#most current dc writers

[were-wolverine]

i think dc should just stop making comics for the Batfamily for a while. go on a short break. stop ruining characters. stop writing stupid fucking storylines. just give us a goddamn break PLEASE

there’s literally so many other characters dc could focus on in the meantime that absolutely deserve to have their own comic runs. like they’re not running out of characters to write about at ALL

idgaf if they don’t sell as well as the batfam/superfam, people wanna see their favorite under-appreciated characters!

[knockknockitsnickels]

I know this is probably not at all a hot take among fans of her but Amanda Waller really is an interesting character who the writers use in the least interesting way possible

[danothan]

“when hal ran away… i moved home. i gave my life for our family just like mom… when has hal ever given this family anything?” -> “families don’t leave each other… not ever.”

oh so that’s how hal sees it, he thinks he left his family behind by running away and not that, yk, they forced him out. glad to know his estranged big brother’s words stuck with him forever

and the worst part is that this isn’t even his worst nightmare. this is just trial and error to DISCOVER his worst fear, and it doesn’t even land. hal has grown a lot since then, he’s just accepted this as the truth

[why-rock-look-tasty-if-no-eat]

PREACH!!!

Stop the Damian slander! He is highly trained, and anyone who knows anything about blood knows not to ingest it! He would definitely know about blood borne diseases and how to make sure he doesn't put himself in harm's way more than needed.

People forget that he was still raised as a prince in the LoA, he most definitely is not feral. Rude, yes. Feral? Never, that's simply not on his character and it erases a lot of it when writing him like that. Again, he was raised like a prince. Princes aren't feral.

Most people also forget that he is a kid, a very traumatized kid who was raised to kill. He is a mammas boy, and loves animals because it's a family trait. The al Ghuls have an animal sanctuary, they do some good in the world even they are a bunch of assassins.

Damian is also written as if he was born in America and raised there. There are going to be growing pains, and cultural shocks. There are going to be differences in how he tans, his food preferences (past veganism), and how he starts and ends his day than most people here in America would.

You don't have to do a deep dive into Arabic, Jewish, and Chinese culture and history, but at least remember that he isn't going to be a white boy from NJ. That kid also isn't ignorant of American culture either, so please don't dumb down his character.

Damian is actually very smart, and has a wide set of skills (like magic! He can straight up use magic, though I don't know if that came from Bruce or Talia) that isn't used. People love to fit Damian into a little mold and set him up on a shelf to look at when he is a 12 ft marble statue.

You just need to take a closer look and realize that what you have on your shelf is a shoddy reconstruction of the real deal and take the effort to actually witness Damian for who he is.

—> I need to yap about damian so I'm yapping about damian on my damian blog. 🤯

Anyways, I really like how a lot of people do believe that Damian would bite even though he was heavily disciplined and abused as a child on how to fight correctly and accordingly. That lil guy was definitely taught that biting wasn't acceptable and definitely isn't fair to use in any sort of fight.

I also really want to talk about how so many comics & the dcau mentions how Damian would be impure and filthy when he, in fact, is probably one of the most germaphobic and polished Robins. 😭

Have you seen his mother's side of the family? That boy has a skin care routine involving over 20 steps just to keep his skin clear.

I'm telling you, when he gets his first zit, he freaks out over it and thinks he's dying (he knows it's acne, but the world is ending because god forbid he gets a pimple.)

UGH ALSO, I just love when people draw Damian with ethnic features, especially since he's Jewish, Arab, and Chinese. I love the people who do that !!

[graysoncritic]

A (Negative) Analysis of Tom Taylor's Nightwing Run - Introduction

Introduction Who is Dick Grayson? What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization What Went Wrong? Barbara Gordon What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (Part 1, Part 2) What Went Wrong? Melinda Lin Grayson What Went Wrong? Bea Bennett What Went Wrong? Villains Conclusion Bibliography

I want to start this essay by admitting I’m actually embarrassed by its length. Why did I spend so much time on something I dislike? The truth is, I did not begin this with the intention of creating such an extensive, formal study of the Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing run and how it reflects the wider problems with DC’s handling of one of their most iconic characters. I was just trying to organize the thoughts that came up during discussions with other Dick Grayson fans. Before I knew it, I had enough material, enough desire to challenge myself, and enough frustrations to vent to properly create this monstrosity.

I did not begin this Nightwing run determined to hate it. In fact, I was ready to love it. As Taylor promoted the run before the first issue was officially released, I was so excited for it. As I read short interviews where he discussed Heartless, I could not wait to have a new, incredible villain. Foolishly, I believed Taylor when he said he loved Dick Grayson. 

Needless to say, I was disappointed. Then frustrated. Then angry. The beginning of any story is a period where writer and reader form an indirect bond, and as the story progresses, so do the highs and the lows of said relationship. As such, a reader’s tolerance for negative factors will either increase or decrease depending on their experience up until that point.

In other words, if the writer fails to earn the reader’s trust and instead takes their attention for granted, even seemingly insignificant details become irritating in a way they would not be if presented in a better story. In such scenarios, the reader can no longer overlook those minor moments because there’s little good to balance them out with. It is a death by a thousand cuts. 

In the case of Taylor and Redondo’s run, along with those thousand cuts are also broken bones, internal bleeding, head trauma, and severed limbs. A weak plot, simplistic morality that undermines the story’s stated themes, and, most importantly, a careless disregard for Dick Grayson and everything he stands for utterly destroyed my enjoyment of this series. 

It is still too early to tell what sort of impact Taylor’s (as of time of writing, still unfinished) run will have on Dick Grayson’s future portrayals. But just because we cannot predict its long term significance, it does not mean we cannot critique it. Currently, we simply lack the benefit of hindsight. 

