#my joker origin story no joke

[lunar-years]

NOT YOU HAVING TICKETS TO THE PARIS SHOW AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO ... that's so foul I'm so sorry 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I literally have VIP TICKETS to the VERY NEXT show… bought before ttpd was even announced… after fighting for my life in multiple Ticketmaster queues… and then I had to cancel the whole trip 😭 top ten most devastating things that’s ever happened to me im serious

[hiraya-sa-dilim]

if i had a peso for every time joaquin phoenix broke my heart singing acoustic in one of his (romance) movies i'll have two

[telltaletypist]

i have a theory that any franchise that lasts long enough eventually becomes incestuous and ends up eating its own tail, thematically. stories in these franchises can only ever comment on themselves

i think a lot about what alan moore said about his work on the killing joke, about how hollow it is in hindsight since the theme really just boils down to "batman and the joker are kinda similar when you think about it", which i suppose is a pretty novel observation, certainly changes the way i read batman comics, but what is there in that insight for me as a human being living in the real world that i can apply to my actual life? not a whole lot. all it can do is reward emotional investment in the brand of batman. if you don't really give a shit about batman there's nothing there for you.

the disney era of star wars is especially bad about this. by and large they're really just about our relationship to star wars. even the last jedi, which tries to be a little more critical about it, still can't break out of the thematic black hole the franchise has become. andor is possibly the only exception to this, and i steadfastly believe that was a total fluke. don't get it twisted, andor is good despite its connection to star wars, not because of it, and if it were just an original tv show about resisting space fascism, it would probably be better for it (if less popular). we're all lowkey dreading the second season bc we know that no star wars property can resist devolving into a nostalgia wank fest forever

there's nothing inherently wrong with hollow entertainment, but i do think there's something grotesque about pumping the gdp of a small nation into an entertainment product that doesn't aspire to be anything more than an advertisement for itself

[shinelikethunder]

love how spn season 3 is just

dean: sammy it's fine you're gonna be fine without me it definitely was not a cruel and selfish decision to pull the exact same stunt on you that dad did on me, i was desperate but i know you're gonna handle desperation MUCH better

sam: dean if you fucking die on me so help me god i'm gonna end up on the news

sam: dean if you fucking die on me i am going to turn into the joker

sam: dean if you fucking die on me it will become my villain origin story

sam: dean if you fucking die on me i will kill everyone in this room and then myself

sam: dean if you fucking die on me i'm gonna [remembers that murder-suicide jokes are bad for everyone's mental health] put on the best talent show this town has ever seen

and then dean dies on him and gets resurrected in s4 and is like. "[surprised pikachu face] sam WHY are you back on your dark-destiny bullshit"

[gothamhappiness]

Being in a relationship with Bruce Wayne: a journey - Hi, Jason (Part V)

It's a big series about an afab!reader who doesn't like Bruce Wayne and who still falls in love with him (he fells quicker and harder)

Reader's origin story // Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Warnings: no proof reading, Jason's relationships with Bruce and Dick are discussed, mentions of Joker, violence, death

You met with Dick again in a bookstore. At first, you thought that it was quite a strange coincidence, until you saw him trying to talk with a very big boy who didn’t seem very interested in talking with him. Dick appeared upset ; the other boy was just shrugging and trying to focus on the books in front of him. 

You hesitated to go to them; you didn’t want to intrude. You weren’t too sure to recognise the other boy, but his face somehow seemed familiar. What decided you was where they were standing: the classic literature aisle of the store. Which was what you were looking for when you entered the shop.

You thought you could just say hi and then leave them alone if your presence was annoying them. You carefully walked to them.

“Hey Dick” you greeted the boy who turned around and instantly smiled at you. 

You weren’t too sure if it was a real smile yet, so you didn’t come closer to him, but his answer showed he was actually glad to see you.

“Hey, Y/N! What are you doing here?” he asked

“Buying books I guess.” you teased “I was looking for Mansfield Park or Emma, now I finished Pride and Prejudice” you said. 

The big boy to whom Dick was trying to talk to, quickly turned around and looked you up and down. He watched you with curiosity sparkling in his green eyes. Dick took his chance before his brother could go back to the cover of the book he was holding.

“Y/N, this is Jason, my little brother. You seem to share the same taste in books” Dick introduced the two of them

“Hi, Jason” you smiled as you cautiously observed him, remembering who he was now you knew his name.

You remembered what you read about Bruce and his son “who came back from the dead” and all the headlines about “Bruce arguing with his adoptive son”. It had quite broken your heart at the time.

“You’re Bruce’s new girlfriend?” he asked you quite bluntly

“I hate titles and I hate to feel like a possession. But yes, I'm currently seeing Bruce.” you replied and Jason nodded “I’m surprised you heard about me.” you added. 

“Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that things are rocky with Bruce.” Jason said and you reassuringly smiled at him “And yeah, everyone is talking about you in the “family”. Dick and Tim said you were nice.” Jason explained his first coldness to you

“I understand; Bruce isn’t always easy and you don’t know me” you nodded

“Ah yeah?” Jason arched an eyebrow at you. 

He had expected you to take Bruce’s defence, like everyone else.

“Let’s say that I like challenges.” you smiled “And I’m not Bruce’s lawyer” you joked

“You should thank god for that, or you would have a lot of work” Jason grinned and you could tell Dick was quite happy about the current interaction.

“Can I buy the two of you a drink or something? Or a meal” you asked. “There is this sweet little café right outside the bookstore” you offered

You actually wanted to know more of them. Jason was curious about you so he agreed. Dick wanted to come as well, but he quickly received a call from Büdhaven. He reluctantly left the two of you together. Dick would have enjoyed some time with his brother too, but maybe you would help. If you helped with Bruce, he was certain you could do pretty much anything. At the same time, he really hoped Jason wasn’t going to scare you away from the family as a way to avenge himself.

But you knew better; you had met Red Hood before and you liked him.

You settled in the café. You started to talk about literature at first. You were both passionate so it was a good conversation starter. You gave each other some recommendations and debated on characters you liked or disliked. Your point of views on characters were often based on your experiences, so it naturally led to a conversion about each other’s lives. And of course, you arrived at the subject of Bruce Wayne.

