#Plus Talia would look amazing as queen

[wesavegotham]

Obviously I have no idea where Tom Taylor will be going with his Dark Knights of Steel elseworld, but the first book pushes the idea that Bruce, despite being a bastard (he's the illegitimate son of late Queen Martha and Jor-El in this) should inherit the throne one day since he's the only one related to the original monarchs of the kingdom, and I can't help but imagine Bruce sitting one the throne one day and he swears to himself to only sire "trueborn children" so no biologically related child of his would ever suffer from growing up as a bastard like he did...and then Damian is introduced to him.

[imagintheworldaway]

Used Pt 2

Anonymous said: Hello i loved your post “used” with Harry and i just wanted to know if you are planning a part 2 in the future?!?

Anonymous said: Loved your most recent imagine of Harry! Can you plzzzzz make a part 2 of used, where she’s a bad B and becomes even more successful and she’s better off without him? Thank you!

A/N I loved that you guys loved the first one! I went through a few different ideas / endings for this one and I think I'm happy with the outcome! warning it is a long one so strap in!

Used Pt 1 can be found here

Requests are open!

That night at Harrys apartment felt like a life time ago. The breakup wasn’t messy as neither of us addressed it really, I archived all of my posts of him and he had done the same for me and that was about it. It didn’t take the fans to catch on but what can you expect, they know more about me than I do. it had been almost 6 months to the date, not that I was counting or anything but I honestly felt like Harry was my soulmate at the time. Oh how love can blind you. 

The past few months I had submerged myself into my channel and my fans. I had done an array of meet and greets and was interacting more with them, and honestly my love for YouTube was restored and I felt like a whole new person. I had had a full make over and due to this my channel had grown immensely and I had hit 50 million subscribers, a huge achievement which I never though would happen. it was amazing to see the amount of support I was gaining from my fans and how much I had grown, from a naive teenager to a young adult. I had received an overwhelming amount of support from my friends. When Harry and I broke up they tried not to take sides but It was evident that that couldn’t last forever and I was ok with that. 

I had just finished a meeting with my manager at her office. With my new look and attitude brands seemed to swarm at me and I was gaining so many new opportunities it was kind of crazy. It was like I was a completely different person and it seemed to be working in furthering my career. I got in my Uber and made my way to my new apartment, after the break up I felt like starting a new was best and so I moved into my new multi million apartment in knightsbridge. It was nice to be in an area by myself as it meant that I had more privacy and was able to truly live my best single life. Plus a tour of new apartment left many of my friends in awe, and honestly I loved that I could show off all my hard work. 

I thanked my Uber driver and made my way to my apartment, once inside I collapsed on my sofa and kicked off my heels, which I was still getting used to in all honesty. Having changed from living in baggy jumpers and old trainers was a bit of a shock but I loved wearing my more out there wardrobe, with tighter clothes and higher heels, my makeup always done to perfection, I always felt like people had their eye on me and I felt amazing.  My change in personality and look hadn’t gone unnoticed either, although they didn’t say anything I could tell my friends liked my new attitude, after wallowing in self pity for a few months I think they’re happy that I’m back and stronger than what I was before. 

I still thought about Harry from time to time. How I not so secretly still had one of his jumpers and when I was alone id wear it, just to feel his embrace once more. When we had initially broken up it took him less than two days to send Freezy round my apartment to drop off my box of things and to request his stuff back. I know Freezy felt bad but what choice did he have if Harry wanted to erase me from his life then so be it. More fool him, I had grown so much and if he was truly clout chasing then he should’ve stuck around a little longer. 

I woke up to my doorbell ringing. I must’ve fallen asleep on the sofa. I stretched a little when the doorbell kept ringing. “Jeez I’m coming” I mumbled to myself. I pressed the array of buttons for who ever it was to get through the front gate and after a few minutes I opened the door to reveal Talia. “Have you been sleeping?” She giggled at me as she walked into my apartment, propping herself up on one of my breakfast stools. “Hmm, oh yh, busy day” I laughed closing the door and standing the other side of the breakfast bar looking up at her. 

