#its not even deathstroke related

[roseworth]

i just think we should give this outfit another chance

[controversialbatfamilytakes]

YESS!! To the Pranking each other anon. Anytime I see a fandom post where one of the Batboys messes with the others and then something along the lines of "Of course they leave Cass out cause shes perfect/she too badass" its how I know they either don't have siblings, don't have sisters, or have never gotten beat up by a sibling stronger than you and STILL continue to clown them. Do y'all know what siblings are actually like? It doesn't matter whose stronger or any of that. Can you be pranked? Can you be clowned upon? Then it will happen. Stop Chuck Norrising characters. It gives Gary Stu/Mary Sue type of shit.

I have sisters who can and will defenestrate me and I still can, will and do clown upon them.

Its siblinghood.

A lot of fandom doesn't want to include Cass in those type of headcanons because some stans complain that Cass would never fall for this stuff because they equate body language with mind reading 🤷🏽‍♀️. My sister (Selene she's another mod and the sister who can and will defenestrate me) gets upset anytime people forget that Body reading isn't an infallible technique. Deathstroke and even J*ker showed that.

My sister started to love Cass because we both could relate to being denied language for a core part of our childhood. I used to be wary about messing with her but its something that I and the rest of my siblings do to each other because its fun, its a way to hang out and its just hilarious to mess with one another. Why leave her out of that? She was so STUNNED the first time we pranked her. I still remember her face. I love the idea of Cass also being included in that type of silly stuff.

[moonlit-ocs]

Carmen Kyle

Carmen - Lana Del Rey

self-explanatory, but i feel like this song just captures the bombshell essence of carmen on top of her very unconventional life. her beauty, her charisma, her life on the wrong side of the tracks, just everything about how appealing she is…

Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys

this one is moreso a capture of her and dick’s relationship, i usually imagine it in the titans storyline, but not necessarily. reminiscent of old times and times that could be later as i feel they are “high school sweethearts” in a vigilante sense and come back to each other later on with some reluctance because they fear being hurt again. the specific line i relate their actual story with is “when you know who’s calling even though the number is blocked,” which would be the beginning of the titans show when dick calls carmen for help first when he meets rachel

House of Memories - Panic at the Disco

this is another sort of titans!carmen song that i think fits the feeling of returning to titans tower after the deathstroke incident destroyed the original titans. because she was happy and life was looking up for her, she was in a stable relationship, she had amazing friends, she was out of gotham, she wasn’t a criminal anymore, and when she returned all of that was gone and now she was in a much different dynamic with rachel and gar and dick. she was longing for that feeling again.

Out of Control - She Wants Revenge

happy-go-lucky carmen, carefree and willing to go where the night takes her. i can see her in clubs living it up and being the center of attention. i can also see her being mysterious and sitting in the corner staking out whatever she can swipe from a person before heading home for the night.

Siren 042 - Lala Lala, WHY?

ugh this song is honestly so melancholy and beautiful. it hurts me sometimes i can’t listen to it bc it reminds me of a time me and my bf nearly broke up but we’re doing just fine now. still. carmen begs for forgiveness for her criminal ways, she was raised that way and it’s hard for her and dick to see eye to eye on the subject. sometimes it gets to be too much.

Season 2, Episode 3 - Glass Animals

carmen is all about that elegant lifestyle, but she really loves to just be comfy and lazy like her cats. she enjoys laying on the couch, a bit stoned, and just chilling the day away.

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

dick and carmen core theme. being young lovers and growing older is so hard i think they fall in and out of love a bit.

Time Moves Slow - BADBADNOTGOOD, Samuel T. Herring

another dick and carmen core theme. after the OG titans disband, dick and carmen go back to gotham together and slowly begin to fade, but its hard to leave that person you thought you couldn’t live without. dick ran away from her and regret it, carmen built walls to keep him out, he still watches from afar, she knows it. but now life feels pointless and the days feel the same. and she misses what it felt like to be cared for. so when she and dick reunite and go back to SF, she does take a look out of the window and wishes when she turned around, it was all just a dream.

The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

DONT GO THERE CUZ YOU’LL NEVER RETURN. I KNOW YOU THINK OF ME WHEN YOU THINK OF HER. BUT THEN IT DONT MAKE SENSE WHEN YOURE TRYING HARD TO DO THE RIGHT THING BUT WITHOUT RECOMPENSE. AND THEN YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG AND YOU SA—

Sunday Morning - No Doubt

oooooh idk there is something so significant about this song and my OCs. but carmen and her relationships…i cant even pin who to pair her with here. “changing with no warning” is so significant to everyone. oh and the bridge: “youre not looking like you used to…i didn’t think you had it in you, and now youre looking like i used to!!!!” oh it hits. i imagine it flashing between her and selina but it sounds so violent because they have a great relationship. sometimes i think of her and dick because she was the raunchy one who went good and he was a good boy who gets a little raunchier (this can apply to titans if we wanna go the very violent route but the comics are just as good)

Short Skirt / Long Jacket - CAKE

her femme fatale anthem. this song is a play by play of her cat burglar lifestyle.

Calm Like You - The Last Shadow Puppets

“i can still remember when your city smelt exciting, i still get a whiff of that aroma now and then” gotham. “burglary and fireworks, the skies they were alighting, accidents and toffee drops and thinking on the train” robin and the stray. “oh he was young in the frost, no regard for the cost of saying his feelings in the moment they were felt” dick grayson you dog. “and if he was calm like you locked inside of the loops then he’d know full well that all he had to say was goodbye” first heartbreak baby.

My Body Is a Cage - Arcade Fire

the pressures of gotham that strain relationships <3

[carmen] [dg+ck]

(links to playlists added soon)

[fabianocolucci]

Legends of Tomorrow: what if the show was more cryptic about its premise and characters when it came out?

Legends of Tomorrow was a really interesting show. Set in the Arrowverse, it aired between 2016 and 2022, and had the characteristic of being the spin-off of three shows at the same time: Arrow, The Flash and Constantine.

It was an original concept, because there is no team of Legends who wander around time and space while facing Aberrations and trying to preserve the correct timeline in the DC Universe. As a result, there were no clues about its members and what were they supposed to do. Even when this spin-off was announced, back in 2015, people were calling it “a TV show dedicated to team-ups”. Some even speculated that it would have been called “The Atom”, and presumably featured Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer teaming up with various heroes during this show.

What was fascinating about it is that, with so little information about it, pure speculation was turning into hype, since everyone was curious about what was going to happen.

Then, the teaser was released, and it featured Oliver Queen and Barry Allen talking to the team of protagonists, with the help of Rip Hunter, who introduced the concept and the main villain of the first season, Vandal Savage.

While this was enough to still generate some forms of hype, because, after all, it was a team of superheroes set in the same universe as Arrow and The Flash, so the closest they had to a Justice League at that point, I believe that revealing the key points (and characters) right away was a mistake.

After all, keeping things vague could have been helpful in that everyone would start speculating and making theories about what was going to happen. If you think about it, making fan theories and suggestions regarding a superhero movie or TV show is part of the spectacle.

So, I was wondering: what if Legends of Tomorrow had kept its premise and characters as vague as possible?

Here is what I imagine the teaser could have looked like: Oliver Queen and Barry Allen are still featured, but they are not with the other heroes on the rooftop. Instead, they talk to Arthur Darvill, but his role is not revealed right away. He simply explains to him that he is in need of a group of people for a special mission. Oliver and Barry might explain that Star City and Central City need their heroes, but they will help him find the help he needs. However, he specifies that they do not have to be heroes, saying “you don’t have to be a hero, in order to be a legend”. Cut to the title.

Fans are left with barely any information about what all that could mean. Perhaps, some could notice that his clothes are similar to an outfit that time traveller Rip Hunter wears in the comics, and, perhaps, the fact that they casted an actor from Doctor Who might have been a clue. As such, they figure out that time travel is going to be featured.

However, what about the members of this team?

Since Oliver Queen and Barry Allen were talking to him, then characters from both Arrow and The Flash could have been available. Perhaps, Black Canary or John Diggle could have joined, as well as other heroes like Ray Palmer and Firestorm, since it would be fitting to include characters that are important enough in their mother shows, but that can still be removed from them without taking an important piece of the main characters’ mythos. Maybe, even villains like Deathstroke, The Huntress or Weather Wizard could have been included.

Then, there are the other DC shows. After all, Constantine was recently cancelled, so he could have, easily joined, as well as other characters that the show teased, like Spectre or Doctor Fate.

