#it is literally just a match-3 game but damn!!! what high stakes for a match-3 game

[forter-from-meteos]

i still have a lot of thoughts about meteos

[davidmann95]

All-Star Superman #3

This is gonna be a tough one.

Not the toughest, mind you - that’s probably going to be #7. But after two issues of establishing the tone, aesthetics, and thematic concerns of the series, this is one of the pair of issues in All-Star that for the most part functions as a ‘normal’ Superman adventure story, though in this case one following up on the themes established by the previous issue, while #7 will set up the one coming after it. It’s also likely the most commonly critiqued issue of the series in retrospect its use of Lois Lane as an essentially passive figure to be fought over, and while her characterization here lends some interesting dimension to that choice, it’s hard to disagree it’s the series’ most unfortunate framing and substantial missed opportunity. None of that however can overrule that on examination, there’s still considerably more going on in here than the traditional tale of Superman beating down monsters and showing up bullies, the harsh slap to the face of reality for Clark after his actions last issue and his redemption in the form of showing what makes him different from his predecessors as the strongman-savior template.

So I haven’t talked the lettering much in this series - it is, they say, the invisible art - but Phil Balsman absolutely kills it here with KRULL WILL EAT YOU!, and the decision on the next page to render the ZEE ZEE ZEE ZEE of Jimmy Olsen’s signal watch in the font of the title pages is absolutely inspired, nevermind what he does with the Ultrasphinx later on. The bombast of the bastard lizard prince of the underworld and his cronies wreaking havoc aside though, what this page succinctly does is set up the entire conflict of the issue. It’s not just a monster, it’s a monster out of the past mimicking the cover of Action Comics #1, and apparently by way of terraforming Metropolis via steam clouds, trying to take control of Superman’s ‘world’. From Krull to Steve Lombard (“You tell me what a spaceman flying around in his underwear can give her that a good old hunk of prime American manhood can’t?”) to Samson and Atlas to the Ultrasphinx, this is a story of Superman up against dinosaurs in his image.

Ironically, however, it’s this Superman vs. Bros comic that has perhaps the most Bro sensibilities in the series. Per Morrison on the subject, “For that particular story, I wanted to see Superman doing tough guy shit again, like he did in the early days and then again in the 70s, when he was written as a supremely cocky macho bastard for a while. I thought a little bit of that would be an antidote to the slightly soppy, Super–Christ portrayal that was starting to gain ground. Hence Samson’s broken arm, twisted in two directions beyond all repair. And Atlas in the hospital. And then Superman’s got his hot girlfriend dressed like a girl from Krypton and they’re making out on the moon.” That’s not unto itself a problem; it’s a precursor to Morrison’s t-shirt and jeans reinvention in that sense (which leapt back from the 70s to the 30s for inspiration), and when Superman himself finally gets his own back here it’s more than deserved. But it becomes a problem when Lois at theoretically her literal most empowered does little with her new powers and is framed narratively as a prize to be won in this ‘game’ of godlings, with Superman literally muttering “What do I have to do to make you keep your hands off my girl?” Morrison seems to be somewhat aware of the problems given Lois’s reasons for playing along (which are actually rather significant to the point of the issue) and her amused distaste at the suggestion of being ‘won’, and the issue is ultimately something of an argument against the macho storytelling tropes that drive that thinking. But it’s a far cry from the nuanced look at her and Superman’s relationship last issue offered, and there’s no virtue in overlooking it. As will be demonstrated again later on in the series in less structurally-embedded but more pointed ways, this was written almost 15 years ago, and mistakes were made.

Now we get to the book’s superheroed-up takes on Samson and Atlas, who are such delightful assholes. Occupying the Mxyzptlk/Prankster/Bizarro-in-his-friendlier-moods role of being the enemies to make Superman go ‘oh god, this guy’ as much as direct counterparts to him, they’re basically fratboys tooling around history and getting into trouble together, and Superman’s clearly had to clean up their messes before. They’re the champions of myth who operate by a morality that in no way precluded thievery, deception, and murder in pursuit of their grand ‘heroic’ conquests, the alpha male swaggering dipshit dudebro operating on Superman’s scale. And as much as they’re a pair of craven dumbasses who literally compare cock-sizes in here who Lois has no real interest in, their appearance is also the first and one of the only times in the series Superman puffs his chest out and does some traditional iconic posing, and he has good reason to be threatened - they’re trying to ply her with gifts and tales of miraculous feats basically exactly the same way he did last issue. He may have started to come clean with her, but he’s still playing his old Silver Age nervous bachelor games, and now that she’s got powers and costume to match his she’s showing him exactly where that bullshit is going to get him, teaching him a lesson just like he tried to teach her so many once upon a time.