If this essay were to have a thesis, then it is this: Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing not only fails to tell a compelling Nightwing story, but it also exemplifies a cynical, self-serving, and shallow approach to storytelling that prioritizes creating hollow viral moments to boost the creators’ own online popularity over crafting a good story, honoring the character in their care, and respecting his fans – fans who have, historically, often been women, queer folk, and other individuals who felt othered by a cisheteronormative patriarchal society. Taylor and Redondo’s thoughtless and superficial narrative not only undermine the socially progressive ideals they supposedly care for by propagating a cisheteronormative patriarchal worldview, but they also demonstrate a lack of love and understanding for the character in their care. At best, Taylor and Redondo have no interest in getting to know Dick Grayson, nor any respect for their predecessor and their contributions to this character. At worst, they despise Dick so much that they wish to reinvent him into something completely different, tossing away everything that was special to his fans in order to appeal to a readership that never cared about Dick Grayson. 

I structured this essay so that, hopefully, each part will build on the ones that came prior. Naturally, because all aspects of a story are interlaced, there will be overlaps between each of the sections. As it may have become obvious from this introduction, I’ll be focusing primarily on the writing of this run. That is not to say that I will not address the art, but writing is the field I know most about, and so it feels only fair to focus my critique on that. 

I hope that by the end of this essay, I will have successfully proved that this run’s mishandling of different narrative elements betray a cynical appropriation of progressive ideology and a disregard and disinterest in what makes Dick Grayson so special to so many people. This is an attitude that is present within DC Comics’ current ethos as a whole.

Now, who is this essay for? Honestly, it’s probably not for Tom Taylor fans. I do not believe I’ll be persuading anyone with my writing, and, to be quite honest, neither would I say I wish to do so. Taylor and Redondo’s run has won numerous awards and has many dedicated fans who adore it for what it is. If that is you, then I’m glad. I wish I could be among your numbers. I wish more than anything that I could love this story. But I do not, and I know many others agree with me, and it is to them, I think, that I’m speaking to. As Taylor’s run is praised to heaven and back, I needed a safe space to voice my thoughts. This essay became this safe space. And to others who also feel unseen by the constant praise this run is getting, I think this could speak to you, as well. To be cliche and cringe, this will hopefully let you know that you are not alone. 

Finally, I want to acknowledge some people whose thoughts greatly contributed to the creation of this essay. For around three years now I’ve been having wonderful interactions with other Dick Grayson’s fans, and those discussions were not only incredibly fun and cathartic, but also provided great insight into what needed to be included in this essay. My best friend especially gave me a space to vent when I got frustrated, and my original outline borrowed a lot from the messages I sent her, as well as notes I took for our discussions.  

I’ll also be directly quoting four different Dick Grayson fans (identified as Dick Grayson Fans A, B, and C in order to allow them to keep their anonymity). Their analyses were so critical to the formation of my thesis and for a lot of what will be addressed in this essay that I actually feel like they deserve co-credit in this essay. Dick Grayson Fan B especially deserves a shoutout in helping me track down a couple of pages used as supporting evidence, as I knew what pages I was looking for but was having a hard time remembering in which issue they were located. I’m quoting them with permission, and crediting their ideas and contributions whenever relevant. 

Now, without any further ado, let’s get started. 

[preposterousjams]

My opinion on the Latino Jason Todd headcanon

While I do understand ppl's criticism of the latino Jason todd headcanon and how its kind of racist to make the kid with parents with drug problems as the latino one, to me its more of a reclamation BECAUSE of DC's racism.

Read any 80s/90s batman issue that covers gang violence and drugs, most if not ALL of the criminals are poc; black people and latinos visibly make up the majority in the poorer neighbourhoods in Gotham. Aside from the caricaturist way they r drawn/speak, its not THAT weird cause its a reflection of irl big cities where immigrants and marginalised ppl are often forced to live in such situations, (like most of my dominican family lives in the bronx... it aint racist to say dominicans tend to flock there), BUT...the weird part is when the second a sympathetic character comes from that area, he's white and has a name thats "too fancy for the streets".

Obviously, Jason was created to look like the old robin, so I can't say that the whole "diamond in the rough" situation was purposely a tad bit racist, but its still a lil weird (especially with bruce's comment).

If Jason were a part of the overwhelming demographic in his area, the good-kid-in-a-bad-area trope has less connotations. DC is currently trying to fix this trope is by making crime alley whiter, which isn't bad but they could've just yk... humanised the non-white residents.

I also feel like the messed up way Jason was treated post-death is what makes him so relatable to latino readers. His tragic story of dying while trying to save his only living relative is turned into a lesson for newer vigilantes. Jason's particular disdain for abusers on a few occasions was twisted (by both writers and characters) into him always being dumb, reckless, cocky, angry and disobedient, always violent, never having been able to get over his upbringing. None of those things were true (he was a normal level of reckless and cocky like every other robin, not more), but its an easier narrative to digest compared to how it was in reality; a kid who worked so hard and loved even harder, died to save a woman who couldn't care less about his existence. He was an emotional AND smart kid who wanted so bad to help others get better but was remembered as too emotional (in a bad way).

THIS is the reality for many latino diasporas in day to day life; Theres no question that Latino culture is passionate and emotive, but people from other cultures assume that it is followed by instead of logical. both can coexist. emotion does not mean u have no logic. Emotions can be irrational but they aren't inherently that way, and I wouldn't say that the moments where Jason lashed out as a teenager were irrational (in og runs, not rewrites post red hood), they were mostly done to protect someone (going crazy on abusers, disobeying batman to save sheila, that time he got into a fight at school to defend his friend).

A lot of euro-centric culture is OBSESSED with the idea that rationality is separate from feelings and emotions, but not crying at a funeral doesn't mean you're better than those who do. Emotions are the basis of human ethics and morals, they define the way we interact as a collective and ignoring them does not mean they are not there. Theres no winner to a contest of who can feel the less. And the way Jason's emotions are treated (pre-rh, hes definitely unhinged afterwards lol) is so in line with how white culture tends to punish those who aren't ashamed to feel.

I TOTES UNDERSTAND that some ppl who headcanon Jason as latino are doing it for the complete opposite of reasons, like "oh here some angry emotional guy with druggie parents, haha must be latino". Its weird. I dont like it. And its only brought up so he can swear in spanish in some rlly bad text post where his emotions are getting out. But to me there's so much potential for metanarrative and commentary on how latinos are treated in media that can be exemplified through the way his character is treated. Being latino would add SO MUCH DEPTH to his character and his dynamic with the others.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Birds Initiative - Introduction

Before I do ANYTHING else, and before you read anything else...let's start this with a little poll, shall we?

