#catwoman relentless

[panzerdrako]

100 All time greatest comics (2014)

[hxney-lemcn]

Affections + First Kiss — General! Scarecrow, Riddler, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman x gn! reader

summery: affection and first kiss headcanons.

tw: mentions of abuse (physical and verbal), mentions of toxic dynamics

a/n: I've never wrote headcanons for multiple characters in one thing before, so enjoy! I love them all.

wc: 2k

Master List

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Scarecrow

❥Jonathan wasn’t used to a kind touch. Being bullied growing up, being beaten by the bat. No, all he knew was the harsh touch of a fist. The relentless shoves. The purpling of bruises that always showed after. The red blood that would drip from his nose. The burning hatred that steadily grew towards those who wronged him.

❥So when you came into his life, he would flinch if you raised a hand. He would unconsciously back away. The warmth in his heart that you stirred was unusual to him, a feeling he’s never felt towards anyone. He was used to the bitterness after an interaction, not longing. 

❥You eased him into it. Only when you two started dating did he ever think twice about your touch. He knew you held back your affections. He watched you lift a hand up, only to bring it back down to your side. And to Jon, that meant the world. He felt relief when you didn’t push him into uncomfortable territory, and he respected you all the more for it.

❥Although a part of him wished you would hold him. Touch him. He wondered if your skin felt as soft as it looked. Though he also feared that your touch would sting, and the comfort you brought would be no more. No, he would never reach out first.

❥Starting out slow, he let you hold his shoulder. No matter how careful you’ve been for however long, you slipped slightly. It was a gesture not many think twice about. Holding onto someone's shoulder as you look over them, holding onto them for balance. It was only when you felt him tense under you, his ramblings pausing, that you realized your mistake. Yet, Jon had only reassured you that you did nothing wrong. 

❥Having realized that Jon seemed to open your touch, you continued. Lightly brushing your hands, shoulder touches, even just sitting closer. It was like you were single handedly rewiring Jon’s brain, teaching him that not all touch hurts. That he too deserves a kind hand. The flinching had dulled, and he would even look forward to you being near him. 

❥So when you finally got to kiss him? He was a dead man. You got him hook line and sinker. I hope you weren’t expecting to leave him any time soon, because after you opened him into a world of warm affection, he doesn’t want to let go. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Riddler

❥Touch is a big no no. Similar to Jonathan, Edward had been bullied from a young age. Teased and ridiculed, shoved and hit. If not from his peers, then from his own father. His world was cruel for as long as he could remember. In fact, his brain started to warp, perceiving the hits as a form of love, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

❥Edward Nygma is a touch starved man. He longs for the comforts others seem to get so seamlessly. Yet at the same time, he doesn’t want anyone touching him. Tap his shoulder if you dare.

❥You were no different, at first. You quickly caught on to his distaste of touch when he reprimanded someone for getting a little too friendly with him. But you managed to weasel your way into his estranged heart. With how respectful and kind you were, he quickly found himself ensnared with your affection. Even hands free you managed to boost his ego and make him feel, should he dare say, loved for. You gave him praise that he had longed for, which earned you a seat right by his side.

❥It was also partly to keep a closer eye on you. Part of him preened at your praise, and another was weary. Why were you so kind? He was a well known criminal, he knew better than to just believe you were doing it out of the kindness of your heart. Y’know the saying, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

❥I honestly don’t know how you deal with it. He always tries to catch you off guard with a riddle or puzzle. He pushes you away by ridiculing you and belittling you. Yet you won’t stop. You keep spilling his praises, and it’s so baffling to him. Yes, he is the smartest man in the world, but you managed to become a riddle. Good luck now.

❥When you first touched him, it was an innocent hug. He had managed to pull off a heist and got away from Batman without a scratch! Of course he had no doubts about his success, you didn’t either. When he got back to the hideout, you were clapping while singing his praises. Edward felt on top of the world, adrenaline rushing through his veins. When your arms wrapped around him, your scent clouding his thoughts, your warmth leaching into him, he found himself reciprocating.

❥Now, whether your dating or you’re just friends, it matters little to the green clad man. You had given him a taste of a touch he’s always longed for. And he realized that he’s more comfortable around you than he’d like to admit. He never reaches out first, but he’ll never turn you down if you want to hold his arm. 

❥His teasing towards you turns lighter, just as his heart feels. So when you finally seal the deal with a kiss, he’ll make sure you never slip through his fingers. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Harley Quinn

❥She will smother you with affection right out the bat. Hugs, hand holding, kisses, you name it. You don’t even have to date her for her to leave a smooch on your lips. Harley Quinn easily trusts people, and you’re no exception. She finds comfort in touch, so why should she deny herself it? She also finds it expresses her genuine affection for you in ways she couldn’t verbalize. 

❥If you don’t like PDA, please tell her right away. She doesn’t understand it, I mean why wouldn’t you want to show your love to the world? But she also doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable, so if you wanna keep it behind closed doors, she’ll try her best. But don’t be too surprised if she sneaks in a little smooch or hug if no one’s looking.

❥Harley Quinn is one of the most affectionate rogues out there. But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows with her. She had been in a seriously abusive relationship, and you have to help her remember that she doesn’t have to walk on eggshells around you. That no matter the argument, you won’t raise your hand to strike her. It takes her a long time to come out of that headspace, if ever. It’s a good thing you’re by her side to help coax her into healthier practices. 

❥If we want to get a little darker, Harley may try to treat you like the Joker treated her. It’s scary to see her go from bubbly to dark. Her features twisted into a wicked sneer as she asks that you’ll never leave her. That no matter what, you’ll always love her. During these moments, you gotta stand up for yourself. She’s trying to gain a sense of control she never felt in her previous relationship, and you have to make her snap out of it. When she comes to and realizes what she just did, the look of utter terror in her eyes is the most heart wrenching thing. She’ll sob, pleading that she didn’t mean to, that she never wanted you to go through that, that she’s terrified of becoming him.

❥Please hug her, kiss her, squeeze her gently. She loves it. All Harley wants is to be loved and to love, and getting affection shows her how genuine you are and is the biggest comfort for her. Feeling your warmth, feeling the softness of your skin, it brings her peace. 

❥The first time you made the first move to kiss Harley, she nearly did a backflip. Her little sugar plum made the first move! I hope you didn’t have anything planned, because Harley won’t let you go for the rest of the day.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Poison Ivy

❥I’m not sure how you weren’t just killed or turned into one of her goons. She’s not one for humanity. She keeps a sharp eye on those who dare tread into her territory. There’s no way to beat around it. She drugs you, finding out what your true intentions are. It has to be something she deems worthy enough to keep you around. She barely puts up with Harley as it is. 

❥Once you gain your free will again, you have to continuously prove your loyalty. Of course she can guarantee it herself if she has to, but you’ve managed to catch her eye. So prove your worth to her, prove that her interest in you isn’t just a mistake. It will take a long time. She’s been wronged one too many times, and she won’t make that mistake again.

❥Even if you manage to gain her trust, she won’t drop her walls around you. Though she’s a bit nicer. Ivy knows that a person works better with praise, but she also means it deep down. She doesn’t say what she doesn’t mean, so don’t take her words for granted. Not that you really can when her perfume scent always seems to cloud your senses. 

❥You let Ivy make the first move when it comes to touch. For a seductress, she won’t touch you if she doesn’t have to. Not to mention the toxins that fill her blood. Who knew if one tap on her shoulder meant your certain doom…but maybe that was a bit of the thrill you loved when being by her side. Though you’ve seemed to find a small soft spot in her heart, right next to Harley Quinn. She wouldn’t tell you that though, best to leave you on your toes lest you get too comfortable. 