“I’ll tell him to apologise to you. He shouldn’t have acted that way even if I do agree with the no killing rule” you said “You’re both right in a way, but… Bruce should have talked to you, he should have let you know what was going on with the Joker and why he couldn’t kill him. Why you couldn't kill him either. He should have been there to appease your anger, not the opposite” you said

“You’ll quickly learn that he doesn’t talk much. Especially not about his feelings. If it gets too personal, he’ll push the subject away. If it can hurt him, he’ll run away. He's a bad dad for that. And he might be a bad partner to you as well” Jason told you

“I’m sorry about what happened to you. It must have been so difficult to wake up without your family. And in a body you didn’t know. You did good, despite the murders and everything. Actually, Red Hood has always been my favourite vigilante” you admitted without commenting on the last part of Jason’s words. You wanted to believe that Bruce would make an effort for you.

Jason chuckled as you mentioned his vigilante persona.

“It’s true you never wrote anything bad about me. I thought you were scared of me… Until I realised we actually met” he teased, his eyes litting up

“Oh you remember? Yes I used to live in your territory, and now I’m nearby. I stand by what I said that night: I know what you did for people like us, that’s why I thanked you. Bruce can’t understand what it is to be poor and lost and to have to do bad things to survive. But I’ll make sure he does better with you.” you said “Just promise me to speak with Dick. Your brother looks like he is very eager to have you back in his life. He seemed very sorry you weren’t speaking with him earlier” you added

“I will try to talk with him again then. Thank you for… Thank you. I think I really needed to have this conversation with somebody but no one wanted to have it and I couldn’t really go to a therapist. You’re easy to talk with” he whispered, a little bit awkward

“I know” you smiled “I’m glad if I’ve been able to help”

“Is it your good action of the day to go to Heaven?” Jason joked 

“Absolutely” you giggled

A moment of comfortable silence engulfed the two of you. You both enjoyed your tea before you resumed talking:

“Hey you know what, this is my phone number. You can call or text me whenever you need it.” you offered

“Why?” Jason plunged his eyes onto yours. 

He was definitely not used of adults being there for him, especially without a catch

“Well I’m afraid I’m a family woman and my own family sucks very much. And since Bruce wants me around, I’d prefer it if I can get along with his people. I’d like to take care of you all.” you admitted, feeling a little shy to say all of this out loud.

Jason was also very easy to talk to.

“I don’t think I’m one of his people. Not anymore at least.” Jason sadly smiled at you

“You can be one of mine then. Take it as a repayment for allowing me to go back home every night without having to worry about anyone slicing my throat off” you insisted

“All the pleasure’s mine” he chuckled before saving your number onto his phone “You know, everyone says Bruce is nicer since you’re around. I have to admit this is true. Maybe happiness can truly change a man” 

“Even a bat?” you joked because Jason’s words were touching you a little more than you wanted to show it

“Even a bat” Jason nodded

A few days later, you received a message from Jason, clearly tasting the water with you.

J: Hey wanna go have some lunch together today or tomorrow?

You: Today sounds good :)

After this, you regularly had lunch together and Jason clearly started to see you as a motherly figure, and you saw him as a son. He crashed at your place more than once after patrol, so you could eat together. Bruce never commented on your relationship with Jason, but he heard you when you asked him to apologise.

Which he did.

Jason accepted it and tried his best with Dick and his other siblings. He was still feeling awkward around everyone, but he was slowly spending more time at the manor, even when Bruce was there. 

When Bruce asked if you wanted to meet all of his children anytime soon, you agreed but you instantly sent a message to Jason to make sure he would be there as well. He eagerly agreed because he couldn’t wait for you to be officially a member of the Batfamily.

--

PART 6

--

Taglist for all my work <3

@blublock404

@wind-canoe

@silverklaus

@couldeatthatgirlforlunch

Taglist for Bruce Wayne <3

@alishii

Taglist for this series <3

@Esposadomd

@moraxussy

@resident-cryptid

@legendarypiratecheesecake

@randomnamedmira

[absolutebl]

Hello! I discovered your blog relatively recently so forgive me if you’ve already done this but would you consider compiling a list of all the times crossdressing has been done in bl? Whether as a plot-device, for comedy, for serious reasons, just all the times crossdressing as a trope has appeared.

In a similar vein if you wanted to explore it I’d also be interested in the breadth of trans rep in bl/queer shows and movies in Asian media and if that ever blends into the crossdressing (maybe also drag would be interesting to throw into the mix as well?). Also just an exploration of Queer Femme characters that are not made fun of or villainized by the narrative would be cool! Basically just exploring femme queer aspects in bl in all its good, bad, and I’m sure sometimes ugly forms!

Hi, welcome! Ooo, crossdressing. Frankly I can't think of many and I don't have great recall on this one so I will have to ask the feed.

BL's With Crossdressing

Meet You At The Blossom (China 2024) - major plot point

Nobleman Ryus Wedding (Korea 2021) - historical, entire premise

Kieta Hatsukoi AKA My Love Mix-Up! (Japan 2021)

Love Stage (Japan 2020) - major plot point (better executed in the anime version)

Love Stage (Thailand 2022) - major plot point better executed than either Japanese version

About Youth (Taiwan 2022)

I Told Sunset About You (Thailand 2020)

Jack & Joker (Thailand 2024)

My Bromance the movie (Thailand 2014)

My Love Mix-up (Thailand 2023)

I Am Your King (Thailand 2017) - this is Mark Siwat's first BL, and yeah, he's the one cross dressing (he plays the femme rich boy in Jack & Joker)

The Sign (Thailand 2024) - historical costume for the girl of the past being played by a boy is a gender mix of female/male attire, it's very clever

YYY (Thailand 2022)

I feel like Gun has crossdressed in one of his. Theory of Love maybe?

Mr Cinderella (Vietnam 2022)

My Sky (Vietnam 2017) - trigger warning

My Lascivious Boss (Vietnam 2021) - major plot point

Moots et al...... other (older?) BLs with cross dressing?

