#it just hit me the people think that Jason and Tim were the same person

[lilacsandlillies]

Do you ever think about how the people of Gotham canonically think that the second and third Robin were the same person. And how when Steph met Tim she probably thought he was the same Robin she used to hear stories of. The Robin that talked like her, that acted like her, that was from the same part of Gotham she was. You ever think about how Steph slowly came to the realization that Tim and the second Robin could not have been the same person and that all the bats just hid it. You ever think of Steph in her Robin suit wondering if they’re going to do the same thing to her, act like she was never her own person and attribute all her actions and virtues to some other person she’s never met and she would have to go down as the Robin that never was, just like Jason did? Cause i do.

[alyakthedorklord]

Chiroptophobia: the Fear of Bats.

Bruce Wayne is Scared of Bats. This is a Canon Fact.

In a difference from canon, Batman pretends to actually BE a bat man.

(Again, “Loading and Aspect Ratio” by JUBE514 situation with fake wings. Please go read it I love it so much.)

Bruce turns himself into a physical manifestation of his personal worst nightmares, and sets out to be a street cryptid. People see him flinching from bright lights and loud noises (he hasn’t slept in three days and he really hates guns) twitching weirdly (testing his wings function/stimming) not fully understanding human social niceties (you cannot tell me this man isn't Autistic) and, duh, wings, and go ah yes this being is Inhuman.

However, people KNOW Brucie Wayne™ is petrified of bats. There was an incident at a party when one flew through a window, another at a zoo, there was this one time Manbat showed up and he practically teleported away. No one saw him for a whole month, even after Batman had captured Manbat. (He got injured in the fight.)

By extension, this means that Bruce Wayne is afraid of Batman. Just- absolutely terrified of him. No ones seen them in the same place. Ever. Bruce Wayne actually publicly refuses to even believe in the cryptid for YEARS past when he's already been proven to exist.

When the Justice League gets called in to protect Bruce and his smattering of children from some plot (batman conspicuously absent, despite Gotham being his territory) Bruce straight up tells the league that he doesn’t believe in Batman, and he feels much safer with “real heroes” rather than “a urban legend spawned from overdramatic furries and gang wars.”

The justice league is, obviously, confused.

Certified little shits Dick, Jason, and Tim, (because we’re going with JUBE514’s canon and jason doesn’t die they’re all brothers f off-)

ANYWAYS: Certified Little Shits Dick, Jason, and Tim, ready for chaos/solidifying secret identities: “Don’t worry! We believe in batman! We saw him!” :D

They then proceed to tell the justice league that Bruce HAS met Batman, but he has a phobia of bats, so when Batman saved them at a gala Bruce screamed so loud and shrill he threw off the bat-hearing and then punched batman in the face so hard he knocked him out cold, grabbed then-baby Jason and ran. (Nightwing and the second Robin had to HEROICALLY rescue a dazed Batman, Dick saw it with his own eyes!)

Bruce was so scared of the bat coming to take revenge that he jumped at every shadow for a whole month. Why, Jason, (who was younger then) had slept in Bruce's bed to keep him safe! (Dick is crooning about his cute little brother. Jason, who is hitting his growth spurt and not a little kid anymore, is infinitely embarrassed.) Right now, Brucie has settled into firmly denying Batman’s entire existence so that he can sleep soundly at night.

“Why is he so scared of bats?” The Justice League is wondering. Oh, they are so glad they asked!

“Alfred told us a story once,” Dick says, eyes wide and innocent as he prepares to lie through his fucking teeth, “that when Bruce was little, really little, he got trapped in a cave filled with bats, and his dad had to come rescue him. Apparently, Little Bruce had been crying about a massive bat, even bigger than he was, with glowing red eyes and human hands and (gasp) wait oh my goodness gracious what if that was the BATMAN :0”

“The baby batman.” Jadon adds.

“Batboy?” Tim wonders.

“Alfred, do you think Bruce met Batman when they were little?” Dick asks.

“I believe,” Alfred “the greatest enabler” Pennyworth hums, offering fresh baked scones to thier gleeful audience, “that Master Bruce referred to what he saw as ‘the bat king’ and reported seeing him outside his window several times over the years.”

“Maybe it really was him! Will you ask Batman for us?” Tim asks, already planning to hack the watchtower cameras and set up some popcorn with his brothers.

The Justice League, who have learned more about the Batman in one conversation than they have over MANY years of working together, tell the Wayne children that it will be their Genuine Pleasure to quiz batman on his interactions with BRUCIE WAYNE who has, apparently, laid batman out cold with one punch.

Alfred adds on that he personally thinks the Batman is being rather courteous to Master Bruce, as “bat king” sightings were after “difficult times” and he doesn’t come near the manor otherwise, as robin had been the one to return some family heirlooms that one time they were stolen. He calls the batman and his robins “polite young gentlemen” and then leaves.

But now the gears are turning in the justice leagues heads. Batman? Courteous? Polite? Batman is not Courteous or Polite. Not unless something else is going on.

Now. From their point of view. Batman lives in the cave systems under the richest houses in Gotham, Phantom of the Opera style, hiding his meta form (because this batman is playing cryptid really well. Maybe he was a mutant baby of some Rich Gothamites, who threw him into the caves in shame!) He’s been watching Bruce Wayne, likely as he struggled with the highly reported on demise of his parents, seeing the effects that crime had on the boy that fell into his cave all those years ago. Batman has always been so protective of children, so hateful of guns, obviously the Wayne tragedy is part of what motivates him. He loves Gotham dearly, territorial of it to the point of keeping other heroes out, and yet he breaks that rule here, for Gotham's prince, solely for Bruce’s comfort.

Bruce, another person who obviously loves the city of Gotham just as much, putting millions into charity and relief efforts. Who is clearly very protective of his children, even if he usually has no spine, to the point of attacking his greatest fear to keep then safe, and good enough to land a hit, even. (Bruce Wayne is also considerably attractive.)

Its all so clear to the Justice League: Batman is madly in love with Bruce Wayne. Has been for years. To the point of watching him sleep, on occasion. How very tragic! Batman, in love with someone he can never be with! Not only would it paint a massive target on Bruce’s back if they ever did get together- there’s no questioning what Gotham villains would do if they discovered this, (and denying himself love out of an attempt to keep others safe is EXACTLY the kind of self-sacrificing nonsense Batman would pull) But Batman can’t even truly see the man he’s in love with without Brucie running away in terror! Well, the poor guy… how sad…

This conclusion can be supported by the following evidence-

Batman being the one to catch the guy who put the hit out on Bruce. He sent them to babysit/make sure Bruce was safe while dealt with the actual threat. (Bruce had a suspiciously long bathroom break/a nap)

Batman’s first appearance being right after Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham. Was the bat following him to protect him in those missing years? Or maybe he decided to clean up the city now that his beloved had returned?

Batman always being seen near where Bruce is. He’s never once been at the watchtower when Bruce has a public appearance- he must be watching over him, a silent guardian in case someone gets it in their head to kidnap Gotham’s Prince.

Batman insisting that Bruce is innocent in a corporate scheme, despite evidence to the contrary. (Hes right in the end, of course, but they’ve never seen him ignore evidence so clear.)

Batman casually referencing Wayne Tech/Foundation inner workings- he keeps an eye on them, of course. (If he can’t be close to the object of his affections, the league reasons, of course he’d make sure that Bruce’s company and projects are on the right track)

Nightwing, when asked, confirms the Bruce Punching Batman story. He says “honestly I think B was impressed! Caught him off guard!” (Since when does Batman lower his guard? Only when he’d be… distracted, perhaps…)

Superman saves Bruce, who thanks him with a kiss on the cheek. Later, justice league was teasing Clark, batman huffs and leaves the room. He’s CLEARLY jealous! Superman feels just awful!

Batman inexplicably knowing social dances/high society manners- he must have learned by watching (stalking) bruce! He can navigate high profile talk if he wants to, he just doesn’t want to most of the time. but if the situation calls for it he can talk like the Richest of Pricks in a way that only comes with observation.

Batman bristling when some of the league members start making Comments on Brucie Wayne’s Physical Attributes. (Jealousy? Defensiveness? Perhaps… embarrassment at GL’s detailed explanation on what he’d do with a chance in bed with Brucie.)

Batman absolutely freezing up when confronted with any of the above evidence. (He’s trying SO HARD not to laugh/go tell his kids)

Dick/Jason being big enough to wear the Bat-wings rather than thier own and be convincing- they save Bruce, though the man passes out (from fear? Blood loss from an injury? Perhaps- he is faking) and Dick/Jason, either out of genuine concern for their dad or general “how can i stir the pot” chaos, gently strokes his hair away from his face in an act of compassion that the cameras just so happen to catch. (There’s a few tears shed in the justice league- poor batman! He can’t be with his love!)

The robins (in both identities) telling the justice league that they've seen batman watching him.

“oh yeah he does background checks on aaaaaall bruces conquests. Had a conniption when brucie found a mafia boss that one time.”

“And when he found out Bruce and Two-face had a fling!”

(The league notes that often, if a criminal gets too close to Brucie, they’re put away not long after. B is usually collecting evidence in his civilian ID. But it looks like angry Batman wanted them to get the hell away from his mans.)

The Justice League is swooning over this tragic, forbidden love story. Batman is a little creepy but hey. He apparently grew up in a cave system. Its a wonder he's as well adjusted as he is. Batman has their sympathy, he seems less unflappable/untouchable, they’re a little more understanding with him now. Superman is all too happy to be a rebound, if needed. There are magic users offering glamour spells. Green Lantern is making exposure therapy innuendos.

The robins can’t believe how lucky they got. They’re def grounded but B can’t be too mad bc his secret identity is FUKIN SET.

Alfred is rather proud of Batman's new nickname in the league being “the bat king” and keeps sending batman along with cookies. The league thinks Batman is checking up on bruce with his butler. Its a mess.

Eventually, Batman loses a bet to one of his kids. Committing to the Bit with an exasperated sigh (he’s definitely not having fun, shut up jason.)

He admits to his crush.

[jasmines-library]

Hi there! I absolutely adore the way you write and how you approach heavier topics. If it doesn’t bother you, could I request a Batfamily fic with reader who has an ED? I know a lot of people struggle with it and I feel like we all need a little affirmation sometimes. <3

Just The Way You Are

Warnings: Eating Disorders - please read with caution.

Word Count: 1.1k

Note: This one hit home hard. As someone who has struggled with and ED, I think it is important to raise awareness about them. Please note that this is based off off my personal experiences and from research. EDs present themselves in many different ways that vary for everyone. Please remember to be kind to yourself and others and if you are struggling and are able to, to reach out. I have linked some helplines below for those who are in need. Please remember that you are loved and you are perfect just the way you are. You are special. You are loved. You are unique. never let anyone take that away from you.