❥After going so long without a single touch from the green goddess, when she started playing with your hair, you found yourself seizing up. Ivy brushed her fingers through it so gently, yet all you could wonder is if it was finally over. If she grew bored of you, or if she started to find you bothersome. But her gentle reassurances lulled you. Her warm voice and gentle hands relaxed you. It was then that you realized her affections for you ran deeper than she led on.

❥You’re first kiss was electrifying. That underlying thrill that your life was held in her hands. That she killed men with the very action she committed tenderly with you. Yet deep down you knew she wouldn’t hurt you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Catwoman 

❥It's not easy catching her attention. She won’t settle for less than perfection. She is catwoman after all, she has a reputation to uphold. So when she looked at you, and I mean really looked at you, she decided why not have a little fun? Whether you’re a villain, anti-hero, vigilante, or civilian, she’ll take time out of her busy schedule to drop by.

❥She likes to give mixed signals. It keeps you far enough for her to feel in control, yet it also satiates her hunger. She’ll lean in real close, only to grab something from behind you type of beat. She loves to watch you become a stuttering mess, but she doesn’t mind if you banter back. It’s all a part of the fun.

❥No matter how close you seem to get, you’re somehow still a mile away from Selina. She slips away from your affection without you even realizing it. She always turns the moment into a suggestive one. If she left it tender, then it would be too real. It takes time for her to warm up to you and really trust you.

❥If anything, the first kiss happens before anything truly tender. The kiss catches you both off guard, neither sure who started it. Selina tries to wrap it into something that doesn’t make her heart stutter. Tries to turn it suggestively like she always does, but with the way you tenderly hold her cheeks, she feels herself melt. Finally, she succumbs to these feelings you managed to stir within her, and she isn’t sure if she wants to thank you or curse you out. Maybe she’ll settle for a dinner, tab on you of course.

[bisexual-monarch-tournament]

Welcome to the Bisexual/Pansexual Monarch Tournament!

This tournament will decide who is the most popular bi or pan character on Tumblr! It is inspired by the Sexyrematch tournament by @sexymanotd and other tournaments.

I chose 32 canonically bi or pan characters to compete for the crown. I might add some more contestants if this tournament gets popular enough. The brackets have been decided randomly.

Here are the brackets and contestants for the tournament:

Round 1:

Group A:

1. Harley Quinn (DC Comics) vs. Alphys (Undertale)

2. Sasha Waybright (Amphibia) vs. Deadpool (Marvel Comics)

3. Asami Sato (The Legend of Korra) vs. Clarke Griffin (The 100)

4. GOB Bluth (Arrested Development) vs. Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Group B:

5. Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who/Torchwood) vs. Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place)

6. Alucard (Castlevania) vs. Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow)

7. Loki (Marvel Comics) vs. Jon Kent (DC Comics)

8. Edelgard von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem) vs. Nandor the Relentless (What We Do in the Shadows)

Group C:

9. John Constantine (DC Comics) vs. Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

10. Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) vs. Marceline (Adventure Time)

11. David Rose (Schitt's Creek) vs. Wonder Woman (DC Comics)

12. Nico Minoru (Marvel Comics) vs. Catwoman (DC Comics)

Group D:

13. Poison Ivy (DC Comics) vs. Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)

14. Korra (The Legend of Korra) vs. Apollo (The Trials of Apollo)

15. Princess Bubblegum (Adventure Time) vs. Zagreus (Hades)

16. Tim Drake (DC Comics) vs. Magnus Chase (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard)

I’m looking forward to the start of the tournament! Stay tuned for the first round! Let me know who you want to win in the comments or tags.

[sketchfanda]

Kirishima's Mystique:Cat on the Prowl

Sometimes Kirishima had to wonder if it was a little much to ask for just one patrol in the twilight evening times to be just a bit more quiet? Oh he was all on board to ensure the safety of the public and all that but it’d be nice to have one night go smooth and peaceful as possible then head home to enjoy a little bit of R&R quality time with his two favourite girls in the world. But such was the life of a pro hero, one way or another especially when Murphy’s Law would come out of nowhere with a Diamond Cutter like the bitch it was. Case in point being his current situation.

Seemed someone had decided to break into a museum of all place and try to pilfer God only knows what was inside it. Given all the art work and artefacts inside that were worth anywhere between six figures to enough to have you set for life, on top of the security? Hey least it wasn’t some dumb ass protestor trying to make some moronic statement by glueing themselves to a painting and try to deface it but I digress. Back with our hardheaded red-head and what was going on with him at this very moment.

That being him currently pursuing the thief in question who was quite the slippery and tricky rascal to say the least they leapt across rooftops in manners that would make professional parkour artists green with envy. Pretty impressive given the no doubt heavy amount of loot they had to be carrying but he was nothing if not determined to see the perpetrator caught. From what could be gleamed of their appearance, they seemed to be a feline person or wearing feline themed suit of sorts, a literal cat burglar? Someone had quite a sense of humour to them.

After minutes of relentless pursuit he saw his elusiva quarry cease running no doubt assuming they'd lost any opposition as they parked on a flat rooftop up on a high rise, the sturdy himbo using his quirk to advantage. Clawed styled fingers piercing the solid concrete as he scaled and climbed up to find his target sitting atop a ventilation shaft duct, no doubt catching their breath and making a quick check and count of their loot. From what he could see of their backside, it was definitely a woman as he carefully made his way towards her to swiftly take her down and subdue her. A slight purr from her throat as she held up a diamond between her fingers, catching his reflection in it as she dropped it back into her bag of stolen goods and stood up turning around to face him.

Suffice to say Kirishima was momentarily stunned to find this literal cat burglar was none other than Selina Kyle, THE one and only infamous CatWoman of Gotham herself. Her toned curvy figure contained within and highlighted by a skintight black and leather latex ensemble that Midnight herself would approve of very much. The sensual mature thief grinning like well, a cat that found herself a little mouse to play as she took her zipper at the top of her collar and slid it down oh so, very slowly. Inches of rich smooth caramel tanned skin and cleavage and a smooth set of abdominals revealed as the front of her outfit became undone and exposed right before his crimson eyes as she sensually licked her lips and reached in with take out her trademark whip.

Catwoman:”Well well, figures I’d run into one of the locals, can’t expect to to anywhere in Japan and not meet a cape and mask type when prowling. Especially a cute slab of meat like you….”*Sensually licking her lips as she began her infamous teasing and flirting routine, wrapping her whip around herself like it was a feather boa. Sensually purring as she radiated a sexual charisma and charm on par with Midnight herself as she eyed Kirishima with a hunger and thirst. She had to say compared to a certain pointy eared on and off gentleman of hers back stateside, the Red Riot wasn’t half bad. Taking delight in the awkwardness he was no doubt feeling at such attention and interest from a mature older woman like herself.* “Come on now handsome, mind looking the other way and letting me walk off with my gains? I’ll make it worth your while…”

Kirishima*Shakes his head to regain focus as he looked at the literal cat burglar with determination, sure she was a tease but he was used to such saucy flirting given his experience especially with a pair of girlfriends like Mina and Maya. He would not be swayed by her admittedly stunning good looks and pornographic body, no sir!!* “can’t do that ma’am, I got take you in or at least take back what you stole!! Now we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way…and we both know it’s obvious you’re going for the hard way!!” *indeed Selina flashed a coy smile as she began lashing out some strikes on the air and ground, making clear that if that’s the way it was to be? Hard way it was as he activated his quirk, the young future pro and infamous thief moved in to clash.*

Selina of course had hoped it would be easy but seems tonight wasn’t her lucky night, pouting adorably as she found herself pinned back flat on the ground. Her whip a few feet from her grasp along with her belt for her tools and equipment as Kirishima had her in her clutches. Just her luck that she had encounter a guy with strength and durability on par with Killer Croc but she had to say, up close like this? Not only was he a looker but god damn those muscles, she coild grind cheese in those abs….it was making her feel turned on.

