#he was in anarky 1999

[lonniemachin]

they were putting kyle rayner in everything in the 90s

[tiredofsatansbullshit]

Jason Todd Reading List

Pre-Crisis Robin

(this includes his origin, how he becomes Robin, and what happens to this version of Jason in the Pre-Crisis Timeline)

Batman #357-399 (1983-1986)

Detective Comics #524-567 (1983-1986)

Batman #400-403 (1986-1987)

Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, #9, #11-12 (1985-1986)

Post Crisis Robin

(includes his origin, how he becomes Robin and his death - i tried to have this chronologically according to when these events take place so that means the publishing order is a bit weird)

Nightwing #103-106 - Collected as Nightwing: Year One

Batman #402-403, #408-425, #430-431

Batman Annual #10-12

Tales of the Teen Titans #86-91

Legends

Detective Comics #575-578

Batman: Full Circle

Superman Annual #11 (1985)

Blue Devil #19 (1986)

New Teen Titans #18-31 (1986-1987)

Action Comics #556, #594

Batman: The Cult

Batman: A Death in the Family

Post Death Mentions

(includes any mentions, memories or appearances of Jason's "ghost" after his death. honestly, you don't need to read these to follow along for Jason's storyline but they show how those who cared about him dealt with his death.)

Batman #432-435, #496 (1987-1993)

Detective Comics #606, #609 (1989)

Underworld Unleashed #2 (1995)

Batman/Demon (1996)

Nightwing #10 (1997)

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100 (1997)

Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins (1999)

Jokers Last Laugh (2001)

Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files and Origins (2001)

Deadman: Dead Again (2001)

Batman: Gotham Knights 16, #34, #43-45 (2001-2003)

JLA Avengers #2 (2003)

Batman: Gotham Country line (2005)

Detective Comics #790 (2004)

Batman #620-630 (2004)

Red Hood

Red Hood: The Lost Days - This is before Jason returns to Gotham as the Red Hood. It shows a bit of what he did after coming back to life

Hush/Batman #608-619 (2002-2003)

Batman: Under the Red Hood

Teen Titans V2 #29

Nightwing V2 #118-124 - collected in - Nightwing: Brothers in Blood

Outsiders V3 #44-46

Outsiders V3 Annual 1

Green Arrow V3 #69-72

Countdown to Final Crisis: Countdown to Final Crisis #51 (2007) Teen Titans #47 (2007) Countdown to Final Crisis #50-33 (2007) All New Atom #13-15 (2007) Countdown to Final Crisis #31-1 (2007-2008)

Battle for the Cowl: Robin #177, #182-183 (2008-2009) Azrael: Deaths Dark Knight #3 (2009) Batman: Battle for the Cowl (2009) Batman and Robin #3-6, #23-25 (2009-2011)

New 52 Red Hood

Batman #0

Secret Origins #5

Red Hood and The Outlaws V1 #1-14 (2011-2015)

DC Universe Presents #17 (2015)

Batman: Death of the Family: Batman #13-15 Red Hood and The Outlaws #15 Teen Titans #15 Batman #16 Red Hood and The Outlaws #16 Teen Titans #16 Batman #17

Red Hood and The Outlaws #17 (2013)

Batman and Robin #10-12, #17 (2012-2013)

Batman Inc (2012-2013)

Red Hood and The Outlaws #18 (2013)

Justice League #19 (2013)

Batman and Robin #20 (2013)

Supergirl #35 (2014)

Batman/Superman Annual 1 (2014)

Action Comics #34 (2014)

Action Comics Annual 3 (2014)

Batman and Robin #33-37 (2014-2015)

Red Hood and The Outlaws #19 (2013)

Red Hood and The Outlaws Annual 1 (2013)

Red Hood and The Outlaws #20-40 (2013-2015)

Batman Eternal #10-12,#15 ,#18-20 ,#25 ,#26 ,#28 (2014-2015)

Grayson #12 (2015)

Deathstroke V3 #15-16 (2014)

Batman/Superman #25-27 (2014)

Red Hood/Arsenal #1-6 (2015)

Batman and Robin Eternal (2015-2016)

Robin War: Robin War #1 (2015) Grayson #15 (2015) Detective Comics #47 (2015) Red Hood/Arsenal #7 (2015) We are Robin #7 (2015) Robin: Son of Batman #7 (2015) Robin War #6 (2016)

