#it's a really cool scarecrow plot though

[warrior-of-storms]

Okay actually I'm still thinking about this issue. This was such a cool use of Scarecrow??

For those of you who haven't read it, Scarecrow's evil plot in this issue isn't to induce fear, but rather to take it away. Whatever his concoction is, it takes away a person's fear response. People keep putting themselves in dangerous situations and getting hurt because they can't feel fear.

And then Bruce gets hit with it, and Jason gets kidnapped, and the above scenes close out the comic. Bruce can't feel fear for himself, for his own safety, so instead he focuses on the idea of losing Jason, and that scares him enough that he's able to keep himself alive.

The worst thing he could imagine was Jason dying. He says that straight up: "the most terrible fear I could conceive." His worst fear was losing his son. What if I cried. What if.

Hi it's Warrior I'm still reading Jaybin comics

Bruce's worst fear was Jason dying... I... they... he loved that kid so much and it hurts me every time

Bonus:

This was immediately before that. look at him. Jason was so upset at the idea of his dad dying! My heart is in pieces on the floor

[noxramblesaboutbatmanau]

does your jon have any hobbies/interests besides his research? ::D insects, reptiles maybe? folklore? that kind of stuff thats seen as Creepy but not directly linked to fear?

OH BOY DOES HE HAVE HOBBIES

He likes collecting "old tech" stuff, like record players, rotary phones, old cameras, radios, typewriters, and all that stuff. He has this hobby because it's cool as hell, and also bcus I have 4 old record players and a few replica rotary phones (along with other old things) and I think it's really neat and it's my character so I get to project onto him.

He also obviously loves reading, he loves horror books of course, but he's also probably a sucker for fantasy, or dramas, and the kinda books that really focus on the main characters own flaws and how it effects people around them and the plot.

Jon definitely sews, I'm not sure if it counts as a hobby though, as it's kinda done out of necessity, cause where the hell is he gonna buy a scarecrow costume that already has all the things he needs. Although with how many different Scarecrow costumes his indecisive ass has, I'd say it's become a hobby.

He also might draw, he's probably not like a full-blown artist, but he definitely doodles "creepy" things from time to time.

I could probably continue this list for hours, but that's the main things I think of

[loregoddess]

For the ask game, top 5 favorite antagonists? (Any fandom)

Oooh, now this is a hard one bc I am a Certified Villain and Antagonist Enjoyer™ and I usually like at least one villain or antagonist from basically every game I play, and most other media as well. But here's a few where some combination of coolness, writing, and design overlap the most for me, in no particular order.

Sephiroth, which kinda feels like cheating bc everyone thinks Sephiroth is cool, but I do like his writing a lot; perfect mix of terrifying and tragic for me. Also JENOVA, who's technically an entirely separate character (and has some really cool lore as a separate entity), but there's some weird overlap w/ Sephiroth bc of that lore, and also I'm grouping characters by media to get more characters in. But JENOVA is a wonderful entity of cosmic horror, which is honestly kinda hard to pull off sometimes, and not what I had been expecting from a setting like FF7's.

Lyblac bc she's genuinely terrifying in the amount of destruction she's able to cause by manipulating people, and would have succeeded in her goal if not for those meddling kids the "chosen" travelers (we're ignoring CotC's lore bc it does her dirty). Octopath in general has really interesting antagonists/villains though, so shoutout to Matthias, Oboro, and Arcanette bc they all rank really high on my fave bad guys lists as well.

Chaos Vyce is one of the few antagonists who like, really rattled my brain and got to me on an emotional level in a way I wasn't expecting. Catiua in an antagonist role was also really good, but Vyce really got me. Architect of his own doom, and yet despite how much of a petty asshole he was I still wanted to save Vyce the entire time. Also, really loved Nybeth as an antagonist as well, really need to try finishing the Palace of the Dead one day to see how his story arc ends. Still can't believe he turns Vyce into a zombie in the chaos route, just to really twist the knife of Vyce's entire arc in that route.

Honestly, Odio/Oersted is probably one of the most compelling antagonists I've ever come across, possibly because the game actually makes you play through his story to even get to the last chapter and as a result the perspective on Oersted's arc and eventual descent into Odio feels a lot more personal since I, the player, had to experience it as well. Really drives home the tragedy of the entire arc in an entirely different way than I see most tragic villains get written. Also Purity of Odio is hands-down one of the coolest looking boss designs ever.

Okay so, you'll have to trust me on this but there's this really weird game that was released for the PS3 called Folklore, which I had played a million years ago and, I don't know how I got through the game since I never once managed to find an armor upgrade and the mechanics are kinda clunky, but the plot and world and like, aesthetic design of the game was extremely compelling--not one of my favorite games at all, but one of those stories that lodged itself in my head and never really left. And that's due almost entirely to the final boss, Scarecrow, who has an extremely cool design (fair warning for actual body/eye horror if you look up the design, the final boss form is an amalgamation of wings, eyes, talons, and beaks), but also is one of the best examples of a "my loyalty to you is undying, I will be your friend forever, and I will do anything to see your wish come to fruition" type characters I've ever come across. Scarecrow haunts the cobwebbed corners of my imagination and remains a constant source of inspiration for some of my art.

[majorlycelliers]

The band Tally Hall consisted of members Joe Hawley (red tie), Rob Cantor (yellow tie), Zubin Sedghi (blue tie), Andrew Horowitz (green tie), and Ross Federman (grey tie). Joe and Rob played electric guitar, Zubin played bass, Andrew was on keyboard, and Ross was “just a drummer.”

They released only two official albums before they disbanded, later going on to do music related solo projects, building families, and pursuing other careers. Nonetheless, their first album was Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum, and it was released in 2005 and consists of 17 tracks and a total length of 52 minutes. Their second album is Good & Evil, which was released in 2011, and is 48 minutes long. (Some of my favorite songs are The Bidding, Two Wuv, Ruler Of Everything, Banana Man, &, and Hymn for a Scarecrow (they have a lot of good songs))

In 2012, Joe Hawley anonymously released a side project called Miracle Musical. Under that name, he, and some former Tally Hall members, released the concept album Hawaii: Part II. (Sadly there isn’t a part one.) Along with this, two singles were released (one being only on YouTube) that were *sorta* separate from the story of the album.

Nonetheless, the plot of the album has mostly been decided upon by the fan community who have dissected this poor album beyond recognition /pos. The story begins with a sort of prologue that actually hints/ glimpses/ foreshadows the ending of the entire album. Basically, a man named Simon (his name is based off an old demo from the Tally Hall days that was basically the precursor to the song The Mind Electric in the album) who goes to Hawaii and falls in love with lovely lady named Stella. They spend time together, talk, ponder the meaning of life, death, religion, and existentialist philosophy, and date. Essentially, Simon has a few mental issues (possibly schizophrenia) and murders Stella in the woods during a date. (He didn’t mean to though, he still loves her, trust.) After the unintentional murder he goes on trial, pleads insanity, and is condemned to an insane asylum. There in the asylum he undergoes electric shock therapy or the electric chair, and more or less really goes insane, losing his mind far more than he had before. He then finds himself navigating the labyrinth of his mind and past, still missing his dear lost lover. Eventually, he escapes or leaves the asylum and makes his way out into the open ocean on a small rowboat. There, in the middle of nothing but water and night, he drifts along. He fantasizes and imagines that his lover is still there with him, and she acts as a sort of “siren” for his decaying mind. Soon, he dies out at sea, moving on to some sort of afterlife, hopefully joining the lost lover who he still loves so. The end. <3

Basically the whole thing is just a concept album, but the way it’s made it could have easily been an actual musical too (remember the band/artist name is Miracle Musical). Also it’s kinda just a tragedy of poor Simon getting lost in his mind as he searches for his missing Stella.

It also sorta fuses together several different genres and trust it’s really cool and ngl these are *kinda* the basics and yeah :)

Anyways I sent you an ask to your ask box so I must ask, any thoughts so far??? (It’s really cool trust.) (Also sorry for the mini essay but I was also trying to keep it concise sooo it could have been worse…) (Anyways sorry, have a nice day)

HEHEHEHE TALLY HALL IS SO NERDY YOU ARE SUCH A NERDDDD LOL

[letmerambleplease]

I tried to rank these Films but they ended up being so different, I gave up. I don't really like ranking things in general, so here are some movie thoughts in the order I watched them:

Dog Day Afternoon - Absolutely amazing. Once in a blue moon a film makes my heart race, because it's so gripping. This is one on them. It has a tragic quality in how you pretty much know, that the characters are doomed but since they keep on hoping they aren't you do the same thing. I also liked how it has both a great plot and character exploration. I'll watch it again soon and hope it'll still hold up on a rewatch.

The Godfather - Some very cool scenes. My favourites being the diner scene and the ending. Felt a little slow at times for me personally.

Scarface - A little gory for my taste but I really like the character journey of the mc (even though he's kinda insufferable XD). It does touch on some very interesting themes. My favorite scene is probably the "the world is yours" one.

The Panic in Needle Park - The characters are very charming. Pretty devastating to watch. For this one it felt fitting, that the story kinda meanders. The ending was abrupt but a very special kind of gut punch that just leaves you feeling empty.

… And Justice for All - I liked the serious moments but I felt that they were cut short. The tone was not very consistent in my opinion.

Scarecrow - Felt weirdly similar to "The Panic in Needle Park", in that the story is a little slow and the ending sad. For this one I wanted to know how the story would continue so bad. The character juxtaposed each other nicely, I think.

Serpico - I was honestly shocked that this was a real story too. From what I've read it seems to be pretty faithful. I really liked that the story had a clear direction that it followed through with. And the criticism of the police corruption was pretty thorough in my opinion.