“Soooooo” I edged her to start talking. “Oh right sorry, your release party, Simon was pestering me to ask you if a certain arsehole could come?” She said the last part in a sheepish tone. Fuck, my release party I completely forgot, I had had so much on my plate that I forgot I was opening a club and releasing my own line of spirits. I stood up looking at Talia with a confused look “why the hell would I invite my ex to my release party?”. I reached up and grabbed two wine glasses pouring us each a glass of rosé. Passing over a glass to Talia as she pondered her reply. “Honestly I said the same but apparently all the lads feel bad as everyone we know is invited except for him” she swirled her glass of wine and took a sip as I copied her mentioned. In all fairness it was rude that I invited everyone but him, plus it was going to be the event to beat, and I had a few spaces on the guest list. “T, I don’t know” I shrugged at her sighing. “If I was you id tell him to stick it where-“ Talia started before I cut her off “I know, I know, it does seem a little harsh, I have invited so many people and, well, you know what fuck it, I’ll get my manager to add him to the list if you let him know” I decided. Talia looked gobsmacked, I had never seen her this speechless in our lives. “Are you sure, he’s a dick like you really don’t have to” she said cocking an eyebrow at me. “Look its not fair, plus there’s going to be hundreds of people there and the likelihood of us actually interacting are practically 0” I stated. Which was true, there was going to be just about the whole British YouTube community there, as well as some celebrities and journalists, and I would have my team around me at all times so the chance of him even getting near me is slim. 

That night Talia and I had gotten wasted, watching movies and just have a nice little girly night. However, right now I was shaking in my heels. My hair and makeup had been done to perfection and I was in a body hugging dress which showed off all of my curves perfectly. I looked almost like a model that’s how good I looked. I of Course was going to be the last to arrive at the venue, I needed everyone to be chatting with flutes of complimentary champagne when I entered so all attention was on me, as conceited as this sounds my publicists and manager had worked months for this to run as perfect as possible. I arrived at the venue and I could hear the music from outside “you ready?” My manager, Lucy asked. I nodded my head and made my way through the back entrance. I stood behind the stage door with a mic in one hand and a bottle of my own vodka in another. “Deep breaths, you’ll smash it” Lucy smiled at me, I just nodded and plastered on a smile, I heard the music die down a little and the door opened and I made my way on stage. An eruption of applause and cheering began from my friends and guests. I smiled taking it all in for a moment before I raised the mic to my mouth. 

“Thank you all so much for being here today and supporting me in my new business venture. If you would have told me a year ago that this is where I would be I would have laughed. These past few months I’ve grown more than I ever have, my channel, my business and more importantly myself. I can’t thank you all enough for the continuous love and support, without you guys or my fans I wouldn’t be where I am today. So id like you to all enjoy a complimentary glass of my new Vodka and enjoy yourselves. Because tonight is about friends and loved ones. So let’s get wasted!!!” I recited my speech cheering at the end. I got a mass amount of applause and cheers and I smiled looking over the crowd. I could see all my friends together happy, the way it should be and I smiled until I saw him, he actually came. My smile faltered slightly and my breath hitched in my throat. I quickly shook it off and made my way to the stairs, exiting the stage. I was quickly engulfed in a mass of hugs and bodies, people I knew and some I didn’t all congratulating me. 

I had done it I had made it and all on my own. 