Red Hood/Arsenal #8-13 (2015-2016)

Rebirth Red Hood

(current continuity)

Red Hood and The Outlaws V2 #1-6

Batman #16

Nightwing #15 (2017)

Trinity Annual 1

Trinity #12-15 (2017) - This and Trinity Annual 1 is also known as Dark Destiny Arc

Red Hood and The Outlaws #7-18

Red Hood and The Outlaws Annual 1

Batman #33 (2017)

Detective Comics #967-968 (2017)

New Talent Showcase (2017)

Batman and The Signal #1, #3 (2018)

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs Anarky

Red Hood and The Outlaws #26-31

Red Hood and The Outlaws Annual 2

Teen Titans #22 (2018)

Teen Titans Annual 1 (2019)

Red Hood: Outlaw #31-36 - Continuing on from the Red Hood and The Outlaws comics but Jason is on his own now.

Red Hood: Outlaw Annual 3

Event Leviathan #2-3 (2019)

Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year (2019)

Red Hood: Outlaw #37-47

Batman: Alfred R.I.P #1 (2020)

Robin 80th Anniversary (2020)

Joker War: Nightwing #72 (2020) Red Hood: Outlaw #49 (2020) Batman #100 (2020)

Detective Comics #1030-1033 (2020)

Teen Titans #45 (2020)

Red Hood: Outlaw #50-52 (2020)

Batman: Urban Legends #1-6

Truth & Justice #10-12

Batman Secret Files: Clownhunter #1

Robin #5 (2021)

Nightwing Annual 1

Detective Comics #1041-1043, #1052, #1057

Task Force Z #1-12 (2021-2022)

The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #2-10 (2022-2023) - This is still ongoing, I will update when new issues that Jason appears in is published - in 6 and 7 Jason is only there for a few panels

Batman: Legends of Gotham (2023)

Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution (2023)

Batman 136 (2023)

Knight Terrors: Robin (2023)

Gotham War: ongoing

Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Prelude [2023] Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Battle lines[2023] Catwoman 57 [2023] Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood #1 [2023] Batman 138 [2023] Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War:Red Hood #2 [2023] Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Scorched Earth - releasing 31/10/23

Nightwing 107 [2023]

Future State

(I'll be honest, I don't understand Future State vs current continuity so I can't explain much for this but it's a possible future timeline I think. Jason is undercover as a cop in this btw)

Dark Detective

Future State: Gotham #1-18

Alternate Universes

(can chose what among these you want to read. none of this affects the current continuity)

Batwoman #6 (2017)

- In this comic, Batwoman travels to an alternate universe where we see a Jason Todd who was never taken in by Bruce Wayne and ends up becoming a priest

DC Universe Legacies #5,6

Batman The Brave and the bold #13 (2012)

Li’l Gotham #2, #10, #12, #17, #20, #21, #24 (2012-2013)

- This comic is adorable

Tiny Titans #23, #29, #33, #39, #45, #47 (2010-2012)

- This comic is also adorable

Convergence: Batman and Robin (2015)

Arkhamverse: (these tie in with the Batman: Arkham Knight video game)

Arkham Knight: Genesis

Batman: Arkham Knight - the game picks up right after the end of this comic

DC Comics’ Bombshells #46, #60, #62 (2015-2016)

Bombshells United #18-24 (2018)

The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade #1 (2016)

Injustice: (these tie in with the Injustice video games)

Injustice - Gods Among Us: Year Five #38 (2016)

Injustice 2 #2-3, #5-7, #13, #18-20, #46-49 (2017-2018)

Injustice Vs. The Masters Of The Universe (2018)

Beware the Batman #11 (2014)

Batman: White Knight #7 (2018)

Mother Panic: Gotham A.D #2-6 (2018)

Batman Beyond #25 (2018)

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III #5-6 (2019)

Titans Giant #1-4 (2020)

DCEASED: Unkillables (2020)

DCEASED: Dead Planet #2-5 (2020)

Batman the Adventure Continues (2020)

Batman: Three Jokers #1-3 (2020)

Suicide Squad: Get Joker! #1-3 (2021)

Titans United (2021)

- This was to promote the Titans HBO show (even though it does not tie with the show)

DC's Round Robin - Robins (2021)

DC vs Vampires

Dark Knights of Steel: (Ongoing, I will update as they are posted. Medieval AU, the Robins are all younger and met each other before they met Bruce)

Dark Knights of Steel: Tales from the Three Kingdoms

Dark Knights of Steel #1

Batman vs Robin (2022)

- Some more honesty, I haven't got a clue as to what this fits in with so I can't help much with this but I do know that it will be 5 issues, finishing in 2023

Batman - Beyond The White Knight #1, #4-8 (2022) (ongoing)

Batman White Knight Presents: Red Hood #1-2 (2022)

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (Ongoing series on Webtoon.)