Bobby Deerfield - I liked the chemistry between the mcs. They were both pretty interesting characters, that linked back to the themes of chance vs risk and mortality. It was weird that he was cheating on his girlfriend though (plus he never told her that he almost died?). This one also left me feeling sad but maybe it could have used a little more drama? (I thought for sure he would scream in the last scene, in the tunnel, but he didn't)

Donnie Brasco - Compared to "Bobby Deerfield" (which I saw before) pretty easy to watch through and engaging. I think some more scenes with Donnie and Lefty hanging out would have helped to convey the connection between them and make the ending hit even harder. I was kinda waiting for a scene where his wife comes in direct contact with the mafia world and a dangerous situation occurs (I think that would have been cool) but since this is also based real people, I guess that never happened. I also didn't really buy the "I am not becoming like them, I am like them" sentiment. Not sure why.

Scent of a Woman - Pretty great! I went in not expecting much and was really surprised! The Colonel is such a character XD It made me laugh out loud multiple times and still felt pretty emotional (I really liked the family dinner scene). It's kind of crazy how different Al Pacino acts in this one. I mean, he seems like a different person in pretty much every movie I've seen so far but in this one he has this particular way of speaking. I really liked it! Also it is sooo satisfying when a (primarily in the beginning) rude, overbearing character gets to direct these traits at someone who deserves it.

The Godfather II - Uuuuh... I might have to rewatch this one ^^' Because I couldn't watch with subtitles and I don't speak Italian, the flashback scenes were a little difficult. Though I gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of flashbacks in films in general, they break the flow a little, you know? All of the Michael stuff was great though. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out everyones schemes (didn't succeed every time, but enough I suppose XD) and the ending was intense! He was so scary, I was genuinely worried for his wife.

Heat - Hmm, not really my cup of tea. Felt very long and I couldn't get behind the characters that well. It did however redeem itself a little in the last 20 min. The showdown was pretty gripping.

The Devil's Advocate - okaaay... what a strange ending ^^' I really enjoyed the concept but I think I would have liked it even more if all of the supernatural elements had been more subtle. For example, I liked the scene where the devil just knew personal stuff about some random guy on the subway because it is very strange but, you know, not as strange as a weird cgi demon face XD I think it would have been cool if the viewer and most characters still wonder if it's really the devil at the end (and then you could have the mom be the only one who is sure of it). Anyways, something I found hilarious is that they make a point of showing that the devil wears pretty high heels, but he's still shorter than everyone else.

[silentcutekitten]

I've never really watched Gotham before (only the Scarecrow scenes), but one of my favorite things of all time is talking to those who have seen the show and know all about it

I try to glean the plot and premise of the show via those people, they'll just ramble to me and I'll listen patiently, going "oh ok, ahhhh I see, hmmm that's cool" (but like in a good "I'm listening" way!) And so far I think I've got a good idea of the plot? I just think, though

So if anyone ever wants to infodump about Gotham I'm always willing to listen! I may ask about some things or ask you to clarify some things, but otherwise I'm always happy to hear a friend ramble about Nygmobblepot to me!

(Also yes, J Squad my beloved)

[strawberrycamel]

I RAN OUT OF SPACE IN THE TAGS

anyway continuing

Tim uses Scarecrow's new memory loss serum on himself in exchange for the safety of a civilian hostage

and you're thinking at this point 'okay mystery solved. It was Scarecrow's fault, that's it.' and you're already moving on bc TIM was SHOT without ANY protective gear

he wakes up in the hospital and everyone's there for him minus Bruce. the others explain that Buddy's Mom- who is also a nurse at this hospital- saw all his scars and called CPS on Bruce, so he's not allowed in the room.

I cannot stress enough how much I was thinking that the last problem was handling CPS, Tim's buddy and mom, and the recovery for Tim. There was a bit of an issue in the next chapter where Tim remembered a plot by Scarecrow to poison the reservoir, but again I was very much 'alright he told the others, so they'll handle it. The big thing left is CPS'

and then, and then.

The next chapter. The flashback is still going. Why? We know how Tim got amnesia. We know Scarecrow's plot. What could be left?

In the flashback, Tim calls an ambulance for the civilian on a payphone and then follows Scarecrow's goons on the subway. If you didn't remember, he is currently dealing with the serum that's starting to take affect. The memory loss serum. And he followed them.

He followed them and he took note of the stop they got off at before getting dragged into an alley, beat to shit, and left suffering as the serum kicks in fully and he passes out.

The important thing is the stop name though- it was for the Water Treatment Plant, not the reservoir

The main story is focused on the CPS stuff with Buddy's mom as Tim is grappling with the fact that he sent the bats to the wrong end of the city. The end of the chapter has Tim talk with his buddy about the Plant and needing to get there to stop Scarecrow.

So Tim's buddy and Tim sneak out of the hospital and go and confront Scarecrow. it's pretty fucking nerve wracking since Tim's not in the best condition right now and Tim's buddy is nowhere close to a vigilante, but they manage it.

Tim's buddy ends up getting hit with the serum and losing his memories too- though in the epilogue it shows that he does remember Tim, just not him being Red Robin/Tim Drake.

like this was an Excellent DC fic, but just in general it was such amazing writing throughout. and ESPECIALLY the use of flashbacks coupled with a character with amnesia in that fashion was so fucking cool. god i really really love it. i think i ended up unconsciously writing a few fics closer to this author's style of writing rather than my own after i finished this fic bc it was so fucking good so whenever i was like 'hm what would make this better, I KNOW-' (i've since stopped doing that but seriously i really really fucking love this fic)

like if you want a really fucking good Tim Drake fic, i cannot reccommend this fic enough! give it a try if you're curious!

fuck it everyone tell me about one fanfic which has changed your brain chemistry

[ajnwordvomit]

Batman: Arkham Knight (Finished Feb. 28 2024)

Finished Batman Arkham Knight Platform: PS5 (via PS4 Backwards Compatibility) Difficulty: N/A Completion: Up through Knightfall Protocol (non 100% version), all racing AR challenges

---SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD---

I'd like to start this post off by saying I do plan on coming back to the game to get the true ending after I finish Arkham Origins, as I'd really just like to move onto that game and also feel like it'd be a fitting way to end my playthrough of these games.

Arkham Knight is the finale to the Batman Arkham series, telling us the story of how The Batman died. With juggling an all out assault on Gotham City by a good majority of the most well known Batman villains, the emergence of the titular Gotham Knight and an illness bringing The Joker back from the dead in Batman's own head, the story here is handling a lot at once.

Personally I feel like the story for Arkham Knight is very gripping, it had me glued from start to finish just like Asylum and City, however I feel as though only two of the three major plot points are sound and only one of those is exciting the whole way through the game. The mystery of who the Arkham Knight is falls apart around the halfway point of the game where you start to learn it was someone who's worked with Batman and furthermore with the intro of Jason Todd via hallucinations, a character present nowhere else in the story up til that point. While it's still fun to encounter him through the game after that point they make the foreshadowing a bit too much for anyone that can put 2 and 2 together.

Furthermore I think when the longer segments with the Arkham Knight are occurring the game just kind of forgets about Scarecrow? Being the main antagonist and ultimately the final villain you go after you'd think they'd balance his screen time out more with AK but one just kind of disappears from mind when going after the other. There's no real sense that they're working together or a part of the same plan against the city and Batman. That being said I do think that when the game refocuses on Scarecrow it's well done for the most part, a villain being able to get into Batman's head and play off his fear of loss in a very grounded way. He feels like an actual deadly no bullshit threat to Gotham and the chaos he causes for Batman, the city and other major characters makes him the highest stake villain in the Arkham series and I'm glad they gave him some wins against Batman.

The Joker illness storyline is the best part of Arkham Knight in my opinion. While in a way it's just a way to bring The Joker back for the third game, he does bring some great comic relief and brash nature to make Bruce feel awful. It's not just his presence that's great, however. The threat of this version of The Joker taking over Batman's mind and by extension coming back from the dead through him is such a cool concept, and while of course it doesn't happen it does bring about very cool moments in the story. Things like Batman having to occasionally overcome multiple Jokers, finding himself fighting in a more brutal fashion, and the ending segments of an alternate future where Joker DOES take over Batman before being forced out of his head by means of his fear of being forgotten were my personal favorite moments in the whole series. It really does feel like this plot point culminates into the true climax of the story and I loved seeing it through just because it was fun on all fronts.

Gameplay for Arkham Knight picks up where most players ended off Arkham City with upgrade-wise. It's the same formula and the new upgrades for traversal and combat (things like usable weapons, environmental takedowns, etc.) just make it all the more addicting. I will say however that a lot of the upgrades on offer didn't feel as impactful as the ones in Asylum and City outside of traversal; there were two whole trees with almost nothing invested in them at the end of where I left off.

Stealth gameplay is relatively unchanged besides a new Fear mechanic, locking multi-takedowns to a charge that can be refilled with a silent takedown. It makes taking down large groups of enemies silently easy, and also means more enemies during stealth sections. As usual these segments are very fun like a puzzle.

The controversial addition of The Batmobile I feel is very overstated. At the start of the game it's used very heavily to the point I did feel it was forced into segments it shouldn't have been, however as the game goes on I feel like its uses are segmented out evenly with the standard out of car gameplay. It also helps that the Batmobile is actually very fun to use, the driving is arcade racing esque to the point I couldn't help but play ALL of the racing AR challenges (the 60s Batman tracks being my favorite), and the tank mode combat has a super satisfying loop of squeezing between enemy lines of fire, taking out other tanks, shooting down missiles and building meter to either level the enemies or take control of enemy tanks for yourself. I fully expected to get sick of the Batmobile but ended up loving it while not feeling like it overstayed its welcome.