As we’re around the midpoint of the issue, let’s talk the art. Quitely and Grant aren’t as showy with the tricks and effects as the first two issues; the one real noticeable structural thing is a consistent rhythm of zooming in-and-out on our four leads throughout the issue to keep a sense of momentum to a story mostly driven by conversation, culminating in the hyper zoom-ins of the Ultrasphnix sequence. But GOD there are so many perfect little details in here. The bow coming undone on Lois’s present, the glow of the super-serum (it feels so right that it literally glows, the ultimate alchemical potion), Lombard’s bouquet for Lois’s birthday party while Jimmy is bringing a conch of some sort as a presumed gift to whoever they’ll be meeting at Poseidonis, Jimmy’s happy-meal looking signal watch WHICH HAS A WRISTBAND SHAPED LIKE AN S, more beautiful Metropolis architecture and a good look at how the Daily Planet globe actually works, poor dopey-lookin’ Krull bursting through the satellite twirling around like a cat in a half-second of freefall, the Chronomobile, the far-off monumental stone towers of the Subterranosauri, the glow of the lava fading out as Samson reveals Superman’s fate, the bioelectric crackle around Atom-Hotep, mermaids waving up at Superman and Lois, and of course the pinup. It’s such a damn pretty book.

Just before the arrival of the Ultrasphnix, we have the mythic architecture of the series explained to us, naturally by the figure out of myth:

As noted by Morrison, the exact nature of the 12 challenges are never explained within the story because it’s only in retrospect that history will declare those specific feats as being of note in light of them being Superman’s last accomplishments before his ‘death’; Superman himself isn’t sure how many he’s done later on. It’s an apt if seemingly out-of-left-field bit of commentary on the way epics of the kind this story itself aspires towards are reinterpreted over time, but hindsight being 20/20? That this is a story of a massively iconic, archetypal take on Superman being brought out of the public eye to his physical and emotional lowest at every turn (hence the ACTUAL structure of the series being a solar arc across the sky, from day to a nighttime journey through the underworld and back again), that is now generally thought of being a fun fluffy story of how great and perfect Superman is, entirely bears it out. The 12 Labors of Superman are what Clark’s roughest year looks like to the awestruck onlookers, both in and as it turns out in large part out of text.

After Samson and Atlas seemingly show nobler colors by offering Superman aid in a genuinely stirring moment before Superman accurately dismisses it as the empty machismo posturing it is, Ultrasphinx - yet another super-champion of the past, this one an amoral god rather than a ‘hero’ on a quest - poses the unanswerable question of what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object with Lois both alive and dead until he does (one of those unions of opposites Morrison loves), basically creating a high-stakes literalization of their relationship. Superman and Lois Lane had been playing will-they-or-won’t-they for almost 70 years at the time this was published (culturally at least), her trying to pry into his secrets while he screwed around with her in turn, running in circles until we finally reach the acidic psychodrama of Superman’s Forbidden Room and something has to break one way or another. And Superman answers that it’s time to surrender. Has he inspired the car ad we see at the end of the issue, or vice-versa? Either way, it’s illustrating by example what the deal is with the super-labors.

Superman, learning his lesson as he has and showing his greater heroism stems from his nobility, intellect, and willingness to transcend his worst instincts, still takes a minute to teach Samson and Atlas a well-deserved lesson (paired with that absolutely perfect shot of the rock cracking on Lois’s head), before taking us to my absolute favorite statement on why Superman loves Lois Lane which also connects back to the idea of surrender, and the iconic moon shot. And as Superman holds her as she falls asleep, his Clark voice in all its vulnerable humanity manifests itself as he tries to propose; the tough guys of the past wanted Lois for a day when she was finally operating on ‘their level’, Superman ‘lowers’ himself to his most human alongside her reassumed mortality as he tries to tell her he wants her for what lifetime he has left. We’re only halfway there at most, he still hasn’t admitted his condition and she still can’t accept that he’s Clark, but this is Superman taking his first step along his quiet character arc.