⛤ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛤

You hadn’t touched most of your food. It sat there getting cold as you pushed it around the porcelain listening to the way your fork scraped gratingly against the shiny surface. You had taken a few bites, longing to savour the taste of Alfred’s cooking as it melted on your tongue, but it didn’t seem to have the same effect anymore. You couldn’t bring yourself to bring anymore of the food to your lips. Even the smell began to make your stomach churn. And you felt so stupid as you sat there staring at the plate as everyone else delved in. In some ways that made you feel worse. But eating had begun to feel like a crime. 

When it first started, you never thought it would go this far. You just wanted to lose a little weight, to tone your stomach and your muscles just a little bit more. You weren’t even entirely sure why. Perhaps a cruel comment made in passing? It didn’t matter. But what did was the way that your mind seemed to wrack with cruel thoughts every time you looked in the mirror. Pointing out everything that seemed to be wrong. Or didn’t look like the models in the photos in Jason's magazines. 

So, you started cutting back. Just a little at first. Snacks in between meals. And you started working out more, trying to burn off calories faster. But when you checked the scales it felt like it wasn’t enough. When you looked in the mirror, your mind still screamed at you, replaying comments and thoughts in your mind like a broken record. They scratched away at you until soon you began to cut back on meals. Breakfast. Smaller portions at lunch and just a few bites here or there at dinner, so that your family wouldn’t suspect a thing. And still even that didn’t seem to be enough. You still felt wrong every time you glanced in the mirror. You still felt like your body wasn’t good enough. 

Soon they noticed. You were becoming more withdrawn, often slipping away into the bathrooms after meals. Often not at meals at all. You were sluggish too and seemed to lack the spark that you used to hold. They would ask you tenderly if you were okay, but most days you would scatter or pretend not to have heard them. And other days you would just tell them that you had already had something to eat. That you weren’t hungry.

And somehow lying to them made the situation feel so much worse. Like you were harming them as well as yourself. Your mind was a blur. Days seemed to pass by in some strange mess of time and the only thing that consumed thoughts were the lingering, cruel jests of your inner monologue. Sometimes, you begged for it to stop. You wanted to stop. But you couldn’t. Because you felt as though if you did you would feel disgusting. You would feel as though everything you had done had been for nothing. 

“Not hungry?” Tim asked from across beside you. You had zoned out, not sparing the rest of them aside as your mind wandered off on a tangent. 

“Hmm?” You frowned. “No. I had a big lunch not too long ago. It was stupid of me really, I should know better than to eat too close to dinner.”

Jason frowned. “You’ve been doing that a lot. Are you okay?”

“Mhm.” You hummed, keeping your eyes plastered on the table cloth, not daring to meet his gaze.

“I didn’t see you at breakfast either today Y/N.” Damian added. “Are you sure you’ve had enough to eat?”

“Yeah.” You nodded, swallowing down the anxiety that rose within you quickly. “I’ve already said I’m just not hungry.”

“You’re looking a little pale kiddo.” Dick said “I don’t want you getting sick. Why don’t you try and take a few more bites. It’ll help.”

And soon it all became too much. Everything seemed too much. Too bright, too loud, too hot. And a tear that had been threatening to spill from your eyes for weeks now finally slipped free of its cage. 

“I can’t.” 

It was a simple phrase, but your voice trembled. 

“Why not, kid? What’s the matter kiddo?” Jason asked calmly. 

“I just… I just can’t.” you sobbed. “Because if I eat then I feel like my body isn’t good enough! I don’t look like a model. Everytime I look in the mirror I see a body staring back at me that is mine, but it doesn’t feel like me. It doesn’t look like how I want it too. How it’s supposed to.”

They fell silent for a moment. But then Damian spoke up. 

“Oh Y/N/N… your body is beautiful.”

“Is that why you haven’t been eating?” Dick tilted his head.

You nodded meekly.

“Oh kid…you’re so perfect. You don’t need to change for anyone ever. Who cares what you look like?”

“Me! Everyone! I don’t know!” 

“We don’t care. We think you are beautiful just the way you are. You are perfect y/n, and we wouldn’t want you any different.” Tim told you gently, placing his hand atop of yours. 

“We love every inch of you. You are beautiful.”

You sniffled, wiping away your tears. 

“We’re sorry you couldn’t tell us how you feel. But we are here for you. Always.” Damian told you.

“We’re always going to be here kiddo. We’re here to help you. Here to love you.” Jason added. 

“We don’t know what we would do without you. It’s so important that you take care of yourself, beautiful.” Dick said. “And it will take time, as recovery does, but we’re going to be here to help you every step of the way.”

And they were true to their words. The four of them began to help you on your recovery journey. Often they would sit with you, taking small bites of food with you or offering you your favourite treats, reassuring you that it was okay. 

If you ever felt overwhelmed, they would wait with you, allowing you to take your time. 

Everyday they reminded you of how proud they were of you, even if you felt your progress had gone backward that day.  Because they truly were.

Often they would slip you notes. Sometimes they came under your door or were left by your bathroom mirror. You had quite the collection. Each one was different. A different reason why they loved you, or a reminder of how proud they were of you. Reminders that you are loved and you are beautiful just the way you are.

HELPLINES

BATFAM TAGLIST:

@aestheticdaisies

@hell-o-kittys

@xxrougefangxx

@mamapucket

@hearts4robs

@harleycao

[visionofhope04]

Hiii I was wondering if you could do Batfam x sister reader being Damian’s twin and rather than persuing the same thing as their dad and being a vigilante she becomes a famous singer (ya know famous name and good music) and she releases and album (maybe emails I can’t send idk something) and like family being there for her first sold out concert and yeah just supportive of her carrere

Angst is my thing but I’ll do my best to make this as fluffy as possible. Not beta read, sorry if there are any mistakes, feel free to let me know. Hope you like it!

—-

“Father?”

“Yes?” Bruce was concerned. You kept shifting your weight and fiddling with your fingers. He’s never seen you this nervous before. He tensed, preparing for the worst.

“Iwanttobeasinger.” You blurted, looking anywhere you could that wasn’t his face.

Bruce blinked. “Can you say that a bit slower please sweetheart?”

You took a steadying deep breath. “I want to be a singer.” You said significantly slower.

Bruce let out a deep breath and let his body sag. He’d never been religious but in that moment he thanked whatever was up there for helping him.

You looked at him, confused.

“I thought you were gonna ask to be a vigilante.”

Your face contorted in alarm. “Me? A vigilante? Never.”

He chuckled and then brought attention back to what you said. “So you want to be a singer? How do you plan on doing this?”

“Y-you don’t care?” You questioned in shock.

“Why would I care? You’re my daughter and I will always love and support you. I’m glad you found something you really enjoy and intend to make a career out of it. Finding something you enjoy doing is hard, being able to make a career out of it is harder. If it makes you happy then I’ll gladly help you with it if you need it.”

“Even though it’s a bad career?”

“Some people in it may be bad but it doesn’t make the career bad. Music is all about self expression and is a great outlet for emotions. It brings people together and makes them realize they’re not alone. I think you’ll be an amazing singer.”

You began to tear up but do your best to hold it back, “Thank you father.”

—-

“I want to be a singer.”

Immediately, everyone stopped talking and looked at you. You did your best to not shrink under the sudden attention. Usually, you never spoke at the dinner table, content to just listen.

“That sounds like a great idea Birdy!” Dick said.

“Lil sis’ gonna be the talk of the town.” Jason smirked at you.

“That’s great! I can’t wait to hear it! Tim exclaimed.

Damian’s reaction is the one you feared the most. He’d always disliked you leaving behind the life of fighting for a mundane one.

“I think that is a respectable profession.”

At your brothers’ approval, you broke out into a wide grin. Bruce was smiling openly at you all and wondered how he got so lucky to have such an amazing, supportive family.

---

You were backstage, makeup done, earpiece linked, and microphone ready to go. You were really nervous. This was going to be your first-ever live performance since you released your first album. It was such a hit, it became the number 1 album on the charts a few hours after release, with over 30 million streams. You were stuck in your thoughts when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned to look at the person, it was your father.

"Don't be nervous, you're going to do great. I'm so proud of you. You're so talented and amazing. They're going to love you out there."

"Thanks dad." You smiled. His words warmed your heart. No one ever told you they were proud of you before. Despite what he said, you still felt a little nervous.

After waiting a bit more, it was time for you to get on stage. You heard cheering in the crowd as you emerged from the darkness. Now in the spotlight, your nerves came back tenfold. The bright lights blinded you, but you could still see the silhouettes of everyone who came to see you tonight. There were way more people here than you expected. You stepped up to the mic and adjusted it.

"Hello," The crowd's cheering picked up. You smiled and waited for it to quiet down before continuing. "thank you all for coming. I appreciate every single one of you. You made it possible for me to be standing here right now and I am so grateful. Enjoy the show!" The crowd's cheering picked up yet again as your first song came on.

---

You were so tired but so, so happy. The concert was a major success and nothing went wrong. You had so much fun getting to know your audience and calling people up on stage. You got backstage and your whole family was there.

"You did amazing!!"

"You're my new favorite singer."

"She's been my favorite singer, keep up."

"Your voice is unmatched, my dear girl."

"I knew you could do it."

"You were adequate, don't let the praise get to your head."

Your face hurt from grinning, and you could help but feel elated. Your family's support meant the world to you, and you were so grateful for it.

[crim-bat]

Well I regret sending that anon now because I inspired a rude person to send one as well, sorry. I still disagree with the framing. The body of your post is dissonant with that “I’m a long time fan of Jason” intro. I see people saying damian shouldn’t exist because he and Tim are hitting elbows both being robin and Tim existed first, and the only rebuttal needed is “I think Damian is an interesting character and I like reading about him” and I say that because like him. (And that very wrong damian criticism is pushback against people saying Tim shouldn’t exist because he doesn’t have a place to be right now.) You not having a similar feeling about Jason just… seems like you don’t like him? Calling it cannibalism instead of just the characters being around for decades and the same ground being trodden, when there are other characters that do this as well, notably even ones you bring up as counterexamples. I’m not going to say anything else because I think I laid it all on your doorstep already, sorry again and have a good night

Hold up a moment. You dont get to call me rude after firing off first and walk away. Many people do think Tim shouldn't be robin anymore and actively complain that he's still not moving from a junior role to a graduated title. Red robin wasn't perfect but it certainly wasn't worse than him going back to robin.

I'd challenge you, dear anon, to ask yourself a question.

1. Has Jason ever had a good all caste story?

2. Has he ever had an actually good story when he went postal as an anti hero? Under the hood doesn't count as he was purely the antagonist then.

