#justice for mr freeze honestly

[automaticstarlightcomputer]

the hbo harley Quinn show is such a flaming pile of steamy dog shit that seeing it in any context or capacity actually makes me angry

[kissofthemis]

hello!! i saw request of reader saving nxx boys from people flirting/harassing them so i was thinking could you write about the opposite? id love to see nxx boys being protective^_^ love your writing!!

Thank you for the kind words, anon! Sorry for the wait!

❤️ Artem ❤️

"Yes, I have plans tonight. Yeah, tomorrow night as well. I'm a rather busy person, honestly...."

Despite your best efforts to deflect the stranger's attempts at flirting, clearly "no" was a hard concept for this pushy person to grasp. Artem could not blame you for not wanting to be direct; you were kind and courteous, never wanting to offend others or hurt their feelings if you could avoid it.

But this arrogant persistence was a force to be reckoned with.

"My phone number? To schedule something later? Ah..."

Artem Wing could hardly call himself a champion of justice if he allowed someone so conceited and disrespectful to be victorious here.

"Are you ready to head home?"

You seemed a bit startled as Artem appeared beside you, but the relief in your eyes was evident. "Y-yes. I just finished up for the day."

Artem nodded briskly. "Excellent. I took out chicken this morning, and I was wondering if you'd rather have it grilled or breaded & stir-fried. We can discuss in the car."

He gave a quick glance to the stranger who'd been pestering you, who had become strangely silent once Artem had shown up. The look in the attorney's eyes was collected and calm, but sharp with an iciness that could freeze one to the bone.

"Have a good evening."

More indirect than his usual style, but intense enough to get the point across.

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💛 Luke 💛

"I'm in a hurry, I'm sorry."

"Can't even give me your number? Just your number, for when you aren't busy?"

"I... I'm running late...."

The discomfort in your voice was evident as Luke turned the corner to pick you up after work. Evidently he should have chosen a better spot to meet up, because this corner was swarming with pushy, insensitive animals.

"Swarming" may not have been the correct term, but just one scumbag harassing you was one too many in Luke's eyes.

"You're so cold." What a pitiful whine. "Would it kill you to smile and be friendly?"

"You want a smile, huh?"

Luke pulled up to your side at that moment, and he firmly placed his hand on your shoulder as he stared the harasser down. "You're not much to smile at, hotshot, but I'll do my best."

"Who the hell are you, kid? Get lost."

Agitation. A natural response when a greedy predator comes face to face with a rival.

But Luke had no qualms about knocking a small fry down a peg or two.

The corners of his mouth turned upward into a smirk, and he stretched his lips into a wide, toothy grin. At least, his face read "grin," but the light in his smile did not reach his eyes, which only swarmed with smoking fury and threatening shadow, like a stormcloud about to burst.

Perhaps it was the unsettling, cocky grin that made this fool step back. Perhaps it was the bloodlust in Raven's gaze. In any event, a loud curse was the only word of farewell before the nuisance turned and headed off. Luke felt as though he were watching a small dog stomp off with its tail between its legs.

"L-Luke..." you began cautiously. The brunet turned to you curiously, his eyes now sparkling and his mouth set in a lopsided, well-meaning smile. At the sudden change in demeanor, you couldn't help but let out a loq chuckle. "You're going to give someone a heart attack one of these days, you big guard dog."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💜 Marius 💜

Backed against a wall.

This wasn't the first time someone had inquired into your relationship with the Marius von Hagen, president of Pax, but...

"Good morning! Meeting Mr. von Hagen? How does he take his coffee? Would you answer a couple of que--"

You slammed the door in the paparazzi's face. Never in your wildest dreams could you have imagined that getting caught on one outing with Marius would result in nosy reporters coming to your home!

With a sigh you slid down against the front door, landing in an unceremonious heap on the floor. How were you supposed to leave today? Or any day? You had errands to run, tasks to do, bills to pay, and you really, really wanted to check out the craft fair at Central Plaza this weekend!

A soft buzzing in your pocket distracted you temporarily from your growing worries.

"See you in 10."

What? Marius was on his way here? Wouldn't that cause even more problems?

You didn't get a chance to assemble your thoughts before a low rumble began to vibrate in your ears and make your entire body shake.

"Go on! Get out of here! You're a public nuisance, and I've got a fantastic attorney! Isn't a guy allowed to have friends?!"

You peered out of your window, and there was Pax's main man, wind whipping his dark bangs in his handsome face. He gripped a megaphone in his hands, looking relaxed and smug, but his knuckles were white with his stress. Vincent must have given him a heads up.

Marius' voice blasting out of the megaphone simultaneously filled you with hope and warmth, but also horror and despair. How would you ever beat the dating allegations now?

More importantly, where was he planning to park a helicopter?!

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

💚 Vyn 💚

"Thank you."

You dipped your head politely to acknowledge your gratitude to the stranger who had offered to lead you to the student center. Stellis University's campus looked much different in the evening light, when fewer students were milling about. You should have been able to find it on your own, and yet...

For better or for worse, a young man had noticed you, and when he approached you explained your situation. He had agreed to lead you over, perhaps a bit too gleefully. But you were grateful for the help, and so you acquiesced, but you kept your finger hovering over a "dial" button on your phone just in case.

After your quick goodbye, you spun on your heel to enter the student center.

However, your escort didn't seem too thrilled to see you leaving so speedily.

"That's it?" he huffed. "A half-assed thank you? No phone number, no hug, not even a last name? Are you serious?" His voice kept rising with each word, his tone growing steadily angrier. "I did you a favor by even talking to an ugly brat like you. Have you ever tried smiling with that gloomy face of yours, you miserable fuck?"

Ah. One of those.

You weren't going to dignify that with a response, but then you heard footsteps behind you.

No. Don't come closer. You didn't want any trouble, least of all from an entitled, arrogant--

"Aha. I was afraid I'd have to send campus security out looking for you."

A familiar voice hummed by your ear, and your face lit up with relief. "Dr. Richter!"

A slender but firm hand rested on your shoulder, and you looked up to see bright golden eyes meet yours. Those eyes were like a beacon in the darkening night, and you couldn't help but smile at the sight of them.

"The swing dancing starts any minute now. You have impeccable timing, as always." He let out a breathy chuckle.

"That should be my line, Dr. Richter," you retorted lightly.

Of course, the punk behind you hadn't left or stopped shouting. In fact, his rage only seemed to have grown since Vyn appeared, but Vyn paid him absolutely no mind. He must deal with rowdy students regularly, but this was something else entirely.

"Before we go inside," Vyn began, reaching into his coat pocket. "Let's clean you up."

"Hmm?" You didn't think you had any dirt on you, but you didn't protest as Vyn pulled out a silk handkerchief and gently began dabbing at your cheeks, nose, and hands.

"After all," he continued, and he lifted his gaze from your skin. But his eyes didn't go to yours this time; he appeared to be staring past you, at someone else.

You were grateful you couldn't see the exact look in his eyes as he murmured in a voice colder than the night breeze and sharper than a doctor's scalpel, "Spending too much time around ill-mannered, foul-tempered, idiotic boors is proven to be terrible for your health." His voice dropped an octave, and you couldn't help but shiver as he finished,

"And... if they are as foolish as they are filthy, terrible for their health as well."

[loudlittleecho]

Frozen in Time: Too Late to Save Them

Previous

Part 6

Tim got an alert on Forever Ice in Wisconsin. 

Seems there had been an accident. He quickly scanned the document. Mr. Anderson had given a statement, grateful that no one had been harmed, thankfully, and he also did not expect this to delay shipping. He mentions that his new facilities had better safety measures installed, and while he was sad to let the building go, it was time. . . a little further in the article mentioned how everyone who had worked at the facility had been given two lucrative options. Take a generous severance package, or transfer to another facility with housing and transportation cost support. 

Tim frowned. He had gotten alerts about the other facilities two months ago. When he had scanned them they all seemed above board. Seems Anderson had found a way to recreate his ability. Tim had purchased one crafted from a newer facility, and had analyzed it beside the first. They were identical.

Tim had a hunch he didn’t like. Anderson was making friends with quite a few people. 

He noticed a file he hadn’t added to the report, written in code. 