Gotham was not meant to be part of that universe, but, who knew: maybe, Batman-related characters could have made an appearance. Especially if the show was indeed about time travel: perhaps, characters like Robin or Batgirl, if not Batman himself, could have, at some point, travelled back in time to when Bruce Wayne was still a kid.

Titans was already in development, so the inclusion of the Teen Titans was not to be excluded, since nobody even knew what was the series going to be about.

And, finally, there was the upcoming Supergirl series. Perhaps, some could have speculated that they would have justified Superman’s lack of appearances on this show because he was going to appear on this new one.

Imagine the crazy fan theories about this show including both Batman and Superman. It could have been extremely unlikely because Season 1 would have debuted 2 months before Batman v. Superman, but fans could have dreamt about this show being a secret Justice League show that didn’t want to be called Justice League.

As the new season came, fans could have started looking for clues. Maybe, whenever a character came back, people could have thought “oh, they remind us that this character is still around so that they can be included in the spin-off”.

Even the annual crossover could have been used for this. Maybe, the plot could have still revolved around Vandal Savage chasing both Hawkman and Hawkgirl, and, since the show would have debuted a few weeks later, it could have been a clear indication that at least one of them will become a key character there.

You see, the possibilities could have been endless, and, who knows, maybe it would have been a more successful show. Of course, there is also the chance that fans could have felt tricked as they watched the actual pilot, and, perhaps, it could have tanked.

We have no idea of knowing this, and I am simply a fan who enjoys making such creative posts, as a fun exercise. Did you enjoy Legends of Tomorrow? Do you agree or disagree with how the lead up to the show was handled? Let me know, and I would be glad to read your opinion.

[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.

[elareine]

What you're doing is so NICE! (I thought I'd give you three prompts so that if your not vibeing with one you have some other options you hopefully like better) 1. Mafia Boss(es) AU, OT3 or OT4 of (Tim, Damian, Dick, and Jason), mix and match as you please if you decide to do OT3 instead of OT4 OR 2. Prison AU, Slade/Dick OR 3. "This has to be the last time." Pairing: Clark/Bruce OR Damian/Dick No underage please Thanks so much! 💛💛💛

So… I decided to go with prompt number two for now, but there might be more to come ;) Thank you, this was very thoughtful of you 💙

This is my first SladeDick, hope I did them justice!

The guard pretended not to recognize him. “Name?”

“Richard Grayson.”

“Who are you here to see?”

“Slade Wilson.”

“ID, please.”

Dick handed it over without comment. You’d think they could save themselves the fiftieth scan, but nope. Every Sunday, it was the same ritual. Honestly, with the number of prison breaks here, he couldn’t even blame them.

“What is your relation to the inmate?”

“He’s my husband.”

The guard nodded. Dick noted that he wasn’t even bothering to fill out all the fields in the form anymore. “You have twenty minutes.”

“Twenty?”

“Reduced visiting hours because of staff shortage.”

Dick sighed. Complaining wouldn’t help. Inmates weren’t human beings to these people.

Slade was already sitting down when Dick entered; he usually was. Even that ridiculous orange suit and the glass between them didn’t take away from his presence.

It was ironic. This thing between them had started as something purely physical—an intimacy need Dick needed scratch, something to amuse Slade—and now they couldn’t even touch each other. Even growing up poor, Dick had never known hunger like this before.

A chuckle. “You’re staring.”

“What else am I supposed to look at?” Dick asked reasonably, taking his seat. “The lovely décor?”  

Slade lifted an eyebrow, amused. “Ready to divorce me yet?”

“As if I would give them that satisfaction.”

We both had something to prove, and then it stuck was hardly the kind of explanation that satisfied people, after all. Bruce hadn’t spoken to Dick for a whole two days when he’d heard that.

Totally worth it.

“Wow, kid, don’t go all romantic on me.”

Dick smiled. “That line would work better if you hadn’t called me ‘kid.’”

“Hmm.” There were a number of jokes to make here and they both knew it. Slade visibly refrained.

They were quiet, taking each other in.

The silence never bothered Dick. They talked plenty. Slade had a phone, which offered them much more privacy than this room with the guards and other inmates. However he had managed that. They spoke every night, just as they had before this happened. For a maximum-security prison that prided itself on its punishments, the notorious Deathstroke was sure getting a lot of privileges.

(On some level, Dick fully expected Slade to stand in his living room one night, ready to go on the run. What Dick would answer… Dick would find out when it happened.)

So today wasn’t for words. It was for taking each other in; a visual, visceral reminder, even if it wasn’t as close as they wanted to be.

“Time’s up.”

“It’s not,” Dick told the ward without ever looking away from his husband. “It has been seventeen minutes and twenty-one seconds. I will get up at twenty, and not a second earlier.”

He made them wait the entire amount of time, too. There was an indulgent curve to Slade’s mouth at this show of pettiness.

At exactly twenty minutes since he’d entered the room, Dick got up. “Alright. I’ll see you next week.” And talk to you later.

Like every Sunday, Slade spoke up. “Dick.”

As always, Dick stopped by the door and listened.

“I don’t regret it.”

I would kill for you, Slade had told him many times before. Dick had known better. Slade was really saying: I would kill for many reasons, one of them being you. A mercenary was a mercenary, after all.

He’d had time to think since then. (Too much.) About how he’d woken up in the hospital room to his concerned family, summoned by an anonymous phone call. About the nightmares, and the confusion when his bed stayed empty at night until he finally got the call that explained everything.

About how Slade had decided that rescuing Dick, revenging him, was more important than not being caught.

So when Dick, for the first time, turned around and smiled at Slade, he wasn’t thinking of murder. “I don’t, either.”

(I’m taking prompts until the end of the year.)

[yicruz48]

Teen Titans Review: Annual #2 Part 1

August/ 25/2020

*sigh*

Lets get this review over with, shall we? 

We start this issue with Bruce catching Damian red-handed. 

Damian reacts by progressively getting more angry at Bruce as he receives flashbacks of Alfred: 

This is not the only time in the annual that Damian will have flashbacks about Alfred, we get more panels like this later. I’m guessing Thompson is trying to make it clear that Alfred’s death is a major influence in the decisions that Damian is currently making. 

I am grateful for the crumbs of decency Thompson gave us by making these reasoning more personal then, “Batman is a failure and his actions don’t work.”

But there is a few things this fails to address by making this his reasoning: 

->  This only acknowledges the reason as to why Damian started killing but fails as a explanation as to why Damian started the prison (with Emiko) and why he brainwashed criminals (with the Teen Titans). 

The prison and brainwashing started before Alfred died, so it doesn’t work add more substance to those actions. 

-> Knowing that this is most likely occurring months after Alfred died just doesn’t work really well even as a explanation for Damian killing. I’ve said this before with @wesavegotham​ , but you really can’t use something that happened months ago as a trigger for why something starts doing something. 

I mean, you could say that these feelings have been brewing within Damian for months and now we are seeing his feelings erupt but there still has to be a trigger as to why Damian started going down this path seemingly out of nowhere in TT #42. 

I feel conflicted about these panels. On one hand it places most of the blame on Damian for the prison (which he and Emiko both started) and the mindwashing (which all the Teen Titan’s had a hand in), but on the other hand Bruce does blame the rest of the Teen Titans for following along blindly. 

But the promblem with this is that the Teen Titan’s did more then just follow along blindly, they worked alongside him:

-> Emiko worked alongside Damian locking up criminals under Mercy hall and fully believed in Damian’s reasoning even defending Damian from Wallace. 

-> All the Teen Titans were apart of the brainwashing not just Damian. 

-> Damian alluded that he was going to start killing in TT #42 yet they decided to fully ignore it. They ignored something that could’ve prevented Damian from killing, so at this point they are as much at fault for killing Bother Blood as Damian.

“Following alongside blindly” means that they followed behind Damian without being aware what this could lead to. But they knew what they were doing was wrong and knew what this all was leading to but ignored it. 

That is why I feel very conflicted, at this point, they should’ve been blamed equally for what they did and what they let happen under their noses. 

Moving on, like the previous issues Damian is galivanting around trying to persuade the Teen Titan’s to his side while insulting the actions of Bruce as a hero. It paints Damian as the aggressor in this situation while Bruce and the Teen Titans are the victims in this situation. 

Damian is constantly berating them, the Teen Titans are the concerned “friends” and Bruce is the concerned “father.” 

As Bruce admits he is afraid, as I predicted last review, Deathstroke showed up going after the Teen Titan’s (specifically Damian). 

I am assuming Damian immediately knows it is Slade, knows he is being specifically targeted and runs away so he can face Slade by himself. 

