically involves characters changing, growing, and developing along the way. I know I'm gonna sound like a broken record, but Avatar: The Last Airbender is pretty much the gold standard of what kid's shows nowadays should aspire to be like. The old "it's for kids" excuse is only gonna go so far when we've had gems such as ATLA, the Batman Animated Series, the OG Justice League, the OG Teen Titans, heck even anime like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z on air. I'm personally not a fan of Dragon Ball Z, but even I can acknowledge what Akira Toriyama accomplished.

Those works also weren't afraid to get dark and scary while still being age-appropriate. Something modern kid's cartoons can all learn from, be it Disney, Cartoon Network, or even Nickelodeon. And something they all have in common? A strong and well-structured plot. Emphasis on "well-structured". I can't claim to know what goes on in the writing room of Miraculous Ladybug, but it's painfully clear hardly anyone knows what they're doing. And it's resulted in the "plot" of the show turning into a tangled tumbleweed drifting across the desert of discarded but better-written ideas.

Whatever the metaphor is, anyway.

Let's continue.

Adrien's second biggest red flag is his continuous defense of characters like Chloe and more recently Lila. I'm admittedly ignoring Season 4 onward because I cannot fathom disrespecting your characters (and audience) so much you turn a kid's show into your own vanity project just to stroke your ego. But that's beside the point.

Adrien has the unfortunate habit of defending problematic people like pre-"redemption" Chloe (I use that word loosely as I'm doing my own Chloe redemption in my fic with Rafe) and Lila. You could argue that it's because of the way his father raised him. But it defeats the whole purpose of Adrien getting to go to school.

School is a place where you learn and grow. And figure out how to deal with unpleasant stuff, such as bullying, incompetent teachers, and apathetic faculty (I'm telling on myself, I just know). The problem is that Adrien, despite all his chances to figure out how to unlearn the behaviors Gabriel instilled in him, has not once made any active attempts to improve himself. Yeah. I know. I may be a little too harsh on him, but that's because I saw potential in Adrien to be much better than he is now. Disregarding the Sentimonster theory being confirmed (again, I'm also ignoring that), Adrien's stagnation is very telling of both the character and the writers. No matter what happens in the show, the universe bends itself backwards to acknowledge his existence. Do you know what that's called in writing?

A Mary Sue. Or, in Adrien's case, a Marty Stu. You could argue that Marinette is a Mary Sue, but she gets torn down so much in the show the argument is pretty much moot.

Do note that this is not aimed to tear down anyone who's written Mary Sues or Marty Stus. I've created several of my own in my early days as a writer. Who hasn't. The thing is, though, as I grew up, so did my characters and my writing.

Adrien hasn't grown up since the start of the show. And that's very telling.

Then there's the third biggest red flag of Adrien: his behavior as Chat Noir. I know it feels unfair to use that against him, but it's been stated multiple times that Chat Noir is, in essence, Adrien's true self without his everyday mask.

If that is who he is without any limits, then I want him as far away from me as possible.

Preferably, with a restraining order.

I have yet to figure out why this keeps happening when Hollywood and other big-name studios write romance — even by female authors and writers — but it has to stop. Men, most sane women prefer it if you accept the first "no" as an answer. That goes for you too, ladies. No, I don't care if this pisses anyone off. I'm an equal-opportunity realist. And I'm gonna say something that will likely have people calling for my head on a pike:

Relationships in general are built on mutual trust and communication. It's hard work maintaining a healthy relationship, it really is. But more often than not, it's one of the most fulfilling things anyone can possibly dream of. No, this doesn't mean everyone is obligated to say yes to romance. There are those who choose to avoid romance altogether.

And that's perfectly fine. I just happen to be a romantic who enjoys romance. That's my personal preference (no, this doesn't mean I like red flags).

The writers of Miraculous Ladybug seem to be under the impression that teenagers should hook up with the first hot person they meet. And that's a very dangerous message to spread. Because what if the first hot person they meet is a domestic abuser? Or worse: a criminal who has no issue using whatever they can to control and dominate their partner.

