#the riddler's gambit

[frootertooter]

Collection of stuff I found interesting whilst reading through The Riddler's Gambit (Arkham Knight Prequel book)

[Chapters 1-4]

At least Eddie's aware of his own egomania

So the decision to keep Oracle a secret from Gordon was Barbara's choice? Guess it wouldn't really change Gordon's reaction to the confession later on in Arkham Knight, but it would've been interesting to see how it would've played out if Bruce told him during that scene

^^ Bruce's worries about keeping Oracle's identity a secret from Jim

WELL. UH... WE KNOW HOW THAT PLAYED OUT :'D

Either Bruce is just really daft and forgot Babs already knows his identity, or the author forgot the voice lines in both Arkham Asylum and City where Babs calls Bruce by his name? Or that entire Hush side mission in A. City where Babs directly challenges Batman by proposing he might've been the serial killer bc Bruce Wayne's prints were found at the crime scene??

THIS STINKSTER. He's so damn goofy I love it

Tbh I really wish we got to see more of this side of Riddler in the Arkham games? We usually just see his goofier show-biz esque persona in the games, and although it's hinted at, we don't really get to see how genuinely menacing he can be? There aren't many scenes depicting how he treats his goons, or anyone who isn't another rogues gallery member/ Batman? (Or at least the only glimpses I can remember are how he talks to his Riddlerbots?)

[clownprince]

soooo was anyone gonna tell me there's a canon arkham knight prequel novel that not only overtly says that bruce is mourning joker but actually gets into his psyche and grieving process and how it's affected him. or was i just supposed to find that out myself from poking around the arkhamverse tv tropes page

[buckys-metal-arm]

So I was never into the X-Men Cinematic Universe, but I'm watching Origins: Wolverine, and I am seeing what Gambit looks like in live action and I....

What did they do to my boy??

[missyterry]

Right so this is my face/voice claim for Ms Terry

(Beth Harmon from the Queens Gambit on Netflix)

I made a silly little edit of her.

[74rn]

Thinking about some of my favourite batjokes parts from The Riddler's Gambit novel again.

[distort-opia]

Tort can I bother with something? Like, I don't know how you feel about people asking your opinion about batman stuff a lot but I since you have read much more comics and for a longer time I always think "well, she must know more about it" 😂 I hope it's not annoying.

So the ask in question is: what's the difference between Joker and Riddler? And not the thing they two had about the difference between a joke and a riddle but in batman's perspective, kinda? What Joker have that Riddler don't? Because this pattern of Batman being "nicer" (as nice batman can be with a criminal lol) with Joker and hating (I don't if he hates him but anyways) Riddler keeps repeating in a lot of media now. It was in the comics with Tom King, in the movie with Batman 2022 and we have the games and books with Batman: Arkham knight and Batman: Arkham knight: The Riddler's Gambit. What's the difference they have to batman? It's especially ironic since also in a lot of media they kinda of two side of a coin (don't know if this sentence apply to these two. What I meant now it's the joke vs riddle thing now jajaja. People sometimes mistake a joke for a riddle and vise versa. So it's like people thinking they're the "same", when actually, there is a difference between a joke and a riddle.) (and when I say "people" I'm talking actually about the people in the DC universe not people actually people)

Hey! I don't mind the question, no worries. I'll say this though, it is a bit of a funny ask because I've had this sort of discussion with people before, and I hope I'm able to find the posts, because it's still funny to me. Here's one of them, with a lot of comic recs and everything. Essentially, how are Joker and Riddler different to Batman in the comics? Bruce is obsessed with Joker, but Riddler... pisses him off.

As you mention yourself, Riddler pisses Bruce off so badly Tom King wrote two comics in which he attempts to kill Edward (The War of Jokes and Riddles, Batman: One Bad Day -- The Riddler). He's similarly peeved with Riddler in the Arkhamverse, especially after Edward tries to fill the vacuum left behind by Joker's death and replace him. And well, I'm not gonna delve into The Batman (2022) because the Riddler of that movie is much different to the comics version... as is Barry Keoghan's Joker. I'm not a fan of the way Matt Reeves took these characters and then mixed their backstories around because he wanted to "put his own spin" on them or come up with a "novel approach". Riddler in The Batman (2022) is quite different to the comics version, so I feel any discussion of dynamics within that movieverse has to be its own thing, and acknowledged as such. I'll put the rest of the answer under the cut though, because things have gotten long enough as it is.