I’ve talked about Damian’s and Slade’s dynamic before here, so I’m not gonna delve too much into it but Deathstroke appeared for the purpose I thought he would: 

To (try) to challenge Damian’s beliefs and to be a literal example of what he could become if he is not careful

Because clearly his purpose isn’t to kill Damian and/or the Teen Titans (because he failed terribly at that (I’ll expand on that a little later). 

The fight comes to a pause when the Teen Titans intervene to threaten both Damian and Slade of taking them to jail.

But then Slade does what he does best and taunts Damian (and the Teen Titans) by smiling and teasing him:  

All the Teen Titans (including Damian) charge toward him full force. Slade manages to take down and slip by most of the Teen Titans but forgets about Damian for a spilt second. 

Damian charges towards Slade’s blind spot and strikes him with his own blade (Yet again, not learning that you shouldn’t carry weapons when fighting Damian since he likes to use them against the same people who wielded them specifically if your name is Slade Wilson). 

As Damian is about to land a killing blow on Damian he is stopped by Emiko who uses her bow to shield herself and Slade. 

Damian ends up cutting into Emiko’s  bow and into her shoulder:

This takes me into something else that bothers me. Damian doesn’t even apologize to Emiko for what he did to her. He didn’t even react to it until Bruce told him to put down the blade.  

Damian drops the blade and walks towards Bruce. Bruce tries to reconcile this one of his one of his Bat Dad Hugs ᵀᴹ. 

 Which fails. 

Damian again gets progressively angrier after getting more flashbacks of Alfred and then punches Bruce in the face.   

This again pushes the narrative of Damian as the angry aggressor with no self-control nor a ability to be conscious of how his own actions hurt other people. 

I think this a good place to stop, its getting too long. I might post the rest later tonight or tomorrow. 

If you haven’t already please sign and share my petition related to Damian here. 

Part 2

[unluckyfairy13]

Okay so Teen Titans Annual #2 just came out and ow I need to rant. First page is Damian and Alfred in the beginning to show how much they became close over time. Look they're playing chess. 🤧 (though I do admit I don't like how Damian treated Alfred like that in the past. Still it shows how close they were getting.)

Then we get back to this. With Batman fianlly telling his son he cares. Just where was this when our boy needed to hear this a couple issues ago.

So Deathstroke comes. Fights happen and so on but back to father & son. Batman telling Robin he's gone to far and to come back before its to late. Now to tell the truth on the bottom I can't tell if it's Alfred with Damian/ Bruce.🤔 I don't know if they were trying to parallel how Alfred was always there for Bruce as a kid and now Bruce wants to do the same. But...

Yeah it's to little to late. Damian finally gets to vent at least some of his frustration. How Bruce hasn't really given him a home. I mean yeah they live in a manison but it's really not a home you know. They aren't close anymore and the people Damian was close to are gone. Alfred and Dick are gone (Jon to but that's another topic). And why are they gone now.

Yeah because of this 👇. Seriously did Bruce really think this wouldn't mess Damian more. Dick got shot in the head, Alfred dead. Not to mention this sadly helped reinforce Damian's thinking that criminals needs to die more. As it could've prevented all this from happening to them.

Damian asking why his father won't fight back that got me. Damian poor baby excepting to beaten back for this which given the history of being near to death by family members.😣 (Which I guess I should be happy that Dc didn't make Batman beat up a kid.) Instead Batman is on his knees telling his son he loves him. While also admitting he failed him.

Again though it's to late and pretty words about love isn't enough. Damian remembers what happened to Alfred. Damn our boy will have that memory to haunt him forever. (Even if Alfred does come back the memory still there. For both of them to feel they are responsible for the other death 😬.)

Finally the part we all knew was coming and hoping wouldn't actually happened. Damian is no longer Robin. 😥😢

I got to say I hate this but at least Damian got to leave on his terms (kind of, shouldn't of happened at all). Robin wasn't taken from him (the least Dc could do I guess), he got to leave it. To him he's finally free from everyone expections of him. Still this means he's all alone now.

Yet I don't why but I don't think it will be for long. With the fight with Deathstroke earlier I'm reminded of how Damian has the reverse problem of Batman. Bruce gets kids to mentor but Damian attracts villains to try and mentor him. And with future issues relating to Damian going to some villains 😓. Anyway please tell me what you guys think about what happened. I mostly focused on what occured with father and son.

What did you guys think about the other things that went down with Teen Titans. That was a whole other can of worm there that I did not want to get into. Side note at least Crush knew better then get into the fight between them.

[yourbooksname]

Batfam disney film headcanons

Normal Disney

The Little Mermaid

- Damian finds Eric ‘likeable’ - its because Eric is practically Dick Grayson

- Bruce accidentally reveals that young Dick had a crush on Ariel and the others tease him mercilessly

- “Seriously, Dickhead, every redhead you’ve ever seen?”

- Dick grumbles but has a gleam in his eyes as he stares at the screen during part of your world

- “Is she serious? Surely one who has studied this much knows what feet are-”

- “Demon, shut up”

- They say Grimsby is a knock off alfred

- “Oh, please, knock-off means it bears some resemblance. I surely hope other than the accent you all see no relation of him to me.”

- They all kinda love Ursula, in their own special way

- Steph is dancing around, if you could call it dancing, dragging cass with her (who is smiling the whole time) during under the sea 

- Jason leans back and, with a cruel smile on his face, exclaimes that “this is the best song” during les poissons 

- Which causes an uproar from most of the others

Aladdin

- Everyone tiptoes around it, and then steph makes one joke and suddenly its constant jason jokes

- “Is crime alley this musical?”

- “Would you all shut up? *mumbling* I didn’t even have a monkey”

- “Who’s your Jasmine, aladdin?”

- “Tt, statistically speaking based on time spent together, it’s that buffoon Harper”

- Jason is an inch from killing them but none of them really care at this point

- Once they caught him humming one jump ahead while cooking and they will never ever let him live it down

- “steph I swear if you keep playing the Gilbert Gottfried version of WAP over iago-”

- Rajah appears, and it’s too late for them to turn the movie off before

- “Father, I would like a bengal tiger.”

- Most of them are clearly having a great time during friend like me

- Jason brings up the talent of Robin williams

- and damian says “who”

- Jason turns, bewildered, and decides he’s going to force him to watch every single robin williams movie until he finds one he likes (It’s Jumanji, surprisingly. Dick likes Mrs. Doubtfire, Tim loves Good Will Hunting, Jason loves Dead Poets Society, Bruce is partial to Good Morning Vietnam, Steph loves Aladdin, Cass loves Hook)

- They have a moment of silence at the end for robin williams

Lilo and Stitch

- The family likes to joke Damien is stitch

- “A violent” “but loveable” “little gremlin...”

- “Tt, if we’re assigning roles, then Drake is that contemptuous redheaded girl”

- ‘Listen brat-”

- Duke shuts them up by saying that “this is the most ohana family i’ve ever seen in my life”

- Cass wants to learn how to spit fire

- Steph is fully on board, and so is Jason

- Damian wants to watch

- Alfred is about to have a heart attack

- But Damian does enjoy the movie, as it reminds him of his acceptance among the bats - not that he’d tell them

- Surprisingly, this movie also means a lot to Jason and Dick

- even if they don’t say it out loud

- they watched it together when Jason was young; and the sibling relationship in the movie moves ‘em both - and Jason can enjoy some quality Elvis

- However awkward, they’re nicer to each other after each viewing, and on a bad day they both get emotional during the movie (one more than the other, openly anyway)

- That cannot and will not stop Jason from messing with the bats/breaking the rules the next day on Patrol, and when Dick or Bruce confronts him, yelling “Ohana, bitch” and jumping off the building

A goofy movie

- Similar to Lilo and Stitch in terms of bonding, it brings Bruce closer to the boys

- but especially Jason, because Jason

- is Jason

- and would def. be the one to object the most to a road trip

- They make an uneasy but loving eye contact during ‘Nobody else but you’

-  Dick LOVES powerline, tell me i’m wrong; this bitch knows all the dance moves to both Stand Out and Eye to Eye (and the perfect catch, technically)

- Tim thinks the movie is worth watching just for Bobby (”you would, nerd”)

- Steph insists it has the best looking Pizza in any movie ever

“LOOK AT IT”

“We’re looking steph”

“LOOK HARDER”

Pixar lightning round

- Toy Story

- It’s been banned at Wayne Manor

- Not because they don’t like it

- But because Jason objects to Randy Newman

- And Dick attempts even MORE death-defying stunts on Patrol, claiming he’s “falling with style” 

- A bug’s life

- Dick likes it, it reminds him of the circus, 

- but other than that none of them really care too much about it

- Toy Story 2

- Often referenced whenever a family member breaks their arm (”NOW I CAN’T GO TO COWBOY CAMP”

- Jason says “Hey look, it’s bruce” every time zurg is on screen and Bruce is sick of it

- Once, an argument broke out during ‘When she loved me’

- “Oh, Sarah McLachlan”

- “Who?”

