#me on this account: 'batfam time' me on the art account : 'batfam time'

[hellolulu]

Damian, still fresh to the family, but actually starting to warm up to the idea of them actually being his family, looks up online 'how to be a good little brother.'

He finds all sorts of things like, "using cuteness to get what you want from your elder siblings" (lame, no way that works) "fake extra tears when they punch you so your parents buy you icecream and whatever else you want" (why on EARTH would he want anyone think he could be so weak?) etc, but he also sees stuff about Pranks, sibling fights (in the sense of "you know they're real siblings because they'll throw hands one minute, then 5 minutes later be laughing watching tv together like nothing happened"), and concepts like Sibling Code (like, absolute secrecy between siblings toward their parents, threatening potential heartbreakers, etc).

Cue him pulling pranks, like leaving lego everywhere and waiting for his shoeless family to step on them, hiding things that the others need (like, right now), sneaking things into the batcave that shouldn't be in the batcave, throwing himself at his siblings to brawl without any reason and then promptly stopping also with no reason (and wondering why they won't spend time with him to bond afterward), planning out how to threaten a literal magic space princess (Kori, who would probably find it very cute if he actually made it that far), hiding Literally Very Important information about his siblings from Bruce and Alfred because he's not a snitch, and he is a great little brother. (he's going to get an A in Little Brother which is something totally normal to want and achieve)

He eventually gets BIG scolded for his constant misbehaviour, though. Bruce and Dick are asking why he's going off the rails so much when he doesn't even seem particularly angry anymore - in fact, sometimes he even seems fairly content! Is there an issue they're unaware of? Something he's not expressing to the family? They're not mad if there's a problem, they just want to help!

So, of course, he then has to embarrassingly explain that he was just following little brother protocol, according to.. the internet. He gets bullied about it for weeks by his elders (to different degrees), since the internet is not going to help anyone be a better sibling, but they also each try to explain (in their own ways) (their own waynes) why he was so, so very wrong about the way he approached being a good sibling, so he can hopefully improve at it (and stop terrorising the household).

(I saw a meme post about Damian putting legos all over the floor + hiding Tim's shoes to harm him and it made me think of the concept)

(Also once he learns that acting extra cute really can get him what he wants, he tries to use it now and then to his advantage, but is hilariously bad at doing it, since he doesn't really have a grasp on what makes a younger sibling cute (which is.... literally just existing,, according to me, a middle child). Lucky for him the others eat up every attempt because it's so obvious what he's doing that it becomes cute to them, so he doesn't need to get real practice with it until he tries to use it on a non-bat who laughs at him for far too long about it and thusly brews fire in him to go back to the pranks he tried at the start of the little brother training montage and show them real sibling pain for making a fool of him.)

[ghl-osty]

what kind of request do you do

anything from these shows/games:

-the owl house

-gravity falls

-miraculous ladybug

-star vs the forces of evil

-steven universe

-over the garden wall

-don’t hug me, im scared

-the amazing digital circus

-minecraft story mode

-omori

-encanto

-hazbin hotel

-helluva boss

-stranger things

-umbrella academy

-IT

-a series of unfortunate events

-ouran high school host club

-batfam/ dc

-dead end paranormal park

-spy x family

-welcome home

no NSFW, but you can give me scenarios and characters and things like that. you can ask questions for them too, and i’ll do my best to answer as close to their character as possible.

also! art takes time, everyone! it might be a day, a week, or a month before i get to your request because i am a very real person trying to get my shit together! but i’ll try my hardest for it not to be over two weeks.

for now, requests are free because i need ideas. but i reserve the right to change requests to commissions at any time. please be respectful of my decisions .

but thank you to everyone supporting me so far! i’m hoping to get a youtube and instagram account set up soon. be looking out for that!

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Recs 35

Work was busy this week, but I still got in some fics to read. Tbh, it's what helps me decompress when I get home.

Anyway, on to the fics! There is art included with some of the fics, so make sure to check those out and give the artists some love too!!

Something Like Brotherhood by minnow_doodle_doo - Batfam, complete. Jason and Dick have some brotherly bonding time while Bruce is away. Some lovely art too.