In comics, Joker and Riddler are obviously different individuals, although they've got similarities too. Sometimes writers don't know how to write Riddler well and kind of have him as this bad copy of Joker (because how different are riddles and jokes, right). But the two characters have different goals, different backstories, different dynamics with Batman. Bruce is obsessed with Joker for many reasons: he sees himself in him, he projects onto him, he feels guilty for his existence and also relies on it. Joker is a villain Batman had a direct hand in creating. Joker is Batman's equal and the one to actually want all his anger and his violence. Joker is about making the world realize that it's all a big joke, that nothing matters, which is his ultimate point. He likes fighting Batman and getting beat up... while that's not really Edward's case, who isn't really portrayed as a masochist:

Batman (2016) #32

Meanwhile, Joker:

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #61

Edward's much more focused on intellect-- that's the facet of Batman's psyche that he, as a Rogue, is meant to address. He's meant to challenge Batman's detective brain, his high IQ. One could say Edward is just as obsessed with Batman as Joker is, but it's a different flavor: while attention-seeking is a big component for both of them, it's much more pervasive for Edward. And that's one of the reasons Bruce is so annoyed with him; the fact that he chooses to get people killed over his selfish need to prove he's the smartest guy in the room. That's what probably activates Bruce's mean streak with Edward more than with the others too-- the need for attention and validation, mixed with fear of him. Because the thing is, Bruce requires things to make sense almost pathologically. So many times, the question he poses to individuals wreaking destruction is "What is the point of this?". And he can understand them, when there's a grander purpose he can even remotely relate to, no matter how dark and twisted. He's related to Poison Ivy, to Joker, to Ra's al Ghul... he even gets Scarecrow, because he knows what it's like to be obsessed with fear and the goal of conquering it. Or maybe it's not accurate to say he doesn't get Edward, because he can relate to having a compulsion, but it's that Edward's compulsion is uncontrolled and about himself. I literally just said that Bruce needs things to make sense, and Edward needs answers, so clearly they're similar in that. But Bruce puts his own in the service of something bigger than himself (in his mind), while what Edward is doing is simply indulging his compulsive need to assert intellectual dominance and get attention, making Batman the target of it and getting people killed along the way.

As to the difference between a joke and a riddle... sigh. I fully think Tom King brought that up in The War of Jokes and Riddles as something that sounds cool, but not something that actually means anything:

Batman (2016) #32

If it does mean something, to me this is more Joker saying "Do you know what the difference between me and Edward is?"... which is connected to the abstract difference between jokes and riddles too, in a sense. What does a joke want? A joke wants to make people laugh. But what does a riddle want? A riddle wants to be solved. A joke is about the laugh it gets; a joke, ultimately, is an attempt to connect with other people. But a riddle is an intellectual pursuit centred around the answer hidden within; a riddle needs someone to make the effort and chase it and solve it, unlike a joke which is the one to make the effort. A riddle is about itself. In my opinion, Joker is saying that he saved Batman from killing someone and destroying himself, because Joker needs someone to make laugh... he needs an audience for the jokes he's trying to tell, and that audience is Batman. Riddler isn't the same; Riddler needs someone to solve him.

Anyway, can't say I'm an expert on the dynamics between Batman and Riddler, this is just my personal opinion. But I hope this helped with understanding the differences a bit more! Or maybe don't take it from me, take it from Joker's own pep-talk to Edward in Death of the Family:

[mydarlingbat]

Batman endgame is absolutely amazing. I honestly really got down to reading it again, and i was opened to a lot of new things. I hadn't even noticed. The thing about Batman Arkham City endgame. It's so freaking heartbreaking. Let's skip all of that and get down to business. Let's talk about this first panel.

We're seeing such a wide view here. Batman can't help but be vulnerable in front so many people right now. Right now the crowd doesn't even exist. Harley Quinn slapping him doesn't exist at this moment. Commissioner Gordon screaming his name, inquiring to know what went down in there isn't catching his ears. All he can think about right now is that the Joker's dead, so that's why he walks through those doors, not looking at anyone, just laying the Joker's body gently on the car. There's cops who's happy the clown's dead, but Batman isn't feeling no type of happiness, although he should be, even though he said he should let the Joker die earlier. That's not what he truly wanted. Sure he would be okay with the world being free of The Joker, but not him being free of The Joker right?

