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pyroreadscomics · 3 months

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What are your thoughts about Howard's Catwoman run?

The run being really gay doesn't save the writing from being really mediocre.

(More nuance below the cut)

Well that was snappy, unfortunately my thoughts are many and complicated and probably won't be entirely ironed out until a few months after she leaves the book or I reread the run again, or both. That phrase was something I said while reading through the series for the first time a some months ago that I still mostly stand by, but now feel the need to caveat and add nuance.

(Also, it feels weird that, because I put off answering this for months, the end of Howard’s run is just a few months away now, but I’m just going to assume the ending is neither so good it retroactively makes everything better or so bad it tanks the run with guilt by association)

When I say mediocre, I very specifically don't mean bad. I'm using mediocre to mean it's average, ordinary, of moderate quality. Not bad enough to hate, or even particularly dislike, but not good enough for me to shed a tear if it was suddenly canceled (which… seeing as it’s end is now on the horizon… I’m actually filled with anticipation as to what comes next.)

And like many multi-year runs, Howard's Catwoman has had it's ups and downs while it's low points are i think widely known: Her dialogue tends towards what i can only describe as AO3 generic, the plotting itself is sub-par, Gotham War disappointing even though there was no way to go into it with high expectations (joint effort i know, but even taking only half blame for it Tini Howard doesn't come out of that event looking remotely well), and I have an entire rant ready for how I dislike how Black Mask is used in that series.

1. The reintroduction of Eiko

But, that said, at this moment I do feel like calling out some highlights of Howard's run (or at least, the bits of it I really liked.)

Also yes, alot of this could be considered fanservice, but I’m at least acknowledging that things that make me happy don’t inherently make a run good. (but at least more enjoyable to slog through than Tom King’s batman or most of her New 52 stuff)

Okay, let me be clear, Eiko in this run is a shadow of her debut in Valentine's run but Selina's supporting cast has a worrying tendency to disappear without a trace after one, max two runs, so damn if it wasn't nice to see Eiko suddenly reappear in a major role in the Catwoman run after a 6 year absence and not have her confined to the dustbin of comic history alongside other Catwoman supporting cast members such as Gwen, Alice, Zee, Clutterbuck, Wilder, Arizona, and Cassandra Cartland (If you knew every single person i mentioned without having to check, I like you, and you like me also know too much about Catwoman)

If nothing else, if Eiko's appearances in this comic, and her guest appearances in other current Gotham stories (like Punchline: Gotham Game or Ram V's excellent Gotham Nocturne) manage to cement her as a persistent part of Catwoman's cast, this run will have done enough for me to earn a passing grade.

Also I like Eiko's new catsuit and not just because it makes it easier to tell her apart from Selina

2. Catwoman #43 & #44 (The Harley Quinn two parter)

Judging by the mood in the room, If anything gets me an angry response it's going to be this.

It's fun, it was a fun two parter, and honestly there are times when I wish more writers would stop trying to do the high drama stories they're kinda bad and instead write fun inconsequential side stories.

Also yes I do ship it. What of it?

Actually speaking of

3. The queerness.

It’s not a lot, but for a character who’s been out as bi since 2015 Selina is never written that way (at least in the main comics, I understand the HQ show and the recent movies have either explicitly or implicitly had bi Selina). Like it’s so bad Selina doesn’t even get pride tie in stuff, no appearances in the pride anthologies or even pride variant cover. JFC Nightwing gets one every year and last time i checked he was still canonical cishet. And… a bit like Eiko, but less important, it’s nice to have another run where Catwoman is canonically queer. Selina acknowledging Eiko as an ex, flirting with other women, that Selina and Harley sharing a bed scene. It’s just nice to have that part of Selina’s character acknowledged.

Also it’s so minor but the gay bar called Conroy’s got me just a bit.

4. Knight Terrors

On balance, despite me having criticisms of it, I did like it as a version of “What does Selina’s worst nightmares look like”. It’s not quite as good as Devin Grayson’s take on the matter (and ain’t that a sentence) but I’m a big fan of Selina’s mind dark fears conjuring force a lot of catholic imagery and doing something actually interesting with the Sister Zero concept. (It’s really just a shame that this story is clearly setting something up for Gotham War that never actually gets paid off, which is wild considering that was literally the month after Knight Terrors)

Lastly:

5. Valmont

Look, I really liked Valmont for two reasons, one of which is superficial, one of which actually had thought put into it.