Red Hood: Outlaws (Ongoing series on Webtoon)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1, #4 (2023) - at the end we get to see an alternate universe where young Jason and Dick are brothers and first meet Bruce

Other Media

TV Shows

Batman: The Brave and The Bold, Season 2 Episode 19 - In this universe, Dick Grayson is the only Robin but in S2 E19, "Emperor Joker" features a scene in Bat-Mite's extra-dimensional museum where Bat-Mite has a statue depicting Jason's death. Bat-Mite then breaks the fourth wall and tells Batman that readers voted for Jason to die.

Young Justice - S2 E8, S2 E9, S2 E20, S4 E19 an image of Jason as Robin is seen with other memorials for heros. - Jason is also thought to be the Red Hooded Ninja who appears in S3 E6, S4 E5, S4 E8

Titans - Seasons 1 and 2 with a short cameo in season 3 of the HBO show

Movies

Batman: Under the Red Hood - Animated movie that changes the storyline of Jason's death, resurrection and return to Gotham

Batman: Death in the Family (2020) - This is an interactive film involving the events of Batman: Death in the Family comics.

Lego DC Batman: Family Matters (2019)

Video Games

Batman: Arkham Knight - Arkham Knight: Genesis and Batman: Arkham Knight comics are set before the events of this game.

Injustice: (these tie in with the Injustice comics listed above under Alternate Universes) Injustice: Gods Among us (mentioned) Injustice 2

Gotham Knights - The Batfamily (Dick, Barbara, Jason and Tim) protecting Gotham, as well as dealing with the death of Batman. This was very recently released and I haven't played it so I can't tell you much.

I just want to add the following: I cannot guarantee that this is 100% accurate or up to date. I will do my best to update when we get new Jason content. I have not had any help with this and got the information from multiple other sources. Because I've had no help, no one has proof checked this so there might be some errors.

If you notice any errors or know of anything I've missed please let me know and I will fix the error as soon as I can!

Last Updated: 25 October 2023

[dc-polls]

They Would Not Fucking Say That! Preliminary Poll

Lonnie Machin (Anarky)

From: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky. New 52/Prime Earth(?) Context: Anarky attempts to thwart Catwoman’s bachelorette party (it was a lead-up to the Bruce/Selina fail wedding) and Jason Todd attempts to stop him.

Teams up with fascists to ruin Selina’s outing by sowing violence, chaos, and destruction in a large crowd of people because the Joker played on his desire for a father figure.

Lonnie, prior to the reboot, was conceived as and most prominently depicted as a politically left-anarchist character until his creator and primary writer, Alan Grant, began getting into Randian Neo-Tech Objectivism and projected it onto Lonnie as Lonnie was always his political mouthpiece. However, despite Lonnie's political sway going from more anarcho-communist to objectivist, he was always a character who had near-unwavering, passionate stances on social issues. He considered anyone who preyed on the common man, or "enemies of the people", to be *his* enemies, and he often came at this from a leftist point of view. He was a strong supporter of social justice for the oppressed, and it was his sorrow and outrage at oppression that led him to take up vigilantism. He despised fascism and considered anyone who used initiatory violence against others to be opposed to him. To Lonnie, anarchism is a philosophy of total freedom from oppression, self-determination, and helping your fellow man, not 'chaos'.

He was also *very* anti-gun and anti-weapon of mass destruction. Whenever he used bombs, they were often smoke bombs or paint bombs. On the one single occasion he used actual bombs to blow up a munitions factory, he evacuated everyone in the building before it blew up, as he cares for the lives of innocents and does not kill. The one single time that it is implied that he killed, his victim was a man who blew up 20+ innocent people in a public setting via bombing and used him as a scapegoat. He has said before that he 'can't let innocent people die because of him'. He holds to this even if he can be clumsy in his methods. When he once experienced a machine-induced dream in which Gotham City descended into fiery chaos because of his well-intentioned actions, he had a crying breakdown.