The side missions in the game for the most part do have great variety and have climaxes that make playing them very much worth the time and effort. However I am not a fan of how they need to be completed to activate the game's ending, let alone fully completed for the true ending as some of these do genuinely feel like open world "go destroy all of X" filler. The ones that directly involve a villain, however, 100% feel worth the time to experience.

I should also mention this is genuinely one of the most gorgeous, well detailed games I've ever played. Everything just feels handcrafted and the best example I can give is the material on each individual Batsuit being unique and the rain effects being the actual best I've seen in a game ever.

Batman Arkham Knight I feel perfects the gameplay of the Arkham series and on that front is the perfect conclusion. When it comes to story, while it does hit more than miss, does show cracks that the other two Rocksteady games just didn't have. I feel as if they balanced out Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight in the main story more while making the identity of the Knight more of a mystery it'd be the most fun story in the series period. The game set out to be a next gen for the time showcase and a conclusion to one of gaming's most beloved series and I feel like it succeeds on both fronts.

[nightlight-stardust-and-rain]

Polaris reads Hell's kitchen! Because I did a Polaris read Nanbaka a while ago and realized being able to reread my own thoughts is fun. Also Hell's kitchen is criminally underrated.

REAL nice art.

I can see where Dogma comes from tbh.

Ooof. Satoru's lack of ambition did not need to come for me personally like that.

Nakarai baby..... He's so autistic I can't. He's great.

Really nice art.

Nakagane is a fun lady :D

Tachibana darling you have such issues. Not that I didn't know that since it must be the fifth time I read this manga, but still. What does your dad thinks of you destroying people's dreams as a hobby, uh?

He's also some flavor (ha.) of neurodivergent, I'm sure of it.

It's a classical "opponent that has values drastically opposite to those of the protagonist"! While still technically being in the same field.

Tachibana's dad is a good dad. He's still making Tachibana food even though they've been living together for years and he's well aware Tachibana's not going to eat it. He's still trying!! But despite that he's not trying to force Tachibana to eat what he doesn't want to eat (even though it'd definitely be healthier) and you can see it because he's still keeping Tachibana's food of choice (instant ramen) in their house! What a good dad.

That said, please do not go spilling your son's trauma to total strangers! I know he's the protagonist and he needs to know his opponent's motivation for Plot but it's none of his business! I'll forgive him because it's a plot device at work.

Also fuck Tachibana's mom. Not wanting kids is totally valid but if you have them nonetheless you should at least try to be a good parent!! Why didn't you just get an abortion instead of criminally neglecting a child and almost killing him with food!!

Tachibana's curry bomb was cute.

Getting overwhelmed by a scent of alcohol.... I feel you, Tachibana, I feel you so much.

It looks like Tachibana's trauma got resolved Shonen-style but I like that we don't actually see him eat cooked food. Foreshadowing! And also realistic handling of trauma!

How many people in this school think Satoru has DID or mood swings of some kind.....

I too like knives. Is everyone in this group neurodivergent, that's a special interest if I've ever seen one.

Calling ADHD for Morisaki btw.

Sagane, you've got issues but far as I can tell they're mostly your own. Also yay neurodivergent feeling of being completely other and being isolated because of it!

The agricultural department is fucking savage. Good for them!

The agricultural dean sleeping so deeply is a Mood™

Those killer scarecrows.... Cannot be legal. Nao's got prodigiously good aim with a slingshot tho.

Leaving someone tied up in the sun with no food or water for four days was a bit uuuuh. Much. Nao baby surely you know that this is how people die?

Tbh Satoru wanting so much to prove that cooking is valuable is... Weird? Like..... If it was about the entire agricultural department I'd understand. Their ingredients are important. But he just wants to prove it to Nao... Why is he so passionate, he's been doing this for a month... And sure finding a passion when your life has been empty so far can be powerful but... Idk it felt more like a Cooking Manga Protagonist thing than a Satoru thing yknow?

Lol Satoru committing to staying a year with the agricultural department and in the end he stayed, what, a day? How convenient. Of course, it's a cooking manga not a agricultural manga.

The agricultural dean might in fact be a bonafide nature spirit, and I'm not budging on that.

As a french person I have mixed feelings on Levi "french caricature" Golgotha. Also that doesn't sound like a very french name, I wonder where it comes from.

He gets better after but still.

It is cool that he's a good pâtissier of his own merit. His speech about pâtisserie being a science would have been interesting during the fight with the science department, sad that it was forgotten....

Tachibana is such a troll in disguise. Love him.

Also in a fantasy setting he's definitely a witch.

Their three desserts versus Levi are like rock-paper-scissors. A defeats B who defeats C who defeats A.

Not fond of Levi just kidnapping Akiyama but I'm pretty sure that's just a case of rich kid not being accustomed to someone not wanting to be around him.

Also not fond of having a duel for a person. Yikes :/

Dogma encouraging teamwork was wildly out of character.

The manga attempts to have a filler teamwork episode! It's super ineffective!

This artist is real good, but their weak point is definitely tongues. Yikes.

Levi's bodyguards also seem to be somewhat experts in the culinary... Or at least the culinary critique domain.

Tachibana's dad bragging about his son's progress in the middle of a hostage situation. Man.

The dean of the service department is so extra. Love them. Are they nonbinary or a drag queen or just GNC, the world may never know (I say all three).

LOL. A poacher!

It's a bit sad that we see Satoru's middle school friend asking after him and being happy for him but we don't see Satoru thinking about or talking to his old friends ever :(

Dogma asking "do you cook for the sake of being praised?" right before we meet someone who's got a real big issue with this kind of mindset is not, in retrospective, particularly subtle foreshadowing.

Ku-moi! Ku-moi! Ku-moi !

My favorite crab boy :D

One : how can he evaluates people's health through their blood ?? Let's hope Dragunov never finds out about this otherwise there's a big probability Kumoi would find himself studied like a science experiment.

Two : do not put other people's blood in your mouth that is how you catch some serious diseases

He's so violent. Babe that could have serious legal repercussions.

Honestly Satoru's optimism was super grating. He was probably high on the freedom brought by Dogma's absence but still.

I love Kumoi but you can tell right away that his way of thinking (in complete opposition to his food) was unhealthy for everyone involved (mostly himself).

Lol. Never seen a vampire crab anywhere else.

"where am I supposed to find stuff like this?" "Google it, ya dunce". Lmao.

He's really good at what does. Almost a doctor, which is huge considering how hard that is.

His mindset is unhealthy but all of this is a love letter. The way he follows the same path as Kuroda, the way he cooks the same medicinal food as Kuroda, the way he studies so hard, the way he uses Kuroda's knives, the fact that he seeks to prove that cooks are superiors so that Kuroda may somehow know how precious he was to Kumoi... It's a love letter.

In his flashback, he says he barely spoke to his dad, but he was never lonely because he has Kuroda. Kuroda was the one who stayed with him, who made him food, who made him healthy and took care of him, the one who sparked his passion for cooking... And in the end when Kuroda left, Kumoi said that Kuroda was more important to him than his dad. In conclusion, Kuroda was his actual dad and I will accept no other opinion.

Which makes it all the more sad that Kuroda died a mere six months after Kumoi saw him last... He was only twelve :((((

Awww he said that Kuroda worked for them for ten years... He probably doesn't remember a time when Kuroda wasn't here :(

Kumoi's dad is a bitch.

Tbh Satoru talking about what Kuroda wanted was way out of line. First of all you know how touchy a subject that is. Second of all you heard one story about him, why are you presuming to know what Kuroda wanted better than the one who was raised by him? Sure, Kumoi later concludes that Satoru was right, but that's because he's the protagonist of a cooking manga and has to be right about those things :/

Human Dogma is like Boa Hancock : super hot so everything is forgiven (everything being Dogma being super extra weird)

Super powerful devil Dogma being defeated by Not Eating For A Few Hours, As People Do, is extremely funny.

Tachibana's dad seeing a weird man holding a teenager hostage for a meal : what if I projected my son's trauma all over that (to be fair it's a type of trauma he's very familiar with)

.... Tachibana having a stuffed nose and not participating in the Feed Dogma filler looked like nothing important but now that I think about it...... If his nose had been clear he'd have been able to clock Dogma's scent from a mile away, which would not have benefited the future plot at all... How interesting. That's not foreshadowing... But it's something.

Real fun filler tho.

Mikazuki is just a really funny character. Love his jacket.

Satoru, immediately upon hearing "soul food" : so you're a devil?? Mikazuki : What The Fuck Are You On.

I love how Mikazuki has the technique, the ingredients, the theory... What he's lacking is sheer physical strength. Because his upper body just doesn't lean towards muscles (judging by his sprinting abilities his strength is more in his legs). It's very down-to-earth.

Satoru being happy at the lack of Dogma is very, how do I put it, This Is Not Going To Last.

Wonder if I thought that when I first read the manga?

Love Akiyama's obsession with frogs. New character trait !

Lol Levi being completely unable to function in nature.... Baby.

Tachibana's tie-sleeveless shirt-bandana look looks silly.

Morisaki being super good at building treehouses because he's from a big family...... Feels stereotypical tbh but whatever it's funny. What's the excuse for him being super good at building traps hmmm?

We got the impression that Minami's yandere-ness had mellowed out but actually she's been holding it in the whole time because she knows an actual murder wouldn't fly with the authorities..... Feels in character but omfg I wish a teenage girl being so eager to kill someone would be more... Present in the story?

I wonder if Tachibana's dad taught him to shoot?

Lmao, Akiyama having a strong grip makes perfect sense, she does carry her wok for hours. It adds dimension to the character!