Selina:*Deciding to play an ace up her sleeve as she began flashing the pull eyes or rsther the kitty eyes, with the pout to match.* “Awww come on tough guy, it’s my first time and offence here in Japan, how about you let me go and you take the loot? Better yet you let me keep half? I’ll make it worth your while….”*She knew it was a long shot but honestly he was rather hoping for something else besides bribing this guy, not that he seemed the type for it, virtue was as distinct as this guy’s gym body. If anything she was going for a nice bit of erotic action, it’d been quite a long dry spell for her to a degree that toys and her own fingers wouldn’t cut it. And she always was a sucker for angelfaces with the musculature of Greek gods.*

Kirishima:*Slight blush on his face aside, he was handling Selina’s flirting and persuasion well as can be.*”Can’t do that ma’am, just wouldn’t sit right with me….”*Selina couldn’t help but feel a giddy tingle with anticipation, the moral compass boyscouts were always a turn on for her. A sensual smile on her face as she found those blood red eyes of his unable to look away from her still exposed torso from having unzipped her suit. Her tits inches away from slipping out to expose themselves as she sensually licked her lips sensing he was getting as turned on as she was, seems her boy scout had a thing for girls like herself, oh if she only knew how right she was.*

Sensing opportunity presenting itself, the seductive thief managed to move her legs out from under him to wrap around them around his waist. Pulling him in close as she freed her arms from his grasp to wrap them around his shoulders and press her lips to his as she ambushed him with a passionate, tongue fuelled French kiss. Taking advantage of his sudden shock and surprise to roll around so that she now laid atop him, straddling his wait as she deepened her liplock. Soon breaking for air with strands of saliva between them as she sat up, looking at him with a sensual gaze as she landed softly, shuddering with delight at the look in his eyes as she began to peel off her suit.

Her luscious, firm tits now flashed before his eyes in all their naked glory as she pried her upper torso out of thst skintight leather and latex, skin glistening with sweat. The feline themed crook caressing his muscles as she traced and memorised those firm cut abs and pecs, oohing and aweing with delight as her ass felt a very distinct bulge bumping against it, seemed this himbo had the package to go along with that physique. Shifting and adjusting her position as she trapped his head between her thighs, she may not have been Mina or Maya or even Mirko but she definitely had some good ones on her as she parked her booty on his face. While she found herself before his crotch, undoing the belt and fly as she was eager to play with the treasure contained within.

But to say she was shocked and surprised was an understatement as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped at seeing that exposed erect slab of manhood before her. The absolute length and girth before her leaving the sexy thief at a rare loss for words, switches in her brain being flipped as she found herself grasping and squeezing that cock. Like some primal instincts reached out to her inner feline telling her to go all in on going all the way with this absolute unit of an alpha male as she commenced with performing fellation. Licking and sucking on that cock as inches of his meat filled her mouth, giving her an oral preview of what awaited her pussy.

Speaking of which, Kirishima had figured the con-woman was trying to play him for a sap, using her feminine wiles on what she figured to be some naive cherry virgin boy. As he grasped that leather and latex clad booty, teeth latching onto the fly of her outfit's zipper to bring down lower. Exposing her slit and anal pucker before him as Selina widened her jade green cat-like eyes at suddenly feeling the sturdy himbo return fire with a little oral assault of his own. And she had to say, he sure as hell knew how to eat a pussy out!!

Now Selina was no stranger to sex, mind you and she'd been with her share of men and women alike. But she never imagined she'd find the tables turned on her like this and she had to say, she was liking it a lot!! After an intense, sloppy 69 session, it wasn't long before they were both naked, the seductive tease of a thief's cowl, goggles and boots all she had still on her as she found herself taking it doggy or rather kitty style as this young buck of a man mountain fucked her deep and hard. Arms and legs shaky as her jiggling, slutty ass stuck in the air, shaking with every impact of that shaft and those heavy balls smacking her clit before she found herself flat on the floor as he plowed her prone bone.

It wasn't often the infamous Catwoman found herself dominated sexually but Kirishima was showing himself to be quite a young man full of surprises. The rooftop aloud with the echoes of skin slapping sex and cries of passion and ecstasy as orgasms rocked her world one after another. And did he have stamina to spare, to say nothing of his little quirk trick and could he be assertive and abrasive!! It was a turn-on, that was for sure.

But of course the difference in momentum and skill of course wound up being in Kirishima's favour, as he held Selina's luscious hips while she bounced and rode on his cock cowgirl style, her tits bouncing hypnotically as her usually coy face wore an expression that made it clear her brain was numb with pleasure. Before she went limp as a ragdoll as she and the sturdy chivalrous himbo came together simultaneously, a baker's dozen worth of hot, white baby batter pumping and flooding into her womb. The feline afficianado gently laid down on the cool, smooth rooftop surface, a well fucked and satisfied smile on her face and a belly full of cum as Kirishima decided to call this erotic duel a draw. Taking back and returning her stolen goods, after getting his clothes back on of course while maybe hoping the authorities would find her here and secure her arrest..and maybe maintain her dignity.

Of course the tricky thief managed to elude capture but opted to lay low of course until any heat died down. Not that she minded of course, after a lay like that. Now she had herself a new hobby and boytoy to play with, as Kirishima somehow found his phone getting an unknown number sending him a few lewd texts and pictures not long after that hot rooftop encounter evening. Among them being a nude pic from Selina showing off her dumptruck ass while wearing little more than cat ears, jewellery and some thigh high boots.

Not to mention for some reason, the Catwoman always left a date, time and place, as if leaving hints for when and where she might strike next and where he could find her for a rematch. Naturally Mina and Maya found out and oooh was their teasing and flirting relentless especially when they insisted on wanting to help him out with "dealing" with that hot piece of kitty ass. Yeah once again Kirishima really wondered what it would take to just have a normal, peaceful patrol that didn't wind up with him somehow getting a female crook sexually addicted to him. Then again it wasn't always so bad.....right?

[zahri-melitor]

Okay a loose Recent Reads roundup:

Birds of Prey: Sirens of Justice: so I was lured (tricked) into reading this as Gail Simone wrote one of the stories, even though it, sigh, contains far too much Harley Quinn due to movie synergy. The Dinah and Helena banter is decent, but otherwise this felt...aggressively fine. The Helena story is very pat in terms of how people tend to write Huntress shorts, though I guess it wasn't 'Helena worries about a student' this time.

The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage: very much in conversation with O'Neil's run, of course, and also clearly reacting to contemporaneous US racial discussions. Shifting Myra to be the Mayor's sister not wife definitely alters her position in the narrative, particularly in terms of her obligations and response to situations. It is incredibly bleak in places, but that simply reflects the run it is based on and is a tribute to.