...Look, I'm an overly ambitious person by nature. It's a problem, I'm fully aware. So, in the midst of writing character essays, imagining my own version of the DC Cinematic Universe (I promise, I will return to the Legion of Super-Heroes series; been having writer's block, not gonna lie), and about a dozen other projects that don't include school and my job (one and the same thing, and I love both, but I'll get to that one day)...I had another thought. That I would like to present to the good people of Tumblr (and perhaps beyond).

The state birds suck.

Most people on Tumblr don't know this about me, save for a select few that no me in real life (hey guys, 'sup), but I'm an avid birdwatcher, and am currently working in ornithology as a profession and student. As such, and as a former (and future) teacher, I have a vested passion in spreading the word. And one of the first ways most of us in the United States engage with birds, other than through the world and people around us, is through our national bird and state birds. Oh, and for anybody reading this not from the USA, don't worry, national birds are included here, too.

Now, in case you don't know for whatever reason, each one of the states in the United States has a bird meant to represent the state, designated by the government and often nominated by the state's citizens. This tradition started in 1926, with Kentucky's national bird, the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Now, most states have an official state bird, although Pennsylvania technically has a state game bird, rather than a state bird. We'll get to it. But in any case, there's a bird associated with every state.

But, uh...most of them suuuuuuuuuuuck.

Now, for example, I'm not saying that the Northern Cardinal sucks. Far from it! I love cardinals, and honestly, who doesn't? They're handsome birds, they have a lot of character, they're recognizable in most states in the Union by most people. I love them! But, uh...cardinals are extremely overused as state birds. Kentucky chose them as their state bird first, and were followed by Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia. That's ridiculous. Also, wait, really, Virginia? You saw that West Virginia had it already, and STILL went for the cardinal? What the hell?

But why? Maybe there's a good reason for all of those states to choose the cardinal, after all. Obviously, it's present in all of those states, because...well, the Northern Cardinal is basically everywhere. But other than that, why? Well, let's see.

Kentucky: Unclear, but it's likely because of its prevalence, songs, and nonmigratory behavior, at least according to some sources; there isn't a lot of evidence online as to why outside of this.

Illinois: For this one, we blame the children. Yeah, kids voted this one sd the symbol, choosing it over the bluebird, meadowlark, bobwhite, and oriole, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. So, yeah, probably because it's familiar and red.

Indiana: For...reasons. Yeah, even less is known about this choice. Safe to assume, though, that it's because it's familiar and red.

Ohio: Apparently, this is because it's red and has a cheerful song. 'Kay. Again, not a lot of evidence for this one, but we'll go with it.

North Carolina: This one also came down to public vote, after a campaign initiated by the North Carolina Bird Club in 1943. It won over the red-winged blackbird, wild turkey, scarlet tanager, and gray catbird. Apparently, this was the second attempt at a state bird, as the Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) had been chosen ten years earlier, but only retained the position for a week because the bird's other name is, and this is true, the tomtit. And that was apparently too lewd for the title of state bird. Jesus. We'll get back to that when I address North Carolina officially.

West Virginia: Again, chosen and voted by schoolchildren, and chosen because it's familiar, red, and has a cheerful song. 'Kay.

Virginia: No idea. Also, don't listen to the sites that say their bird "exemplifies the quality of the state" unless they have the GODDAMN PAPERWORK to back that shit up. If I had to guess, it's possibly because the northern cardinal is one of the first birds seen in the state by settlers to the continental USA, who landed in...Virginia. So, the state's got a historical connection to the cardinal, meaning that the last state to ratify it as a state bird is the one to make the most sense to do so.

So, yeah...only one of those makes sense to me. Otherwise, it just feels...random. And by the way, many of the state birds do make some sense. Utah's choice, the California Gull (Larus californicus), has roots in a Mormon miracle, which makes perfect sense for the Mormon state. Louisiana's Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is an iconic species to the American southeast, and a massive proportion of the species breeds in the state. Same goes for the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus), the state bird of Oklahoma. Iconic and unique grassland bird, and it breeds within the state in high quantities for the global population.

But others? Why does New York (a state I grew up in and around) have the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) for its state bird? Because it's blue and nice-looking? Why exactly do Wyoming, Oregon, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, and North Dakota ALL have the Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)? I love the song too, and it's an iconic grassland species, but really? All of you? And Maine? Maine...Maine. I mean, you didn't even go for a specific species and just listed "chickadee" as your state bird. Why? There is a MUCH. BETTER. OPTION. OBVIOUSLY. But...I digress.

...FUCK IT

WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH IS MAINE'S STATE BIRD NOT THE ATLANTIC PUFFIN (Fratercula arctica)??? ANSWER ME MAINE GODDAMMIT

Seriously, what the hell? It's the only state IN THE UNION where the Atlantic puffin breeds, and it's an incredibly iconic bird! I mean, look at that thing! They're adorable, fish-eating, clumsy-flying, feathery orbs with a Froot Loops beak (for part of the year), complete with their own fucking cereal that I ate constantly as a child. And their babies are called pufflings! PUFFLINGS!!! DO YOU HEAR ME MAINE WHAT THE FU

...OK. OK. I'm good. Look, this genuinely irritates the SHIT out of me, both as a hobbyist and as a professional. There are near 1,000 bird species that can be found in the United States, and the state birds are, honestly, some basic-ass choices that doesn't BEGIN to explore the incredible diversity of this taxon. And honestly, maybe if we changed up the state birds, we could increase awareness for these animals and their conservation stories and needs. There are so many missed opportunities here for us as educators, birders, ornithologists, backyard birdwatchers, and even Birdblr, to educate those around us who aren't as ornithologically-inclined. Imagine being able to convince a friend to go find the state bird on a trip some weekend. It could be a fun activity, and a fun way to get into birdwatching and the natural world! IT'S GOT POTENTIAL!!!