Love how we get both girls' backstory in the same chapter and they clearly spell out the neurodivergency of it all. The whole thing was "I never fit in"! Akiyama was too down-to-earth and bad with people, Minami had a weird special interest that made her other and a lack of empathy and she was isolated from people because no one could understand! And they reconciliate because they "have something in common after all"! Those! Girls! Are! Autistic !

Morisaki only getting good grades when he's motivated by his rivalry with his brother... Adhd, I say !

Morisaki casually knowing how to skin a hedgehog.......

:((( Tachibana is being so open and vulnerable with Satoru.... And Satoru can't tell him the truth because it would have Dogma-related consequences.... But yeesh. Satoru could definitely have handled it better.

(but teenagers are notoriously graceless so :/)

It's not Satoru's fault Tachibana has trauma.... But yikes.

I actually really do like that Tachibana's trauma wasn't resolved in the cooking fight. Sure he's been making friends and considering other views than his own but he has not been confronting his trauma. He's been getting healthier but one setback sends him spiraling. Mental health is complicated!

The spreads in this manga!!

Dragunov my beloved ! You are so unbelievably shady.

Extremely amused by the fact that Dragunov cannot, apparently, grow any kind of beard.

Dragunov casually fucking up nature. Sir, are you aware that this island had an established ecosystem??

It's convenient that Dragunov's reaserch centered on scent and he just happens to find someone (a rather vulnerable someone at that) rather talended in this domain in a deserted island....

*pokes Dragunov* Is That A Mullet, Good Sir?

I really like how fleshed out the characters are. So this teacher who is more of a background character does pottery to de-stress and likes to look at pottery too?

The stairs in the science department! yikes !!

Love how dramatic Dragunov is. He's having fun and I'm here for it.

He's such a weakling! But I suppose it's par for the course when you're pretty much beginning to starve + have a digestive system that may be incompatible with human anatomy.

The service dean got the right idea on names.

I think it's cool that Dragunov is such a big shot in the scientific community.

Morisaki being extremely bad at selfies is just... So funny.

Satoru that thing you did with the fire cannot be legal :/

"I'm close to something"... Tachibana baby what you are close to is a mental breakdown, and it's coming for you fast.

It's actually really cool that the science department has a tower of memory for every animal and plant that gave their life for science.

Also interesting that they have a minute of praying to mother earth? This is pretty religious for a science department.

Can't believe I didn't notice before but Tachibana definitely has some kind of eating disorder.

Tachibana being unable to smell Dragunov because they are the same kind is a very interesting theory but tbh besides being pretty curious people and ready to do anything to achieve their goals I don't really see it?

"as always, this department is a nest of freaks and weirdos" says the weirdo. That sums up a good part of the school tho.

Dragunov doesn't actually say why he wants to eradicate cooking. Sure, cooking is useless to him personally but why want to eradicate it entirely?

Pffff Morisaki being so bossy about the cooking of a piglet...... He's found his niche and he's sticking to it.

Cute that they got together to make it tho... Friends hanging out :)

Morisaki being good at feelings! And probably good at conflict resolution because he's the oldest of many siblings....

"I don't know what happened between the two of you (I'd actually really like to know)" Morisaki you are so very relatable. I'd be dying of curiosity in your place.

HERE COMES DRAGUNOV WITH A STEEL CHAIR PURE SCIENTIFIC CURIOSITY

He's very sneaky for someone who looks to be about two meters tall.

Dragunov is absolutely sure he is right but, like any good scientist, he is absolutely open to proof of the contrary. He hears Satoru out... But he wants proof. And he's not, per se, wrong.

This man is just cool.

Is that an actual gigantic.... *snaps fingers* méduse. Whatever.

Tojo my beloved. Your aesthetic is so fun. What even is that shirt.

There is not a shine in Tachibana's eyes... And there has never been, except maybe in his backstory. Might be a design thing but... I'm not sure.

What's the point of eating a lot of whale meat besides killing an innocent whale. Dogma!! What was the point !!

Omfg Tojo has (presumably colored) fractals inside his coat...... I mean it sort of makes sense that a character representing sight would have a peculiar aesthetic.

None of the main group making it into the team is stupendously funny but it also makes sense. They're first years!

"oh dear, the only thing they've got is spirit! You'll see more coordination at a kindergarten concert!" fucking SAVAGE.

Nakagane is so resigned to her department being a bunch of brawlers. What a mood.

Was wondering how Dogma planned to insert Satoru into it. Eliminating the competition is brutal, but in character. I constantly forget that Dogma, despite his appearance, is not subtle or stealthy at all.

Sound girl screaming is definitely an intimation tactic... But wow.

^ lmao??

The deep fish thing was such an interesting idea!

Love that Tojo loves cooking. Such diversified motivations across the antagonists!

Tbh the moment he said his motivation I thought about Kumoi but since he wasn't part of the team I had no idea how it would work.

Tojo has super deep eyebags. Wonder if he sleeps? Hm. Might be makeup tho.... Or the eyebags are here to draw attention to his eyes since he represents sight?

Lol there was such a heartfelt power of friendship speech... And Minami was pretty cool...... All of that for this.

Tojo does not takes kindly to being called an idiot... Wonder if it's got to do with rarely being believed when he said things were fake? If he can see lies, I wonder if he's good at detecting when someone is lying.

Interesting that Dragunov is apparently the one person who can deceive Tojo's eyes? Why? And it makes sense that Tojo would be at least a little fascinated by him if that's true.

Mitsuro Kumoi enters stage left!

But How does Tojo knows that things are fake? Sure you can probably distinguish between low quality and high quality but when it comes to "says it's from this brand, is actually not" you'd need to know what the actual brand looks like in order to compare right? It's just weird.

Tbh I can see how seeing lies everywhere and not being believed ever might traumatize a child. I hate lies, I get it. I do think he's a bit dramatic but man, trauma is not reasonable of logical.

New character trait : Kumoi's got really good hearing.

Kumoi is just really fucking cool.

I like how this match showcases Kumoi's skill. This boy works his ass off and he deserves it being recognized!!

"and you will despair like I did" yeesh, Tojo really is traumatized. If you've tried to tell the truth for years and no one listened, at some point you grow bitter.

The fact is that when he's serving food, Kumoi looks gentle. He gets it from Kuroda, I bet.

Lol. Tojo is a man of his word, even if I'm pretty sure actually drinking that much syrup would have killed someone.

It's cool that he's got a scar on his forehead. Nice character design.

Kitakata baby you need at least a bit of therapy!!

It's cool that Tojo sees that Kitakata's devotion seems a bit unhealthy. I feel like this guy is good at feelings (even if he needs therapy too).

It's cool to see a bit of what the science department works on. It's also cool to see that Tojo's working on environment engineering! Characters have lives outside the plot!

Dragunov is only technically a human being and I am here for it.

"it seems quite reasonable to me. I don't know why everyone searches for an explanation so frantically". That was SO out of character. Dragunov is so curious!! He's a scientist!! I don't think he would stand for such a big part of himself being unexplainable and seemingly impossible!!! It's so weird!! >:/

Tachibana, as someone who also has big sensory issues with smell I don't think you should do that :(

I thought it was callous of Dragunov to allow/make (???) Tachibana do that when his psyche's already so fragile but it occurs to me that Dragunov probably thinks that dying in pursuit of knowledge is perfectly reasonable. He's stable but he's not sane, and therefore I can't expect him to apply sane standarts to anyone around him.

It's cool that Tachibana is thinking about his dad. I like his dad, I don't want him to be forgotten.

Aw.... Tachibana not wanting to be a burden for his dad bc he knows people are spreading rumors...... And his dad reassuring him that he loves him and wants him regardless of rumors or any external factors..... What a good dad.

Tachibana, when I said a mental breakdown was coming at you with speed I meant it.

A literal picture of something breaking amidst his memories... Did not expect the mental breakdown to be so obvious.

Fascinating that Dragunov seems to be immune to the effects of Tachibana's hypnotizing perfume thing. Why.

Tachibana darling this is attempted murder. Also I like your boots.

Aw, Tachibana's dad hasn't seen him in days! :(

Tachibana is so ferocious, I think it really means something that he holds back when it comes to his dad.

I was thinking that maybe both of them never having had an argument might not be that healthy + might indicate some conflict avoidance on Tachibana's part but now that I think about it I don't remember having had an Actual Serious Argument with my mom and we're fine.

Nope there was definitely conflict avoidance. It's interesting that according to his dad, Tachibana's showing growth.... Even if he's in the middle of a mental breakdown. I guess he is actually confronting things?

It's interesting that his eyes are no longer black after his breakdown. Obviously it's a metaphor but he does look more alive.... Sometimes you need to touch rock bottom to go up again I guess.

Kitakata can be cool.

Nakarai is super skilled at ice sculpting........ Why even....

I like that this showcases that cooking is not something you can do with instinct. It has rules and really it's a science and therefore Nakarai is still putting in a lot of work, he's not just a genius.

Kitakata you are so so weird.

So Nakarai is aware that he is othered by his comrades and hates it.....

There is a theme here about the science department and the cooking department making the exact same dishes but not really (or in Tojo's and Minami's case using the exact same fish) but I don't know what it could mean.

It's sweet that the animals all love what Nakarai made. He might have lost the match but in the eyes of the animals he's the absolute winner, and that makes him happy :)

I do not blame Dragunov, I too would be fascinated. What Does It Means.

Lol it's funny to see the experiments the author did to faithfully relay the cooking to their readers. A true writer!

Kitakata sweating under Dragunov's gaze.... Is he afraid of disappointing Dragunov? Is he afraid of Dragunov ? Why?

I like that Dogma acknowledges that rations might in fact be the future. He's seen cooking change for centuries so he's aware that you can't discount any possibilities.

Instant noodles... So funny

Tojo and Sena are siblings I will not take any criticism.