What is this? Jim mention he wished he could've killed him himself, and Batman head goes down. No, no, there's no denying it. That's Batman mourning the Joker. Jim even apologizes to Batman, but truly for what? Why can't he have his joy that the Joker is dead? Batman stands there the whole time, trying to grasp the reality, and he doesn't want to. This is also mention in this novel.

The exact words in Batman riddler's gambit novel.

The answer had been right in front of them the entire time, and he'd refuse to see it. The parallels had all been there from the beginning _ the bomb in gotham merchant's bank vault, hunting killer croc, Mr freeze research. The puzzle hadn't been difficult he'd just refuse to solve it. He couldn't admit the Riddler was making a play for the Joker's place in the underworld hierarchy, because to acknowledge that would be admitting that the Joker was gone.

Batman has to try to focus on something else. He has to pretend what he's seeing isn't reality. He wants to be angry at something. He wants to believe this is what the Joker wanted, and maybe it was. Maybe it was, but why are you so angry Bruce? It specify informs us in Batman riddler's gambit novel, that Batman didn't want to believe the Joker was dead, even after the body was burned.

The exact words in Batman / Riddler's gambit novel.

Is it possible the Joker is alive? That would explain the deliberate echoes of previous events. But it was unthinkable. Batman had seen the Joker body. Gordon had watched it burn, and help dispose of the ashes. He was gone. Unless he'd employed a disguise or a body double. No, Batman thought. Not this time. There was too much evidence. They had confirmed it every way possible. Then why am I still clinging to the chance he might have survived. He had fought the joker for years, and came close to to death on more occasion than he could count. He should be joyous it had ended. Yet it seemed as if he had lost someone terribly close. Perhaps he had. That's what Alfred and Robin been hinting at, before the arrival of the package. As bizarre as it seemed, as much as he hated to admit. Batman knew that in some twisted way the Joker was still a part of him. They had defined each other for so long.

This wound presents a deeper meaning. It let's us know that even Alfred knows Batman's sick twisted relationship with the Joker. He doesn't want to acknowledge. The wound gets stitch up by Alfred earlier on, but that same wound wounds up bleeding again. The Joker death will always have a hold on Bruce's heart. Bruce will never truly forget the Joker, and the Joker death will always be a open wound.

Why? Is it symbolic? I think Bruce don't want It to heal. Maybe the artist is letting us know that the wound will never heal. The hidden wounds that no one sees.

You have to understand when the Joker gave Batman another job after he passed. You have to understand this exactly what Batman needed. The thrill of it is visible on his face. Batman looked pleased to finally be solving a case that the Joker left him. This is not an angry face. This is a face of interest. He desires to hear more. He needs this as much as he needs to hide from reality.

However when the Joker mentions his death? Batman face shows a deep sadness, like once again he is face with reality.

Part one.

[mindstrikersequel]

been seeing people draw this lot interacting with characters from other media, so I thought I’d make a joke about the Arkham riddler juking them into doing his godawful collect my trophies gambit in order to make him smile. got too lazy to draw him. this is as good as it gets. also the red one is here too

[susandsnell]

@forthegothicheroine​ - the ask got deleted in a wild mishap, but here are the Which books I’d recommend to various Batman Villains! (thank you so much for this btw -- absolutely juicy question and I had a thrill imagining any scenario where I’d be in such a position as to be recommending them things! 

Harley Quinn - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, naturally! Things not appearing what they seem, the plot twists, the self-reclamation, the romance, overcoming abuse - I think she’d really enjoy it! Conversely, I think Zola’s Thérèse Raquin would speak to her and maybe help her process some things regarding her bad patterns in criminal relationships. 

Poison Ivy - Gotta keep with the plants theme and give her The Weeds by Katy Simpson Smith, the tale of two women botanists from two different time periods whose entries framed around each type of plant and its uses explores a different theme/moment in their lives, usually relating to gendered violence and resilience to such. It’s even got a sapphic subplot, so really it’s made for her. Rumour has it that the Matt Reeves Batverse for her is planned to be inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappacini’s Daughter, which has me insanely excited -- so I’d throw that on the list as well. To switch gears from just the plants, I think that she’d really enjoy the sheer depth of devotion between women on display in My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. 