Superficially: Selina deserves a whipped subby bisexual twink, as treat. Sure he's a cocky asshole, sure he looks like pirate au ghostmaker, sure he's ready to murder anyone who looks like a threat to his dom love (and honestly anyone in general), but honestly that's all part of the charm.

Because Bruce, as the whole wedding thing shows, is big on these concrete declarations of affection, even as he’s really bad at actually expressing his affection in more casual ways. And Eiko, as she says, is “comfortable with these declarations, names. Things like titles and vows.” So in dating either of them Selina would be consenting being put into a box and labeled, even if it's a box as unconstrained as “dating” and a label as loose as “girlfriend”.

But, putting a bit of thought into things, Valmont has this really interesting role in the story. He's the obviously incorrect choice in a love triangle, but also the one who Selina would pick anyway.

Like, the issue before he dies the story teases a bit of romance with Bruce and Selina, and earlier there were some teases (or.. maybe acknowledgement is the right word?) between Selina and Eiko. There's two existing love interests for Selina, Bruce, who's the moral and safe choice, the wedding bells and gaggle of step kids choice. And there's Eiko, who's a major crime lord, one who's conducting business with some of the worst in Gotham. If it was just the two of them (especially if Eiko was closer to her Valentine personality), it'd be a pretty classic "the good boy and the bad boy girl" love triangle but Valmont is here, and he adds an interesting angle onto that love triangle(?) (is it still a triangle when there's three potential lover interests?).

(A reversal on Eiko and Selina’s very undefined relationship in Valentine’s run, which could be seen as divergence for the character but also kinda makes sense. With Eiko ending that run by shedding Catwoman (and identity that embodied personal freedom and also rebellion against her father) to become the head of the Hagisawa family (an identity marked by responsibility to the family and her place as her father’s heir) that going forward she’d be a lot less likely to engage in a nebulous undefined relationship when her life is now, by choice, very defined. It’s still however one of those things that assumes a non-zero amount of character development happened off screen.)

But Valmont? Valmont doesn’t ask anything *of* Selina.

Sure he does initially, “hey here’s this cat, I know where you live, join my thieves guild”. But this tactic gets him shot down by Selina and at best relegated to “untrusted ally” status (and more likely “useful but dangerous”). But after this, and after a brief break during the CatQuinn two-parter, Valmont’s back with a new tactic called “I’ll do literally anything you ask of me, including stopping killing people, and ask for nothing in return.” Which… with Selina being somewhat adverse to long term commitment (or commitment in general depending on the writer) this works.

Valmont’s hardly a healthier romantic option (he might not be the worst person Selina’s ever dated, but he’s still at the end of the day an arrogant invasive assassin) but he puts a spin on himself that makes Selina let her guard down around him and they do eventually become some vaguely undefined item.

And then in his final issue, Bruce accuses him of still being loyal to the league of assassins and of manipulating Selina. Then he kills again in the process of undoing a problem he caused, and gets in a big fight with Bruce about it. And when Valmont goes to kill Bruce, she kills Valmont which… It’s a weird moment for Selina, she’s normally very reserved about killing people and while yes needing to save Bruce could theoretically push her far enough. But also, it’s the best thing this run could do with Valmont.

Because Bruce’s accusations (along with Valmont’s general sketchiness) lead to this question with Valmont: does he genuinely love Selina, or is he using her for some unknown end? Because he know what he’s naturally like (down with murder) and we know he’s changed his behavior, but we don’t know whether it was because he wanted to be with Selina enough to change himself for that chance (which… understandable) or, if he was on some deep cover mission to manipulate Selina towards and he changed behavior in order to further his own covert ends. And… imo the possibility of it being one or the other is more interesting than any story you could get out of committing one way or the other.

And by killing Valmont, the run gets out of having to answer this question, which, again imo, is the most intelligent narrative decision this run made aside from bringing back Eiko.