And, on the Joker - in his 1999 solo series, there is a plot point that is left open-ended that implies the Joker could be Lonnie's biological father, as he is an adoptee. This was done to cement Lonnie into the Batman mythos, as his creators Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle cared a lot about him. When editors disapproved of this, they let Grant write it on the condition that he would prove it wrong later on, but after the Joker issue the series was canceled, and so for all intents and purposes, it was not meant to be lasting 'canon'. Lonnie has been known to hate the Gotham Rogues, as he considers their actions against the people of the city to be completely antithetical to his views and ideals, some of the most important things to him. When he thought that the Joker could've been his father, he had a breakdown. He visited Arkham in order to find out and the Joker briefly played on his (at the time, a 16 year old child) yearning to figure out his parentage in the wake of his adoptive parents' implied death (with some genetic determinism 'does this mean i'll be a "madman" too? involved, but, eugh), but once the Joker tried to use Lonnie to help him break out of Arkham, Lonnie quickly acted against him to prevent his escape. It is said in a (dubiously canon) Batman encyclopedia that the crisis that the Joker could have been his father put him through caused him to self-isolate even harder than he normally does for a while until Cassie Sandsmark's speech during YJ: Sins of Youth inspired him back onto the field. Needless to say, he hates the Joker, and his hatred for the Joker's actions was enough to override his want for a parental figure.

In the post-reboot continuity, Lonnie is no longer an adoptee and his single mother would tell him the Joker was his 'real father' and would come and get him if he misbehaved. He began writing letters to the Joker, who eventually tried to get Lonnie to 'impress' him by giving Batman a 'rehearsal' before his wedding. Lonnie did this by gathering militant anti-feminist terrorists and gun nuts alongside leftists and anti-fascists in one place in order to get them to fight each other and cause 'blood, smoke, and chaos.'

As always, remember to check the notes for info others may have shared, and reblog to help increase reach!

Submissions close Wednesday August 23, 11:00 pm EDT

[zahri-melitor]

Reading the Anarky 1999 run and it’s VERY amusing to me as this is basically “Alan Grant gets to rant about the superiority of anarchism, the book” (2nd go around) combined with Lonnie being the most aggravating young political kid you’ve ever met. He’s so full of determination and righteousness in his ideals and lecturing everyone around him about how they’re just too square to understand, DAD.

I’m very amused.

Also Kyle have you ever seen a computer before in your life? It’s 1999, not 1969.

[distort-opia]

I remember that you talked about Joker's humanity few days ago and mentioned that two stories in which Joker was nice to kids. Makes me wonder, what father Joker would be in your opinion? If he had kids after his chemic bath and knew about their exist, do you think he would be want participate in raising them? Or at least sometimes sent them gifts or took them to a amusement park or something? Do you think he could hurt or kill them, or this small part of "good" in the Joker would stop him? I love your analyses, by the way and I will be eternal grateful for your reblog of my post about Jack Napier from "Tales From the Dark Multiverse: Batman: Hush", it means the world to me <3

Well. Two stories in which he's a little nice to kids don't really equal him liking them. Joker's moments of humanity are the exception, not the rule.

I will put the rest under the cut because there'll be mentions of child abuse and murder (warning for that). Because... yeah, this is Joker after all.

Canonically, he's killed a teenager (Jason Todd), and the way he handled babies in No Man's Land doesn't really indicate... caring. Pretty sure he's blown up schools or let out Joker gas in places where children were present, and he's indirectly put the lives of children in danger more than once by taking hostages (most recently in Batman: Fortress #1).

Also, this pretty much happened -- Joker finding out he had a kid after his chemical bath. The whole thing is a bit of a mess; in spirit, Anarky isn't actually Joker's son, and the writers intended to reveal this information all along. However, they didn't manage to actually write this in, so... technically, as it stands, Anarky (or Lonnie Machin) is Joker's son? I don't even know. I'm pretty sure though that we're all thinking he isn't, and God knows what New 52 and Rebirth mean for the character's continuity. However, the existence of Anarky does offer us an glimpse into how Joker would react to this scenario in Anarky (1999) #8, if you are interested. Joker clearly doesn't believe that he's got a son. But then he changes his tune, admitting the possibility and manipulating Anarky to make use of his way of escaping Arkham. But when Anarky keeps trying to stop him and other rogues from killing, Joker shoots Anarky without hesitation.