Others worth noting

Either the representation or the BL is in question, or it's not exactly crossdressing it's something else. Still, some obscure ones just in case.

Wait For Me at Udagawachou AKA Udagawachou de Matteteyo (Japan 2015) - may be triggering involves body dysmorphia and fetishization of trans identity, but if you can you should watch this

Spring of Crush (Korea 2022) - this is a bromance

Rainbow Prince (Pinoy 2022)

DNA Says Love You (Taiwan 2022)

Great Men Academy (Thailand 2019)

3 Will Be Free (Thailand 2019)

Love Sick 2024 (Thailand) - made an aggressively male character from the original into a newly out 3rd gender/trans character in the new version, very intentional modernization choice, fascinating. Directly addresses dead naming among other things in the few scenes she has.

Saneha Stories series from Thailand

You should follow Cooheart on IG he does some fantastic gender bending and crossdressing styles. He's the fashion icon gift that keeps on giving.

Thai BL has tons of representation and use of characters/actors of Thai third gender, a lot of which is for comedy. Rarely if ever in BL more like Diary of the Tootsies. I would say my favorite and most beloved 3rd G rep is in The Sign. But that is is different than what you asked for.

Femme rep I have talked about before, most specifically in the context of Daisy in Secret Crush On You......

More Queer Lens & Thai BL 

BL Linguistics & Queer Identity I Am Gay versus I Like Men 

Husband Wife Language in Thai BL (SOTUS, TharnType + a lot of 2022 BL) 

Thai BL Lacks Representation of Butch & Transgender Men (and why this has to do with Thailand's 3rd Gender) 

Thai Military Service & Thai BL

Hope that helps.

(source)

[endiermun]

Hi! I saw your headcanons for EAH and they all look so cool! I especially love Apple’s look because it’s the same headdress as the lady in A Knight’s Tale!

Can I hear more of your headcanons?

Hello!

Thank you sm!<3 that's really sweet! I think Apple's graduation look speak for itself, a stern look for a stern queen

I think i can post here some headcanons bout main four designs

Before starting this, I would like to say that for me EAH is something like a rethinking of this whole theme with “fate” that underlies the plot as I grew up, as well as thinking about how these rules influenced the characters. Something more lyrical and somewhat tragic

Raven

Here she is, as in the canon, in her first and last years of study at the Ever After High, at the end of which she was already pretty worn out by constant pressure and problems. and her motherKHM she has an unenviable future and according to the canon she was quite wayward, but a good-natured and open girl who was ready to do a lot for the sake of her friends and valued herself.

Perhaps her development branch is a protest. Her eternal confrontation is against society and traditions, and she wages this struggle all her life. Therefore, her “punk” youth in the look does not go away much, becoming darker

She has elements of a hunter in her final outfit, something symbolic and related to her fairy tale where the hunter went against evil stepmother's orders.

Madeline

It would be nice to keep her dad's teeth in her appearance (in the case of her story it actually sounds terrible), and add more of that same carelessness and madness

Her branch is freedom. I won’t throw around joker quotes, everything is clear

Maddie has adopted some... jokes from her relatives and is generally quite free in her statements and actions, and therefore has endless freedom that even following in her father’s footsteps she is on the side of the rebels. My personal opinion - she is the strongest character in terms of energy and capabilities, but she does not fully control or realize this. By the end of school, her inner madness finally manifests itself in the look

Briar

Her fate is the most tragic, in fact, she must literally sleep through all her friends and life, “coming to life” in a new time (in the original, the sleeping beauty falls into sleep for a hundred years) and in fact, following the path of the heir, she accepts it such a decision.

Ever After Lore has an open ending, so in my head I'm inclined to think that she followed in her mother's footsteps, even though she threw the book down the well (oops, spoiler) she rushes about in choosing her fate, deeply disagreeing with the original plan, but in the end, at the last moment, she makes... such a decision. She also doesn’t want to lose her friendship with bestie Apple, even if such a decision would separate them for essentially a hundred years. Not all fairy tales have a happy ending, so her branch is humility.

Apple

It’s not easy to get the title of “most-most”, it’s even harder to keep it

Apple did it.

Her branch is stubbornness. Having a lot of responsibility, she adheres to the rule of “sacrifice one for the sake of all” and is generally very categorical towards the decisions of those who go against fate. Over time, perhaps this misunderstanding will only grow, causing her to eventually become more distant and adamant.

Towards the end her clothes will become more closed and restrained, from a cheerful, positive girl she will become calm and calculating, retaining the idea of acting for the good

Sorry for my English, hope for your understanding:)

[jokeroutsubs]

[ENG translation] Joker Out: Playing on the main stage of Sziget means the success with capital letters for us

An interview with Joker Out published in the August 2024 issue of Rockstar magazine. Original article written by Viki Erdős, photo by Viki Erdős. Translation and review by X ddrflctns and X brnbergeron, proofread by @flowerlotus8.

In the former Yugoslavia they have won the 'Artist of the Year' and the 'Song of the Year' awards several times. With two albums under their belt, they entered the Eurovision Song Contest with their song 'Carpe Diem' last year, which put them on the Spotify Viral Top 10 list and then on the Main Stage of Sziget. We met the Slovenian five-piece Joker Out before their first concert in Budapest, where they told us: their biggest dream came true by playing for us at the Island of Freedom on 8 August. Read more of our interview on rockstar.hu!

What's your first impression of the Sziget Festival, now that you've spent a few hours here?

Jan: Actually I already came here yesterday to see L'Impératice. It's definitely the biggest festival I've been to, yet it doesn't seem too crowded. I really like the atmosphere, somehow despite the noise it's calming, and the line-up is incredible!

Jure: It's going to be the biggest stage we've ever played on.

Bojan: I didn't even see you on the stage during the soundcheck, because there was so much smoke! I turned around and just blinked 'where is everyone'?

You posted concert photos from 2016 on Instagram just yesterday. Did you ever think you would play on the main stage of Sziget?

Bojan: Performing at Sziget was always our biggest dream, we somehow thought that playing here, on the main stage would mean success with capital letters. I think we always believed that it will happen one day.

Last year your Eurovision performance brought you international success. How to imagine this? Are you getting recognised on the street, for example?