Additional notes

* Interestingly, the original solicitation for this issue declared “Meanwhile, Lex Luthor's plans simmer as the criminal mastermind exerts his charisma and intellect over the hardcore inmates who share his maximum-security prison.” One of many bits that changed in the process of actually putting the book together.

* Perhaps this story of very manly men out of time doing manly stuff and getting their asses kicked for it across generations is represented in part by Krull being the son of a king whose battle cry is KRULL WILL EAT YOUR CHILL-DRUNN! That might be reading a *bit* much into it though. That Morrison describes Krull in backmatter however as “the living embodiment of the savage, swaggering ‘R Complex’ or reptile brain” definitely plays into the ideas of the issue as I understood them.

* Jimmy’s declaration of “Ms. Grant, Mr. Lombard, I’m taking immediate steps” is a perfect little moment for him - he’s calm and on top of things, but there’s also that little touch of naive ego in thinking that it’s thanks to him that Superman’s going to notice the dinosaur invasion of Metropolis.

* In backmatter and interviews Morrison had substantially further fleshed-out backstories for several of the new characters here. Samson is indeed the original champion, plucked from his era by a pair of foolish time-travelers searching for a savior; instead, enamored and corrupted by future culture he stole their malfunctioning Chronomobile and went on adventures to slake his lust, for fortune, flesh, and adventure alike. Atlas meanwhile is the boisterous yet quietly burdened young prince of the New Mythos, a society of super-godlings torn between New Elysium and Hadia, Morrison’s vision of a Jack Kirby Olympian saga for DC following in the wake of Thor’s Norse myths rather than the full-blown invention of the New Gods. And the Ultrasphinx “is the super-champion of a lost Egyptian Atomic Age in the 80th century BC. When he crashed to Earth his otherworldly science founded the advanced, ancient dynasty of Atem-Hotep [sic], a civilization eventually destroyed by the nuclear war that left Northern Africa a desert”. A. Morrison backmatter rules and you should read it whenever you get the chance, and B. This notion of proto-civilizations mirroring the eventual legends of a mere handful of millennia past is one he followed much further in Seven Soldiers of Victory with Shining Knight and its antediluvian Camelot.

* The main inspiration for this particular story was the frequent use of ancient strongmen as rivals to the Man of Steel in the Silver Age, which Morrison noted preferring to the use of analogue characters like Majestic for their broad cultural standing, culminating in this:

...though with Atlas swapped in, as Marvel already had the definitive take on Hercules in superhero comics (and, one imagines, since putting Hercules in the comic where Superman gets 12 labors would have had to be addressed), though he’d tackle him later on in the...controversial Wonder Woman: Earth One. Morrison’s analysis of this cover in Supergods basically lays out the thesis of this issue quite cleanly: “This was what happened when you couldn’t make decisions or offer any lasting commitment. Samson pounced on your best girl. And for Superman, it was a horrific challenge to his modernity. Was he really no better than these archaic toughs? Or could he prove himself stronger, faster than any previous man-god?” Fun fact: I myself hate this comic because it’s an entirely standard issue that fully returns to status quo by the end, sullying the good name and promise of Imaginary Stories for nothing more than fooling readers into thinking this was one of the issues were anything could really happen. Shameful false advertisement.

* Worth noting this is a rare instance where the glowing-red angry heat vision eyes work for me. Those two were real dicks and had it coming, and for that matter Superman looking for all the world a wrathful god promising banishment to a very different sort of underworld more than underscores his relative position next to the suitably abashed adventurers.

