#Oracle ARCS JObs

[bispsolutions]

Oracle ARCS Issues and Solution

[punkbarbarian]

for folks who don’t follow them on instagram— ally beardsley wrote part of an op-ed in the washington post for the 50th dnd anniversary about a moment playing dnd that really stuck with them and i wanted to share it here!

“a character’s journey — and my own”

I was an aspiring comedian in Los Angeles and had just landed a salaried job at the comedy website CollegeHumor. My co-worker and friend Brennan Lee Mulligan was looking for six comedians to create a show that would be like an at-home game of D&D. Why not? “Dimension 20” became a weird punctuation to my day.

I remember there being too many rules to remember. I kept turning to my friend, Brian Murphy, to ask which dice I should be rolling. I wasn’t paid overtime, but I loved the group and was having a lot of fun.

For the second season, I had my sea legs. I created a character for the campaign who was transgender. I had started going by the gender neutral they/them pronouns at work and among friends, but sourcing hormones or getting surgery seemed equal parts expensive and invasive. A fun thing about fantasy is stripping away the crunchy, real-world limitations and asking yourself: “What would I do if I could do anything?”

That season’s arc for my character, Pete, was extremely euphoric for me. I had described him as a trans cowboy you might see at Burning Man, and the artist drew him dressed as a freaky Hunter S. Thompson in an open shirt to show his top surgery scars. He has wild magic — uncontrollable and dangerous in the game mechanics — which we used to explore the painful chaos of leaving a family that doesn’t accept you.

Since then, I’ve started testosterone HRT and had top surgery. It’s funny to listen back to myself playing a character who had transitioned in ways I hadn’t. It’s full of inaccuracies that make me smile. Pete takes a testosterone pill every day; I now know it’s a weekly injection or a topical gel. I see my face, one wrapped up in playing something so new but instantly right. It was like an oracle. A near-future me who has health insurance! Who’s talked to their mom about being trans and even spent a week post-top surgery on that mom’s couch in Temecula, Calif!

As I started transitioning my appearance, seeing that in front of the camera felt raw. I was starting hormones, and my voice was cracking. Realizing it was all being recorded felt naked at times, but it has been really nice to talk to fans and friends about how important it is to see someone that looks like you taking a big risk on themself.

With Pete, it was really important to me to tell a story other than the dramatic lead-up to a medical transition. So we started with him having just gotten out of surgery, but that’s all you see of that process. Part of his backstory is that he doesn’t have a relationship with his transphobic parents, and before shooting the first episode, I felt sick to my stomach. I’ve been on a journey with my parents, and our starting place didn’t have much common ground. When my character meets with his father, it felt as though I was actually running into my own on the street.

Brennan could sense that discomfort, and as my character’s dad was about to call Pete by his deadname, Brennan shut the interaction down, surrounding his dad with bubbles that carried him into the sky. Magic is the power and freedom to manipulate your reality, and you can banish the awful voices in your life — let them swirl away into the air.

[little-flame-prince]

"I work alone, except for Robin."

"And Nightwing. And Oracle. And Alfred. And Harold. And Huntress when I'm not being a bitch about it. And Spoiler when she shows up because I just can't make her go away. And that time in recent memory I teamed up with Etrigan. And that time recently I worked with Cluemaster of all people to get Riddler. But sorry Jean-Paul, I work alone. Not more job openings. Oh, hey, I gotta go, the Major Arcana arc in Batman is about to start, I have to go team up with Etrigan again. Joker to fight and all, you understand. Anyway. Go away. Bye. I work alone."

[thewatcher727]

Writing Tip - Portraying Characters Out Of Character

More writing tips

One of the most common criticisms in writing is when an established character is portrayed in a way that seems inconsistent with their usual traits or undergoes a sudden change in personality. The question is, is it wrong to want to write an established character in a different way?

My answer is that it’s fine if there is a plausible reason for it. For example, if John, who was previously a badass military guy, suddenly becomes a soft, joking character in a sequel, it’s going to make people wonder why his personality did a 180. The key to making a different portrayal plausible is through story and context. To explain this, I will use the video game Batman: Arkham Origins as an example.

We were first introduced to Arkham Batman in Batman: Arkham Asylum, which takes place during Bruce Wayne’s 11th year as Batman. In that game, Batman is portrayed as an experienced, highly skilled vigilante who is in complete control of his emotions. He never acts out when a situation goes wrong; instead, he calculates and plans his next move. Even though we see a few instances where he still carries the trauma of his childhood, his willpower is shown to be incredible. There are even rare moments when he makes jokes with Oracle. All in all, you get the sense this is a guy who knows what he’s doing.

Now let’s cut to Batman: Arkham Origins. This game is a prequel that takes place during Bruce’s second year as Batman. In this game, his personality is quite different, out of character so to speak. He is younger, angrier, and inexperienced. The game does an excellent job portraying how flawed Batman is through the small details. His fighting style is more raw and less polished compared to his later years. His suit looks bulkier and more thrown together rather than a single, cohesive design. We see him make mistakes when dealing with criminals. For example, in one cutscene, Batman is interrogating a guy named Loose Lips. As he holds Loose Lips up by the throat with one hand, he adjusts his footing and then chokes Loose Lips too hard, knocking him out. Batman acknowledges this by muttering, “Damn.” He is also very arrogant, underestimating the assassins that are out to get him and frequently telling Alfred he doesn’t need allies, determined to be a one-man army.

So, why do I consider this different portrayal good? The reason is that it fits the story they are trying to tell. Given the significant time gap between Origins and Asylum, it stands to reason that Batman would undergo some personality changes. The game provides an opportunity to show how Batman evolved from a young, reckless individual to the seasoned warrior we know later.