After about half an hour I made it over to my closest group of friends. They all cheered when I went over and I did a mock curtsey, careful not to reveal too much. I got handed a glass of something and started polite conversation. “We’re all so proud of you” Gee gushed “you’ve done so well I can’t believe that you are basically the most sought after name at the moment” freya added. “ I couldn’t have done it without you guys” I smiled. “Oh shut up little miss humble” Ethan who had clearly had a bit much to drink already. “You’re  the queen of UK YouTube, you have your own empire going and you built it all yourself” he grinned at me before smothering me in a hug. “You need to be in more of our vids then maybe we’d be doing just as well as you” Simon commented earning a laugh from the group. “Here’s to Y/N the baddest bitch I know” Talia toasted and everyone joined in. I smiled as we fell into polite chatter. “I’m just nipping outside” I informed my friends smiling at them before making my way to the balcony. I leant over the edge and smiled, nothing could ruin my life right now. I thought to myself. That was until I heard footsteps approach me from behind and the body heat of someone I could recognise in an instant next to me. “Before you say anything I’m here to congratulate you” Harry said. I kept my gaze forward, not wanted tears that I didn’t know still existed for him to spill. “I’m so proud of you, honestly I am, so are my family, they miss you, I miss you” I turned my body and met Harrys gaze. I studied his face, he had bags under his eyes and the usual scruff on his beard was longer than he usually kept it, his hair was also scruffy, not scruffy like usual but tangled and unkept. He was wearing smart trousers and a nice button up shirt, no blazer, Harry hated formal clothes. “Thank you” was all I was able to say as I smiled at him. “You know, with every day that goes by someone reminds me how I fucked up and should have kept a death grip on you, that you were the best part of me and now I’m just some boring kid who plays Fifa” I half chuckled at the end. I felt sorry for him, it seemed that I had grown and succeeded and that Harry had stayed stagnant in his life. “Harry, I, I don’t know what you want me to say” I looked at him with sorry eyes, I think maybe I still loved him, but I had been doing so well without him I just I didn’t know whether I wanted to kiss him or kill him. “No I, I get that, I was a dick. I was in a rut and I took it out on you. And well honestly seeing you do so well without me just shows how I was holding you back. I’m proud of you, I’m happy for you, honestly I am bear, sorry Y/N” we had made eye contact at this point. So many memories came flooding back to me. Our first kiss, our first date, the nights we spent talking about what we wanted to name our children, and how we wanted to have a house in Guernsey and one in London. How we were going to grow old together and never let the other go. 

I broke my gaze when I heard Lucy call my name. I took a deep breath. “I loved you harry, with all my heart, with all my being and I was willing to stay and love you no matter what. I think I still do love you. But right now I need to focus on me, my empire has only just started and I don’t want us to back peddle. The only way for me is forward no mater if you’re there with me or not.” I spilled my heart out to Harry before I heard Lucy call me name again. “Sorry” was all I could say before I headed back inside. I wiped a stray tear from my eye and took one last look at harry, I had left him so broken. But now was time to put me first Y/N is number one in my life and as much as I wanted to fall back into my old self I couldn’t. I had made promises and shown that after heartbreak you can build and make yourself stronger than before. And I was not about to throw it all away.

[helplesslyinlovewithcharacters]

Perseverance: Chapter Three - Derek Hale x Reader

Summary: When (y/n) was sent to Beacon Hills to marry Prince Derek, she didn’t expect things to be easy, but she also didn’t expect them to be so hard. 

As always, thanks to @julieanncupcake and @lovelybunchofrandoms

Pairing: Derek Hale x Female Reader

Derek Hale Masterlist

Perseverance Masterlist

A groan of frustration rumbled in (y/n)’s throat as she let the book in her hands fall to rest in her lap. She’d been stuck in her bed for the past two days after Deaton had strongly advised her not to walk on her ankle and the novelty was already wearing off. Stiles had tried to carry (y/n) across her chambers to her table and it had resulted in them landing in a heap of tangled limbs as every word she’d been taught never to say fell from her lips.

Allison smiled at her sympathetically, setting aside the letter she’d been writing before moving to sit on the bed next to (y/n). “How about I go and get you another book?”

(Y/n) snickered at the motherly tone that took over Allison’s voice. She didn’t want to read anything else but she knew that Allison was just as bored as she was and it was only fair if she was given time out of (y/n)’s chambers.

“That would be wonderful, thank you. And if you see a certain knight, feel free to say hello, gaze into his eyes, think about having his children-“ (Y/n) laughed as Allison shoved her playfully before making her way towards the door. It had become no secret to the princess that her lady in waiting seemed to be noticing a certain prince's right hand more than usual. "Could you leave it open?” Allison stared at (y/n) in confusion. “In case I need to shout out of insanity"

Allison shook her head, chuckling under her breath, but complied with her lady’s wishes anyway. (Y/n) relaxed against her pillows, sighing as she tried to clear her head. She’d always hated being cooped up, spending two weeks in bed when she caught the flu at the age of seven had nearly killed her with boredom, making her feel even worse than the illness did. A pang of nostalgia struck her heavily in her chest, making her long for home. She knew that if her brothers were here they would be playing cards with her or telling her their ridiculous battle stories. (Y/n)’s eyes settled on her window seat where she’d spent hours writing letters to her brothers. The idea of writing another one was far too appealing and despite her better judgement, (y/n) found her shuffling to the edge of her bed so she could get out. All it took was two steps and her ankle gave out. She was about to hit the floor when two strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her upright.