But if the noodles just slide down your throat can you actually taste them?

3d printing noodles,,,, I wonder if it would actually work.

The service dean is so intense and extra and flamboyant...... Love them.

It's actually really sweet how the service dean comforted Mikazuki after his defeat.

Tachibana darling breaking your friend's elbow is simply not okay. Or maybe not breaking and maybe it was the forearm actually... But still. Not cool, man.

"it's the truth" doesn't make it not poison, babe. But I like that Tojo is the one to say that, what with his Thing about truth.

Fun how united the science department team is in defending Dragunov despite all the bickering they do.

Also they say that Dragunov saved them.... Wonder how, wonder why. We only got Tojo's backstory.

Not liking how people behave with Tachibana's food.... Hello triggers :/

Wtf this is only chapter 35?? Dang.

Tachibana darling these are not the eyes of a sane man. Take a bath, a nap, multiple naps actually.

Lmao Kumoi with a flower tucked behind his ear... So cute. Obviously that's to counter the fiendish smell but still cute... Also I don't think one single flower behind your ear negates A Whole Lot Of Bad Smells but this is a manga so forgivable.

Dragunov has a lot of charisma uh...

Not a fan of the "communicate your feelings via cooking" thing. It's just food! Sure it can demonstrate care but that's where the nuance stops!!

*pokes the manga* if someone holds a plate full of food vertically the food should be falling.

Dogma is so full of bullshit. Love him.

I really like that Tachibana did not, in fact, eat the "emotional communication" food. In this trope you'd expect the recipient to eat it, but he didn't! Love this.

It's also nice that he said cooking wasn't a way to express yourself. Vindication!!

Also I. LOVE. That what gets through him in the end is not the main character but a memory of his dad hugging him after a very traumatic period of his life.

Yikes. Second mental breakdown in, what, a week ? Two? Tachibana is going through it.

Also Dragunov just simply being curious as to why Tachibana is cracking now of all times. This man has no empathy which honestly I can sympathize with but also this reminds me uncomfortably of something that happened when I was a kid.

It's so sweet that the trigger for him to feel better was remembering that his dad was crying when he found him because he was sad for him. I love them so much.

Ah, Tachibana's eyes being black again :')

I still don't like Satoru lmao

It's so interesting that when Tachibana's eyes regain their color, Dragunov's become empty.

Obviously it's because he just lost a big lead on research and research is quite literally what keeps him alive so it's logical but still.

! Mystery solved, Dragunov did not necessarily want to eradicate cooking, it was just the knowledge of cooking actually being useless that he wanted, because that would be very filling for him!

Only being able to eat something once is scary.

I do admire the strength of Dragunov's principles.

And Dogma does, too.

It's actually sweet of Dogma to give Dragunov a mystery to nibble on. He doesn't want the man to die because Dragunov is really interesting, so he gives him a new purpose in life. It's great.

^ *fond sigh* look at that face.

It's actually so sweet that Tachibana's dad made so much food because his kid was hungry, even though he was fully expecting Tachibana to just point-blank not eat it.

Also the symbolism...... Given his backstory there is a high chance that not only is this the first homecooked meal Tachibana has eaten since his trauma, it's the first homecooked meal he's ever eaten. Which is tragic but also it was made by someone who loves him so......

It's so important to me that Tachibana's basically first meal ever was cooked by someone who's loved him for years and not by a protagonist who has known him for a few months.

Kshshshsh the dad's shock...... The tea being poured too much because he's paralyzed.... So sweet.

Tachibana still being a tsundere about it..... My baby.

Aaah serotonin.

Ah, bread girl, I missed you. Sad that after this arc we don't see you that often.

The pure shamelessness of that girl. Also, pure of heart, dumb of ass.

That is definitely a special interest. Obviously I shouldn't project my neurodivergency on every character but man. Another autistic one!

Lmao. It's cool that Morisaki has a mini-arc bc we hardly saw him in the battle vs the science department :)

When they ask everyone if they prefer rice or bread for breakfast, the translation for Tachibana says "whatever's fine faction" but in french the translation is basically "on the side of those who don't care" and I think that's way funnier.

I know that them mildly destroying the apartment and the clothes of the teacher is meant to be comedic but to me it's unspeakably rude.

It's nice to see proof that Morisaki's getting better at cooking.

This is the coolest bread ever, as I think every time I read this chapter.

Lmao. Morisaki getting a crush.... Or something like that.... is pretty cute. Funny.

In the end nobody won the cook-off lol.

Mongo establishing himself as a weirdo and a mess from the first panel. Love him, do not love the mess.

*ominous tone* "it's been ten years....... Wait no. Half a year? Two months? Oh well. It's the feeling that counts." Mongo you are so funny. Also I relate to timekeeping issues.

"something's wrong with your head : go to a hospital!" Kumoi I love you so much (what was wrong with Satoru's head was that Dogma was inside it)

A wild festival appears!

Kumoi is so cool.

Lol it's cute that he's so enthusiastic about festivals. He just has a resting bitch face + tsundere symptome.

I love Mongo's kimono.

Incredible that Kumoi does not protest the cutesy nickname.

Friends for 12 years is long. On Kumoi's side I get the feeling of "he's annoying but I can't shake him off so I'm resigned to my fate".

Mongo's bad at opsec.

He's also really strong, and kind of a ninja.

Not sure flipping something that big would work like that.....

Don't keep food in your clothes Mongo!!!

He's kinda mean....... Might be the result of a bad environ growing up.

I have genuinely no idea whether Mongo and Kumoi are actually friends.

Yikes. Definitely an unhealthy environment to grow up in. This guy needs therapy.

Hmmmm. There is at least definitely a rivalry, no idea about friendship.

The service department guy is so charming it's a little ridiculous.

Mozu is fucking tall.

*pokes at Mozu* is that, like, DID, or is he just playing a role where he's confident and suave?

The service people are profilers playing 5d chess. Woof.

Two guys fighting over a girl is already kind of lame but the "if you lose you'll never go near her again" is fucked up :/

The dresses look amazing tho. The art in this manga!!

Satoru crashing is pretty relatable.

Lol. "fighting over a girl turns into bromance" is such a funny trope.

Love how pumped everyone is over snow.... And how pumped they are over a superstition. Babes, knocking out the competition is not alright (Mongo, someone could have had a bad reaction to the sleeping stuff, and Morisaki.... Just don't knock people out with rocks what is wrong with you!!)

They all have stupid wishes. That's a filler all right.

I'm fairly sure that falling into a frozen lake in winter should have more severe consequences.... But whatever.

Sasaki is insane but that amount of stress is relatable.

A geyser............

These guys are really commited to the idea of chocolate udon. Points for dedication I guess?

"your pastries are so plain" oh, the irony.

Levi getting grounded by his dad bc he can't stay at the school anymore is such a cliché......

It's cool that they displayed the skills of this teacher!!

Getting eliminated from the finals of a world cup just because you really like giraffes is a level of commitment to the bit that I am both in awe and afraid of.

Morisaki is such a big brother.

Satoru's grades being shit tracks, given *gestures to all of Dogma*

We love supportive friends! (also Nakarai is a blessing lmao)

I love that Tachibana goes to some lectures from the science department. He was profoundly impacted by his time with them and it's good to see his interest in science is still present.

Good friends, useless at studying.

Ah, the spreads. I love them so much.

I was wondering what happened to the celebratory dinner.

Kitakata is so annoying. Babe, stop.

His backstory is kinda sweet. He wants knowledge because his mother's lack of knowledge caused him harm and made her cry...... I do think he took it a bit too obsessively but it's a goal he took as a kid and kids are stubborn.

It's extremely sweet that Dragunov made everyone wait because Kitakata wasn't here. What a good guy honestly. He cares about his students!!

Beelzebub is.... Such a weirdo.

Ngl I'm happy the eating competition wasn't too detailed bc that's definitely an almost-trigger for me.

"contrition through nutrition" is a good rhyme, well done translators.

Incredible spread in the 50th chapter.

Honestly this was well done. Forcing Dogma to compromise his principles might be the worst thing you can do to him.

The whole "the best cooking is making it so that even if you eat the same dish every day you won't get tired of it" is pretty neat...... Even if as someone who has a same food I already do that lmao.

Can't believe it ends on a cliffhanger......... Wonder if the author's dead?

Can't believe there's only 50 chapters, feels like much more.

[life-caretaker]

You can scroll if you want. I’m not gonna stop you, How ever I am gonna tell you what I think Activision should do to give us Call of Duty Ghosts 2!

Do I have your attention? Good okay here we go:

They just remade Call of Duty MW2 no I present you this, I don't know much about cod when to ready the fandom wiki to try and understand it more even though I have played many cod games and completed almost all of the campaigns how ever I don't know jack shit. The point is I believe this...

I believe the reason the Ghost team was created was in memory of Ghost right? That would make sense considering the task force dose a lot of things Ghost did like wear spooky balaclavas, Refuse to give up intel, Don't die easy, And are super skilled in their fields. 

Activision makes Call of Duty MW3 a remake. I don't know much about the game but considering the fact that technically Soap and Ghost were supposed to die in the Second game and they didn’t in the remake they will probably kill them off in three.

How ever what if they took a different rout with Ghost? 

What if instead he retires? Or he lives and become captain instead of Soap? then he has a reason to make a new squad because his old one died. 

It would be a lot like the Ghost team they made back in Las Almas and because of this hey would all be trained under ghost and follow his motives we could end Call of Duty MW3 with a really cool cutscene where we get to hear Ghost  talking to a man he Calls Scarecrow and then abruptly ending a game after Ghost says turning to the camera;

“I have a mission for you” We see ghosts face for the first time! and it could Segway into Call of Duty Ghosts. they could remake the game. How ever I feel like the original had a grate story line. What they could do how ever is make a Call of Duty Ghosts 2 explaining what happened to Logan and all that shit because what happened to my baby!?