And look, I realize I'm not alone on this front. Various people have proposed changing up the state birds, including some more powerful professionals than I. If you haven't seen it yet, check out this essay series from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that came out last year, which asks whether or not eBird could be used to identify better candidates for state birds. And I'll be using it for what's coming next. Because here's the thing. I'm tired of ranting alone in the dark towards nobody while my fiancee is trying to sleep about this. I need to rant to you poor people instead. And what's more...I want people to rant with me. If they want to. So...

TO ME, BIRDBLR!!! LEND ME YOUR BINOCULARS!!!

I propose an initiative to create a new list of state birds for the United States of America. And I'm talkin' EVERY state, baby! Even the ones that have fitting birds, as mentioned above. We live in a GODDAMN DEMOCRACY, and I say that we put this to a vote. So, Imma make a series of polls, one for each state. And yeah, that's 50 polls. Each will have a selection of birds, including the current state bird for that state, and I'll present the options in each case. The rules and selection criteria for the birds I'll present are as follows:

The bird has to be wild and breed in the state in question. No migrants, to accidentals, no introduced species (looking at you, South Dakota), no domestic species (looking at you, Rhode Island and Delaware). They're from the state, they breed there, and they're wild. Don't have to be endemic to the state, but they need to be found there, at bare goddamn minimum.

No repeats! Every state will have a different species! No more repeats. If there are any ties for states to get a given bird, another set of polls will be made at the end to determine which state will get that bird, and the second highest bird will claim the spot for that state. I'll try to avoid that for each state, but we'll see how things go.

There has to be a reason for their selection. For each of the birds presented for each state, I'll make a solid argument for their nomination. This also goes for any birds submitted to me for suggestions (and yes, I mean to say y'all can make suggestions if you want to for each state). If you have a bird you think would be good for a state, especially if it's your state, please give me a reason. Not that it's pretty, not that you like it's song, not that it "represents the spirit of the state's people" for no easily defined reason. GIVE ME A REASON

And for now, that's it! And hell, if this gets popular or demanded (and I'm saying this if, like, 30 people pay attention to this post), I'll also do the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. And hell (again), I'll even consider doing other countries if that gets demanded, definitely starting with Canada and seeing how things go from there. And finally...if people want it, maybe even the Bald Eagle (Halieetus leucocephalus) will go up for debate as the USA's national bird. Although, not gonna lie, I think that we're stuck with that one. Still, there are other questions that can be brought up if this gets popular enough. For now, though, let's focus on one thing at a time.

So, hopefully you answered the poll at the top, because I am curious as to what you think about your state bird. And just to set this up, the first state on the chopping block is Delaware, which has one of the most offensive state birds, in my opinion. Because seriously. What the fuck, Delaware? What the fuck.

See you soon, hopefully! And happy birding!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results

[fae-morrigan]

It has officially happened enough times that like. I feel the need to make a formal post about it because good fucking god.

Jay Nakamura is an Asian man. His last name is one of the most common Japanese last names... ever. His first name is extremely common in Asian communities and is likely a romanization or shortening of the many many asian names that start with the syllable 'jay'. From a (fictional, but created BY ASIAN MEN specifically as a commentary on japan/korea) Asian country that is historically exploited by the United States. His entire story focuses on the fact that he does not have white privilege and is often exploited by white people. He LOOKS LIKE THIS.

The fact that Jay is nonwhite and is marginalized for being nonwhite is something that has been acknowledged multiple times by multiple authors. Namely Nicole Maines, his current main writer, who has retweeted analysis threads and made comments about how his development and radicalization is informed by this lack of privilege.

Yet numerous people have approached me, specifically when I am actively talking about how important it is that Jay is a man of color, and gone, well, isn't he white?

I cannot even BEGIN to FATHOM why this happens. You have to be a certain kind of dumb to look at JUST HIS NAME and go, ah, a white man. Do people think Nakamura is a French name or something?

But I can guess it comes down to a few things:

People just don't see Asian folk as people of color, I guess, outside of when they can be fetishized. This actually has been a problem in DC fandom specifically for a long time; I've noticed it particularly with Cass Cain and Damian Wayne, where their heritage will either be erased in favor of their white halves, or they'll be sexualized in the context of their cultures being orientalized.

In this same vein, race is often treated by fandom as purely cosmetic, and not something that could impact how a character is meant to be read or thought about in the story. This is part of how you get headcanons that end up leaning into racial stereotypes.

Jay is very obviously visibly queer. White people tend to assume we are the arbiters of queerness. Therefore, whenever a character has queer signifiers (dyed hair, piercings, etc), is queer, they are presumed to be white. It's the goddamn pink hair again, people can never be normal about it!

People who don't want to look racist online, but who also don't like Jay (and haven't read his stuff), are trying to convince themselves and others that they aren't actually putting down a character of color.

jay hasn't had a writer to whitewash him yet, so the fans gotta pick up the slack

[deesea-ao3]

Fun Lore Ideas for Fawcett City

I've been sitting on these concepts for ages and need to get them out of my system. For my current WIP, it was important that I have a strong concept for what kind of city Fawcett was going to be. While the plot isn't technically taking place in Fawcett, a huge amount of my lore interpretations/characterisations rely on there being a solid original setting to draw from. Also, it's super fun to extrapolate history and economy for a fictional magic city to try and make it feel as plausible as possible.

Now, to start with, I had to establish where the city would actually be located. Fawcett is typically represented and/or thought of as being in the Midwest, so I was able to whittle down my options even more. I couldn't have it too close to Central City, Keystone City, or Smallville since I wanted Fawcett to retain its isolated feel. It'd be harder for it to get away with being magic if it was a stones throw from speedster stomping grounds, for instance. In the end, I looked up old maps of America DC Comics had officially released for inspiration. What I got were these:

The first didn't have Fawcett at all, and the second had it placed near the border of Wisconsin. The latter was serviceable for my purposes. However, I wanted something more to draw from. I wanted to make Fawcett feel like an actual city with history before I slapped on the magic superhero. It technically was just an ordinary city until Shazam placed a portal there after all.