Bojan: We're constantly being recognised in Slovenia, but there are other countries, for example the Balkans, or Finland and The Netherlands, where we have a big fanbase. So the bottom line is that it's all unbearable and we're huge rock stars. (they all laugh)

Kris: And to top it all off, we are doing an interview with Rockstar Magazine.

How do you handle fame?

Bojan: Oh, it's all terrible! I can't even have a cup of coffee without being surrounded by people! (laughs)

But seriously!

Bojan: No, it's super good, in my opinion, our fame at the moment is perfectly manageable. We’re not recognised by a crazy amount of people yet, and the people who do recognise us are usually very nice. Sometimes a few fans wait for us at the airport, weirdly specifically it always happens in Finland. They tell us about how our music helped them getting through tough times or how they found new friends thanks to us. Only at times like this, we realise that we're getting closer to our goals, that music is no longer just for our entertainment, but also for the pleasure of others.

You recently came out with an animated music video for your song 'Šta bih ja'. How did you come up with this idea and how did you find the right artist for the job?

Kris: It was quite liberating to make a music video without having to be in it. Jokes aside, I thought it was a great time for an animated video, which we've never done before. We had a lot of gigs and time was tight, so it was a perfect move. We've been working with a lot of our fans over the last six months, who are great artists, by the way. We keep an eye on what they post, and we're always completely blown away by it and try to collaborate with them whenever possible. For example, they've made merch and a cover for our single for streaming platforms. The new music video was also made by one of our fans.

How much do they freak out when you contact them?

Kris: A lot, I feel like. But they try to be chill about it.

What is the story behind 'Šta bih ja'?

Bojan: We moved to London for two months to write new material, this was the first song that was written there. It was the first time we really felt what it was like to be away from home and miss our loved ones. In additional to how it feels to be a stranger in a new city, the song is also about what it's like being in love when you can only keep in touch with your partner over the phone.

I've noticed on your Instagram that you like lame photoshopped pictures. Is there an expert in the band responsible for these, or is it a team effort?

Jan: That would be me... (laughs) I don't even know how it started. I always use the same picture, it was taken for our Eurovision campaign, we all look hilarious on it. I noticed that our faces fit perfectly on any picture depicting people. It started as a joke, but now it's become our general marketing strategy.

Bojan: You've already extended the scope to foods, animals...

Jan: Yes, last time I photoshopped Nace onto a sausage.

Earlier this year, your concert film and it's accompanying live album was released. Was this a big dream come true?

Jan: The concert film and live album itself was not a dream, but playing in the arena where it was recorded was. It's nice to relive that experience.

Bojan: I haven't watched it at all. It's really about the fact that we had the opportunity to record and release it, and we took it. That's how the market works. We had to have something to spend our money on, so that we would have as little left as possible. (laughs)

Your festival season will be over soon. What's in store for the rest of the year?

Bojan: Before the tour we had already recorded most of our third album in Hamburg, but we knew that we would need to come back [to the studio] for a few more session. So we spend all of our day-offs in the studio, but now in Ljubljana.

How would you describe the new sound in three words?

Bojan: Makes. No. Sense. (laughs)

[fractualized]

Today in "I know we bust on comics a lot around here but there are still plenty of comics worth your time," I think Robin Lives is off to a promising start!

Also, I have to say, I found myself comparing it to Three Jokers. For one thing, it seems like much more of an examination of trauma than Three Jokers was purported to be. For another, while Three Jokers had me doubting that Geoff Johns really read The Killing Joke, Robin Lives feels like JM DeMatteis gives a crap about what actually happened in "Death in the Family."

But my petty grudges aside, here's what I liked about Robin Lives #1, with lots of spoilers. (And images of child murder and such, obviously.)

Unless there are shenanigans later, Joker definitely dies on the very first page.

Falls at Bruce's feet. Aw. :(

So this presents to us an instant mystery! Was Bruce responsible? Or was it Jason? Someone else entirely? Looks like the answer will be in three more issues. For now, we flash back to the aftermath of Jason's near-death.

DeMatteis deals with Joker's infamous ambassadorship by simply… taking it away. Which is pretty funny to me.

"Honestly, we were coming off a pretty wild party when we made that decision. Who knows what we were thinking? Hahaha, no hard feelings, right— What's that gas??"

I should note the narration in the purple box, which starts before this scene. Halfway through the issue, we learn that this story is being narrated by Dr. Saraswati Dev (aka Sara), a trauma doctor that Bruce hires for Jason. As we read what happens in this deviation from canon, she examines how we should view people who do such terrible things when their own lives and actions are affected by mental illness, their own trauma, and so on. It's an admittedly blunt story-telling tactic, spelling out the nuance for the reader, but I don't mind it, and it tells us that this version of Jason's story won't end cleanly.

Sara also clearly knows much more about Batman and his sidekicks than the average civilian, which raises the question of how she gets so involved in their lives. I'm hoping it's not because she becomes a love interest… but then again if that's presented as one of Bruce's screwed up mistakes, that has potential!

Anyway, as reviewed in a previous post, Joker was uneasy about killing Jason from the start, and that doesn't change in this version. When Bruce rescues the Iranian representatives, Joker tries to downplay what he did.

Hee hee, "Batsy-boo."

Joker can't escape for long, though.

And I have to pause here to note that this scene is reminiscent of the climax in the "Going Sane" storyline, which DeMatteis also wrote.

[Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #68]

There are differences in the scenarios, of course, but the other thing about "Going Sane" is that Joker/Joseph repeatedly refers to the urge to return to his former self as drowning.

[Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #66]

So in Robin Lives, it adds an extra kick when Bruce overturns Joker's boat and then stands by as Joker drowns.

Oh god that feeling when your secret fears come to fruition

But don't worry!

This is all an interesting variation "Death in the Family." Then, in his grief, Bruce was constantly fluctuating on if he was going to kill Joker, and his eventual attempt was trapping Joker in a crashing helicopter. In Robin Lives, he seems ambivalent too, again engineering the circumstances for Joker to die but not being an entirely active participant, and also not angry at Clark for rescuing him. (Speaking of which, Clark sure as heck didn't rescue Joker from the original helicopter incident. I guess he's ambivalent in his own way!)