3. How about a good story where he worked with his brothers and him constantly having a chip on his shoulder was endearing like Damian?

4. How about a run where he was batman for a bit and then the real deal showed up to beat the snot out of him?

I'm not saying there shouldn't be any bleed into what other characters do but there's nothing creative with what they've done with Jason because it all relies on him fundamentally never having a defined niche, outside of crime boss, to call his own.

And because Jason is placed where other characters that are more established and would otherwise be a better match for a story and because Jason has fundamentally nothing going on that wasn't cribbed from someone else, including the first iteration of the outlaws which was just a worse version of the outsiders which were also dicks friends (that's a 5th and 6th thing he took from another character, dear anon), he lacks the foundation to tell his own stories properly.

Dear anon, Jason, as he is treated right now, is a middle child copy cat who deserves better than both the writers who created that situation and the fans who enable it. Including you, dear anon

[frownyalfred]

What hair styles do you have in mid when you think of the Batfam? Their hair of course changes depending on the years and who draws them, but there's like a certain default style that each person typically gets drawn in. What is yours?

Despite being a very visual person, I usually don't get super fixated on how the character looks while I'm writing them. Is that odd? I'm not sure. There's a few exceptions (Lex in ASOH, Clark in bloodletting, etc) but usually I describe the outlines of what I want readers to notice, and let them fill in the stuff that isn't super important to my visualization.

But in general?

I like Dick's hair longer and slightly wavy. I think it's stupid he doesn't wear a helmet and has it out, especially long enough to grab a handful, but it's pretty. I get it. It's dark and has lots of layers.

Bruce's hair is just at the edge of what's acceptably long enough to be gelled back. Dark, but not quite as dark as Dick's hair. Thick, and he starts going grey at the temples around his mid to late thirties.

Tim -- anything that isn't a buzzcut, tbh. Bald Tim traumatized me. I think he has slightly lighter hair than the other Robins -- more of a dark brown. Gets a little red in the summer.

Jason, I like with more of a tapered fade with it longer on top to highlight his white streak. It's a little curly if he doesn't style/cut it.

Damian -- I don't have an opinion, though sometimes people draw him with really weird short hair to kind of make him seem childish on purpose? I think he should have Talia's hair tbh.

Cass, hot take -- it should either be really short so she can put it up under her cowl, or long enough to braid back. Having it in the middle and layered just means it's harder to keep manageable. (Before anyone jumps in to ask why I don't have the same problem for Dick, he refuses to wear anything on his head and has clearly accepted the risk of getting yanked around by his hair. Cass is smarter than that lol)

Steph -- same as Cass, I like her hair blonde but it's also very bright and recognizable which is a problem I have with Kate's hair too. If the hair is part of the costume and it's unusual, that's terrible for your secret identity. And if it's down all the time, it's sweaty and in your face. As someone who braids her hair back in the gym frequently, once it hits a certain length you really have to do something.

Duke -- I really love all of the various hairstyles he's had, but same issue as Cass arises. It's gotta fit under the cowl.

Bonus: Alfred. I love Jeremy Irons' version, I can't lie. His full head of hair but grey worked really well. Bald/thinning hair Alfred is a canon staple, don't get me wrong. But it gives him even more elegance/regality in my mind, you know? I love young michael caine as an inspo for him, those blonde curls were something else.

[msfcatlover]

Duke in the Reverse!Robins AU be like…

”Eldest daughter syndrome? What eldest daughter syndrome? Nah, just because I’m the oldest does not mean I have eldest daughter syndrome. Sure, I’ve had to mediate between Damian & Bruce, or Steph & Bruce, or help certain Titans find a middle ground, but that’s just being a good leader. And yeah, I’m protective of the younger kids, but that’s just what any responsible adult in my position would do.”

*finds out one of the members of his team has such bad civilian trauma they need to straight-up quit hero work*

“Oh shit… I fucked this up. I was too focused on my own problems, how the fuck did I miss this? Okay, okay. I was already burning out trying to juggle being Gotham’s only daytime hero and single-handedly leading the Titans. I need to pick one. And find some way to make it up to Grant. Jesus fuck, how did I miss this…”

*Tim becomes Cass’s apprentice. Steph & Cass start arguing more often. Steph has her biggest fight with Bruce yet. Steph goes missing.*

*Steph dies*

“After that fight with Bruce, no one backed her up. She didn’t know anyone was supporting her. She died thinking none of us were on her side. If any one of us had actively taken her side, instead of getting distracted with our own messes, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Oh, but am I really expecting Damian or Bruce to be intelligent about feelings? Am I really expecting tact from Cass? I know them too well; it should’ve been me, shouldn’t it? I can’t believe I managed to fuck up worse than I did with Grant…”

*Luna gets taken away*

“Look at what you’ve done, Bruce! Look what you’ve fucking done! You’re tearing this family apart! We all promised to look out for her if anything happened to Steph, and you’re just going to force every single one of us to break those promises?! You’re going to rip away the last piece of Steph we had?!? Look at Dami & Cass! Look at them! You did this!”

*finds out Damian’s training for Tim to be Shadow uses all the LoA techniques he refused to use for Steph, making it borderline-through-outright abusive, almost certainly to try to drive Tim off by making him too miserable to continue*

“I. I can’t fucking believe this. I can’t… I can’t believe it took me so long to realize. Damian, nobody is happy about this, but fuck you. I thought you were trying to be better, you absolute fucking asshole! And I… I don’t even have the excuse of not knowing half of the involved parties this time, or being away, or too busy, I was just looking away because I didn’t want to think about Tim taking Steph’s mantle. I should’ve fucking stopped this the first time Tim came back from Bludhaven. God fucking dammit, how do I keep failing the kids in my care in the same fucking way, over & over again?!”

*was all the way at the other end of the room & looking in the wrong direction to have enough forewarning to actually save Tim from being shot*

“I… I… I… I’m literally the only person who could’ve fucking stopped this. I have all the training, all the abilities, but I went to refill my punch glass, and now Timmy might never walk again. I mean, absolutely blame the asshole who pulled the trigger, but Tim & I were in the same fucking room. Who would even put a hit out on Tim Wayne? There’s no way Tim doesn’t know who’s behind this, but he won’t tell me because he doesn’t trust me, because of course he doesn’t! Look at my track record! When it matters most, I let down the people I love. My parents, Grant, Steph, Tim…”

*Jason becomes Shadow.*

*The Tower fight happens.*

*Jason gets kidnapped by the Joker.*

*Bruce “dies,” and Jason runs away to have the Red Robin arc.*

*Dick only begrudgingly puts up with Duke because Duke’s rather overbearing expressions of protectiveness support are not meshing well with Dick’s “stuck on anger til I personally catch my parents’ murderer” issue*

“…If anyone needs me, I’ll be screaming in the closet.”

[cuephrase]

robin poll conduct notice

hey!! so i didn't want to have to make a post like this and i'm not really thrilled at having to do this but i really hit my bullshit threshold so i feel like i need to establish some stuff before i continue sharing any data from the Robin Poll. apologies in advance, i swear i am not typically this aggressive and this is not the kind of post i tend to make.

allow me to preface this by saying that this is not me saying that you cannot have different opinions than me, or anything like that, okay, if that's what you take away from this i don't know how to help you.

also, i'm not super familiar with tumblr etiquette, but i just want to say that i have their @'s removed bc i have them blocked.

first of all, please do not make bad faith assumptions about me as a person, i understand that i cannot ask you to make zero assumptions about me, and to an extent i do not care what you think about me but like idk think before you fucking speak?

i'm just going to brush over the fact that hey, maybe if you don't like any of the characters on the questionnaire directed to their fans, then maybe don't participate, wild thought, because that's beside the point frankly.

i did not include Duke as a Robin, (the only characters I included were Dick, Jason, Steph, Tim, and Damian, hereafter referred to as The Five), because he does not count as a Robin by the metrics i was using.

the five Robins i included are the core characters who have carried the mantle for a significant period of time since Dick's entrance to canon-present. Carrie was not included because she's Robin in canon-future. Duke was not included because the only time he has canonically been Robin is in Batwheels.

"No, because in We Are Robin-" I'm going to stop you right there. I have read that series. I know what the fuck I'm talking about. If you've also read that series and somehow come to the conclusion that Duke is Robin in the same way that the The Five are, i'm glad i don't have your reading comprehension skills. i can't understand this for you either. Furthermore, if i was going to count Duke as a Robin because he was part of the We Are Robin movement, i would also include Dax, Dre, Izzy, Riko- you get the picture, i hope.

also lemme just-

not that this will convince anyone who firmly believes Duke is Robin the same way The Five are, but like when i say Duke's skin color has fuck all to do with why i did not include him- i mean that wholeheartedly.

and if you headcanon Duke as Robin, cool!! if you think he should've been Robin, cool!! there's nothing wrong with Duke being Robin- he just has not been Robin in comics!canon. (do not play the semantics game with me, you will lose.)

if it had been a Batkid/Batfam poll, Duke would've been on there!!

also, the poll was not a "which two characters that have worn a Robin/Robin-inspired suit do you like the most" poll. if you want that data, cool!! go do your own research.

second!! i have zero tolerance for this data being used to shame other Robin fans, this is not being shared so y'all can hop on your wank soapbox and jack off.

this kind of bullshit is not going to fucking fly. besides the fact that there is just so much that is...blatantly incorrect about this statement, this is "obnoxious conduct". i'm not going to waste my time getting into the weeds on this comment, mainly bc they're blocked so they won't see this so there's no point.

and to be clear, this did not upset me bc it was negative towards Tim stans and I'm a Tim stan- this comment could've been about any Robin and I would've been pissed. Tim might be my fave, but I deeply love all the Robins.

actually briefly, i'm going to say that i think it is beyond fucking stupid to bitch at fanon!Tim fans bc you think they're ruining comic!Tim's success. people who are invested primarily in fanon are probably not reading comics, and if they are, they're almost definitely not buying them so they're not impacting sales. you know who is? comic readers. if they cannot separate fanon!Tim from canon!Tim, that's a skill issue on their part. but like seriously, you think Tim Drake: Robin flopped bc of fanon!Tim? you do realize that the art was not well received, right? and that a lot of comics-buying fans are homophobic? and that oh, idk, a lot of comic!Tim fans disliked the run for valid reasons that had nothing to do with the art or being homophobic?