- “The one singing - she does those stupid ASPCA commercials”

- “Stupid? It is advertising to aid animals subjected to cruelty. You’re the stupid one.”

- “Brat, shut up, it’s a commercial.”

- “Do you support animal cruelty?”

- “What?! I-”

- “Go ahead, take it out on me. I am glad Alfred and Titus are not here as I know they would be your primary target, monster.”

- So they’ve stopped watching the movie

- Monsters inc. 

- Jason always wants to watch it

- he used to love watching it with Roy (who, unbeknownst to anyone except Jason and Kori) would cry at the ending thinking of Lian

- It’s also just hilarious

- Finding Nemo

- They think it’ll teach Bruce to be less overprotective

- They were wrong

- He hovers even more 

- Which prompts steph to walk up to a warehouse on a mission yelling “look at me, i’m gonna go touch the butt”

- when Gil came on screen someone said “look, it’s deathstroke” which prompted a chuckle out of everyone

-The Incredibles; 

-They all recognize the irony of a superhero family movie, but enjoy it nonetheless

- Once, Jason pointed out how similar Syndrome’s origin story was to Tim 

- everyone was a little rattled, and were grateful Tim decided to persist to good

-Cars

- “Wow”

- “Wow”

- “WOW”

- “wow”

-Ratatouille

- Tim and Barbara both love it

- They admire the work being done almost methodically

- Jason and Alfred enjoy the cooking in the movie, as they are both avid chefs

- Damian also admires the film, though he called the plot “ludicrous” he likes the music

- They have to force Dick out of the destroyed kitchen as he yells “anyone can cook!” the next day

- Wall-E 

- Cass loves this one - especially as it’s mostly told through body language

-It inspires Tim to start a new ‘Go green’ wayne manor initiative

- Damian will watch the first half but insists the movie loses its quality when the humans arrive

- Up

- Damian wants a talking dog

- Dick’s favorite pixar movie, probably

- He loves the beginning, and the soundtrack, and the house flying, and Ellie

- Once Tim got him a grape soda pin and he wore it for weeks

- Brave; 

-They tease Dick more (redhead)

- The girls love it

- At least one person tries to do a scottish accent with every viewing

- Inside Out

- Dick was sobbing by the end

- Cause this mans does nothing but bottle up all emotions other than joy

- For the people around him

- He gets the support from his family that Riley gets and suddenly everyone’s emotional (as emotional as Bats can be, I suppose)

- Coco

- Jason sings remember me in spanish often when he thinks no one is around

- They watch it on Halloween and Jason laments how young him probably would have gone as Miguel for halloween with the hoodie his mom gave him; however it wouldn’t fit now

- throwing him a Dia De los Muertos celebration (yes Jason is latino fight me)

- He appreciates it, begrudgingly, but gets emotional when he finds a new red hoodie up in his room, not knowing who its from

- It becomes his new favorite pixar movie

______ If you have more movie ideas please let me know because i’m loving doing this

[bigskydreaming]

I’m still laughing my ass off over that one post that was going around a week ago with the fanon depictions of the Batboys vs more canon-accurate depictions, and the various ‘defenses’ people leaped to for why fanon is so much better, and its just like....yawn.

See, its not like fanon can’t be better, and isn’t better with some characters, its not that it can’t ADD nuance.

None of that’s the problem.

The problem is when people ONLY use it to DETRACT nuance and then are like ‘wow, whats the problem, whats the issue.’

Let’s take for instance the infamous matter of Dick’s alleged asshole behavior to Jason back when the latter was Robin, because of Dick’s issues with Bruce at the time.

Here’s the thing - even though that’s not what happened, it IS a fairly plausible examination of what could have happened, so its not like there’s no reasoning or justification whatsoever in exploring it. Its that....its not ever explored. Its just used to one-side a situation and render Dick unsympathetic while Jason’s propped up as having been victimized by him and Bruce is largely kept off-stage entirely.

But because quite frankly we just didn’t see much of their interactions back then, period, theoretically, adding more conflict in this vein still COULD have fleshed out that time period and added nuance every bit as much as my preferred additions of more positive interactions between them.

But people don’t add in these conflicts simply to add nuance, they add them in just to add BLAME.

The fanon isn’t the problem there. What you do with the fanon and why is the problem.

Its like my issues with the Jason-Kori-Roy friendship. It’d be one thing if Roy and Kori’s presence in Jason’s life was used to PUSH BACK against Jason’s belief that Dick hated him or didn’t mourn him or even just to provide more understanding or context about Dick’s position or side of things at the time to Jason when he gripes about him, so he’s a little more inclined to be understanding of what that was like for his brother thanks to the viewpoints of people whose POV he values and who in turn have always valued Dick’s POV and position in things. 

But instead everything about the years of sympathy and understanding and insight Roy and Kori have always had for and in regards to Dick are flushed down the drain in order to have them join in with Jason when it comes to bashing and griping about that asshole Dick Grayson. Once again....perfect opportunity to add more nuance and complexity to a situation and a character dynamic, with it almost universally being pounced on to provide the reverse...to TAKE AWAY even MORE nuance and complexity from a situation by erasing anything and everything Roy and Kori might actually feel about what’s being said or believed of this other person they have a history of valuing a great deal.

Or like I was just saying earlier today about how its almost completely forgotten or erased that Dick was shot in the head upon Bruce’s return from the timestream, and was in an eminently sympathetic/hurt position for Bruce and Tim and others to come together around and put aside their own invididual resentments at least for the time being, in order to support Dick throughout an extremely dangerous and debilitating wound and recovery period. The issue with erasing, ignoring or invalidating Dick’s many traumas isn’t that ‘oh we just don’t like all the characters angsting 24/7, sometimes its too much, we like fanon happy-go-lucky Dick because he’s different,’ its like.....lol no, because if you’re still capable of and looking to rip into that depiction of Dick for....get this....not being able to get/grasp/empathize with the kinds of and degrees of trauma you still uphold for all the others, you’re really just looking to make him look unsympathetic in comparison, and shift focus away from their LACK of support and understanding for him when he really justifiably needs it in order to keep that focus instead on their contempt or bitterness for him no matter what else SHOULD have been taking place for him at the same time.

For example....going back to the Dick and Jason’s early years scenario.....I talk all the time about the Brother Blood situation, but guess what else that situation has? A time frame that’s pretty directly applicable to this Dick and Jason enmity scenario so many of you posit, given that the first two times the Church of Blood had Dick captive and were literally said to have released him back into the world secretly under their control....he was still Robin! And the third time, when he finally broke free thanks to the others (and Jason) rescuing him, it was only then that he was Nightwing. Meaning all of that is PERFECTLY positioned to be a fantastic and compelling additional underlying cause of Dick’s alleged early issuers/grievances with Jason.....the same mental turmoil that led to him lashing out against the other Titans like Donna in that infamous fight, could just as easily be said to have contributed or even been entirely behind any shitty interactions with Jason you want to posit happening back in the day. 

And look at how tragically dysfunctional that makes all of that instead then....Jason resents Dick for something that ultimately, isn’t actually his fault since he was never lashing out while in sound mind but as an unknowing reaction to a mental battle against conditioning he didn’t even know was there at the time.....and this being a surprise revelation to Jason years later making him mentally reframe all their history, because Dick never said anything about this earlier because due to his guilt complex he felt it would have just been him making excuses or trying to let himself off the hook instead of a valid and understandable added layer of context. 

That’s SO much more compelling and interesting than just a one-sided ‘one brother is an ass to the other for no real reason whatsoever, at leat not one we’re willing to acknowledge as being anymore relevant than a random footnote’.....but the problem isn’t that people go off fanon vs canon, the problem is REGARDLESS of whether people are using fanon or canon, people just don’t WANT Dick’s position in any of these times to be sympathetic or understandable, they want him JUDGED for it, condemned. They’re not TRYING to craft interesting, compelling dynamics or situations, they’re trying to make him the bad guy, always the bad guy, and the other person just unilaterally his unfortunate victim.