“What the hell are you doing?” Derek’s words were harsh as he scooped her into his arms. It was becoming a regular occurrence, one he realised he wasn’t completely adverse to.

“Trying not to die of boredom” The princess’ voice was flat as a sigh escaped her lips, he wasn’t used to her giving in so easily, it unsettled him. Derek was frozen in place, unsure of what to say as he tried to ignore the fact she was only wearing a nightgown. The blush that threatened to spread across his cheeks irritated him to no end.

“Where is Allison? She should be by your side” Derek wasn’t sure he’d ever seen them separately, the princess seemed to hold on to the one person from her kingdom like a lifeline.

“Getting more books from the library, breathing fresh air, seeing daylight that’s not filtered through a damn window" Aggravation bit at (y/n)’s words as she glared at Derek as if he was the reason she was on bedrest.

“And Stiles? He wasn't at your door. I assigned as your guard to protect you, not so he’d wander off whenever he pleased.I knew I should have given you Issac." A smile played on (y/n)’s lips as Derek rambled, she wasn’t sure she’d ever heard him do that before. It was an interesting development.

"He didn't, so don't go punishing him. I sent him to see Lydia about some work." She tried to be nonchalant but Derek saw straight through her, rolling his eyes as he shifted her in his arms.

“Really? First Allison and now Stiles?”

“I don’t know what you talking about. Besides, she’s infatuated with Scott and he Lydia. Dear Prince, do you not pay attention to anything going on in your own castle?" (Y/n) could have sworn he smiled, pride settling across her chest. They fell into silence as they both searched for something to say. She fidgeted in his arms, her state of dress and their close proximity making her awkward as her eyes wandered over to her window seat. Derek seemed to sense her discomfort, only realizing himself that he still held her, followed her eyes before moving to set her down on the cushioned seat. He reached for a pillow, tentatively picking up her leg to place it underneath her ankle. The light grip he had on her leg caused him to let it down a little harsher than he’d intended to.

“You brute" (Y/n) groaned in pain, hissing through her teeth as she adjusted her ankle. Before Derek could think it through, he’d caught her hand in his and slowly took her pain away. Silence settled over them again but it was different this time. (Y/n)’s eyes were wide in amazement as she watched the black veins stretch across his hand, her fingers gingerly pushing the sleeve of his jacket up as they gradually faded away. “Derek, how do you do that?”

There it was again, that flutter of his heart. He didn’t understand how something as simple as her saying his name could have such a drastic effect on him, but that didn’t stop it from stumbling out of rhythm in his chest. A feeling that he'd only recently become aware of, since the tournament. A feeling she made happen.

“Practice, lots of it" Derek cleared his throat, keeping his eyes trained on their connected hands before pulling his away. The princess watched him carefully, she’d experienced enough hardship in her life to know what the look in his eyes meant. Guilt stirred in her chest as she wondered for the first time if this was just as hard for Derek as it was for her.

“Could you pass me the parchment and ink please” Her voice was soft as she swallowed noisily. (Y/n) found that she couldn’t quite look in his eyes. Derek reached for the neatly organised writing materials before placing them in her hands.

“Letter to your brothers?" She nodded, feeling another pang of homesickness. Derek hung his head when the scent of her sorrow tinged the air around her. An apology was on his lips when Allison came back into (y/n)’s chambers, a puzzled frown pulling at her brow as she took in the closeness between the two of them.

“I’ll let you rest, my lady” Derek bowed his head, smiling tightly at Allison and rushing through the door before (y/n) could even say goodbye.

“What was all that about?” Allison set the books she’d collected on (y/n)’s desk, moving to sit next to the princess who looked just as confused as she felt.

“He helped me” (Y/n) fiddled with the quill in her hand before forcing a smile on her face and leaning back into the cushions, hoping she at least looked relaxed while her mind was working through her thoughts a mile a minute. “So, how was Scott?”

Allison’s face flushed red as she reluctantly told (y/n) about her latest interactions with Scott.

Weeks passed but the couple remained estranged, Derek had visited (y/n) again and he often found it hard to keep his mouth from going dry when he tried to speak and his mind drawing a blank whenever she asked him a question. It was maddening and his visits became less frequent as the embarrassment grew to be too much for the prince to bear. The princess, however, thought she'd again done something wrong and chose to no longer force their relationship, relying on distant observation in most circumstances where they shared the same space. Their behaviour plus rumblings of rumours through the royal staff set concern for the queen.