OR, hear me out, people are allowed to dislike characters and fans of that character are better off respecting that??

obviously stan behavior can be off-putting af. i'm not saying that stans should be able to do whatever- there's a lot of behavior from all stans that is just exhausting and pointless and benefits no one. but it's like...you do understand rage bait and hate gets engagement and social media algorithms don't differentiate between positive and negative, they just push whatever's getting interacted with. if you don't make an effort to avoid wank, you're going to drown in it. and if you're only ever in a handful of bubbles cycling the same opinions, that's all you're going to know. that doesn't mean that it's a real reflection of reality.

generalizing is so...i literally made the questionnaire because i believe that you can't generalize stan opinions based off who their #1 Robin is. stans are not a monolith.

what are the comic!Tim stans supposed to "take to heart" here? do you think we like woobie!Tim? do you think commenting about how OOC fanon!Tim is on a fanfic accomplishes anything than upsetting a fanfic author? do you think our posts about comic!Tim tend to break out of comic!Tim bubbles and impact fanon!Tim in any kind of controllable way?

and that goes for all stans, like it is no one's job/responsibility (or place quite frankly) to be policing how others interpret/enjoy characters. write your character analysis posts, share the fact-check panels, whatever, i'm not saying you can't discuss how you think a character should be interpreted. but like damn. save your energy for the people who want to have a conversation/learn. and be fucking nice about it- istg the attitudes of comics fans is probably one of the biggest turn offs for people who might otherwise be interested in comics, that and the sheer volume of content.

(if you're like, "okay hypocrite" bc i just angrily laid out why i didn't include Duke as Robin- i am allowed to not tolerate being called racist on my own post. i'm not stepping into Duke is Robin truther spaces and shitting on their fun.)

finally, and this is not strictly a continuation of the previous comment, i've been made aware that this data is being discussed elsewhere, which is fine, but i really cannot stress enough that this data is not generalizable. that's not an "excuse", it's a mathematical fact. the data isn't even reflective of only the opinions of people who follow my tumblr- my tumblr is super small, we got wayyyy more responders than i have followers, by a lot!! this data cannot be used to support any claims about fandom at large, nor was it intended to.

as i've stated multiple times, this questionnaire was not made to measure if someone was a "real" fan. meaning, it doesn't exist to grade fans or shame fans or do literally anything other than help me find out if knowing someone's top two fave Robins is significantly more informative than simply knowing who their number one favorite Robin is.

that's it. i literally just want to know "are X stans basically alike, or does it change depending on this specific factor", that factor being who their second favorite is.

tl;dr- this data was not collected to be turned into wank, it is not being shared to cultivate wank, and anyone that attaches wank to my posts directly will be blocked. i want to share this data with everyone who is interested, but no one is entitled to the results.

sorry if this was your introduction to me, i swear i am usually much happier and more diplomatic, but i hit my personal limit and i wanted to be really fucking clear about the boundaries i'm drawing. i will be using my block button as i see fit bc i want to enjoy the time i spend on this platform and put into this project. and you can block me too!!

[piedpiperart]

Phantom of Gotham 10

Chapter 9

After breakfast, Tim, Damian and Danny went on the tour while Jason went to check out the library. It was Jason code for ‘I’ll be in the manor if you need me, but I’m avoiding Bruce’, and Tim appreciated that. It also gave him time to send Jason the files he’d uncovered about Danny. 

Unsurprisingly, Danny wasn’t from Gotham. Surprisingly, Danny had come to Gotham under a fake identity, one so well hidden even Tim wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t paying attention. The person who set Danny’s backstory was a great hacker, and Tim absently wondered if it had been Danny, despite the lack of computer coding classes in the boy’s schedule. He knew Danny was more proficient at chemistry and engineering. 

Nevertheless, Danny Folson was actually Daniel Fenton. He was from Amity Park Illinois, supposedly the most haunted place in the world. Just by reading that fun fact, Tim knew it wasn’t a coincidence that both Danny and Phantom had shown up around the same time, and berated himself for not noticing it sooner. He wasn’t exactly sure what their relationship was, or who was protecting who, but it was obvious Danny was a runaway. The only mystery now was what-or who- he was running from. 

Tim’s running theory is the parents, especially when he found the missing persons report filed by one Jack and Maddie Fenton, the town’s ghost hunters. Brushing off the creepiness of that, Tim dove deeper into the Fentons and found out they’d published a lot of papers about ghost portals, realms, ectoplasm, ghost biology, and worse, weapons. Based on their obviously biased research, Tim was not too surprised that they had invented more weapons and capture gear than anything else. It was worrisome, given that they had a rivalry with ghosts, yet their son was on the run with one. Or at least they were in contact with one another. 

Danny’s past was a big puzzle Tim was itching to put together, especially when they had more information on the GIW and Phantom because of it. Apparently, since Danny’s disappearance, the Fenton’s had partnered with the GIW. After all of Tim’s research on the GIW, he couldn’t help but be suspicious that so many people in Amity Park seemed to be aware of the ghosts, when no one else had any clue. Even the Justice League didn’t have any records on ghosts like Phantom, and Tim knew Bruce had gotten in contact with Constantine on the matter. 

Reading all of this in his phone, Jason grimaced. Danny had runaway from his weapon-obsessed ghost-hunting parents to Gotham a the same time an actual ghost showed up. Based on Tim’s reports, Danny running away had no catalyst, no big event for why. Jason could guess it had something to do with ghosts, but other than the GIW and his parents, the actual existence of ghosts were considered a hoax to everyone else in the world. 

The vigilante’s theory was that Danny ran after meeting Phantom, but still. Jason could tell something was off. Phantom had mentioned there were a few halfas in hiding, which, without knowing how they came to be or what their abilities are, it would be difficult to find them. Then again, Tim had thought Danny could possibly be one. It would explain running away from his parents who hated anything to do with ghosts. But Jason and Tim didn’t find any evidence of meta abilities besides a slower than usual heartbeat, possible resistance to cold, and lack of appetite. All of those could be just regular human quirks though. 

For now, they needed to talk to Phantom. If Danny turned out to be a halfa, they needed to find out how to help keep him safe and healthy. No doubt being homeless put a strain on his body, and given that there were only three halvas around, they could assume no one knew exactly how to treat them medically. Jason sighed running a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to think about what could have happened to turn Danny into a half-ghost. It hit a bit too close to home for him, and he wasn’t sure how he felt.

Messaging Tim, they confirmed that they’d keep an eye out for Phantom tonight. With Bruce and Dick off to who knows where to stop some sort of magical snowstorm responsible for all the snow in Gotham, it would just be the three of them out tonight. Alfred would keep an eye out for Danny while they were gone, and Jason knew no one would come take the kid at the manor. Not with the bats security system. 

Bruce and Dick had found out about the snowstorm the same day it happened, given that it was unusual for winter to start so early with so much at once. They hadn’t given out details but Jason was pretty sure it was a ploy from Dr. Freeze. If anything, they should be done by tonight, Jason suspected. Freeze was simple enough to handle. 

Jason skimmed through Danny’s files again, committing it to memory. It seemed the kid had pretty good grades up until two years ago. After that, it was mostly Cs and poor attendance. Possibly when the ghost thing started, or when Danny became a halfa. Jason did note that the kid hadn’t had any sort of checkup at a doctor since he was seven and had to go for a broken arm. Looking at his sibling, he could tell that she more or less took care of the kid when she could. Jasmine Fenton, currently attending college in Illinois, not too far from Amity Park. Considering her major in psychology, he could infer that she was not onboard with her parent’s ghostly obsessions. It was a strong possibility that she had helped Danny get out of Amity. For now though, they’d have to talk to Phantom first before interrogating the kid. 

A quick text from Tim had Jason putting his phone away and picking up the book he’d been reading, looking towards the door expectantly. He wasn’t surprised in the least to see that Damain and Danny had somehow turned the tour into a race. The two skidded to a stop in the middle of the library while Tim followed leisurely behind, a bit exasperated. 

“I win,”Damian claimed, puffing out his chest. Danny stood up straighter, adopting a thoughtful look. 

“I dunno, I feel like I might’ve won that time,” Danny said, stroking his non-existent beard. “Tim? Who do you think?”

“Drake was not even paying attention,”Damian grumbled, scowling at Danny. 

“Since I value my life, I’m gonna have to say Damian won,”Tim said, collapsing into a red beanbag chair. Damian nodded with a smirk, and Danny pouted. 

“Alright, but I’ll get you next time,”Danny vowed. He went to sit in a green beanbag chair, only for Jason to catch his attention. “Jason, right? Whatcha reading?” 

“Jane Austen,”Jason said, flipping the book to show Danny the cover. 

“Ah, Pride and Prejudice,”Danny nodded sagely. Jason perked up at the reaction whale Tim and Damian rolled their eyes. 

“You’ve read it?” Jason asked casually. Danny made a so-so movement with his hand. 

“I read the version that was retold as a guinea pig picture book,”Danny said, like that was normal. Jason and the others gave him a bewildered look. 

“What?”Damian asked incredulously, while Tim was typing on his phone, no doubt to search if such a thing existed. It did. Tim made a noise of vague interest, and sent it to Jason’s phone. 

“I think it’s called ‘A guinea pig pride and prejudice, but it might not be too different to the normal version,”Danny said, oblivious to the look on Jason’s face. “Anyway, Tim said you’d join us for videogames?”

“As soon as I burn whatever book you’re talking about, sure,”Jason shook his head, getting up. “Which games are we talking about?”

“Mario Kart,”Tim called from his beanbag. Danny stuck out a hand to help him up, and effortlessly picked Tim out of the beanbag, much to Tim’s surprise. “Whoa, you’re stronger than you look.”

“I’ll have you know that short people can also be strong,”Danny sniffed. “I just forget sometimes that people can’t handle my raw strength,”Danny said, gesturing to his frankly abysmal muscles. 

Damian snorted. “I would highly doubt anyone would be impressed by a fishbone such as yourself.”

“Yeah kiddo, you look like a light breeze could knock you over,”Jason joked. The three of them made their way down to the game room as they talked, Danny getting more exasperated. 

“I’m telling you, I’m stronger than I look, promise,” Danny laughed. “I bet I could even beat Tim in an arm wrestle.”

The three brothers snorted. “Bet,”Tim smirked. He knew he looked kind of scrawny from afar, but because of his night job, he had amassed a lot of muscle. 

“I can’t wait to see this,”Jason laughed. “If you beat Tim you can stay here as long as you want.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Drake,”Damian scoffed,”There’s no way you’ll beat him.”

“Oh I see, ye of little faith,”Danny hopped on his toes, grinning. “I think you’re just scared.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Sure, I’m so scared of you and your noodle arms.”

Before Dnany could retort, they’d made it to the game room. “Woah, does this mansion have everything? Is that an arcade game?”

“Yep,”Jason said, grasping the teen’s shoulders and leading him to a table. “Now arm wrestle Timmy. You can’t make a claim like that without following through.”

Danny laughed, standing opposite to Tim at the table. “Alright alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He joked as they got into position. 