* It’s an interesting choice to use Poseidonis here, the capital city of Aquaman - it’s a sensible place for Superman to travel (though the real implications regarding the Justice League in this world won’t be for awhile yet), but it’s Tritonis that’s the undersea home to Superman’s onetime love, the mermaid Lori Lemaris. Perhaps Morrison just didn’t want a subset of readers in the know and pining after all these decades for Clark to find succor in the arms of his fishy love to dwell on that particular what-could-have-been; either way, Atlantis in general as what sprung up from a devastated ancient civilization is a perfectly logical inclusion for this issue in general.

* Lois’s description of her super-senses is not only lovely, but sets up the victory of #12 right in the first act. Additionally Lois keeping a cactus is such a perfect little bit for her character - it’ll prick ya, but she’s working to keep the thing alive.

* The journeys to the moon and ‘underworld’ for this issue, but in playful and romantic contexts, marks this issue as the (depending on whether you read it as a 4 or 6 issue arc) final installment before All-Star Superman begins its structural descent into the night.

* A very happy birthday to Justin Martin (and a day-before-birthday to myself) with this, annotations of the issue of All-Star Superman about a birthday. Birthdays themselves being a signpost of time and evolution, a forward march, making it a potent occasion to highlight in this series in general and this installment in particular.

[buildridernews]

[Review] Kamen Rider Build - Episodes 34-37

Time for a month of episodes where some stuff happens. The most important thing to happen is me finally catching up with the show! 

Small disclaimer now that we're in Evol territory: If it weren't obvious, I flip between character name and Rider name (Sento / Build) depending on whether they are transformed during a scene I talk about, so if you see me saying Evolt or Evol, that's not a typo. That's just the show deciding to give them such similar names. Carry on.

Episode 34: “The Best Match Severed” (離れ離れのベストマッチ)

So Kamen Rider Evol is a thing, the prime minister is dead, and Gentoku might have emotions. Following that heavy ending to the last episode, Evol decides to poison Sento with the promise of a cure in return for - you guessed it - all of the Fullbottles and Pandora's Box. While Ryuga and Kazumi reluctantly meet him at the box's location with all of the bottles, it turns out the poison can only be cured if Evolt is defeated, which means they'll fight for Sento's life. Vernage's powers don't seem to be enough to help, as Evolt even remarks that her powers are just remnants at this point.

Of course, since Evolt has proven himself to be less than trustworthy, this goes poorly. Cross-Z Magma might have the stronger form, but he can just barely make a dent in Evol. It doesn't help that he's been given quite the realization, as Katsuragi previously wanted both Evolt and Ryuga dead since they are more or less one and the same. Also real talk? Kazumi says it's dangerous to transform again after you've been forced out of a transformation, which I don't think I've ever even heard being addressed in a toku - props.

With one literally heated rematch between Evol and Cross-Z Magma, the finishers clash and we end the episode with Ryuga standing in the flames left by their battle... and the reveal that Evolt has taken on the form of Ryuga! As you'd expect, Evolt was lying about Sento's poison only being cured that way, so Sento is healed and only just aware that something is amiss here...

Episode 35: “Tower of Destruction” (破滅のタワー)

Hot off the heels of the last episode, Evolt transforms into his new Dragon Form, which makes use of Cross-Z's helmet design. He's basically just showing off as he decides to stroll into the building to get Pandora's Box and ditch them. Sento won't take that sitting down, so despite literally just crawling out of an ambulance, he's ready to fight Evol.

This is when we get the full context of what's going on with Ryuga. As it turns out, the substance that made its way back from Mars was a part of Evolt, which was attempting to possess Ryuga's mother, but accidentally possessed the baby in her womb. So technically, Ryuga isn't the space baby I figured, he's just a human who got possessed by alien powers that fused with him to the point they remained dormant. So as Blood Stalk, Evolt was constantly raising Ryuga's Hazard Level for the sake of making him strong enough to fuse with, basically. Damn. That all comes together nicely.

After all that exposition, Evol ditches Build with the bottles and the box, but he forgot one! More on that in a sec. For now, we get something I wasn't expecting: Soichi is separated from Evolt, as he's in Ryuga's body now. In true toku fashion, however, he's in the hospital for now so we can't actually find out what he has to say yet. To be fair though, Evolt did kinda let himself deliberately take a LOT of beatings leading up to the Evol Driver reveal, so he deserves some rest. 

