#it's a very good question and one that make Joker feel things he doesn't want to feel

[fantomevoleur]

Question: what is the World's Greatest Gentleman Thief's opinion on marriage?

A stranger already bestowing such a grand title upon the amateur thief? He hasn't made much of a name for himself, presently, even with his most recent successful heist. And yet someone identified him as such? A fan, perhaps? One who's followed his grand schemes?

"Oh, the greatest, you say~? My my, étranger, you are far too kind to call me something so renowned." His smirk mirrored the casual lilt of Joker's tone. To be recognized for his efforts without garnering the public's curiosity, that would change in due time, felt like an incredible accomplishment. Smaller break-ins fared poorly to one's where more valuable, famous treasures were secured, but such was the life of this particular thief. He started at the bottom, and would make himself known by any means necessary.

But...that's not the subject matter at this moment. He had a fan, after all, inquiring him, allowing their company as Joker took a seat in thought. It's...difficult to answer, especially for an individual who never stayed in one place for long.

Marriage was messy. Marriage tied a person down, allowing their roots to spread and grow strong...but in the end, it made it harder for them to be uprooted if they wished to move on. If it wasn't the life they wished to live. It worked for his parents, surprisingly, but...as for Joker?

"...it's a beautiful union between two people whom wish to dedicate their lives to each other. An infinite expression of love, and an unbreakable devotion. I can understand the allure of planning these kinds of ceremonies, the excitement and exuberance one may feel organizing your perfect day where you will be spending the rest of your life...relishing and committing to your partner's wants, their desires..."

And yet...

"...but it's not for everyone. There are others out there, living their lives in contentment without needing a wife or a husband. Some wish to keep it that way. Others..." Pause. His breath settled in his chest, tightly.

"...do not believe marriage will ever come to them."

[goldenstring6123]

This happen to my bestie last week ajsjsjsjsns

She came to school all moody instead of cheery and vibrant and it's not normal to see her like that– I asked what happened, at first she doesn't speaks and just shook her head. Like, 20 minutes later, she suddenly cried. I was there next to her and comfort her, (I literally get all concerned and panicked)

During break, I asked again why she is like that and she told me that her mom told her to die out of frustration (Like– girl, wth) it is all because her little sister overslept and make her late for school. And her mother also late for works.

So, can I ask how LaDS men comfort their partner when they're feeling down? 🥺🥺

Thanks ♡⁠(⁠Ӧ⁠ｖ⁠Ӧ⁠｡⁠)

Lnds: Comfort for a crying heart

Warning: Comfort. GN!Reader

Author's note: I'm sorry to hear that about your bestie, no person should ever be told that especially by their mother. I'm sending my hugs to you, your bestie and everyone who's having a hard time! You have my full love and support!

Zayne: The Patient Comforter

Zayne never sensed the shift in your personality that day. He knew there was something different with you, but he didn't think much of it, considering it was morning time. When he got home after work, he found it odd that his house was very silent. It was as if it had gone back to the days when you hadn't moved in yet. He entered your shared bedroom and found you sleeping, but it was odd, too, because the room was too dark and the air was too dry.

He changed his clothes and tucked himself into bed, but unlike his usual routine, he wrapped his hand around your waist and buried his nose in your hair. You were running hot, and simply by that alone, he knew you had been crying. He hugged you while you sobbed quietly and tried to catch your breath.

"It will be alright, honey," he would whisper to you and rub your arms. When you rolled over to him, you immediately buried your face in his chest. There was nothing to say to him at all; it was just one of those bad days when all the bad things chose to be at the forefront of your mind. Zayne stroked your hair and pulled you in closer to his chest, not minding the snot and tear marks you were making on his gray shirt.

When you let go of him and scooted back a little, he went to the kitchen and brewed you tea. He came back and handed it to you while waiting to see if you wanted to tell him how you felt. You looked so tired in his eyes, so he was very, very patient with you. You both talked to each other for a good hour or two, and Zayne listened intently, asking you how you felt.

He wiped your tears for you and lent you his shoulder when you spoke. His hand held onto yours, and his thumb brushed the back of your palm while you cried again.

Rafayel: The Comforting Joker

Rafayel is more perceptive than you thought. The moment you stepped into his house, he could see that you were in a bad mood. He stared at you, and the first thing he asked was, "Why the long face?" which was pretty odd considering that you were smiling.

You thought you were holding it in so well, but when he asked that question, everything seemed to slowly topple down in an instant. You found a way to distract yourself in his home, but Rafayel was having none of it. He looked so serious about it, and not a single hint of teasing escaped his mouth.

His frown made you frown as well. You decided to give in and tell him what was wrong, how you felt heavy when you woke up in the morning, and how things seemed to go wrong the moment you got out of bed. The moment a single tear fell down your cheek, Rafayel pulled you into a tight, long hug. He said a lot of stuff to try and cheer you up, and he did his best to make you laugh even if it made him look stupid; he didn't mind doing it for you.

Along the way, he talked about how he'd rate bomb that rude store and punch that post you walked into, and as stupid as that sounded, you managed to let out a stupid laugh. When Rafayel saw that, he was more than glad to see you slowly getting back on your feet.

Throughout the whole day, he gave in to your whims, doing things that you liked and eating the food you wanted to eat at that moment. He acted all cutesy for you because he knew you liked that about him the most, but he didn't joke with you in return. Instead, he acted all romantic and such.

Xavier: The Silent Comforter

Xavier could sense that something was off. Everything was in its place, and you were acting practically the same as every day, but he couldn't help but be instinctively close to you as if the energy he was sensing was oozing out of your body. He was quiet beside you, tending to his own entertainment, but the moment he heard a sniff, all his suspicions were confirmed.

Xavier kept his lips shut and reached an arm over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him. He didn't say a word to you. You continued to sniffle and hiccup while watching the movie, but both of you knew you weren't actually paying attention to the show.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Xavier would pat your arm or your thigh to comfort you, placing a kiss every now and then. He listened intently to your rants and your concerns, nodding and asking the right questions. It was his strategy to get you to relax and let it all out naturally. Albeit he'd have a hard time trying to understand you through your sobbing, all he knew was that you needed him at that moment.

It didn't take long for you to calm down and doze off to sleep, feeling the emotional exhaustion weigh you down more than you'd like to admit. You always fell asleep on his lap because he would always comb through your hair while you spoke.

A few hours later, you would wake up next to Xavier on the bed, and on the night table was some convenience store food that he bought.

Sylus: The Kissing Comforter

Sylus didn't know you were having a bad day, even if you were going on and on about that small little thing that made you feel so infuriated. Although he was listening very, very intently, offering you some practical advice and partially suggesting that he could deal with it for you, it wasn't until you headed to the restroom that Luke and Kieran sneaked into his office after hearing the entire thing.

Sylus was confused when the twins told him that you were crying on the way to the bathroom. At that moment, Luke and Kieran thought that their boss was too…insensitive. Sylus knew the look on their faces.

When you headed back to his office after half an hour, Sylus was waiting for you by the door. He pulled you into his grasp and brushed his thumb under your puffy eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked, and you burst out crying ugly like you did in the bathroom. He frowned when you told him that you were just having a bad day, but Sylus could see right through you.

Your efforts in brushing your own misery aside were futile at best.

He picked you up and carried you to the couch, and he patted your back like a baby. You went on and on again about how you felt so bad and why everything was going in the wrong direction, and this time, Sylus was quiet, shushing you and telling you, "Don't cry; everything will be better tomorrow." When you had nothing left to say, Sylus slowly began to distract you by giving you kisses in between cries, touching you, and petting you until you couldn't think of anything else for a few minutes. He nibbled on your ear and whispered sweet nothings alongside comforting words.

Author footnotes: I'm more than sure that their way of comforting the reader/you would vary depending on how you particularly act when you're having a bad day so I decided to go generic and not specify anything... Layout by me, using canva premium | Do not repost |

[racke7]

De-aged and injured Danny

Danny is found out by his parents. They don't take it well.

Clockwork is very upset about this, because he'd gambled on almost-certain odds of them being chill about it. So now he has to run damage-control before this very unlikely time-line goes even further off the deep end.

Unfortunately, Danny needs to be in the living world, not the Infinite Realms. Which means that Clockwork needs to put Danny somewhere safe. Somewhere where nobody will find him.

And double-unfortunately, the only place that remotely fits this bill is to contact Lady Gotham.

City-spirits aren't... super-reliable. They're Neverborns who very very rarely consider "humanoid shapes" worth figuring out. So they just kind of... exist. An ectoplasmic presence that's undeniable, but also extremely difficult to have a conversation with.