He narrowed his eyes. This folder was open to anyone in the Justice League to add to if they so desired. 

The only one who would add something in code was The Question. 

—

The woman, Nora, had requested his team to clear one of the smaller offices of the warehouse they were occupying, and to find a bed for the boy– though by now the boy was back as a block of ice.

His crew had glanced at him for confirmation; he nodded for them to comply. 

She had only given her first name, but Snart was able to put the pieces together. Nora Fries, wife of Mr. Freeze. He hadn’t kept up with Gotham news, but it looked that somehow Freeze had managed to bring his wife back.

Now how the kid connected to the two, he didn’t know. 

Nora had told him the boy had felt feverish; she believed if a room was made colder than his own, his body wouldn’t need to form his own ice. 

Snart worked on the logistics. 

—

Sources (See interview 1c): noted complete flip in N.A.’s personality. Clone? Mind Control? 

P.A. using ice BEFORE N.A. (See interview 1a). Need full interview with P.A. 

B.A. No Meta gene, biological sibling of N.A. (See D.M.A. Federal Employee Background Check)

Forever Ice: hired employees previously working with CADMUS. Deeper connection?

Tim rubbed his eyes. He enjoyed cracking codes, but The Question had written his added documents in seventeen different ciphers. Two to three, Tim understood, but seventeen on an already secured folder? He admired the man, sure. But he also recognized this could be his future if he wasn’t careful. 

It seemed The Question had taken on the case. That was good, because Tim already had enough on his plate. He started to close out the file when he paused.

He wanted to let his fellow detective know he was willing to help if needed. Tim smirked.

Wrote a coded note, and closed the file. 

— 

The room was set below freezing, using Nora’s cryokinesis and Snart’s devices to keep it at the right temperature. 

It had taken a week, but they had finally found the correct temperature. Nora wasn’t quite sure why Cold was helping. But she didn’t complain. 

When she removed ice from the boy, it didn’t replace itself. 

Slowly and gently she placed him on the bed. It had frozen over, of course, but was better than the floor.

His chest slowly moved up and down; breathing. 

Noticing the medical band from his wrist, she removed it. 

Fenton, Daniel.

ADM: 09/16/–

DOB: 04/03/–

The band was frayed, so Nora couldn’t be positive about its accuracy on the current situation. But based on dates alone, Daniel Fenton was fourteen 27 years ago.

Author note:

Acronyms: N.A., P.A., B.A: Nathan, Paul, and Becks Anderson

D.M.A.: Department of Metahuman Affairs. 

The D.M.A. is a real department in DC comics. Now, they don't have a 'Federal Employee Background Check', but honestly I wouldn't put it past the DC Universe to do so: Especially to not have a Queen Bee, Count Vertigo, etc situation happen in the states.

[celaenaeiln]

is the dickbabs romantic relationship always as bad as in Tom Taylor’s run or is it actually enjoyable in other runs? i want to read more of dick’s og nightwing run but ik dickbabs is a recurring thing and i strongly dislike what i’ve seen of it in modern comics (absolutely no offense to anyone who ships it!!)

also sort of related, but have dick and babs really been BFFs since grade school or is that new canon? i remember the initial new 52 run referencing him and babs as on and off but nothing about being childhood besties.

finally- what would you consider to be key dick grayson runs?

Surprisingly Dickbabs is pretty nice to read in other runs. I know this sounds weird coming from someone who hates Dickbabs as a ship but really it's only bad like 85% of the time and the majority of that is because of the Batgirl comics. Batgirl comics treat Dick like shit and it's a losing tossup whether he's treated well in Oracle related comics.

But to get to your point, Dickbabs in Nightwing (1996) was originally pretty good. Tom Taylor's run of Nightwing is the weird one because in every other run you have Dick + relationships whereas in Taylor's you have relationships + Dick. That being said, I highly, highly recommend reading the og one. At one point it does get toxic but Barbara leaves almost immediately after that and aside from that the ship was pretty nice for the most part.

Dick and Barbara have NOT been BFFS since childhood or whatever and this gets on my nerves that Tom Taylor and Hope Larson did that. This is one of the problems I have with the Dickbabs ship. Writers who write them love changing the story to erase Dick's friendships with the Titans. They literally love to pretend Wally, Donna, Roy, and Garth don't exist. BARBARA IS NOT HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND!! They literally keep deaging her and for what?? First she was like two decades older than him, then she's five years older than him, and now she's the same age?? Just let her be older! Barbara being the same age as Dick makes no sense because it takes away her maturity to turn her into this childish, selfish character she has no business being. She's not even enjoyable when she's deaged this far. I'm still on the she's 5 to 6 years older than Dick canon timeline and there is no way she was childhood besties with him.

The way I picture Dick and Barbara's relationship is this:

DC should've just let it at this, this was peak Dick and Barbara relationship.

Very narrow starting out list but some must read Dick Grayson runs are:

Nightwing (1996) - If you don't feel like reading anything else just read this

Nightwing (2016) - Really good up until Tom Taylor's run

Batman: Gotham Knights - pretty good and lots of cute Tim and Dick!

Titans (1999) - This is a must read if you're not interested in the original Teen Titans comics

Outsiders (2003) - Love him so much in this

JLA/Titans - Important for understanding his relationships with Titans and Batman

Nightwing (2011)

Justice League (2011) Issue #25 and Forever Evil - Same arc

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush

Robin era

Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze - If you want to skip the medal ages but still want to know what Dick was like as Robin, this comic is all you need to understand his character and personality and beliefs.

Batman Chronicles: The Gauntlet - Dick's gauntlet test!

Robin: Year One - For fun :)

Dick!Bats era

Batman: Battle for the Cowl - To get into Dick's batman

Batman (1940) Issues #682 to #713 - Batman Dick. Incredible. Dick was such a good batman and so fun to read.

Batman and Robin (2009) - Dick and Dami!

Batman: Streets of Gotham - Also Dick and Dami <3

Justice League of America (2006) Issues #41 to #60- Dick leading his own JLA team as Batman! SO FUN!!

Detective Comics (1937) Issue #864 to #881 - Honestly Batman Dick was so good I can't tell if I like Dick more as Nightwing or Batman. Obviously it's better for his mental health if he's nightwing but he just did such a great job as Batman.

Spy era

Grayson - YESSSS. Just everything about this.

Batman and Robin Eternal - It was really good up until near the end but then it got better again

Dark Crisis - Definitely, without a doubt, no question

Additional: The ones above are focused on him but if you finish reading this then Tim's Robin (1993) Comic is a fantastic one. He doesn't appear in every single issue but he appears a lot and it's a lot of Dick and Tim characterization. Also Teen Titans (2003) for more Dick and Titans relationships.

[arkhamasyl-m]

SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE CHARACTER WISHLIST

We already know who’s coming out as free DLC for this year (Joker, Mrs. Freeze, Lawless and Deathstroke) and Katana and Killer Croc are coming at some point as well, so here are my top wanted.

Cheetah - She’s been a part of the Suicide Squad before AND she’s a Wonder Woman villain. I found it kinda odd that there is no WW villains in the game, with there being 5 Batman villains, an Aquaman villain and a Flash villain. Aquaman isn’t even in the League bro.

Killer Frost - We’re already getting an ice character but Killer Frost is a popular Suicide Squad member and just makes more sense anyways. Plus Mrs. Freeze is a heavy-gunner-type character whilst Frost is more supernatural.

Joker’s Daughter - I honestly would’ve preferred if she was the character over Joker because like… Jokers been dead for 5 years but it’s fine. Joker’s Daughter is also a Suicide Squad member and just looks cool. I don’t think she’ll be coming though because she’s too similar to Joker and Harley.

Peacemaker - Peacemaker 😍

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 5

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. We’re now in the Top 5 of the countdown! TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “My fault…I didn’t get the joke…” Number 5 is…Mad Love.