So much so that Talia confronted Derek as he attacked the training dummy repeatedly with his sword, blowing off steam from another awkward encounter with (y/n) after he’d checked in to see if her ankle was healing.

“You're losing focus." She commented."And on more than just some burlap stuffed with hay." He ignored her, his chest heaving as he swung his sword again before letting his arm drop in defeat. Sorrow clouded his eyes as he stared at his mother. "What's happened? I'm hearing rumours from staff that you two are barely speaking and by the looks of things," Talia's eyes found (y/n)'s watching from across under the shade of a tent, "these rumours seem to be true."

“I can’t speak to her. How are we going to have a strong marriage if I can’t even talk to my future wife without feeling like I've swallowed fire." Derek kicked at the grass with his boot, his shoulders slumping. “I don’t want our marriage to be like this, I want (y/n) to be happy. We were doing so well, now, I don't what happened but it's becoming impossible."

Talia’s brow furrowed in confusion before a small, understanding smile pulled at her cheeks. “My dear son," Talia said with laughter in her voice, "That's called falling in love. Your father and I went through the same thing, courting and especially bonding takes time but you will get there eventually. When I first arrived here, I couldn’t say two words to your father-“

“Mother, please, just tell me how to fix this” Talia sighed heavily, squeezing Derek’s hand gently as she tried to coax a smile out of him.

“Make some time for her, take her riding in the woods, I know she likes spending her afternoons there, walk the castle garden, just do something and make it all about her."

“I’m not sure she’d want to spend time with me”

“Just try, Derek” He wanted to say no, he was exhausted from constantly being confused over where he stood with (y/n) but his mother was right, he had to try. "Your father would be proud of you, of the man you've become. He was always fond of her," Talia glanced the princess' way, catching a smile from her, "even when you were children, he knew she was the right match for you. You were six when you two first met, it was a tournament. Your father and hers, they were close friends, allies. Derek, you may not know it now, but he always thought she'd be the one to ground you. Like I did for him. He wanted nothing less for you." Derek nodded his head, earning a proud smile from his mother before she walked away. He turned and caught a glance of his future bride, laughter filling her eyes at something Allison had said. He watched as the queen approached her, the way she curtsied and accepted a warm greeting from his mother. If his father saw their connection long before he had, he couldn't let him down. Not again. Derek locked eyes with (y/n) and he swore he caught her blushing. A smirk crossed his lips.

He rolled his shoulders, correcting his stance and swinging for the training dummy again as he tried to figure out how he was going to convince (y/n) to go riding with him. The loud clanging of metal hitting metal was all he could hear until Scott started to shout his name. Derek turned around, amusement curling his mouth into a smirk and distracting him from his troubles when he saw the dazed look on his best friend’s face. Part of Derek wanted to hate Scott for falling in love so easily but he couldn’t, not when he was so happy.

"She looks particularly beautiful today, doesn't she?"

Derek shook his head as Scott smiled goofily as he picked up a training sword before standing in front of the prince. They began to spar, it was entertaining, seeing as they knew each other so well and could anticipate one another’s tricks.

Allison and (y/n) watched over tea as the two men practised for a war no one hoped would ever happen. For tournaments meant only to entertain.

After a long bout, Scott was out of breath as his eyes got a faraway look in them. Derek didn't have to turn around to know what had gotten Scott so distracted. The prince took advantage of his distracted state, knocking him behind the knees so he fell to the floor. He stood over his best friend, extending an arm to help him back up.  

“Always stay aware, no getting distracted” Scott rolled his eyes as he let Derek help him up.

It didn’t take long before a crowd had gathered around them as they both tried to spot the other’s weaknesses. As the princess watched her intended fight, she finally understood why he was the commander of the knights. Derek’s attacks were ruthless as he skilfully avoided Scott’s blows before retaliating with more of his own. It was like watching a dance, they knew each other so well it was almost as if they could predict the other’s next move.

Derek ducked as Scott swung his sword towards his head, catching sight of (y/n) in the corner of his eye, transfixed on his movements. He momentarily forgot about his opponent, and without realising it, Derek was no longer paying attention, Scott utilized the distraction and swung for his head again, only this time the prince didn’t duck, the blunted edge of the sword hitting him on the side of the head. Derek stumbled backwards, a surprised yelp escaping his mouth as he reached up to rub his head.