Riddler - I feel like any mystery novel you give the guy is going to end in “I simply would have _____, RIP to [protagonist’s/antagonist’s name] But I, Edward Nygma/Nigma/Nashton Am Different”. Guy probably went into a full rage about how stupidly Franklin Clarke from The ABC Murders got caught after all the trouble he took with the puzzle-clues. after so I think I’d give him Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit since a lot of iterations show him having a fondness for chess (and the genuine skill in the writing), and Beth’s arc with difficult beginnings, addiction struggles, resilience and alienation would resonate with him if he ever would admit to it. I also think Gogol would suit him well; I see him enjoying the humour in short works like The Nose, but Dead Souls’ protagonist really suits him as a trickster conman who entertains the possibility of doing better.

Scarecrow - Oh, this is the big one. Hardest one on the list, because Crane’s probably the best-read on the list considering his original motive of wanting to heist money to fund getting books, and his Year One backstory working this into his horrific childhood probably cemented this, so odds are he’s read most of them already, especially the classics! But I did like the suggestion in your fic The Most Poetical Topic he hasn’t read Stephen King’s Carrie, since that’s the shoo-in. I do think he’d also get a kick out of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s works for modern gothics - Mexican Gothic and the use of the spores is up his alley in particular! Lindqvist‘s Let the Right One In with the cute little murder couple of vampire kids who absolutely obliterate bullies and find connection in being outsiders is probably his wish fulfilment jam, let’s be real. And because I’m me, I’d also insist on him reading The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein because it’s essential reading imo and the psychological horror “is there a vampire or is it untreated grief and mental illness” plotline would tickle him. 

Two-Face - Handing him a copy of Phantom of the Opera is probably a great way to get him to flip the coin on whether he’s shooting you or drowning you, so I’d say I’d get Harvey some more legal-related literature. He’s probably a fan of Atticus Finch, so hand him a better John Grisham, a good Perry Mason tale, or Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities especially. And of course, Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo. We’re counting on you, Harv!!! 

Penguin - Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind was all but made for Oswald, especially the more grotesque iterations. It practically feels like proto-Burton!Oswald, although most iterations could probably get a lot out of the themes of abandonment and difficulty, the grotesque, and the ebb and flow of affections and power depending on one’s usefulness. The protagonist is even named after an animal to signify unwantedness!! But privately, I think Oswald likes his cozy mysteries too. 

Mr. Freeze - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery -- really, hear me out, because while the book is only directly about grief and a new lease on life at the end, there’s the grief throughout for a life not lived, and I think he’d enjoy its little quotidian charms and the way it speaks of finding appreciation while you’re here. Otherwise, I’d say Terry Pratchett’s Nation, which is one of the other most immensely powerful explorations of grief. It also involves quite a few scientists for his bias!! 

Mad Hatter - Lewis Carroll’s works are his bread and butter, but I’d be very curious to see his thoughts on The Screwtape Letters. Otherwise I think I’d have to hand him a copy of The Stepford Wives with a sticky-note foreword of: “THIS IS A CAUTIONARY TALE, NOT AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL”. 

[acapelladitty]

Scriddler mood you say...? Well i would love to see them having fun with a poor hapless victim... 👀

Have some mean-spirited shite!

"Isaac Cox."

Drawling the words with a mocking lilt, Jonathan brought the newspaper in his grip closer to his face as a muffled whimper attempted to break free of the gagged figure restrained before him.

"In a tour de force performance which has taken the Gotham comedy circuit by storm, Isaac Cox stands head and shoulders above the rest as he pokes fun at everything from Bruce Wayne to Lex Luthor's latest presidential gambit. However," Jonathan paused to let every word sink in, "his crowning achievement - one which had the crowd in tears - centered on the costumed villains which inhabit Gotham's sewers and shadows."

Jonathan read with perfect clarity in a tone that dripped sarcasm, every inch the honed ex-lecturer he once was, before passing the newspaper onto the green-clad figure by his side.

"Taking aim at Deadshot," Edward picked up the review with a wide grin as his cane remained clasped tightly in his free hand, "puzzling over Riddler's sexual preferences, and making a scarily accurate impression of the Scarecrow on a bender, Cox left no stone unturned as he rampaged like a rogue in his own right. It's enough to have this reviewer feeling like we have a new fearless jester to join our resident Clown Prince of Crime. 4 stars out of 5."