It was hard to choose between “Mad Love” and our previous pick, “Heart of Ice.” In some ways, I would honestly argue the latter is technically better than the former…but the reasons I place “Mad Love” over it are twofold. One, I just like Harley more than Mr. Freeze, in general. Plain and simple. Two, while “Heart of Ice” helped to re-invent a backstory for a great villain, and thus revamped them in an inspired way for future generations…this story is a bit different. Originally published as a spin-off graphic novel for the show, “Mad Love” was adapted into an actual episode during the TNBA era. It is the official origin story for Harley Quinn, and – considering everything that goes into Harley BEING Harley, so to speak – I think that’s an even more noteworthy achievement.

Harley’s origins had been hinted at a few times in earlier episodes, most notably “Harlequinade,” which I already covered earlier in the countdown. But “Mad Love” finally gave viewers the full scoop, and adapts its comic source pretty darn faithfully. With one or two possible exceptions (among them being the infamously…questionable redesign for the Joker in “The New Batman Adventures”), it once again improves on its source material, making Harley even more sympathetic than in the comic version, as well as tightening up the pace and using the full breadth of this visual, moving medium to its advantage. “Mad Love” begins with Harley feeling fed up with the Joker paying more attention to Batman than to her. This causes her to reminisce on her past, and the full story of her background is revealed: once upon a time, she was Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a new up-and-coming psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. It’s implied, however, that Harleen was more interested in using the inmates as research material for her own ambitions, than she really was with curing them. Her ambitions, combined with an inborn naivete, led to her being seduced by the Joker, and she fell in love with her deranged patient. After a particularly grueling battle with Batman left the Clown Prince of Crime badly injured, Harleen finally snapped, and – determined to help her “puddin’” out – she became the wild card that is Harley Quinn.

This, however, is not the end of “Mad Love.” That’s just the beginning. We cut back to the present, where Harley forms a surprisingly clever scheme to kill Batman, hoping that if he’s finally out of the picture, she can finally have the Joker all to herself. I feel hesitant to say much more in great detail, for a lot of reasons, but suffice it to say things don’t go the way Harley expected, and the audience is given an uncomfortably deeper perspective on the dangerous relationship she and the Joker have. All three main characters – Batman, the Joker, and ESPECIALLY Harley Quinn – really make this story great. Harley’s origins themselves are classic, of course, and have really never changed much since this story. Certain details and elements have been expanded on or slightly altered over the years, but the basic concept has remained fixed. However, it’s the look at this trio and their relationships to each other that makes the story so splendid, as well as so disturbing at times. It also allows all three actors to deliver some of the best performances in the entire series; with the exception of “The Laughing Fish,” in fact, I would argue this is Mark Hamill’s single best performance as the Joker in all of the Animated Series (discounting movies and later series spinoffs, like “Justice League”). For Conroy, it’s an episode that allows his Batman to shine, even when he’s not the focus, as he shows his own cunning side in the way he’s able to manipulate both villains to come out on top. And of course, for Arleen Sorkin, this was the saddest, most heartbreaking story she ever got as Quinn, and she brings everything into it, showing that she could manage the tragedy of Harley as well as the humor. Also, the title references a Peter Lorre movie. That’s just cool, A+.

We’re getting close to the end now, friends. Tomorrow we move on to Number 4! Hint: “Gotham can be a Wonderland, Alice! Tonight, let me be your guide.”

[bmblboop]

RWBY X Justice League... TWO!

Gonna do another liveblog while killing some time. Here goes!

-cut for length-

UHD is 480p? This movie has been out for two weeks and it's not 1080? I thought the first one was only that way bc I got it day-of!

Ugh, I wont get mad over it. The YT edition gave me trouble the last time too - let's just see how it goes.

Recap! Took me a minute to realize this is the Weiss vs Bruce music from the first movie - which is definitely the closest we've gotten to classic RWBY music.

"'Grimm' as in, "The Brothers"?" For half a second I thought she was referring to the Gods of Light and Dark but no as in the authors 'Brothers Grimm' because the DC universe is supposed to be Earth and fairytales are just fairytales here. Are they gonna lean more into the allusion aspect of RWBY et. al now that we have a world where Red Riding Hood and the others are just stories?

Jurassic Park moment with the Pterrorsaur. Except this time they can literally smell fear.

Epic Ruby moment vs the Taijitu (first time in Maya), love how creative the fights are.

Grimm on Earth turn to gunk? Hopefully it's just goo and not regeneration-goo (like the Wyvern 'Blood' in v3).

Ooh, when the Kilg%re/Goliath gets punched the cracks are yellow. Color scheme: red, white, black, yellow.

When I saw the flash of purple tailing Batman I thought TYRIAN!? Nope, it's just a Scorpion with a modified tail... suspiciously like Tyrian's. Guess Watts is involved after all.

Saw this preview clip, but ow. Weiss is still hurting from losing Atlas, and I honestly don't blame her. That was her home, and it's straight up gone. Glad to see this carry through from v9, as well as Ruby's post-renewal mindset.

Voice changer to keep the mystery voice a mystery.

Mmm Flash angst. Reminds me of v9 Jaune. Blond boys get no sleep.

Had to pause on Weiss' contacts screen and I love that shes got all her teammates, all her family, and Maria just, lurking. Lol

Clearly Maria has her own scroll but I do have to wonder how good she is at tech things given she has such a close-cropped image. Or maybe she doesn't give a shit XD.

Love love love that conversation with Klein, I love that this is the direction of Weiss' character arc and I love that daddy issues whammy of 'He abandoned Atlas long before it fell.' 'Do you mean Atlas, or your family?'

Time dilation double pun. The 'when you are needed most' line at the end of v9 and Weiss being the one saying 'we have experience with that' considering one of her glyphs is Time Dilation.

Blake breaking down the door feat. Yang's flirty wink.

XD Ruby entering the portal in style

We finally got a 'not in Kansas anymore' referenceeeee.

Oh, split up along Weiss/Blake and Yang/Ruby this time, glad to see it! Time for sisterly conflict.

Heh. Joker and Harley watching the city burn.

Oh now I see why Blake went to Gotham. Cat. Bat. "This is where he's from. I get it now."

The way Ruby just knew that she'd still be able to move like she did on Remnant. My girl. (Was worried for a sec she was gonna try to Silver Eyes it and that would fail)

"You learn not to question Flash's villain roster." That got a laugh out of me and I don't even know about Flash's lore.

Something about Weiss mentioning "Mr Freeze" while dressed as an Ice Princess is funny to me.

The particles on Blake and Jessica's fist bump :D

Aw man, it IS regeneration goop!

I guess 'consciousness is stored' is how we can get Watts in a post-v9 crossover. Technomagic stuff.

Weiss proving she's the queen.

Hope Cyborg isn't corrupted.

Love this Cobra/Dragonfly grimm. Clip it's wings!

'We need more firepower.' Enter Yang with an epic save.

Hold on, are Yang's flame punches the color of the lesbian flag?

Are we gonna a get a 'speedsters need to slow down' moral here? With Flash also rushing into danger and nearly getting killed?

Anyway, planning session time.

The truth revealed.

Honestly, 'no body no death' kinda applies here like we KNOW that Watts died either burning to death via Cinder's wish or when Atlas fell but he was surrounded by computers at the time as well. It could have literally been the last thing he ever did. (Or he did it during v7 since he already wormed his way into the Atlas network via Jacques).

Via Jacques. Man. Watts really is Weiss's personal villain.

The whole 'transferring consciousness' thing also reeks of the Aura Transfer machines used on the Maidens, but I always assumed that was Pietro's invention so he could give life to Penny. Maybe Watts stole or twisted the concept for his own use.

Yang seeing the Ruby in Flash mmmmm. The way he looks at her arm and asks 'what happened?' and Yang explains how she felt ooooooooo. Flash explaining that Kilgore is no longer in his brain but he hears and sees him all the time.

Blonde PTSD buddies WOOOO-

Meanwhile Ruby and Clark orphan bonding. Not entirely sure how Ruby will take the 'I make my parents proud for fighting for the things they died for'

Also given that some of Summer's first "lines" in the show was Red Like Roses Part 2 "baby please don't do what I did/I don't want you to waste your life in vain"

And on that somber note -break time!

[lyinginahammock]

DC - The Reigning King of TV Superhero Animation

Let’s get this out of the way - on September 7, 1992, DC won the battle for TV superhero animation for all time with the premiere of the Batman: The Animated Series season 1, episode 14, “Heart of Ice”. The heartbreaking tale of Mr. Freeze’s origin, it won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program. Honestly, if nothing DC every put on broadcast TV ever again was any good, this episode would still be talked about as one of the greatest pieces of animated TV ever. 