On the Long and Lonely Road Through Hell and Back (I'll Never Leave Your Side) by ivy_and_ivory - Bruce & Clark friendship, complete. Bruce and Clark go on a road trip after Jason's funeral. Much feels are had by all.

Superman and the Monstrous Bat-Man of Gotham City by EloiseReed - Superbat, complete. Bruce and Clark get together fic, but put it in the 1940s.

Capes Define their Hero by truc - Superbat, complete. Cape porn. Literally.

It Was Always You by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, complete. Turns out, Kryptonians have soulmates. Clark suffers (until he doesn't).

Hedging Your Bets by Mithen - Superbat, complete. Bruce gets turned into an adorable hedgehog. It's really cute.

A kindred bond by Nyszu - Superbat, wip. More of the Bruce kidnapped by Evil Clark fic! I go feral every time this updates.

Smothering Love: On how Batman's hugs are deadlier than his glares by msOdds - Superbat, complete. Omega Bruce gives the worst (or best, depending who you are) hugs ever. This fic makes me laugh every time I read it :)

Absolute Corruption by Violet138 - Superbat, wip. Part of the Earth-1477 series. Battinson deals with an evil Superman who is obsessed with him.

More Things in Heaven and Hell by JustGettingBy - Superbat, wip. More of the X-Files crossover fic!

Inbox by audreycritter - Batfam, complete. Jason listens to voicemails on his phone that were left after his death. Much feels are had by all.

Patchwork Pod by Ktkat9 - Superbat, wip. More of the mer Bruce fic! Bruce and Jason are on a rescue mission and everyone is Worried.

His Budding Blossom by tekowrites - Superbat, complete. No powers au. Clark owns a flower shop and hires grumpy accountant Bruce to help with his books. Bruce has a secret though (sexy lingerie 💖).

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the pregnant Omega Bruce fic. I never thought I would say this, but I LOVE sassy Omega Lex. It just Works. More lovely art by the talented januariat here (NSFW) and here (SFW). This is also another fic that I am absolutely feral about :)

cracked by still salvageable by aryelee - Batfam, complete. A secret garden au fic that I never knew I needed in my life. I was sobbing at the end. There is also lovely art that goes with the fic here and here.

Happy reading!!

[byghostface]

Hello there!

I saw your flamian/Daminika art in pinterest and boi am I happy to see more when I found your account! (you draw them really cute)

I love how you color and your rendering males your art seem so soft ❤

Question, is damian your favorite batfam member? If so, why?

Ty!!! For liking my art and finding my account for more!!!! It’s so nice to know people that care enough to track back to my page/social.😊💝💝

I personally like soft and romantic stuff a lot so it effects how I draw characters too I think.💗

Question, is damian your favorite batfam member? If so, why?

Yes he is! My first impression of Damian is the official and fan art of him and Goliath, plus the many arts of him surrounded by his pets. So I have taken interest in reading his comics because he is a massive animal lover. A no.1 trait that I always love when a character within.

But back then(7-8 years ago) I still relied on translated pirate sources, so I couldn't read much about him sadly, and at that time I’m still fixation on teen titans 2003 cartoons and teen titans related characters (still having hard times reading comic and the full capital letters then). And on top of that I didn’t like how Talia is portrayed as bad mom in most of it, so I lost interest later (now I know is bc racist writing).

Robin 2021 is the reason I get back into his character. I first saw that one of Damian and Nika on the roof top art by Gleb on Twitter(X), and look up for more info about the comics. And I have been drawn by the art style and the coloring and the excitement of tournaments plot ever since then.

Damian's grow and the parallels in the Robin 2021 is amazing to read. He started off as a lone teen taking all the blame onto himself (like his father), asking for his mother's support but after Talia nudged him, he still managed to find his own direction by investigates the tournament.

To me, he feels more ground and attentive to the people that around him at the time, also reconnected and more understanding to his Al ghul side of the family. And every importantly, he learns to accept that is okay to call for helping hands much like how his father call for help with Alfred when needed.