Adrien — and by proxy, Chat Noir — has displayed behavior that's alarmingly similar to domestic abusers despite his sunshine persona. He's destroyed property because Ladybug told him "no" (Sentibubbler). He set up a date even though Ladybug told him she had plans, then had the audacity to get huffy and upset about it (Glaciator). He's lied to someone about his relationship with her, then blamed her for the resulting akuma.

Note that the last example was from Copycat, a Season 1 episode. Which bears the disturbing implication that this is an ongoing issue, not a one-time problem.

Adrien Agreste had potential to be a great character.

It's too bad the writers have stressed he's too perfect to change.

[dizaryswrites]

I have a confession to make!

I don’t know how obvious it is, but I actually haven’t read any comics 😅 I know, I know haha, it’s just I haven’t had the time! Luckily, I mostly follow blogs that I know are comic readers so I know what’s fanon and canon mostly. But since I will have free time in the summer, I was wondering if you have any recommendations on what to read and where to start?

Oh man I WISH I could be one of those blogs who snaps out the long scroll that just rolls down the hallway with a concise cross referenced list of top hits from every era and where to start with each character! But I am a book hoarder with not enough time on my hands so I haven't even read half of what I have, let alone all the back issues 😅

Here's some stuff that I really enjoyed as a new-to-comics-and-DC reader and in general (in mostly chronological order because that's how I arrange my comic books):

Batman: Dark Victory

I really enjoyed the mystery and early Batman days, plus Dick Grayson's debut! He is a delight. I didn't read Long Halloween which comes before this so I missed some context but I picked it up easy enough (also according to some reviews the mystery can be repetitive if you have read Long Halloween sooo win for me ig?)

Robin: Year One

I am determined to read this one soon. I've heard great things about it though so it's being added

Batman: Prodigal

I read this without reading a single page of Knightfall because I was getting interested in Nightwing and this was the earliest book that my library had available (I have given up on a chronological reading order since those early foolish days). I knew nothing and still really enjoyed Dick!Bats and Robin!Tim together. I need to reread this soon

Formerly Known as the Justice League

A limited run, 6 issues I think. Honestly I should just say Justice League International in general but I started with this mini for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle after seeing some funny panels online and I fell in love with that whole cast of losers (affectionate). It's not BatFam but so so fun to read (and JLI has some really poignant moments too)

Young Justice: A League of Their Own

SO FUN. Tim and friends dealing with just ridiculous scenarios LOL I'm only halfway through but it's great

Batman: Hush

I haven't read a lot of just Batman titles but I enjoyed Hush. It had some good character moments for Bruce that helped me understand the way he thinks a little more. I also hear Bruce Wayne: Murder/Fugitive is very very good but I haven't gotten around to it yet (a running theme)

Batgirl: Point Blank

Cass is a treat. This was the first volume I found of her's, haven't read the others yet, but even lacking context I really enjoyed her as the main character and her interactions with Steph, Babs, and Bruce.

Teen Titans (Geoff Johns)

This was one of the first series I started reading and it was a good intro for me, a completely new DC fan. It's Tim and his friends but more serious than YJ. I've read vol 1-2 and part of 3

Under The Red Hood

Classic for good reason. I haven't finished it yet (teehee) but the first half has been entertaining. Jason has had some um... interesting writing in his time. But I really enjoy the way he's written here. It's a good baseline imo. I've heard Lost Days is also good

Nightwing (Tomasi run)

I love Tomasi and this run was a lot of fun. Dick is funny while not losing his serious, capable edge, he interacts with people in his circles, and has some interesting introspection moments. There's a weird part of the plot about midway that definitely uses bad Asian stereotypes which is so disappointing. But after that it gets normal again 😅

Batman & Robin

This comes right after Tomasi's run and it's a mixed bag for me. It's definitely interesting seeing Dick and Damian learning to work together but I was still new to DC with little context for things and was also *so* put off by the art style that I don't remember it well. But I thought I'd add it anyway since it's an iconic moment for Dick!Bats

Batman and Robin (Tomasi)

I adore Bruce and Damian struggling together to discover what being father and son looks like for them. I adore Damian having growth. That's volumes 1-3. 4 is post Damian's death (and damn issue 1 is a well written look at grief), I haven't read 5 or beyond yet.