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen: This is definitely for the Silver Age fan. Matt Fraction manages to string together solving a complex assassination plot over 12 issues by telling the story in short, 2-4 page sections that wildly jump around the timeline and are framed by 'the many ridiculous things that have happened to Jimmy Olsen'. I have absolutely no handle on the canonicity of some of this, particularly the extended Olsen family, and not knowing probably makes this read more easily. Looking at it as a whole, I'm impressed how well Fraction stitched what was effectively episodic 2 page fills into a complete narrative. The energy of the story is relentless. Best read in small doses.

Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P: god this comic could have been so much better than it was. It’s fine and accomplishes exactly what it was intended to do - tell a story of how Alfred influenced and looked out for each of Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian and Barbara - and sets everyone up to be mildly pissed at Bruce. But just for one example, it would have been HUGELY more powerful if they’d been able to use Dick, with his memories just restored, facing the fact he wasn’t there when Alfred needed him and his last interactions were so impersonal and spent pushing Alfred away.

Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular: again, underwhelming. Tom King played shipper and wrote his version of how the Helena Wayne story should work; the Dixon story felt 90s appropriate but the art was dire; Brubaker’s felt like a missing scene to his run; Dini’s honestly wasn’t up to the standard I’d hope for from Dini. The art pieces were great though; a lot of good commissions.

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular: I cannot work out who chose the covers used in the issue, which swing between 'iconic' and 'reminding everyone ASBAR exists was unnecessary, DC'.

Generally: they did manage to round up fairly iconic lineups for most of the stories, with some chopping and changing for a few.

Wolfman got another run at trying to frame the 'Dick quits v Bruce fires him' debate; Dixon and Grayson both submitted literal fills (Dixon's is a scene immediately after Nightwing #19 1996 and before #20; Grayson's is at least just an extra story that fits into #1-12 of her Titans 1999 run on a day all the second stringers didn't come to work). I don't actually have a problem with any of these - they're nice additional material, but mostly more of the same. Seeley & King's suffers from the usual Seeley problem for me where it would be vastly improved by having a different focus; but it does feel straight out of his Grayson run, with everything that implies (down to the St Hadrian's student I wish was not present). All of the Dick stories are basically "we got the team back together" creative line ups.

Jason, in contrast, makes it really obvious that nobody can define a definitive Jason run, and so gets the tiniest story with Winick and Dustin Nguyen. I checked, and Nguyen did draw part of UTRH, but I wouldn't have associated him as a character-defining artist for Jason. The story's cute. Winick sidestepped having to commit to anything about his opinions on post-Flashpoint Jason direction.

Tim got Adam Beechen (which honestly makes me happy, I don't care about anyone else's opinion) and luxuriates in Tim having to play civilian; Tynion gets a Rebirth story that I can't quite work out his timing on (it's supposed to be a prequel, but Dick is already back in costume as Nightwing and talking to Tim, suggesting that several issues of the Rebirth Nightwing take place significantly before 'Tec #934) that is a classic 'Tim tells everyone how he feels about his brothers' story. I realise everyone boring has complained about Tim calling Damian a 'horrible gremlin' but the thing is you see I can only read nicknames like that as full of affection. The back and forth is an important part of their relationship, as shown by Damian snapping 'you're only listening to the insults'.

Steph gets her 71 days as Robin slightly padded out and Amy Wolfram manages to pick up Willingham's tone pretty well; I suspect she liaised with Damion Scott quite a bit on this piece.

Damian has a Super Sons piece from Tomasi, because it's the most lighthearted option available and it sells very well (it's sickly sweet). Which was probably the right call as the other piece is clearly written by Robbie Thompson to accompany his Teen Titans run and for the downward spiral going on there. Which is honestly a bit of a pity for Damian, given everyone else got feature pieces from favourite runs, and he got the 'this slots into your current story' piece.

[pyroreadscomics]

The Problem with Black Mask in Catwoman (2018)

(Spoilers below for the following Catwoman stories: Relentless, Backwards Masking, Catwoman: Blackest Night, Keeper of the Castle/Inheritance, and naturally Tini Howard’s run on Catwoman)

(Also, I wrote this on the Catwoman discord months ago, so some of this may be a little out of date but my points still stand.)

When it comes to Catwoman and Black Mask, it is very very very important that these two fucking hate each other. They loathe each other. They despise each other to move mountains to fuck up the other. The only reason it isn't on sight is because that's too quick.

And the reason this is important to me, is because it means Relentless is still canon.

Because they didn't start out hating each other, they first went at each other Selina didn't even know she was robbing Black Mask of millions in diamonds and Black Mask only went after Catwoman to send a message to people thinking of stealing his shit. Then Relentless happened. In which Black Mask hospitalized one of Selina's friends, kidnapped another, killed her brother in law, and tortured Maggie into a catatonic state that lasted over fifteen fucking years (out of universe, in universe it was probably like… four or five). Meanwhile Catwoman hospitalized his second in command, blew up his penthouse, and dropped him off said penthouse's balcony. Needless to say, they both held fucking grudges.

(Catwoman (2002) #16)

And that was before all their future showdowns. Black Mask tortured her ex during round two, tried to torture Maggie to death during round 3, and killed her girlfriend's father in the New 52. Catwoman for her part has killed this fucker four times (Dropped off Penthouse Balcony in Relentless, shot through head in Backwards Masking, tag teamed by the Gotham City Sirens in Blackest Night, Throat slit and left bleeding out alone in the dark in the New 52) (If you haven’t noticed, Catwoman's no kill rule has an asterisk and that asterisk is called Black Mask). They should, if continuity exists, hate each other more strongly than anyone else.

(Catwoman (2002) #52, Catwoman (2002) #83, Catwoman (2011) #45)

And yet.

If you were going of Tini Howard's run, you'd think they'd have no more history then any other pair of a long standing vigilante and rogue.

And I had hope, when Black Mask first shows up he has this line:

"Catwoman! At my favourite nudie bar? Once I put a bullet in your head, this'll just be like that great dream I keep having."

Which... along being real gross made me think Tini Howard was preserving the history between these two because why earth wouldn't you and also... why else could Black Mask killing Catwoman specifically be a reoccurring fantasy?

But now, 18 issues into the run, and after the second big confrontation between these two... there's no references to their history. Specifically, there's no references to Relentless, and that's insane. Sure there's the occasional line, like that introductory one I quoted earlier, or his "I love seeing it so much I'm not even pissed about being compared to her" that he says when witnessing Eiko's fake betrayal of Catwoman that imply a special animosity. But by that point, she's stolen and blown up his mask which for Black Mask is reason enough to despise her. Meanwhile from Selina's side the reason she hates Black Mask... is because of Kristi, the stripper who kicked him in the head to help Selina escape and who was killed in retaliation for it (also he's just generally a chauvinistic creepy). And that would work for both of them as reasons to hate the other especially, were it any other pair of vigilante and rogue. Were it not Black Mask and Catwoman.

Like, ignoring everything else, these two have done to each other. Ignoring Black Mask killing Eiko's father, forcing Selina to okay the assassination of her own cousin, permanently scaring Slam, Blackest Night (not least because I don't think their showdown during that event is canon anymore), and ignoring the 3 other times Selina has killed the fucker (if for no other reason then explaining how he's still walking around upright), one thing remains: Relentless needs to be canon.

And not even Relentless as a whole (but yes Relentless as a whole because it's just good). You can take away Slam getting hit and run, Holly getting kidnapped, you can even take way Simon's death and Sylvia's betray. What happened to Maggie, as much as I personally, hated it, is fundamental to Catwoman. It is the single most defining tragedy of Selina's adult life and it's not close. It haunts her, almost literally.