It’s refreshing to see Damian actually grow like a fourteen year old instead of how often some writers like to limit him at the surface level portray of a rude kid.

Anyway, I love Robin 2021 so much☹️🥲♥️ excellent plot and pace and character interactions, and it gives me my most favorite character ever: Nika Flatline DC Comics.

[unicreamuwu]

Okay, now this ain't some story stuff (I'm sorry...),

But, since I have a lot of yandere batfamily stories, drabbles, headcanons, and art packed up in my drafts, I'm just going to make a second account that will ONLY be about anything yan batfam stuff.

Give me a little bit of time to make sure that I have the account all set up for you guys.

My second account is up! It's still a work in progress, but you can still check it out.

New Account: @yan-batgirl

[les-mys]

Intro Post I Guess, Woah

Hiya!!! I go by Michael, Misery/Mys or Five :]

I'm Genderfluid so my pronouns change often, but sticking with he/him or xe/xem is a safe bet most of the time d:

I write sometimes, both fanfic and a couple of unfinished original works !! my ao3 account is SkeletalBlossoms :D

My art account is @misery-draws and I tag it all on there with #miserysart

I am in a lot of fandoms, the main ones at the moment being the magnus archives/protocol, the mechanisms, bungo stray dogs and more recently I've been getting into the batfam :>

Usually I'll tag text posts I make with #miserytalks but its a rather new thing so not all of them are

Support me on ko-fi !

[soopsiedaisies]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you sm for tagging me @lovelymasks and @strugglequill <3

How many works do you have on AO3?

16, though one is still hidden for fest.

What's your total AO3 word count?

140,294. Counting my, ahem, other/abandoned account, it's about 520k. Counting my drafts I think we've reached about a million.

What fandoms do you write for?

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Batman, and Harry Potter. I've got some WIPs for Bridgerton and Teen Wolf in my drafts as well though.

Top 5 fics by kudos?

an eye for an eye, a leg for a leg. A Batfam fic in which the Joker gets got.

drawn together. Another Batfam fic lmao, with Damian & Bruce being good at art.

yet, never, in extremity, it asked a crumb of me. Sirius & entourage saving little 5yo Harry from the Dursleys.

i watched as your life just fell apart. Charlus & Dorea Potter adopt Harry after Halloween and ensure Sirius gets a trial (with the help of Orion Black)

boy, you've been a naughty girl. Feysand Court of Nightmares smut.

Do you respond to comments?

I try to!! Sometimes I get a notification but I don't have the spoons to write out a deserving reply, but then I forget and then the next time I get a comment... it's been months and I'm too embarrassed to reply after such an enormously long wait. I also have a tendency to not reply to comments under the last chapter of multichaps until I've posted the new chapter.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

grim-old-place, I think, even though it isn't really angsty. I enjoy writing happy endings and hopeful open endings far more. Big fan of fix-its, personally. But yeah, grim-old-place is probably the one with the angstiest ending (despite being only a drabble) because it's just so. Hopeless, I suppose?

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

an eye for an eye, hands down. Hopeful and happy, which is not something you'd expect for a angry&angsty revenge fic full of grief.

Do you get hate on fics?

I don't. Not yet, at least (I'm sure it'll happen though? It's part of posting your stuff online for the world to see). Very thankful I've not gotten any hate yet.

Once I got 'hate' on my attitude towards JKR (in which I think she's awful), but that was not on the fic itself, more on my author's notes.

Do you write smut?

Yes. It's very awkward for me. I'm not a very sexual person lol.

Do you write crossovers?

I haven't! No inspo for a good crossover yet either. I'm more an AU person (Bridgerton Prongsfoot, anyone?)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No! [knocks on wood]

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I've only ever been asked (I think by a bot lmao), but no, no translations (to my knowledge)

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've tried and it ended in chaos <3 The other author and I are still friends, but our schedules just didn't align at all.

What's your all-time favourite ship?

Superbat! Prongsfoot is a close-second. (The ship I've shipped the longest is Zukka I believe)

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

I've got this time-travel Tomarry fic in my drafts that I want to completely write before posting, but idk if that'll happen lmao. There's a changed backstory to Harry that needs to be taken into account and it's just... a lot.

