snowflake leftovers: drabbles

I gave myself a prompt challenge back in January, during the Snowflake event over Dreamwidth, and finally completed and posted them \o/

• voyeur’s instincts. BTVS + Bewitching. Willow, Faith, Buffy.
• wildflower. Black Widow + Flourish.
• indomitable willpower. Stephanie Brown + Wanderlust.
• of narratives. Merricat Blackwood + Harbinger.
• to build and to endure. Black Sails + Invincible. Max.
• on a high note. Practical Magic + Crescendo. Gillian Owens.

comics comics comics

I have inadventently entered my Jefferson Pierce era.

It all started while I was reading some preboot!Talia comics I had left, and she happened to appear in two issues of Black Lightning: Year One (AND she wasn’t written as the world’s most aggravating orientalist stereotype, despite this being the 2010s!!). Oh well, I thought. It’s only six issues long, and I like Black Lightning, so I might as well read the whole thing! That’s how they get you, but sometimes it’s nice. The mini-series was neat. A bit too neat at a couple of places, but a fun, enjoyable and short read.

Then I started reading The Other History of the DC Universe. It’s a five-issues mini-series that retells the story of the ‘verse through the perspectives and narration of non-white characters. I’m over halfway through, but I’m reading it slowly, because each chapters deserves to be chewed on properly.

The first issue is centered on Jefferson, and it’s the strongest by far. I LOVE how he is written, in particular. The good and the bad. How neither he, nor the narrative, pulls punches, towards others OR towards Jefferson and his real, truly ugly flaws. It specifically refuses to pull punches on the same parts I felt were a bit too neat in BL:YO, which made it amusing to read those almost back to back.

Then, between yesterday and today, I read Detective Comics #983-987, and Batman and the Outsiders (2019), two arcs from my Duke Thomas Reading List where Jefferson has a central part. The latter even sparked a brand new ship, which is rare for me with modern comics.

The ship in question is Jefferson and Tatsu Yamashiro, aka Katana. TOH’s third issue is narrated by her, and there were a couple of things during it that made me wonder if I was reading too much re: the two of them. Nothing outwardly romantic, just Tatsu herself reading into their commonalities and contrast (with focus on their family loses: her murdered husband and sons, and her stranged ex-wife and daughters), and then a particularly resonant moment where Tatsu is awed and immensely happy for Jefferson, because he gets to be in a team with his daughter, that got to me. Then BATO went and made their feelings for each other explicit and messy and well. Of course I was going to be weak for that. Have you met me.

Anyway. Yeah. Me in my Jefferson Pierce era. It’s been fun so far. I should pick the Black Lightning show back up and finish it once and for all. Though of course I maintain my attachment to comics (preboot) continuity most of all, so I’ll be expanding my focus there, eventually (there are so, so many interesting comics in my to-read list).