One of the best scenes is when, after nearly losing Alfred to Bane, Batman begins to doubt himself and considers giving up. Alfred, who finally understands why Bruce does what he does as Batman, encourages him to continue and let allies help him. Near the end, we see him working with James Gordon, hinting at how their relationship began to improve by the time of Asylum. We also see Batman working with Barbara to destroy Penguin’s weapons. This not only adds depth to Batman’s character, showing his capacity for growth and change, but it also sets up his future collaborations with characters like Oracle, Robin, and Nightwing. This development makes his later, more balanced and cooperative approach in Asylum and subsequent games feel earned and believable.

All in all, portraying a character out of character can be compelling if it aligns with the story and provides a logical progression. Batman’s arc in Arkham Origins shows he was flawed and needed to accept that he was not alone in his mission. Proper context and development are crucial in making these changes believable.

So, if you’re considering writing someone in a different way, keep this in mind and you’ll be good to go!

[seilnakyle]

Do you think DC is doing a good enough job with Barbara

NO in fact I don’t think we’ve had someone who truly understands her write her since Gail Simone. It took awhile for all the bat title writers to understand that Oracle isn’t just Batgirl doing hacking occasionally, Kelly Thompson seems to think she’s just a superhero secretary, and the only place DC is currently letting her disability be used proudly is wfa.

But, We’ve been worse off before. Babs currently is at least written like an adult woman in her late 20s, a senior member of the batfam, and an equal to Nightwing and Batman, who’s help is invaluable to organizations like the Titans, the GL and the JL. I’m excited to see what role she’ll play in the new JL series, and definitely love the way Dan Watters has been hyping her up!!

I think something she really needs right now to keep her character arc on track is a proper “batgirl retirement” or “Passing of the torch” moment now that Cass has her own Batgirl solo and (one can hope) will now be the one mainly promoted as “the Batgirl” while Babs has been receiving so much Oracle emphasis. As for her disability? I’m not sure what dc wants to do there, there was so much about the “chip” not being a permanent solution in her 2016 batgirl run only for nothing to really come of it.

Of course I want Babs to be a wheelchair user again, I just don’t trust dc to do it well…or at all...I’m very thankful for wfa Babs, though I wish they’d let Cass ditch the “Orphan” thing entirely.

If I were running shit, we’d be getting an Oracle mini about her retirement from Batgirl (heavily Babs and Cass centric), and about reckoning with her disability.

In true Oracle fashion, the future would be a big theme. Maybe Babs is frustrated. She was just having so much fun standing still in time with Dick. Fighting crime together…Batgirl and Robin. The transition isn’t without its tears and grief, but this is Barbara Gordon, and if this is her future? She’s not afraid of it!

Maybe we get another moment similar to her training with Richard Dragon like in Oracle year one but this time it’s Shiva to bring a kind of full circle moment to the cass/shiva/babs dynamic, and she ends the mini by fully kicking the ass of some chump underestimating her or maybe a villain that the bop/Nightwing/Gcpd have been fighting, proving to herself that she is still able to protect those she loves, and that there will always be a need for an Oracle, her role is important, and it’s so much more than she could ever do in a cape…

But anyway yeah I’m trying to get Oracle renaissance 2024 going

[plounce]

made this chart because i think the role/class assignments are such fun pieces of characterization for story NPCs! information pulled from here.

footnotes under the cut:

many NPCs have fancy titles instead of job names - for example, ysayle is referred to as "oracle of ice", and pre-edw alphinaud is an "academician". the jobs i marked them as are pulled from the icons of their classes + the movesets they use.

i didn't include the nameless fill-in NPCs like "temple chirurgeon" or "scion lancer". i am aware that the ARR duty support npcs have dialogue and mini-arcs, but that isn't relevant to my interest in making this chart. and sorry to j'moldva and any fans she has, but she also does not meet the threshold of character significance to be included in the chart.

thancred, urianger, and alphinaud can only dps in specific duty support instances: thancred in the antitower (if he tanks, this is the only time he can GLD - without a shield equipped! uh oh), alphinaud during hvw & stb, and urianger in the mothercrystal (if the player heals, alphinaud is your other healer). y'shtola will only heal in the burn and edw patch dungeons (funny, since her introductory epithet is "cultured conjurer"). all of these can only be used in duty support and not in trust, so they are on the cusps of their overlaps, not properly in them, as i feel this more accurately reflects their actual roles.

alphinaud functions as a scholar with his special massive carby. urianger also pulls out an even bigger carby to somehow be a summoner ("lithomancer") who can use bahamut and phoenix, but not the other three egis! due to his involvement in the bahamut coils raids?

there are no pure healers, outside of the fill-in NPCs!

DPS is a girl job, tanking is a boy job, and healer is equality. ysayle and venat are the only women who can tank, and both use a sword & shield, which makes me want to eat drywall, also i'm also kissing them both on the mouth.

apparently samurais can tank (🔄Third Eye🔄) and apparently gladiators are DPS.

g'raha is notable outside of being an all-rounder in that all of his jobs are, well, jobs. the majority of characters use class icons, while he gets to be full-fledged versions of all of these things. something something soul crystals / the crystal tower / the exarch / etc etc. frankly i'm a little fuzzy on soul crystal lore. i just think this is an interesting distinction.

if you're interested in this kind of stuff, @trustinsighters is a great resource for character dialogue, actions, and many more interesting details in the characters' programming in duty support and trust dungeons! they have great infographics and videos, including localization differences. one of my favorite accounts. their twitter has charts for every trust dungeon from shb onwards, and high-res versions are available on their kofi!

now look at my wol's adorable starlight RDM fit. isn't she so cute. she's my angel. i think about her lore and i weep. her heart is so Good. tomte peregrin on maduin ♥

that is all.

[caesariawritesstuff]

Hello Caesaria!

First- I just absolutely adore your writing, and when I saw your Valentines prompts I got so excited!(just SO NERVOUS TO ASK LOL)

Anyways, this may be super dorky, but for the Valentine’s ask could I get a 🌹💋Robin!Reader x Arkham Knight!Riddler with the prompt number 7 from your jealousy 2 list? I want you to have free reign with it!