That said, If in the last two issues Howard answers the question of “what really was up with Valmont” I’m retroactively taking back all of this praise and will be downgrading this run to "of poor quality but at least Eiko's here"

#catwoman #selina kyle #catwoman comics #Tini Howard #enjoyable but not good #would be another snappy way to summarize my thoughts

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riddle-me-ri · 2 years

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also oops i saw you had sirens!riddler in there too and i haven't read that yet but i know what he looks like and he's another one who is apparently allergic to buttoning up his shirt (not a negative) so uh, in light of him being surrounded by other super hot girls, please afab/female reader who needs a bit of reassurance and is offered the line "that's it. that's my girl." 💜 (and also ily again u-u)

A/N: omg omg asdfgghjj to be told "that's my girl" by any of the green beans asdfgghhj I'd instantly melt on the spot. I took some liberty and changed the quote a tad because I'm a rule breaker u-u but the tone is still there. And YESSS PI Eddie! PI Eddie! This was the perfect way to destress after my breakdown yesterday rip. Also this ended up being so fuckin' sweet? Like I love this set-up I have going?? I wanna write another sequel? AGAIN? (ily too thanks so much for requesting you have the best ideas I stg)

Trigger Warnings: descriptions of an anxiety/panic attack, insecurities, strong language, overall hurt/comfort, and the comfort is extra sweet and soft

Word Count: 1.9 k

Gotham City Sirens!Riddler x F!Reader - That's My Girl

You were seething.

It's a wonder your skin wasn't bubbling from how hot your blood was boiling.

You were once again picking out leaves from your hair and sweeping thorns from under your desk.

Another visit from Selina, Pamela, and Harley. A popular trio that's been dropping in like flies to their favorite dumpster.

Not a surprise there. They always came knocking on Edward's door whenever they were in the slightest bind and didn't bother to put in a single ounce of effort to solve their own problems.

Now you know that's not true. You know Pam would do anything before asking Ed for help. They're smart and resourceful, only coming to Eddie when they've reached a dead end. Wouldn't you do the same?

You huffed as you slumped back into your desk chair. You would do the same.

Besides, Selina has done a few favors for Edward before his reformation…and a couple during it. He owes her.

You lean your head back and cover your face with your hands. You were already tired from cleaning, you really didn't need these mental gymnastics going on.

He can rely on her for anything. All he can rely on you for is his paperwork being in order and to push his new image.

That is all you were just some pencil pusher in a pencil skirt.

In a city full of super heroes, super villains, super geniuses and super sexy powerful women…it was really easy to feel incredibly puny. Incredibly ordinary and insignificant.

In Gotham, if you weren't a hero or a villain..you were a bystander or a victim…

What are you even doing here? What the hell were you thinking even having a chance with Edward? Edward Nygma at that, the fucking reformed Riddler…

"What am I doing here?"

Just like that the walls were slowly caving in. The walls painted with insecurity and founded on anxiety started crumbling. Suffocating you, claustrophobia setting in.

When you leaned back from your chair, you felt bile come up in the back of your throat. You barely managed to swallow it back down.

You couldn't say the same for the tears welling up in your eyes.

Your hand started shaking on your desk. Everything was hazy and foggy around you.

What are you doing? You wasted space! To think you could hold a candle to the likes of Selina Kyle…fucking Catwoman! Poison Ivy, Mother Nature incarnate! Harley fucking Quinn, the Joker's ex boo and a 10 to boot!

You barely made out the soft shushing sounds you were making. Your hands caged around your head doing anything to cease the nagging, taunting cruel voice in your head.

You laid your head on the desk, wrapping your hands and arms over your skull. Something, anything to make it stop.

"Please…please just stop.." You murmured into the long sleeve of your black blouse that no doubt had tear stains now.

"Y/N?"

Everything came to a screeching halt. The mocking voice, the falling walls, the shakes, the tears. Everything.

Shit.

You popped your head up from under your arms like a jack in the box. Immediately grabbing the nearest and softest material to wipe your face with.

"Oh..umm…hi Mr. Nygma, I-Im sorry um..I was uhh.."