If he found out about a potential offspring of his who wasn't an adult (maybe Lucy Quinzel in the Injustice universe), but still a child... I think it'd depend a lot on the child. If Joker related or not. Because, outside of moments in which he's been forced into sanity by external circumstances, Joker only shows a more humane side to individuals he empathizes with; and in the case of those two stories I mentioned in that previous ask, we're talking about a psychopathic child and a child who's been abused by their parents (things he can relate to). So, if this child of his was also more on the sociopathic, wishing-for-violence, chaotic and troublemaker side, I think there's a chance Joker would steal the kid away and mold them into another version of himself (similar to what he tried with Tim Drake in Batman Beyond's Return of the Joker, or what he tried with 'Ric' Grayson while his memory was gone). He might care, and he might take the kid out on all sorts of activities... but they'd be blowing-up-buildings and murdering activities. So that child would turn out very traumatized, I feel. In general, Joker would have a 'you have to prove yourself worthy of being my child' attitude, and sadly I do think he could kill the kid if they didn't manage to live up to that.

The one kid he wouldn't be able to kill is his son, but the one from before the chemical bath (if the TKJ origin is taken as true). (Batman: Three Jokers has both him and Jeannie alive, so. Sigh. As I said elsewhere, I fully expect DC to bring this up again at some point and in a very badly written way.) But, if Joker were to be confronted with the child he had with Jeannie -- the one he thought dead alongside her, a child that's part of the very trauma that led to him becoming Joker in the first place... that'd be very interesting. It might undo him. (It'd be like someone bringing Bruce's parents back to life and throwing them in his arms.) Joker's whole thing is that nothing matters and that life is absurd; but this would be someone to fight for. If he got his family back, that'd contradict the whole thesis of the Joker persona. Man, it could be really cool to read how he'd handle it, if it just were written well. He'd have such a complex choice to make regarding who he'll be, moving forward. Grr.

I'm sorry for being a bummer! Joker in the comics is especially brutal, and it can't really be swept under the rug. But thank you for the ask, and I'm really glad you're appreciating my analyses! Reblogging that post was my pleasure and nothing to thank me for, I loved finding out about another incarnation of Batman and Joker. Take care <3 <3

[twistedtummies2]

Gotham’s 31 Most Wanted - Number 18

Welcome back to Gotham’s 31 Most Wanted! Each day of January, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Batman Villains of all time! Two words best describe today’s baddy: Dangerous Youth. Number 18 is…Anarky.

What makes Anarky great in the comics to me is, very simply, his youth. This violent vigilante seeks to overthrow governmental and corporate organizations through terrorist acts, hailing himself as a champion of the poor and oppressed. He’s a unique villain in that, unlike a lot of other Batman Villains – who really are out for number one – he wants essentially what Batman wants: to make the world a better place and try to keep things more secure. However, his methods of going about this go completely against the ideals and standards Batman himself upholds. And he’s a teenager. In fact, he started out as a pre-teen. No joke. Lonnie Machin – Anarky’s true identity – began doing all he did at the tender age of twelve, and in current comics still hasn’t even reached drinking age yet, if I’m not mistaken. To me, that element alone is a BIG part of what makes Anarky fascinating: he is a boy genius, incredibly inventive and tougher than he looks, with a sense of philosophy and awareness most at his age do not possess…but his actions, in a weird way, also speak to his age. He’s at a point in his life where emotions are on a high octane charge, and you could easily chalk up his mad ravings and radical methods as essentially the work of that hyper-emotional state being driven in the wrong direction. Nothing he says is unreasonable or incomprehensible, he makes many good points…but they all come from a very limited view because, well, at the end of the day, he’s a kid. A kid who has been warped, sure, but still a kid. Initially, Anarky’s backstory was totally glanced over, and this was actually intentional; sort of as a direct contrast to Batman, we had a boy who it’s implied has gone through some serious Hell, but while Bruce Wayne took time to train himself and study and allowed his life’s path to show him how to rein in his emotions to a degree…Anarky has basically thrown his all into his quest much, MUCH too quickly, and it really shows. Over the years, his background has been fleshed out a bit, but there are still certain details left a bit vague, which I personally think is a good idea. We know all about what Batman went through; it’s cool to have a character like this – so young and so intense – who we can tell has been through a lot of pain and seen a lot of prejudice, but the exact details are a mystery. The character was later superceded by a second Anarky, but this one wasn’t received nearly as well, and eventually became a different character altogether. I think this is because that youth and that mystery is what makes Machin so fascinating. Anarky hasn’t been used much in other media, and the few times he HAS been used, he’s usually drastically reimagined. This plus a near ten-year-absence in comics between 1999 and 2008 means that he’s not a villain a lot of people know about, and those who do really don’t know the REAL him. Consider reading some of his original storylines, between 1989 and 1997, if you have the chance and haven’t already; this young rascal may surprise you! The countdown continues tomorrow, where I’ll be covering my 17th Favorite Batman Villain. HINT: If You Think Werewolves Are Bad, Wait Till You See This Monster.