Edward sniffed in disdain as he dropped the newspaper to the filthy floor.

"For such a glowing review, you think they would at least have the decency to give a full five stars. Your thoughts, dear doctor?"

"Everyone's a critic in these modern times."

Flexing the syringes of his fear gauntlet, Jonathan allowed the dim light to catch the metal and noted the violent flinch in the restrained figure.

"I won't insult you by explaining why you're here-"

"But I will," Edward cut in, "and I have to say that choosing to target such a dangerous group of individuals shows that there's not much going on upstairs in the old cranium, is there Isaac?"

To emphasis his point, Edward tapped his temple with the pad of his index finger. A smile broke across his lips as genuine dread filtered through Isaac's expression; the horror of his situation too great to allow regret any room at the table.

In the dampness of Jonathan's underground room, a perfect setting for his various experiments, the vague sound of rainfall could be heard beating against the upper building as a storm raged against Gotham. However, the worsening weather went unnoticed by all three men as their little game continued.

Edward leaned in closer, his bowler hat slipping forward an inch as his head fell to a deep angle. His voice was low and intimate, a simple conversation between a predator and its prey.

"In days gone by, the jester filled an important role to a King's court. He spoke freely but always with the healthy fear of the executioners axe should his words offend rather than amuse."

"Parallel to that, if a jester failed to amuse his king then he would often find himself a victim of hubris as he was thrown into the nearest moat to be devoured by crocodiles."

"And while we lack a moat-" Edward shrugged.

"-we do not lack the crocodile." Jonathan finished his sentence with a crooked smile. "And Waylon Jones does not take kindly to those who would dare to mock him so publicly."

The restraints creaked like old floorboards as Isaac's thick wrists wrenched at his bindings once more. His eyes widened to dinner plates as the natural fear of being eaten, having his flesh consumed by a feral beast, weighed on his chest.

"But we are fair men and so we devised a way for you to save yourself. If you can."

Pulling free the fabric gag which lay within Isaac's mouth, Edward had barely retracted his fingers when the pleas stared to break free of his panicked lips.

"Please, I'll do anyth-"

"Do not interrupt," Crane hissed as he clamped his thin hand around the terrified man's mouth, "or I will sew your lips shut just to watch you struggle more with your next task." He gestured to Edwsrd with his free hand, encouraging him to lay out the instructions.

"One who acts a fool must fill the role entirely. It seems to us that we hold the power in this exchange and that makes us your court. So your task is to make us laugh."

"What?" A question disgused within a sob.

"Make. Us. Laugh." Edward punctured each word with a cruel flick of his wrist. "You have three minutes to make either of us smile or your life is forfeit. Waylon Jones waits in the wings for a simple invitation if you fail. Consumed by a crocodile for failing your simple role. Poetic."

Jonathan watched the explanation with stony features, mercy absent from every pore as he knew he was playing a game he would not lose. Hubris was a death sentence in Gotham and this fool before them would lose more than he bargained for in payment for the unspoken challenge he had set.

Producing a small egg timer from his jacket, Edward wound it back as each subtle click tinkled away like a death rattle in its own right. He tilted forward to position it on the small table which lay between them as Jonathan moved to stand to his full, impressive height by his other side.

"Three minutes, Isaac Cox. Time for the jester to work his magic."

x-x-x-x-x

By the time Waylon Jones had slowed his brutal enjoyment of his screaming meal, the scent of blood and viscera hung in the air like a cloying fog and it was enough to make Edward's stomach lurch despite the many atrocities he could ascribe his own bloddied name to.

"A pity, really." He muttered the words with a pitiless tone. "I could have used him as a test subject for a new contraption i've painstakingly designed."

"And deny Waylon a good meal? You would be so cruel?"

Silence falling once again, both men resigned themselves to watching the smoulding display of cannibalism as a vague hope that the other would take point on the inevitable clean-up knocked curiously at their thoughts.