What are your writing strengths?

I'm very descriptive and (apparently) good at setting a vibe! It's always nice to hear that because those are, generally, my favourite bits in reading actual novels.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Sentence-structure variety, use of the passive voice, putting too much detail or far too little because I want to get to the fun bit, creating a well-rounded plot... many.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

I've considered it before for another WIP, but... I do think it'll take a reader out of the immersiveness of a fic. I'm also not fluent in any other language than English, Dutch, and Frisian, which may mean I'll royally fuck up any sentences I write in, say, French. There's this skin that allows you to show the translation when you hover though which is cool!! If you're confident in the other language, that might be something nice to look into haha

First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter (unpublished) or Hetalia. I think I've still got a USB stick with some ancient files on there lying around.

Favourite fic you've ever written?

oh, my dear girl. It was really fun to write female Harry in a good relationship with her aunt and cousin, and I've got some really fun bits in the upcoming sequels/chapters (undecided how I'll do that still) as well.

(There's another WIP (still unposted) that I just really love, in which Harry's consciousness travels to an alternate dimension and he ends up in the body of Henry 'Harry' Potter, James' twin brother (who is younger than James by twenty minutes). Henry's consciousness is still there and they just work together, which results in a lot of chaos (with James). )

I also adore nightcourt.gov because it's just humour and silliness which you just need sometimes.

No pressure tagging (I'm so sorry if you've already been tagged or have done this!) : @v-a-l, @plecotusauritus, @the-lonelybarricade, @separatist-apologist, @velidewrites, and anyone who'd like to do this :))

[nolanfa-fanart]

This here blog is for fanart I made and fandom-related things (mostly DC those days, previously Marvel, a long time ago teen wolf; trying to make fanart for smaller shows, books, and podcasts but we'll see). Main art blog at @nolanfa; clay sideblog is @nolanfa-clayworks ; reblog blog is @norefs ao3 account here (username: nolanfa)

Tags list: #wip: my art, unfinished #done: my art, final version #fic rec : either a rec list or just me illustrating a fic I love #chatter on comms: interaction with other people #dc (mostly batfam tbh) #marvel #teen wolf and then for the characters I usually tag as Name Surname, "name" being not the legal name but the one used in everyday life (so like Bucky Barnes, Dick Grayson)

[gothamhorrorzine]

Why isn't this zine being printed with full merch? Why won't there be a physical copy?

I've seen this question come up a lot in the interest check, so I thought I would provide an explanation.

No, this zine will not be available as a physical book or with any 'bulky' merch (i.e. charms, enamel pins, washi tape, etc). The book itself will be digital and there will most likely be an option to receive flat merch. Things that qualify as flat merch include: prints, stickers, sticker sheets, bookmarks, and cards. Why? Mostly for my own sanity. Physical production is a DAUNTING task that lasts multiple months and takes lots of time and effort. Getting the zine itself from the point of being a bunch of art and stories to an actual printable book with all the appropriate print-ready requirements is a month-long task itself and that's not counting all the changes that need to be made while in production. That also doesn't account for the fact that the same process often goes to each piece of merch. That's on top of coordinating the more complex merch pieces, there are hours of contact with manufacturers and artists. Digital merch requires no packing.

So why open this zine just to flat merch?

Flat merch is super quick both to produce and pack.

For example, with the full physical zine I have in production right now, the Any Which Way: a Batfam AU zine, I've had the flat merch completed and ready to send since June 10th. It took me approximately two weeks to finalise, order, and pack all the prints, bookmarks, and stickers for that zine.

Adding the bulky merch just... makes the task take so much longer. As a comparison, the AU zine had all its merch ordered on the same day - both flat merch and bulky merch. The flat merch has been waiting for almost a month now. The bulky merch is probably still two or three weeks away from being completed. This means the production process of these pieces will most likely take three months.

So yeah, I'm not sure how many people truly realise how much work producing charms, enamels pins, standees, etc is it's just... a lot. Honestly, I'm not sure people truly realise how much work running a zine is in general.