My second go of looking for inspiration was much more fruitful. I looked at a few fan-made maps and eventually stumbled upon this one in a reddit forum:

Upon closer inspection, I realised something.

That's fucking Chicago.

The idea that then formed was brilliant, my best one maybe ever. If I don't want to write a 2K+ document detailing an organic history of fictional Fawcett City, coupled with local industry and culture to boot, I can just STEAL a real one!

The existence of IRL Chicago is not necessary for my story, and its absence would be barely noteworthy in the grand scheme of things. Functionally, it wouldn't even be gone. Its location and major historical events would still have occurred, just under a different name. It not only saves me tons of labour as a writer, it's also fucking hilarious.

The heart of ALL of magic lies in an abdoned subway station in downtown Chicago Fawcett, the Windy city that houses pagan subcultures, talking animals, cursed objects and people who still think it's 1945.

Southern Lake Michigan has freshwater mermaids. The flat lands of the city proper are surrounded by bluffs as old as the ice age, which thrum with prehistoric magic. The sunset is always pink, and moonbeams are brighter somehow here. In the river that flows through art-nouveau styled skyscrapers swim fish with rainbow scales. The people are happy and chatty and full of little secrets, kept close and safe for rainy days. The woman who dresses in leaves and sleeps on park benches is liable to be simply human, but the jolly old milkman who visits you every morning is fae through and through. Weird is normal and normal is weird.

All while in Chicago, Illinois, one of the most populous, wealthy cities in America since the 1870s. The mechanic who enchanted your car to not break down anymore was raised by regular steel mill workers. The politician who dreams of addressing the city's entrenched class divides is stuck doing paperwork to establish legal protections for the local gnome population's tree houses. When it snows in winter, Yetis clear driveways and salt the sidewalks. No one talks about it much because what is noteworthy about public servants doing their jobs? So what if they're Yetis? You got a problem with that?

Fawcett blows Gotham out the goddamn water for weirdness, but because they're so nonchalant and humble about it, Gothamites walk around smugly assured of their tolerance for insanity, unaware of the bigger fish, which is the average Fawcett citizen. When tourists come to visit, the very genre of reality changes the second they step foot within city lines.

Fawcett solos, tbh. DC writers are weaksauce for not seeing the vision that is mystic Chicago city, home to all of magic.

[luv-lock]

Can I ask why you hate Tim 😭 I’m genuinely curious im just getting into batfam lore and I see so many ppl hating on him

I don’t hate Tim as a character—I used to love him. He was one of my favorite Robins for years because of how well-written and unique he was. But over the past 6-7 years, the writing has completely ruined him.

Tim started as the smartest Robin, someone who stood out because of his brains and determination. He wasn’t chosen to be Robin because of tragedy or by accident—he earned it. He figured out Batman and Robin’s identities on his own, proving how intelligent and capable he was. He became Robin not because he needed Batman, but because Batman needed him. That dynamic made him special.

But now? He’s gone from being the 'smartest Robin' to what DC themselves called the 'always-online bisexual.' That’s literally how they described him in their marketing, and it shows how little respect they have for his character. Instead of focusing on his intelligence, his strategic mind, or his growth as a hero, they’ve reduced him to a walking label. His sexuality is the only thing they emphasize now, and that’s not representation—that’s lazy writing. Not to mention the arts sucks. The artists who make comics for him are coming straight out of Wattpad. Look at this shit:

The art sucks. Now compare this trash to these:

Fucking beautiful. I can just look at it and be happy. Idk about others but it's obvious which one I'm going to buy.

And the change wasn’t organic. Tim was written as straight for 40 years. He had deep, meaningful relationships with female characters, especially Stephanie Brown. Their relationship was one of the healthiest and most developed in the Batfam. They supported each other, they had chemistry, and it felt natural. But then the writers threw it all away. His new relationship feels hollow and forced, like it only exists to make him a bisexual character.

Don’t get me wrong—representation is important. But when it’s done this way, it feels like a checkbox, not real development. A character’s sexuality isn’t a personality trait or an arc. Tim was more than his sexuality before, but now it feels like that’s all DC cares about.

Compare this to other Robins:

Dick Grayson (the first Robin):

Dick is the OG, but when he debuted, people didn’t take him seriously. Back then, he was seen as a sidekick—a kid in bright tights following Batman around. When DC aged him up and transitioned him into Nightwing, he became a leader, a symbol of independence, and the heart of the Batfamily. Now he’s beloved, but it took years for fans to respect him.

Jason Todd (the second Robin):

Jason was hated when he first replaced Dick. Fans thought he was just a cheap copy—another circus kid in a Robin costume. His personality rubbed people the wrong way, and the backlash was so bad that DC actually let fans vote to kill him off. But when Jason was brought back as Red Hood, his character was transformed. He’s now a fan-favorite because of his anger, his moral complexity, and his strained relationship with Bruce. Fans went from hating him to loving him, but it took a lot of work to get there.

Damian Wayne (the current Robin):

Damian started as an arrogant, entitled brat. Fans found him unlikable, and many hated that he replaced Tim as Robin. But DC invested in his growth. Over time, Damian became more humble, learned to work with others, and developed his own unique dynamic with Bruce. Now, he’s seen as one of the most compelling Robins.

Tim, however, had the opposite journey. When he debuted, he was instantly loved. He wasn’t a tragic orphan or a rebellious anti-hero. He was just a smart, determined kid who figured out Batman’s identity and stepped up because he believed Batman needed Robin. Fans loved that. His comics as Robin sold for years—something Dick and Jason never achieved when they were Robin.

But now? Tim has gone from being one of the most beloved Robins to a joke. DC doesn’t know what to do with him, so they’ve reduced him to being the 'always-online bisexual' (their own words). His entire character now revolves around his sexuality. A character’s sexuality isn’t character development. I only care about sexuality when it's comes to watching porn. Tim was so much more than that. He was the smartest Robin, the strategic genius who could outthink even Bruce. But now, that part of him is gone.