"I see Pam left a mess again. Funny, how much she wants to clean the environment but can't clean up after herself.." Ed chuckles in a remorseful tone. As he recalls the weeks she manipulated him with her pheromones and made herself at home in his apartment.

"Y-Yeah, can't…can't miss her that's for sure." You sniffle.

"Are you all right? Did something happen while I was out?"

"Oh no, no, nothing like that Mr. Nygma…I, I think I may just be having a small allergic reaction to Pam's plants."

Smooth.

If you don't shut up I swear to God…

Ed nodded but he doesn't look the slightest bit convinced. "I would have thought after a couple outings you would drop the formalities…"

You were fidgeting with the hem of your skirt. You lean back in your seat with your head hung low.

"Oh, yeah…sorry. Just force of habit…"

"We'll break that habit eventually, I'm sure."

"Hm.." You nodded solemnly.

Silence hung in the air for a moment.

Edward started walking towards his office, but not without a gnawing feeling in the back of his brain. Something upset you greatly, and he wants…no…needs to figure out what it is.

You were hesitant to divulge any information that much was certain. Your face was puffy and red, your eyes were watery. More in line with crying than an allergic reaction.

Think, Eddie, think…

She was fine this morning, bright even. Smiling and content. She brought us both coffee and she gave me some medicine for my growing migraines…things were going great. She was gonna ask you something…

Then of course Selina and the others came in with another – oh!

While the wheels started turning in his head, he already knew he couldn't leave you alone to your own devices again.

He stopped in front of his door with his hand gripped to the doorknob. He looked over his shoulder and was immediately taken aback by the forlorn look on your face.

You got up slowly from your chair and slung your satchel over your shoulder. It was five o'clock when you usually left anyway, and you needed to get out even if you didn't want to.

You did feel better with Ed around but you were worried the next thing he'd say may cause you to break down again.

"W-wait, Y/N…"

Damnit.

"S-sorry Mr.-- Ed…I'm not feeling myself, I was going to head home, unless there's something you need me to do, and I can take it with me?"

Ed shook his year. "N-No..no, umm…can I speak to you for a minute, in my office. Please, if you don't mind of course."

"Oh, ok..sure. I'll be right there."

You were cursing yourself in your head as you sat your bag on your desk and followed him to his office.

Funny, all the times you fantasized about this exact set up, you didn't imagine you'd had an emotional breakdown just before.

You took a seat in the chair in front of his desk and Ed made his way to his chair. He put down his cane and hung up his signature green suit jacket.

When Ed sat down he rolled up his white dress shirt sleeves and removed his eye mask.

You hate when he wears that thing. You understood why he did. He did look cute with it on, but you adore his eyes too much to want them hidden all the time.

You couldn't stand the silence, so you choked out. "I-I'm sorry, Edward…I just kinda got stuck in my own head. It was stupid, and I'm sorry you had to see that."

Ed furrows his brows. "You don't need to apologize for that. It's perfectly…normal, I'm even prone to that at times…sometimes more often than I care to admit."

"I can't even begin to imagine, but it was over something so…trivial..childish even."

"I can be the judge of that…If you don't mind discussing it with me?"

You felt your throat clamp up again. You wanted to talk to him, you appreciated him even giving you his time to help console you. You two have been going out, but nothing was entirely official, so he didn't have to do this.

"Can I take a guess?"

You nod.

"Was it Selina, Pam, and Harley from earlier?"

You lowered your head in defeat but muttered a "y-yes."

"Why?"

"T-They're just…they just make me feel so…inadequate. Like I shouldn't be here, in your world. I envy them, as much as I hate to admit it. They're smarter, stronger, and they're gorgeous –"

Your fingers have started tapping the wooden desk as you got lost in your anxious rambling. It wasn't until Edward put his warm hand over yours that made you stop. You gasp and look up at him.

"S-Sorry, see? It's so stupid."

"Stop. I'm gonna stop you right there…"

He reached his other hand to grab your other hand. He held both of your hands and squeezed them.

"It's not stupid. As I said it's normal, but I'm telling you now, you've earned your seat here. Why? Because you are intelligent. This world of mine with villains, heroes and crooks, it takes someone of strong will to take it on every single day. Even if you're behind a desk there's always that sliver of a chance of something happening, because of me and who I was and who I am now."