Thank you!<3

P.s., I am so stoked for Arc 2 of C&M!<3

Only the Beginning

Summary: A run-in with the Riddler leads to an unexpected outcome.

Word Count: 2.4k

Content Warning: Hate-fucking, smut, brief violence

A/N: Ahh this was a blast to write and I really hope you enjoy, @riddled-with-fear! PLEASE don't be nervous to ever send me a request! And I am ALSO stoked for Arc 2 of C&M!

The Gotham Merchants Bank was surrounded.

Red and blue lights flashed against the darkness, the wailing of police sirens ringing in your ears. From your post atop the adjacent building, crouched on top of a stone gargoyle, your vantage point gave you a good view of everything below: the bank was completely surrounded by GCPD officers, their guns drawn, batons out, tasers at the ready. You narrowed your eyes, peering around, studying the situation. You green-and-red costume clung tightly to your body, the smooth surface and weave of the material perfect for to protect you from oncoming attacks, both from bullets and fists – the likes of which you’d felt many times over.

Sucking in a breath, you braced yourself against the stone, your gloved fingers brushing against the hardness, as you said, “Oracle, what’s the situation inside?”

“The Riddler is robbing the bank,” she said into your earpiece. “He has six hostages. You better move fast, Robin. He’s cleaning out the vault now.”

You nodded; you didn’t need to be told twice. For the last year, you’d been training under Batman and Nightwing, taking up the mantle as a new Robin after the last had been shot in the leg, rendering him incapable of fighting for some time. He was still in recovery, and right now, they were counting on you to get in there and get the job done. You couldn’t let Edward Nigma rob this bank dry and potentially hurt everyone inside. And knowing him, you didn’t know if he’d take any of these hostages as part of his twisted games, either. The thought made your stomach roll, but there was something else, too – the strange way your heart leapt into your throat at the thought of him, a flush burning on your cheeks.

Ever since you’d begin your career as Robin, you’d run into the Riddler more often than you expected. Time and time again, you’d gone toe-to-toe with him, taking down his most intricate of traps and puzzles, before hauling him away to the GCPD. But you had to admit, there was something about him that was…strangely endearing. Was it the sound of his voice? The way he carried himself? The way he spouted riddles at you as if you were an idiot, even though you answered each one without fail and with ease? Was it the way you watched his brow furrow in frustration when he realized you’d outsmarted him? You didn’t know what it was – but just the very thought of him clouded your thoughts more than you cared to admit.

And tonight was no different.

Shaking him from your thoughts, you leapt across the building and over to the bank. Luckily, there was a rooftop vent that you managed to crawl inside and shimmy your way down. Dust brushed against your suit, the smell of must invading your nose, as you crawled your way through the vent with ease. This wasn’t the first time someone had robbed this bank, and it wouldn’t be the last – and by now, you’d memorized this route like the back of your hand. You gritted your teeth, making your way through the vent, before coming to a stop at an opening in the central part of the bank – but the sound of a familiar voice made you pause.

“Well, well,” said the Riddler, his voice oozing that classic arrogance and ego that somehow always made your stomach clench with nerves and warmth. “What do we have here?”

“Please don’t hurt us!” someone cried.

“Oh, please. I’m not going to hurt you,” the Riddler said with an exaggerated sighed. “You aren’t even worth a shred of my cerebral capacity to spare you another thought. Now, hand over the jewels. I won’t ask again.”

You paused. It must be someone wearing nice, expensive jewelry, like rings and bracelets or necklaces. But you couldn’t sit here any longer and let him torture these people into submission – you had a job to do. Bracing yourself, you rushed out of the vent. The metal grating burst open as you burst into the central lobby.

“What?” the Riddler asked, spinning around, his eyes going wide as the sound caught his attention.

You immediately locked eyes with him. He looked like a mess: greasy, mussed up hair, goggles on his forehead, a dirty wife-beater with a green button down scattered with question marks and cargo pants. Every inch of him screamed the sort of man who didn’t take proper care of himself, and yet somehow you couldn’t pull your eyes away from him all the same. Your heart leapt into your throat, and you balled your hands into fists, bracing yourself into a defensive stance.

His lips pulled back into a smirk. “Girl Wonder,” he said. “Alas, we meet again.”

“We really need to stop meeting like this, Nigma,” you said, rolling your eyes. It was a good thing the mask covered your face. The last thing you needed was him finding out your secret identity. As you spoke, your gaze shifted to the six hostages he had held at gunpoint.

“I think you enjoy meeting like this,” he said, sighing, rolling his eyes. “Does the Dark Knight really think sending you will change anything? I’m far more equipped to deal with anything you throw at me, Girl Wonder, so please. Let’s not waste time.”

His gun turned on you, but you noticed his finger barely hovered over the trigger.

“Please,” you scoffed out a broken laugh. “As if. You can barely handle me at all.”

That made his smirk grow – long enough for him to lower his guard and drop the weapon just slightly – giving you enough time to pull out your own shuriken – and you threw it right at his hand. The movement was so fast, and the gadget flew so quick through the air that he barely had time to register it as it smacked right into his hand.

“Dammit!” he cried, hissing through his teeth as the gun slipped from his grip.

It was just the chance you needed. You raced towards him, your breath coming out in short bursts – just as you raised your leg and kicked him in the chest. Riddler went down, a strangled cry escaping his own lips, as he stumbled backwards and landed onto his back. His pupils were blown wide, a look of surprise crossing his face, as you straddled on top of him – trying to get a hold of his wrists so you could pin him down and grab a pair of handcuffs from your utility belt at the same time. But as you did, he only struggled against you, limbs flailing wildly, sweat beaded on his brow and trickling into his greasy hairline.

“Get off of me!” he cried, thrashing about.

“No!” you cried. “I’m taking you in, Nigma.” Your words were spoken with much conviction, so much determination. You glanced aside at the hostage and yelled, “Go!”