Just like with Tim and Red Robin, for all that even when people are like ‘nobody was really at fault/its not like Dick had another option with Damian, etc’ in PRACTICE there’s literally no distinguishing between this take and ones where Dick is just wholly irredeemable for his unforgivable choice, because despite even lip service paid to the idea that Dick had his reasons for what he did, there’s no actual PAY-OUT ever given to the idea that he’s anything less than terrible a brother to Tim for it...like, fanon is never the issue here, its just straight up canon....being willfully picked apart and reframed to make the issue entirely one-sided. 

People pile on all the additional reasons Dick’s terrible for not taking into account Tim’s headspace at the time, like all the other people he’s lost in the last couple years comic book time, but again, at most there’s lip service about how Dick was going through a lot to, but its never added in to any degree that MATTERS or lessens the characters’ or readers’ vilification of him....while at the same time, there’s a willful disregard of and refusal to engage with all the other things and people Dick had lost in the same time frame, comic book time, like oh.....every single thing that happened in Bludhaven with Blockbuster, Tarantula and Deathstroke, given that the former was literally concurrent with Stephanie’s death and the latter right after Jack Drake’s death. 

There’s never allowed any resentment from Dick towards Tim for not giving a single shit about what he was going through at the time, or for assuming he had no idea how to relate to the depth of Tim’s grief as though Dick hadn’t literally gotten a front row seat to his entire city being nuked by Chemo in that exact same time frame, with it still being touted that Dick just didn’t have any understanding or empathy for Tim’s many losses of the time. There’s never any frustration allowed from Dick about how much Tim resents him for making him give up Robin when at the same time, it was Tim and mostly Tim alone who pushed Dick to give up being Nightwing and assume the Batman mantle when even Bruce’s will had expressed to Dick that this was not what he wanted for him. 

Again, never even time or focus given to Dick being shot in the head on Bruce’s return before using that to call in Bruce as reinforcements for Tim yelling ‘how could you do this to me,’ let alone any acknowledgment of the fact that Dr. Hurt, the very same villain that shot Dick in the head there, is the very same villain who had Dick locked up, straitjacketed, drugged up and on the verge of a lobotomy in Arkham for a week just BEFORE Bruce’s assumed death.....because lolol, it’d make people look pretty silly for taking Dick’s one comment about asking if Tim maybe needed to take a break and look after his mental health in Arkham to the extremes they did, if forced to acknowledge that at the time, Arkham was a TOTALLY different proposition due to how extensively Dick was invested in its rebuilding and overseeing its running thanks entirely TO that time, just before Arkham blew up and needed rebuilding from the ground up in Battle for the Cowl....because of the fact that Dick himself had just spent a week locked up and straitjacketed and drugged to the gills and on the verge of a lobotomy thanks to the oh so tender mercies of Dr. Hurt’s accomplices having the run of the place.

Because end of the day, the problem with this fandom and Dick Grayson is not fanon, and its not canon, its fandom. Its the willful DESIRE to not have any minimizing or mitigating context on display ever, so as to only keep the worst possible interpretation of Dick’s actions - either drawn from canon or fanon, whichever is most handy for a particular scenario - front and center. 

So yeah, the idea that fanon adds nuance or context to Dick’s dynamics with any of his family is hilarious, not because it CAN’T, but because too many people are just entirely too unwilling and uninterested in allowing it to, just as they’re uninterested in any interpretation of actual canon that provides Dick with a smidgen of empathy or understanding for his positions or choices.

Like, that’s the POINT of most of your fanon for him. To strip AWAY nuance. So how are you going to be out here acting like you’re really contributing something to his character that canon doesn’t provide, when really, its all the same to you across the board: Dick Grayson is never justified let alone sympathetic ever? 

[the-cool-shit-was-already-taken]

I swear to god im going to burn DC’s office down if they keep doing this.

They are all his sons!! Damian is constantly put on a pedestal for being the biological son of Bruce Wayne, which is just so fucking infuriating. The whole “blood relation doesnt matter” message with the ‘Deathstroke is actually Damian’s father’ arc rings really hollow now doesnt it?

Cuz obviously it does matter, Damian is prominent on the cover of this issue and his title isnt even fifth robin, its “son of batman” cuz fifth robin might sound inferiour to his clearly adopted brothers. God I hate this so much. Giving Bruce a biological son was a fucking mistake.

[toughguywithbossygirlfriend]

Diana : Goddess of War              Bruce : God of Death ?

Writer : Priest    -   Pencils : Pete Woods

Batman and Wonder Woman’s powerful underlying feelings for each other are most of the time only visible thru interactions intently scattered over a long period in DC’s Stories. This makes it harder for the readers to get a hold of their longtime unresolved romantic attraction. And It makes it easier to tell independent more short-lived romantic stories in both solo series without confusing and upsetting too much the audience.

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

The title refers about what happens in the Issue #43 but to understand what the last issue is talking about you need to know what happened in the previous ones, starting with Issue #34 ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

An over exhausted Batman leads simultaneously 3 different missions of the JL and the one he works on directly with Diana goes south because the FBI’s Tactical team interfered stupidly ... A innocent Nun gets killed with Diana’s own sword. Bruce was in charge of the mission even if only Diana was close from the terrorists and the Nuns. Diana’s eyes looking at Bruce are very telling. The league saved thousands that day, but one died, ... just next to Diana ... and was killed with her own weapon.

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

To say Diana was angry would be an understatement... and her unspoken anger was obviously directed at Bruce to the point she was considering leaving the JL.

I am sure Bruce understands perfectly Diana’s emotions after all he just has to imagine that an innocent would have been killed next to him with one of his own Batarangs, and Diana’s sword is even more personal than his numerous gadgets. An immense guilt would be the result.

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

Bruce : “Diana doesn’t feel she should blame me. but she does.”

Even if she denies it, that’s exactly what Diana really does ... and Hard. Clark is the most comprehensive of all the Heroes and tries his best to play peacekeeper but ... The JL members, following a very upset Diana, want Batman to give up his leadership pushing Superman to tell him.

Diana’s overall behavior makes me think that she transfers the blame she would make to herself onto Bruce because it is just too much to feel responsible of the death of an innocent person. It may have reminded her that her powers will never be enough to save everyone. Of course neither, Bruce nor Diana, are really responsible of that disaster. But she needs an outlet to take the blame : Bruce.

Batman on the other hand blames himself anyways, if not for the Nun at least for Diana. He knows very well what guilt does to Diana (see “The Hiketeia” for example) so it only adds to his decision to take the blame along with its consequences.

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

A sad and unhappy Clark does “the talk” and Bruce Leaves the JL. Judging by Diana’s reaction that’s not really what she wanted ... but it is a bit too late ...

A few issues later Batman leads now the “Justice League of America” while Cyborg leads the “Justice League”...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #34 to #43)

Much later an other incident makes a young man shoot on the Man of Steel whose body just deflect the bullets. One of them reaps Wonder Woman’s carotid artery open. She’s dying ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

Both Flashes are not sure a Doctor can heal Wondy so they take her to Raven who uses Magic on her.

But it seems Diana is going to have to find her way back to the living and it will need more than Magic to bring her back...that’s when “HE” appears in her.. delirium ? half-life state ? :

Thanatos, the God of Death ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

So the “God of Death” is trying to kill the “Goddess of War” ...

That’s already an Irony considering how closely related “War” and “Death” are ... you could say “War” loves “Death” and “Death” loves “War” ... They combine perfectly and thrive in each other’s company ... If it wasn’t for the compassionate Diana being the “goddess of war”, you could say “War” and “Death” are more or less “Soulmates” ... 

OK ! ...

But could we please take a moment, and give a closer look to that “God of Death” ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

Dammit !! Pointy ears, Bat symbol on the chest and the belt, gauntlets with three spikes ... that reminds me of someone ... Bruce “Batman” Wayne is Thanatos the God of Death ?! ... At least metaphorically in Diana’s feverish mind.

And that’s not the only reference to Bruce/Batman that we’re going to get ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

Sure being a “Goddess of War” on a “mission of Peace” is an Irony in itself but given Diana’s comment later we’ll get another Irony paralleled to this one ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

OK this is again kind of revealing, Thanatos tells Diana she blames him ? why would he say that ? Thanatos isn’t responsible for her current injuries... why would she blame him ? ...

But considering Thanatos seems to be a metaphor for Bruce/Batman ... he is right ! she blames him ... but for the death of the Nun in Issue #34 ... not her own death.