Your breathing was evening out again, despite the thumping of your heart, but it wasn't from anxiety for once.

"And you are gorgeous, you drew me on the first day I saw you. More so than any of those three, they don't hold a candle to you…"

He squeezed your hands again.

"Besides…there's one thing you'll have that they never will."

"What's that?"

He offered a soft smile, "Riddle me this…what’s extremely valuable, risky to give, hard to receive and sometimes impossible to repair once it’s been broken?"

You blinked for a moment. Your heart skipped another beat when you realized the answer.

"Trust?"

Edward rewarded you with a warm smile and kissed the back of one of your hands. "They may be acquaintances, I'll scratch their back if they scratch mine later, but I don't trust any of them as far as I can throw them. But I trust you with everything…and anything."

"You really mean that?"

Ed teasingly scoffed. "Y/N…I know I'm many things but a man of my word I'm certainly am, you should know that."

You giggled. "Y-Yeah I do…t-that's just…I never knew that, never thought of that."

"I know, I…I don't show it often how much I appreciate you and just how much you mean to me. This is fairly new territory for me…but I would like to do better."

You couldn't deny it any longer. You got up from your chair and went over to his side of the desk. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace.

"T-Thank you," you whispered in his ear. He slowly stood up and wrapped his arms around your waist.

You kissed his cheek before you looked back into his eyes. "By the way, you're doing great."

Ed chuckled. "Good to know."

You giggled at the all too familiar lopsided smirk he gave you.

Edward leaned in and kissed your forehead. He brought his hand up to your cheek and caressed your cheek with his thumb.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to ask me this morning? Before we were very rudely interrupted."

"Hmm..oh!" You had gotten so infuriated after Ivy entwined you with her vines, tossed you out of the room, and constricted you to your chair…you completely forgot.

"Umm…oh! I was wondering if you would like to have dinner tonight…at..at my place?” You smiled sweetly.

Edward’s heart swelled up on the inside. Your eyes were bright with excitement, your posture was lax and comfortable against him, and your beaming smile was absolutely precious to him.

He couldn’t resist when he tucked your chin between his thumb and forefinger and brought your lips to his in a tender kiss. When he pulled away, he chuckled at your widened eyes and cheeks dusted a rosy hue. You smiled before you hid your reddening face into his shoulder. He tightened his hold on you, before he whispered in your ear:

“There she is, that’s my girl.”

#gotham city sirens riddler x reader #gotham city sirens edward nygma x reader #gotham city sirens riddler #gotham city sirens edward nygma #sirens!riddler x reader #sirens!edward nygma x reader #ri writes

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mellifluousoctopus · 2 years

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I wish I could draw because if i could I'd definitely draw a little pride celebration comic strip where the first panel is just Tim with a basic 'Love is Love' T-shirt and hoodie all like: "Thanks for coming with me, guys. It means a lot to me that you're such great allies"

And then it cuts to next panel of almost the entire Extended family studying him with varying amounts of doubt, confusion, shock, and frustration while wearing A LOT of their own pride merch and get ups.

Selina is in the calmest costume of all of them. To the average person, she's in her typical thigh high boots and leather jacket civvies. To a more discerning eye, she's wearing her most sapphic earring (large minimalist wires of a naked woman's torso with small pearls as nipples) and a novelty (gasp) T-shirt, obscured mostly by her jacket, that parodies Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album with the Bi flag colors instead of a rainbow. Her nails which are just visible are painted with a pink to blue gradient that the mirror finish of her sunglasses shares.

The most out there is Steph which is why her reaction is the most intense. She's spray colored her hair, wearing a color blocked outfit to fit the Pan colors fit with a bright blue tutu. She has appropriately colored tiny cast iron pans as earring and the flag facepainted on her cheeks and the inclusion flag pinned to her like a cape. They're not at the celebration yet but it is very obvious she is one of those people who will just keep collecting bracelets, stickers, flags, and any merch she can find when she does get there.