Thankfully, Lady Gotham is (for all of her... quirks) generally very hero-aligned. Which is why she's the best one to ask for sanctuary for Danny.

Danny who Clockwork de-aged as a way to "limit his injuries" of being vivisected.

Lady Gotham agrees, but she only has one "safe place" to put him. And her Knight is a little bit too paranoid for her to just dump an injured child in his lair, without causing more trouble than it's worth.

But it's hardly a difficult thing, to arrange a few things, and place Danny in a spot where his injuries will cause her Knight to hurry to his aid.

Such as... in a room filled with medical equipment, right next door to where Joker has just lost a fight with Batman.

Things escalate somewhat when Batman finds him and makes some assumptions about what Joker has been up to. Tempers run a bit high, someone loses a few extra teeth, someone else has to physically drag Bruce off Joker's body before he beats him to death, and the Joker considers the whole thing a grand old laugh (he has no idea what's going on, but it sure pissed off Batty, and that's always a treat).

Of course, the Batfam has to actually investigate the scene, evacuate Danny, give Danny medical aid, and then also ask Danny about what happened.

Danny wakes up and is very confused about a lot of things.

He's no longer being vivisected. Great. Love that part.

He's somewhere he doesn't recognize (the Batcave). Could be good, could be bad. At least the bed is pretty nice?

He's very small. This feels like a personal attack. He might not have gotten a good growth-spurt yet, but taking away what he had is cruel and unusual.

And there's a weirdo in an... armored bat-costume? Who isn't setting off his ghost-sense? What the hell kind of "normal" person wears something like that?

Still, Danny does answer the questions that Batman asks him, because... well, there's a green post-it-note in his pocket that says he shouldn't lie.

So Danny tells Batman about his parents cutting him up "for science". And Batman hears that the Joker somehow managed to hire two mad scientists who (upon the tiniest bit of suggestion from the Joker, who'd definitely seen the similarities between Danny and Jason and thought it would be a "funny prank") had leapt at the opportunity to vivisect their own son.

This is definitely worrying, because from the phrasing, they'd been "wanting to do it for a long time". And considering Danny's slow heartbeat and low body-temperature? They'd been wanting to do it because he was a meta.

So, somewhere out there (the Bats had found no trace of the two) were two deranged lunatics who wanted to cut open metas to "see how they worked".

Batman does the very reasonable thing and actually contacts the rest of the Justice League with their descriptions, just in case they'd managed to leave Gotham before the Bats had tracked them down.

[casscainmainly]

I think the recent Cass and Jason discussion is very interesting bc like, Jason or even steph in her first appearance take these actions of righteous, murderous (or near murderous) justice bc of the fact that not only have they've been abused, but they're also able to recognise that fact, and feel that despite everything, they didn't deserve to suffer like that (Jason with his murder, Steph with her childhood abuse)

Whereas Cass struggles for most of her series to recognise that she was abused and struggles to properly resent her abuser on the grounds that she didn't deserve it. She resents David for being a killer and making her love him, for making her a killer, but rarely for the actual abuse that came with her training. She eventually recognises it right before the end of pre-52 in batgirl 2008, but not after a long time, and she still tries to save David at the very end after contemplating letting him die.

she does grows to resent Bruce after some time, and confronts him, showing that she's slowly gaining higher expectations for how she should be treated after developing relationships outside the batfamily (coincidentally with Steph, someone who can relate over having a shitty dad, along with her love interests like Kon and Tai)- though Bruce, despite his multitudes of bad parenting moments never truly abuses cass like david did, so there's nuance, and after her fight with bruce, she still has trouble fully reckoning with her abuse (still calls david shooting her 'a game' in front of tim- she knows its wrong but still doesn't act upset about the fact it happened to her).

She kind of sees all the training she went through as a necessary evil in order to have the skills to be a hero- which is somewhat true, but I think it also contributes to her being unable to see herself, even partially, as a victim for large portions of her narrative.

She can understand abuse as something that molds you into a killer, she can't understand being abused and then choosing to be a killer bc of the righteous fury you have at what happened. In Cass' mind her abuse is synonymous with killing. That's the worst thing Cain ever did to her and the reason she ran away. She can't understand someone like Jason choosing it as a way to cope/deal with abuse.

I don't think this is necessarily a ground breaking thought but I think abuse is an interesting lense to look at both Jason and Cass' stories- pre52, Jason's story is about continuing a cycle of abuse. Criminals hurt him, he hurts criminals, and anyone who gets in his way of hurting the criminals, bc even tho he pursues justice, he also pursues retribution, which is hard to do justly. Between that and the whole zombie/living ghost thing, it's downright gothic. Whereas Cass' story is about breaking out of a cycle of abuse- nobody dies bc she let one person die and will never let it happen again. It's just an interesting way to view their differences I think. Good Cass and Jason posts recently!

I LOVE THIS!! I absolutely think abuse informs the way Jay and Cass see the world (and Steph - Steph, in many ways, is the median point between Jason and Cass).

It's the fundamental question that drives Jason and Cass apart. For Cass, her question is: how can I be the victim if I'm the villain? And for Jason, the question is more: how can I be the villain if I'm the victim?

I love this line: "Cass struggles for most of her series to recognise that she was abused and struggles to properly resent her abuser on the grounds that she didn't deserve it." This is doubly complicated by the genuine love David Cain had for her - that panel of them watching the stars kills me every time. This is another key difference between Jason and Cass' abuse (taking Jason's abuse to be his death) - Jason had no love for the Joker, but Cass did love David Cain.

It's why it's so easy for Jason to want to kill the Joker, and so hard for Cass to even be angry at her father. And your point here - "In Cass' mind her abuse is synonymous with killing" - is absolutely on point, because Jason's conception of abuse is the helplessness of being murdered. They are both acting in ways to prevent what abuse means in their minds: as Batgirl, Cass will never have to kill again, and as Red Hood, Jason will never have to be helpless in the face of murderers again.

Any rebuke of their moral codes feels like a denial of the abuse they suffered. It's why Cass can't allow others to kill, and why Jason can't accept Bruce's reasoning for not killing the Joker. It's why these versions of them could never get along. Argh there's been such good Cass and Jason commentary recently, they drive me insane!!!

[gritsandbrits]

In light of recent news over the passing of voice actress Arleen Sorkin, I wish to reflect on the impact of Harley Quinn on my life.

When I was a kid I grew with Harley. From getting fired from a tv show for giving questionable advice, as her backstory in the 2004 cartoon The Batman, to falling in mad love with her own patient as is the origin story in the 92 animated and subsequent media, Harley has such a big role in Batman lore I don't remember a single time where she wasn't involved. Sometimes I wonder what batman mythos was like before her inclusion.

The first thing that drew me to Harley was her design. Red and black the colors of danger which she was. But there was an added playfulness, that she genuinely enjoyed being herself. She was also VERY hilarious and at times out of pocket. Child Me was amazed. Did I want to be her? Not necessarily. But she did look like someone I'd hang out with.

The meta origin of Harley is just as fascinating. The creators of BTAS saw a performance of Arleen in a clown costume. From there inspiration leapt off the pages onto the big screen. Unlike most of the cast Harley didn't originate from the comics. She was created exclusively for the show, an OC if you will. OCs tend to have a mixed reputation. But Harley's concept and execution was so perfect, she almost feels like she could've been a real character in the comics.

And real she became!

Introduced as a psychiatrist, after receiving Joker as a patient, Dr. Harleen Quinzel begins to fall in love with him; and down a path to iconoclastic doom. Her love for Joker is obsessive, hilarious shallow, horrible but also downright entertaining to watch. I enjoyed every moment she was on screen: I still quote "rev up your Harley" to this day! I see her despair, her goofy outlook and morbid ruthlessness. I wanted her to get comeuppance but at the same time I can't help but feel sorry for her.

Joker abuses her, ignores her, and only complements her when she does something good for him. While the makes how awful their relationship clear, there are a good amount of fans who sees the pair as a glamorous whirlwind romance a la Sonny and Brenda or Jane and Mr Rochester. While such fantasies may seem morbid I don't blame them. No matter how horrible Harley is there is a tiny unavoidable spot that aches for her to win. Or at least see Joker for the monster he really is. While Harley is often held accountable for her actions her arc shows that no one deserves to be abused.

Arleen's performance played a major role in brining Harley to life. She nailed her weaknesses and strengths with such a sincere note that elicits pity, humor and shock at the same time. And of course that ear candy of the New Jersey accent that set the standard for future VAs. Whenever I look at a picture of Harley I hear Arleen. Not to say the other VAs aren't bad, but Arleen's performance is that iconic I can't help but think of her!