So, I want to avoid burnout while also giving myself the opportunity to explore more niche topics. Digital zines are great for that! They allow us mods to be a little looser, a little wilder, and do things that don't appeal to the widest audience possible. Plus, it means I'm not dying, which is a good thing all around because I know that people love my zines and want me to do more. Zines are my passion projects. I really and truly love them and the collaboration they foster. I think they are a wonderful way to raise money for charity and unite people from different corners of the fandom, but it's very possible to get burnout on them. So I'm trying to strike a balance between the amount of work I physically can take on and the number of projects I'd love to bring into creation.

~ Mod Kay

[skelebab]

🦟 Hi! I reblog alot of posts and make art and occasionally fanfics :)

Feel free to tag me in things and send asks and requests! (i don't make anything nsfw, proship, etc. and I will block you if you ask me to)

Currently working on:

- mcu dc (hc) crossover fic (haven't posted any of it yet)

- 5+1 world's finest fic (also haven't posted)

Some fandoms I'm into:

-luca

-dhmis

-mml/pnf

-community

-undertale

-tmnt (2012 and 2018 mostly)

-mp100

-rotg

-atla

-sonic

-dc

And more! So you can expect a variety depending on what I'm currently hyperfixating on :)

Tags, side blogs, and moots below cut

Specific tags (I'll put them on this post so they're easier to find):

- art (my art stuff, I know I have some art that isn't properly tagged, but that stuff has been lost to time at this point)

- my writing (it's my writing, obv)

- my silly creature (my animal persona)

- playlist (any playlists or music I decide to share)

- goodnight everybody (I put this on posts when I'm planning on going to bed, I'm normally exhausted when I add it so the posts can be a lil silly)

Side blogs:

@smudged-kaleidoscope (my account for personal stuff or random thoughts so they don't clog this one up anymore)

@antoniturtle (my rottmnt oc :D)

@mutant-teenage-turtle-ninjas (my tmnt version)

@mob-pirate-au (my mp100 au, nothing is really there yet, but there will be when my mob obsession comes back, I have a lot planned for it)

@tlrrottmntau (my future Mikey rottmnt au, yes I have 3 tmnt side blogs. Cry about it <3)

Fandom-related tags (also on this post)

- rottmnt human designs (exactly what it says, my rise human designs)

- spider troy (should technically be spider-troy but whatever, Troy Barnes from community as Spider-Man)

- time loop twins (my rottmnt time loop thingy)

- spray paint and stickers (my shellshocked au)

- skele sep au (my rottmnt sep au)

- batfam flock au (au where all the bat kids are Robin)

Super epic gamer mutuals for whom I would fight a thousand foes 💞💞💞

@roboobin

@gerawrd-xd

@obsidian-order-of-course

@kennethplus

@marsupialmode

@doppel-dean-er

@zenashisntgaming

@meowsogynist

@gayestclarinet

If we're moots and u wanna be added to this list just interact with this post :)

[timstolejasonscorpseagain]

Holo there

And welcome to my humble blog (lol) where i reblog whatever i want.

I'm Ghost! (He/him/it/its) Also known as.. many things. I'm a cryptid in my 20s.

This blog is unsuitable for minors and people who are squicked by blood, monsters, or similar stuff.

I block bigots who follow me on sight.

Fandom postings:

(i rarely tag stuff cus i fast reblog, i only rlly tag things like seizure warnings)

Anime/Manga, particularly One Piece, Shiki, Naruto, Ghost Hunt, HxH, Berserk. But anything is possible I guess.

Cartoons, specifically Danny Phantom, MLP;FIM, Steven Universe, Gravity falls. I think that's it, though.

Tv-Shows, specifically Supernatural un-ironically. I was there for the superwholock years. I haven't seemed to have left & Hannibal (NBC).

Games, Particularly Legend of Zelda games, God of war, Elder scrolls.

Misc stuff being Linked Universe, DC batfam,Homestuck, animals and shitposts.

I love music and reading in my spare time. I also occasionally do art, although not as much in these past couple years.