Whenever it is canon (which isn't always, thanks New 52) that failure to save Maggie, and the guilt that follows, is referenced over and over again. It's brought up half a dozen times in Volume 3 alone, images of Maggie's dead eyed face appearing in Selina's thoughts. And then following Maggie's post rebirth recanonization, not only is Maggie present throughout the first three years worth of issues, flashbacks to Relentless, to Maggie's trauma, are shown twice, once in issue 4 in Jones's run, and once in issue 32 in V's run.

And that's not even it, because Maggie in this series is doing a slow burn recovery from mental trauma, which she got from Black Mask and it's not ambiguous. In issue 10, Maggie speaks a full sentence for the first time and it's because Selina triggered a flashback to Black Mask making her eat her husband's eye. And that flashback in issue 32? It includes specific details of Relentless that sometimes get lost in the shuffle like Sylvia's involvement, and Slam's hospitalization and what Holly did. Not only was the general "Hey Black Mask tortured Maggie" bit that everyone knows canon, the specific details of that story were canon.

(Catwoman (2018) #32)

Relentless was canon, not six issues before Howard took over. And yet... There's a single scene in Howard's run on Catwoman so far that references Maggie. It's while Selina is in prison, I've included the panel but the short of it is Selina dreams of Maggie as a silent nun she confesses her sins to.

(Catwoman (2018) #52)

In a Catwoman run where the main antagonist is Black Mask, there is no mention of the most important story to canon of Catwoman (outside of her frequently non-canon origin) where he appeared. I don't even know how to articulate how baffling and concerning a narrative decision this is. The closest I can get is this:

Imagine, if you will, a 18 issue run of Batman where the Joker was the primary antagonist. And then, when you got to the end of those 18 issues, and had seen multiple clashes, major and minor, between these two, seen them each plot against each other and ruminate at length about why they hate each other, you got to the end, put that story down, contemplated for moment and then asked: Hey, is 'A Death in the Family' still canon?

It would be utterly insane to doubt that for a second, it's such a fundamental story to the character, it's a structural support pillar for the character's entire canon post that event... and yet.

and yet…

(Also, while this post is about Selina and Roman dynamic, it’s also absolutely wild that this run reintroduces Eiko, makes multiple references to Valentine’s run, and has Eiko and Black Mask sharing multiple scenes, and yet it never once mentions that Black Mask murdered Eiko’s father.)

[bitter69uk]

Recently finished Cynthia Carr’s exemplary recent biography Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar. The trailblazing transgender Warhol Superstar (dubbed “a subculture Lana Turner” by the Village Voice’s Arthur Bell) couldn’t have hoped for a savvier, more empathetic biographer. Carr zeros in on the contradictions of Darling’s brief, tumultuous life (she died aged 29 of cancer): she was captured by photographers like Richard Avedon and Francesco Scavullo; starred in underground films on both sides of the Atlantic; papped attending parties alongside Andy Warhol; immortalized in the Lou Reed song “Walk on the Wild Side”; feted in the hippest nightclubs and acted in a play by Tennessee Williams. But the lonely, misunderstood Darling was also usually destitute and homeless (she “couch surfed”); faced relentless prejudice as a trans woman (even from ostensibly sympathetic quarters - Darling was turned away by the bouncer at Stonewall! When visiting her mother in Long Island, she was instructed to hide from the neighbours); and there was no unconditional love or intimacy in her life nor serious boyfriends (Carr notes that the men Darling pines for in her journals were often casual acquaintances). Towards the end, when ANYONE shows kindness and generosity toward Candy, you want to cry in gratitude. (Lauren Hutton and Warhol himself both emerge well). Carr also points out that while we love the friendship between the iconic trio of Darling, Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn, these were also volatile characters competing for scraps. Peter Hujar’s famous deathbed portrait of Darling only happened when other photographers turned it down. They’d never met before, but Hujar sure understood the assignment. One enduring mystery: to the bafflement of Darling’s friends, Julie Newmar (TV’s Catwoman) delivered a eulogy at her funeral (there’s no evidence the two women knew each other). Funniest episode: Warhol dispatched Darling to promote their film Women in Revolt in Toronto. The cinema booked her into the four-star Sutton Place hotel (“where stars like Elizabeth Taylor stayed when in town for the Toronto Film Festival”). Liberace happened to be staying there too. Candy crashed his champagne reception: “Finally she managed to corner him and said, “We have so much in common.” Liberace was horrified and complained to hotel management.” Portrait by Fred W McDarrah, 1970.

[gerryrigged]

mmkay I've read the first two issues out of G0tham War and

(CUT FOR BIG SALT, lol)

this is so dumbbbbb oh my god 😭 like we knew it was gonna be dumb, artificial conflict, but LORDT.

everyone is OOC, even more than I expected, and the stupid, ridiculous plot hinges on the stupid, ridiculous idea that Selina's dumbass plan would ever, ever work. (Let's train ALL the henchpeople/goons (yes all of them) to be ethical 😌 non-violent catburglars 😌 like Selina 😌 who donate part of their profits to charity 😌 and only target rich people so they're really #hashtagvictimlesscrimes and then they don't have to work for dangerous Rogues and mobsters, yay, they're bettering their lives!!) (this is ~Sophisticated Social Commentary~!)

And it especially depends on her plan working astronomically better than the hundreds of millions of dollars Bruce has poured into similar outreach for the city over literal decades through the Wayne Foundation and other programs, creating and offering people jobs, support networks, etc. that aren't criminal in nature.

but oh, no one is going to bring that up (has the Martha Wayne Foundation ever even existed? haha, none of these Wayne kids know, apparently! they're just going to sit and twiddle their thumbs while Selina yells at Bruce that he's just "...clearly furious because [he's] wasted [his] fortune and [his] brain on bat-cars and punching people, and it took compassion to solve this problem").

Anyway, Bruce's efforts never meaningfully improved Gotham (cough because Batman stories can't be told without a crime-ridden Gotham cough), while Selina's (gasp) actually have! Somehow!

because the Power of Plot demands it, her cartoonish plan apparently works SO well that violent crime is down almost 75%!! wowiee, Catwoman is actually fixing Gotham, which no one has ever been able to do before!! who needs Batman, haha! that's such egg on your face, Batman, how come you never thought of doing something like this before, haha. Just convince the criminals to be non-violent, Batman, haha, what like it's hard. Ha.

So anyway, gosh, the Batkids (minus Damian, who's siding with Bruce, and Jason, who, harkening back to his "control crime" roots, 100% supports Selina) are conflicted. It feels ~weird~ just blithely letting burglars walk right past them into people's homes, but the ~numbers don't lie~, Batman, it's ~working~, maybe we shouldn't interfere and just see where this goes, like Selina asked! Aren't you being a little unreasonable walking out of this both-sides-might-have-a-point debate, Batman?? Also, ohhh nooo, you shouldn't push back so hard against her people because we don't want to start a ~war~, Batman!

I'M GONNA FACEPLANT INTO MY KEYBOARD IT'S SO ABSURD. How can you write anyone in-character when you're stuck twisting them in knots to accommodate such an absurd premise?