[lonniemachin]

You have pre reboot Lonnie reading list? 👀

Lonnie Machin/Anarky/Moneyspider Pre-Flashpoint Reading List

You bet! This is going to get a little long, so I’ll put everything under the cut. Personal favorites will be starred with an asterisk and issues most important to his character/story will be bolded, though I do heavily suggest reading unstarred comics as well. So, without further ado…

(I included a few personal notes that reflect some of my own thoughts and feelings. Feel free to disagree with anything I’ve written, I just figured I’d add them in case anybody was curious about what I have to say.)

* FIRST APPEARANCE - Detective Comics (1937) #608-609

FIRST APPEARANCE AS ‘Moneyspider’/FIRST MEETING WITH TIM DRAKE - Detective Comics (1937) #618-620. Arc also depicts the death of Tim’s mother Janet Drake.

CW: Racist depiction of Haïtian people and misrepresentation of Vodou and Obeah. If you’d like, you can skip or skim the ‘Obeah Man’ arc, as Lonnie is only relevant in the unrelated B-plot involving Tim’s detective case (most prominently in issue #620) or forego the comic entirely. Most essential information is that Lonnie meets Tim, it provides context for some later appearances, and Lonnie is established as a proficient hacker who managed to siphon funds from WayneTech.

* Robin (1993) Annual #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18

* FIRST MEETING WITH OLIVER QUEEN (Green Arrow I) - Green Arrow (1988) #89

* The Batman Adventures #31 (DCAU)

Batman Chronicles #1 (second story)

* Batman: Shadow of the Bat #40-41

NOTE: This is sort of where you begin to see Alan Grant (Lonnie’s creator)’s emerging Randian Objectivism and Neo-Tech sympathies show. It gets kind of weird about technology and “enlightenment” among other things. As Lonnie was always meant to reflect Grant’s political beliefs, I will not say this is ‘OOC’, but I will say that I personally am not a fan of the direction. These two issues are massively important for the character, so I will advise they be read.

Anarky (1997) #1-4

NOTE: As stated above, Grant (and thus Lonnie) takes a turn into Neo-Tech Objectivism (which, if I may be frank, is scam pseudo-philosophical garbage). Though this is Lonnie’s first solo comic, I myself have mixed feelings about it for that reason. However, if you want to see more of where the character goes, Lonnie having a cute dog he really loves, developing history and characterization, and a second brush with the occult, feel free to go ahead.

* Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73

NOTE: Though this is a relatively minor appearance, it’s still one of my favorites.

Anarky (1999) #1-8

NOTE: A messy series that nobody wanted (I mean this almost literally, Grant did not want to write it) and got cancelled before they could disprove the Joker paternity arc. I’ve softened on some parts of it over time as I’ve learned more about the editorial mandates and hard situations the creative team went through that resulted in a little bit of disaster, but I still approach it with a healthy amount of criticism from a fan perspective. I will say that the over-the-top antics are relatively normal for a comic book and most of my contempt comes from the fact that the politics are not my favorite and I dislike certain character and writing decisions, etc., but it does feature some characterization I do enjoy so I won’t write it off.

CW: American Confederacy (Mandated “Haunted Tank” cameo appearance) in Issue #7. Issue is skippable without missing anything too important.

Young Justice: Sins of Youth #1

Sins of Youth: JLA, Jr. #1

* Green Arrow (2001) #51

NOTE: One of my favorite Anarky comics of all time and a genuinely wonderful character examination featuring a team-up I adore.