The six people jumped to their feet and scrambled out of here, almost tripping over their own two feet as they went. Riddler reached out, trying to scratch at you, but the thick gloves on his hands made it impossible. You reached down, one hand on his chest to keep him pinned while the other grabbed onto his throat, your gloved fingers wrapping tight around the thick muscle – but as you did, your eyes locked with his – and for one simple moment, time seemed to standstill. Gotham faded away into nothingness, and not even the wailing of sirens could be heard. The edges of your vision clouded as warmth filled your bloodstream, spreading down to your core – and when you shifted slightly, you suddenly felt it: a firmness in his pants.

And that’s when you realized he had an erection.

You blinked, barely able to comprehend what you were feeling. Barely able to realize that he was underneath you with a hard on as your straddled legs grinded against him. Heat immediately rushed in between your legs, pulsating there, and your mouth fell agape in surprise.

“You could get off of me now,” he said, but you noticed the flush creeping up his cheeks. “Or do you like thinking you have some kind of control over me? You think you’ve overpowered me, when I’ve simply let you—”

“God, don’t you know how to shut up for one second?” you cried, the words slipping out of your mouth against your control. “You’re so annoying.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I hate you,” you said, rolling your eyes – but you still didn’t make a move to get off him. It was like the two of you were glued together at the hip, unable to be pulled apart.

“I hate you as well, Girl Wonder,” he muttered.

“It doesn’t seem like it to me,” you replied, unable to stop yourself. The words out of your mouth were so unexpected, but the warmth and heat in your core was too much to ignore.

A shadow passed along his face as he blinked, as if uncertain what to say. He shifted again, the heat spreading even more now along his cheeks. “Then you’re fooling yourself, Girl Wonder. You—”

“Oh, shut up,” you said – and pressed your lips to his to silence him.

He tasted like salt and sweat and something metallic. Immediately, his mouth parted to join with yours, and you pushed yourself harder into him, gliding your tongue against his own. The soft brush of his tongue made a moan, a gentle sigh, escape your mouth. It had been so long since you’d been kissed, so long since you’d felt this level of warmth. The hand around his throat loosened, trailing upwards towards his face and into his slick, oily hair. The Riddler groaned into your mouth and arched into you slightly, his erection pressing against your core. Heat spread across your skin, like you were being warmed by a fire and—

“Robin, are you all right?” Oracle asked. “Your vitals have increased exponentially.”

Her voice in your ear immediately made you pull away. A flush crept along your cheeks, and you stared down at Riddler as he gazed up at you with heavy-lidded eyes, smirking.

“As I thought,” he said. “Even the Girl Wonder can’t resist me.”

“Shut up,” you muttered. “I only did that to make you be quiet.”

“What else are you going to do to make me be quiet, hm?” he asked.

The question made you pause. The heat inside of you was too much to bear, too much to handle, and a needy desperation filled your center. You locked eyes with him for just a moment – but that small moment seemed to be enough of an answer for what you both wanted. Immediately, your hands snaked down to his belt, undoing it with rapid succession. You knew the cameras were already disabled, thanks to him, and you only had a few minutes before the GCPD would come barging in here.

“Hold the GCPD off,” you said to Oracle. “I’m busy.”

The Riddler locked eyes with you again, and you immediately pulled his cock from his pants. Long and hard, dripping with precum, the veins bulging out. His shaft was warm in your hands, and you gave his cock a few lazy pumps. He hissed between his teeth as you he grabbed onto the zipper of your costume and yanked it down in one smooth, fluid motion. You didn’t have time to dawdle – you needed this. Now.

You immediately shifted your suit to the side to expose your dripping wet cunt, angling it above his cock, and you sunk down onto him. Both of you sighed in ecstasy at how he filled you to the brim, sinking yourself onto him thick inch by inch. His hands gripped your waist as his back arched, his eyes fluttering closed, as if he was lost to the sensations you provided for him. The feeling of his thick cock inside of you was like heaven, and immediately, you began to move, riding him with a fierce desperation.

You clamped your mouth shut as you slammed yourself down onto him again and again, each time his cock hitting that sweet spot inside of you that made you see stars. Soft gasps and pants escaped your lips, grunts of pleasure escaping his own. There was no time for intimacy, no time for words – just a simple hate fuck as the two of you lost yourselves to the pleasure you both desperately needed and craved. You felt his thumb stray forward, the rough edge of his glove circling your clit, and you gasped, a low cry threatening to spill from your lips. The sensation of the glove and the pressure he added only increased your stimulation, sending tiny fireworks of pleasure all throughout your core and down your thighs.

“Fuck,” he whispered, his eyes opening just enough to look at you. “Who knew the Girl Wonder could fuck so well?”

“Shut up,” you hissed. “I’m not doing this for you – I’m doing it for me.”

His smirk grew slightly. “There are so many people out there you could be doing this with, so why me? The person you despise so much?”

His question made you pause – because you knew the hidden truth. “The thing is…I don’t despise you. Not really. I never have.”

His brow quirked upwards, a curious look passing along his face – but his smile widened into something tricky and tantalizing, before he slammed his hips up into you. You cried out, clamping a hand over your mouth to keep from crying out, as he thrust wildly into you with reckless abandon, a man in the throes of a lustful frenzy. Each thrust of his length into you made your pleasure increase – tightening and tightening – until it snapped completely.

You cried out as your orgasm washed over you, lightning bolts of pleasure running up and down your body. You trembled atop him as he stilled, cum spurting from his cockhead, filling you completely. Your eyes fluttered closed as wave after wave of pleasure and ecstasy consumed you – until your climax faded away into nothingness. Gasping for air, you peeled your eyes open long enough to look down at him to find him smirking that patented, arrogant smirk of his, looking like he was a king being serviced.

A beat of silence passed. But you pulled off of him, quickly zipping up your suit as he tucked his cum-coated cock into his pants, the both of you frantically cleaning up the remnants of what just happened before the GCPD could burst inside. Just as you jumped to your feet, his hand shot out, grabbing your wrist tightly.