And then, when one of Selina's "graduates" is shot and killed during a break-in by a scared woman who'd unexpectedly stayed home when she was supposed to be out of town, the Batkids (minus Damian) act like it's somehow unexpected/out of control for Batman to bring down the hammer on Selina's operation? Like a man didn't just die because of the path Selina set him on? Like a massive surge in crime targeting the rich isn't going to eventually have more such incidents and ramifications down the line, as backlash and escalations hit? Like rich people are not known for vigorously defending their property?? What is your long-term plan here, Selina??

Batman isn't even shown being excessively violent in rounding up Selina's people (for Batman, lol) - just relentless. But Tim shows up and tries to talk him down as if he's putting petty crooks in the hospital again like after Jason's death (he just lasso'd that crook's legs and growled at him?? what is so over the top about that, in vigilante context?? this is completely normal Bat behavior??), making noises about Bruce's health and taking it easy, and oooo, nothing's black and white...

And Dick goes, "He's on a rampage, he's out of control" (WHERE? LITERALLY WHERE? are you perhaps referring to the murderous police-state robot he built and accidentally unleashed on Gotham a few arcs ago (which was ACTUALLY bad and over the top), because there is nothing in this event so far???). And Tim worries about how Batman was so angry, he's worried about what he's going to do, how far he's willing to go, and Babs is like if Selina asks for help, I'd be inclined to give it.

Like if they'd actually showed Bruce escalating and going out of control, losing it on these non-violent thieves, I wouldn't be so enormously peeved about this aspect of it. Granted, I'd still be hella mad about people like Cass and Dick and Tim thinking about supporting Catwoman's (IDIOTIC) plan, especially after a man just died, but they've all seen Bruce go off the rails before, they're very familiar with having to oppose him on those occasions.

But the way this is set up??? No. Just no. Bruce is pissed about the one thief dying, he's not trying to kill the rest of them??

It doesn't make sense, and they all come across as painfully out of character. Standing aside and letting certain crimes happen as a matter of standing policy, because they're Catwoman's people - like you can count on nobody getting hurt because Selina just trained them so well - are you kidding me, what happened to these kids' principles?? Writers and Editorial I am IN YOUR WALLS, STOP CONTORTING CHARACTERS JUST TO FIT THE DUMBASS STORY YOU WANT TO TELL.

Dick: I'm gonna head into Gotham and see if I can talk Bruce off his "moral ledge."

QUOTE UNQUOTE MORAL LEDGE??? DICK GRAYSON of all people referring to Bruce's adherence to his Mission and his Code with sanctimonious, condescending scare quotes???? Like he doesn't also believe in "no life is an acceptable loss" to a reckless, at times self-destructive degree??? Huh????

And this absolutely DUMBASS fight scene where all of the Batkids (minus Damian) fight against Bruce, but the all-powerful Bat-god doesn't need strategy or contingency plans to handle the most dangerous and highly trained vigilantes on the planet, he just goes ahead and one-shots Cass (lmfao????) and Duke and then Steph and Tim at the same time and only Dick and Jason even land blows on him for ~some reason~.

UUUUGH.

Funnily enough, outside that stupid-ass fight scene, Bruce is one of the ones who seems least out of character, considering everything he's been through recently, his paranoia about becoming old and unnecessary and only feeling at home in his Batman suit (we've certainly seen that before 🙄), his Code, and not to mention Zur-En-Arrh (and also a shadowy something else?) lurking in his psyche whispering to him, clearly not actually constrained by the cage Bruce thought he was locked in.

I'm 100% blaming instability and Zur for the bits where Bruce is more obviously wilding (mainly when fighting Jason), but like - at least he has reasons built into the narrative to be slipping like that? Everyone else is just acting that way because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, I guess.

This would all be much more enjoyable if they'd found a way to make Selina's side less ridiculous/more convincing. Like I would actually be interested in seeing Zur-En-Arrh twist Bruce's mind against his family. It was fun for that brief period in the Failsafe arc because we got to see Bruce fight against and eventually overcome it! But I can't even enjoy it here when the whole thing is so frikkin' stupid and being written terribly.

Like clearly Bruce is going to go way, way more off the rails fairly quickly from here, given how Zur is straight up fucking with him at the end (and Vandal Savage??? okay Jan). So siding against him will rapidly become more obviously reasonable, I assume. I just hope the (small) bits where like, Tim expressed worry about Bruce's wellbeing are expanded on, and shared by other characters (Dick??? Cass???), so they can help him with this mental breakdown rather than it being constantly hostile/adversarial.

...Admittedly a bit intrigued by the big Rogue Gathering, teaming up as they don't have minions to do their bidding anymore. Like, fun, evil backlash resulting from Selina's (STUPID) plan? Good! And also a compelling reason for the good guys to eventually band back together and heal this rift? Well, hopefully. :/

[lolotheparagon]

What are the various Rogues' opinions on Scarecrow's new daughters minions?

Riddler:

I know I’m the best supervillain Gotham has ever seen, but I always had a humble respect for Crane. The man has elicited terror and fear thoroughout Gotham for many years and is a profilic terrorist and scientist. So it baffles the mind that he has taken upon himself to be a parent, oh wait I mean (snickers) boss to a bunch of tiny pastel ponies so he can scare the whole populace. It’s almost comical how stupid that plan is. Oh sure, the average Neanderthal slumping around the streets would be scared of these sickeningly cute critters. But that’ll wear off soon enough and you don’t see Two-Face or Harley Quinn afraid of them! What will be your plan next? Face it, Crane. You just want to play house with these ponies because you’re so desperate to have a goal in your life, you’ve resorted to parenthood like a lonely housewife in a loveless marriage. Pathetic!…What? What do I think of the ponies themselves? What’s there to talk about? They’re annoying, disgustingly cute and clearly lack any intelligence whatsoever! They’re also relentless, whenever Crane’s not around, they always force me to partake in their juvenile games. Do I look like a babysitter to you?!

Penguin:

Don’t remind me of those little bastards. When I found out that the Scarecrow himself had employed these tiny ponies to be his minions, I was laughing for days. Look at ‘em, you’d think you can easily just kick those little tykes to the curb, swot ‘em like a fly. But no, not only are they immune to bullets, they took down half my men, tied me up in ribbons, put bloody makeup on me and turned my club into a BLOODY ICE RINK!! Ohhh, you think you’ve won this battle, Crane. Think you’ve humiliated me. But mark my words, once your back is turned and your mind focused on the Bat again, I’ll take your little ponies and put ‘em in a glue factory!

Two-Face:

Oh yeah, those little…things. (Shudders) Their cuteness is so overwhelming they creep me out NEXT WE SEE ‘EM, WE SHOOT THOSE CRITTERS AND SMEAR THEM ALL OVER THE WALLS. You’re just pissed off cos they did our makeup. THOSE LITTLE BITCHES DREW ALL OVER OUR FACE I know we look stupid but you don’t see me raging about it SHUT UP, HARV! NO ONE WILL TAKE US SERIOUSLY WHEN WE GO ON CRIME SPREES WITH THIS SHIT PLASTERED ON! No one took us seriously anyway. WE’RE MEN! MEN DONT WEAR MAKEUP!! WHAT ARE YOU, GAY?! …I really need therapy.

Poison Ivy:

Those ponies are herbivores, nature is part of their diet. Normally, I would be against them but I just can’t say no to kids. These little ones have an unspoiled innocence that I hope their time in Gotham would never taint it. I feel almost sorry for them. Crane is a smart man, but he is cold and ruthless, not exactly father of the year material. But it is rather amusing to see himself run ragged trying to keep a bunch of ponies in order. Especially that unicorn following him around like a puppy. He’s stuck with all of them for eternity so I can’t wait to see how this will unfold. My bet is that he’ll have a mental breakdown within a few months. And I’ll have front row seats.