With a gasp,(Y/n) rushed forward, ignoring the remaining lightest twinge of pain in her ankle as her heart thundered in her ears. Scott had dropped his sword and was urging Derek to sit down as the crowd quickly dispersed to give the prince some space.

“Are you okay? Let me see” (Y/n) knelt by Derek’s side, pulling his hand away from his head and gasping when she saw blood on his fingertips. Scott kept apologising but the prince assured him that it was his own fault.

“No getting distracted right?” They shared a laugh as (y/n)’s cheeks flamed but her eyes frowned as it was no laughing matter. Derek turned to her, his eyes soft, making her wonder just how hard Scott had hit him. “You’re going to ruin your dress”

His words were gentle as he fought to make his eyes focus. “Didn’t stop me before” (Y/n) swore her heart stopped as he smiled at her, amusement playing across his face as the walls he usually hid behind faded away. She turned to look at Scott. “I think we need to get him to Deaton. He'll need stitches on that gash"

Scott struggled to conceal his laughter as he watched his friend gaze at his future wife with poorly hidden affection in his eyes, hardened concern in hers. He was certain that Derek was developing feelings for (y/n) but that he would deny it if Scott ever asked.

“I’m fine, I'll heal. I just need to sit here for a minute” The prince let himself fall back as he rested on the grass that was still warm from the morning sun. He dragged (y/n) part of the way with him as she tried and failed to press a piece of her dress to his head. She blushed furiously as she sat upright again. He stared at her for a moment before his mouth seemed to move on its own accord. “Come riding with me. Tomorrow, into the woods for an afternoon picnic?" Derek wasn’t sure what had come over him but he wasn’t going to complain, not if (y/n) kept blushing like that. He'd only hoped his recklessness and now sudden compulsion would result in the answer he was seeking.

"You pick now to ask if I want to go riding?" The princess stared at him in disbelief.

"Will you go riding with me?" Derek saw no reason to counter her comment and simply asked again, taking advantage of the bravery his current state had given him.

She opened and closed her mouth before turning to him with a confused smile.

“Of course."

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1219

Monday, July 2, 2018

 It's stinking hot out. I wanted to jump in the lake with the fishies yesterday. We drove downtown on Canada Day to spend time with friends and I lucked out on a parking space right in front of their house. The car in front of us pulled out shortly afterwards so I plunked myself down in that spot to hold it for another friend who was driving in from out of town. People were expecting issues with other drivers trolling for a parking space but in typically Canadian fashion, cars just slowly passed by as I was sitting there under my umbrella to shade myself from the hot sun. Only one car stopped, rolled down their window and asked if I was saving the parking space. I said "yep" and they drove off. I probably would have been shot if I did this in the capital city of another country on the fourth of July.

 Hunt for Wolverine: Mystery in Madripoor #2 - Jim Zub (writer) Thony Silas (art) Filipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I like this story. Kitty and her team skulking around Madripoor trying to find Wolverine while being hunted by Viper and her very, very bad girls is right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately the art turns me right off. Unless Psylocke is a midget, how the heck is Logan taller than she is on page 2? All the women's faces are drawn the same with angular features and almond eyes. Even the different hair styles and clothes didn't help to distinguish them. There is a surprise appearance on the last page that's an attempt to keep readers invested in the story but it is not enough for me to read the rest of this mini.

 Old Man Hawkeye #6 - Ethan Sacks (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Clint is like the flu. Whenever he shows up things go from bad to worse. I love this dangerous future Earth where the super villains are in control. Old Man Hawkeye seeking redemption is a great story but President Red Skull trying to kill Bullseye makes this book that much better.

 Multiple Man #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Andy MacDonald (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Yeah, I thought he was dead too. That's why I pulled this off the rack to read. Jamie died during the Terrigen mists killing all the mutants crisis but they have found a way for one of his dupes to survive that made sense. Then they go and ruin it by having this surviving Jamie steal a time traveling device. I loved Jamie when he was leading X-Factor and was sad when they killed him off. This one is younger and they've tweaked his powers with a big twist on the last page. It just might be enough to get you to keep reading this 5-issue mini.