But instead of resting on their laurels, DC decided to keep kicking ass. “Beware The Grey Ghost,” “Almost Got ‘Im”, “Trial”, “Mad Love”, “Growing Pains”, “Over the Edge”, “Old Wounds” - all amazing episodes of animated television from Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures. 

Then, in 1999, DC decided to go for (and pull off) a Batman hat trick with the debut of Batman Beyond, a series originally designed to sell toys that the writers decided to make kick ass. But still, it eventually had to come to an end, and Marvel breathed a sigh of relief. 

Until November 7, 2001, when DC dropkicked them with the premiere of The Justice League, which transitioned into Justice League Unlimited with grace and style and was similarly amazing, but appeared to end that run of successes. 

At the same time, DC released the series that sealed their eternal victory and proved them the king of superhero animations - Teen Titans. An anime-infused take on the superhero team of the same name, it featured DC’s trademark complicated storytelling and ran for five years, followed by a pretty good movie. And the theme song fucking slapped, both in English and Japanese.

Also running concurrently was The Batman, another interesting take on the caped crusader which reimagined the origins and appearances of his rogues gallery and had some absolutely heartbreaking twists and turns.

After that came Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I’ll die on this fucking hill - the show is better than people online give it credit for. It focused on the campy elements of comic books of yore, but also gave us the amazing episode “Chill of the Night!”, an examination of what it means to be the Batman.

Then came Young Justice, a wholly original take on a number of DC heroes and villains and marked the TV premier of fucking Superboy. The first season is, in my mind, damn near perfect.

Of course, you have stuff like Teen Titans Go! but that isn't conducive to my point, so I'm ignoring it.

Finally, we get to the present day with programming like The Harley Quinn Show and My Adventures With Superman, the former of which has gained a strong fan base and the latter of which shows amazing potential.

So, why does DC's animation devision have so many absolute fucking bangers under its belt while Marvel doesn't have nearly the same track record? Well, I have a theory.

Marvel hit it big with the MCU and thus have a sort of cannon and, as such, the characterization of their characters has to be pretty consistent across mediums, even animation. DC, however, doesn't have anything like that and can reimagine their characters any way they want. That and their animation department has been kicking ass so long they've proven that, left to their own devices, they'll pump out quality material.

So, yeah.

[twinhood-2dot0]

A Shallow Dive Into: Batman’s Rogues Gallery Part 2

Here, part 2. The first one somehow got 7 likes??? I barely even put any effort into it. This one is also gonna be pretty low effort :P I started writing another post yesterday and I wrote 1360 words and I’m only like only a ⅓ finished??? And I kinda spent the whole day watching an anime start to finish 💀.Anyways, let’s get into some more that I missed.

The Al Ghul’s

Ra’s al Ghul (Raysh-Al-Ghool or, Raas-Al-Ghool. Even DC writers can’t agree, although I’m more accustomed to Raysh, I think that was how it was pronounced in the DCAU and the Arkham games. It’s Arabic for “Head of the demon”) is a man born around 700-450 years ago, who discovered the powers of the Lazarus pit, which has the power to bring people back from the dead and used it to prolong his life. (Yeah, this how pretty much most of the dead Batfam characters came back to life. Jason Todd, Kate Kane (Batwoman), who died for like one issue a few meters away from a Lazarus pit, Riddler, as mentioned before, when he got cancer and took a dip in the pit and figured out Batman’s identity.) Ra’s al Ghul, in his long life, played a part in like a lot of historical moments, and later comes to resent humanity and becomes an environmentalist. I’m not very familiar with the character unfortunately, with all of my experience being the Batman Begins version, the kinda weird role he played in Arkham City, and JLA: Tower of Babel where he takes down the entire Justice League using Batman’s countermeasures for his own allies, and the Injustice series, which I don’t remember much of except that he has like a nature sanctuary with various critically endangered species and he was besties with Animal Man.

Talia al Ghul is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, on-and-off love interest for Batman, and mother of Batman’s biological son, and also on-and-off ally of Ra’s al Ghul. She also played a part in Jason Todd’s resurrection and consequent training.

Ra’s also has one other daughter, Nyssa, but I honestly didn’t even know she existed until I played Arkham Knight. She has much less appearances than her sister.

Lady Shiva, while not a member of the family, has relations to the League of Shadows, so I thought I’d group them together. Lady Shiva is among the best martial artists in the DCU, able to best even Batman. She’s also the mother of Cassandra Cain, the other best fighter, although more so because of her procognitive abilities. 

Man-Bat

Wow, the realisticness makes him so much scarier.

Dr. Kirk Langstrom is a zoologist cursed with deafness, and in an effort to cure his deafness, creates a serum with the help of bat DNA but it goes horribly wrong and is turned into a giant bat. In recent publications, he’s more of a sympathetic villain acting more on primal rage than malice. His interpretation in Arkham Knight was done really well. Although Arkham Knight is not a horror game, there’s a ton of jumpscares. While just gliding and grappling to different buildings, the player may be randomly met with the shrieking face of the Man-Bat, and you have to go to his lab and piece together what he has done and create an antidote.

Mr. Freeze

Dr. Victor Fries’s (pronounced “Frees”. Yeah, DC names are often very on the nose, just look at E. Nygma and Harleen Quinzel.) wife Nora Fries is afflicted with a terminal illness, and is cryogenically preserved by her husband in hopes that a cure might one day be discovered. While working, he’s trapped in an accident that made him unable to survive outside of sub-zero environments, forcing him to wear a cryogenic suit, and he turns to crime to find a cure.

Mr. Freeze was originally just another bank robber with a freeze ray, but Paul Dini changed his origin story to the current iteration in an Emmy Award winning episode of Batman: The Animated Series titled “Heart Of Ice”. Scott Snyder, as much as I loved his stories, controversially retconned this in the New 52 reboot and made Fries a man who got obsessed with a cryogenically preserved woman named Nora Fields.

The Court Of Owls

A newer addition to the Batman mythos, appearing first in Scott Snyder’s Court Of Owls and City Of Owls arcs that kicked off the New 52 Batman series. The Court Of Owls are Gotham’s own Illuminati. A secret society made of the wealthiest and most powerful citizens of Gotham, they have existed for centuries, controlling the city from behind the shadows, along with the help of immortal assassins named the Talons.

Batmen of The Dark Multiverse

Scott Snyder’s 2017 crossover event named Dark Nights: Metal introduced us to the Dark Multiverse, a multiverse where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, and is doomed to destruction. We’re introduced to the Batmen (and Batwoman) of The Dark Multiverse, who are all different versions of Batman with some drastic changes.

Joker 

A fan favorite, and the leader of the Batmen, is The Batman Who Laughs. This Batman gave into the urge of killing Joker, after he killed all his rogues, thousands of Gotham citizens and Jim Gordon, and is infected with a version of the Joker toxin that turns him insane, making him a Joker with the brain and physicality of Batman. He tricked the Batfamily and killed them all, and hid in his Batcave for a week, emerging to kill the Justice League, and he turned Damian into a mini-Joker and recruited the children affected by the Joker toxin as his “Rabid Robins”. This guy is freaking horrifying in all of the stories he appeared in.

Superman

The Superman of Earth -1 goes on a killing spree, even killing Lois Lane, leading Batman to decide to use lethal force. After his attempts with a Kryptonite spear doesn’t work out, he ingested a version of the Doomsday Virus (Doomsday is the monster that killed Superman in The Death Of Superman, the virus causes people to develop features like it.) aiding him in killing Superman, but after his victory, the virus spread and he could only watch helplessly as it destroyed his world.

The Flash

After all of the Batfam dies, Batman is compelled to take extreme measures, and tries to get The Flash to give him access to the Speed Force too, and when he refused, he used all the weapons employed by his Rogue’s Gallery to defeat him, chained him to the Batmobile (merged with the Cosmic Treadmill, it’s a treadmill that Flash uses to time travel accurately and stuff), and drove both of them into the Speed Force, absorbing The Flash and his powers, with Barry forced to watch as Batman murders each of his villains.