Sure, you could go the easy way and just say : “This has nothing to do with Batman, Diana just blames the God of Death because people die” ...that would be childish and Diana isn’t ... plus then why all these Batman/Bruce-references on Thanatos ?

And if Thanatos is a fantasy of Bruce ... Diana knows she doesn't risk anything...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

  She said it herself in “DCeased #6″ : “Bruce is a lot of things ... but he was never Lethal” ... is this why she knows Thanatos won’t kill her ? because Bruce won’t kill ? Like I said earlier a parallel of two Ironies : A “Goddess of War on a mission of Peace” and a “God of Death who doesn’t Kill” ... Diana and Bruce.

Diana cooled down ... and doesn’t blame “him” anymore ... she has great compassion for “him” ... because he is “a man so haunted by his past” ... She calls him Thanatos but we are definitively talking about Bruce ...

The Death of an innocent Nun took her Peace away from her but “he” gave her that peace back. Is that supposed to be the moment Bruce left the League and took full responsibility even if he could hardly have done anything against what happened - the moment she understood it wasn’t what she wanted ? ... or did she still blame him until that near-death dream ?

Batman/Thanatos told her earlier :“You are weak ... as long as you continue to blame me”. But Diana is still in denial : “I... I don’t blame ...”

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

Lets just try to consider Diana and Bruce as “soulmates” in the same way War and Death would be. There is no War without Death and every Death is a War you’ve lost against something (an enemy, or a disease or even the passing of time). Both need each other to exist, and if Diana “War” rejects Bruce “Death” it strips her of her own meaning and she destroys herself.

Choosing “Thanatos the God of Death” as a metaphor for Bruce Wayne is very telling for Diana “the Goddess of War” regarding how closely related she must consider him. Subconsciously Diana knows that their relationship is one of mutual need, not just care...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #43)

Deep down Diana still blamed Bruce until that moment. But Thanatos/Bruce helped her to understand that blaming him/Bruce Wayne weakens herself and her will to fulfill her mission, as well as her will to live... empowering him, the God of Death ... of her death this time.

Loosing her faith in Bruce, is stripping Diana of her will to live ...   Wooaaaw ! ... said like that ... gives me goose bumps ...

Lucky us ... Bruce, the God of Death, helped Diana, the Goddess of War, to see the truth, restored her faith in her mission and her will to live and fight at his side again. Diana finally found her way home.

So through 10 “Justice League” Issues we have a very nice little story only for Diana and Bruce hidden in the main one.

OK maybe I am overthinking what I am about to say but, there could be a little message behind that as well : could you imagine the consequences if “War” and “Death” would give into each other ? ... maybe “War” could forget about her mission of peace for “Death”, and maybe “Death” could start to kill for “War” ... maybe they both fear this so much that it explains what they said in Batman #40 “No, we can’t ...Ever”. That kind of consequence has already been addressed : for example in JLA(1997)#90 (Diana kills the Joker for Bruce) and more recently in “Batman : the Merciless” (Bruce kills Ares for Diana) ...

(Edit from DC Comics Batman(2016) #40, Batman: the Merciless and JLA(1997)  #90)

Is she so wrong to choose Thanatos “the God of Death” to picture Bruce ?? ...

(Edit from DC Comics Rebirth Justice League (2016) from Issue #42 and #43)

While Diana is out because of her injury the Bad guy responsible for all that colossal mess (and indirectly of Diana’s near-death), a killer whose knowledge threatens the very existence of the Justice League, is killed by Deathstroke. In the end Cyborg wonders if Batman has “solved” the League’s impossible problem in the same way Batman ended Ras Al Guhl in Christopher Nolan’s movie :  “Batman Begins”

Batman to Ras Al Guhl : “I won’t kill you ! but nothing can force me to save you”.

Death has many ways ... Diana knows the truth... he really is her Thanatos “the God of Death who doesn’t Kill”.

[wazafam]

When most people think of anti-hero or villain teams in the DC Universe the immediate group that comes to mind is the Suicide Squad. It's certainly a novel concept: A bunch of street-level villains getting bombs stuck in their head and sent out on the kind of missions that no one else is crazy enough or desperate enough to attempt. It's resulted in some pretty classic comics too. No disrespect to Rick Flagg and company, but DC's got a much better villain team on its roster; a gang of damaged or outright deranged misfits who take on some of the most twisted quests ever to pop up in the DCU, that's when they're not hooking up stabbing each other in the back. Behold, the Secret Six in all their unstable, lovable glory.

While a TV adaption was once optioned by CBS, the Secret Six has always been an obscure title. The team originally started as a spy comic of sorts in the 1960s, followed by a reboot in the 80s. The most beloved and interesting version of the team came to form with writer Gail Simone's Villains United mini-series, created as part of the Countdown to Infinite Crisis tie-ins.

Related: The Suicide Squad's Biggest Mystery is Finally Explained By DC

Led by a disguised Lex Luthor under the moniker of Mockingbird, the team consisted the Suicide Squad's own Deadshot, and a cadre of D-list villains and new creations like Catman, Cheshire, Knockout, Ragdoll, a random Parademon, and Scandal Savage. While many team-members would be killed off over time or switched with more high-profile characters, Catman, Deadshot, Scandal, and Ragdoll remain mainstays of the team through all of Simone's initial run on the series. While they initially started as villains bent on world domination, in truth, the Six are a lot closer to outlaws or mercenaries. They take on various jobs, some heroic and some outright despicable. Really anything that puts meat on the table. It should also be worth noting that they're all a bunch of weirdos.

Villains United proved to be lightning in a bottle that would spawn an entire run. The series about a group of oddball characters that don't fit in with heroes or villains struck a perfect balance between black comedy and character-driven drama. Every character in the series gets such a unique and fitting characterization. Deadshot is a pornstache personified; Floyd Lawton has never been as skeezy or charming as he is under Simone's pen. Ragdoll is essentially a violent contortionist version of  Dean Craig Pelton from Community. Scandal Savage is the badass lesbian ninja and daughter of Vandal Savage, who serves as team leader and voice of reason throughout the series. Lastly, Catman is probably the most remarkable character on the team and the closest thing to the protagonist of the series. Before Secret Six, Thomas Blake was written as an overweight loser who was eaten by a talking Gorilla in Brad Meltzer's Green Arrow series. Simone rewrote the character from the ground up and created one of the most layered and cool Batman knock-off's ever. He also snarls like a cat when he fights.

Related: Harley Quinn Claims Deadshot's Power in DC's Suicide Squad

Apart from the main four team members, Bane and an immortal banshee named Jeannette round out the team for the rest of the series. While Jeannette is simultaneously a frightening and charming character with a unique backstory, Simone's take on Bane is one of the best. Secret Six sees Bruce Wayne's greatest foe trying to turn a new leaf. He's kicked his steroid habit and is acting with utter honor, Bane also immediately tries to be an upstanding father figure to any distressed young woman he sees, resulting in a hilarious running gag throughout the series.

Secret Six is a mature book in every sense of the word. It's packed to the brim with sex and violence, to the point where it's absolutely incredible that DC allowed some of the stuff in the book to happen. Catman bites a man's face off, there's a sex scene between Mad Hatter and one of his hats, and almost everything that comes out of Ragdoll's mouth is jaw-droppingly obscene. But apart from all the blood, and bad words that usually get things pulled off TV, Secret Six features intricate character development and some very grown-up storylines. They find themselves rescuing a group of enslaved Amazons (after they're hired to guard the prison of course). Catman's infant son is kidnapped by a group of psychotic criminals, leading him onto a bloodthirsty rampage. Scandal grapples with the death of her girlfriend for a large part of the series. Then of course there's that trip to hell.

Related: Batman: Bane Just Returned in the Last Way Fans Expected

"The Secret Six goes to Hell" may sound like the title of a schlocky horror movie, but it reads like something far different. Each character comics to the realization that they're damned no matter what. While Deadshot and Ragdoll aren't particularly shocked about their own fates, it's a surprise for the rest of the team. For Bane in particular, it's heartbreaking. The series had served as a moving redemption story for the Man Who Broke the Bat, discovering that he won't truly change is a pretty haunting conclusion. However, he's since proven to be pretty irredeemable.

While there are lot's of very dark moments in Secret Six, the tone of the book is never dreary or bleak. A slice-of-life feeling is prevalent in the series that is absent from the bombastic, multiverse shattering world of superhero comics. It's not uncommon to see members of the Six eating dinner together or chilling out in a hot tub. One issue sees Catman pick up a tub of ice cream for a depressed Scandal Savage. Deadshot and Jeanette end up in a fairly healthy and supportive relationship together. And speaking of romance, the other members of the team set Bane up on a date and it's as hilarious as it sounds. Refreshing little asides like this differentiate the book even further from standard superhero fare.