So Joker is returned to Arkham Asylum, where Bruce talks to the current director, Dr. Benjamin Stoner (who evidently really was the director at the time but also a literal agent of chaos??? OK I guess I'll keep that in mind). Stoner pushes back on Bruce's assessment of the Joker.

At the time, Bruce vanishes, but as we see in the narration when Bruce faildads hard with a recovering Jason, he later seems to reflect on Stoner's words along with Jason's.

Jason appears at the start of the issue in the hospital, but we finally get into it with him in the second half. He keeps withdrawing from Bruce and Alfred, so Dick appears to provide some emotional support.

The page already notes that, no, this chat is not going to be enough to get Jason back to baseline. But it's also darkly hilarious that Dick thought it would be, especially keeping in mind that the implication is that this is the only time Dick comes over, and it's after Jason has been listless for some time. It's almost like this whole family is bad at feelings.

But Bruce does finally hire a professional, our narrator.

Of course, Jason overhears their discussion and thinks Bruce is planning to send him away.

Ouch.

Jason decides to prove that he's totally fine, actually, by saving a gala from Scarecrow by himself. Did you guess that he gets hit with fear toxin? Because yeah, they always get hit with fear toxin!

Oh my god he just wanted his mom to save him 😭

OH GOD FOR A SECOND I FORGOT IT WAS FEAR TOXIN

I should take a second to jump back and note that Jason imagining Joker getting one right between the eyes, just like we saw at the start, feels like a solid indication that in the end, he will definitely be Joker's killer... but, well, you really don't know until it happens.

So Jason is out of commission, but before Scarecrow can kidnap him for interrogation, Batman finally shows up. Bruce beats the everloving crap out of Crane, obviously still consumed with anger about what happened in Ethiopia. The freaking cops have to ask him to stop.

And then the final page is just more of the saddest of sadtimes.

I do love that first narrative detail in the top panel. Bruce is feeling angry and guilty but also humiliated and ashamed. He knows Jason is a vulnerable kid who needs help, but as always, Jason also represents Bruce's personal failures. He couldn't get Jason to do exactly as he was told. He couldn't protect Jason from harm. He couldn't maintain the image of Batman as invulnerable, not with this terrified boy shaking on the ground. Bruce does not have control.

It's very human, and it's a key ingredient in whatever disaster is to come. Even if we didn't have Sara's final questions in the last two panels, we can already tell that Bruce is going to continue to make not-great choices.

I've already ordered #2, and I'm looking forward to reading what DeMatteis has in store in the next three issues. Barbara has to make an appearance, right? And she'd be a great candidate for the shooter...

[unclewarwick]

i am making this an art blog now, so i thought i should actually start posting my art here. i finished this drawing today and the rest of the art in this post is from newest to oldest. this post is most of my batman-related art since the last time i posted a big amount of batman art (which was december 2022).

i have a heavy preference for drawing batjokes but am trying to draw more and more of the rogues gallery. i have my own vague storyline ideas that include both batman and the joker being trans men, but in my story he is called bruceman/bat wayne.

2024-07-10 -- i do an annual redraw of this meme. this was the fifth version. the first time i drew it (in 2021) was the first time i had tried to properly draw either of them, despite having a deep batman interest for a long long time, and drawing for even longer.

2024-06-28 -- i spent 41 and a half hours on this one. my first big attempt at pixel art. it was from a bad chronic illness week so it was meant as a purposely ugly and simple drawing but it spiralled out of control.

2024-07-05 and 2024-05-11 -- my concept art for the scarecrow.

2024-04-22 and 2024-03-21 and 2024-02-11 -- the joker taunting bat wayne, an argument with alfred, a community meme redraw that i didn't like the end result of but was unwell while drawing so i give myself a break.

2024-02-08 and 2024-02-06 -- the riddler being desperate for attention on social media, my two-face concept art

2024-01-27 -- my take on the oft-parodied the amazing spider-man #601 cover art.

2024-01-18 -- joker thinks he's being sneaky but doesn't know he's with the same person twice.

2024-01-11 and 2024-01-10 -- catwoman being fun and sillie (from before i redesigned her weird mask and goggles that i originally tried to give her)

art from 1 and 8 december of 2023 that i posted on here

both from 2023-09-10 -- a couple of quick low effort drawings from when i was feeling funky

2023-08-06 and 2023-08-13 and 2023-08-18 -- mini comic where you can see the comic formatting skill developing in each part.. just a small story idea i had revolving around a double joke about bat wayne's Identity. and still figuring out how to draw the riddler.

2023-08-02 -- my first depiction of riddler & first drawing of har-lee (my name for harley quinn) out of costume.

2023-06-18 and 2023-06-15 -- my first drawings ever of har-lee; i did not stick with this costume design for her because i fixed it and made it actually look good and make sense at all a whole year later (character design is my weakness), and also just a simple meme.

2023-06-15 -- i don't have an animation program, so making this was a real struggle.

2023-04-28 and 2023-04-23 -- bruceman picking up tampons in the middle of a fight, bruceman and joker "fighting".

2023-04-04 and 2023-03-21 -- Earring Magic J, joker being the autistic, gay, trans dad of autistic, gay, trans pee-wee herman (including muffin the cat from batman: legends of the dark knight #50)

all from 2022-11-14 -- a comic Not about being trans, no, not at all...

2022-11-27 -- a fully rendered version of the last panel.

there's more that's not included here because of the 30 image limitation, but those are mostly further concept drawings of har-lee that i didn't like, and lower quality joke drawings. one bigger thing i've left out are stills from an animatic/animation project i started quite a while back (it's not even my only WIP of that kind) and haven't continued progress on for a while. i would prefer to share that all at once whenever it's finished.

[lillified]

Just curious, why do you ship Megastar?