You got me attached to him and for what!?

So you could drag him away after I thought I killed Rorke?!

Any way I believe this would be a very solid path to go down to continue/bring hype to the franchise. They could also continue down the path of Call of Duty Ghosts. make Logan a bad ass bitch.

Maybe give us a heated love story that end with a bullet through some ones brain and a revenge plot?

I'm just saying! 

They have options... (Activision hire me)

(Feel free to correct any of my knowledge of COD or rant to me about it i’m willing to hear you out just don't get mad at my lack of knowledge.)

[hi-i-love-u-bitch]

Look, look, look.....Long Live the Pumpkin Queen did NOT need to be made. Fuck man Sally didn't need a whole ass new back story where she's secretly a princess from as secrete long forgotten land. The story itself was mediocre at best and bland at worst but then again I did not read it for the "plot" I read it for the lore! Which again were a bit spotty in some places and absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS in others 😍

Though I do think they could have done more with it, in fact I think the whole damn book just could have been about world building and not....what ever the hell that nonsense was.

I was SEVERALLY disappointed about the Thanksgiving relm, mainly by its residents just being regular ass people when they all could have been cute scarecrow creatures (like that village from Over the Garden Wall). Like COME ON GUYS the opportunity was there and you missed it! The 4th of July relm shouldn't have been added in (at least in my opinion) it's just very....basic and boring. If it HAD to be added I'd change it from 4th of July to just Independence day which has various different days globally for different countries. The residents would be creatures of multiple colored light and fire. They are free and passionate and paint pictures in the sky with their light powers recreating victories of independence and inspirational people.

Also I would have added a relm: Birthday Land! Just a cute and bright world that is a never ending party filled with cakes as big as houses, live actual balloon animals, loving crafted piñatas, and stack upon stacks of presents. The residents of course are all colorful cute clowns (which I know a lot of people hate/are scared of them but actually really love clowns 🥺💕).

Like I honestly think this book could should have just been about Jack and Sally's honeymoon/diplomatic excursion throughout all of the holiday lands AS WELL as discovering Dream land and other ancient worlds. Then maybe in later books we could discover more doors from different holidays like Dia de Los Muertos, Holi, New Year's, The Festival of Lights, etc. That would have been SO cool!

[bougiebutchbitch]

Okay okay since I love hearing you rant: Who is your favourite Naruto character and WHY

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I am going to give you all

THREE GUESSES

(it's obviously danzou, right?)

click under the cut for a WHOLE ESSAY

On a marginally more serious note: Kakashi has been one of my favourite characters since I was a wee bairn! I was also an edgy emo bairn, so the Akatsuki were my absolute favourites back in the day - I was deep into the 'they're all just chilling in a house together and acting like frat kids' part of the fandom. But I always thought Kakashi was a Cool Guy, y'know?

Then I started rewatching as an adult. As a very depressed adult who happened to be the same age Kakashi was at the start of Nart (the Nart-start, if you will).

And I realised... bruh... he really was just Some Guy dealing with one hell of a shit hand of cards, huh??

Like, the village gave him a jinchuuriki to look after! A jinchuuriki who JUST found out why the entire village HATES him, and who sees himself as a vessel for the monster that killed his hero and almost destroyed his home. A jinchuuriki who happens to be the son of the guy who kinda raised Kakashi! And who looks just like him! But Kakashi is forbidden from telling him anything about his own family!

And he's the most reckless and ridiculous shinobi ever!!!

Then one of the other boys they give him to train is the LAST SURVIVOR OF A LITERAL GENOCIDE. That was carried out by Kakashi's own teammate (on Konoha's orders, though of course, none of them know that at the time). And this boy is still obviously very fucking traumatised!

Sakura must've been a breath of fresh air skldfghskldhfg

Like... Kakashi is Not The Most Emotionally Stable Guy in canon. He does fuck up with Sasuke (and spends the rest of the series beating himself up about it) but let's be real - a HELL of a lot more support was needed, for that squad.

Konoha needs therapists. Konoha needs to stop using child soldiers. But those are massive issues that couldn't have been fixed for Doylian ReasonsTM! Unless Kakashi literally went rogue, grabbed the kids, ran off to start a chill farm somewhere and probably got hunted down for his troubles, they were always going to be stuck in a fucked-up environment, because they were raised in a martial state still recovering from a MASSIVE war.

...I'm rambling but the point is, SO MANY MESSED-UP FACTORS led to the rift in Team 7 and Sasuke's eventual defection. Kakashi definitely takes waaaaaay too much responsibility onto his own shoulders. But hey!!! Guilt complexes are my character kryptonite, so I shlorp that tasty soop right up.

Anyway, the main catalyst for my ongoing obsession with the lanky scarecrow man is because of those later flashback episodes where you saw just how fucking numb and depressed he was before he got the kids. 1) empathy. 2) my entire viewpoint of him shifted from 'cool funny wiseguy who gets all the best fight scenes' to '...oh god just let him chill with his dogs and his kids and be happy'

...Then you have the whole freaking INSANE plot with Obito! Where like... the guy Kakashi modelled half his personality and his entire ethos around, after suffering repeated trauma and PTSD as a kid... the guy he's looked up to since Obito died for him, the guy whose sacrifice motivated Kakashi to allow himself to care about other people again, the guy who IS his entire morality, practically...

TURNS OUT TO HAVE BEEN ALIVE ALL ALONG? AND CAUSED THE KYUUBI ATTACK THAT SET OFF THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS??? AND HE'S ONE OF THE BIG BADS OF THE ENTIRE SERIES???????

Like!!!! That's so fucking juicy!!!!

The angst.... the pain............... the shipping opportunities.........

I love this food, thank u kishimoto :kisses:

and obviously, I saw Kakagai in a Very New Light too - the main reason I got back into the series was because I heard they got married in Boruto and had to see for myself sdljfglsdjfg

suffice to say, I was not disappointed

[stillness-in-green]

TheJaku Battle will be upon us! I pray we finally get the name of Hose Face/Scuba Man/Midnight's Killer/Mr. Only Advisor To Be Given Somewhat More Importance Than the Others. Honestly, it actually is one of my most anticipated battles, since its refreshing to see a field not dominanted by the top stars for a bit. Same reason why I'm still hyped to see the Parking Lot and Sero fights!~

+

Sorry I didn’t manage to get to the first one of these before the chapter came out, @shockersalvage!!  orz orz orz

Re: Hose Face, I wasn’t really expecting to get his name.  Honestly, once we failed to get a canon name for Scarecrow even after he served as a focal point for two full chapters, including a big dramatic speech laying out the nature of the grievances of 15,000 people, I pretty much gave up hope of ever getting names for any of the advisors sans Slidin’ Go and Sanctum.

But I did have some hopes for the confrontation—or, well, perhaps more like fears, some of which proved true and some of which the chapter did, thankfully, manage to avoid.  XD  I’ll go over this in the chapter post, too, but from just the evidence of the leaks+scanlation, I was not obliged to suffer through watching Hose Face get verbally humiliated by the likes of Kirishima, which was my number one Please No, so thank heaven for that.

It would have been nice if we could have gotten more from him about his actual motivations, which we could at least posit from Scarecrow’s scar, and if he could have managed to get through the chapter without spewing a bunch more might-makes-right rhetoric that makes him nice and easy to hate, even though it sits oddly both with his apparently fairly basic quirk(?) and a flashback to Re-Destro that—as has been the case with literally all of RD’s dialogue to date—been far more about alliance and liberation than about supremacy.  More on that in the chapter post within the next few days!

The Machia element is so weird and freighted with double standards.  Expect lots more on that, also in the chapter post.  (Preview: So brainwashed villains get to be regarded as their own people, not weapons or trick plays to be leveraged against the enemy, only so long as they’re friends with the heroes, huh?)

As to the other fights, I’m honestly not really expecting to see much of the fight Sero’s at unless we’re due a sudden reveal about a significant villain showing up there—which we could, I guess? We've gotten nothing but a namedrop and a choice between two silhouettes on “Gashly,” and it seems a little odd to get as much for one of the Tartarus escapees and not have them crop up.[1] So maybe we’ll get back to the Sero fight yet, and Gashly will be there? 

The parking lot fight, though!  That, I’m very ready to get back to.  I’m not expecting much additional nuance or anything, but Kunieda’s got a neat design, an extremely cool quirk, and Aoyama and probably-Hagakure have got a lot of catching up to do in terms of attention and development from the story.  We deserved a lot more internal conflict with Aoyama, and even if I’m not expecting us to get that, at least there’s the conflict of being incredibly terrified but finding the courage to do the right thing anyway, a plot beat we haven’t gotten out of any of the A-list students[2] since, like, Kamino.

Also, just to reiterate, Kunieda looks like a blast. More killer plants and obscure philosophy references, please!

Thanks for the asks as always, SS~~~

[1] Though not any more odd than the amount of attention the advisors get without ever warranting names, or Miss GIVE HER A NAME, HORIKOSHI herself.

[2] I would count these as Deku, Bakugou, Shouto and Uraraka.  Your mileage may vary, but they’re the ones who get the most sustained attention and stand to have the most direct impact on the story and its themes about winning and saving.

[why-this-kolaveri-machi]

the wolf should’ve been afraid of me.

Titans 3.04

just under the wire! ... i hope.

like with the previous review, i’m typing this up as i see the episode. here we go!

spoilers ahead.

1. ... well. that was an interesting cold open.