More on that bottle. I dunno who to credit for this cleverness, but Gentoku still had the Phoenix Fullbottle with him, meaning Sento wants to work together against Evolt. However, before they can really strike up a deal, Evolt forces them all to the middle of Pandora Tower for his big moment.

As you'd expect, everyone would rather punch him than let him do what he pleases, but that doesn't go so well to say the least. As it turns out, Evol is now acting against Namba since he's OPENING Pandora's Box, so it's up to Utsumi to go order Evol to stop - which goes as well as you'd expect. With no one capable enough to stop him, all 60 of the Fullbottles are in place and Pandora's Box - as well as Pandora Tower - is fully formed!

This would be a fun time for the show to take a week long break due to sports, but we've been pretty lucky in that regard.

Episode 36: "Evolt the Planet Hunter" (エボルトは星を狩る)

With Evol unleashing the power of Pandora's Box, he pulls out an item we know to be the Evol Trigger, claiming it will bring him to full power. Unfortunately, he can't use it just yet for some reason, so what seemed like a finale moments ago has now been cut short. Although, as he assures Namba, Seito now has a stunning display of power they can use to intimidate Toto.

With Vernage making a quick rescue, we also learn that the Fullbottles of Pandora's Box were actually made from Soichi's memories, which is an interesting thought, and contained Evolt’s power. Sento also discovered that a bit of his father's research involved a way of using a Pandora Panel to create a special transformation item to counter Evolt's power, which sounds quite deadly. Misora catches onto the fact that he's going to sacrifice himself for the good of others again, and gives him a reasonable talking to since he is still feeling those sins crawling down his back - this is a fascinating conundrum they've cooked up for a protagonist, damn.

Meanwhile, Kazumi has a score to settle with Gentoku. It seems like after all their fights, he's become much stronger than our purple edgelord, though it probably helps that Gentoku is also emotionally vulnerable right now. Kazumi lets out his frustrations over Gentoku killing Akaba, but he understands that if Akaba were still here, he'd probably think he's being a little petty about it. Since he won this fight, Kazumi gives Gentoku one request: Someday, whenever he's ready, become their ally. Very cool scene all around.

As Seito once again makes Toto a dangerous place to live, Build takes on Evol, showing that he's actually becoming strong enough to take on Evol's default form - glad they showed that since the FullFull armor forms seemed like they were quickly outclassed. Build tries using the blocky transformation item and manages to do some damage, Evol puts a hand into his body (context), and Build reveals that his father's invention was intended to foil Evol's strategies and he uses this opportunity to raise his Hazard Level rapidly and blow them both up.

As the smoke clears, we're not left with Evol or Build... but a white-haired Sento. Ryuga is separated from Evolt, and it turns out Sento's plan failed, so Evolt has the body of our strongest hero. Using his new Rabbit Evolbottle pulled from Sento's body, he taunts them all with a form reminiscent of Build...

Episode 37: "The Ultimate Phase" (究極のフェーズ)

Using his newly obtained form, Evol is now on Phase 3 of his personal level system, and makes quick work of Grease by... what I assume was destroying his Sclashjelly, but I guess he just made a little mess with it. And he didn't even have to do anything to Ryuga, because he took back any DNA left on him, making Ryuga a completely normal human who can't transform. Vernage makes a desperate attempt to escape by taking the entirety of the cafe and their lab, and repositioning it ssssomewhere by the sea? Sure. Be interesting to see the reaction to that later.

Ryuga and Kazumi make desperate attempts of their own as they come to Gentoku, at Faust's old hideout, to try and give Ryuga a Hazard Level again. But Gentoku is honest about how he doesn't really know anything about science, and the process involved Evolt, so... they're out of luck. Kazumi however does give an awesome speech about how Sento always fought for love and peace, and in some way, they were all fighting for the same thing. Interesting tidbit dropped here where Rogue’s gear apparently can only be used when a certain emotional drive is involved, and as we've learned, Gentoku is pretty drained of motivation lately, so he's in as just of a bad place as Ryuga...