 Batman: Harley Quinn vs. the Joker #1 - Tim Seeley (writer) Sami Basri (art) Otto Schmidt (epilogue art) Jessica Kholinne (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Prelude to the Wedding part 5. Way to screw up the timing DC. This should have hit the racks before Batman #48 and #49 because what happened in those issues involved what happens with the Joker in this one. I had a sense of disassociation when I saw the Joker in the church while reading Batman #48 three weeks ago and now I know why. This screw up will be forgiven if Batman #50 proves to be a good read when it hits the racks July 4. I loved how Harley is drawn in this, even though my least favourite version of her is the Joker infatuated court jester. SOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ the New York Times article about Batman #50 posted July 1.

 Saga #53 - Fiona Staples (art) Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fonografiks (letters). Holy crap in a hat. This is a must read issue if you're a Saga fan. There are major deaths in this issue and that's not including what Brian's doing with all the letters the book receives. If he thinks thoughts of mortality invade in your forties, wait until you get to your sixties.

 Sentry #1 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Kim Jacinto (art) Rain Beredo (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Sentry World part 1. I remember thinking that this super hero was just Marvel's version of Superman when he first hit the racks in 2000 and that his arch enemy the Void was your basic generic super villain. Turns out it's more complicated than that. The Sentry's alter ego sacrificed a lot to save the world from the Void but now Robert Reynolds finds himself in a dangerous situation. Jeff Lemire has taken a character that I didn't much care for and given him a story that I very much want to read now in this 5-issue arc.

 Detective Comics #983 - Bryan Hill (writer) Miguel Mendonca (pencils) Diana Egea (inks) Adriano Lucas (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). There's a new writer and he's starting off boldly by introducing a new Bat-villain and a new super hero to join Batman's team of Gotham City crime fighters. This new bad guy has no qualms about killing so things are going to get intense.

 Amazing Spider-Man: Wakanda Forever #1 - Nnedi Okorafor (writer) Alberto Alburquerque (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This new book stars the fierce warrior women of Wakanda, the Dora Milaje. One of their member has turned super villain, calling herself Malice. When she threatens a neighbourhood in Brooklyn guess who just happens to be swinging by? So it's team up time and they fight with a classic Spider-Man super villain under water. When Malice surfaces again she's going after the Black Panthers ex-wife. If Storm's a target then you know that the X-Men will be involved. Look for X-Men: Wakanda Forever #1 to hit the racks July 25.

 Silencer #6 - Dan Abnett (writer) Viktor Bogdanovic (art) Mike Spicer (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Exit Strategy part 3 or death in a diner. Talia al Ghul and Hope fight through a horde of Leviathan killers during lunch. It was disappointing that Deathstroke wasn't in there. The two new super villains are cool. I am looking forward to seeing what Cradle and Grave are capable of.

 Moon Knight #196 - Max Bemis (writer) Paul Davidson (art) Mat Lopes (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Kudos to Paul Davidson for the mad art for this psychedelic story. Now that Maurice and his crazy collective have been straight jacketed we can see where Marc and his many personalities take us next.

 Man of Steel #5 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Adam Hughes (art) Jason Fabok (art pages 8 -11) Adam Hughes (colours) Alex Sinclair (colours pages 8 - 11) Josh Reed (letters). Superman's fight with the big bad Rogol Zaar does not go well. He's taken to the brink of doomsday. By the end of this issue we find out how Rogol Zaar is going to destroy the Earth. Meanwhile, more clues are given about what Lois and Jon have been up to. You might want to review recent Superman stories to understand what's happening.

 Marvel 2-In-One #7 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Ramon K. Perez (art) Frederico Blee (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The truth about Doctor Rachna's duplicitousness comes out at last. Plus Johnny finally learns the truth about Sue and Reed. What a revolting development this is. I'm still enjoying this book very much as Chip has come up with interesting ways to keep Ben and Johnny scrambling.

 Thor #2/708 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mike del Mundo (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I'm growing to appreciate the new art style and can see subtle expressions in the faces. Mike's use of colour really enhances the action on the page. Thor and Loki join up with some allies in Hel to fight Sindr and her fire hordes. I had forgotten that Hela was no longer the Queen of Hel (was that in the movie too?) and Balder the Brave was King of Hel now. The surprise appearance on the last page will make the throne room in Hel pretty crowded.