“We’re not finished here, Girl Wonder,” he said, a low growl deep in his voice, before he let you go. You pulled away, glaring at him with malice in your eyes – but you knew the truth: this was far from finished.

It was only the beginning.

[geekgirles]

My in-denial, tin foil hat theory back when Phantoms ended and they hinted at the Sanctuary arc being the next thing they would adapt (hence, there were more chances than ever that Wally might come back), but we still didn't know it would be the last season of Young Justice was that, somehow, the writers had been playing the Flinx long game all along.

I can't lie, I 100% am a Teen Titans 2003 truther and those two changed my brain chemistry forever.

However, personal preferences aside, please, let me explain. Because I do have reasons rooted in the narrative to believe this could have been a possible path.

I would like to preface this by saying that I have nothing but mad respect for Spitfire shippers, and I completely understand they would want their own show-original ship to come back rather than a second iteration of the Teen Titans original one. The only reason I am even suggesting they could have gone this path is because, tragically, bringing Spitfite back might have resulted in a mockery of Artemis' own character development since season 2.

Ever since Wally's death, Artemis' personal journey has been marked by tragedy, loss, separation, and learning to cope with it all. The most obvious case being her struggles to move on from losing Wally, but Jade abandoning her family and forcing Artemis to step up as Lian's mother figure also played a key role. And even though she was shown doing so much better in Phantoms, the news of Conner's apparent death threw a wrench to all that.

Which is why I think that suddenly bringing her and Wally back together had he been trapped in the Speed Force and able to return would be such a major disservice to her character. Like, "Yeah, you had to learn to live without the love of your life and to rebuild said life on your own. And you did it! Good job. ...you can have him back now, we put you through the wringer for nothing jk jk."

And then, there's Wally's side in all this.

To be completely honest, I love DC but I'm not nearly as well-versed in its lore and elements as more hardcore fans, so I could be wrong about this. But depending on the source they worked with or even their own artistic licenses, for all we know, Wally could have not aged a day since he entered the Speed Force. While everyone else around him grew up. That could certainly make things awkward. I mean, imagine his reaction upon finding out he's suddenly younger than Dick!

In fact, he doesn't even need to remain the same age for things to change drastically for him in regards to the people in his life. Even if he aged inside the Speed Force, it wouldn't change the fact that he spent over five years away from everything. His life might have been put on hold, but his friends and family moved on.

Artemis had to move on from him and started seeing someone else.

Barbara became wheelchair bound and donned the mantle of Oracle.

Zatanna now has protegés of her own and they all take turns to become Doctor Fate.

Conner and M'gann got married after months thinking he was dead, when in truth, he had been saved by heroes from the future and remained trapped in the Phantom Zone alongside genocidal Kryptonian prisoners...

No matter how you look at it, Wally would not have been able to fit back in as easily as if he'd never left.

Which, added to the Sanctuary plotline, could have been more than enough reason to send him there to learn to cope and heal from his experiences while the rest of the Team grapple with the idea of finally having him back yet... not quite.

How did I manage to somehow include Flinx in all this, you may ask?

Well, ever since season 3, it's been established that all heroes are constantly looking for and trying to help dormant metahumans who'd been kidnapped and experimented on in order to awaken their metagenes. It is a given that many of these people would be sent to the Sanctuary, where Wally could meet them. So, why not Jinx?

I always found it a little annoying that Young Justice's iteration of the Fearsome Five never included her. I mean, I seem to remember they changed Martians' super strength for telekinesis because they didn't want to have too many characters with similar powers, and yet Psimon's team ended up having four members with super strength and no magic user.

Not to mention, they already turned Delphis into an Indian girl with supernaturally coloured hair and eyes with magic powers. Seeing as even the comics retconned Jinx's appearance so she'd resemble her cartoon self more, Young Justice doing the same thing and even re-imagining her as a victim of metahuman trafficking instead of an evil sorceress with no past wouldn't necessarily have been that much of a stretch.

It might have been a welcomed change, even.

So maybe the idea of Wally and Jinx meeting each other at the Sanctuary and growing close over how their lives got turned completely upside down in the blink of an eye could have been a possibility. Or maybe I'm just desperate. All options are equally possible.

I have half the mind to not write a fic about this and focus on my current WIP. But if somebody wants to take a crack at this, by all means...

[brucewaynehater101]

In reverse Robins, technically Steph would be the second Robin, she would be in Jason's pixie boots and come back devastated and vengeful. Tim would either still be stuck at the one who has to put all the pieces together with people throwing all his effort and work back in his face because of the loss of a loved one and him not being them, or maybe in Barbara's position, crippled, traumatized, and having to rebuild himself both as a civilian and vigilante

Then Jason as the Replacement, the one who has to live up to his multiple predecessors, who has to mediate between two (mostly) grown men, who believes that Gotham needs Robin, needs the hope that Batman brings to the city

Bored with Red Hood Tim, give me Oracle Tim, give me a Tim who's forced to create his own mantle instead of taking on someone else's name while he gets the job done

You are absolutely correct. Why didn't I think about it that way? If we are reversing Robins, Duke would be a very temp "Robin" before Damian, who is older, takes over the role. They wouldn't be called Robin, but whatever mantle they end up passing down.

Duke would be it for like a minute or two (maybe his gang is inspired by Batman, wants to help the crusader, and then Duke settles into being his own role). Damian would then come into the picture, take up the mantle Duke discarded, and need to be Batman's partner (Duke doesn't need to. Damian needs the constant presence of Bruce both so he can get to know his dad and so that he is guided on Bruce's version of vigilantism).

Damian goes off to do whatever (maybe he does a few years in the LoA similar to what Bruce did but obviously different).

Bruce stumbles upon Steph, who's Spoiler, and negotiates with her to take up Damian's discarded mantle. Steph, who has her mom, never actually joins the Waynes. She also never truly bonds with Damian (who's away and not approving of her taking "his" mantle). Duke and her get along, but he typically works the "day shift."