It's really just up to Grease to try and take on both Evolt and the gear bros, but just as Grease becomes outnumbered, Rogue shows up! With a refreshed outlook on life, he's decided that his father doesn't have to be the one to run Toto, and neither does he - but he can sure make way for a brighter future regardless. The combined strength of these two still isn't quite enough to challenge Evol's power - he's proving just how much of an endgame villain he is.

That's when Ryuga pulls a Sento and gets a clever idea. Wrestling off the Dragon Evolbottle from Evol's arsenal, he attempts to use it to punch the heck out of him, only for it to actually work! It turns a gold color, and the Cross-Z Dragon flies over to him, turning red as he inserts the new bottle. Using it in the Build Driver, he transforms into Great Cross-Z, which is... basically the original Cross-Z with some Evol-y colors here and there. Not as great as you’d expect. 

In his new form, Cross-Z is surprisingly doing damage to Evol. Not only that, but his Hazard Level has in fact returned proper, as he switches to Cross-Z Magma and proves to be a formidable force. As the three Riders huddle together for a finisher, though, Evol blocks it with the Evol Trigger and lets it absorb their energy, allowing it to truly awaken.

Now Evolt, as Kamen Rider Evol, uses the Evol Trigger in the Evol Driver with his Evolbottles (NAMES ARE HARD) and transforms into his Blackhole Form - the final form. What a twi--

Oh, and Sento has been separated from Evolt,and he's back to normal... which means he no longer has amnesia and is now aware that he's Katsuragi Takumi! WHAT. A. TWIST.

So Build's doing pretty damn well. It has been high stakes for a while, but now we are in some heavy end game territory with plenty of episodes to spare. I am super interested in seeing where this Katsuragi thing goes.

These four episodes in particular were a lot of fun to marathon since they are so connected - it felt like a Steven Universe bomb done right, y'know? The one with the zoo? Good times.

Oh and since I know I’ll be asked about it: Yep, the magazine reveals for May did in fact include Kamen Rider Mad Rogue, who won’t be appearing until the next episode. The magazines show off what’s appearing in that month, though there are exceptions when it comes to movies/spinoffs. Regardless, this was an odd one to see in the magazine and not in the show. 

I think their reasoning for this was probably to do with the DX BatEngine Fullbottle Set being released alongside the DX Evol Driver - people who aren’t following spoilers will probably wonder what those bottles are for and why the promo images specifically involve using the Evol Driver for this set of bottles. 

[axietoh]

Shizaya fic recs

Here are the fics I mentioned previously! These are my absolute faves in the fandom~ Some of them are really underappreciated because of the lack of pairing tag/ mention, but legit qualifies as preslash (which I actually prefer), so do give them a chance!!

Sunrise by Azurelitestar (Lengthy oneshot; Preslash; Was actually written for me and fuck its so good I CANNOT OKAY SHAKES FIST; Feels like a legit continuation from/ extension of the novels)

This is the beginning of an end; an end to the relationship these two mortal enemies once had.

To Try Again, or The Tale of a Family by Threesmallcrows (Completed; Absolutely golden Izaya character exploration, and Orihara family dynamics. Not Shizaya but if you’re an Izaya fan, please read and give it more love!!)

When Izaya left, he ripped this family open. Now, he's back- after a two year absence. And they are dying again, mother and daughters, father and son. Why can't you see what you do to us, Izaya? You shouldn't have come back.

The Mercurial Mask by Karasu Yurei (Completed; THE PLOT MAN THE PLOT; Mild hints of Shizaya preslash)

A new gang comes to town looking for something special, and is willing to turn all of Ikebukuro upside down until they find it.

Lies and Truth by ZS fan (WIP; I literally teared up trying to stifle laughter reading this at 2am ok)

What if you could tell if someone was lying? After an accident, Izaya gains the ability to see lies, which a certain monster happens to be impervious to. Bored with his humans, he decides to toy with the unpredictable man, unaware that Shizuo has secrets of his own. 

Shizuo’s Bow Tie by CRQ (Complete; THE FUNNIEST DAMN THING I EVER LAID EYES ON JUST READ THE SUMMARY NO MATTER HOW HIGH YOUR EYEBROWS GO JUST READ YOU WONT REGRET IT)

Hi, I'm Shizuo's sunglasses. Shizuo's shoes need hearing aids, and his bow tie thinks it's gangsta. But who's this scrawny human with the bitchy jacket? And would somebody please give his switchblade some Xanax?