Related: The Real Reason DC's CATMAN Has Basically Disappeared

There will never be another team like the Six. No other series from the Big Two will ever be packed with this much humor, tragedy, and outright weirdness. Where else can you see a joke like Catman transform into a compelling character or Vandal Savage get stabbed in the neck with some chopsticks by his own daughter? Where else can you see Bane try to make his team-mates go on a diet or Deadshot get in a Western style duel with Deathstroke? And on that note, there's even a one-off issue that sees an Old West version of the team, and it's awesome too. Gail Simone created one of the  ultimate villain comic book teams. A unique series about a group of terrible people who love each other taking down worse people that don't. The Secret Six is one of the funniest and most badass teams in all of comics, and they don't need to be implanted with bombs in their necks to do it either.

Next: Suicide Squad Could Be Adding The Perfect Batman Villain

  DC Has Another, Better, Suicide Squad | Screen Rant from https://ift.tt/3rtwB2V

[rosemusic18]

My Personal Favorite Ships:

All ships Im going through are for DC, Marvel,etc.

Oh and welcome to me giving you 10 ships that are my favorites and no these are not every ship I have loved or my favorite I just didn't want to be here forever.

---------------------------

1. Steve Rogers And Peggy Carter (CA: First Avengers)

Well I have always personally liked the couple myself. They are so classy and adorable. I'm happy in the end that Steve went back to spend the rest of his life with Peggy after years of fighting and being 90 years in ice then being in the future then fighting as a hero.

2. Artemis and Wally West (YJ)

Ok I can say out of all the ships I love these two the most. I just hate how they spoiler *had to kill Wally* but otherwise I have loved them since Season 1. And I love the scene between Wally and Kent Nelson and where Kent saying to Wally find your own spitfire I adore it.

3. Courtney Whitmore and Cameron Mahkent (Stargirl)

One of my newest favorite ships and I adore them. I pray Stargirl doesn't take this ship away because they are so beautiful together. And they make Romeo and Juliet look not as cute and even they had a love story that ended tragic. Oh no I pray that doesn't happy to those two even through the rest of this season through season 2.

4.Peter Petrelli and Niki Sanders (Heroes)

Ok these two deserved a better storyline but both of them were a good couple. Since Niki had her own demons facing another side of her self with Jessica. But Peter in the time in the future where he had lost almost everyone and everything in the world was bad and they both fit another and both fit the mold that they both needed at the time. He needed someone and she needed to forget all she lost also.

5. Barry Allen and Patty Spivot (CW Flash)

Ok don't hate me but I love these two in the Flash. I always liked these two together before Barry dumped her when she was getting another job and he love Iris. I get Iris and him are in the comics together but they were cute and adorable together. I just feel bad for Patty.

6. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson (Comics)

Classic comic couple from Spiderman. Yes the gif is not comic related but its a animation. But they were a couple that both of the two had their strong suits like both are reporters and Mary Jane also was a tough women who didn't give a crap and would fight. And I love comic book Spiderman.

7. Hank Hall and Dawn Granger (Titans)

Ok Titans watchers I enjoyed this couple. And the show ruined how the two could have had a nice relationship. They could have been complete opposite attract style but no they spilt them up. But hey when they did split up in Season 2 once again I'm happy that Dawn did stand up for herself against Hank. But hey at least they are still Hawk and Dove.

8. Jack Pearson and Rebecca Pearson (This is Us)

Ok my favorite married couple. I love both actors as I have been a fan of Milo and Mandy but this just made them a married couple that have hard times but they get through it even when Jack dies. I love how it shows a couple that can stand through the good times and bad times. I 100% ship them even though in the show they are married I would either way.

9. Dick Grayson and Zatanna Zatara (YJ)

Ok not many I feel like the two together, and I liked them together in the first season. I understand that Dick can be a playboy sorry but he can be. But they were a good couple when the where but I always wish I could have seen the 5 years between the first and second season and I wish I could have seen them as a couple.

10. Garth and Donna Troy (Titans)

Why did they have to kill Garth? I understand for making Deathstroke the villian but hey he was only there for what two episodes and then died. Wait what is with the blonde men being with the Amazonians.

Honestly I have no idea why I'm posting this: I'm just idk anymore.

Other mentions : Conner Kent (Superboy) & M'gann M'orzz (Ms Martain), Rick Tyler & Beth Chapel, Rachel Roth & Garfield Logan, Anne Marie (Rouge) & Remey (Gambit), Logan & Jean Grey, and Daredevil and Electra. Oh and yes Dr.Midnite & His Owl Partners.

I'm questioning my thoughts when writing this. I'll be back later.

[yicruz48]

My Review on the Teen Titans(2016) So Far

Date Written: March/14/2020-March/18/2020

Updated: May/10/2020

[Overall review of Special 1, Annual 1 and Issue #20-40]

My Opinion So Far [Issue #20-40 written by Adam Glass]:

-> In comparison to the first 19 issues of the Teen Titans, issue 20 and on have been bearable.

-> I will reiterate this over and over again; I will never understand why create new characters (Djinn, Roundhouse and Crush) when DC has a perfect stash of characters that Damian is already acquainted with (Colin, Maya, Surren, Maps and Jon). Although, having characters like Red Arrow (Emiko Queen) and Kid Flash (Wallace West) apart of the Teen Titans is understandable.

-> But again, in comparison to last group of Teen Titans [issue #1-19], I favor this group more. The first 19 issues are just literally Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven parenting Damian in Bruce's absence.

-> In my opinion this group is much more balance in terms of heroing experience:

A) Literally new to being a superhero and working in a group: Djinn, Roundhouse and Crush.

B) Still figuring out their place in superhero world: Robin, Red Robin and Kid Flash.

-> I am totally in favor in Kid Flash being considered the “moral compass” of the group. But so far in the Glass’s run haven’t really seen Wallace really prove this.

->It really shows that Glass had no idea or didn’t bother to do research on Emiko. Glass wrote Emiko as a sort-of Damian clone (And we all know Glass doesn’t write Damian well, so a badly-written-Damian-clone). Emiko is much more sarcastic and upbeat type of individual and wasn’t written that way.

->You can also tell Glass didn’t do research on Wallace. Wallace has a love for comics, is actually quite intelligent and is a prodigy engineer, but none of that was really expressed in the 20 issues.

->Crush, AKA Xiomara Rojas is a character besides the core three that I’ve grown to like. She is an empowered latinx Lesbian feminist who could care less what you think of her. But her backstory is rooted in stereotypical and racist beliefs. Her adoptive parents were druggies who were constantly running away from legal issues...ring a bell? Yea, its the common stereotype that latinos are all drug dealers, a stain on society and always run away from the legal ramifications of their actions. As as a latina myself, this was was extremely disappointing to see. 

-> I have a lot of issues with the hyper-focus on Robin, as much as I love Robin content, I feel like like every-other mission the Teen Titan’s have revolves around Robin. I would like to explore Red Arrow, Kid Flash and Roundhouse’s character development more. And I believe writer’s are totally capable of advancing Robin’s character development without the mission being tied to him anyways.

-> I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Robin’s ongoing goal to create a criminal system better than their superhero processors (mainly Batman and Superman) who only arrest criminals in a prison with “a revolving door” which criminals always escape from. Although, I ABSOLUTELY hate how Adam Glass has handled how Robin has gone upon learning the best system.

-> I have to admit, I like how most of the members are comprised of teens that...

A) Been raised/used to kill; Robin, Red Arrow and Djinn.

B) Are related to villainous characters; Robin, Red Arrow, Kid Flash, Djinn and Crush.

In the words of Kid Flash, the Teen Titans are just, “a bunch of screwed up kids,”

-> I strongly dislike the love triangle that Adam Glass (the previous writer) was creating between Robin, Crush and Djinn. I felt like Djinn was just created to mimic the popularity of Damian x Raven and it just lessens the value of characters like Crush and Djinn. (Plus I am on the side that believes that Robin should developing his friendships before developing a romantic interest). Hopefully, Robbie Thompson (New and current writer), will throw that idea in the trash. Although I wouldn't mind Djinn × Crush though😶.

-> Also I hate the connection Adam Glass created between Robin and Roundhouse (Billy Wu). It was soo unnecessary, and he could've found another creative way to get Djinn a trapped in her ring🙄.

-> Love the growing friendship between..