Then Steph spots Tim stalking her on a roof. At first, creeped out, she hits him with a brick. Then Tim shows her the photos of the other Bats and the evidence he's collected of cases. Steph begrudgingly grows fond of the little stalker.

She doesn't have the best relationship with Bruce and is still a little miffed he forced her to be a vigilante under his watch (instead of continuing to be independent). Because of this, Steph keeps Tim to herself and away from the Bats. Tim doesn't want to be a vigilante anyways.

Steph shows Tim some moves to keep himself safe while he collects evidence and becomes a stalker. Cass gets adopted around this point and becomes the only Wayne aware of Tim's presence. It's a secret between the three of them.

Tim even introduces Steph to Helena Bertinelli. He met her while he was gathering clues for a case. While Tim and Helena are closer, Steph admires the older woman and her way of vigilantism. Steph can't copy it cause of Bruce, but Steph doesn't find it to be wrong either.

Then the whole mess with Black Mask happens, and Steph "dies."

Tim, who's devastated at the loss, sees Bruce losing it. He, despite the many jokes and promises he made to Steph, offers to take up her role in order to leash Bruce.

Bruce, who finds out the dead person he considered a daughter had kept a whole side of herself from him, pushes Tim away even more. Tim gets sent away, learns from Shiva, and stubbornly forces Bruce into healthier methods of grieving.

In the end, Tim gets captured by Joker, and the Joker Junior arc happens. While Tim isn't physically disabled, the torture and brainwashing makes returning to the field incredibly difficult. Tim has a hard time keeping himself present when he's not at home (and sometimes struggles even then). He has laughing spells and other shit. Tim has to pull himself from the field because of this.

Bruce, on the other hand, goes off the rails again. Tim, who can barely get out of bed some days, gives up. He can't keep managing Bruce's mental well-being on top of his own.

Tim moves out to the clock tower and spends a while moping (understandably). That is until a villain tries to pull some shit online, and Tim discovers another way he can help without being a liability in the field.

Tim nearly orders a hit on Bruce when he finds Jason in the same role that killed Steph and disabled Tim. Duke talks him down and promises to always look out for Jason. Maybe Damian comes back as well.

While Tim isn't able to go in the field, he can still train. It acts as a soothing routine to him. He ensures that Jason is always able to escape and drills into his head that running away is always better than dying. There are worse things than dying, too.

Then, while Jason is "Robin", Steph comes back as "Red Hood." She would probably do a play on words as Black Mask instead for her name. I'm not sure what her training arc would be like, but I like to imagine that she teams up with Helena sometimes.

Tim, through his connections with Helena and Harley, still creates the Birds of Prey.

Anyways, hope this is a decent timeline! There's more that can be added for each of the Batkids, so feel free to add what else you think should happen

[celaenaeiln]

is the dickbabs romantic relationship always as bad as in Tom Taylor’s run or is it actually enjoyable in other runs? i want to read more of dick’s og nightwing run but ik dickbabs is a recurring thing and i strongly dislike what i’ve seen of it in modern comics (absolutely no offense to anyone who ships it!!)

also sort of related, but have dick and babs really been BFFs since grade school or is that new canon? i remember the initial new 52 run referencing him and babs as on and off but nothing about being childhood besties.

finally- what would you consider to be key dick grayson runs?

Surprisingly Dickbabs is pretty nice to read in other runs. I know this sounds weird coming from someone who hates Dickbabs as a ship but really it's only bad like 85% of the time and the majority of that is because of the Batgirl comics. Batgirl comics treat Dick like shit and it's a losing tossup whether he's treated well in Oracle related comics.

But to get to your point, Dickbabs in Nightwing (1996) was originally pretty good. Tom Taylor's run of Nightwing is the weird one because in every other run you have Dick + relationships whereas in Taylor's you have relationships + Dick. That being said, I highly, highly recommend reading the og one. At one point it does get toxic but Barbara leaves almost immediately after that and aside from that the ship was pretty nice for the most part.

Dick and Barbara have NOT been BFFS since childhood or whatever and this gets on my nerves that Tom Taylor and Hope Larson did that. This is one of the problems I have with the Dickbabs ship. Writers who write them love changing the story to erase Dick's friendships with the Titans. They literally love to pretend Wally, Donna, Roy, and Garth don't exist. BARBARA IS NOT HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND!! They literally keep deaging her and for what?? First she was like two decades older than him, then she's five years older than him, and now she's the same age?? Just let her be older! Barbara being the same age as Dick makes no sense because it takes away her maturity to turn her into this childish, selfish character she has no business being. She's not even enjoyable when she's deaged this far. I'm still on the she's 5 to 6 years older than Dick canon timeline and there is no way she was childhood besties with him.

The way I picture Dick and Barbara's relationship is this:

DC should've just let it at this, this was peak Dick and Barbara relationship.

Very narrow starting out list but some must read Dick Grayson runs are:

Nightwing (1996) - If you don't feel like reading anything else just read this

Nightwing (2016) - Really good up until Tom Taylor's run

Batman: Gotham Knights - pretty good and lots of cute Tim and Dick!

Titans (1999) - This is a must read if you're not interested in the original Teen Titans comics

Outsiders (2003) - Love him so much in this

JLA/Titans - Important for understanding his relationships with Titans and Batman

Nightwing (2011)

Justice League (2011) Issue #25 and Forever Evil - Same arc

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush

Robin era

Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze - If you want to skip the medal ages but still want to know what Dick was like as Robin, this comic is all you need to understand his character and personality and beliefs.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet - Dick's gauntlet test!

Robin: Year One - For fun :)

Dick!Bats era

Batman: Battle for the Cowl - To get into Dick's batman

Batman (1940) Issues #682 to #713 - Batman Dick. Incredible. Dick was such a good batman and so fun to read.

Batman and Robin (2009) - Dick and Dami!

Batman: Streets of Gotham - Also Dick and Dami <3

Justice League of America (2006) Issues #41 to #60- Dick leading his own JLA team as Batman! SO FUN!!