[long post incoming, apologies, you activated my sleeper phrase]

Short answer: I like these characters and their potential. I like the idea of them, and I made up new versions because I want to see their dynamic and subtext taken seriously, and not flanderized/made into a meanspirited joke by media that is supposed to be "mature"

Long answer:

when i was watching transformers as a kid i was really interested in the dynamic of two characters who are mean and jaded and instinctively push eachother away, but work extremely well together. i didn't really understand coding yet, but in my interest in the decepticons as an entity with an ideological identity that wasn't just "bad guy" (transformers was like. the first time i really started thinking about deeper meanings and propaganda in media, which probably explains why i am as obnoxious as I am) I was always sad with how megatron and starscream never really got the chance to have their dynamic approached in a different way. in a lot of ways those two are the heart and soul of the decepticons, and I've always thought that putting more care and attention into their relationship and not just writing it off as a cruel plot device would be the first step in having a more nuanced view of the Decepticons as a whole

personally I believe that, in a similar way to batman and the joker, those two have always had a dynamic that kind of blurs the lines, and at times is outright suggested. unfortunately though, like batman and the joker, over time an unwillingness to engage with the reality of that uncomfortable, sort of meanspirited coding just led to the near-sighted stereotyping becoming crueler and more abusive. acknowledging that it exists at all means acknowledging there was that bias, so the "joke" was just repeated until it became the only thing their interactions were really known for. it's an act of flanderization, and that makes me sad

i guess my case in point is--they have a lot of potential that just isn't realized. even in places where their relationship is given depth there's still almost always this really tonally dissonant violence to their interactions that's never unpacked, not really, because how are you going to sell toys of that? moreover, how are you going to make megatron "redeemable" after that? what could be considered strange, poorly executed slapstick in its origin became aesthetically worse and worse, but was never given serious thought--and I think that makes the story, overall, worse! "maturing" the brand didn't make it smarter, it just made an elephant in the room, and now Transformers is so locked in to its decided status quo that we haven't had a different perspective on any of these characters since Animated.

I apologize for the rant, but it's something I think about alot and your question is somewhat related to that. I'm frustrated by how dismissively these characters are written in versions of Transformers that are supposed to "smart" and "mature", I'm frustrated by how that negatively impacts the story, and I'm frustrated by how the people who like these characters can be dismissive of it. I think there's a lot of story potential and thematic insight into the decepticons that can be gained by looking at these two as characters with a history, and not just a bad joke! I think that you can have all the best parts--the sabotage, betrayal, bitterness, and the irony of someone you refuse to trust who still manages to know you better than anyone else, and have that shown through actions and character development, and actually written instead of having to be overscored by unintelligible violence for the sake of being "dark" and reaffirming, in the cheapest way possible, that you're looking at characters who are evil! I want to see that in a story!

my work is honestly not really about what I think transformers IS, or HAS to be, but what I think it has the potential to be, and what my interpretation of the themes means to me. I want to see all of the Decepticons viewed with a different lens, and these two are probably the most important Decepticons, both on a story/thematic level and a cultural one. transformers was the first piece of media I was really consciously critically thinking about, entirely by chance, and in the interest of art and human expression I want to make something different that is interested in being more thoughtful

anyway, sorry again for rambling. I might delete this later to keep my page clean, but I appreciate the question! I'd give more specific examples of why I like the stuff I made up but those would be spoilers.

[toomanyf4ndoms7]

An essay about Barbara Gordon: Part One.

@mrsbertinelli

@spoilerqlert

(Hoping this is good.)

We're bringing in a favourite, folks, Say hello to Barbara Gordon.

In today's essay, we’re (hopefully) going to discuss coping, catharsis, responding to meta-textual misogyny and damn good art.

PART ONE UNDER THE CUT.

My essay begins with Oracle: Year One: Born of Hope. Following after The Killing Joke, focusing on Barbara’s mental state as she goes from depression to beginning to build herself up.

And Barbara, predictably, is angry. Most of all at herself, because she “should have known better.” Should have looked through the door hole, should’ve knocked the gun out of his hands, should have done… anything.

But none of it is her fault, how was she supposed to know that someone, especially someone like The Joker, would show up in broad daylight to abduct her father? How was she, having retired being Batgirl, supposed to have predicted anything from That Life would come to her?

The blame for everything is on Joker, and she knows that, but she still feels raw. She feels like an idiot, a disappointment.

”Good. I hope I’ve hurt him. It’s nothing compared to the pain I’ve felt, or will feel.”

Barbara’s lashing out is completely understandable, imagine having a normal day, and then everything changes and it wasn’t even to hurt you. it was to hurt your dad, and then one of his friends. Never about you, no, no, you were just a convenient way to hurt the real target.

After a few pages, Barbara starts trying to use her skills to do something, feeling “tired of being a victim.”

But, despite her efforts, the person she’s investigating finds her and…

Well, pushes her wheelchair over and makes Barbara nearly get hit by traffic.

Anyway, after getting helped back up and learning some self defence tips, Barbara has a dream.

“You have lost nothing that matters” says the oracle of Delphi. And when Barbara pulls off her mask, the oracle does the same. And it’s her own face underneath.

And that’s where it clicks. Joker took away her ability to walk, but she was already a genius with computers beforehand.

So, Barbara commits her first act as Oracle, and the story ends hopefully. The entire story is a metatextual rescue of Barbara Gordon, because the original writers had no plan for her post TKJ. The writers of this one, John Ostrander and Kim Yale, looked at Barbara’s situation and went “Hey, let’s actually explore this.”

"I am no longer a distaff impersonation of someone else. I'm me-- more me than I ever have been. My life is my own. I embrace it, and the light with a deep, continuing joy."

In part two, we will discuss catharsis.

Stay tuned.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Currently Watching - November

aka The Masterlist

Because I love a good little list - in alphabetical order! 😊

Regularly updated during the month, latest update 20.11.2024

A little link to my favorite bl-tropes-collection 💙

gif-requests are open, but you'll need to have some patience🌼

Here you can find all of my gifs.

At the end you can have a look at what we can expect in November with a MDL link and a link for a trailer (if avaible).

This is guaranteed to contain spoilers!

1. Every You, Every Me 🇹🇭 (7/8)

Usually I love a good holding back. This was not one of those. This series is just cruel. It just put the reality in love and romance with the story of Pun and Inn, two actors who fell in love while playing soulmates and then broke up... and yet they still love each other. This hurts. And at this point I don't know if we get a happy ending, because we are now in "reality" and there the happy endings are not that sure like in the movies.