The sequel: Izaya’s Ring (WIP)

Denial by LadyCharity (Complete; More Orihara family dynamics, Shizaya only at the end. Honestly I don’t really want to spoil it, but I don’t want to put anyone through undue trauma so... rape warning. While the fic doesn’t really focus on it as a core thing, please put yourself first.)

In a twist of fate, Izaya becomes the victim of another's mind game. His sisters' lives are at stake and any choice he makes could end in someone's death. It takes only one night for his entire world to be destroyed.

Not Justice by izanayas (WIP; Quite short but rather recent, hoping it’ll get updated soon! It’s shaping up to look really good, like a legit continuation from/ extension of the novels)

What’s weird isn’t that Yahiro thinks Orihara Izaya should come back; it's that he's not the only one who does. The solution to this problem is obvious to him. But those who share the same idea don't necessarily share the same goals... and Izaya himself is as alive as ever. As destructive as ever. Brimming with potential to make everything worse.

The Gain-Loss Theory of Attraction by caffeinekitty (Lengthy oneshot; great take on the Shizaya relationship, if they do start dating)

In which we value more the things we have to work for.

It Just Happened & May the Best Man Win by ZS fan (WIP; but the plots are tantalizing man; Note - this author likes to write in a style similar to the original novels. It might be a bit hard to get into at first because the style’s unfamiliar and quirky, but I came to enjoy it. I hope you do too!)  

To Hell and Back by Jillyfish (WIP officially, but I think it stopped at the right point and can be taken as completed as it is. But ofc, if there’ll be more, I won’t be complaining at all haha)

It starts with post cards. Izaya has disappeared and gone up on some obscure form of vacation. However, when Shizuo tracks him down to enact a spontaneous whim of revenge, they each have a change in plans. They ultimately end up traveling together.

What they encounter on their journey are people and places that teach them that Ikebukuro isn't the only Hell on Earth. Their experience becomes one about Humanity, whether it be lost or found.

Everything by TastewithoutTalent on AO3 (Seriously, I binge-read everything in like, 3 days its so good)

Mezhdu Dvukh Ogney (Between Two Fires) by Delphicy (WIP; Fandom classic for a reason. ‘Nuff said. Borderline crack, but there’s a hidden reason for it!)

Simon’s ill-fated decision to play match-maker forces Shizuo and Izaya to become reluctant allies. Their goal? To demonstrate what a horrible idea it is to force them into a relationship. Or: how KFC nearly sparked the apocalypse. Now with 70% more arson!

This is an English fanfic about a Japanese series that is riddled with Russian proverbs and Celtic mythology. It's like riding It's A Small World, only instead of animatronics you have violent manchildren and an entire city's unhealthy fixation with their sexual relationship.

Landscape Over Zero (WIP; Izaya and child!Psyche&Tsugaru; Supposed to build up to Shizaya, but didn’t develop that far. My own imagination made up for it though: How did Nebula develop them to look so much like Izaya and Shizuo? I also noted that they never outright stated they were androids; Izaya had assumed that himself... Plus Nebula does have a connection to Shinra, who has access to Izaya and Shizuo’s DNA...... Waggles eyebrows)

Asphyxiation (Short kinky PWP, heehee)

FILL (Short fill; I know it’s actually an untitled fill, but I think the title’s oddly appropriate HAHAHA)

The Morning After.

One Plus One Equals Fun (Short fill; Basically, DRRR the Musical. That last line hit straight home man)

It’s Just a Kiss by Shizayabayo (Oneshot; Cute AF)

“Ah, I hear you loud and clear,” Izaya pauses for a moment. “but, you know...”

Suddenly a tall, lanky man with bleach blonde hair enters the room and lazily makes his way down the stairs.

“I also have my methods.”

In which Izaya finds himself in the middle of a meeting with some very intimidating characters and a pajama clad Shizuo swoops in to unknowingly save the day.

There’re actually quite a few more fics I bookmarked, but these are my faves! Hope y’all get something outta this list!