Detective Comics (1937) Issue #864 to #881 - Honestly Batman Dick was so good I can't tell if I like Dick more as Nightwing or Batman. Obviously it's better for his mental health if he's nightwing but he just did such a great job as Batman.

Spy era

Grayson - YESSSS. Just everything about this.

Batman and Robin Eternal - It was really good up until near the end but then it got better again

Dark Crisis - Definitely, without a doubt, no question

Additional: The ones above are focused on him but if you finish reading this then Tim's Robin (1993) Comic is a fantastic one. He doesn't appear in every single issue but he appears a lot and it's a lot of Dick and Tim characterization. Also Teen Titans (2003) for more Dick and Titans relationships.

[havendance]

I’m back again with another fic rec list. This time with a baker’s dozen of excellent Batman fics of the hidden gen variety that I’ve dug up. Hopefully there’s something new for everyone on here. Check them out! Give them some love!

Boy Hostage by kuonji

2.5k, complete. A fun little piece showing each of the batboys getting in and out of getting kidnapped for ransom.

but I don’t own a single gun by Molly_Hats (@mollyhats)

1.1k, complete. DICK AND TIM! A conversation between them set at a vague point in the timeline in which various old wounds of the past get dug up.

Get Used to Dying, by papered_king (@paperedking)

1.6k, complete. A very neat character study for Jason that’s formatted as a script for a play and does and excellent job of utilizing it’s format.

It could be worse by Runespoor

2.8k, complete. A series of vignettes about alternate universes where it was somebody else that took Jason in instead of Bruce.

paradoxical sleep by brawltogethernow (@brawltogethernow)

4k, wip. A vibey and cool inception AU. I have never actually watched inception so I don’t know what’s going on half the time when I read this, but I do know that it’s a fun read!

Promises by RenaRoo (@renaroo)

33k, wip. A fix-it fic for Cass’s One Year Later/Evil!Cass arc. This one admittedly, has not been updated since 2018, but it is still very good and you all should read it! It’s got Cass & Tim! Cass interacting with the Birds of Prey! And it really does a great job of digging into her head and all of her raw emotions.

Rose Garden by batling_out_of_hell

6k, wip. In which Cass decides to rebel against Batman and take over the world in order to make sure that no one kills ever. A delight to read. The first chapter is a little slower to start, but chapter 2 onwards is rocking!

Ships and Schemes by Molly_Hats (@mollyhats)

1.3k, complete. A short and fun little fic where Oracle’s been running a misinformation op by harnessing Bruce Wayne/Batman Shippers.

The Fisher Prince by Arctic_Cyclist

3.4k, complete. Damian vs Poison Ivy during the Batman Reborn era. This fic has rich prose, cool lore, and Damian kicking ass through superior ecological praxis.

these crosses by mintchocochips (@mintchocochipsposts)

7.1k, complete. Post-No Man’s Land Helena Bertinelli character study my beloved! Also features a fun Tim & Helena scene for fellow fans of their dynamic.

There is no milk! by chucklesbuckles

2.1k, complete. A fic where Catherine is alive when Jason dies. The start of a Red Hood!Catherine AU, but hasn’t actually gotten to that part in the series yet. It does an excellent job at capturing Catherine’s grief. (Note: This fic is only available to read if you have an AO3 account)

They move and it's fire by Arctic_Cyclist

1.5k, complete. Dick and Damian doing gymnastics together and Damian being recognized as Talia’s son.

when the bodies hit the floor by nashequilibrium

7k, complete. A fun Steph & Damian teamup where they take on a ghost at a sleepover gone wrong with some really fun to read prose.

[bispsolutions]

Oracle ARCS Working with Alerts

[mothswitheyes]

I think Riz can actually use magic and the magical gear is all bells and whistles. In a party of so many casters, literally ALL of them have magic now, I think he feels a lot more disconnected from the 'magic' then the rest of them, where it feels very connected to things like faith and art and being the oracle.

Magic is just something he does, he uses, like he uses his sword and his gun and his hands, it's a tool, it's a method to getting a job done, but thinking "I can spellcast" while everyone has this Big Reason for being able to do it is difficult, illogical, so it's easier to conceptualize it as ACTUALLY a tool, a bracer and a necktie and glasses and beaded bracelets, and not just verbal, somatic, material.

When he casts compelled duel on Kalina, he explicitly uses Nothing to do it, he says he calls upon his connection to Kalina since his birth but that still inherently is magic, he casts a magic spell with nothing but pure will, and it works! There is never a question about it working! Both because the items are inherently flavoring, they don't, on paper, actually exist, and because Riz has magic.

I don't think this is something that'd ever really come up or be canonized, as it just seems to be an off-topic thing for Riz's arc right now, but I think the idea adds to Riz's personality, and it the natural, funny conclusion to "I HAVE to wear it, it's just so practical."

[dailycass-cain]

Birds of Prey #13 ends the "second arc" of the series aka the Birds finding out who was targeting Babs. Was it a rewarding finish? What about the Cass and Spirit World?

Well, here are my thoughts on the issue.

So I'm just gonna start off with the negative stuff I have to say about the issue. #1 being I was a bit disappointed at the entire resolution of it all. It is not so much how the Birds got free from the world hoping, but more about how the arc's villain, Maia was dealt with.

She just leaves and-- I guess she goes back into the portal? I mean that's what the characters say she did but it's never really implied on the pages.

In that regard, I felt a little meh on there being no real resolution. The Birds are free and all, but Maia isn't really beaten. She could still target Babs or do something else to make the Birds' lives hard.

#2 is a nitpick but Xanthe and Constantine just don't interact with Cass at all. I get it, given she wasn't with them until after getting Cela out. And man the comic got crowded. But zero interaction left me 😞. Not even Xanthe seeing Barda which I kind of wanted to see.

This is kind of a "hope" with the new Cass series is that well if this series does do well, I kind of want to see Cass interact with these characters (and new ones).