2. Jack & Joker: U steal my heart! 🇹🇭 (11/12)

I love this series. I really do. But it makes it really hard to let me sometimes. This episode was one of those times. I get that Jack is hurting and lashing out to the one person he hoped would be the one real thing in his life. And this person betrayed him. But instead of listening to him or at least talk to him, he tries to cut him out of his life. But he forgave Save and kind of understood his reasons, because he thought about it and for a small second he saw his own flaws. But he forgave him. And not Joke. That hurt me. But next episode we get the Don't touch my boyfriend, because in his heart he never let Joke go. Joke has always been his boyfriend. And that calmed me down a little bit and I came back loving it.

3. Kidnap 🇹🇭 (11/12)

Ohm and his puppy eyes. Leng/Q is our strongest soldier. I would have folded immediately if Min looked at me like that. He could have anything from me. The story? There is a story? The story is strong because we looked into Ohm's eyes and forgot there is no real story, or at least a very weak story. But it looks as if we get a sugary happy ever after next week, with all the fluff and comfort we all wish for in a last episode, which is nice and I am honest, I am looking forward to that!

4. Love In The Air: Koi no Yokan 🇯🇵 (2/10)

I don't know if I continue this one. I don't like the Thai original, perhaps the story is just not for me. But I really like Nagumo Shoma. So for now I will keep watching for him.

5. Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu 🇯🇵 (3/11)

Those two are the bluest boys out there right now. They long for each other, but don't know it yet. Or they can't understand their feelings completely. And it is so beautiful to see how they feel so comfortable with each other. They are like two magnets, always attracted to each other. And still, I am not ready for the real sad parts. And at this point I can't really tell if this has a happy ending.

6. The Heart Killers 🇹🇭 (1/12)

The first episode was better than I thought. I had the fear that this would turn out as, well not good, okay. I thought this might not be good. And it can always take a turn. Yes it is in parts too over the top for me, especially Style's character, but I hope as soon as he really catches feeling, it tunes down a little bit. I am curious how this will turns out. For now it is okay. But it is GMMTV so I'll have my guards up.

7. The Nipple Talk 🇹🇼 (5/10)

Oh man, this is so good. We have a small group of friends, a lesbian who likes changing sex-partners and doesn't believe in relationships, a sex-positive straight woman, who likes to have a relationship, but didn't meet the right person so far and has sex with as much men she wants on the way and our gay man, who believes in love and monogamy and who is now on the search for exactly that after the break up with his long term partner. And please, Jie is right in front of you! Just look at how he looks at you! This series is really surprisingly good, very sex positive and everyone's guru MAMA has not just an interesting story in stock, but is our mirror and the voice in the back to not judge other people's lifestyles, just because it is not to your liking. It is a mature queer series, no bl.

8. Word of Honor 🇨🇳 (20/36)

Perhaps November will be the month I finally keep watching this series. Who knows.

Finished in November

Series

Let Free The Curse Of Taekwondo 🇰🇷 (6/8)

This series broke my heart, healed it only to break it again. I am very happy we got this domestic, happy ending. It has such a hopeful touch in it. Not everything is damned, just because you took a wrong path in the past. There is always hope for you to find love, to change the path, to get to a state of happiness you dreamed of as a kid. Trauma and abuse shape our lifes, but it doesn't have to dictate it. Tough topic that hits hard. A really good series with a great story and good acting. A good 9 out of 10 for me.

Movie

Short Film

Dropped in November

Bad Guy My Boss 🇹🇭 (8/12)

I can't deal with this anymore. I have no clue what is going on anymore. And the relationship between Elyes and Pat is so annoying. I have no wish to continue this show anymore. So I dropped it, finally. And made room for something else...

Looking forward to in November

The Nipple Talk - Trailer (Nov 1st)

Bad to bed (Nov 2nd)

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan - Trailer (Nov 3rd)

Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu (Nov 5th)

Episode 9. Nineteen, Eighteen / Love for Love's Sake special episode (Nov 9th)

Caged Again - Trailer (Nov 15th)

Your Sky - Trailer (Nov 17th)

The Heart Killers - Trailer (Nov 20th)

Petrichor - Trailer (Nov 27th)

[notnights]

Is Creep by Radiohead more Jax coded or Gangle coded?

Hey this gives me the opportunity to mention "Creep by Radiohead" was a very shortly lived tumblr meme a few years back, and I genuinely don't think a lot of people knew that judging by the reactions people had to this picture,

and by the fact that because of the reactions I saw to this picture, I went to go find evidence this was once a meme (and possibly what Gooseworx was making a funny about here maybe??) only to find out it was such a niche meme there is no "knowyourmeme" page about it or even people talking about this specific meme outside of tumblr.

And I feel insane because I can't find any proof, but I KNOW it happened, it would be stuff like "person makes playlist for their fav supervillain, and it's just creep by radiohead" and the [supervillain playlist] is replaced with almost anything else and then "but it's just creep by radiohead" or "and it's creep by radio head"

Kind of the same as people who meme on "Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez because so many teenage girls will describe the song as their family because just like Creep by Radiohead, there's enough relatability to it even if the stories don't line up exactly with one's life. Teenage boy relates to Creep by Radiohead, Joker relates to Creep by Radiohead, real! memed on!

Which, back to the Jax picture, I had originally ASSUMED this was the joke of this piece. That Jax's life from our perspective, at the moment, is nothing like Creep by Radiohead, or is it? Because again, there's that vague enough relatability for any fan to listen to this song and take SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ABOUT JAX from it. Half of this song is about loving someone else, or about not fitting in, or about not having control, and people dove in, what parts relate to Jax, etc etc.