My music playlists:

Anything but English

Best of Vocaloid/UTAU

Best of Rock/Metal

Best of 2000s (according to me lol)

Dust Bunny (shiggy + izu)

Emo classics

Favourite OSTs

Hoe tunes

Jason Todd vibes

Nostalgia

Stripper Ace AU (collab w. Arson)

Team Red (Jason + Tim)

Fanart/ao3 account: @ghoulysaphomet

[imamfstarboyyy]

Intro/taglist!!

welcome to the silly blog! if you want to know more about lil ole me then click the carrd link below :3

and follow my silly art account @panicishere

ASK ME FOR SILLY DOODLES AND I MIGHT DRAW THEM!!!

TAGLIST

town crier - reblog

here ye here ye - my post

shot messenger - reply

court jester - friend interactions

panicart - my art

chortling - misc reblog

TOPIC TAGS

(will update with time)

its out there somewhere - gravity falls

bury the hatchet - hatchetverse/starkid

skulls & swords - lockwood & co

crows & bones - shadow and bone/six of crows

ancient magic - the owl house

running out of slime - slimecicle/some genloss

vengeance - batman/ sometimes misc dc

vengeance but silly - batfam

blue foods - percy jackson

unionizing - newsies

stopping the apocalypse - the umbrella academy

thanks pete - fall out boy

[cupcake-draws]

Introduction

Hi! My name is Cupcake!

I am 20 and go by all pronouns including it/its and neos. I use this blog to post my art and hopefully document the progress I make over time.

You can find me on artfight! Hurray!

My main is @blessedshortcake !

Get to know more under the cut!

I am a beginner so please don't be too judgemental. I will probably post more of my digital works rather than traditional but expect both. This place is art only but I am open to chat too if anyone is ever interested in stuff lol

I am Hungarian so English is not my first language, so please excuse any mistakes I make and feel free to correct me. I welcome constructive critisism about how I type more than about what I make /lhj

I am neurodivergent and have a handful of symptoms I am still making sense of so you may see me use tone tags. I won't force anyone to use them but I may ask for clarification at times since I am a little slow.

My current interests are Cookie Run, Arcane, Batfam, FNAF, Madness Combat and Undertale so I will probably post art about those the most. I usually make shitposts, memes or sketches/edits tho.

You may also see me make art about my friends and I, my headmates (I have OSDD but I won't go into explicit detail unless I know you, some questions are fine tho!) and probably what catches my eye from time to time.

I have OCs but I am not confident enough to draw them yet sooo yeah. Someday maybe.

My main account is @blessedshortcake ! You can find out more about me there, see how I am usually, my writing, more personal stuff I guess.

Boundaries

Spam interactions are welcome and very appreciated!

Reblogs > Comments > Likes

My DMs are open but I may take a little to reply. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by conversations or get anxious when I don't know what to say, but I love to chat so feel free to hit me up! (Tho it may be smarter to DM my main account haha)

My asks and submissions are also open if you have anything to ask me or want to show me! :)

DNI

MAP/PEAR/Pedophiles or whatever you are called. No thanks

If you ship/excuse/support incest/pedophilia, fictional or irl

Racists/Homophobes/Abelists, bigots in general

I am not an all seeing entity so if you notice that I am engaging with somebody who has been a dick then please tell me. I don't do a deep cleaning research on everyone's blogs who I come across but I'd like to know if it happens!

AI users/"artists". (Character AI, ChatGPD, etc)

TERFs, JK Rowling fans, RADFEMs

[epicdoorknobsart]

POV: the neighbor’s kid is stalking you

For day three of batober: watching

[incorrectbatfam]

canonically, how are each member of the batfam these days? I don't keep up with the comics because it's a mess and the characterization varies so much (especially Dami)

As of 8/2/2022

(spoilers ahead)

Bruce, Dick, Tim, Steph, Cass, Duke, Babs, and Selina all appeared in Batman #126, which just came out today. So far the storyline about piecing together the Penguin's lineage, including an introduction to two new members of the Cobblepot family. This specific issue did a good job of showcasing how the batfamily works together in an intense fight against Failsafe, however, the battle takes up a large chunk of the story—I give that part a 7/10 because Failsafe wasn't exactly the most compelling antagonist and the fight was a bit out of the blue. The focus also did lean more heavily on Dick than the other batkids. However, Selina's concurrent story with piecing together the Penguin's family made up for that as we uncover a new dimension to a long-time Batman villain. The expected release date for the next issue is September 6th, so hopefully they can clean it up a little then.