[clownprince]

how sick and twisted would i have to be to miss that lunatic?

batman: arkham city – end game #1 // batman: arkham city – harley quinn's revenge // batman: arkham city – end game #2-6 // batman: arkham knight – the riddler's gambit // batman: arkham knight #0 // batman: arkham knight

[websliingerr]

Get to know me! (Silly Intro Time)

hello hello!  I'm Spidey; my pronouns are he/it. I am terrible at introducing myself anyway. I have so many interests, which I will show below:

TV SHOWS/MOVIES:

Spiderverse (ATSV + ITSV)/Spiderman in general, Moon Knight, The Batman, Queens Gambit, Good Omens, Star Wars, Deadpool & Wolverine movie, Criminal Minds, Fellow Travelers, Interview with the vampire and more

SPECFIC CHARACTERS:

The Riddler, Spencer Reid, Deadpool, The Spot, Web-Slinger, Benny Watts, Astarion, Karlach, Spiderman (many different ones) and more

OTHER:

Chess, Baldur's Gate 3, Psychology, Space, Video Games, Writing, Guitar, Music, Video Games, HLVRAI, D&D, Cowboys, Lifesteal smp, comic books, and LAW?? I know too much. THEN ALOT MORE, I MOST LIKELY FORGOT

--------

I'm looking for some moots, so yeah! That's me

[hazelhavoc]

Hello! I'm Hazel, and I have a lot of OC's!

This is for DC and Marvel!

(Particularly, for Mutants/X-Men in Marvel's case.)

I have some OC's (that I may add to in the future).

If you'd like to roleplay with me then you can message me. But first-

Some ground rules!

- I only do literate, no * or stuff like that (I'll write an example).

- I'd prefer it to be on Discord.

- I only write as my OC's. I feel very comfortable with them. You can be just canon characters if you'd like, I don't mind. If there are lots (like battles was stuff) in a scene, I'll do my best to help you. (I would prefer if you'd be a canon character though.)

- This is going to be a one-on-one roleplay. No groups, it's too chaotic for me and I'd get too overwhelmed otherwise.

- You have to be at least 18+ age range.

- No minors, because I will be doing dark themes, NSFW, and the like. And no, I will not make exceptions. (Please don't lie to me about your age, that's just fucked up and I'll immediately block you if you do.)

- You have to have canon knowledge of what we'll be roleplaying (that would be obvious lmao.)

- You have to put in just as much effort as me. It's frustrating when I come back to a two liner reply. Especially since I write A LOT. It would just discourage me. 50/50 is preferred. Don't force yourself to write if you don't want to (have health issues, feeling down in the dumps, ect. Please tell me if something is wrong of course.)

- If you have OC's, that's alright too. Just ask me before you randomly throw them in. I'll be showing you my OC's in advance before we start writing. Just know that I do still want you to control a canon character.

- COMMUNICATION IS KEY. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid of me either, haha. I just have to be firm. I don't mind talking outside of the roleplay too. It's always nice to make friends!

- And please don't ghost me, several people have done that and it just hurts. Tell me if you're going to be gone for a while, or if you want to change the rp, or you just need a break.

~•••~

What comics am I most comfortable/familiar with? No particular order!

Anything to do with (Comics and Animated mostly) Batman, Superman, Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin, Batfamily in general, Firestorm, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner), The Flash (Barry Allen, Wally West), Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), Booster Gold, The Riddler, The Atom (Ray Palmer), Green Arrow, Arsenal, Plastic Man, Superboy (Conner Kent), Deathstroke, Captain Cold, Mirror Master (Specifically from the animated movie Justice League: Doom), Deadshot, Justice League/Young Justice/Teen Titans in general...might add more.

Gambit, Cyclops, The Angel (Mutants: Mainly the comics and animated), Spiderman (Mainly the comics and animated), Daredevil (TV Show, Comics)...might add more.

Mainly for both, I can't list specific comics because that would be way too long. But I do like older works rather than some new stuff. Like the Green Lantern expanded lore about the galaxy in DC, as an example, where they bring back Hal Jordan.

Those are what I'm familiar with. If you also like these, then hit me up. We'd have to talk a bit before writing, such as your own limitations, boundaries, and the like.

Now, here's an example of my writing that involves one of my OC's.

~•••~

Valrel sighs as she crouches on the railing, arms bent on her knees as she looks down at the city lights. It's beautiful tonight, from up here at least. She'd just gotten done with a full sweep of the surrounding block two times, making sure everything is right as rain. She'd been planning this for a month, so it best work when the time was right. She'd kept track of all the potential threats, witnesses, and the people that live in this expensive apartment complex. From all walks of life, but they're all rich - particularly the ones on top. At the penthouse.