Nightwing (Rebirth)

The first Nightwing title I read. Looking back, the characterization is a bit weak in some areas, doesn't quite match how he's written in older runs, but it had good moments and kept me entertained. Especially!!! In vol 3 with Humphries's Judge arc

For more current runs, I'm really enjoying World's Finest. Waid's writing is good and Mora's art is just *cartoon heart eyes*. Bats, Supes, and teenage Dick Grayson are a fun trio. Amid other runs that had me tearing my hair out in disappointment or frustration, WF is a breath of fresh air.

Titans United: Bloodpact is a 6 issue limited that was also a really nice read. It's Dick's Titans but Tim is there too and I enjoyed everyone's writing.

The Human Target (Tom King) but honestly I was just losing my mind over Greg Smallwood's art and paneling the entire time. A masterpiece. I want to frame every page. I cheered when he posted inspiration threads on Twitter.

Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen

It's not Batfam but hear me out!!!! This comic had some of the sweetest moments between Supes and Jimmy and I wanted to grab literally anybody by the shoulders and shake them until they looked at the Lois, Clark, & Jimmy in the helicopter panel and GOT IT!!! Also it is so delightfully wacky and funny, I was genuinely laughing out loud. Steve's Lieber's art is the perfect pairing with Matt Fraction's writing.

AND SPEAKING OF!

This isn't DC at all but it's the series that made me (and so many others) really love comics and their storytelling potential. Matt Fraction's Hawkeye run, volumes 1-4. Between his writing and David Aja's artwork and color theory (and Steve Lieber's guest issue that literally gut punched me and changed how I saw later parts of the story, it was never just a filler issue to me, Steve) you get a great story that says so much with so little (in the best way) and is a visual treat as well. Chef's kiss.

Some other non-DC comics I really enjoyed are Die (imagine Jumanji but D&D and novels and oh look the consequence of your actions has grown up), Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 (I am not a horror girly but I really enjoyed this, in no small part because of Dell'edera's art), Eight Billion Genies (the world population hits 8 billion and now everyone gets a genie, what could go possibly wrong), and Paper Girls which I'm about 2/3 through (picture stranger things but with time travel, spaceships?, and oh shit is future me lying??)

Damn, I guess I really did have a scroll's worth. 😭 Anyway, my recommendation for where to start with this list is...what does your library have available? Don't forget about the Hoopla app too, that's where I read some of these digitally. Or the used bookstore which is where I got 90% of my comics from.

But seriously! Just pick whatever sounds the most fun or has the character(s) you're the most interested in and go from there. Skip around on the timeline or go in chronological order. Whatever floats your boat! I think that's the really unique thing about comics. Plus if you can't figure out the context of what you're missing or what is happening simultaneously (because writers & editorial used to care a little more) you can do a quick google or (and I wish I had this with Batgirl) @cephalog0d has a pinned timeline master list. Incredible.

[rosiiclouds]

OK SO I GET TO INFODUMP ABOUT MY OWN KNOWLEDGE OF THE DC COMICS SO YIPPEE YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME

so basically, we’re starting with batfam and the multitudes of robins there is, bc it’s one of th e most confusing thing there is.

The favorite, the classic, Richard Grayson (otherwise known as dick but I. I can’t, I just can’t-)

Orphan, pretty sure his parents died in an accident with their circus act, but idr, I think it also kinda had to do with the joker? Again, don’t remeber

afterwards Bruce adopts him and he becomes Batman’s first sidekick, Robin. He’s the Fun robin, the classic, the quip-er, the silly, a literal twelve year old child fighting crime. Everyone loves him. Everyone has heard of him.

In his teen years, he gets a little more unique, no longer JUST being Batman’s sidekick, but also being a part of the teen titans (after being inspired by the Justice League, Batman’s own superhero club.) he ends up being a bit more rebellious in his own way, and even rejects the Robin mantle, and becoming Nightwing (there was also a Discowing at some point but shhhhhhh)

he also ends up moving out of Gotham to Bludhaven in his adulthood.

then we move onto The Second Robin, also a fan favors.