Like how is it we've seen her meet Richard Dragon? Or seeing Bronze Tiger again in Cass's life?

We're just getting Oynx and Grace in the next arc. Both have some strong ties to Cass that I'm REALLY curious where writer Kelly Thompson goes (sides the Barda stuff).

I'm rambling so back to the issue itself.

The final nitpick is a real nitpick. Cass was just called Cass at the intro. While Babs got the Batgirl/Oracle combo bit.

Come on DC… we've got two Batgirls in this issue. Just throw us a little bone here.

So I'm done focusing on the negatives so let's talk the positives now: the Cass and Cass/Cela portions are probably the strongest bits of the entire issue.

Like, the way Cass figures out how to end the loop and get Maia to open a portal and them to escape was quite genius. She a smart small bat.

Using the Spirit World proxy to "summon" her dead sisters was a nice touch to freak Maia the heck out. It also is a nice way to touch on last issue's cliffhanger with what Xanthe was feeling.

Same goes for all the Cass/Cela interaction. Like, Cass being Cass always is an open heart to anyone, and Cela has that and other things that Cass can relate too.

Again their interaction was the highlight of the issue as you could feel Cela's hope in seeing her fallen sisters and wanting to stay in "Spirit World". Or that she left Cass, and left on the downer note with her.

In all honesty, I kind of hope we see Cela again and she isn't lost like Christine or Harper in lost female "friends" that Cass strikes up with and it's completely ignored by others.

There is potential here with Cela in that she could try and find the real Spirit World, and there's an adventure with Xanthe to be ringed in with.

Besides the stuff involving Shiva and Spirit World too.

But that's more to the point I said prior. Just see more of these connections.

This was still a fun issue with the problems. There was still more good I had than the bad. But there was a bit more compared to prior outings.

Still, the art by Gavin Guiday and coloring by Jordie Bellaire were nice.

For Bellaire's coloring did a nice job homaging the prior coloring by Sebastian Chang (colorist on Spirit World) making the colors pop. Just felt so short in this variant. I guess it just makes me want to see that place again.

So yeah, the arc concluded but it does feel kind of rushed. I don't mind it given next we get Oynx and Grace Choi.

But there is a few things I hope Kelly gives us more stuff with like Mirai Maps.

A friend said they felt Mirai Maps felt "there" and we got nothing (other than answers to her tech). I agree we do need more on Mirai Maps more so why'd she stick around.

As for Cass? Yeah, it's obvious which character Kelly does favor most given Cass steals the show again. Though I'll admit she is kind of outshining Dinah a bit too much. But I digress we got Dinah's characterization in Kelly's side story that same week.

So, here's to the next arc and whatever we get with Dinah in Green Arrow! Just wish she had another series to read. I feel like there's one but nope just Green Arrow and Birds of Prey. A real pity.

[roipecheur]

After reading Stephanie's (very short) Robin arc (free my girl), the broad strokes of my perfect Robin Steph arc would be:

Spoiler runs into Batman during the time Tim had to quit being Robin because his dad found out

After Steph materially helps with whatever Batman's working on tonight, he invites her back to the cave

She's suspicious, but accepts

He breaks out the 'Batman needs a Robin' speech on her, and Steph is actually reluctant to accept because 1) she cares about how Tim would feel, 2) she doesn't know if she wants to voluntarily put herself under Batman's control as his sidekick after the way he treated her, and 3) she thinks he's probably just using her to lure Tim back like he did before (he is)

Jealously over Tim and another girl doesn't factor into it because 1) Steph could have just talked to him which makes that stupid and frustrating, and 2) Tim and Steph already had the 'jealously over another girl' arc. Do something else

The Robin Steph arc lasts a whole year, a full 12 issues plus some crossovers--let her meet the Titans etc. If the Ric Grayson arc could last 20 fuckin issues and Knightfall could last however long, Robin Steph can last 12.

Her run includes a 2-3 issue arc where Dick trains and patrols with her and gives her his seal of approval. He was Robin first, and the mantle is incredibly meaningful to him on both a textual and meta-textual level; he should get to meet and assess each new Robin

While Steph shouldn't be perfect (no one is or should be just starting out), she was Spoiler with no special gear on training for a fucking while, and she's both managed not to die and had some prior training from Batman and the Birds of Prey. She should at least do a decent job and should have learned from Tim how to take it seriously

Her relationship with Tim should continue throughout with him providing support / advice and acting as her Oracle if Babs can't do it, or maybe taking on that primary role for her if Babs is too busy with the Birds of Prey and Tim still wants to feel involved without breaking his word to his dad

I can believe Steph disobeying orders to save Bruce's life....just not the stupid way she did it in canon and the way she acted like nothing was wrong after. Reading about the decision to kill her in the War Games arc, it honestly did feel like they had to shoehorn the narrative in a particular way

So, Steph should save Bruce from 99% certain death and instead of being apologetic about disobeying orders like Tim was, they get into a screaming match back at the cave, and Bruce says he can't trust her and fires her

(Is he actually worried about losing another Robin and emotionally constipated about it? That's anyone's guess)

War Games happens, and it's both of their faults.

[seilnakyle]

I think one thing that’s bothering me the most with how Oracle is being written in bop vs Nightwing is how she’s being utilized PERFECTLY by Dan Watters who is doing a phenomenal job showing why Nightwing and Oracle are such an op team, the heart and brain of the dc universe. They work together competently and are always in sync.

And then in bop, we have Dinah, a grown woman and trusted friend who Babs has worked with for YEARS, complaining about who’s the boss and whining about having to follow orders…this is supposed to be someone Babs works just as well- even BETTER sometimes, than Dick. Also doesn’t help that every bop arc under Kelly Thompson so far has been an unorganized mess of “team” missions, with Babs being extremely underutilized and clearly being written by someone who (by her own admission) has no idea how to write for Oracle. Mind you, this is supposed to be ORACLE’S TEAM