Aqua(wo)man

In a universe where everyone is gender-swapped, Bryce Wayne’s lover Sylvester Kyle (bleugh) is killed by metahumans, and starts killing every metahuman. After killing all of them on land, she meets Aquawoman, and peace negotiations turn into a conflict, and then she steals her trident, and kills her with her own weapon, and in retaliation, the Atlanteans drown Gotham City and a large part of the world, leading her to perform surgery on herself to give herself Aquawoman’s powers and designed an underwater army called the “Dead Waters''. Does that qualify as a navy?

Okay, there are a few more, like Cyborg Alfred Batmobile Batman, Ares Batman, Killed all of Green Lantern corps as a kid with a Green Lantern ring Batman, but I’m lazy, sorry. Maybe next time, cya, I gotta go finish Chainsaw Man.

[screentones]

this is a COMICS MULTIMUSE toned by nami ! featuring CYPHER & WARLOCK from X-MEN

hiii i'm 21, i'm a 2d animator who also does freelance on the side. i'm very busy so this and the rest of my blogs have sporadic to low activity. for more in-depth rules check the main blog, but honestly just be nice, have fun, and general rp etiquette!

a little about my comics knowledge: a lot of these muses are heavily headcanon based or i am actively learning more about them to better write them. i am also taking comic requests so if you think there's a comic i should read, let me know!! and i'll put it on my list >:)

muse list below cut

MARVEL

primary/featured // DOUGLAS RAMSEY // CYPHER // headcanon based

primary/featured // WARLOCK // headcanon based

primary // GENESIS // evan sabahnur // headcanon based

primary // UNIT// headcanon based

primary // BENNET DU PARIS // EXODUS // headcanon based

secondary // PHILLIP J. COULSON // AGENT COULSON // headcanon based

tertiary // JONATHAN OHNN // THE SPOT // atsv based

request only // LOKI LAUFEYSON // LOKI // headcanon based

request only // ADRIANO TOOMES // VULTURE // atsv based

request only // KINGPIN // WILSON FISK // itsv based

test muse // EGO // EGO THE LIVING PLANET // insanely headcanon based

DC

primary // ARTEMIS CROCK // TIGRESS // young justice based

secondary // JONATHAN CRANE // SCARECROW // headcanon based

secondary // KLARION // WITCH BOY // young justice based

tertiary // VICTOR FRIES // MR. FREEZE // batman&robin based

secondary // HUGO STRANGE // headcanon based

primary // KON-EL // SUPER BOY // headcanon based

test muse // TERRA // TARA MARKOV // headcanon teen titans based

test muse // BROTHER BLOOD // SEBASTIAN BLOOD // headcanon teen titans based

test muse // RAVEN // RACHEL ROTH // headcanon teen titans based

test muse // TRIGON THE TERRIBLE // TRIGON // headcanon teen titans based

OTHER MEDIA/OCS

secondary // MISTER PEACE // WARREN PEACE // headcanon based

secondary // ABE SAPIEN // ABRAHAM SAPIEN // movie and comic based

test muse // CECIL // CECIL STEDMAN // cartoon based

[havendance]

No Man’s Land Comics Timeline (and Reading Recommendations)

Made to accompany my No Man’s Land Plot Timeline (for if you want to write fic set in No Man’s Land and want to know when stuff happened).  This is the order the comics are in the No Man’s Land Omnibuses and thus the order that I read them in. I've bolded the issues that I really enjoyed and added notes by some others that didn't make the cut but I'd definitely recommend checking out for one reason or another.

Batman: No Man’s Land #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83

Batman #563  - These first three issues really just set the scene for No Man’s Land and do an excellent job of it, you should definitely read them if you’re going to read No Man’s Land

Detective Comics #730

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84

Batman #564  - You can take or leave the story that this issue is a part of, but Leslie Thomkins shows up in this issue and has a nice moment with Bruce

Detective Comics #731

Azrael Agent of the Bat #52

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #85

Batman #565

Detective Comics #732 - The story in these two issues features some good Barbara Gordon content and her discovery that there’s someone else out acting as Batgirl.

The Batman Chronicles #16

Azrael Agent of the Bat #53

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #118

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #86  - A nice standalone issue about a normal guy in No Man’s Land

Batman #566

Detective Comics #733

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54 - 55  - I don’t particularly care about Azrael, but this story was pretty good if you do want to read some of his comics. It’s got Baraba Gordon and Leslie Thomkins in it.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87 — A lot of plot hits in these two issues which sets up the next couple story arcs.

Batman #567

Detective Comics #734 — These two issues are the “Mark of Cain” storyline which is where Cassandra’s introduced! Definitely check them out.

Young Justice: No Man’s Land #1 — It’s young justice and just good fun.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 — All the bat-gangs here! Plus, good Helena content.

Robin #67 — Dick and Tim make their way into No Man’s Land together.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #57

Batman Chronicles #17 — Specifically, the second story in this is really good.

Nightwing #35

Nightwing #36

Nightwing #37

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88

Batman #568

Detective Comics #738 — In this story Batman and Robin team up to go against Clayface and they end up making an alliance with Poison Ivy.

Catwoman #72

Catwoman #73

Catwoman #74 — The Catwoman story is just really fun. Plus, Maxie Zeus shows up in it which is always a plus in my book.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #121 — I can’t in good conscious recommend this as a *good* issue, but it is rather entertaining in a comics sort of way. Batman vs Mr Freeze.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89

Batman #569

Detective Comics #736

Robin #68

Robin #69

Robin #70 — The only reason I’m not bolding this is because then I’d basically be recommending all of the Robin comics and I’m trying to hold back at least a little of my biases (I just think the Robin comics are fun, okay?). Anyway, the story in these issues reveals the fact that apparently some of Tim’s old classmates are just hanging out in Gotham’s sewers, larping as their DnD characters, which is honestly one of the more absurd No Man’s Land details.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #90

Batman: #570

Detective Comics #737

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #123

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #91  — The story in these two issues was my favorite in volume 3 of No Man’s Land. You should definitely read it. It’s got everything that really compels me about No Man’s Land — namely people staying and doing the best they can in a city that’s hell on earth.

Batman #571

Detective Comics #738

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #124

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92 — Superman enters Gotham pt II, this time as Clark Kent.

Batman: No Man’ Land Secret Files #1 — This issue flashes back to the night they blew the bridges. Probably my second favorite story in volume 3, cool stuff with the city itself speaking to some dude. Also, Huntress (my beloved <3) shows up.

Robin #71

Robin #72 —Tim, still recovering from an illness, goes up against Killer Croc. [Also sets up future plot points?]

Batman Chronicles #18

Batman #572

Detective Comics #739 — Jim Gordon, Rene Montoya, and Two Face in a No Man’s Land courtroom drama. Two Face is really good in this.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125 — Batman and Jim Gordon finally talk. A really good focus on their relationship

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59

Catwoman #75

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93

Nightwing #38

Nightwing #39 — these two issues have that sweet, sweet DickBabs content if that’s your jam.

Batman: No Man’s Land #0 — The origin of Batgirl!Helena as well as Bruce’s return to Gotham.

Batman #573

Detective Comics #740 — A plotty couple of issues, these set the stage for the grand finale.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60

Catwoman #76

Catwoman #77 — I’m trying to avoid recommending every issue of vol 4, but these Catwoman issues are just good fun.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61 — This has some really nice interactions between Azrael, Barbara, and Cass

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126

Batman #574

Detective Comics #741

Robin #73

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94 — Minus the Robin comic, these last comics are all the concluding arc of No Man’s Land. The Bats vs the Joker and Lex Luthor.

[utilitycaster]

Wizard breakdown tracker week 2: episode 132

Welcome again to the post in which I assess how close the various wizard NPCs of Exandria are to Losing It, an exercise in reminding me that though things may seem dark now, one day Trent Ikithon will be brought to justice, which is the fun euphemism I have for “zero hit points and also on fire”.

I suspect we’re really only going to see Essek for a while such that this may eventually become a space for real thoughts on Essek, wildly speculative thoughts on the volstrucker wizards, Allura/Kima domestic fluff, and elaborate jokes about Eadwulf’s name and Yussa’s predicament, but I am committed.