Harley Quinn:

What?! Dr Crane has magical ponies as his kids?!. Oh my god, that’s hysterical!! Wow, I mean, I know the Bat beat you pretty bad and you’re out of ideas, but that is a whole new level of desperate! Whats next year’s Halloween’s plan, he’s gonna sic Starbright Sprinkle and Princesscake on us? Ohhh, I’m so scared! But ya know what, good for him for finding a new career that suits him: a fucking loser! By the way, which ranch did he get those ponies from? Cos I want one! In fact, Crane, can I have the pink one? No, wait, I’ll trade ya for the flying fairy one!

Catwoman:

I always see the little guys running around at the mall, playing dress up and terrifying thugs with their mere existence. Its funny to see a bunch of grown men terrified at something so cute. Honestly, I have no idea why Crane of all people is in custody of these ponies. To see the master of fear being a dad and a decent one to boot is…weird. I don’t know if he’s just putting it on to regain some scare factor or if he’s genuinely enjoying it, but at least the ponies seem happy. However, if he does put any of those kids in danger, I’ll tear his stitched ass apart.

Killer Croc:

Doesn’t matter, they’re all just food to me. Those little things don’t scare me. Nothing scares me. Not even, you, Crane.

Mr Freeze:

He has what? That is…concerning. I do hope those little ponies are treated properly. Are they well-fed? Do they have proper education? He doesn’t experiment on them, does he? No? Oh thank goodness. Well, are their mental and emotional needs met? Does he spend quality time with them? …Sorry, I have a few arctic hares that I keep as pets that I’ve grown very attached to over the last month. They’re like children to me. So I just hope Crane is taking the responsibilities of parenting seriously.

[eek-a-tron]

Catwoman cover by JG Jones, from Catwoman: Relentless P2

[telltalebatman]

the more i play the arkham knight, the more sense the ending - in which bruce just fucking kills himself - just makes sense. this game is fucking relentless in how everything just fucking happens all the goddamn time. the city is under siege, but also two face is robbing banks, but also the penguin is smuggling weapons, but also firefly is setting everything on fire, but also professor pyg is leaving corpses everywhere, but also the riddler had kidnapped catwoman and we have to complete his bullshit trials, but also there are bombs everywhere, but also we are looking for missing firefighters. and all of this is happening at once. during a single night. which, by the way, had went on for over 15 hours in my current save. no wonder bruce goes and explodes himself. i can barely handle talking to 2 people at once, and this mf is juggling 100 cases of terrorism. death is the only way for him to catch a goddamn break.

[cantsayidont]

January 2011. This droll one-shot by Howard Chaykin pits Batman and Catwoman against one of Batman's sillier adversaries — Mortimer Drake, the Cavalier, who dresses like one of the Three Musketeers — as Bruce Wayne deals with the fallout from a massive embezzlement at Wayne Enterprises that will soon have investigators taking a very close look at where all of Bruce's money has actually been going. Selina has a solution, but it will test just how much crime Bruce is comfortable with. Chaykin's take on Bruce and Selina's relationship has always been that they're both moderately deranged kinky weirdos who are drawn together because they share the same kinks, although Selina is more honest about admitting it. Their principal conflict in this story involves her trying to maneuver around his relentless stubbornness while attempting (none too successfully) to resist the overwhelming urge to make fun of him about it. It's a lightweight romp, a rare quantity in modern Batman stories, and Chaykin's art is a plus, despite the unnecessarily garish digital coloring.

Coincidentally, the problem this story raises (that competent forensic accountants could connect Bruce to Batman by looking closely at the Wayne Enterprises books) was actually addressed in a completely different way around this same time in the final issue of Grant Morrison's BATMAN AND ROBIN, where Bruce publicly reveals that he's been funding Batman's operations for years (without admitting that he himself is Batman) and launches Batman Incorporated.

[bcbdrums]

Choose: Dr. Drakken or Shego?

are you asking for a poll...? or just me personally?

well... Shego is why i initially watched the show. saw this bombshell with hair i want and a knockoff harley quinn/power rangers costume, and then Mira Nova's voice (Nicole Sullivan) came out of her... i was watching the show for Shego. you know how when u watch a show hoping to see one character? yeah. i watched KP for Shego. same as how i initially watched BTAS for Catwoman (and then came to love every single aspect of that show! perfect in animation!).

anyway, so yeah... and then in fandom, i was initially drawn to Shego's motivations... trying to figure out what makes her tick. i then allowed myself to become interested in Drakgo and how she fit into that... could she allow herself to trust, which has to come before love... and through exploring Drakgo i got interested in Drakken.

Drakken... i relate to him a lot. someone who wants to be part of the crowd but is missing the mark along the way and doesn't get why. smart, just wants a little attention from his peers/friends... again doesn't get why they don't fulfill that desire in him... relentless and passionate, will absolutely stop at nothing... a lonely outcast who did everything right along the way, and was still left out. i think there's a little bit (or a lot) of Drakken in all of us.

i think as characters, Drakken stands alone better than Shego does. she kind of fades away without him. she is written as a side-kick and isn't really given anything else. since her only motivation is a love for evil, and anything else is speculation...yeah. it's hard for me to say i'd pick one of them. the ship and its complexities and challenges appeals to me so, so greatly. and i wouldn't have watched the show if not for Shego. but i find Drakken to be the deeper character.

sounds like i lean toward Drakken. at least, i could enjoy Drakken as a character if Shego didn't exist. but...i can say the same about her i suppose, since it's her personality, her beauty (but i can't stand her costume...i just can't. as a kid i'd stare at it in abject frustration and my brain would try to make sense of the asymmetry and just get more frustrated), Nicole's voice acting...

as you can see, i'm just going back and forth. i don't think there's an answer to this one. they are diff chars who i like for diff reasons, and...together they're just perfection.

[bisexual-monarch-tournament]

Bisexual/Pansexual Monarch Tournament Round 2

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first round! There were some very surprising results as well as some close battles! Some beloved characters sadly lost in the round. Voting on Round 2 will begin tomorrow morning. Here are the brackets for Round 2:

Round 2:

Group A:

1. Harley Quinn (DC Comics) vs. Deadpool (Marvel Comics)

2. Asami Sato (The Legend of Korra) vs. Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

3. Eleanor Shellstrop (The Good Place) vs. Alucard (Castlevania)

4. Loki (Marvel Comics) vs. Nandor the Relentless ((What We Do in the Shadows)

Group B:

5. Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) vs. Marceline (Adventure Time)

6. Wonder Woman (DC Comics) vs. Catwoman (DC Comics)

7. Poison Ivy (DC Comics) vs. Korra (The Legend of Korra)

8. Zagreus (Hades) vs. Tim Drake (DC Comics)

Here is a link to the Round 1 masterpost.