Robin (1993) #180-183

NOTE: Some time between Green Arrow (2001) #51 and these issues, Lonnie was shot in the head, chemically paralyzed, and kept catatonic (comatose? Both are used) by Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong, aka The General. Ulysses would keep Lonnie attached to an iron lung and wire his mind to a digital communications network, forcing Lonnie to work for him. He is able to talk using speech synthesis and explore the depths of the internet/communicate with others as ‘Moneyspider’ once again. This sets up his role in Red Robin (2009). The writer, Fabian Nicieza, does not show what led up to this happening and you’re only told more of the details through inference and research (he detailed that Lonnie got shot on a forum post, for example), so I felt it necessary to go over here.

Red Robin (2009) #13-25

NOTE: Lonnie begins to work with Tim Drake full-time as ‘Moneyspider’ as he recovers in Leslie Thompkins’ clinic. Issue #25 is his last appearance before the DCU’s New 52/Flashpoint reboot.

[zahri-melitor]

Opens Anarky 1999.

…Someone let Lonnie have a GREEN LANTERN RING?? This can only go well.

Also he’s based in the centre of depravity, the worst city in the US, worse than Gotham… Washington DC.

Oh Lonnie. Never change.

[lonniemachin]

Hi! So first, I love love love your tags on the Anarky panels I posted because you're absolutely right, the direction of the 99 comic was... A Choice tm. But second of all, I wanted to ask, because I was curious as to your thoughts on the initiatory violence thing: do you think Lonnie might consider the oppression/oppressive systems that he fights to be first blow, and so in punishing them, he is instead reacting? I just thought that could be a character motivation that might explain that line! No worries if you disagree; I'm just curious to hear what you think! Full respect to you and your blog, and I'm so glad someone else out there loves Lonnie! :D

first of all, i really, really appreciate it! anarky fans are very few and far between, and i get really excited when i find people talking and posting about him. he’s one of my top favorite DC characters and i only have one or two friends who share that sentiment, so i feel much the same way :)

you know, as someone who’s read a lot of anarky comics (including ones i really, really hate) and has put a sizable amount of thought towards him and his characterization, that never really crossed my mind when i considered why that line was put in despite past instances of lonnie initiating violence towards others (i mentioned johnny vomit, but there’s also him poisoning Bates, him shocking Pantalone in Robin 1993 Annual, him electrocuting a man to near-death in Green Arrow, etc. i ignore everything penned by tim seeley, because red hood vs anarky and robins was a messy mistake of a character assassination TO ME) it’s a really interesting thought and im glad you brought it up! that particular motivation seems like it could track for him really well and is something that can be found in actual anarchist schools of thought, so i definitely don’t disagree! most of those people were participating in the systems he targets, though i do think he does tend to get too into what he does sometimes and isnt always the best at being an anarchist. side effect of being an angry bleeding heart kid, but his heart IS in the right place.

i’ll be honest with you though - after my first couple reads of the 1999 solo and the 1997/8 miniseries, i tend to skim when i reread. it left a sour taste in my mouth because it’s when alan grant went full Randian Neo-Tech and decided to pivot lonnie in that direction, and the ways in which the character changes from a smart and cocky yet theatrical and emotion-driven little punk with ancom-adjacent views into an “I Read Atlas Shrugged Once” Rational faux-Intellectual make me a bit sad, so i think i have the habit of sweeping everything that i havent picked out for my analysis of the character aside (i’m especially interested in just how damn lonely and self-isolated he is… PLEASE get some friends!). i do acknowledge this is probably a result of him growing up, but i wish his views would’ve strengthened instead of getting… weird. what I do find noteworthy about this is that some of my favorite parts of him aren’t completely changed. he’s still very expressive and emotive and full of compassion for people, has a dry wit, and his moral compass remains pretty intact. he’s still a bit of a weirdo teenager. with everything that grant DID try to do with him however, i always chalked up inconsistencies to his constant upping of the ante (in part to editorial mandates, so the bizarre stuff isn’t entirely his fault. to a point he was doing his best with what was given him, but.) and the fact that grant himself stated that lonnies “evolving philosophy” was reflective of his own. lmao

sorry if this makes no sense and devolved into a rant or something, im out right now and got really eager when i saw this so i was like i have GOT to say something ASAP. here, have a him as thanks for reading ⬇️

[lonniemachin]

reading up on the anarky mini and solo series and its like… ah. so the reason 1999 sucked so hard is that alan grant just genuinely did not want to make it and it was more of a way to keep breyfogle afloat and also it was put through editorial hell with forced cameos and lonnie leaving gotham was something grant was vehemently against and there was going to be something later down the line that proved he WASN’T the joker’s son and quite literally everyone hates it.