Jason appeared in Task Force Z #10 on July 26th. Jason and what remains of the team after the previous 9 issues are investigating Power Industries, where in a HUGE twist, they discover that Bane was Nobody the entire time (yes, the Nobody). The artwork fits the tone of the story and Jason's characterization has been pretty good, sort of on par with Urban Legends. I thought this was gonna be a filler issue so I was pleasantly surprised when they just jumped right into the main point. Also, I love seeing Jason's dynamic with Amanda Waller and other villains because it reinforces the fact that he's not 100% good or bad (as fandom likes to polarize him as)—he's versatile and can get along with people all over the moral spectrum. The projected release date for the next issue is 8/23.

Meanwhile, Damian's latest appearance was in Robin #16, which came out on July 26th, where Lord Death Man (yes, that weirdo) puts Damian's investigation into the Lazarus Island on pause. Flatline then calls Damian and Connor Hawke to Tokyo to deal with Lord Death Man, so we get a bit of international traveling bits. Mara Al Ghul and the Batman of Japan also appear in this, if you wanna count them as batfam? I like that this balances the sharper edges of Damian's personality with the classic Robin charm and I do kind of wish the series wasn't ending (alas, DC won't allow its characters to grow up). I also like that the setting of this story influences the artwork—you can see the subtle manga influences. Next issue comes out on 8/23. Overall I give this run an 8/10 because it explores a new, slightly more mature version of Damian's character, but I'm taking two points off because Lord Death Man annoys me to no end.

We see Alfred in Batman: One Dark Knight #3, which came out on 7/26. The story is a simplistic mini-run with good art as Batman nears the end of his journey to Blackgate. I like that this story takes place over a single night rather than stretched over a few days/weeks/etc. like we normally see—it's almost like Batman's typical Tuesday night. Alfred is still alive here, so it's nice to hear his sarcastic sense of humor after missing him for so long—it's sort of like seeing a family member at the airport. This comic also establishes him as DC's best trash-talker in his classic Alfred Pennyworth style. If I recall the miniseries is done, but the hardcover comes out on 9/13.

Luke Fox makes a cameo in Harley Quinn #18. Yes, that came out today too (#19 comes out on the 9th). Apparently the JLA left some old science experiments on their moon base so Luke puts together a team of former villains to... send them to the moon and clean it up (including Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Bronze Tiger, and Killer Frost). I just read it and I'm too confused to actually criticize at the moment. First, I think Task Force XX is a dumb name—it sounds like an account on an adult website. Second, I think the artwork is alright in that you have all these bright, poppy designs, but the bodies and expressions feel kinda stiff and off-putting. I think it has potential to be one of the more absurd, fun, campy storylines, so I'll hold out and see where this goes.

An alternate-universe Thomas Wayne closes in on the Clockwork Killer in Flashpoint Beyond #4, which also came out today. However, Dexter Dent gets in the way with his own mission to break his mother out of Arkham. I already had skepticism about Flashpoint Beyond because I tend to be skeptical about a lot of alternate timelines and was never the biggest fan of Thomas Wayne as Batman or Martha as the Joker. I don't know if I should be happy or not that they proved me right, because this run has been moving a bit slowly—it feels like they're dragging what could be summarized in 4 sentence out to 32 pages. Overall I'd say it's a 4/10 (since the artwork isn't too shabby). Again, I'm biased because I never liked the Thomas Wayne concept in the first place so take it with a pinch of salt. Next issue also comes out 9/6.