“Three, two, one,”Jason counted off, and the two arms gave a bit of a jolt before standing still in the middle. Tim looked baffled, while Danny had a grin. “Come on Timbo, are you even trying?”

“I.. am.. What the-” Tim gritted out, and stopped talking when their arms moved slowly in Danny’s winning side. Their hands briefly touched the table before they relaxed, and Jason broke out into a loud laugh. 

Meanwhile, Damian shook his head. “I knew you were weak, Drake, but now you’re just pitiful,”Damian scowled.

“Wha- No, he’s actually really strong! I’m not kidding, how the heck-”Tim sputtered.

“I told you,”Danny said smugly, crossing his arms. 

“Me next,”Jason grinned, and Danny nodded. 

“Okay, no offense, but I think you could lift my whole body with just one arm, so I don’t think this is very fair,”Danny said, choosing to ignore how Tim and Damian started arm wrestling at a different table to see who was srongest.  

“Why, you scared?” Jason teased as Danny gripped his hand. He startled a bit at how cold Danny’s hands felt. 

“Nah,”Danny said easily. He knew if he’d used more ghost strength it would look suspicious. ”I can at least give you a run for your money.”

The arm wrestle started and while Jason still won, he did so a lot slower than he would have against Tim or Damian. Jason laughed. “You’re pretty strong though, I’ll give you that.”

“Hey, as long as I beat Tim, my life goals have been met,”Danny laughed. “Now what’s Mario Kart? I’ve never played.”

Suffice to say, they were all cramped in the game room for hours until Alfred came to collect them for lunchtime. Despite the siblings previous reluctance to hang out together before, they found that they were pleasantly content to get along with Danny around. Jason brushed it off as everyone behaving for the new kid, but it felt nice to forget about all drama for a while. 

“Did you notice how cold his hands were?” Tim whispered to Jason once Damian and Danny were occupied with vegetarian sandwiches. Jason nodded, knowing Tim would add it to his ever-growing file. Looks like their halfa theory was becoming true.”And he’s strong, could be a meta ability.”

“You’re just a sore loser,”Jason whispered back, only to get a scowl back. He grinned, patting Tim on the back before joining the shorter two for sandwiches. 

“You’re vegetarian as well?” Damian was asking. 

“Yea,”Danny said between bites. Looking at his plate, Jason only saw half a sandwich and resolved to get the kid to eat another one by the time lunch was over. “My friend is an ultra-recylo-vegetarian, and she finally convinced me,”Danny explained. It definitely wasn’t because he regularly saw ghosts that resembled corpses, and that meat had started to remind him of that a little too much. “I don’t mind it, but I’d just prefer not to eat meat when I can.”

Damian nodded sagely, giving Tim and Jason a look. “I am glad at least one other person here is sensible.” 

Danny laughed,”My friend Tucker was horrified when I told him. Are you the only vegetarian at the manor?”

“I am,” Damian said. 

“Not for lack of trying,”Tim added under his breath. Then louder, he added,”You should try the cucumber sandwiches, Alfred makes them the best.” He said, grabbing one and putting it on Danny’s plate. 

“I don’t think I’m that hungry,”Danny joked, nervously. Jason patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. 

“You’re skin and bones, kid,”Jason lectured. “An extra sandwich won’t hurt ya.”

Danny gave him a confused look, but ate as much as he could anyway. He really didn’t feel hungry, but maybe he was acting too suspicious? Danny thought to himself. It just felt weird to eat when he didn’t feel hungry, and he wasn’t sure how his ghostly side was even affecting what he ate. Honestly he didn’t even know if he needed to eat anymore. Jazz would kill him if he tried to test that theory though, so he stuck to munching on the delicious sandwich while the siblings bickered. His core hummed quietly at the feeling of being included with the family. 

He’d miss them when he left. 

Chapter 11

[ragnarokhound]

puts this on your list of things to do

Skcnwksks *adds another stone atop the mountain, and the world sinks another inch closer to hell

But okay fr. I actually read Knight Terrors: Robin today, and with the enormous grain of salt that I am working mostly with fandom osmosis, esp re: their established relationship, I think they alllllmost wrote something that worked. Almost. Long rambling nitpicks under the cut:

I think if they had about three more pages they could have established Tim and Jason's relationship and their problems with working together a little better; and either cut Babs out as the middle man who introduced their individual issues to the audience, or used her more effectively as a mediator.

They very clearly wanted to showcase two problems: Tim is working himself to death trying to save everyone, and Jason is suffering by insisting on working alone. Good! I like this concept. It's annoying to me that Babs is the one who tries to reach out to both of them about these issues, gets rebuffed, and then is never heard from again. I'd much prefer it if they tried to talk to each other on their own and it went poorly at first, only to be forced to open up in the nightmare realm. It would tighten up their combined arc if they'd had one single conversation before the Inciting Incident occurs.

Like, don't get me wrong. I am waffling about this because Babs is a good entry voice to help introduce our primary actors. She is the person they have in common, and by having her be the voice in their ear, we see that other people in their support networks are worried about them.

But man, why not just have Tim monologue to himself about being ready to wrap up his third bust of the night and consider hitting up Jason to see if he needs help on the intergang drug bust he's in the middle of. It could be on Tim's way to the next place he's going, demonstrating that he's stretching himself thin and looking for even more to do; even with people like Jason who he isn't all that close with. And then Tim and Jason have their own snarky conversation (with some veiled flirting) about not needing each other's help or each other's nagging, and that's when the nightmare mist hits.

Because the story is only tangentially about people other than Jason and Tim. They're both too wrapped up in their own problems to notice other people reaching out to them about their fucked behavior. So Babs could have been used as a yardstick for each of them - Tim dismissed her fears at first, Jason hung up on her outright - but only if she comes back.

If Babs had also been there at the end to check in with them, yeah, it might have lessened the impact of Jason's plea for help and getting only Tim in response, but it would have been the indicator that they were now ready to hear the worries expressed by their loved ones. A very *clear* indicator of what has changed in the narrative that justifies Babs' involvement in the first place. You could have her come in right as Tim and Jason are catching up after the initial plea, having just escaped her own nightmare (*editors note: see Babs' knight terrors issue, lmao). She could groggily direct them to someone who needs help. All three of them are working together now, Tim and Jason are on their way to opening up to more people; huzzah

And hell. If you want to justify why Tim knows stuff about Jason he shouldn't - or why Jason might know something about Tim that he shouldn't for that matter - a little extra time spent together in the nightmare zone is great for that. Make them see each other's worst memories. Make them see each other's defining moments. Make it the twisted, terrible, self-directed-blame version of events that exists in their heads, and then they can separately call bullshit.

You literally put them into a shared mind palace!! Why did Tim know that about Sheila? Because he just saw it in Jason's head. How does Jason know Tim has a savior complex too big to shoulder? Same deal. IMO, this would have made their insistence that the other person is better than they think much more natural. It's not an empty sentiment because 'I've literally seen what you think of yourself and I am telling you that it isn't true'. (They're in a shared mindscape. Why not imply that they are seeing what the other is seeing too. That they're having a shared experience and are privy to each other's thoughts, emotions, and memories? Easy to do. "I feel like I'm walking to class in the 10th grade...but when I was that age, I was 6 feet under." "And I'm positive I'm picking up ammo for a gun I don't own. I think it's safe to say we're sharing a dream.")

I'm also ??? about why the nightmare zone let them talk at all?? Maybe that's something that we don't have time to explain/ it doesn't need explaining, but if I were a terrible nightmare creature and I was menacing two people at once, I simply wouldn't let them exist in the same space. Isolation is key to breaking someone's will. If you let them talk to each other they could help each other. Fool. Buffoon. Literally the only reason to let them talk to each other is if you think they'll make each other worse lmao.

There was a clever visual trick in which Jason hits the void barrier and Tim sees the ripples he makes - but iirc that is the closest we get to an explanation of how they might be breaking through to each other. And it happened after they were almost done with their second conversation. Too little, too late, IMO.

Arguments could be made that they were able to break through because they were approaching a hard limit. Jason hears Tim again when he yells at his double to shut up, when Jason himself is just about ready to throw in the towel. The moment of deepest despair, the realization for both of them that they're not cut out to solve the problem with their current method. Something something, breaking the pattern - but why let them, unless the nightmare can't do anything about it? I do like a monster with a secret weakness, so I'm willing to let it slide now that I've talked it out lol but still. It feels like an unearned conversation when the only convo they had before was mostly exposition.

Anyway. Tldr; if the writers had a few more pages and shown us Tim and Jason's conflict with each other rather than water it down via Babs (OR BROUGHT HER BACK TO TIE IT ALL UP WITH A BOW) it would have been a tighter & more interesting story.

[leoleolovesdc]

I really don't get what's so appealing to writers and fans who make Bruce an abusive father. Why is it so fun? Why do people enjoy doing one of the biggest superhero of all times that dirty? How does that make any sense?

People always complain about how Batman is a power fantasy, but the fact that his actions aren't justifiable if applied real life doesn't mean that you have to fuck the character's fictional morals.

Every hero is a power fantasy, but they are enjoyable because they are good people (or people who try to be good). Bruce Wayne is a human being and he is capable of bad parenting and committing mistakes, but making him willingly hit his kids is just stupid.

Batman is and has always been about hope, about rising above your trauma, protecting who you love, using your pain to make the world a little better. Bruce doesn't go around "beating the mentally ill' just because, he does because they are dangerous people, criminals, terrorists who are constantly harming citizens with their actions.

With all that said; Bruce hitting his children/sidekicks/allies (or just purposefully harming them in any way shape or form) is incoherent with his character and all that he represents.

Batman brought Robin, especially Dick Grayson, in to help him. He didn't want a child soldier, he was comforting this kid and taking him to the police station when he asked to be trained so he could get the guy who killed his parents. He asked to become like Batman and Bruce, realizing that they were very similar, saw that he was also filled with anger and needed to be guided. That's why Dick became a better person than Bruce ever was, not because he was inherently good or something, but because even if their relationship was not perfect and troublesome at times they understood each other's pain like no one else would.

With all of Bruce and Dick's history saying that this father-son bond was filled with physical abuse just sounds wild to me. Same thing goes for Cass, Jason, Steph, Tim, Duke, Damian and any other child that Bruce parented or taken care of.

Jason and Dick are usually the victims of writers and fans who are full one Abusive-Bruce-Shit™️, and honestly, I don't think that's because they have remarkably difficult relationships, but because this fandom loves to make their favorite pretty "white" boys suffer.

No one cares if it makes sense for Bruce to be abusive towards his first sons, they just care that Dick and Jason are angsty. My prove of that? When do you ever see content of Bruce being abusive towards Cass? Damian? Steph? Duke? Never. Because those characters are either women or people of color largely ignored by both canon and fanon.