He’s not Robin anymore, but he doesn’t have a clear role or identity. While Dick is Nightwing, Jason is Red Hood, and Damian is Robin, Tim is stuck in this weird limbo. DC hasn’t given him a meaningful arc—they’re just writing him for the sake of saying, 'Look, we have a bisexual character.' And I as a bisexual person found it very offensive.

What makes this even worse is that Tim’s been overshadowed by Damian. DC created Damian partly because they hated Tim, and now Damian has taken over everything that made Tim special. He’s a tactical genius, a skilled fighter, and even looks like Tim now. I mean look:

If it wasn't for his girlfriend in these pictures and the art style I couldn't tell if it's Tim or Damian.

Tim deserved better. He lost most of his real fans and these days his fans are people who are into yaoi. He used to be one of the smartest, most relatable characters in the Batfam. But instead of building on that, DC has turned him into a caricature. That’s why I’ve lost respect for how they’ve handled him—not because of his sexuality, but because they’ve erased everything that made him great and replaced it with shallow writing. He's just an extra now that is better dead. And if DC itself don't care about it's characters then why should I? We have enough good comics with good art for Dick, Jason and Damian that I don't even think about Tim anymore.

[zahri-melitor]

In terms of 'people haven't read comics' I actually think there's a nuanced position people sort of instinctively understand and don't spell out:-

A lot of people enter comics fandom via an adaption medium (be that movies, video games, tv shows, cartoons)

That means they come in with a level of background understanding of various characters existing and some knowledge of them via osmosis, either from adapted stories or reading fic

General fandom discussion tends to coalesce around a small subset of characters and story runs

Because getting into comics is expensive, people preference what's easily available and/or what's most highly recommended in an attempt to maximise a story they will like

This is where all the panicking about 'where to start' comes in - it's overwhelmingly huge to look at and people are scared of 'getting it wrong'

They then read a run of a comic. Given all of the above for DC it's probably going to be a Bat comic, and there's a good chance it's UTRH, Red Robin 1-12, Batgirl 2000, Robin: Son of Batman, or The Court of Owls. They want the best storyline after all and that's what people tell them are favourites

They have also from being peripheral to the fandom noticed discourse about how certain stories/writers 'don't get' or 'ruin' characters and then avoid reading those stories

Because people are likely to only have read this small subset of stories, the discussion then focuses further on that subset

Echo chamber, the narrative that there's no such thing as a consistent canon in comics causes people to continue to avoid reading further, because they've been told Not To Read certain writers, and what they read doesn't really match how the fandom describes it

Because they're enjoying the fandom, they lean into the fanon and just...never read more comics. Sometimes pride themselves on not doing so

You end up with people who have 'read comics' but they mean about 3 famous runs totalling well under 100 issues, and very little comfort with even DC teams or families outside of the Bats

The current situation compounds because people aren’t comfortable with reading characters written by different writers and how that changes the story, even though that’s a huge part of comics

[glitter-stained]

Sense the current state of jason as character is stagnant do you think dc will ever purplish a good story of him, maybe he even kills of his red hood persona and goes on to be something else that would be something I would like to see but I don’t think it will happen. Dc will forever shoehorn him in to the batfamily. At least in his anti-villian era he was actually fun now his character is in a pitiful state

do u think theirs a chance of reinvent him as character anytime soon ?

Well first of all through spite everything is possible, so jot that down.

Like seriously, remember when it was so so incredibly over like Spiderman's Uncle Ben levels of over and then Under the Hood happened? Hell yeah I think dc will publish a good Jason story

Second I may not be the best person for this ask because I like my blorbos pitiful and miserable. Like yeah defiance is awesome but exhaustion -in characters who have been angry and alone for so long, beaten dog who got electrocuted too often to bite back- has a special place in my heart. But I also agree this has to be a transitional part of a story, the arc can't be "well he was hurt and then he was angry and then he was tired and he was miserable the whole time". Unless of course he ends up perma-dying in a really meaningful arc centered around his character but I'm not sure that'd be what I want for him, and we all know how lame dc is with permadeath nowadays. I'm also very mitigated with his villain side because yeah sometimes it's very fun and cathartic to see the angry/bad victim trope, but also the classismXpsychophobia of villain Red Hood sometimes are just too much; and also I'm a jaybin fan and sometimes I feel betrayed on jaybin's behalf by elements of his villainous characterization. (One day I'll write that damned UTH rewrite, I will).

With that being said!!! I love Jason because of his potential, he has so so much of it, that's what's exhausting about his many bad comics is that yeah. Yeah, dc can absolutely publish something more than good. They don't understand the goldmine they're sitting on in terms of potential.

What I'd love to see explored in hypothetical upcoming good comics (i'll talk more about it later with malfiora but for now)/how dc could go about reinventing his character :

1) addressing Jason's suicidality and getting him a functional support system (seriously, something's gotta give)

2) Get that boy a dog. Ik he had one at some point in N52 idc give him more dogs. Big ass rescue dog that's loyal and similar to him.

2) we need to figure out a way to let Jason keep being a Crime Alley/Park Row vigilant without being dependent on Batman. Like yeah he should explore the world away from him and heal but also i'm very uncomfortable with the idea that healing, for Jason, has to mean leaving the city and neighbourhood he grew up in and protected, has to mean be shoved out of his home by a guy who doesn't live there and, at least when Jason was a kid, only visited the place one time a year because of the anniversary of his parents' death- it's not fair and I won't accept it.

3) I so so agree about the "killing the red hood persona" or at the very least changing his vigilant name. Like I get the point, I understand the use he had for him, but his story can't be centered around the Joker forever (I keep thinking about the Joker's attitude to him in The Man who stopped Laughing and god, I can see a driving force to find himself as something else than what Batman and the Joker made him). At some point his name has to become something that is his and turned towards the future.