1. Robin and Red Arrow

2. Red Arrow and Crush

3. Kid Flash and Roundhouse

4. Crush and Djinn

5. (Would like to see Robin and Kid Flash’s friendship grow)

-> The build up to "The Other" for over 18 issues [Issue #20-38] was disappointing. I am still trying to understand the villain motivations because it made no sense whatsoever besides the obvious fact that Adam Glass was attempting to give Robin yet another useless redemption arc he didn't need.

-> Excited at the connection between “The Book of the Damned” and Batman #666 ( I will most likely make a post expanding on this). This offers an explanation as to why Damian was suddenly using magic in that one Batman issue and claiming he could take down Superman with magic in another issue.

-> Robin's "Prison", AKA torture chamber. Although it's not out of Damian's character to believe that his father's way of imprisoning villains in Gotham is GREATLY lacking better security, I DO NOT THINK DAMIAN WOULD CREATE A PRISON, much less a torture chamber. Damian does research on ALL the batfamily including his own father, he would know that Bruce attempted something similar  and failed which would make Damian hesitant about creating his own. Instead of developing his character this whole fiasco with the prison just ruined it and gave Damian haters another tool in their arsenal to “prove” Damian is evil (which no, its just bad writing).

-> Yes, I will acknowledge that Robin is not the kindest of the batch. But Blackmailing Black Mask with threatening to put his son's life endanger-even if he was bluffing-would not be something Robin would do. Robin is known to have compassion for children (*cough cough* Batman: Streets of Gotham) and wouldn't use a child as leverage to get his way EVEN if he was desperate.

-> Robin basking in the pain of his prisoners. LIKE EXCUSE ME, WTF. Like Robin does enjoy beating up criminals who deserve it but the way Adam Glass wrote it made it seem like Robin was a sadist and a psychopath.

-> Pissed off they killed Emiko’s development by killing Deathstroke. There really wasn’t any real reason given as to why Emiko “killed” Deathstroke. 

-> Don't get me started on the fight between Red Hood and Robin. JUST DON’T.

But I have hope:

Teen Titans issue #39 and #40 written by Adam Glass and Robbie Thompson.

As you may or may not know, Robbie Thompson has now replaced Adam Glass as a writer. And his first issue he worked on was released February [issue #39] and I've already been seeing some improvements. Robbie will be fully taking over after issue #41.

-> Robin has stepped down as leader. Leadership in the Teen Titans will now be a collaborative approach.

-> The Teen Titans struggling and learning on working as a group instead of working under one leader. They've already failed their first mission as a team without Robin as leader. Which I'll give them a break for, they've recognized how poorly their plan was executed themselves. But this just shows that the writer is demonstrating that the Teen Titan's is still learning how to best work together without a leader.

-> Robbie Thompson is now writing Damian more in character. Instead of writing him off as an asshole for no reason like previous writers.

-> Confirmed Damian went to hell after being killed by Heretic. With an added plus of the Teen Titan’s finally learning a bit more about Robin’s past.

-> Brought up Damian’s ongoing internal struggle of finding his own path that isn’t influenced by his father or his grandfather.

-> I’ve gotta admit, issue #40 has exceeded my low expectations I have set for the past 19 issues.

What I am Actually Looking Forward to [Upcoming Issues]:

Teen Titans #41 / Teen Titans Annual #2

Written by Adam Glass and Robbie Thompson

-> Finally, we get Batman's involvement in all this. I just hope he doesn't beat up Damian like he did Jason 😒. I’d like to add there was actually foreshadowing for this encounter in Teen Titans #26 (I believe).

-> But the only reason I am looking forward to this because it seems like Robin has been keeping this new group of Teen Titan’s secret (including their base), or at least heavily restricting Batman’s involvement.  

-> And even though I think I know why Damian has been trying to keep this new Teen Titans a secret from Batman (if my theory is correct), I'm curious to hear it myself from him (if the reason is written well).

-> Don't get me wrong, I am pissed that the writers decided Batman is going to fire Robin. Although, I am not against Damian being his own superhero (I actually don’t want Robin to take up the Batman mantle), but I can see DC writers abusing this. Killing his character development and making him evil like they've been foreshadowing in some comics 😒.

-> Although, I am not sure if it's really gonna happen, or Damian got the memo, because Damian appears to wear the Robin outfit in future covers of the Teen Titans.

-> I am excited the current Teen titans getting a glimpse of Batman's and Robin's current strained relationship(maybe even learning more about Robin’s upbringing). The Teen Titans (except Red Arrow) are always criticizing Robin for his way of thinking without questioning the influence to his thinking.

Teen Titans #42

Written by Robbie Thompson

->Batman kicking them out of Mercy Hall?  I am actually kinda of excited for a Teen Titans without a base. 

-> But I wanna know what this means; less oversight by Batman or more?

-> I wonder what will motivate the team to retrieve Robin back into their team? The only one's who actually seem to have some sort of relationship with Robin is Red Arrow and Djinn, besides them, everyone seems to despise Robin

Teen Titans #43

Written by Robbie Thompson

-> We are FINALLY getting a proper reaction from Robin to Nightwing's near death. What we got from Nightwing Annual was definitely not enough.

-> Apparently, Damian goes on a hunt for KGBeast (who shot Dick). Which I don't see as out of character because we all know how much Damian cares for Dick, who is a brother and father figure to Damian (more than Bruce).

-> Hopefully, the Teen Titans don't let him kill or have lethal vengeance against KGBeast because that would just kill his character development 😡. 

->I wonder if this issue will tie in with the Joker War where apparently Dick is suppose to get his memories back. I doubt it, but thought I’d mentioned it.

I've been reading Teen Titans because I've been desperate for new Damian content. But it seems like the comic is finally starting to get interesting with Robbie on board.

I wanted to give you an honest review on what I've thought of the Teen Titans so far just in case you've been on the fence about reading it or not. I've tried not to hold back on my criticism so my review is as honest as it can be.

So I'll leave it to you guys to decide whether you will read it or not.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Son of Batman (2014)

Do not get discouraged by the overly comic-book beginning of Son of Batman. It gets better from there and wraps itself up nicely.

The supervillain Deathstroke (voiced by Thomas Gibson) has killed Ra's Al Ghul in an attempt to take control of the League of Assassins. Two people stand in his wife, Ra's daughter, Talia Al-Ghul (Morena Baccarin), and her son, Damian Wayne (Stuart Allen). Talia leaves the boy in the care of his father, believing Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) will keep him safe.

The beginning is where the film is at its weakest. Multiple scenes look good but don’t hold up under scrutiny. No matter how augmented or skilled, I never buy anyone blocking more than one or two bullets with a sword but apparently, no-name ninjas can block them like snowballs thrown in slow motion. Seems Superman's not the only one "faster than a speeding bullet". Until Batman shows up, there are multiple “What?” moments ranging from ninjas preferring ancient weapons to guns, objects who are quiet as long as they’re off-screen, and other action clichés that will make you wonder if Damian Wayne's first movie appearance will be a total bust.

Then, it starts getting good. You’re used to seeing Batman and Robin as partners, friends, and father/son. When the dynamic duo are actually related by blood, they can hardly stand each other. It’s the whole Dick Grayson thing flipped on its head. This Robin has all of the training already. It’s his attitude that needs to be tempered. That's good but what's beneath the surface is even better. You can tell Damian wants to be loved and that a piece of him is missing. He’s been trained to kill from the time he was old enough to walk. He’s never been a kid. He doesn’t even know what a kid is supposed to be like.

Under the Red Hood featured the kind of action that only animated films can deliver balanced with strong themes of guilt and a desire for redemption. The same applies here. Rather than get another appearance by the usual Arkham inmates like Two-Face and the Joker, we get Dr. Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat (voiced by Xander Berkeley) and it's a new interpretation of the character. That’s what fans want to see; interesting twists on the familiar material that keeps the essence of classic stories but find a way to remain fresh. The side characters are also utilized. Even familiar faces that have just a few lines (such as Nightwing or Alfred Pennyworth) leave a nice impact.

Aside from the opening act, the film's only other weakness is that this could've been more than just one movie. Why not adapt "Son of the Demon" to build up the complex relationship between Batman, Ra's, and Talia? There was no need to rush into it. Then again, this story does stand on its own so you may not share this sentiment.

Though the beginning of Son of Batman tries too hard to be awesome by throwing logic and physics out the window and Talia Al Ghul's design is overly and unnecessarily sexual, you'll be able to move past them. The film delivers the action, compelling story, and the human moments desired by those who have been following the direct-to-video DC Animated films. (On Blu-ray, April 9, 2015)