1.25. i don’t know whether to admire this show’s restraint when it comes to gotham and its excesses, particularly arkham asylum. it’d be easy to go hammer and tongs, like suicide squad (2016) did, or any number of bat media did, at a tropey, colourful~~insanity~~ that can be quite damaging, casting mental illness in strangeness and criminality. it definitely shows gotham as... separate from the rest of the country, its own ecosystem of heroes and villains, a sort of rogue state. 

but that ecosystem is still human, with its heroes needing to clip parts of themselves away just to survive, growing old and needing to be recycled, its villains languishing in the same kinds of systems that fail everybody else who needs to be helped. it’s a quieter, tenser sort of wrongness: not strange enough that you can dissociate, but not close enough that you can completely empathise. gotham is its own creature.

1.5. i know that the reasoning behind this is more doylist than anything, but i’m so glad that joker was killed off with little fanfare right at the start of the season. he is the one man in the batverse that’s transcended its confines as this sort of ethereal boogeyman/eternal edgelord and to justify his presence in the series would mean giving him this tired, overblown importance and too much of a stab at colourful, tropey “madness” in this otherwise-subdued series. i wish all batmedia would follow suit and get rid of this fucker.

1.75. so jason is bucking scarecrow’s control! or reminding him of who exactly holds all the cards right now. circling back to what i talked about in the last review, it’s remarkable just how little time it’s been since jason’s “death” and he’s already got ‘minions’ and elaborately set up plans to track, break and kill the titans. just how long has he been planning this? when did he first look at WE weapons prototypes and think that’s something i can use to blow somebody up? and the most unsettling question: did he plan his own death at the hands of the joker just so that he could break batman?

at this point it’s obvious that the scarecrow at least started jason down this path, but it’s frightening just how far he’s travelled already.

1.8. aaagh, less than one minute in! i’ll shut up. 

2. conner washing his hands at the sink reminds me that he was directly in the line of explosion when hank got blown up and he’s probably got atomised hank-bits all over his skin that he’s desperately trying to wash off.

... you’re welcome.

2.25. conner, don’t you speak to gar fucking logan like that, sir, no!

2.3. if anything it’s the lex part of him that gave him the knowhow to recognise the weapon and build a de-activator for it. 

anyway, for that ‘half-breed’ and ‘talking tiger’ comment?

(i wish, tho, that we actually see conner more interested in the superman part of his legacy, like maybe listening to stories from gar, or even better, dick, so we get a better idea of the pressure he’s feeling to live up to that part of him and not the part that’s lex.)

((i talked about conner’s stages of moral development in his introductory episode last season, but i wonder if the next stage of his self-actualisation would be to further integrate the parts of himself and realise that they are only parts and he, conner, is an entirely different person unto himself that can make decisions on how to use what he has and what he knows. his superman abilities can be used to destroy. his lex knowledge can be used to save.))

3. oh dawn :((

3.25. is this the last we see of dawn and hank? i mean, we know donna is coming back; would it be a stretch to think they’ll try to have a go at resurrecting hank as well?

3.5. “deathstroke didn’t make us into killers.” good, because deathstroke didn’t make jason a killer either. there’s a missing step there you need to be looking for, dick. 

3.75. dick did try to break the cycle, step away from gotham, run from the possibility that he could turn into batman. it didn’t help; he couldn’t fully withdraw from his vigilante persona the same time he loathed it, and batman literally haunted him both asleep and awake. but maybe gotham doesn’t have to turn anybody into anything. maybe gotham has nothing to do with it at all. it’s about taking responsibility, realising some sacrifices are pure bullshit, and building an actual family instead of merely a team.

anyway: hugs!

(oh, also? mr “i hate flying”? i mean, there’s perfectly valid reasons to hate flying that’s not related to childhood trauma, but then again, this guy was literally a ‘flying grayson’ once. also also, remember that he also gets sea-sick. must’ve a lot of fun stories to tell.)

4. ooh that gar/kory confrontation was brief but cool!

listen, i have never seen a psychiatrist with that extravagant an office and SIR I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW--

4.5. kory’s so unused to reaching out for help and it’s breaking my heart that HPG likely is some kind of impostor that’s maybe causing her symptoms in the first place. 

kory and dick have mostly been apart this season but it’s remarkable how their journeys have paralleled each other; kory processes her grief, isolation and existential dread into a determination to take care of this new family she has, no matter what it takes; dick does much the same, forging ahead with plans and solutions until he has no fuel left in him and spirals into a massive breakdown.

4.25. listen titans this really is a TERRIBLE continuity error. we aren’t goldfish; we can clearly remember that two minutes ago it was gar’s upper arm that was burned, not his forearm. COME ON.

“sensory deprivation tank” *SNORT*

anyway, gar is the BEST

4.5. i wonder where these visions of experimentation took place. was it on tamaran, or on earth, after she came to hunt down rachel/trigon and before she lost all her memories? is HPG a part of the scientist group that experimented on her? ... god, i hope not. i mean, i think he is, but it would be cool to have some positive therapist representation in media. 

5. you’d think the van transporting a dangerous supervillain that only batman could catch would be more secure but... i’m also not entirely surprised. 

5.15. i love dick gives ZERO shits about hiding himself or even ensuring scarecrow is adequately contained. just turns away after kidnapping him in BROAD DAYLIGHT and says ‘let’s go’. I LOVE THIS DUMBASS

6. lmao gar is having a really really shitty day SOMEONE GIVE THIS MAN A BREAK or just a goddamn story arc of his own

6.5. i’m really confused about the timeline here. so... sometime ago, kory came down to earth to hunt down trigon, yeah? at some further point down the line she and her sister were kidnapped and experimented on. THEN she somehow escapes but... loses her memory? a few months pass and then we see blackfire alive and well and free; she kills faddei, can impersonate other people, and is clearly seeking out kory. but now she’s still in the experiment facility...? what’s going on?

i’m not entirely surprised about the facility being mostly deserted. either the biggest investors in this project gave up on it and it was left to the most fanatic to carry on, or they were deliberately trying to lure kory and get her to free blackfire--expand the environs of the experiment, so to speak.

7. hopefully barbara is going to get something to do other than listen to various men give her Attitude

8. how do you terrorise a terrorist? well:

i love when dick is a scary-competent motherfucker.

8.25. ooooh, the attack on crane at arkham a ploy to get crane to blackgate? nice one dick, i didn’t even think of that. but why though? to protect crane from the titans? to intercept the van to blackgate and “rescue” him? seems likely--red hood was there, except dick got to crane quicker.

9. still reeeallly unclear about the komand’r situation. was komand’r captured after s2? is this all A TRAP?? if so, why are you stepping into the only thing that can contain you, kory????

9.25. so... definite parallels between dick/jason and kory/kom here. i’m just. i’m still. really confused. i’ll shut up now.

10. this may be my favourite dick look yet:

woodsman!dick in a beanie.

10.5. i unironically love how titans has made this bizarrely-devoted-to-his-moniker, toxin-spewing supervillain into a tamer version of hannibal, psychoanalysing his victims into submission. it’s of a piece with how inward looking titans is, the way all of its villains are obsessed with how our protagonists’ minds work, to the point where they would actually spend time inside of them. 

there are no big plots to end the world. no apocalypses or endgames here. these villains collect the titans’ insecurities like infinity stones. the way the titans defeat them is by achieving character growth--literally winning by the power of love. literally “the real superpower is the friends we made along the way”!

10.7. anyway, i’m betting dick is used to this bullshit from crane and is humouring him in the service of getting more information. the story about the wolf? an implicit threat, not to mention dick getting to control what crane knows about him and what methods he would use to manipulate him.

am i giving dick too much credit here? i don’t think so. he’s really impressed me so far this season.

10.75. like. there’s a real unreliable narrator vibe coming off with every person that talks about bruce (much like how the various members of the titans talked about jason’s motivations) and to buy into crane’s talk about bruce being a psychopath is to fall for the same manipulation that jason fell for. dick is the only person who hasn’t really psychoanalysed bruce this season, and i think some part of his detective brain is piecing things together into a bigger picture.

11. i’m glad kory rescued kom but did she have to kill the scientist?

(i mean, yeah, probably - the less people know that kom escaped the less likely they’re going to have the fucking govt on their doorstep, but still.)

11.5. dick’s gonna come back to wayne manor, stare straight at komand’r and go, well which room would you like? because the team might as well adopt ANOTHER person, yeah?

12. oh MAN that red hood/nightwing fight was AMAZING! and he did the thing! the boomerang escrima thing! i’m so delighted!

12.5. the anger and disbelief in dick’s voice when he says you told crane EVERYTHING?! tells me that he knew exactly what he was telling crane himself.

12.75. “everything you are is because of him” - oh that reminds me of halluci!bruce from last season. i hope we see halluci!bruce again--he is so vicious but so entertaining... so much more effective at tearing dick down than crane or jason combined. goes to show that dick’s biggest enemy is own fucking head.

12.8. oh no! dick’s shot! crane is in the wind with red hood! blackfire is now with the titans! i love it!

honestly this season’s pacing is such a big step up from the last couple. gold star, show.

[jippy-kandi]

Digimon Adventure: 2020 – Episode 46: The Sword Of Hope (Review)

Thoughts on the forty-sixth episode of the Digimon Adventure reboot series.

I think this was a pretty decent episode . . .?