Over the years Harley grew apart from Clown Prince of Crime. She got her own spinoff comics, made appearances in other DC media. She even gotten her own tv show which sees the DC universe through her eyes. Harley has marginally healthier romances, primarily Poison Ivy (this isn't to say that pairing doesn't have it's share of toxic moments). The Harlivy ship is a fan favorite but even without shipping and the wars, Harley still shines bright as the Bat Signal.

In a way Harley's descent and eventual rise back to normalcy reminds me of my own struggles. I wasn't a happy child growing up, I've made a lot of mistakes and bad choices. To see a person like Harley work to take back control of her life, makes me feel a bit better for my own prospects. Of course I wouldn't torture a kid to near insanity or blow up a whole city but I can at least put my energy towards something constructive. Harley shows people like me thay we can be more than just screwups if we try.

Of course I can't forget Harley's design. The red&black suit is an icon by itself and inspires similar designs in and outside comics. I could talk all day about how cool her design is from a show and historical perspective but that would take me all day. While I prefer her classic palette, her recent blue and pinks aren't bad either and show just how far she's come out of Joker's shadow. It's even to the point where when, I see something black and red and white I have to point it out and say "Harley would love that outfit!"

Nowadays I complain about the oversaturation of Harley quinn (seriously what was DC thinking taking a team started by a disabled character to reclaim her agency) and overshadowing other cool DC villains. But I would be lying of I say she didn't leave an impact. And it's all thanks to Arleen Sorkin for breathing life into a character that proves you don't need to be be from "the comics" to be considered cool.

Thank you Arleen! May her memory be a blessing - Grits.

[swaps55]

Okay so I usually don't really care for OCs in a story, but the Yang's crew has stolen my heart completely ngl. So I was wondering, what would Pendergrass, Aslany and Beaudoin think about the ME1 Normandy's crew? How would they get along with them?

I've been sitting on this question so I could give it the attention it deserves, because it's a really fun thought exercise.

[And now that I've written this out, I really wish I could put them on the SR-1 and explore it further, so thank you again for an amazing question.]

Beaudoin: By nature, he gets along with everyone, but I think if you were to put him on the SR-1 or mix him with that crew, he'd feel really out of his element. He's never seen himself as anything other than Just A Guy. The superhero stuff is for other people. Courage, bravery, heroism, and The Cause isn't his thing, not because he doesn't care, but because he lacks the drive and initiative people like Sam, Kaidan, and Aslany do. (Pendergrass doesn't have initiative so much as insatiable curiosity and an unsettling lack of concern for safety).

So when it comes to the SR-1 crew, he'd probably feel even more of what he did on the 'Yang with Sam - that he's not good enough to work with these people. But he's very good at hiding his insecurities, so you probably wouldn't see it unless you knew what to look for.

He'd probably avoid Wrex. Dealing with Wrex is outside his paygrade. Garrus' loose cannon tendencies would worry him a lot, and he'd nag Sam to watch that guy because he was bound to get himself and everyone else in trouble. I wrote a scene in my ME1-fic, Exordium, in which Shepard (not Sam) notices Ashley get weird during a card game, finds her in the cargo bay, and then discovers she was playing poker with her unit when the geth attacked. Beaudoin would be the guy who sought her out if he were there, and he'd give her someone to talk to or confide in about Eden Prime, pep talk her about her family legacy, and have a smile when she needed it.

He'd find Tali delightful and charm the pants off her. He'd make sure she had something decent to eat, and when he figures out she's lonely away from home, guess who becomes a Fleet and Flotilla fan and sucks Ashley into it. The three of them hold watch parties, and suck in everyone they can. Aslany has to be dragged kicking and screaming, but she does it for Clay even though she scowls the whole time. He'd be equal parts fascinated and amused by Liara's blend of competence and naivete. He'd be the one to shake Sam by the shoulders and say, "to you Benezia was a monster to put down, but to Liara it was her mom."

Joker and Ashley would severely test his, "you don't fuck crew," motto, but he'd resist. Virmire would put a rift between him and Sam, while also putting himself in a guilt spiral, because the other choice would have been to leave Kaidan behind, and he wouldn't have been able to live with that, either. Virmire, more than anything, would teach Beaudoin things about what Sam does that he never truly grasped on the 'Yang, and reinforce that he wants no part of that. I think he gets out of the Alliance after Virmire.

Pendergrass: We saw in Fugue that Pendergrass developed some pretty intense jealousy over the SR-1 crew, fearing that Kaidan and Sam had replaced her with something better. And I think if she were on the SR-1, she'd get off on the wrong foot with Tali specifically. But they're both huge tech nerds, and Tali is Tali and Kara is Kara, so that would pass quickly. It wouldn't be long before they'd be attached at the hip, and and when one of them said, "I have an idea," the whole ship would nervously hold their breath.

She wouldn't get Liara at all, and probably ask a lot of really inappropriate questions about asari sexuality, requiring Beaudoin to intervene and explain to Liara, "Sorry, she's just Like That, she doesn't mean anything by it.' She would have no fear of Wrex, thanks to Sam's reverent krogan talk over the years. Wrex would find her excessively irritating at first, but would find a deep appreciation for her after watching her work in the field. She's a different kind of warrior with different weapons than he's used to, but a warrior all the same. If you can imagine anyone lounging in Wrex's lap to watch a movie, please imagine Kara.

She might bounce off Ashley a little for similar reasons to her initial clash with Tali, but my guess is they don't make up the ground the way Kara and Tali do. ME1 Garrus is probably a little too intense and focused for her, but she'd get along famously with ME3 Garrus. She'd think he was funny, and take his side over Vega's when they play one-up with each other.

Aslany: She would predispose herself to hating everyone. This is her family, her squad, and fuck you. You aren't part of it. Opening up her small circle of people she loves so fiercely would be extremely difficult for her. None of them are good enough to protect her people. Kara becoming close with Tali and Beaudoin becoming close with Ashley would make her crazy. She'd need a lot of reassurance, and Kaidan is probably who she'd go to for it. Ironically, she'd find Wrex the least threatening and warm up to him first. He'd be skeptical of the fragile human who wants to spar, but ultimately sing her praises, and Sam would be insanely proud of this.

She might grudgingly start to tolerate Ashley, but by that time it'll be too late. She probably becomes more neutral towards Liara, but the swiftness with which Liara becomes close to Sam would irk her a lot. Garrus would also piss her off - who the fuck does this guy think he is, I'm the sniper in this family - but after the events of ME2 she would respect him for sticking with Sam when the rest of them didn't, and see him a lot differently.

[cephalog0d]

Okay, but like. There's the whole joke about Bruce recruiting children to be his sidekicks, but honestly there's only really one that fits that.

And it's Jason. And the whole story there is, frankly, unhinged. Aaaaand then he died.

(I'm specifically talking about "first post-crisis origin stories" here because Jason and Dick, in particular, have both had multiple major retcons and revisions over the years, and some of them dramatically change how things happened.)

Like okay. Going backwards, you've got Duke who joined/led a whole Robin-based gang at a time when Bruce wasn't even Batman. You've got Damian and Cass, who were both literally born into the world of masks and capes and heroes and villains, so they weren't ever really not going to be part of it. Steph might have taken inspiration from previous heroes but she made her own identity and repeatedly refused to stop involving herself in the vigilante lifestyle. Tim, obviously, basically strong-armed Batman into letting him be Robin, despite Batman's protests.

Dick's a little more complicated just because there's so many versions, because that's what 80 years of comics and multiple universe reboots will do, and there's kind of a general trend that earlier pre-crisis versions were more of Batman being like "hello, child, would you like to be my sidekick" and later versions have leaned harder and harder into the idea that Dick was absolutely going to do this anyway, regardless of what Batman had to say about it. But even in the first post-crisis version, the flashback in Batman Year 3, Dick says he wants to find a way to keep people like that from hurting others again. When Alfred questions Bruce's offer to train him, Bruce says that Dick should learn to do things the right way if he's going to do it. It's not hard to extrapolate that, much like later versions of the origin story, Dick was going to get himself into this one way or another. (Batman (1940) #437)

And then there's Jason. Whose backstory has also had a lot of (sometimes major) revisions over the years (remember when his adoption was, like, some kind of Joker-originated long con? Fucken Nu52, man). But the original post-crisis version is pretty straightforward. Steals Batman's tires, gets caught and sent to Ma Gunn's Secret Criminal School, intervenes when Batman goes to investigate, immediately gets offered the chance to be Robin based entirely on that.

Which is itself kind of unhinged. That Bruce saw this kid who was living on his own stealing tires and went "Hey you would make a good Robin" as his very first instinct.