4) art + story that acknowledges how young he is (someone please let Jason take college class please please he deserves it)

5) perhaps most importantly: batman writers often sound like hardcore deontology or hardcore utilitarianism (and the occasional egoism) are the only acceptable moral philosophies. And for characters, it works! Like I can see Batman as a Kantian, sure. But for others, it doesn't fit as well.*

The cool thing about Jason's character right now is that he's a utilitarian, but a utilitarian that often isn't guided by his values. He can and will compromise on his philosophy in the name of love and being loved ( @bestangelofall called that a morality leash) and that already sets him as an interesting character in his own right. But in terms of redefining himself as a person after decades of defining himself through his pain (which, at 20-23 years old, he should get to do) I'd love to see an evolution of his morals based on love. Specifically, I'd love from his morals to shift from mathematical utilitarianism to agape, an ancient greek concept of platonic love for everything human, a movement towards the other that can be thought of as close to some conceptualisations of empathy. Mind you, that doesn't mean that he would stop killing! I can believe in a Jason who kills because or against of agape, the pain or relief that could be so good to explore in relation to that, how he would go on to define himself as a person... I feel like Jason has a certain tendency to kinda dehumanize the worst criminals as he kills them (a lesson from Judy, love her sm) which I love, but would also love to see him grow out of - learn to see and love everyone as human and what it means, a re-exploration of his empathy.

Imagine: a scene where he kills a guy because a kid victim begged him to. The focus on the image is on the kid's big wide tearstruck eyes, and then Jason's uncertain face, the kid begging him to kill the bad guy. And then Jason kills him and they're standing so close to eachother, and he's look him in the eyes and seeing the image of the kid's eyes, and then turning back to the kid while wiping the blood on his face and seeing the kid's wide eyes looking in disbelieving awe. And then kneeling and hugging the kid as he cries his heart out. And Jason's inner monologue during all that being something like "I could say that I killed him because I'm a bad guy; I probably am. Or argue the world is better off without scum like him; I could pretend I did it so he wouldn't hurt [x] again, or that I was thinking about all the other children he wouldn't be able to hurt anymore. But the truth is, I didn't. I killed him because [x] asked me to; because I could tell that he needed it. I can live with that."

Idk, that's the direction I would love to see it going, but simply "becoming even more open, louder and unapologetic about prioritising his love over his values, and being angry when it causes him dilemma" is something I'd love with as way. Very "Odysseus knows what he's going to choose the moment the gods tell him to throw the baby off the wall to see Penelope and Telemachus, but fuck if he's angry at the gods for making him make that choice" kind of vibe if you like Epic the musical.

*i'm not saying there aren't any characters in dc that fall out of this deontological/utilitarian false dilemma, it's just a vibe I get from batman writers at times, and as a consequence of specializing in one character I don't feel legitimate in exploring the intricacies of other characters because I feel like I'm lacking information and would be making uneducated guesses (that being said, I would fuck heavily with an exploration of Cass' morals VS Levinas' concept of ethics). If anybody has recommendations of dc characters that are neither utilitarian nor deontological (or are at least an interesting twist to it) I would love them so much please don't hesitate!!!

So yeah, idk if that answers your question, I don't pretend to know the intricate working of dc editorial. But imo there are wonderful possibilities for dc to reinvent Jason and write him into good comics -call me a blue lantern cause baby I got hope.

[heatherholloways]

PSA

Hi RPC. About a year ago, I recalled seeing some PSA's about a roleplayer that was making female writers in the RPC very uncomfortable and s*xually harassing them. He is unfortunately back and actively searching for new people to write with.

His current alias is Deco, but he's been known to go by MJ, Omar, Duncan, and many other names. His past known URLS are apache-gold, overrridewrites, wineandwisdom, and thesevenking (there may be more.) His most current URL is fullofmuses (I would advise you block him and report him.) Long story short:

This user will approach you to plot, supposedly looking for romantic plots. He will only reach out to you if you are a female mun. Once he gains your trust, he will ask for your Discord. He will push your boundaries and try to force you into plots that you may not be comfortable with. He comes off in a way that's very approachable and friendly but will quickly turn sour, even violent, if you do not agree to plot with him on his terms.

He has a history of flirting with/making unwanted advances towards RPers even if they have not given any impression that they're interested in it, discusses plots and tries to push his ideas on you even if you are not comfortable with them, and ultimately tries to set up you up (mostly women in their 20s) to plot with his "father" or "other friend."

He has a few major plot points he is interested, but they almost always revolve around 1. a couple with infertility issues and the female seeking out getting pregnant by someone else 2. a relationship where the female character cheats on the male character 3. inc*stual plots, often times with a female character cheating on her significant other with a father figure. It is always the female OC cheating on his male OC, a third party being needed to help with conceiving, and will usually have infertility, breeding, and inc*st as common themes within.

Please do not fall victim to this person. He is extremely manipulative and does not care about your writing. He uses roleplaying as a way to find and harass women, and if he finds out any information about you OOC, he will not hesitate to continue harassing you outside of the RPC/Tumblr. He found Tumblr after following a roleplayer that he'd been harassing and chasing her off the original platform they were on.

Red flags, patterns and signs that it is him that you are interacting with:

He only writes male OCs.

He is very interested in Marvel/DC and Game of Thrones/HoTD.

His plot/genre interests include a variety, "slice of life" and "dramedy" being some of the main ones.

His rules are always the same/mention being interested in writing "unorthodox" plots.

He messages or DM's you seemingly out of nowhere to ask if you're looking to plot.

He claims he works at an airport to some capacity (either handling luggage, doing security, sometimes even as a pilot.)

He says he's in his late 20's, usually 28 or 29.

He says to be based in either Colorado and/or California.

He constantly talks about himself, his physical appearance, and/or his personal hygiene.

After he settles a plot (if he doesn't get blocked or ghosted first), he asks roleplayers if they are willing to plot romance and/or smut with either his father or his friend.

His likes and following list are always public.

He makes himself out to be the victim if he is blocked by other writers to try and gain your sympathy.

He talks in a way that makes it sound like he is supportive of your plot ideas but always tries to spin it to fit what he wants, even if you've stated you are not comfortable with it.

This person's known Discord accounts:

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐎𝐒𝐒 #9647

intrepid thoughts. #2115 (his "dad")

underscorebluff.#5950

lektro.#9073 (his "friend")

ruggedblade (most recent as of June 2024)

I have confirmed the above facts and all the information with multiple people who have talked to him, have experience writing/plotting with him and/or have been harassed by him OOC.