Sora and Mimi’s reaction to Jou almost vomiting was funny. :)

But how exactly does an obviously green ball (Sephirothmon No. 6) look like a Moon, Jou? :P

Sephirothmon sucks up and traps Taichi, Yamato, Koushirou and Takeru inside its “eye”. And Yamato is really not overprotective of Takeru, lol. Takeru is obviously a little bruised - and OG Yamato would 100% be fussing over him. But reboot Yamato is just: You OK bro? :) lol. This isn’t a critique - I just think the difference is funny. :P

Sora: “Taichi! Taichi, do you hear me?! Yamato! Koushirou-kun! Please answer me!” I just like that Sora has uttered Yamato’s sweet, sweet name again. Do it more often, please. :3

Tailmon: “Sephirothmon only watches. Copies are created from the battle memory etched within the trapped Digimon. And these copies attack the prey.” The copies of Digimon being created within Sephirothmon for trapped Digimon to battle was super interesting. It’s a neat idea and I really dug the atmosphere it created for the trapped kids. It’s far more interesting and creative than a fucking racing circuit (no, I’m still not over that complete waste of an episode). :P

Yamato: “So to sum it up, they’re just poorly-made fakes.” Yamato is so succinct. If I were an 11-year-old girl, I’d be crushing madly. Right, Sora? UwU

So. Many. Evolutions. XD; They should make them quicker or spread them out more!

Awww, it was kinda nice to see Ogremon vs Greymon again. I guess that episode was one of the better ones for me to think this . . . back when Toei still had some quality. :)

lol, Sora’s face is so cute in that one frame like: :c

In lieu of Koushirou and Tentomon, Tailmon is the designated info dump bot. :D

Angemon’s voice still kills me every time. X_x He honestly sounds like Taichi smoked 1000 cigarettes.

It was pretty neat to see a bunch of the kids’ past enemies - like a flashback episode but with actual plot! :D

Sephirothmon copying the trapped Digimon’s attacks and using it on the outside Digimon was pretty cool.

The animation for Angemon vs Devimon fighting was super funny, though. XD;

So we learn that Devimon was born from Angemon’s “darkness” . . . this is really interesting, but should have been revealed when Devimon was still alive and an active threat? lol.

Takeru runs funny, too, just like his older bro! :D

Angemon being turned "dark” was super cool and creepy. I dug it.

But Takeru being super brave is . . . yawn. It would’ve been a different story had he acted like an actual child at the beginning of the adventure, so there was growth - and it would’ve paid off here with immense bravery. But nope! Takeru’s journey has been a straight line of courage. He’s just consistently brave. So what did we expect here? The same thing, of course. YAWN.

Devimon to Takeru: “Why do you not run? Why do you not fear?” Because this little boy has the Crest of Courage! :D . . . Whatever the fuck a Crest is. :D

Takeru: “I trust you . . . Angemon!” Angemon: “So do I . . . No matter how deep I fall into the darkness, if you’re with me . . . I can fly!” Takeru: “Angemon!” Angemon: “Shadow, let me tell you one thing. Just as how you are indestructible, the light of hope will never disappear as well!” Good enough for an Ultimate evolution - and better than what preceded Yamato’s Mega evolution, lol. So I’m cool with HolyAngemon happening here. :P

So, the giant elephant in the room: HolyAngemon destroys Sephirothmon’s “eye”, but . . . why didn’t WarGreymon and/or MetalGarurumon? Taichi and Yamato just didn’t care to use their Mega evolutions? Oh, how convenient! :P

I liked that this episode had some relevance to the actual plot and wasn’t just complete filler like last week’s episode. So, to me, it was better by default. :P

Next week appears to be Taichi-centric - which I’m fine with, since he’s taken the backseat for a while now. The scarecrow looks interesting. We’ll see how it turns out! (Probably another disappointment. :D)

But this series has 20 episodes left (if the number 66 is indeed accurate) - so it really needs to get a move on with all the other kids’ alternate evolutions (if they will even have them . . .) and Mega evolutions! :c

[nightwingmyboi]

Dick Grayson Comic Recs

I’ve been getting an increase in requests for comic recs, so I finally caved and decided to list a bunch of comics and series I recommend about Dick Grayson and put it all in one convenient place. I also wrote out a little description/review, to try to give people an idea if the comic sounded appealing and they wanted to check it out. Some of these are just single comics, others are some series to check out, pretty much in chronological order. 

Robin: 

Robin (1993) Annual #4: One of my preferred Robin origin stories. Fairly solid characterization, and a more reasonable timeline for events than other tellings. Provides an inside look at Dick’s thoughts during this time. 

Batman: Dark Victory #9-13: All of Dark Victory is excellent, these are the issues that Dick appears in. It could be considered another Robin origin story, though it is not solely focused on Dick. Everyone is characterized very well, especially Dick. The plot is very engaging, involving Two Face and a crime family, along with tracking down Zucco. As the name implies, it is a bit grimmer than your usual retelling. 

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet: Dick has been training to be Robin, and he thinks he’s finally ready, but he has to pass Batman’s final test--to keep away from him for a whole night. Of course, the test goes off track, and Dick soon finds himself the target of a ruthless mob boss, his deadly gang of thugs, and the GCPD. Batman chases after Robin, trying to save him before it is too late. 

Robin: Year One: This is a four issue run that gives you a snapshot of the time where Robin is just introduced in the crime fighting scene. It features villains like the Mad Hatter and Two Face. The art style is really fun and dynamic, and we get to see Bruce and Dick start to figure each other out. Lots of Alfred as well! 

Scarecrow: Year One: Another fun look at Dick and Bruce’s relationship, a little further along the road. Dick is very small and cute, and has also basically become Bruce’s therapist lmao! Not a great Scarecrow origin story though.

Legends of the DC Universe #6: The first time Superman and Robin meet. An absolutely delightful team up, I still have cavities from reading it because it is just so sweet. This one is so good, read it. 

Teen Titans: Year One: A short little origin story for the fab five (ie Wonder Girl, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Robin). A cute introduction to the original titans. 

The New Teen Titans (1980) and (1984): Forming the Teen Titans was a really important part of Dick’s development as a superhero, and some of his best stuff is when he is in a team setting. This run has the team you’d be more familiar with if you watched the animated Teen Titans show: it has Raven, Starfire, etc. Dick decides that he is going to leave Robin behind in issue #39. 

Nightwing: 

The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract: This is the infamous run where Terra betrays the Titans. Dick dons the name Nightwing for the first time in this run (discowing style), and goes off with Joey Wilson to save the rest of the Titans from Slade and Brother Blood. 

Batman #416: Dick meets Jason for the first time, and eventually the two bond over beating up some baddies. 

The New Titans (1988) #55: You can read this series too for some Titans action, but even if you don’t you should skip over and read issue #55. It shows how Dick reacted to Jason’s death, and how Bruce and Dick had a huge falling out. It’s heartbreaking to read honestly. 

Nightwing (1996): If you want to read Nightwing, it’d be best to look at his solo run also. It starts with him moving to Bludhaven, and continues from there. If you’re looking for Batfam cameos, I specifically remember issues #6 and #25 for its really cute brotherly Tim and Dick moments. Issues #13 - #15 have Dick and Batman working together. #105 and #106 have Jason (as Robin) working with Dick. There are a lot of solid Barbara moments throughout with her as Oracle. #138 is when he meets Damian for the first time. There’s a lot here, so I would just pick and choose the arcs that interest you, and go from there. 

Action Comics #771: Another comic where Nightwing and Superman team up. Sue me, I love their dynamic! 

Gotham Knights #17: Dick finally gets adopted in this one. 

Batman (1940) #615: This one is smack dab in the middle of the Hush arc, an arc that focuses on Batman’s relationship with Catwoman and a mysterious new villain named Hush. I like this arc of comics (they recently made it into a movie!) so if you want to read the whole thing it starts at #608. This is just one that features Nightwing a lot. I include it because I really enjoy the dynamic Dick and Bruce have. It’s good stuff. 

Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day #1-3: It’s fun to see Tim and Dick’s generations interact and deal with growing up as superheroes, and there is a lot of drama. Pretty important crap goes down in these comics: several people die, including Donna, and as a result Dick disbands the Titans. If you want to read Outsiders, you should really read this one first. 

Outsiders Vol 3 (2003): Dick is mourning Donna’s death and self-destructing, so Roy forms a team called the Outsiders--a team that is meant to be just business rather than a family. Dick is more stern and his temper is shorter than usual, but I think it is all pretty in character for him, especially since he is grieving. Highlights include Roy and Dick’s lovely relationship.

Teen Titans (2003) #6: Ok, I almost didn’t put this one on here because it is very self-indulgent, but I couldn’t resist. This series has the Teen Titans starting back up again without Nightwing, but in this issue he makes a little cameo. If you’ve seen those panels around where Nightwing lectures the Justice League? This is where it happens. He’s just really cool here. 

Batman: 

Batman #687-688: This follows the Batfam’s initial reaction to Bruce’s death, and how Dick begins to approach being Batman himself. It is technically an epilogue to Battle for the Cowl, but that doesn’t have to be read for these comics to be understood. 

Batman and Robin (2009): This is the series where we see Dick and Damian transform into people forced together who can barely tolerate one another, to some of the closest partners in the Batfam. They develop their relationship very nicely, and we get to see how Dick approaches a lot of the emotional and physical challenges that come with being Batman. Some of the arcs are good, some of them very much miss for me. 

Batman: Black Mirror: This is a collection of Detective Comics #871-881. I’d say these are  my favorite Dick!Batman stories ever. All the cases are very good (really chilling), and the characterizations are top notch stuff. Lots of Gordon, Barbara, and some Tim also. I won’t spoil who it is, but the big villain they have for this book is one of the best I’ve seen for Dick, an almost perfect foil in my opinion.

Batman: Gates of Gotham: A good story, it’s interesting to see how Dick interacts with his siblings as Batman. I think this may be one of the first times Cass and Damian meet, though I’m not positive about that. 

Just as a heads up, I’ve left out some significant events and this isn’t an exhaustive list on everything there is to know about the character. These are just some comics I enjoy. I hope they help you get a start on who Dick Grayson is, and how he figures into the Batfam and the larger superhero community.