I'll admit that Damian and Tim do get angsty abusive dad content at times, because regardless of their actual relationship with Bruce Tim is a sad white boy and Damian is the largely white washed blood son, but they are still not the most common alternatives whenever family angst is the focus (despite the large fanon torture porn industry that Tim Drake goes through it is usually focused on other aspects of his life).

I don't really know how to end this, at this point I'm just ranting about annoying batfam fans, but, yeah, don't fuck over legacy characters by making them abusive dads bcuz u like saying ur fav has it worst👍

Little edit: In this post I talked abt Dick as a white guy, would like to apologize for that, I do know that he is romani but ended up forgetting to add that. Either way my point still stands as, just like Damian, his race is pretty much ignored by writers and parts of the fandom

[starsapphire]

Saw mysterycirtus/roseworth’s ranking of the Batfamily in skill and I’m curious of your ranking (if you have one)

obligatory i don't love power scaling but ! i do think abt this i won't lie. in terms of pure combat skill then obviously cass is #1. she was a weapon even when she was but a twinkle in her father's eye. she's the closest to superhuman a non-meta can get. i would say bruce and dick are pretty equally matched. bruce has more brute force and stamina on his side but like greta mysterycitrus said, dick has been a trained acrobat since he was a little kid and he very much uses that to his advantage. i think if you removed emotions from the equation bruce would win by a very very very narrow margin but it would be a pyrrhic victory. (damian's too young to tell but he's also been trained pretty much from birth.) babs and tim were both in gymnastics/training of some sort/etc from childhood and are like the most obsessively determined people ever so they are absolutely forces to be reckoned with. steph and duke are not the world's best fighters by any means but they're not exactly white belts. like they probably seem kind of mid as fighters but u have to remember they only seem that way because they're next to batman and his trained-from-infancy children. they will still kick your ass

that said i would not rank them purely on combat skill bc that's not all they have going on! there's a lot you have to consider. pure combat/fighting skill yes, but also ability to strategise, to improvise, empathy, people skills, and of course detective work. generally i think i wouldn't rank them so much as say that they all have different strengths. i hate the whole trend of "x is the ___ one" but like. they do all have different strengths. it would be a boring story if they all had the exact same abilities or were all so perfect at everything that they never needed to work together to balance out their weaknesses yk? maybe dick is the better fighter, but tim has a better chance than dick does at defeating the baddie of the week if he's done his research. i feel like when everything is measured, they're all more or less on the same level, but they all have different strengths

not going to explain bruce because he's bruce. he's the prototype. do i think he's better than everyone at everything? no. but he's good at a lot of things, and more importantly, he's got decades of experience in balancing it all

dick is a jack of all trades on par with bruce — he's just good at a lot of things. and also like bruce, he has decades of experience balancing it all. ultimately he gets a nudge towards the skill/style axis because he doesn't just fight, he puts acrobatics into it. which is crazy! his absolutely batshit combat style is kind of his greatest strength in a fight, even beyond strategy and knowing how to throw a punch in the first place

cass is a very, very good fighter with a vast skillset, but it's emphasised throughout her time on-panel that she's still learning how to be a detective. that's why the tim and cass teamup is so great (and effective!) -- tim's not a bad fighter, but detective-ing comes more easily to him; cass isn't necessarily a bad detective, but when it comes down to it she's leagues better at combat. they balance one another out.

tim: see above. he's a good fighter and absolutely insane with a bo staff, but remember that he did so well in that fight against king snake because he used the staff as a tool to distract and disorient him before he ever landed a hit with it

jason is kind of an enigma to me because he's sort of whatever the writer needs him to be in the moment. like bruce and dick, he's kind of a jack of all trades, but ultimately his greatest strength is just... taking people out. he's a great strategist and a great planner and a great detective, but that's outweighed by his ability to be brute force up close and have good aim from a distance.

i personally feel like i haven't read enough steph, duke, or damian (yet) to rank them on this bit but like... you get it. may revisit when i finish new earth and/or get to my duke reading. we will see

now you may say, cam, this was a one-sentence ask. cam, how did you manage to get several paragraphs out of that. to which i say, buddy, i am so fucking unemployed

[dailycass-cain]

My Top 10 Favorite Cass Stories

Just last year ago I gave a list of my ten favorite Cass stories on Twitter (and here’s the 2020 edition. The funny thing is, not even a year later I look upon the last list (along with the bad) and my thoughts on some of these stories have changed. 

Not to mention, we’re only two months into 2023 and we’ve already got a Cass story that already makes this list for me. 

So I figure it’s 2023 and I haven’t posted my favorite Cass stories here. Let’s change that. So here are my Top Ten Favorite Cassandra Cain stories. You may not agree with them. Maybe you will? Just that these are my opinion. 

The thing about me and lists. They always mostly change. You compare my lists from years past. They may not completely match up (or in some places they will). Change always occur. 

That said. Let’s start with my honorable mentions. 

Honorable Mention #1: Detective Comics #790

-  It's just a dark uneasy tale due to Pete Woods' art and Andersen Gabrych's story. Bruce is a little more unnerved than usual (Jason's anniversary) and Cass is brought in personally to steer him back.

Why? Because of all the people of the Bat-Family, she understands him best. The dynamic between Bruce/Cass here. Teacher/heir is just so all over this story. You can tell Bruce really wants Cass to truly be his heir.

If there are any issues I have with this being better is well it’s the prelude to “War Games” and I’m not really fond of the negative talk Bruce has with Cass regarding Stephanie Brown.

Ironically, for a while the last good main Batman book story Cass had for awhile until...

Honorable Mention #2: Detective Comics #950, 955

- Until this one. Though I’ll be honest “Night of the Monster Men” is a FUN story too that has Cass, but Cass really isn’t central to the plot in that.  These issues were the first “main book” story that focused on Cass since-- 2004. 

What truly keeps this book low for me being an honorable mention are the same flaws that pop up in my “worst list” of Cass stories. If you take these two issues alone? The story is absolute gold. 

The full arc? (#950-956) are the reasons it got knocked down. Still, Marcio Takara and James Tynion IV together make the most of this story even with the hurdles higher ups (and Tynion’s own juggling the massive cast this run had) stall it.

I still think the arc would be more favorable if it ended with Bruce/Kate taking Cass to see Christine and well just a happy ending. Not to mention we get mostly zero fallout from what occurs here (the subplot of Ra’s here is tossed out due to Tynion having to leave the comic so he could go onto Justice League Dark).

What still hits hard about these two issues IS Takara’s art.  As those who are currently reading the Poison Ivy series, Takara can do some banger spreads. We have a few here with an "Old Boy" homage Takara throws in with Cass for good measure. 

Takara’s art and just the emotion he brings is why this story is STILL lingers.

Honorable Mention #3: Superboy #85

- Yes, the villain for this comic is all too forgettable. That’s really why it’ll alway be here. But why it remains always is the banter. Between the team-up of  Cass/Kon (also the opening/closing Tim/Kon segments) that truly shines here. Much like Batman, you throw Cass with a character outside her zone, MOMENTS HAPPEN.

Boy we get some hilarious moments that are truly chuckle worthy. There’s just something natural seeing the heroes here interact with one another. Something that feels kind of missing mostly in DC Comics nowadays (save in the Flash recently with its “Dark Crisis tie-in”. What we had there was absolute GOLD). 

I love me Batman having Batdad shenanigans over Tim/Cass and the rebellious Conner clashing with him. I know some might not like Cass/Kon, but the dynamic between the two in this issue is GOOD.  The dynamic is SOOO good between the two. It's truly a pity Cass wasn't allowed to show up outside her book in Kon's again. Because this issue still hits home for a lot of folks to this day (as we see TONS of fanart of them. Also for canon covers still acknowledge this issue, along with the “eh” one over in Batgirl Vol. 1).

But for me, it's just the emotion both light and dark that writer Joe Kelly just handles well here. Why I keep coming back to this darn issue. The character dynamics are just soooo good.

Honorable Mention #4 Batgirl Vol. 1 #50 "Tough Love"

-  It's Cass vs. Batman. The fight by Rich Leonardi is an epic one with Bruce/Cass going all Anakin/Obi-Wan by just changing the fighting venue every page. Looking for that opening.

You have some nice gremlin moment from Tim to get a cure to them both (given they're "fighting" due to a drug thrown at them by Dr. Death). If anything there's to knock on this is Nightwing being tossed around like a ragdoll by the two of them.

But really it's the ending of the fight that still resonates hard. Bruce being his most batdad again, but also just wanting to know where Cass's loyalties lie. Her answer is a good moment 

So wait this is an honorable mention now?! Yeah it kind of is. See, the one problem with writer Dylan Horrocks is that usually bits of his run ages like milk. Not very good. I get that he tried new things with the character, and went in different direction than the past writers. But.. his stuff ages the worst. 

Also listening to Batgirl to Oracle’s podcast when she reviewed the issue. She brings up some the things we often overlook for the amazing art and the stuff above. 

Basically, the whole subtextual issue between Bruce/Cass that’s at the core of the story. Horrocks’ coda for his series up to this point was Cass growing older and trying to answer if she’s attracted to men (or now realizing how certain males view her via her body reading abilities). Dealing with the complications of guys being into her (Black Wind, Superboy), Bruce being EXTREMELY overbearing (hence the fight), and you get stuff like this:

It’s stuff that Freud and any fan in the present going 😬😬😬😬

Yeah, this is the stuff that doesn’t age well at all. Why suddenly it’s been knocked down this low. 

So with these four out of the way. ONTO THE LIST...

10.) Batgirl Vol. 1 #2

-  To those critics against Cass who say she never loses. This issue is the textbook answer. She loses and hard, but learns an emotional lesson about why words mean so much. Why writing and art are so powerful in a tale with no real title (literally the credits are at the very bottom of the last page).

This story is a gut punch (the first of many) Kelley Puckett would deliver on the book. Though he did slide in a better one later on this list still, this would be stable for his and Damion Scott's run.

Besides the pathos Puckett brings, Scott equally just wraps an emotional ringer. Cass barely says anything in the issue but conveys SOOO much emotion in her eyes thru the mask (probably the biggest answer many on the “pro-black lenses can give over the white ones she currently has”).

Just the one-shot character of John Robinson just sticks with you even after it. Just a good man, being thrown the curveball that Gotham City gives. The impact of his story just still resonates with me.

9.) Batgirls #14 “The Rest is Silence...”

- Yup. It’s a 2023 entry. I told you something made me start to question things and this story (while not concluded) I’m putting here on the list just for the sheer performance artist Jonathan Case pulls with this issue.