But if you've never read Jason's post-crisis origin, or it's been a while, it's honestly even more unhinged than that because that arc starts with Dick getting "fired" as Robin specifically for the reason that he got shot by Joker and Bruce freaked out about how the Robin identity has too many enemies and therefore Dick, a legal adult with approximately a decade of training and experience, should not use the identity anymore.

(And it's specifically about the Robin identity, in this version, because when Dick says he's not going to stop the crime fighting thing Bruce's response is basically "I know and I didn't expect you to". Honestly I could also say a lot about this version of the Robin/Nightwing transition vs. later ones and how this one definitely feels like the Heavy Hand of DC Editorial in the fact that they had no contact for so long afterwards, because the interaction really doesn't feel like it warrants that in this case compared to some later versions, but that's a whole other too-long ramble.) (Batman (1940) #408)

And then a few weeks later Bruce turns around and picks up a random kid, a literal child, and goes "Hey you would make a good Robin!"

And I think a lot about how fucking wild that is. And it's not like the people writing just didn't notice. Dick's big argument with Bruce when he finally comes back to Gotham and meets Jason isn't about the fact that Bruce took in another kid, or even necessarily about Dick feeling proprietary over the Robin identity, the thing he's angry about is that Bruce said it was too dangerous for him, an adult, someone who has trained with Batman for a decade and was already highly physically trained before that for his whole life, to be Robin, and now Bruce has turned around and painted that target onto some random new kid. He pushes, repeatedly, trying to get Bruce to justify himself and this absolutely irresponsible decision, and Bruce gives a lot of answers about how Jason was on a bad path and needed this outlet and eventually just admits that he missed having a partner. (Batman (1940) #416)

And like. Dick's right, is the thing. He is 1000% in the right in this argument. If he can't be Robin anymore because of the danger, how in the hell is it anything like a good idea to hand it over to someone way younger, way less trained, way less experienced, and expect that that wouldn't end in tragedy?

And then it did.

And yeah, Bruce, it is kinda a lot of your fault.

[twstinginthewind]

19. Pick only one from each dorm! For Joker and Punch. 1 fav person from each dorm?

(Questions here!)

Heartslabyul:

Joker has so much trouble picking a favorite! These are some of her best friends, folks she admires, and more than one crush! She's leaning towards Trey, though, predictably. He's kind, he's clever, he can bake ANYTHING, and he's darned nice to look at! But she loves all of her dormies...

Punch's favorite person at Heartslabyul (besides his sister) is Riddle. He really thinks that the housewarden has got it all together, and really admires him!

Savanaclaw:

Punch's favorite Savanaclaw is Jack, hands down. They sometimes go running together, and Punch appreciates Jack's outlook on life. He sees how hard Jack works, and it's inspiring!

Joker's very fond of Ruggie. She thinks his laugh is adorable, and they occasionally swap recipes and cooking ideas. She thinks he's too clever to be in Savanaclaw, but hey, if it works for him? It's fine.

Octavinelle:

In another unsurprising choice, Joker likes Floyd. He's fun, he's talented, and he's a fellow music lover. And she likes his nickname for her, too; it makes her feel cute.

Punch spends a lot of time with Azul, since they're in a club together, and even though he doesn't completely trust him and his motives, he does know what to expect from him, and they manage to actually have a good time together when they're both relaxed.

Scarabia:

Both of the twins ADORE Kalim. He's the sweetest person on campus. How can you not love this guy?

Pomefiore:

Punch's best friend (and crush) (fine he'll say it) is Epel! He loves how fiery that little country boy can get, and sometimes indulges his rebellious side. They've gotten along great since they first met.

Joker thinks Epel's pretty great, too, but her best friend is also in Pomefiore - @twst-the-night-away's Savvy! They've got a lot of differences, but the things they have in common overwhelm that, and they want to see each other's dreams come true.

Ignihyde:

Joker is not speaking to @twst-the-night-away's Sparky this week (they're fine; they do that), so aside from her brother, her vote goes to the most adorable guy in the whole dorm - ORTHO! He's such a sweet kid, and Joker adores him. One day she might even meet the older brother he's so proud of!

Fellow musician and with all the charm that he'd love to emulate, Punch is very glad to have made a friend in @the-trinket-witch's Lázaro! Hopefully they're not too loud for the others there.

Diasomnia:

Punch was assigned to work with Silver once in a multi-class project, and he was so impressed by the upperclassman's dedication and kind-heartedness. He hopes he can get a chance to work with him more in the future, because he admires him a lot.

Joker's favorite is Lilia. Hands down. He's her club friend, and they have so much fun making music together, gossiping, and laughing. Someday, she wants to shadow him in the kitchen, and help him make something actually edible...

Ramshackle?!?:

Please let the Carders pet Grim. Please. He's so cute and fuzzy-wuzzy. Please??

[montimer]

Joker x hero!reader who is insecure

This is a bit of an oc thingy. Reader is more than sad but yk

Gn!reader, could be any joker

When he falls for you his affection is endless. He runs after you and tries to kiss and hug you any chance he gets.

He flirts with you and brings you gifts.

He stalks and follows you around. And tries to find out everything about you, and he most likely succeeds.

When you pull away he thinks ur flustered and it makes him keep going.

But to you, you think he is just toying with you. Hes probably making fun of you in this way, and once you start having feelings for him back he'll laugh at ur face. After all why would someone so handsome and genius like him like someone like you?

Doesn't stop you from falling for him. You just keep denying it.

The other heros notice his weird behavior around you. At first they suspect he is indeed planning something and makes those bad thoughts in ur head stronger. They try to keep you safe with out knowing you feel bad.

When he finds out that people been feeding lies in ur head, he gets more than angry. Not at you of course! "Poor darling, how could you believe those idiots? Me manipulating you? No way!"

After you try to explain to him ur lack of trust and how you feel unworthy of such thing as love. He gets wordless. You feel like you should have kept ur mouth shut but then he speaks up. "Why would you think that?"

Now hes, sad? Confused maybe

He starts to explain why and what he loves in you. Hoping you belive and understand. "And anyways why would i keep chasing you for so long, just to laugh in your face?" You feel a bit stupid but relieved.

A minute passes and he breaks the silence. "So..do you love me back? I mean what a question of course you do! But, it would be nice to hear it.."

You give him a big hug and reply with "I love you"

He hasn't got any affection back in so long, he quickly wraps his arms around you. His smile grew as he giggles, finally his dear loves him back. Not like he would accept no for an answer

If you thought you had a crazy life until now, prepare cus things are just gonna get crazier. Look at the good sided. Now you have a loving clown bf. A very protective one who accepts you the way you are! You don't have to doubt urself anymore, in his eyes you are everything and thats all that matters.

A hero and a villain in love. He doesn't really care what or who, he just wants only you ♡

[onecinder]

i love john doe's queerness in telltale batman

I'm gonna mostly be talking with my canon ending in mind, which is Bruce keeps being Batman and stays friends with Vigilante John.

But John Doe is like.. legit one of the only sympathetic, human jokers we ever got. I don’t count Arthur Fleck because we are left feeling horrified and sick in the end, no sympathy left at all, even if he started out so. In The Killing Joke he is also slightly humanised in the final moments when he refuses help -- a brief lapse in his insanity -- but thats like a breadcrumb. He’s still evil. But here in Telltale Batman, yes he ends up fighting Batman or Bruce and locked up in Arkham no matter what choices you make, but HE’S STILL SYMPATHETIC. The game wants the player to feel guilty and question their choices if they chose Villain Joker path, and STILL feel guilty and make efforts to better help and understand John in the Vigilante path. Especially since you can choose to keep John as your friend and Bruce visits him in Arkham. Bruce doesn't treat him like he's irredeemable, ever (unless the player decides he's gone too far. But it's telling that the friendly option is there, so the devs deemed it in-character enough for Bruce. At least in Telltale, His two greatest rules are that he won't kill and that no one is irredeemable.)

Anyway, no matter what you choose the player just feels bad for him, because although he is capable of manipulation and murder, the situations he is put in are just inherently unfair and tugs at your heartstrings -- if you have a conscience. In vigilante he was genuinely trying to be a good guy. We didn’t get that with any other Joker. We never got a joker who was friends with Batman (except lego batman kinda) and had an actually close relationship with him who wasn’t depicted as doing it for his own benefit, manipulating him, crazy or sick. He has a downward spiral just like Arthur Fleck but totally retains that humanity Arthur ends up lacking. He is canonically queer but he isn’t demonised at all, the player knows he was in love with Bruce (canon: "all i wanted was to be loved by you" along with several comments on Bruce's awesomeness and handsomeness) - but it was never outright depicted in a twisted light (there were undertones, such as John admitting he just couldn't say no to Bruce, and of course Bruce's manipulation of him, but that's a rant for another time. At least the relationship was authentic) Actually, it was the only GOOD influence on him since he was surrounded by criminals straight out of Arkham. And it wasn’t even that Bruce didn’t reciprocate ("you broke my heart, John"). Just that the circumstances didn’t allow him to.