2. Jason Todd, aka, the guy who has a white streak in his hair.

yea the white streak actually has a lot of plot importance lmao

Jason’s parent also died, completely forgot how, probably another Joker thing-

Bruce takes him in, and he becomes the Next Robin.

Things are good (ish, I mean it’s dc) for a while, but THEN

The Joker Decides To Be a Little Silly (derogatory)

he kidnaps Jason, and Batman… idr if he just doesn’t care or plain just can’t find him, but he doesn’t come to rescue Jason until the very last minute.

Jason is sitting there, thinking Bruce with save him, clinging to that idea, all the while being TORTURED and eventually BRUTALLY PIPE MURDERED BY THE JOKER

I also think the building might’ve blown up at some point but I might be misremembering, or mixing two different canons idk.

BUT THEN

Jason ends up getting revived Due To Stuff I Never Rememebr (something about a Pit, it was green, looked like nukulaer waste).

and he doesn’t remeber SHIT other then being pissed at both the joker and Batman.

so he tries to kill both as (which yeah, Batman didn’t even kill the joker after, just kinda threw him in prison, which he quickly broke out of again. Thanks Batman.), he also now goes by Red Hood, and he gets guns! :D

but you see.

The Next Robin.

3. Tim drake.

rich parents hated and neglected him, he then got adopted by Bruce.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know as much about Tim, but I do know that when Jason came back, he felt betrayed (bc at some point he regains his memories but shhhhh I don’t remeber when) and like Batman replaced him, which is no fault of Tim ofc, but Jason doesn’t know that, and tries to take revenge on both of them

eventually, Jason gets stopped, again I don’t remeber exactly how since a lot of what I know is from other people, not all the comics, but jason eventually leaves them alone and stops trying to kill everyone.

Tim Needs A Fucking Break, so he decides to get a little Silly (not like joker) and goes away for a few years and leaves being Robin behind, (also I think aorund this point he gets his Spleen taken by Guy Who’s Name I Forget But In The Dark Knight Trilogy He’s Played By Liam neson.)

durring this time we get our Fourth Robin, Stephanie Brown.

4. Steph!

she and Tim date at one point but we all decided to side step that so we don’t talk about it nope we do not not right now that is a can of worms we do NOT have time for

Stephanie was raised by this Ofher Guy I Always Forget Name Of, and was trained to be an assassin to both accompany him and take his place. Eventually, she breaks away from him, and joins Batman. She becomes Robin for a while, and has Imposter Syndrome. I love her so much she’s so fun.

after Tim comes back, he takes the Robin role again, and so she’s kinda left without a role, until she is offered the title of Batgirl after Cassandra Cain becomes her own thing (iirc. Also don’t get me started on batgirl it’s a lot, it deserves its own post/ask)

also at one point I think she kills herr dad but there’s no harmonica solo (/ref).

THEN.

5. Damian Al Ghoul/Wayne.

Bruce’s biological son.

he was raised by his mother, (who Jason fucked I think) and grandmother (who stole Tim’s spleen) to be an assassin (AGAIN, this has happened so many times wtf-), and on a mission, he’s assigned to kill Batman.

……..

HES FUCKING EIGHT FUCKING YEARS OLD

he’s I think the youngest Robin too.

anyways he tries to kill Tim. Bc my man can’t fucking catch a break.

and then Bruce adopts him.

and makes Tim give up the mantle of Robin. So Tim gives Robin over to Damian. And it’s one big fucked up family that has a canon Fluff Fic on Webtoon.

there’s also ofc Barbara and Katie and cass and duke but first I need to tell you what Tim did right after Damian becomes robing.

Tim 1) takes o r Wayne enterprises, and 2) keeps doing vigilante work under, get this, the name of RED ROBIN.

I’m not joking,

he’s named afer a fucking restaurant.

tumblr isn’t letting me put images but omg.

he danced around on trade mark to get hit with the next.

so that’s the robins. (Abridged ofc)

how old was everyone .

How old was Tim during the million attempts on his life

HOW OLD WAS JASON WHEN HE DIED