A meta joke, about oh Jax is finding this song relatable that's funny on it's own, fans seeing this photo and song will start guessing about stuff it means for Jax, even though the reality is, Creep by Radiohead has such a wide reach. Even if it meant anything specifically for Jax, there would be so many guesses as to what that might specifically be, no one would know right. This is on par with other funny tweets Goose has made before in relation to keeping fans guessing: "when you see fanart of something close to canon---it was fast food uniforms" <- her first tweet, NO one was going to guess right, it's vague enough to make people think and go crazy but not confirm anything, the follow up tweet, showing it was never serious at all, relevant but nothing no one needed to think too hard on. It was months until we got the punchline but god that was funny. Saying this song ALSO relates to Gangle shows further the vague wide relatability of it, everyone gets something out of this song one way or another, for themselves, for a character, whatever. More over this is part of my ribbunny playlist long before this image of Jax was posted. And you're probably at this point being like, NIGHTS WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT!!!

AND I'M SHAKING YALL AND SAYING I SWEAR THIS IMAGE OF JAX IS SUPPOSE TO BE BASED OFF A NICHE TUMBLR MEME AND I FEEL LIKE IM INSANE BECAUSE IM THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS IT!!! OR MAYBE I AM JUST INSANE!!!

[knoepfl]

A Cozy Christmas

Characters: Arthur Fleck (Joker), Reader (you)

Trigger Warnings: None

Masterlist

Hey there! I wrote this story with my own excitement^^ I am from Germany and to be honest I wasn't at a Christmas market for such a long time! So i just wanted to bring my own pov and feelings in it. Because I just love Christmas Markets!

Words: 857

---

The chilly Gotham air added a tinge of excitement as you and Arthur made your way to the German Wintermarket that had just opened in the city. It was your second date, and you were thrilled—not just for the chance to spend more time with him, but because it was like a little slice of home brought to Gotham. Originally from Germany, you missed the warmth and spirit of German winter markets and couldn’t wait to show Arthur what it was like.

Arthur walked close beside you, his gloved hand wrapped around yours. He was a little nervous, but you could feel his excitement bubbling underneath. When you reached the entrance, with its warmly lit stalls and garlands, you squeezed his hand.

“It’s just like the markets back home,” you said, your voice filled with nostalgia. Arthur looked over at you, his face softening at your excitement.

“Then I’m glad we’re here,” he replied, smiling.

You started off with Langosch, a familiar treat. The sight of the golden-brown flatbread smothered in sour cream and garlic made you practically giddy, and Arthur couldn’t help but smile at your enthusiasm. He took a bite, his eyes widening with surprise.

“This is… really good,” he said, his voice reverent. You laughed, watching as he eagerly took another bite.

After the Langosch, you guided him to the Glühwein stand, describing the warm, spiced wine in detail. “It’s like drinking a cozy blanket,” you joked, and Arthur chuckled. When he took a sip, he let out a sigh, clearly relishing the warmth.

“This tastes like…” he paused, searching for the right words, “…like Christmas.”

It made you smile, remembering Christmas markets back home. “Exactly,” you said softly, touched that he was sharing in a part of your culture with such openness.

As you wandered from stall to stall, you introduced him to Käsespätzle and even fresh pretzels, sharing stories of Germany along the way. He listened intently, asking questions and laughing at your stories. You felt so close to him in those moments, like you were bridging two worlds together.

Finally, you reached a stall selling Lebkuchenherzen, those familiar heart-shaped gingerbread cookies with icing phrases. Arthur’s eyes immediately caught on one of the larger hearts. Without a word, he pulled out his wallet.

“Which one would you like?” he asked, his voice a little shy but warm.

You pointed to a heart that said, “Du bist mein Schatz” in white icing. He read the words slowly, his brow furrowed in concentration. “It means… ‘You are my treasure,’ right?”

You nodded, touched beyond words, and he bought it with a proud smile. Holding it out to you, he looked into your eyes, his own filled with a mixture of affection and tenderness. “Here,” he murmured. “Because that’s what you are to me.”

You accepted it, feeling a blush rise to your cheeks as you leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Thank you, Arthur. This night was perfect.”

The two of you walked home under the streetlights, with the gingerbread heart in your hand and a warmth in your chest that felt like home—both to Gotham and to him.

---

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading! I loved writing this second date, capturing the sweet, tentative connection between Arthur and the reader. Bringing a bit of German culture to Gotham for the reader was so much fun.If you enjoyed it, let me know—I'd love to hear your thoughts! ❤️

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

out of curiosity, is there anything that Tom King has written for/about Batman that you do like?

Nate I'm gonna be so real with you: I like a lot of the spaghetti that King throws at the wall when he's writing. unfortunately you hardly get time to say "hey, that's neat" before he's loaded the spaghetti into a cannon and starts firing it at you at speeds calculated to kill.

an example that I think about absolutely goddamn constantly is King's original character The Help, from the abysmal miniseries Killing Time. The Help starts out as a cool idea: an older, extremely prim killer for hire who prides himself on his professionalism and is less than impressed by the costumed freaks that are just starting to rise to prominence in Batman's early days. he's known and feared by younger criminals, he's prone to critiquing the fighting style of his enemies up to and including offering them pointers, he's aggressively polite, etc. he's fun!

except he can't just be fun, he has to have trained every other famed combatant in the DC universe. yeah, he's better than Canary and the Question and Lady Shiva. oh, and did we mention he knows Ra's? yeah, Ra's actually initially wanted The Help to be his successor, Bruce is just his second pick. King doesn't really do subtlety, you know? he just hamfists his shit in and uses the existing DC lore to prop it up until his story ends up looking like that prokopetz post about how Supernatural ends up being about fighting the devil's more evil cousin Phil because the writers didn't know how to do anything but escalate.

the worst offender by far, TO ME, is his issue of One Bad Day, wherein King decides to take on the incredibly loaded legacy of the Killing Joke and handles it with all the tact of a musk ox by using it as a cheap device to prop up his Hannibal Lecter-esque Riddler. oh, that whole thing with the Gordons? yeah, that wasn't actually the Joker's idea. the Riddler came up with the actual plan, the Joker just carried it out. isn't that scary? isn't that fucked up? don't you want to take the Riddler seriously now? welcome to his twisted mind.

to me it seems like King is a pretty okay ideas guy but can't stop shooting himself in the dick when asked to follow through, which would be funny if the bullets didn't keep ricocheting to hit my favorite characters.