Although Bruce was ultimately the one who influenced John onto the villain path (and the one -- not Batman, but Bruce -- who John loved) I don’t think the player would once think their relationship was a bad thing. Hell, at the end of the episode we got statistics - - iirc, the VAST majority of players (95% maybe? Correct me if I'm wrong) expressed regret over what their relationship could have been and told him they were of course friends once upon a time in their final moments in Ace Chemicals, vigilante ending.

Joker is usually depicted as a mass murdering psychopath, to varying personalities and characterisations. His queercoding has just been another aspect of his character lending to his insanity, and he's just pretty much been a prime case of the demonisation of queer people. (ofc there are exceptions like Lego Batman, where it's this love between him and Batman that ultimately saved the city, but yk the vast majority.) And of course there are moments like this where he's very clearly depicted as a creep (not sure which comic it happens in though):

John has been confirmed by Kent Mudle (director of the series) in a Tumblr ask to be bisexual. But unlike normal queer Joker depictions, John's queerness didn’t make him a villain, it was just a part of him, one of his many characteristics that made the player love/cherish him. Their relationship, John's gayness, was never a bad thing, it fostered a relationship with a person who tried to help him rehabilitate, had his best interests in mind and tried to help him become a better person... albeit, in Bruce's way. But hell, he was (hetero)romantically pursuing Harley and that turned out way worse than Bruce’s influence ever did.

IDK, I just love how for once his queercoding (well, it's canon but not in-game) is a good thing, never a demonisation -- and the bad parts of his and Bruce's relationship was not a result of the queerness at all.

[kaitou-archive]

Otomedia June 2016

(Below is a cleaned up machine translation. Please note that due to the nature of machine translation, the text may not be wholly accurate or may read oddly. Japanese is included after English for reference. The text was lifted from the images using this site, and though there's been care taken to make sure everything is correct, there is a chance of unintentional typos.)

With the Only one prince + superb honeymoon in paradise♡

Only oneの王子様と+楽園で極上ハネムーン♡

▼ Spade offers a handkerchief to Joker, who is soaking wet from the rain. Phoenix is in a panic because of the rain, which he doesn't like!

▼雨でびしょ濡れになったジョーカーに、ハンカチを差し出すスペード。フェニックスは、苦手な雨に大慌て!

Joker dressed up as a woman to participate in the World Bride Grand Prix. The exotic dress suits him ♪

世界花嫁グランプリ出場のため、ジョーカーが女装した姿。 エキゾチックなドレスがお似合い ♪

--Producer Mabuchi Yoshiki Interview

Joker and new characters such as Phoenix (Akai Tsubasa) and members of the "Devil Fang" organization led by President D continue their unpredictable adventures in "Kaitou Joker" Season 3. I'm sure your hearts are racing with excitement, but how about another thing that makes your heart flutter♥

This time, we have a fantasy of newlywed life with Joker and friends ♪ We also have special cooking tips for the future brides. Of course, the excitement will be even more intense in the full-length anime! We received the following secret information from producer Yoshiki Mabuchi of Shin-Ei Animation! The main highlights are Phoenix and Hosshi. Their mysteries will be gradually revealed during the 16 episodes between Season 3 and the upcoming Season 4. In Season 1 and Season 2, the story was rather complete, but in Season 3 and Season 4, the mystery will be solved by watching all the episodes. Also, the tricks this time were supervised by a real magician, RYOTA, who came up with the ideas for the tricks.

Let's explore the charms of Season 3 from various angles, such as the concepts of new characters and the event report manga, with Producer Mabuchi still with us. ♪

赤井翼ことフェニックスやプレジデントD率いる組織「悪の牙 《デビル・フ ァング》」のメンバーなど、ジョーカーと新キャラクターたちの予測不可能な大冒険が続く『怪盗ジョーカー』シーズン3。ドキワクの連続にみなさまの心は高鳴りまくっていることと思いますが、ここで一つ、胸キュンなトキメキもいかがでしょうか♥

ということで、今回はジョーカーたちとの新婚生活をたっぷり妄想♪未来の花嫁のために、ジョーカーたちから料理にまつわる特別コメントも入手しました。もちろん、アニメ本編でもドキドキはさらに加速!シンエイ動 画の馬渕吉喜プロデューサーからは、こんなマル秘情報をGETいたしました!!! 「要注目はフェニックスとホッシーです。 シーズン3の全16話と次のシーズン4 にかけて、彼らの謎が徐々に明かされます。シーズン1・2ではわりと1話完結に近い形で物語が進んでいきましたが、 シーズン3・4では全編を通して観ることで謎が解かれる仕掛けになっています。 また、今回はトリックもリアルマジシャンのRYOTAさんに監修していただき、 アイディアを出していただいています」

馬渕Pにまだまだお付き合いいただき、 新キャラクターの設定やイベントレポートマンガなど、さまざまな角度からシーズン3の魅力を探っていきましょう♪

--Character Question

Do you prefer to cook or to eat food cooked for you? 料理は作るのが 好きですか食べるのが好きですか?

Joker: "Of course I prefer to eat, Hachi makes the best curry~! My specialty is cup ramen! I'll treat you to some another time, okay?"

ジョーカー : 「もちろん食べる方が好きだな!ハチが作るカレーは最高なんだぜ~!得意料理はカップラーメンだな! 今度ごちそうしてやるぜ?」

Tsubasa: "Hm, I've never cooked before… Well, here's the question: if I were to cook, what would it be? 1. Super spicy curry, 2. Super spicy mapo tofu, 3. Konpeito Southern Cross style (very spicy). By the way, I like very spicy food."

翼「料理は作ったことがないな〜。 さて、問題。 僕 が作るとしたら何料理でしょう? 1激辛カレー、 2 激辛マーボー豆腐、 3金平糖サザンクロス風 (激辛)。 ちなみに僕は激辛料理が好物だよ」

Spade: "I guess it's hard to decide between cooking and eating. Dark Eye makes delicious food, so I leave it up to him, but when I'm stuck in a writing dilemma, sometimes I just make French food."

スペード: 「作るか食べる かの優劣はつけがたいか な。ダークアイが美味しいご飯を作ってくれるから任 せきりだけど、執筆に煮詰 まった時はひたすらフランス料理を作ることがあるよ」

--Mabuchi P (Producer Mabuchi Yoshiki) prediction

Mabuchi P big prediction★ What if you let the phantom thieves do your housework!?

馬渕P大予想★ 怪盗たちに家事を任せるなら!?

Joker "Likely has the ability to select good things, so it could be shopping."

ジョーカー 「良い物を選別する力 があると思うので、 ショッピングでしょうか」

Hachi "All the housework. He's the ideal wife that everyone wants (laughs)"

ハチ 「家事すべて。 もはや 誰もが欲しがる、 理想の嫁ですね (笑)」

Phoenix "He's sleeping all the time, so I feel like he's going to be a lazy house-husband (laughs)"

フェニックス 「ずっと寝ているので、 ダラダラした主夫になりそうです (笑)」

Shadow "He seems to take good care of people, so I guess it would be picking up the kids and taking out the trash."

シャドウ 「面倒見は良さそうなので、子どものお迎えやゴミ出しでしょうか」

Spade "He's also a novelist, so perhaps he might not do well with housework."

スペード 「小説家もやっている ので、家事向きではないかもしれないですね」

--Mini Talk

Reverse Proposal Tips! Phantom Thief Mini Talk ♪ What gift makes you happiest?

逆プロポーズのヒント!? 怪盗ミニトーク♪ プレゼントされて一番嬉しいものは?