Please keep yourself safe from this person, as he's been harassing women in this space for years.

[evasive-anon]

I'M DONE WITH THE LIES AND DECEIT JASON TODD DOESN'T HAVE RED HAIR

Or at least he doesn't have red hair in current canon or most of the continuity and y'all should get with it.

We've all seen it, there's a post about Jason and someone comments on the post and brings up how when Jason first appeared as robin he had red hair and he had to dye it black to be robin.

This is not true in current canon and only had a brief window of existence in the comics so lets dig into the different hair colors we've seen on Jason, they are as follows:

Blonde (Pre-Crisis, before 1985)

Black (post 1985, like 23-24 years of Post Crisis?? a long time)

Red (~2 years of Post Crisis 2009-2011)

Black (New 52, 2011-2016)

Black (Rebirth, 2016 onward, current canon)

Dropping detailed receipts below and god some of these panels are wacky:

Pre-Crisis/ Golden Age - BLONDE HAIR

First appearance of Jason Todd was a little blonde circus boy like a Great Value recolored version of Dick Grayson and if I have to live with that knowledge then we all do.

A lot of people claim this version of Jason also had red hair and for anyone who wants to say this blatantly yellow hair isn’t blonde compare it to Vicki Vale’s actual red hair which is orange:

Vicki Vale (orange)

Jason Todd (its fucking yellow)

The assertion that Jason dyed his hair to be robin are not entirely false in this version, in Batman (1940) #366 Jay did dye his hair black so he could pass as Dick cause he wasn't officially robin yet but wanted to help Batman. Dying his hair made him look so much like Dick it actually did trick Batman and the Joker which is weird since Jason's like a child and Dick is like legally an adult at point but whatever. Either way it wasn’t Batman making him dye it, in fact Bruce was unhappy about it.

Blonde Jason is obviously no longer canon and hasn't been since.

Post Crisis/ Batman New Adventures - BLACK HAIR

Jason was first shown with black hair when he stole a tire off the Batmobile. This iteration of Jason's introduction is the one we all know today and is considered by most to be Jason's *real* debut.

This comic run is no longer canon but is often used as the backbone for new canon content.

Post Crisis 2009 to 2011 - RED HAIR

OK, here is where all the red hair lore comes in. During Dick's Batman run with Damian as Robin the writer (fuck you, Grant Morrison) decided to introduce this shit:

This made not only made no fucking sense in Post-Crisis continuity, but also Jason look stupid as fuck.

For some reason people have snatched this panel and held on to it with all their might. Which like - I mean, the idea of Bruce making a kid dye their hair to be robin is super fucking funny but like, c'mon dude. There are so many real reasons to judge Bruce already lmao.

Jason kept having red hair until the New 52. Its no longer canon.

New 52 - BLACK HAIR

Giving you guys all caste Jay for this shot cause I still simp for that storyline, he deserves the magic fire swords fr.

He's back to black hair and we're almost to current canon.

DC Rebirth (current canon) - BLACK HAIR

We made it to current canon and his hair is still natural black bby. LETS GO.

[fancyfeathers]

What yan blogs do you like? Did you have any inspirations or something?

There are definitely a few that I REALLY like, like checking for updates daily because god knows I have too much time on my hands lmao. But when I do read I normally read fandom content in bulk so it really just depends on who updated and what my current hyper fixation is, but I do have a few constant favorites.

@yandere-wishes is required to be in this list, like one of my first mutuals and it tends to be that we share a wavelength on our current hyper fixations for fandoms. Like we both started to write a lot of DC content currently and I am so here for it. They were also one of my first tumblr blogs I followed before I even started writing so like when we became mutuals I actually cried, well not really cause I have constant dry eyes but still.

@lavandulawrites I love their genshin content, especially the Capitano content but that’s because I love that man. She actually wrote like my favorite genshin fic, which I highly recommend.

@jymwahuwu they have a bit more of darker content, which they state in their pinned post, so if you like that sort of content then I highly recommend their posts but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it is certainly mine when I want that darker vibe. I really like their Honkai Star Rail content (which I really need to start writing for) but I think they write a little Genshin content.

@couldeatthatgirlforlunch another DC author, probably one of the writers that sent me down the DC rabbit hole cause after I read some of their Justice League content I went to go dig up some of the old comic books that my dad gave me when I was a kid. I also really like the way they write Hal Jordan as a yandere and I really like my Green Lanterns so…

@lycheeloving I really love their Justice League/Batfam content as well, some of their content loosely inspired my own. I also love another LGBTQ+ author which is another reason I really like their blog.

@blughxreader their Batfam content is peak and their artwork is peak, I am pretty sure they are on break right now, but still go check out their content.

Then other blogs I recommend are @jessamine-rose @viridwns @yandere-writer-momo @yandere-daydreams @yandere-romanticaa @nikovraskol

I just didn’t have enough energy to write a paragraph for everyone because I am really sick right now and I am most definitely missing a few people but I will definitely update this list at some point 😭

Plus my girlfriend/cowriter, Kitty, who also posts on this blog on occasion may have her own recommendations.

[applehopshonor]

Just out of curiosity! What other projects will you work on after the comic is completed? (or what other projects do you have currently)

I have some unfinished projects alongside applehop's honor. most of them aren't actually warrior cats-related so idk if you guys would be interested :')

one of them that I'm currently trying to finish is striped problem! It's a silly mini e-book about my dc oc, sneakers the crusader cat. I've already finished the book cover and the prologue and I'm hoping to get the rest of the chapters done. vv

if you want to know more about sneakers I've made a google doc that basically explains his origin story. hopefully it's understandable enough to the people who don't know a lot about dc comics

also, after applehop's honor I'm taking on warriors: lovely melodies. It serves as a sequel(?) to the comic but it focuses heavily on applehop and fishface romance. it's yet another e-book and I'm either releasing it on wattpad or quotev. again, it will come out in a few years because it will take a while for me to finish applehop's honor. I'm a procrastinator and kind of a mediocre writer haha