Flipping up and over the balcony railing above her, steps silent as she crouches again. The wind passes by, playing with her loose white locks as she forms water around her fingers. Flexing them, her eyes glow under her blue opaque visor - the water slips in under the crack of the locked glass door. Boom. Open. Using her other hand to slide it open, taking a step in.

She'd taken the precaution to loop the empty rooms camera for around 10 minutes. That's all she needs. Security is down around here. The residents did go on a nice vacation away from Blüdhaven, fortunate for her - not so much for them. They won't even notice anyways. Still, Valrel footsteps are silent as she makes her way through the roomy living room and to the home office, sliding in, she's quick to go to the safe and start with picking the lock with her powers. Staying alert. Nightwing might appear like he usually does. Not that she minds his presence...he's just distracting when she's doing something she deems important. Valrel huffs to herself, smirking lightly with amusement quirking her expression.

She won't say she doesn't have fun when he decides to come around.

~•••~

Of course, I'll write way more than that lol.

Maybe I'll add more to this post if I think of more. :]

See ya, feel free to message me if you're interested.

[metatextuality]

first lines meme

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able to, and see if there are any patterns!

tagged by @whetstonefires!

(Last ten published works, huh? That does rather narrow it down...)

1. The Man Who Would Not Stop for Death – a short, pulpy original noir scene for The Merry Whump of May.

The problem with discovering your payday is committing felonies — apart from the fact that they're committing felonies at all, of course — is that your odds of getting paid take a sharp downturn.

2. The Man and the Moon – a longform noir serial in which the same protagonist finds himself attempting to apply hardboiled rationalism to cosmic horrors from beyond the stars.

Chicago is an improvement over Hoboken, which should paint a sufficiently damning picture of both cities.

3. To Serve Satan: Miss deManners' Guide to the Heavenly Host – a Good Omens short about Crowley's methods that came to me fully-formed in a dream, so I'm not sure I should be counting it, but it did probably come from my brain technically so what the hell.

"Would either of you like something off the dessert trolley, sirs?"

For once, it was Crowley who looked up with such sudden diamond-bright joy that it cut.

4. But Be the Serpent Under ’t – an AU of my own pirate noncon epic in which Captain Crowley possesses one of his captors.

When Crowley finally died, it came almost as an anticlimax.

5. The Seas Incarnadine – the aforementioned epic pirate noncon fic, which I stg I am going to finish one of these days. (This sentiment also applies to every other unfinished fic on this list.)

This whole piracy lark had, in retrospect, gone a bit further than intended.

6. Conversant With Terrible Objects – DC mirrorverse character study of Owlman in the form of filthy, filthy phone sex with Superwoman.

The Crime Syndicate believed that Owlman loved Gotham City, when they credited him with the ability to love at all.

7. Black-Clad Bats and Making Money – the one where John Mulaney becomes the Riddler™

You may recognise me as the man who programmed — because that’s what being a game programmer gets you, instant celebrity, like Shigeru Miyamoto and the guy who invented Tetris — you may recognise me as Edward Nigma, the man who programmed Labyrinth of the Minotaur, a bestselling game whose apparent claim to fame is that it is unwinnable.

8. Crowskin – the one where Owlman catches an Australian magpie like a fuckin' baseball.

“What,” uttered Johnny Quick, “the fuck.”

9. Those Who Fight Monsters – a casefic wherein the mirror-universe Riddler deals with the moral dilemma of rescuing Owlman's favorite child assassin.

You would think, thought Edward Nigma, crouching behind the wall of shipping containers he’d scaled partway up for a better vantage point, that criminals would find somewhere else to conduct their business.

10. King's Gambit – DC mirrorverse fic where Lex Luthor and Sinestro discuss rationalism and then kiss (and then try to reverse-engineer God so they can use him as a nuke)

“Good news,” said Sinestro as he pulled away. “You’ll probably keep the eye.”