Joker & Tsubasa: "A game!!" Spade: "You guys are so in-tune…" Joker: "No way! Okay, if you like games, let's play an action game!" Tsubasa: "That sounds fun!" Spade: "I'll pass. You really do like that sort of thing, you're like children." Tsubasa: "You just don't like losing, do you?" Joker: "Yeah, right!" Spade: "That isn't the case! Fine then, let's do it!" Wings: "By the way, what's an action game?" Joker & Spade: "Eh……"

ジョーカー&翼 : 「ゲーム!!」 スペード: 「キミたち気が合うね……」 ジョーカー : 「あわねーよ! よぉし、ゲームが好きだって言うなら、アクションゲームで勝負し 「ようぜ!」 翼: 「おもしろそうじゃないか」 スペード: 「僕はパス。 本当に好きだね、 子どもみたいだよ」 翼: 「そんなこと言って、負けるのがイヤなだけなんじゃないのかい?」 ジョーカー : 「そーだそーだ!」 スペード: 「そんなことあるわけないだろ! やってやろうじゃないか!」 翼: 「で、 アクションゲームってなんだい?」 ジョーカー & スペード: 「え・・・・・」

--Pg 58-59

Mabuchi P's Big Prediction ★ What kind of brides will the female phantom thieves be!? "Queen is rough around the edges and wants to do the housework but often fails. She will need someone like Roko to follow her through. Ai is versatile, and she also cooks when in her Dark Eye form, so I think she will make the best bride. Rose seems surprisingly caring; However, she has been asleep for a long time, so I think she will be studying and learning modern common sense."

馬渕P大予想★ 女怪盗たちはどんな花嫁になりそう!? 「クイーンは大雑把なので、家事をやり たがるけど失敗することが多そうです。 ロコのような目線で、フォローしてくれる人が必要ですね。 アイは多才で、 ダークアイの姿のときには料理もしていたので、一番良いお嫁さんになるのではないでしょうか。ローズは、 意外と世話焼き な気がします。 ただ、 眠っていた期間が 長かったので、 これから勉強して現代の 常識などを覚えていくのかなと思います」

--INTERVIEW Producer Yoshiki Mabuchi

What is the main theme of Season 3?

The characters are fundamentally the same as in Seasons 1 and 2, but we asked Miho Shimogasa to design them with a slightly more adult or "cool" look in mind. Phoenix, Hosshi, and "Devil Fang" became the main characters at the suggestion of director Yukiyo Teramoto and series director Dai Sato. Originally, the original author, Hideyasu Takahashi, had an idea for the Phoenix and the Divine Beast, and we pulled the concepts from a rough draft of that idea. There are still many mysteries about President D, but by creating an organization called "Devil Fang" and having rival thieves belong to it, it became easier to bring out various characters in the anime. There are many fascinating characters in the original story, and we want to include them in the anime as much as possible.

In Season 3, you seem to have included a number of concepts that are original to the anime.

Yes, that's right. The concept of Hosshi eating treasures and laying eggs, where key items of the story come out of, is also an original concept of the anime. On the other hand, Akai's three-choice questions are a concept that existed in the original story, and we decided to make use of it in the anime as well, so Akai always says the three-choice question every time he appears in the story. Mr. Sato raised the bar himself, saying, "I want the questions to rhyme nicely" (laughs). He had a hard time thinking about it.

Speaking of originality, Kaneko transformed into a murderous woman in episode 30. I was surprised because this was an idea that Director Teramoto had mentioned in the August 2015 issue of Otomedia.

It was an idea that Director Teramoto had been working on for a long time. The transformation scene was quite forced, but since it was a gag episode, I thought it would be okay (laughs). The next episode, episode 31, "Shadow and Eyes and Fakes" was also a gag episode, and everyone on the staff wanted to do it. Shadow also made an appearance for the first time in a while, and he too became more of a gag (laugh). We also introduced Fake Silver Heart and fake Roko, who were not in the original work. Fake-Silver is a robot and Fake-Roko is a skunk. In the original, Fake-Queen is the character who farts, but in the anime, we switched that concept to Fake-Roko. The cast is also spectacular, with Kenichi Suzumura as fake Joker, Toshiyuki Toyonaga as fake Spade, and Kaori Nazuka as fake Queen. The casting was done after asking Ayumu Murase, who plays Joker, who he would like to play a fake version of his character.

The opening and ending sequences were just as impressive as the previous and the OP was storyboarded by Takashi Otsuka, who also directed the previous season's OP, to match Arukara's "Miracle Shounen Boy 2" with an emphasis on coolness. Tasuke Inamura, the vocalist of Arukara, came up with the idea for the intro of the song, which includes the call "Hachi!" The ED is innovative, with Joker in red and the Hachi in blue, each running on a road in their image color. The ED is sung by Fuki Commune and fits perfectly with the song "Welcome to the Shining Night!"

What are the upcoming episodes and characters?

There are stories featuring DJ Peacock and Ali Baba. Stay tuned for a rendition of "Ali Baba and the Four Detectives." The story of Rainbow Justice will also involve the Devil Fang. In addition, watch for the original anime episode "The Sky Joker in Peril"! The story and tricks are completely original, and it takes place on Joker's airship, the Sky Joker. You will also see Joker's treasure room and learn about the inside of the ship.

INTERVIEW 馬渕吉喜プロデューサー

シーズン3のメインテーマは?

根本的にシーズン1・2と変わらない のですが、少し大人向けというか、カッ コよさを意識して、しもがさ美穂さんにキャラデザインをしていただきました。 フェニックスやホッシー、「悪の牙 《デ ビル・ファング》」が主軸になったのは、 寺本幸代監督とシリーズ構成・佐藤大さんの提案です。 もともと、原作者のたかはしひでやす先生のほうでフェニックスと神獣に関するアイディアがありまして、 そのラフ案から設定を引っ張らせていただきました。 プレジデントDに関してはまだ謎が多いのですが、悪の牙 《デビ ル・ファング》という組織を作ってライバル怪盗たちを所属させることで、いろいろなキャラクターをアニメに出しやすくなりました。原作には魅力的なキャラクターがたくさんいるので、できるだけアニメでも登場させたいと思っています。

シーズン3では、���ニメオリジナルの設定が多数盛り込まれていますね。

そうなんです。 ホッシーがお宝を食べるとタマゴを生んで、中から物語のキーとなるアイテムが出てくるというのも、 アニメオリジナルの設��です。 逆に赤井が三択問題を出すのは原作にあった設定で、アニメでもそれを活かしてみようと思い、赤井が登場する度に必ず三択問題を言うようになったんです。佐藤さんが、 「きれいに韻を踏んだ問題にしたい」とご自分でハードルを上げていて(笑)。 考えるのに苦労されているようです。

オリジナルといえば、第30話でカネ子が殺子に変身しました。オトメディア2015年8月号で、寺本監督が語っていたアイディアだったので驚きました。

寺本監督がずっと温めていたアイディアだったんです。 変身シーンはかなり強引でしたが、ギャグ回なので大丈夫かなと(笑)。続く第31話 「影と瞳と偽物と」 もギャグ回で、スタッフみんながやりたがっていたエピソードでした。シャドウも久しぶりに登場して、彼もだいぶギャグ色が強くなってきましたね(笑)。原作にはいない、二セシルバーハートや二セロコも登場させました。 ニセシルバーはロボットで、ニセロコはスカンクですね。原作だとニセクイーンがオナラをするキャラクターなのですが、アニメでは その設定をニセロコに持っていきました。 キャストも豪華で、ニセジョーカーを鈴村健一さん、二セスペードを豊永利行さ ん、ニセクイーンを名塚佳織さんが担当しています。これはジョーカー役の村瀬歩さんたちに「ご自身の担当キャラの偽物をやってもらうなら誰がいいか」と希 望を聞いて、キャスティングした形です。

本編と同じく、オープニングとエンディングの映像もとても印象的でした。OPはアルカラの「怪盗ミラクル少年ボーイ2」にあわせ、前シーズンでもOPを担当していただいた大塚隆史さんに��� カッコよさを全面にだして絵コンテ演出をしていただきました。 アルカラのボーカルの稲村太佑さんのアイディアで、 イントロに「ハチ!」という掛け声が入っているんですが、そのタイミングでハチが画面に登場していますよ。EDは斬新でジョーカーなら赤、ハチは青と、各イメージカラーの道の上を走る構成です。 Fuki Communeさんが歌う「輝く夜へようこそ!」ともピッタリ合っていますよね。

―今後の注目エピソード&キャラは?

DJ・ピーコックがメインのお話や、 アリババが登場するエピソードがあります。 「アリババの4人の探偵団」の描写は、ぜひご期待ください。 レインボー・ジャスティスのお話には、悪の牙 《デビ ル・ファング》も絡んできますよ。 そして、アニメオリジナルエピソード「スカ イジョーカー危機一髪」にも注目です! ストーリーもトリックも完全オリジナルで、ジョーカーの飛行船「スカイ・ジョーカー」が舞台になってます。 ジョーカーのお宝部屋なども出てきて、スカイ・ジョーカーの内部が分かりますよ。

[zeroducks-2]

Okay Zero, who's the worst. Eobard or Joker?