[river-bottom-nightmare]

i love the idea of the entire batfam being hypercompetent. just like. good at stuff.

because yea, they’ve all been trained extensively by a variety of teachers and mentors and various learning experiences. they all have their skills that they’ve honed to perfection for years. but there are just some things that they’re a natural at, things that make the unique, things that give them an edge just enough to rise to the top in a world full of gods and monsters.

yes, damian’s a trained assassin, and has been since birth. yes, damian works hard to keep his skills up. but the weapons training? it comes to him almost naturally. maybe it was something passed down from both bruce and talia, both deadly fighters in their own right. maybe it has something to do with the al ghul bloodline. either way, damian is absolutely deadly with a weapon in his hand. a blade can arc through the air faster than the human eye can see when it’s in his hand. he can work horrible wonders with an unbalanced sword, and turn combat into an art with a balanced one. tiny fingers wrap around the rough handle of a whip with surety, and he can slip batarangs into his palms and up his sleeves without them ever being seen.

tim’s got one of the most analytical minds of any vigilante alive. he’s not a supergenius or anything, and he leaves the higher-order computer skills and tech to barbara. but to him, the world is a puzzle after a puzzle, and tim never fails to solve them. figuring out dick and bruce’s identities. taking apart a grapple gun and fitting the parts together to make a beartrap. knowing exactly what to say and what to do to get bruce to break and bend and let him in. catching patterns in the chemical formulas of crane’s various toxins. reading through the lies that fell from his family’s lips like raindrops from the sky. everything and everyone tim knows are made of jagged pieces, but tim figured out early on how to put them together, step back, and take a look at the bigger picture.

people say cass doesn’t have any people skills, due to the years spent in isolation, spent alone. but the reality is, she has too many. reading people has always come easy, body language is an open book to her. but what many didn’t know was that there was a big difference between reading a book and analyzing it. it’s easy to see the insecurities of each of her brothers. it’s much harder to know exactly what to do or say to let them bring down their walls for just a moment, show their affection and prove their love in the smallest but most important of ways. it’s easy to see the poison of a smirk on a reporter’s lips, to catch the probing gleam of their eyes. it’s much harder to turn the reporter around, chasing their own tail until the story they were searching for in the first place was lost. it’s easy to pinpoint teammates and other heroes’ strengths and weaknesses, to see them play out in the field and plan for them the way every bat did. it’s much harder to make the others aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, and to convince them to put aside their ego and work on bettering themselves. but cass seemed to have a knack for it.

jason may like playing up the role of the blustering, bull-headed wild card of the family.  mafia-don-from-movies meets muscled brawn. but he’s got a literary mind at the heart of it all. he’s real good at codes and decryptions, because he’s read about them before. he’s lightning fast a nygma’s riddles, because he’s poured through the books from which riddler gets his inspiration a hundred times over. life and art turn into one in his mind, and overlaying his family’s stubbornness and trust issues with novel style analyzations and character assessments that help him understand their interactions a little better. words float off the page and wind their way inside his head, and some may call him dramatic when he can’t force himself to speak so he uses quotes instead, but never say echolalia wasn’t useful.

each member of their worn out and sewn together family had their niche, their own particular area in which they excelled. but dick was brought up in a world where there was only two protecting gotham, two partners working together to keep an entire city from falling apart. jack of all trades, master of none, but better of master than one, dick always said, eyes twinkling with mischief. because sure, his acrobatic prowess was unchallenged. but he grew up on the road visiting city after city, country after country, and it gave him a head for languages. not even dick is sure how many languages and regional dialects he actually knows. his darling little smile was honed to perfection, and interrogations with him never lasted that long. you could drop him in the middle of nowhere and he’d always find his way to civilization, or you could toss him in the middle of a bustling but unfamiliar city, and he’d always make his way back.

me, aggressively chugging sparkling probiotic drinks: I JUST WANT THE BATFAM TO BE FREAKY LIL FUCKS WHO ARE JUST UNATRUALLY GOOD AT STUFF, OKAY???

tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @elles-shitposts-personified @anothertimdrakestan i’m tagging both accounts bc elle it’s like you don’t even love me anymore. @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @catxsnow @pricetagofficial @yesboopityboop @dangerduckjpeg @astroherogirl @iconbicon