We’ve all wanted a unique Cass story (and boy howdy did we get some bangers in 2021 more on those later) and this is the first Batgirls story that feels true to the character of Cass. Anyone who is a harsh critic of this book has nothing to complain about. The narration (that’s not Cass/Steph/Babs) that can dull the comic’s better moments. It’s not found here. An older teen Cass is drawn here (not a preteen one that many have hated). Plus the dialogue by the writers Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad. That’s not here, but they do cheat (but it’s a cheat I’m going to allow). 

Again, this is Jonathan Case’s world and we’re living in the gorgeous art he’s doing here. There are SEVERAL pages that are just awing to read and look at. Just so much 

If there’s any negative well... this is new. So I figure this is the best place to put this issue. Will it remain (as there are two more issues of this arc in Batgirls)? Who knows. But right at THIS MOMENT and this issue alone. It earns a spot on my list.

8.) Batgirl Vol.1 #60-62 aka "The Hood" arc

-  What I love about this story are two reasons. #1 Cass by herself while trying to navigate the city of Bludhaven by establishing herself (with no Bruce or Babs). #2 Cass fighting unique foes with unique skill sets i.e. the Brotherhood of Evil.

From them just handing Cass her butt, to her rising back up and kicking them. It's a nice little "underdog" story showing just how far Cass has come as a fighter along with showcasing her "Batman' side. By doing her homework, prep timing, and wrecking the Brotherhood.

This is probably my favorite complete arc by Gabrych. He's got both Pop Mhan and Ale Garza backing him on the story and they all deliver high here.

Add the nice intro of Brenda and the gut punch of seeing Stephanie again (even if she died at the time period). This arc just has so many GOOD things that were promising. Pity, the later half Gabrych gave us wasn't classic as this was.

7.) DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1  "Sounds"

-  Oh yes! We got a 2021 story here.  Introduce Cass to new audiences? Showcase why fans enjoy her. Yes, it tempts me to put a certain arc of WFA up here. Here is one thing this has over that, Marcus To drawing Cass as Batgirl.

I always wanted it. To made the Black Bat costume better and gave us Ninja Gaiden Cass. But we all wanted him to draw THE costume.

I mean it's just everything. Add the small bits of actions we're given, bits of her origin, and the entire plot of Cass trying to find her "voice". Writer Mariko Tamaki just packs SOOO much in here and begins the call for many to have her write Cass more. This is the story where that all began. Tamaki just GETS Cass as a character. 

Everything is just top-notch in this story. You can tell the entire creative team It's a nice reintroduction for new readers for Cass. Along with giving older fans well something we'd never thought to see again. 🥺

The story just feels unreal to see happen. After ALL DC did in the past with the character. This story hits, but not as harder as my #1.

6.) Batgirl Vol. 1 #7-9

- Now I'll admit looking over this list. I was like, "Wait why didn't I include #9 with this arc?" So it's time to correct that mistake!

There's no real "name" for this arc but it is just three stories that have the debut of a certain someone to the series.  Cass's opposite. Her reflection. Lady Shiva.

Everything between these two is laid perfectly in "conflict"  and for what is to come by Puckett and Scott. The 😮when Shiva shows up in the first panel and Cass is like, "I've got to fight that."  he expressions. An appetizer for what is to come with these two.

Add the bookend pieces of #7 (of Batman/Shiva against Cass), along with just SOOOO much good lines by the two uttered in these issues. I mean there are some good quotes here. So many good scenes.

But again, this is a teaser for what's to come. What an amazing setup these three issues are.

5.)  Batgirl Vol. 1 #19 "Nobody Dies Tonight!"

-  Remember what I said earlier of Puckett/Scott delivering banger single issues? Here's another! On the anniversary of something near to Cass's mind, she tries to make sure for one night, nobody dies tonight!

Seeing the morality of the lesson played out here is more gut-wrenching than #2 given Cass is the focus here.  She's doing her thing while the whole piece is her seeing someone being put to death tonight, and well her proclamation is tested hard.

Along with her mantra on everyone can change. You have all that, and the shadow of what is looming more and moreover her. The story is so good, to this day I ain't even gonna post it. This is one story you gotta track down and see for yourself.

Even if it is one more piece to a larger puzzle Puckett/Scott put to lead into #25.

4.) Batgirl Vol. 1 #21 (Last Laugh Tie-In)

-  This is still my most favorite issue not shared by many of the Puckett/Scott run. It just goes to show you just how good this run is. There are SOOOOOOOOO many issues that can show up on a list for fav Cass stories.  This is just mine.

Reasons why I enjoy this issue in particular among others is #1 the way it starts off with Cass's training montage which has Scott just go to town so much. You can tell Scott probably watched A TON of Bruce Lee movies as the homage is strong in the opening pages.

#2 Cass/Steph get a really important moment that furthers their friendship. I mean sure this isn't the issue they become really good friends, but this is the issue where the foundation keeps getting added (#20 started that).

Besides the moment at the end, there's the other moments of Steph's quirky persona that just win you over with the character.

#3 the fight between Shadow Thief/Cass. When you see Cass smiling in her mask if I were a villain, "running would be a very good idea." The moment is so shōnen and Scott just goes balls to the wall here with how he draws Cass dominating Thief.

This leads into #4 the outcome (but ties into #2). Like literally the fight switches in a heartbeat from 😁 to 😨in a single panel. Just seeing the look of broken horror in Cass's face realizing she might have taken another life makes my eyes water.

And here comes Steph to save the day. Dang, does she do some good friend stuff here. Just saving Shadow Thief and being there for Cass before the later scurries off.

3.) Batman: Urban Legends #7 "The Hunter... or the Hunted"

-  A unique tale starring Cass by Guillaume Singelin takes Tec #955's concept of a long action sequence but goes harder. No dialogue or text. Just action. All action.

It's a real pity this story came way after the "Future State" event, as the story does a way better job showcasing how worse Gotham has become. There's a clear homage to so much in the story.

Singelin's art is something I haven't seen since Batgirl Vol. 1. Just the crispiness and layout of the fight sequences. The fact that this showcases why Cass is just a character quite unique. You can throw a writer/artist with a unique style. Just watch them go to town.

It's one of the things I always wished we could've seen with again Cass in Vol. 1. The closest we got was with Damion Scott in Solo #10, but it's just so wondrous to see Cass in a tale that feels like something that NEEDS to be animated again.

Every time I read this story there's just so much to just look at even if the story moves at a rapid pace from the action. It's just perfectly choreographed with Cass coming up on top.

2.)  Batgirl Vol. 1  #25 "I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds"

- The crescendo of the Puckett/Scott run delivers so very much in this issue. From the literally EPIC  brawl, Cass/Shiva have in this issue. To the little moments with Cass/Babs and Cass/jumper. This is the creative team as the seeds planted bear glorious fruit.

There's just so much about this issue that can be dissected and taken apart. Everyone is an all-star this issue as Scott is at the literal height of his art giving us (for me) the greatest comic book fight EVER.

From the set-up of the final round to the way, this is Puckett/Scott's opus. A slobber knocker. You feel the other's blow when it connects. Often imitated. NOTHING can ever top the OG brawl Cass/Shiva had in this issue. Nothing but one thing...

1.) Shadow of the Batgirl

-  It's still the champ of my heart! Writer Sarah Kuhn takes all of what has happened with the character. Seen what worked and what didn't. Adds her own spin on what quite possibly is the best Cass story of them all.

From the very cover alone, before I opened the book this story hits a raw nerve for me. It opens an emotional flood gate.

Kuhn just crams so much of Cass stuff into this graphic novel it just is utterly amazing at how much she puts in here. She delivers so much that literally and hits so many things... dammit thinking about the graphic novel suddenly my eyes are watering... AGAIN.. wrassin frassin.

Adding to that is Nicole Goux's art which like Scott is so darn expressive and perfect for Cass. You don't need words when Goux perfectly captures what is going on in Cass and what Cass see's of the world around her.

I feel like a broken record on how much this story smacked me in the head. I was going to like it, but love it this much? Was like, "How?" But the emotion the creative team pours into this character you truly get how much they love Cass.

And this is the best intro story to get others interested in the character.  Like literally, there are so many dang moments in this comic that are just SOOOOOOO good. And dangit thinking of these moments... freaking heck. Like literally..

.. when the comic hit me across the head with just so much emotion and I've read it numerous times over already. The fact that it is still doing this to me. Yeah, it had to be my #1.

So there's my list. Yes, I know I left out some choices that are like, "WHY?" But this is my personal list. The thing about it is-- IT ALWAYS CHANGES! So do you agree or disagree? What’s your favorite Cass stories? I’d love to hear them! 

[silk-scarlet-ribbons]

I binge-read (which, I'll admit, doesn't do your pacing justice. Planning on rereading it slower lol) your work "children of the stars" and i have. so many (positive) thoughts

I don't usually read sa recovery fics coz I feel like it's common for authors to emphasize the pain more than the recovery-- which, coz fanfic is usually used to vent, isn't bad per se, its just not my thing -- but i was really pleasantly surprised by yours. I love how you express how fucked Tim's situation is while in Jason's POV coz you never really take away from it, while still portraying the distress that he feels and the forced (by law) compliance that often comes with SA by authority figures. How Jason has to walk himself through putting the kid over his anger is gut-wrenchingly amazing (esp with taking the Pit into account), and how Jason works on himself and is generally happier for/because of Tim genuinely made me have to stand up in certain parts. It shows how much Jason doesn't want his own experiences to repeat (both with his alluded to childhood, and with Bruce) and proves how different he is to the character Tim's initially been threatened with. That eventually crescendoing into him calling the exact person he's so cautious of being like??? Actually made me want to die (in a good way).

You also make sure to still express that Tim is a child, which I really appreciated coz i feel like when younger people go through that, it tends to be made into a "step into maturity". Tim just. God, I cried so hard at the "I'll be brave until you get there". The idea that he thinks it'll happen again contrasted with the trust he has in Jason is so aauuuugggghh

Also?? I really really related to Dick in this particular work because of how you portrayed his own reactions and experiences. Coping by taking on responsibility and then having to shed that abruptly when someone else has experienced a similar situation was something I really really liked your approach to. Especially after he finds that Tim has the same/similar trigger to him?? Every different experience with SA that you wrote hit so hard. Definitely one of my favorite reps so far. God. I love all of your character writing. DUDE ALSO WITH BRUCE?? ALFRED?? MARCO?? You described all of the bat's grief and longing for what was so welllll.