Joker is the worst when it comes to Batman. He's Bruce's narrative foil and his raison d'être, he's the embodiment of everything Batman fights (and abhors) and in a meta sense, he's also queer, flamboyant and immoral while Batman is straight, serious and righteous.

However, Joker is also someone Bruce can't live without.

He's possibly the only one who truly, intimately understands Batman and why he does the things he does. And he doesn't even judge him! Joker is happy that Batman is Like This™, the good and the bad, wouldn't want to change him, accepts him exactly the way he is, whereas Bruce's loved ones will always have something to say about who Batman is and how he does what he does.

And for all his talk about how wrong everything Joker represents is, also the other way around is true. Bruce understands Joker (so much so that sometimes he's scared by this) and at this point in his "career" basically needs him to function.

Eobard is the worst when it comes to Barry. He's is so fast and so unhinged that when he's involved, it's an All Hands On Deck situation and all the other speedsters need to come and help stop him. He is the Reverse Flash, literally, but not just because of the Negative Speedforce - where Barry forgives, Eobard holds perennial grudges. Where Barry gives a second chance (and a third and fourth and a fifth and a sixth and a-), Eobard will declare you're his mortal enemy at the slightest offense. Where Barry is full of unconditional love, Eobard has no idea what does it even feel to love and be loved and cannot simply conceive it. Which is part of why Eobard wants to be Barry (he has a perfect life), but also wants to have him (no one should ever be close to Barry but Eobard himself), but also hates him so much: everyone loves Barry, but how can Barry possibly love everyone back?

For Eo love is a quantifiable thing, and it's quantified in the attention you give, and so it's impossible that Barry is sincere when he claims to love all the people he loves. It's just not possible. He must be lying.

But Eobard is also the person who knows Barry better than anyone else. Eo is the cause of a lot of his pain and turmoil, and recognizes this. Where other people belittle Barry's feelings and don't take his suffering seriously, urging him to just get over it, Eobard understands. Barry is the reason why he exists and in his distorted, psychotic way Eobard is devoted to him like to a divine being, and will never let him go, and will always feel for him what he can't feel for anyone else, because there isn't enough room in his heart for anyone but Barry.

If the question was "who can make more damage between Joker and Eobard", then obviously Eobard. If we don't count the meta stuff that applies only to Batman, Joker is just an unpredictable serial killer. Eobard is a chronomancer who can fuck your life up starting from when you weren't even born (in fact, he can make it so you never will be born at all), and change the literal course of time. Then there are also all the average speedforce abilities.

If the question was "who did more awful things between the two", then I'm going to have to use a meta answer and say Joker - Eobard doesn't appear in all that many DCU medias, while Joker is everywhere, and so going by numbers he did more damage because he had more chances to. But his reach is human, Eobard can erase an entire timeline if he so wishes, so it's two very different ballparks anyway.

[papyriasks]

Hey!

What would the main boys favourite soul trait that they look for in a s/o be?

Heyo! Love this question

Sans: Kindness definitely. He has a soft heart at his core and appreciates someone who can match that energy, he also has a few things he struggles with (such as depression) and really needs someone who can hold room for him and who he knows he can always find a nurturing and safe place in.

Papyrus: Bravery! (Just like himself) He is super into people who inspire him, and who he can admire as much as himself (lol). He likes people who he can count on for always being up for an adventure, someone who is exciting and courageous.

Stretch: Kindness, he has a huge respect for compassionate people, he definitely has a healthy distrust of humans and appreciates someone who he can know for certain is always holding good intentions and someone who looks out for other people and his brother.

Blue: Justice! Blue lives by his morals and refuses to budge for anybody else, he will always look for the good in people but will not allow himself to be blinded and ignore the bad, and he absolutely needs someone who matches his sense of morals and has a strong sense of character to stand up for what they believe in.

Jupiter: Perseverance! Having lived through incredibly hard times himself he definitely admires someone who can stand the test of time, who can get knocked down and find their way back to their feet. He wants someone who he knows is committed and doesn't give up easily. Jupiter has a very low self esteem and thinks of himself a lot like one big problem needing to be fixed, he wants someone who he knows won't bail on him, and will stick by him during the hard times.

Mars: patience! Mars isn't all like he used to be, especially after his head injury, in the process of his recovery he has taken upon a more slow, stable lifestyle and desires someone who can create a cozy, stable home with him and can be understanding of his disability- and loves him just as much for it and doesn't see him or his injury as a burden.

Mutt: determination/Bravery, Mutt is super attracted to people with bold personalities, people who know what they want and don't let fear rule them. Mutt himself has a bit of a coarse, icy exterior and can be quite intimidating to many, he's super into people that aren't afraid to challenge him and aren't easily intimidated.

Lord: integrity, coming from a universe where deceit and manipulation is all too common, he needs someone who he knows is reliable and sticks to their morals, he despises wishy-washy and unreliable people.

Red: Kindness, though he will never admit this (and honestly might not even be fully consciously aware of this either). Red at his core wants to feel safe, he wants someone who he can trust and will nurture all his wounds-both emotionally & physically. He has an incredibly hard time opening up and very little experience with kindness, but he's lived his entire life with a hard shell to protect himself from cruelty to cruelty- he just wants someone that makes him feel soft.

Edge: Integrity/Perseverance. Edge similarly to Lord appreciates someone who knows themselves and has the confidence to stand by what they believe in, someone who has a strong sense of character. He respects strength incredibly and has little respect for the weak-willed.

Razz: Bravery! Razz is all about the freaky eccentric things in life, he needs someone who is equally as much of a freak and isn't scared of the unconventional. He appreciates people who push limits and is all for exploring in uncharted territory.

Cash: Bravery/Justice. Cash is an absolute mischief maker and practical joker, he has strong morals and doesn't particularly care if those morals align with the law or not, out of all the main Skellies cash is the one with the least respect for any kind of authority and is going to be super attracted to anyone who can team up with him in his trouble making.

Coffee: Patience! Coffee is supppeerr socially anxious, and takes a long time to come out of his shell, his more mild and tame outer shell is often deceiving as he actually has major trust issues and tends to assume the worst in people, any potential s/o's would need to have the patience to get him out of his shell and reveal his more deviant & affectionate side.

Black: Determination, Black is incredibly cutthroat, he knows the challenges and cruelties of the world and knows them well. He's insanely ambitious and needs someone who is just as so, he very much is looking for an equal who is just as cunning as he is and is super attracted to people with a lot of prowess and big aspirations.

[tigreblvnc]

BLUE LOCK MATCHUP EXCHANGE — @reapkusho

Your match is...

— Bachira Meguru

✦ You were really a tough one.

✦ And when I say that, it means the obvious match wasn't immediately apparent because I wondered whether it would be better to pair you with someone similar to you or different.

✦ When you take the Harry Potter test, are you the type to get a different result every time? Hahaha

✦ My brain went through all the calm, cautious, and thoughtful characters because I thought that someone with a strong temperament like yours might find an interesting balance with an opposite.

✦ ... But strangely, even after going through the entire Blue Lock roster, I wasn't convinced.

✦ So I decided to go for someone expressive, with their mysteries and differences.

✦ Bachira being an excellent candidate for this description.

✦ I find that he is a well-balanced mix of an extroverted character with many unsuspected and unpredictable aspects.

✦ In his matches, he is often the Joker card that completely turns the game around.

✦ He shows great creativity and a free spirit that, I'm sure, would work wonders with you.

✦ Among all the Blue Lock characters, I think he would be one of the best suited to talk philosophy with you.

✦ I even believe he would talk to you about his Monster because he would know that you understand exactly what he means. In my eyes, Bachira only talks about his Monster to people who, he knows, live and feel the same thing as him.

✦ Expect heated debates. He always has plenty of wacky ideas, and his open-mindedness never blocks a conversation. You never get bored with Bachira.

✦ Moreover, one of the things he loves most in the world is receiving gifts! Anything! And he collects all the little trinkets you give him, the bags and scarves you crochet for him. They are his treasures, and he proudly shows them off to others.

✦ Your direct and sometimes arrogant side would amuse him more than scare him away. I don't see Bachira as someone who enjoys being with a quiet person who doesn't communicate or does things behind people's backs. He prefers confrontational and ambitious people.

✦ That said, we also know he's not into fights and tends to want to ease tensions. He would know how to react when a discussion gets a bit too heated, in the wrong way.

✦ Unless it's for his football goals, I don't see Bachira as disloyal or bad at all; quite the contrary. He has an explosive and light-hearted innocence that defuses tensions. I'm convinced that at your first meeting, he was the one who approached you.