They rest fall between Selina and Steph. Jasons's jacket is covered in patches and pins. Duke has a pride hoodie with pins too only he's also wearing the inclusion flag and rainbow socks. Dick has face paint, an obligatory pan pun on his shirt, and booty shorts (obviously could not be seen in a still picture) that say 'Equal Opportunity' on the butt. The shirt and the shorts very obviously do not match, but he's too shameless to be pressured into changing. Cass is dressed in all rainbows courtesy of Steph.

Kate is in the least colorful outfit but the loudest with only a dash face paint and holding a flag etched black with the names, office adresses, and reelection days of politicians that supported anti-queer acts and laws and a bold 'SHUT THEM THE FUCK UP' She holds her thumb up and says: "No problem, bud."

There would be an Bonus part where Ivy, quietly wrapped in a Lesbian flag, leans over to Harley, covered in glitter and stickers to ask: "Are we sure he's a Bat." Referring to apparent lack of detective skills.

Bruce 'I choke on my emotional constipation every time I tell my kids good job' Wayne and Damian 'I'm too young to care to ask what's going on ' Wayne would be in the background dressed in minimal apparel drawn as laughably unfinished blobs in their own experience blissfully unaware of Tim's obliviousness.

Tim is also unaware of Tim's obliviousness.

And then I'd label it "Bats have the highest rates of Homosexuality of any Mammal"

This post was heavily inspired by a post by the talented Tumblr User: Oifaaa

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incorrectbatfam · 3 years

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Thoughts on Bruce being a whole stereotype of a PTA parent?

He plays up the PTA parent stereotype for the yuks after hearing Tim offhandedly mention the idea

First PTA meeting of the school year: he shows up with a Hawaiian shirt and socks and sandals

Damian and Jon are supposed to do a science presentation at the same meeting

Damian is mortified

It takes Jon twenty minutes to convince Damian to come out with their poster

Bruce and Clark are also PTA husbands

And Selina, Talia, and Lois are each other's PTA wives

(because we stan a Talia who breaks away from an abusive father and is involved in her son's life)

And they openly refer to each other as that after one of the parents made a homophobic remark

After all, who can argue with the man who funds the entire school?

Every PTA has a bake sale, and theirs is no exception

Lois brings her world-famous cookies, Clark brings his mom's pie, Bruce brings a tiered cake made by Alfred, Talia brings traditional Arab sweets and Selina... accidentally brings Harley and Ivy's "special" brownies

To sell the sweets, Damian and Jon's job was to stand outside and look cute

Bruce takes plenty of pics

And posts them in the PTA Facebook group

They also have a kids' soccer game

No one takes Bruce for a loud sports dad, but here we are

The whole time he thinks the referee has it out for Damian with unfair calls

The referee was Dick

And Clark is trying to keep Bruce from standing up every ten seconds but not even his super strength can hold Papa Bat down

Bruce gets himself kicked out

Talia convinces Dick to let Bruce back in, and this time she and Selina are making sure he behaves

Lois and Talia make spaghetti for the whole team afterward

Other PTA things they do: a school carnival

Clark and Lois are in charge of lawn bowling, which goes swimmingly

Selina does concessions while Talia handles tickets at the prize counter

But it's only a coincidence that Jon gets all strikes and Damian wins the biggest teddy bear

Bruce?

He's in charge of mini golf

18 holes and a bunch of children swinging golf clubs, all on his own

Luckily, his bat-instincts kick in and he's able to prevent one kid from getting his head chopped off by a windmill and two from falling into the pond

When the district proposes cutting the art budget, Bruce sees how upset Damian is and is like "hell nah" and writes a check to cover the department for the ten decade

When came time for the school talent show, Damian and Jon perform a duo magic act and almost gave their parents a heart attack when Jon started flying

They were supposed to win the talent show, but offstage, they see a girl crying because she performed poorly and didn't want to face her parents' disappointment

So Jon distracts the emcee while Damian switches out the envelopes

Bruce and Clark spot them in the act but doesn't say anything

But they can rest assured that they're raising their kids right

#ask #anonymous #bruce wayne #batman #batfamily #batfam #batclan #batman family #superfamily #dc comics #headcanon #tw food mention #tw drug mention

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