[roobylavender]

do some of these brutalia fans not find it embarrassing to constantly promote talia as nothing more than a mother figure and claim that she’s a better love interest than selina because she’s more predisposed to “being traditional and domestic” as opposed to selina being such a “free-spirit” and refuse to pick up any catwoman book because they’d easily know that catwoman loves children and took in holly? am i supposed to take an interest in talia when her own fans are massive hypocrites about selina and constantly try to claim that she’d never be a good stepmom to the batfamily (because GOD FORBID a woman be anything more than a doormat to service those kids) but then try to claim talia would be better at taking over that position? they’re so transparent that it actively makes them dislikable. they don’t really practice what they preach, they kind of just want talia to take selina’s place and think talia getting a few kisses from bruce would solve the racism and sexism inherent in her dynamic. tearing down selina is just not going to help talia and selina is never truly going to be torn down either because her popularity is not entirely dependent on bruce. selina will have her own books with her own adventures married or not. worst part is talia’s own fans are not critical of this rhetoric and how it hardly serves her own character in the long run but are the first to make posts on how batcat fans only want selina to be a housewife 🤔

why are you saying all of this to me though? i agree this niche of fans is embarrassing and frustrating to discourse with (if an attempt can even be made at doing so) but i refuse to endorse the mindset that bc some fans are cringe and deserve criticism for their behavior that it excuses me of caring for the character they like. by that metric no female dc character is worth engaging with bc some of her fans will inevitably be awful as a result of dc's relentless tendency to pit these characters against each other for the sake of propping up a man's story. there are batcat fans who are juvenile and there are brutalia fans who are juvenile. at the end of the day i'm here for talia and selina specifically and that's all that matters

[thcdevil]

*A GIRL IN THE SHAPE OF A MONSTER / A MONSTER IN THE SHAPE OF A GIRL.

— { samara weaving, she / her, 26 } We just saw { roxana liddell } entering { scotland yard, arrested yet again }. I heard through the grapevine that her loyalties lie with { the jabberwocks }, and that they also go by { the devil }. Be careful, she works as an { underground fighter, freelance trainer, and socialite } and is known to be { rebellious }, { chaotic }, or { violent }. However she's also known to be { resourceful }, { lavish }, and { playful }.   { daisy, she / her, est, images of bugs, depictions of animal abuse } —

»»» a smear of bright red lipstick on the teeth, a never-ending blossom of bruises, lighting a cigarette with the smoke of a gun, pulling death from a tarot deck; the flashing of camera bulbs white-cold and relentless as the snow, balancing precariously atop a balcony railing, pointe shoes and ripped fishnets; a red rose bowing under the weight of snowdrift but never breaking, a blood-tipped knife hanging from the ceiling, the circus act who catches bullets with her teeth.

BASICS, HISTORY, WANTED CONNECTIONS, & EXTRAS UNDER THE CUT !!

i. BASICS.

BIRTH NAME: Roxana Dominika Liddell NICKNAMES: Roxy / Roxie / Rox; The Devil; Roxy Horror ( fight name ) AGE: 26 D.O.B.: tbd BIRTHPLACE: tbd CURRENT RESIDENCE: London, England LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, French, Russian AFFILIATION: Jabberwocks OCCUPATION: whatever she feels like ( underground fighter, trainer, socialite ) EDUCATION: secondary school / limited university-level coursework  SEXUALITY / ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: whatever, whoever, whenever RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single CHILDREN: none POSITIVE TRAITS:  playful, resourceful, loyal, protective, extravagant NEUTRAL TRAITS:  stubborn, unpredictable, selective, mischievous, determined NEGATIVE TRAITS:  vicious, obsessive, chaotic, destructive, manipulative INSP:  Villanelle, Harley Quinn, Bellatrix Lestrange, Catwoman, Louise Belcher, unhinged noir antiheroines, unreliable narrators, and the girlboss / gaslight / gatekeep meme <333

ii. BIO TLDR.

Roxana is a woman obsessed with life and freedom, but she doesn’t know how to achieve her idea of a fulfilled life, and so resorts to violence as both self-discovery and self-destruction.

iii. FULL HISTORY.

[ trigger warnings for: descriptions of violence, blood, death, drug abuse ]

Beauty and terror have long been the favorite paradox and primary pastime of the youngest Liddell child, Roxana Liddell. It was the only outcome for a girl who, from birth, witnessed the true nature of what truly made her family: tyrants masquerading as fair rulers, violence sheathed by radiance, glass towers so high above the rest that they prevented from seeing those trapped inside, a family cursed to feel nothing and say even less. They were little more than a dollhouse, flawless from the outside, but constantly manipulated and puppeteered by the Crimson Monarch reigning high above. Little Roxie, ever observant and impressionable to a fault, grew into the perfectly cracked mirror of them all: bloodthirsty monster and enchanting witch, caged by thorns yet unfathomably picturesque.   She was the Liddell's unplanned finale turned unfinished symphony, for she saw them exactly as what they were and rejected them with every emotional outburst and triggered temper.  It was never her family members' individual vices or personas she feared, but instead — beecoming like them. Owned and ruled over. Dominated. Bound by the conventions of the family name and promises she never agreed to make.   From youth, this fear was combatted by her innate pursuit of freedom, excitement, and experience, forever searching for proof that girlhood could transform into godhood, and that she could not be defined by that which came before her. Physical prowess honed by aristocrat-appropriate sports soon resulted in playground fights ended only by bloody, broken noses, and a penchant for escaping from authority figures' grasps. It hadn't started as bloodlust. Rather, it'd been meant as a scream for salvation — but there was a particular fascination in the space between the sin committed and its resultant shock, and the world her family created was the perfect place to play at games of destructive delight, bound by the pull of death and ecstasy.   Unlike her siblings, she didn't complete university, choosing instead to spend her time specializing in the art of hedonistic parties and tabloid fodder. While anyone with her Midas touch could throw a bash, Roxana's innately creative mind and love of the bizarre translated into unforgettable nights replete with elaborate themes, fighting and gambling rings, and imported drugs, to name a few. Her money, charisma, and hedonistic streak meant the certainty of that which mattered most: others’ silence, her own violence, and a hell of a night for all.    Her penchant for destruction has left a trail of bodies in its wake, some victims more serious than others. Each high-profile one is, naturally, taken care of with the signing of a Liddell-sponsored check, making the matter go away entirely with the swipe of a pen. But, after the likely Roxana-caused overdose of one of the Royal Family's own, the youngest Liddell has been kept on an impressively tight leash as of late, assigned a 24/7 handler, and stripped of carte-blanche access to the family credit cards and their illicit supply. What's a girl to do under such horrid circumstances? Lie, cheat, steal, and even kill for the chance to be free once more. 

iii. WANTED CONNECTIONS.

Under construction! Some general ideas can be found in the 'wanted' section of Rox's pinterest, and her formal wc list will be updated in the coming days!

iv. EXTRAS

pinterest !!

Roxana has made quite a name for herself within the lightweight class of some underground fight clubs. Specifically, the name she's known by in these settings is "Roxy Horror" — a play on a favorite film of hers and a cheeky nod to the absolute truth of her violence.   

After each arrest and its subsequent dismissal due to her family's name, influence, and money, Roxana places her mugshots in ornate frames befitting the Liddell estate, and hides them amongst the countless portraits adorning the walls. To date, only four of the double-digit mugshots have been found.   

Just as her brother has his antiques, Roxana has trinkets of her own. The only difference, however, is that hers are acquired through petty theft. She's not a full-blown kleptomaniac, but there's certainly a compulsiveness to her steals, and Roxie has kept every trinket and trophy she's ever stolen dating back to childhood — even the sparkly pink gel pen nicked from a classmate on her first day of primary school.  

Roxie has a complicated relationship with her siblings. She openly declares favorites amongst them, but the rankings change at the drop of a hat. More than this, she frequently lies to each one about what the other has said or done, pitting the older Liddells against each other just for her own amusement.  

'Hidden' talents include: a near-eidetic memory, superior verbal /  impression mimicry, ballet and aerial skills.