Just. Really really refreshing read, 100% gonna go through the rest of your works. Sorry if this was long winded or annoying lol, feel free to disregard if you want to. Either way, thank you so much for posting that (for free!) and I look forward to future chapters if you write any more :)

in case you were wondering, anon, this reply is so late because i spent the last week crying over it <3 /lh

Ohhh man oh man. OH MAN. OH MAN! this is honestly so kind,,, jkjkjdfkjdf Jason and Tim's journeys in CotS as they try to rationalize with what happened to them while still allowing themselves to be juvenile, somehow, was basically a cornerstone in the fic, and I'm so beyond excited and grateful that there are people who genuinely enjoyed that aspect of it. AND DICK, MY BELOVED.... I could never leave him out of it either, I love that guy.

It just means the world to me that you enjoyed this so much? Idk it's like the horrors of being perceived but they're not horrors, they're joys. The joys of having my fic perceived. Grief is one of my favorite things to write for how powerful it is, and getting this kind of feedback only makes me want to keep going (especially now, when I've been hitting a dearth of creativity, lol).

I have one more official chapter planned for CotS--- it's proving to be the hardest to write, because on my life I hate finishing things. Sometimes I can't finish things. But this makes me want to finish it just to give this fic's wonderful, wonderful readers a conclusion.

This was not annoying at all-- I genuinely read it, like, seven-eight times. It was an absolute light for my entire week. Never apologize for doing this for the works you love, I promise you we are reading and we are cherishing.

[prospectivehero]

VICTOR AND NORA, A GOTHAM LOVE STORY- Written by Lauren Myracle, Illustrated by Isaac Goodhart

Confession time: I'm terrible with names (real life and fictional). Even with my associate's degree in Batmanology, my poor name recognition missed the significance of Victor Fries, a resident of the city of Gotham. When the part of my brain that doesn't require caffeine to function decided to look up some familiar names when I was halfway through the novel, I was heartbroken. Would it have been better for me to be surprised by the ending, I wasn't sure, but I didn't think I could expect a happy ending from "a gotham love story."

This is a rough read. Much like Constantine and Miracle Man, it's not something to read when you're in a bad headspace. I'll talk more about it in the trigger warnings, but this story focuses on death and dying. Victor is burdened by a loved one's death in his past, which he feels at fault for. He has become cold to the people around him and feels safe studying cryogenics in solitude. Nora only sees death in her future due to an incurable progressive disease that will slowly deteriorate her functionality, personality, and treasured memories before it kills her. But she refuses to let this illness take anything valuable from her, so she has decided to plan her suicide and leave this world as herself. But she's given herself time to make more memories with a boy she met in a cemetery.

I was not in a good headspace reading this comic. I won't go into full detail, just know that I was having several identity crises overlapping one another. I'm in a better headspace now that I've figured some stuff out, but during that experience, these very well-developed characters hit especially hard. Nora's relationship to her illness and battle with its ever-increasing presence felt relatable since I battle a progressive disability. The two are not the same, but I understood her desire not to tell any of her friends so they wouldn't have to watch her suffer and degrade. When she tells Victor, I relate to his desperation to keep her with him since she makes him feel alive and loved.

If you recognized the names you probably could figure out where the story is going but it's worth the read. The story feels very personal. The illustrations, by Jason Goodhart, consistently match the feeling of Lauren Myracle's story and none of the beautiful character designs distract from the weight of everything that happens. There were breaks in the story that reference other artists or stories like Tim Burton or Titanic (1997) to serve the story. I think these breaks flowed well, but I could understand if it's not everyone's cup of Mountain Dew. This is my new second favorite graphic novel, despite how I reacted to it while reading it. I highly recommend picking it up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS (with potential spoilers) -

1) Death - Victor frequently remembers the fire that he accidentally started as a child that destroyed the family house and took the life of his older brother, Otto Freeze.

2) Planned and Attempted Suicide - Nora reasons that this is the only way she can die as herself, so she sets a date and a means and writes a letter to her father. She is stopped before she can complete her plan. Her note is read at the end of the novel.

3) Secondary Mourning - This comic gives time and space to mourn with the characters as they mourn their past and future. We see how Nora views her illness and how Victor views himself. It was a unique experience, being given an opening to grieve in moments that may feel very familiar to many of us, but it can be painful if you're not ready to feel those feelings.

4) Sex (Consentual) - It is as PG-13 and fade-to-black as a sex scene could possibly get, but it doesn't hide the fact that it happened.

5) Language - Much like Constantine, I tuned it out, which means I had to skim through the novel. I saw rare uses of language to the tune of "s***".

[dairy-farmer]

Long ago I read an analysis abt women in comics and how they're relegated to be the gf of, the wife of and everything, even wonder woman or black canary. And for example they use various heros like superman or nightwing and says something like "I they were girs, they won't have so interesting arcs or historys". And they use timy for example saying that if he were a girl he would end up being Jason's or Kon's love interest. And I think that's beautiful. i can't thinking abt a plot:(

that sounds like an incredible analysis!!! and it would definitely make sense given how comics themselves were very much created with only male protagonists in mind. women, as is what often happens in media, are afterthoughts, and therefore given more support roles.

i remember seeing one those 'top ten worst things this hero has done' and it was between superman and lois lane and the worst things she's done. today lois has a much better reputation, she's been "modernized". but when the audience was meant more for boys, she was treated very poorly and it was framed as being justified because she was a woman behaving "above her station", by being incredibly nosy, getting herself into trouble and having to be saved. honestly you could make the original lois into a 10-year-old and nothing notable about her personality would've changed because she was written to be this bratty woman who greatly overestimated her place in the world and desperately wanted to 'chain' superman to her by making him marry her.

and characters like catwoman!! she was originally a villain, like just a straight-up villain! until they wrote her to become bruce's love interest. it'd be like if in fifty years they wrote poison ivy to be what catwoman is today. catwoman couldn't exist as just a 'villain'. just like how lois will never really shed the 'i need superman to save me' she is the OG "damsal in distress". she is the butt of the joke when people call someone a damsal in distress. and that will never really go away from her portrayal (even if it becomes a throw away or a punchline).

i fully agree with what you say about superman or nightwing not getting nearly as interesting arcs if they were women. sure women in comics, even old comics have gotten very interesting characterizations but nothing like what superman and nightwing have gotten.

and tim!!!! he'd absolutely be in a position where he'd be someone's girlfriend if he were a girl and that would become his entire identity in comics. you can see it becayse barbara has some impressive accomplishments in comics but yet a lot of people aside from some bat and barbara stans regale her as just nightwing's 'on again off again' girlfriend who loses relevance without nightwing or she's simply there to be eye-candy for the audience (much like catwoman).

the same thing would happen to tim.

for example if he was, say, hit by some beam or magic that permanently changed his sex. he was now physically female and there was no way to alter it. dc writing would jump on that immediatly and change so many of his established relationships in a second.

like if there's one genre of fic that i'd say i really dislike it's the genderbend/transformation ones.

maybe it's because i saw than in like the 2010s and they were all 'character A has become a girl now through some quirky hijinks!!! he is now a SHE and everyone changes the use of pronouns instantly with absolutely no one apologizing for it aside from some 'oops! i guess i just forgot! it's just...you look like a girl now! :) so that is what i will call you :) ya know? even though you were raised a boy :) socialized as a boy :) very much have a boy brain :) and were a boy 20 minutes ago and still consider yourself one '.

every single time without fail that's how the fic would pan out and at 10 years old it pissed me off to no end and i had no idea why until a few years later.

within those fics there's this common thing that happens, i guess you could call it a 'trope'. and it's where every single female character will band together and steal character A's clothes and replace it with dresses and ribbons and even lingerie. maybe they'll even kidnap character A for a 'makeover' and all the male characters they were either friends with or who hated them as a boy are now *blushing* and embarressed like they've never seen a girl before. or worse, they'll undress in front of character A because he's 'one of the girls now!' much to his GREAT discomfort because even if they call him a girl...he's not. he's still a boy. and he's getting essentially hazed and humiliated by women that he was previously friends with, respected, and treated very well.

now don't get me wrong dysphoria can very easily be written as something erotic and maybe sex/gender transformation fics have changed from...THIS.

one scenario i CAN imagine is tim being permanently turned into a girl (he can't reverse it) and now has to struggle with all his sudden gender and sexuality issues. (is he still a cis boy? is he trans now? is he still straight? gay?) but what's worse than the identity issues he's now facing is the shift in treatment from his friends, family, and acquaintances. he thought they'd be mostly normal about this change because their lives are weird and they've learned to roll with the punches but he learns that's not true when he goes to hang out with kon for the first time since the transformation.

they've always been close friends. they'd have frequent sleepovers and mess around with each other but now people treated their dynamic...differently. ma didn't let him and kon share a room anymore when he'd stay the night. bruce made him keep his door open when kon came over. even though nothing had ever even happened between them before!!!! but now he had a pussy and what? HE can't be trusted? KON can't be trusted?

if he and kon were going to fuck they would've done it ages ago and not now that tim had a pussy!!!!

the frustration tim would feel is unimaginable.

then changes occur with jason too!!! before the change, he'd smack tim around just for the sake of it. he'd show up during tim's patrol schedule and beat the shit out of him just cuz he was having a bad week. or just because he felt like it.

now???

jason won't lay a finger on him. even when tim mouthes off to him and says something that would normally earn him a punch.

stephanie 'jokingly' (but not really) takes tim out underwear shopping much to his discomfort (tim is still using his 'old' clothes) and tries to get him into girl clothes. and tim knows she doesn't have a lot of friends who are girls, HE KNOWS THAT. stephanie was always too brutish and loud, and 'insufferable' for most girls and he knew that hurt her because her only friend was cass. but that doesn't stop him from snapping at her and leaving her in the middle of a busy mall because he got irritated for the fifth time in an hour with her trying to get him to buy a dress so they could go clubbing together.

he feels for her not having any friends who are girls, he does. but it's not his job to fill that hole.

damian's insults are less about his skills and more about him being a 'woman' now even though tim's never claimed to be one and doesn't plan on ever being one.

even dick is weird about it. and that hurts more than anything because he wasn't. at first.

but then they were wrestling on the couch one day like they sometimes do and his hand coasted over tim's abs and squeezed tim's tit.

tim hadn't even noticed.

he was too focused on trying to get dick into a headlock but dick had frozen and leapt away from him like his skin was made of acid.

tim didn't use bras. why would he?

tits have been free since the dawn of time. so it's not like it was vital to his health or anything.

but...after that slip up on the couch dick stopped doing anything that required too much...hands on interaction between the two of them. hugs were now squeezes on his shoulders because if dick tugged him close he'd be able to feel tim's tits squish between them and that....made him uncomfortable now.

just tim being forcibly transitioned and now having to navigate the change in dynamic and power in all his relationships!! i think it'd be an absolutely fascinating character study and analysis on gender, sexuality, and society!!!!

(sorry im in the middle of an essay for class so i've got a more academic brain on tonight)