✦ With his family having an artistic streak, I think you'd enjoy talking to his mother about art. She would love to listen to you talk about what you write, and that would inevitably pique Bachira's interest. Normally, I don't see him particularly enjoying staying in one place doing nothing for a while, but he would want to understand your point of view and enter your world. I think it would inspire him in his football techniques.

✦ Physical contact is entirely part of his love language.

✦ In fact, I think he never resists a hug; people often have to pry him off you.

✦ Listen, I know you hate the heat... But summer is Bachira's favorite season... So there's no question of staying indoors; it's time for hours spent outside! I like to think that amusement parks, festival outings, and concerts are things that attract him.

✦ In reality, any new and stimulating activity with you is enough to excite him.

✦ I imagine him wanting to learn to play a bit of piano with you.

✦ Spam of texts at any hour of the day, ☆★☆ emoji man ☆★☆

✦ When you're angry, he always buys you the little thing that calms you down immediately. Your favorite meal or a trinket that caught your eye. Giving gifts at the perfect moment is what he does best.

A word about your match: At first, I thought of Raichi, for his very direct, arrogant, yapping side... Like you. But I changed my mind, thinking that fire and fire wouldn't make a good result. Then there was Rin... The desire to match you with him was very strong because I thought your analytical side, which likes to understand so-called special people, could have led to something very interesting with Rin, who buries everything and hides his wounds. But knowing his way of being with others, very cold and arrogant, it wouldn't have been conducive to a good understanding from the start.

© TIGREBLVNC 2024 | INTERESTED IN A MATCHUP EXCHANGE? CHECK THIS.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

You know what I like in superhero stories? When they answer the question of, "Why don't the villains just use their talents for money?" with "Because they're too dysfunctional, too selfish, or too crazy to use their talents honestly."

Because isn't that how it is some of the time? Where you have brilliant people who can easily make a ton of money, but they want it all NOW so they use crime to get it, or they blow it all on hedonism and need more, or something else that ends with them being criminals? Doesn't it also make them such good foils to heroes who often also had a bad hand but chose to do the right thing and put others first, even when it brought great sacrfice?

One side actively chooses to do good, regardless of whether it rewards them. The other side actively chooses to do evil, No matter how much it punishes them.

YES.

Good and evil are choices and the best characters reflect that. To continue beating the Batman horse to death, Bruce Wayne with all his resources and iron will dedication to his cause, could have easily decided to lash out at the world for what happened to his parents. In fact, considering his resources and an upbringing that was more isolated from society than is the norm for most people, I would say most people in his position, in the most corrupt city in the world, would have turned to vengeance and hate. But instead, he made a choice to do the opposite. His vow wasn't to make the people responsible for his parent's deaths suffer. His vow was that no other child would ever have to suffer what he did. His mission is pure. It is noble. And it can never be fulfilled. That's what makes him compelling. That's what makes him a hero.

And that's why all the "Esleworlds" and "What Ifs" where Batman is a murderer and a violent psychopath feel like a water damaged old daguerreotype compared to the vibrant 8k photograph that is the real Batman. Because choosing hate and evil is boring. It's the easy thing to do. It's common and it's commonplace. Reading about people like that does nothing to inspire. It does nothing to make a bad day a little brighter. There's nothing to admire. Nothing to strive towards. True heroism, the choice to do the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier and more satisfying, is noble.

And nobility is something that comics have been seriously lacking, lately.

Now let's contrast that with another dead horse, the Joker, in the deadest of all the Joker's own horses, the Killing Joke.

In that story, at the very end, Joker is offered a choice. Even after everything he's done, to some of the people Batman cares for the most, Batman still offers to help him. He offers rehabilitation. To work with the Joker to get him the help he needs so that one day he can heal and be something other than the monster he is. He tells the Joker he will stay with him so he doesn't have to be alone anymore. And the absolute brilliance of that story, the thing that turns Bruce from a hopelessly naïve idealist into Batman, is that the Joker actually considers it. And the offer that Bruce makes, the way he phrases it, "we can work together" "you wouldn't have to be alone anymore", is him giving the Joker exactly what he's always wanted--Batman's full attention. All he has to do is make the hard choice. To work on himself. To change. To heal and be a better person. And in the end he chooses not to try. And he doesn't just reject it because he's evil, or because he can't understand that what he's doing is wrong. He rejects Batman's offer because he thinks it's far too late for that option. He's done too much, become too much, to ever go back. He chooses to spurn the thing he's always wanted most and to stay on his current path because he thinks trying to go back would be impossible. Which once again brings us back to Batman. Because if you'll remember, the path Batman chooses is also impossible. He can never redeem Gotham. He can never prevent every child from losing their family to violence. He knows this, and yet he still chooses to try.

Once again, that's the difference between a hero and a villain. A hero chooses the right thing. A villain chooses the easy thing. A hero is noble. A villain is common.

Modern comics are common.

[nightwings-robin]

okay got around to actually reading The Killing Joke for the first time and

yeah I definitely think Batman killed the Joker here:

the light symbolism is pretty obvious and I'm certainly not the first person to point this out but the fact that the light goes out in the last panel makes me think the Joker died. I don't need to go into an in-depth explanation of how light symbolizes life and darkness symbolizes death. I think it's pretty obvious that Batman killed the Joker. it looks like Batman's hands are just on the Joker's shoulders and not his neck in the second panel but he could have moved his hands to the Joker's neck in that panel where we only see the lower halves of their bodies. and then the laughter stops. and the light goes out. he killed the Joker.

but my question here is why did Bruce kill him? obviously the Joker shot and tortured Barbara and Jim Gordon in this comic so that's a good reason for Bruce to want to take him down permanently but what about his no-kill rule when the Joker has tortured and murdered so many other people before this? what about this one particular interaction made Bruce cross that line?

Bruce flat out says right before the end that he doesn't want to kill or even hurt the Joker. so then why does he suddenly flip on a dime and strangle him?? well, I think the joke that the Joker tells immediately before this is the answer.

(a transcript of their dialogue is in the ALT text)

so I only just recently read the comic but I did watch the animated movie adaptation years ago. and I remember being very confused as to what this joke meant. it didn't make sense to me and I thought it was pointless. but now that I've actually read the comic and thought about it, I think I get it. or at least I have an interpretation that kind of makes sense to me.

the joke can be interpreted in many ways by different people. I'm going to go into two ways that I interpret it. feel free to disagree!

the joke is about two friends escaping an asylum together and one offers to shine a light to help the other cross a rooftop but he believes his friend will turn off the light while he's only half way across, thus dooming him. the joke, to me, seems to be about trust. the one guy doesn't trust the other that he will keep the flashlight on as he's crossing it.

the Joker as the one with the flashlight vs Batman as the one with the flashlight.

I think the two escapees are meant to represent the Joker and Batman. but which of the escapees do they each represent?

If the Joker is the one with the flashlight, I think he's saying that he will not change his ways. that he is too set in not being a good person that he would be willing to "turn off the light" knowing that it would doom his friend to his death. Batman realizes the Joker is telling him that there is no hope of the Joker being a better person so Batman decides that the Joker has to die. I think one of the many reasons why Batman doesn't kill people is because he wants to believe that people can change for the better. even the most vile and evil person can someday, with help, be a good person. and if you interpret this joke to be that Joker never intends on changing into a good person, then Batman has less of a reason to not kill him.

If Batman is the one with the flashlight, I think the Joker is saying that he doesn't trust Batman to actually help him. Batman says earlier that he doesn't want to hurt or kill the Joker and that he truly wants to help him. Batman is the one "shinning the flashlight beam" for the Joker to "walk across" to be a better person. but the Joker thinks Batman is going to "turn off the light" when he's "half-way across." he is straight up saying, "I don't trust that you really mean to help me." and if the Joker doesn't trust that Batman will help him be a better person, then the Joker will never change from the horrible murderer that he is.

what ways do you interpret the joke?

now obviously the Joker is still alive in the comics after this. it was only a few months later in real time when Joker killed Jason Todd. but iirc didn't Allen Moore mean for TKJ to be in its own separate universe? so the Joker could die in that universe but still be alive in the main universe?? if that's so, then Batman can have killed the Joker at the end of this comic without it impacting the fact the Joker is still alive in the main continuity. I don't entirely remember but I'm pretty sure it was meant to be outside of the main comics. but even if that was the case, TKJ was still made canon to the main universe pretty quickly because we do see Barbara in a wheelchair at Jason's funeral.

so even if Batman truly did kill the Joker in TKJ, it had to be retconned once it was made canon to the main comics.

any thoughts?

(okay after I already had most of this typed up, I found out that Moore actually did NOT intend for this to mean that Batman killed the Joker... but hey whatever. we can interpret things however we want ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that's the beauty of comics)