So the first thing I notice is that I like to open with an immediate, snappy Establishing Character Moment, usually in a close POV. That's probably related to the fact that my usual catalyst for writing down a scene I've been building up in my head is finding an opening hook that I like too much not to use, and which leads naturally into my mind expanding on it for another few paragraphs whether I want it to or not; also to the fact that most of my fic is character-centric, and almost always written in a POV limited to the inside of the viewpoint character's head even when it's in third person.

Something I wasn't expecting from this selection of opening lines – and possibly this is a pattern that would be broken if I included some of my many, many unpublished WIPs – is how many of these take a tongue-in-cheek jab at a significant aspect of the story itself. I don't think it's a matter of being convinced of my own metafictional cleverness, nor of being unconfident in my premise and seeking to lampshade it before the reader gets a chance to notice the cracks themselves...more that my favorite characters tend to be those that overthink everything, in part because I find it a relatable trait. Hmm.

Let's pull in a few of my closest-to-publishable WIP openings, for the hell of it:

My mother, may G-d bless her because he certainly hasn't given her much to work with so far, named me Sidney Solomon Jacobi.

--

"Y'know Sandra Nylund?" I ask, winding my way through the bullpen to my desk, where I navigate the organised chaos of notes and reports until I find the file I'm looking for.

--

The new navigator arrived on the HMS Essex's eighth day in port.

--

The thing about alcoholism was that it was perfectly socially acceptable to drink yourself to death.

--

The second time someone called him, she had Owlman tied to the bed.

Okay, yeah, I'm figuring that pattern's probably just a weird coincidence. Interesting that it worked out that way, though.

Tagging off the top of my head: @punishandenslavesuckers @anneapocalypse @weird-mcgee – and anyone else who sees this, consider yourself tagged as well!

[mydarlingbat]

Saying Batman doesn't mourn for the Joker death # is absolutely insane #2

Quotes are from the Batman Arkham Knight riddler gambit novel.

[ladyof1000masks]

Sorry I've been gone. As if anyone noticed. Honestly, my absence is because I had a depressive episode because my body stopped absorbing my meds due to a critical vitamin deficiency. Oh and people still suck.

Last night was a good example. I was replying to a serious Suicide Squad game post on Reddit titled "Will the insanity end when the new game is released?" There was a slightly off-topic, but still relevant conversation going on.

I got into how odd it is that Waller didn't take any interest in Scarecrow as he was the only rogue in the Arkhamverse to unmask Batman and brought him the closest to defeat/breaking any of them ever had. Fuck, he even out planned Bats on a couple occasions.

I don't know if anyone here realizes just how amazingly OP Arkhamverse Batman in almost every discipline, but for a rogue to get a couple steps ahead of him is a feat unheard of. Scarecrow devised a Thanatos Gambit on the master of the technique. He technically won.

Sure Scarecrow didn't make Batman cross the line he most feared but he gave him a good shove toward that precipice. Using fear toxin, a substance very well known for breaking people permanently even in it's weaker variant, on criminals is extremely morally dubious.

The strongest indicator of the damage done, is that he injected Scarecrow with the almost always lethal version with the intent of destroying his mind. I expect cruelty like that from Scarecrow or Riddler, they're the "bad guys" not our dark brooding hero.

But I digress. I didn't go into it as much as I have here because doing so guarantees no one will read my post.

The OP came back with "Not sure what fear toxin would do against robots." No shit! I'm so fucking stupid I wouldn't know something so obvious. I never implied that fear toxin would affect robots. Completely missed my point. I was talking about his chemical genius, brilliant mind, and ability to out gambit Batman.

Never once did I say he'd be one of the ground forces in Taskforce X. Any fan knows Scarecrow isn't a fighter, that he specializes in psychology and excels in unraveling sanity as opposed to a physical threat.

You'd think Waller would have at least "recruited" Crane to be on the support staff and put his genius to good use. That's all I was saying.

People seem to hate all the Rogues I like in the Arkham subreddit. Riddler and Scarecrow are especially unpopular. Honestly, the more assy they get about me talking about Scarecrow, the more I'm going to mention him.

It's okay for others to make multiple posts describing the explicit things they want to do with Bane, the Joker and Batman but I get shit for just talking about Scarecrow?

Not even in a sexual way, either. I may exaggerate my obsession with Scarecrow in an attempt to be funny but everyone on that sub exaggerates in some way.

Fuck your double standards. Also fuck feline respiratory infection and double fuck the blizzard ruining my cat's vet appointment.