As a reminder: Caleb Widogast is not eligible due to being a PC. Wizard NPCs for whom I have no updates, whether it’s because they have not appeared recently or simply because I don’t find them interesting enough; my deepest apologies to the Oremid Hass stans.

Someone in my notes from last week’s post asked where Known Gem Wizard Hotsauce Lutefisk was. The answer is that he is in a gem. Hope this helps.

Archmage of Antiquities Lady Vess DeRogna is still dead.

Ludinus Da’leth: with Yussa (hopefully temporarily) out of the running he’s suddenly feeling more confident in his chances at winning Wildemount’s Least Fucks Given competition but doesn’t know why, and with Jester in the north a sudden sense of peace has come upon him.

Conclusion: 0/10. He’s taking a nap in his tower in a sunbeam like an evil cat as we speak.

Trent Ikithon: It’s only been a day or so since Caleb delivered what is truly probably the sickest burn he’s ever experienced; this man probably doesn’t care about 99% of what people say to him but Caleb saying he’s not the biggest thing on his mind? That’s gonna hit. Also presumably the trail went cold after Nicodranas, in more ways than one.

Conclusion: 5/10 and simmering; by the time the Nein return to civilization he should be about ready to explode.

Essek Thelyss: While it’s only been a few hours honestly I think he’s already doing better. He’s in a weird freezing ruin and there was a fight with another one coming, but he’s being useful! He’s been given trust and friends! He got to show off a lot of very cool spellcasting! Also have you ever been super anxious and your friends, rather than trying to talk through anything, are just incredibly fucking weird to the point where it takes your mind off things because what is happening even? That’s the mood. Oh and also, he may still be worried about the Assembly bearing down on him but I have to imagine Yasha’s display of swordcraft is helping.

Conclusion: 7/10. To paraphrase Caduceus there’s a certain baseline of happiness when you’re in a freezing ruin full of brown mold, but the distraction is welcome.

Astrid Beck: It’s tough that she’s offscreen because like, her mental state is going to be governed heavily by Trent’s but specifically if he seems on to her. Also while my bets are against the volstrucker trying to teleport into the ruins of Aeor she’s probably going to be in a worse state if she might have to face Caleb again.

Conclusion: holding at 8/10 until further notice.

*Black Francis voice* I believe in Mr. Eadwulf Grieve: *sits backwards on chair* Look, son/daughter/child, we all at some point in our lives project a lot of things on to a mysterious but intriguing NPC. Your Verins; your Urayas; your Vandrans. Mine? Well, mine is a wizard whose name we don’t entirely know how to spell and who we mostly know is strong and likes the Raven Queen and was not exactly the third wheel we long believed him to be. Anyway, I like to imagine Eadwulf as a calming presence, with Astrid the more-high-strung leader, albeit calming presence because he immediately gets drunk after stressful situations.

Conclusion: I’m going to say 4/10. I think he’s one of those people who’s like, super smart but also when the problem is not directly in front of him he’s like well nothing to be done now.

Pumat Sol: Much as I love him, no updates for now and he will probably be moved to the “not recently seen” group. I hope a heavily disguised Yeza has stopped by though for more top toys after one of the mobsters got really into it.

Conclusion: 1/10, respectfully.

Allura Vyesoren: She is assuming at this point no news is good news, which will change after a few days, but also Lady Kima keeps busting in with a sword the size of herself yelling “I JUDGE THEE, MAGICIAN”

Conclusion: holding at 3/10.

Yussa Errenis: WE BUILT THIS CITY! WE BUILT THIS CITY ON WIZARD’S SOULS!

Congrats on the gender, sorry about...you know.

Conclusion: to ℵ-null and ℵ-null and beyond/10. In related news I am submitting a bug reports to both Tumblr and Google Docs for not accounting for the outlier formatting case of Cardinality Georg.

[annes-andromeda]

I’m reading The Palace Thief in my first period and this part I highlighted low key reminds me of when people talk crap about DC.

It still amazes me how MCU stans keep shitting on the DCEU as if DC wasn’t the biggest influence on the superhero genre WAY BEFORE them and is responsible for giving us some of the most iconic superheroes and supervillains of all time.

You wanna thank anyone for Thanos? Thank Darkseid

You wanna thank anyone for Captain Marvel? Thank Shazam

You wanna thank anyone for Iron Man? Thank Batman

Thor? Thank Superman

The Avengers? X-Men?? Fantastic Four??

The motherfucking Justice League

Don’t even get me started on how the MCU doesn’t have ANY recognizable or memorable villains but DC gave us Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, Clayface, Lex Luthor, Cheetah, and many more.

And then there’s the constant double standards between the two. Apparently the DCEU is too dark and gritty (as if people weren’t hopping on the Dark Knight Trilogy’s dick years ago) but when the MCU recycles the same formula every film, has inconsistent and/or bad writing, and clearly has no care for any of their characters that aren’t white, male, or straight, suddenly they’re rEvOlUtIoNaRy.

Seriously though, have you’ve ever heard the DCEU be accused of whitewashing, racism, sexism, misogyny, or anything else that the MCU has been accused of on numerous occasions and is still accused of to this day?? Cause aside from Josstice League, I haven’t seen anything🤷‍♀️

Most people I’ve seen can accept that the DCEU ain’t perfect but god forbid you say anything bad about any Marvel movie cause suddenly you’re a fake fan or have bad taste or whatever.

I’m not hating on the Marvel comics by any means. They had just as much influence as the DC comics. But sweet Jesus people really need to stop licking the MCU’s boots and treating them like they’re gods. Cause now with the Synder Cut out, they honestly look like children in comparison.

The only thing I’m excited for in Phase 4 is Ant-Man 3 and Doctor Strange 2. That’s it.

The people that are mostly excited for everything else are Marvel fans and blind critics who no matter how shit the writing is or how mishandled the stories and characters are, will praise the films and call them “fun” and “funny”, as if that’s what defines a good film.

Everyone else on the other hand? We’re just tired.

[t4tbruharvey]

Yeahhh exactly like there's villains that can work really well when you ground them and make them dark and serious (mostly the mad scientist-y ones) but why do that to the one guy who's whole thing is based in theatre and artsncrafts ksbbf? But yeah, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the rogues, honestly, if you do feel up for sharing them!!Doesn't matter if it's in a reply or separate, I'm just honestly really curious because your takes (as far as I've seen them) are really good and it's always fun to see other people's interpretations of well known characters like that imo ! And jabndkd aww it's sweet that you'd want to hear them but..well I..have a LOT of thoughts on some of the rogues - from what imo their designs should be like, to their general vibes, to..entire storylines, for some of them - so that probably would be too much for one ask, but if you do want to hear about aspects of that or my thoughts on specific rogues I could try to summarize javdvs....for now though, maybe general thoughts on the rogues gallery:

I feel like there's basically 2 types of rogues: the ones whose villainy is owed in big part to their childhood trauma, bad circumstances or other pain or tragedy- and the rogues whose villainy stems from their privilege. The first type are the ones that should really be treated with nuance, because imo those are mainly the ones that mirror aspects of Bruce's own personality, and are also the ones that fall into the 'Batman tries to get his villains help because he wants them to be better people' category, the villains in that category all are or were victims themselves whereas the second category are villains like Hugo Strange or Falcone and Maroni who are villains because they can get away with it due to their already established positions of power, the ones that are or represent perpetrators and upholders of issues like ableism or classism. The first type of rogues imo are all people that could've been good or at least decent or harmless if they hadn't gone through it™️ or if their circumstances had been better, while the second type chose to be evil despite (or because of?) already having a comparatively good life or growing up in privilege (ofc the second type of villains also can have tragic backstories but imo they don't need tragedy to be the way they are, because they're rich/white/men who're already in positions of power, like...they'd most likely just be bad people either way lmao)...So that's imo the main 2 types of rogues (ofc there's also rogues that are somewhere in between, like Penguin, but most of them can be sorted into one of those two categories I think). And then ofc the first type of villains - the ones formed by tragedy/circumstances - imo can also be separated into more sub categories as well - the ones whose motivations/goals have some kind of greater moral to them (like TwoFace w justice and Poison Ivy w environmentalism), the ones who are amoral/whose motivations are entirely selfish (like Riddler w his need for attention or Scarecrow w his need to master fear), the ones whose motivations can be just kinda vague (like Catwoman who sometimes just likes stealing and other times has good motives for it) and the ones who aren't particularly motivated by morals (at least not in a 'they're doing this for society' reasons) but also aren't just amoral (like Mr. Freeze trying to save his wife or Killer Croc wanting to be treated as human). But no matter where their motivations fall on a morality scale I feel like these are all the kind of villains who might not have become villains if it weren't for their trauma or circumstances, so those are the ones for whom it makes sense that Batman would try to get them to reform, bc in another lifetime they could've been neutral, decent or even good people, if that makes sense? And so while imo the 'villains formed by privilege' can (and should) be as horrible as need be to really hammer in the fact that classism,ableism,etc etc sucks, imo there should be some limits as to how bad the 'tragic' villains get, because they're the ones that Bruce's whole 'trying to reform instead of just punish' thing is built around so if they are too vile and horrible then Batman trying to save them would seem futile or stupid (like the whole 'why doesn't Bruce just kill the J*ker' argument, because yeah it does come off as weird that Bruce wouldn't just try to stop a guy whose bodycount is in the high thousands no matter what he has to do to stop him, at this point) . Also ofc this doesn't mean that I think that those villains should be tame - for some of them I think it's actually narratively important that they aren't too 'soft' - I just mean that there should be a balance and nuance, so that no one can argue Bruce is stupid for having hope in the rogues' ability to reform and become better people, y'know?

Uh and yeah this was long but I hope it made sense jacvsbdbd...also yes to Sugar/Spice/Harvey/TwoFace being a good team because they understand and respect eachother, we love a good teamwork!

OH MAN i mean i'll share my thoughts if you share yours 100% i am SO intrigued by 'entire storylines' bc ur so smart anon... but also i'll share my thoughts in like another post at some point bc it'll get rlly long really quickly. THAT SAID. your take on the rogues gallery being split in 2 is EXACTLY it. like yeah, those are the two camps of villains in the batman universe!! i do think that while some of the tragic rogues did HAVE some kind of societal privilege and that can be fun to play around with, most of them didn't and that's part of why they're so sympathetic as opposed to ppl like strange and falcone who are just out for power, and almost in a way scarier bc guys like that exist in the real world? like doctors who abuse their patients and lobbyists are a thing, whereas someone like the fucking riddler isn't. the tragic rogues can (and should!) be scary but in a different way that feels more dramatic i guess?

by which i mean like. the burton films (and especially batman returns) were good bc you had the sillier tragic villains (catwoman and penguin) but also the corrupt businessmen (shreck or whatever his name was) which gave it a range that could be both escapism and reflect the real world. reevesverse closed the gap a bit (in a good way!) whereas the nolanverse tried to make the campy tragic villains realistic and failed horribly. tdk joker is like, a threat, i guess? but he doesn't really feel like one, nor is he particularly sinister (to me. i know ppl love him but literally to me he feels like a tumblr user)... anyway all this to say that having the distinction allows batman to both have sympathy for his enemies AND push against real world evil, in a kind of idealistic movie way? like @kalelraejepsen said that batman is a working class fantasy of a billionaire, which applies here a bit

anyway <3 i will share rogues thoughts At Some Point i promise <3

[whywishesarehorses]

My Wild Horse Story

                                                               Jul 1, 2020                                              

Submitted by Katie Jo Smart, Mississippi

“He’s going to outgrow the pony soon, and we just don’t have the money for a Jr. High Rodeo horse,” I whispered to my husband as we looked through the panels at a small bay mare with a big head and even bigger eyes. Our son needed a new horse as he would eventually move on to Jr. High and High School Rodeo, and a professionally trained horse at $40k just wasn’t in the cards. A $25 horse, however, may be something to consider. I watched her move across the pen, her big eyes unsure and untrusting. I shrugged my shoulders and got in my car to leave. I went home and tried to clear my mind, but her quick feet and athletic nature were absolutely haunting.

“What if this could be the one? What if this is the horse to take him to Nationals? Wouldn’t that be a hoot, if a wild horse went to the High School Rodeo National Finals with all of those fancy high-bred rodeo horses?!”

I went to sleep thinking about that mare, woke up with her on my mind, and was basically only a warm body for the day until I went back to see her again.

There she was. Her pen had been sorted through, as most of her temporary roommates had been adopted. As I gazed over her wondering if I could even do any justice, a friendly face came towards me. “Well, what are you thinking?” asked Mr. Cary Frost, BLM Wild Horse and Burro Specialist.

“Honestly, sir, she is very catty and athletic but I’m wondering if I could even do her justice.”

“She is smart,” he added. He went about his way to talk to another prospective adopter as I stared into her pen trying to envision myself even attempting to train an 800lb, for all intents and purposes, wild animal. I went home again.

This dance went back and forth to the point that I made four trips to the adoption center before I was ready and confident enough to sign the adoption papers. She was one of only three that had not been taken home and the other two may have been adopted and waiting on their ride.

“How much is she” I asked Mr. Cary. "$25 or $125?”

“That one is $25,” he replied. I nervously went to the adoption desk. After verifying that I had all necessary facilities to hold a wild horse and the proper shelter, I handed over my $25 and signed my John Hancock.

“Would you like to sign her up for the Adoption Incentive Program?” asked another BLM employee, Demerits.

“What’s that?”

“Well, you get $1,000 for adopting a wild horse.”

“I’m sorry, I have a trick ear, what was that?” I asked. “If you keep the horse and prove that it’s been properly taken care of, you get $1,000,” he replied.

I could have been knocked over with a feather! You mean to tell me, that you are giving me this horse for $25 and you’re adding $1,000 too?

This day couldn’t get any better, I had found my son a horse and this horse was basically paying for everything itself. Feed, hay, farrier work, vet bills. She was financially independent.

We loaded her up, cut the tag from around her neck and she was mine.

She was unloaded into her pen and I just stared with the overwhelming feeling of “what did I just do.” I had never trailered a tornado before.

Then the research began. I combed through every well of knowledge as if I were writing a thesis. Every movie, documentary, YouTube video or blog about wild horse training, I was studying. I learned the most from the movie Wild Horse Redemption - I felt that it was the most accurate by far.

This is where the fairy tail takes a short pause.

3 days to touch her.

5 days of begging to lead her while most of those days she was leading me.

7 days to put a towel on her back to mimic a saddle pad.

2 weeks to pick her feet up.

1 month before her first farrier visit.

4 months to fully saddle her.

5 months before our first ride.

6 months before she would load on a trailer.

6 months before I could ride her around cattle.

Needless to say, September 14 until mid-March 2020 was a trying time. Every day was a new day, as much for me as it was for her. Training went like this: If she would accept A, I would move to B. If she would accept B, we went to C. If C was a “no go”, we reinforced B.

It was 6 months of trials and tribulations but when the victories came, they rained down. I can honestly and without holding back say that this horse, this “wild mustang” that my entire family was intimidated by because of the mustang stereotype, is the number one horse in my string. She is the one I want to go ride and bring cows up on. She is the one I load first to go to the arena. She is my pick. She is my Marty and she was worth it. I know without a shadow of a doubt that she will take my son to the High School National Finals rodeo. Keep an eye out for her, she will be the little bay with the freeze brand on her neck.

[quirkswriting]

cocoa, cookies, and carols (or, the recipe for a very tendou christmas)

Overview: It’s your first Christmas spent with your boyfriend, Tendou, and it is definitely a good start to all your future Christmases together. (Aged Up) Pairing: Tendou Satori x GN!Reader Word Count: 1.9k Warning(s): Literally just fluffy goodness. Plus mentions of Ushiwaka? Author’s Notes: HAPPY HOLIDAYS NOYA! I was your Secret Santa for the Haikyuwu discord server event! I hope I did Tendou justice, and that you enjoy your present!

                                                             ***

Honestly, this year, the holidays kind of snuck up on you. Not really in the way you were expecting, either. Time had felt like it had ticked on, and on, and on, to the point where it felt like yesterday you were in the middle of June and now all of a sudden it was December. Where had the time gone? You had absolutely no idea, but there was a small sense of relief now that the year was almost over.

Your boyfriend had called you early in the month to see what your plans were; Tendou didn’t so much ask you to spend Christmas with him as you informed him that you’d come over on Christmas Eve and spend some quality time with him. You knew he wasn’t going to be seeing his family (which you’d heard about from him, in bits and pieces, and knew he’d open up to you when he was comfortable) and while he did live with his best friend, you knew that between him and Ushijima things would probably make for a pretty quiet holiday. And that wasn’t something you wanted for your boyfriend. You worried about him sometimes, even though you knew he could look after himself just fine. But that was just something you did, and that was coming through now that the holidays were getting closer.

Though, to be fair, you really had no idea what to expect. You and Tendou had started seeing each other in April, so this would be the first Christmas you’d spend together. You liked him, you did! But he was… well, Tendou. And you liked him, eccentricities and all, but sometimes things had a way of going much differently than you were expecting (like the Shiratorizawa Halloween Party/Volleyball Club Reunion, where somehow Semi ended up with pink hair, Shirabu was missing half an eyebrow, and you and Goshiki had ended up stealing almost all the candy in your boyfriend’s apartment without anyone noticing. Neither of you had told anyone, and you had spent the following morning making sure the guys were all taken care of before sending them back home). But that was all part of the fun of dating Tendou.

You’d asked him what he wanted you to bring with you (aside from his gifts from you and your family, he didn’t have a choice when it came to those), and when he told you that he had everything covered (including a step stool for you, which you knew he was only saying to get a rise out of you, and the frustrating thing was that it worked) you were skeptical, but you let him run with it. As long as the two of you got to spend time together (whether Ushijima was around to awkwardly drink his water and talk about his latest plant-child or not) then you’d be happy with that. But as the month passed by much quicker than the entire rest of the year, you found yourself getting more and more excited.

And then, in a whirl of cold weather, bright lights, and entirely too many people and too little hot chocolate, it was Christmas. And you left home mid-morning to freezing temperatures and grey skies to see your boyfriend, bags of presents in hand. And thankfully he didn’t live too far away.

Tendou buzzed you up pretty quickly when you reached his apartment building, and you rubbed your hands together in the elevator to try and warm up. When you got to his floor, you knocked twice before pushing the door open. He usually left it unlocked when he knew you were coming, which he’d done this time, and you shuffled inside and closed the door behind you. You made quick work of getting your winter gear off, and placed your boots next to his much, much larger ones on the mat by the door (though you did notice that only Tendou’s boots were sitting out, so Ushijima must not be home at the moment). You grabbed the bright blue pair of house slippers you’d left here after your second visit to the apartment (seeing as Tendou and Ushijima had ridiculously big feet and the spare slippers they had never managed to stay on your feet) and pulled them on before walking down the hallway and turning right into the kitchen. You could see the light from that room spilling into the darker hallway, so you assumed that’s where someone was.

And there he was, in the middle of the kitchen with his arms outstretched. “Welcome! Welcome!” Tendou greeted, a smile on his face. You put your bags down near the kitchen door, coming over to give him a hug. He wrapped his long, thin arms around you and squeezed you into a hug. “Brr, you’re cold! That just won’t do,” he told you, letting go of you and walking over to the kitchen table. His favourite red hoodie, one he’d told you before that he’d had since his second year of high school and worn from years of use, was hanging on the back of a chair before his nimble fingers picked it up and held it out for you. You smiled, taking it gratefully and pulling it on.

“Thanks, Satori,” you said, and he responded with an even bigger smile and a double thumbs up. You looked around the kitchen, seeing a bunch of baking tools spread across the counter--not an uncommon sight, really, given that your boyfriend was currently enrolled in the culinary arts program at school and more often than not used you, Ushijima, and whatever other friends he could rope into coming over at any given time to be his taste testers. “What are you up to here?”

“Well,” he said, drawing out the last syllable as he gestured to everything lining the counters, “I was looking up things we could do, y’know, for couple-y stuff, but most of it sounded super boring. So I thought, why not do something that we can share? And what’s better to share than food?” You shook your head, but there was a smile on your face. “Hey, hear me out! I thought we could bake some cookies together! Shortbread, gingerbread… other kinds of bread cookies? Not that I think there are any. But we can make cookies, and I even found this amazing looking recipe for little snowmen cookies I was thinking we could even decorate like the guys, and then eat them and refuse to share.”

“Hey, don’t be mean,” you chastised lightly. “We at least have to share pictures of the cookies with them.” Tendou laughed and walked over to press a kiss to your cheek before grabbing two aprons off the table--purple ones that you’d seen him and Ushijima wearing together more than once--and pulling one over his own head after handing you the other. You did the same, pulling the apron on and tightening it appropriately before coming over to stand next to the redhead at the counter near the sink. As you took stock of the bowls, utensils, and other items taking up all the space, you were reminded of the hulking young man who was usually here. “Is Ushijima coming back later? I saw his shoes weren’t here.” Tendou shook his head, opening up the cupboard in front of him as he consulted his phone sitting in front of him in its cute little chicken themed stand.

“No, Wakatoshi’s out with his dad. It’s just you and me,” he told you. He took down a bag of flour, two bags labelled, “White Sugar” and “Brown Sugar”, and a few other things you couldn’t quite see as he piled them wherever they would fit on the counter. Tendou started handing you ingredients and a bowl and whisk, before moving over to the fridge. “So I’ll get started on the gingerbread cookies, you do the shortbread, and we’ll make some snowmen later. Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” you replied. The two of you fell into an easy rhythm as you went on, with Tendou giving you the measurements you needed (though really, telling you to “measure the butter with your heart” really didn’t help as much as he seemed to think it did) and you handing him different things he needed.

As you were mixing ingredients in the bowl, the soft silence between you two was interrupted by  music--and you were thankful you had the bowl on the counter so you wouldn’t have had any reason to drop it with the unexpected noise--and you looked over to see Tendou grinning and pointing to his phone. He started humming along, before breaking out into his own rendition of “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”, complete with his own lyrics as he set about getting his own batch of cookies ready.

“You’re a tricky one, Mr. Gingerbread,” he sang, pouring brown sugar into his bowl, “You really are a treat!“ You couldn’t help the laugh that came out at that, and Tendou took that as encouragement to continue on. He kept belting out his own lyrics as the two of you kept baking, often pointing to you from the oddest of positions (bent over backwards, with one knee up in the air… you name it, and he was doing it while still complying very loosely with food safety guidelines). By the time the cookies were even in the oven your sides hurt from laughing, and Tendou’s cheeks were pink from a mix of laughter and exertion, and the two of you took a very well deserved break. Or, well, you sat at the table while he whisked something that smelled absolutely delightful in a pot on the stove. You watched him, seeing him sway slightly to the tune of the music still coming from his phone at a softer volume now, and couldn’t help but think of how boring Christmas would have been without someone like Tendou in your life.

“We should do this every year,” you said. Tendou turned off the burner he was using and moved the pot to rest on the counter while he grabbed some things out of the cupboard with his back to you.

“You think so?” he asked. You nodded, though he couldn’t see it, and after a moment he was turning around with two mugs in  hand. “Ta da! Hot cocoa! I experimented a little with the flavours so you’ll either love it or you can have a bottle of water from the fridge.” You rolled your eyes, but gratefully took the mug he held out for you. It was big and blue and full almost to the brim with hot cocoa and marshmallows, and you held it in your hands. He sat across from you, putting his own mug down and running his hands through his hair. “But I’d really like that. We can bake cookies and have cocoa and I’ll suffer through your terrible rhyming skills when it comes to singing together. That sounds like a great Christmas tradition to me!”

You kicked his foot underneath the table and he laughed as you took a sip of your cocoa. The two of you stayed like that, talking and laughing together, until the cookies had finished and then you moved to the living room to let them cool before you decorated them. You sat together on the couch, some cheesy Christmas movie that Tendou was providing his own (and much more entertaining) running commentary for, and you loved every minute of it (not that you’d tell him that, of course).

Yeah, this was definitely something you wanted to make a tradition of together.