rec-cember #4 - detective comics comics & more

[queenslayerbee]

I got this week's rec list ready early, to my surprise! So here it is

DCU

FANFIC

• Two Minutes by Aingeal98. 1.9k, T. Cass does something terrible for Steph. Heartbreaking and perfectly in character.
• mindscape by torigates. 2k, T. This one is set in the Young Justice cartoon, instead of the comics, like the rest. It's immediately set post-Failsafe (thee episode from season 1), and focuses on Supermartian. I read it way back when, as a lurker, and on reread it got me all nostalgic.
• Aftermathmares by Mist-managed (Greyspaces13). 3k, T. Mia's survivor's guilt after Lian's death in Cry For Justice. I liked seeing a fic that sits with this moment in time for the Arrowfam (mainly Mia and Oliver only, here). It's difficult, and it certainly wasn't well-written in canon, but I do think there could be a lot to explore with it.
• In Which Jason Goes to a Convention by TeleportingAspen. 3.3k, T. What if Jade Nguyen was Jason's poison trainer? The fic expands across Lost Days and post-UTRH, and it's a satisfying portrayal of his character during the time.
• Oracle, Re: Birth by KamalasFanfiction. 8.1k, T. This fic mixes preboot and reboot canon in a very interesting way: what if the Batgirl of Burnside was an impostor, and oracle!Barbara had to deal with that? If you're like me and still kind of bitter about the reboot, and especially on what it did to her character, go ahead and read this.
• Left Behind, Or Forgotten by cleromancy. 30.8k, T. This one is marked incomplete, but it ends at a good, narratively satisfying point so don't let that deter you. Features the bat clan a few years down the line (pre-reboot continuity, of course), with their complex dynamics, The Bruce Problem... it has background Jaytim and Dickroy, too, and a lot of humour mixed with The Horrors. I'd also recommend reading the three vignettes preceding it in the series, but I personally read them after reading the longer, more plot-relevant LBOF, and I think it's preferable that way.

FANART

• Beautiful comic expanding on and re-imagining the complex Superman-Lois-Clark-Lana quadrangle by @jesncin. I really recommend checking out their comics! There is plenty of Superfam stuff that does a lot to add to their characters, and also a lot of cute Martian stuff and heartbreaking (in the best way) Hellblazer art.
• Bruce, Barbara, Jason and Duke, as cards on a deck by @ocularmacdown.
• Incredibly sexy Talia cover by @attacusmoth.
• Steph as Robin, and legacies by @wickedcircle.
• Cool Anita Fite design by @decapod-appreciator.
• Barbara and Cass as ballerinas by @ghostpainters.
• Batman the terrible and his son Jason by @me0nji. Compiling this I also realised they're the artist of one of my favourite fanarts, the dead Robin inside a dead robin.
• The Birds of Prey as an Old Hollywood movie poster by @thehappysorceress.
• Bart Allen and sunflowers by @yuelos.
• Starfire with a delightfully classic sci-fi outfit by @crowkip.
• Butch Wonder Girl by @grayfoj.
• Pre-reboot Jayroy UST by @zed-sabre.
• Kid!Bruce from the Gotham show by @ny-sar (deactivated account).
• Smallville's Lana Lang by @mikemaihack.
• Facial recognition software vs Superman by @brakken.

META

• @jescin, the artists (twins, btw) mentioned above, have a lot of great meta on DC in general, especially tackling racism, re-imagined racebendings, etc. For example, like this one about Asian Lois Lane, or this one about the problems in Superboy's run. Or this review of Superman 2025 (very much earned, imo, negativity ahead) and the Barbie movie.
• Dick Grayson as a law-enforcer by @vfx-batman.
• Lesbian Cass meta by @aingeal98. Another great post of theirs is this one about how Jason and Cass see their kid selves.
• On Amanda Waller, the original Suicide Squad, and DC's current problem with civilian characters by @maxwell-grant.
• Superman, Stars, and Religion by @clarkcvnt. I do recommend checking their Superman meta in general, such as this one about Superman and assimilationist narratives.
• Barbara Gordon wasn't fridged by @tawked.
• Comparative analysis between new earth and prime earth Jason Todd by @convictsinterim.
• Debunking the idea that Dick Grayson is the most sexualised character in comics by @a-bad-case-of-the-stephs.
• Mia Dearden and Jason Todd as foils by @cleromancy. He has a lot of good meta on this topic, on both characters (such as this Jason and Willis post), and on DC in general, btw!
• Seeing Red analysis by @rmbunnie. She's another great meta writer. She's also behind what's probably my favourite Jaybin meta. This one is good too.
• Diana and killing by @beccatoria. She had some great Wonder Woman meta, such as this one.
• A criticism of Tom King's Wonder Woman run by Robert Jones Jr. Yes, he's a professional author, but he's also Wonder Boy, so I figure that's meta enough.
• Jason's speech at the end of UTRH by @littledead-ridinghood. They have some beautiful long metas there.
• "Murder is Werewolves" on Batman's No Kill Rule by @redhoodinternaldialectical.
• Old school Dickbabs dynamic by @lazaruspiss.
• What if Lian Harper chose not to become a superhero by @ambrozians (deactivated account).

MISCELLANEOUS

FANFIC

• Bella Donna by bitterred. 300 words, T. A triple drabble about Carol and Helen from Pluribus, and the Georgia O'Keeffe museum.
• Steve Rogers is a Time Travelling Asshole, Purple by K_Popsicle. 2.9k, T. Post-Endgame Steggy fic that will make you sick to your stomach.
• One More Day Forever by The_Fanfic_Bolshevik. 12.8, T. Paper Girls.

FANART

• Marisa Coulter and her daemon (show version) by @crab-milk.
• "and there was no border between sky and sea" by @sanctus-ingenium.
• Bug Lady by @fluffffpillow.
• Rebecca de Winter's shadow by @haimeart.
• Ellen Ripley and the alien by Paolo Rivera.
• Éowyn, ready for battle by @annajolras.
• A wolf-woman by @wolfskulljack-art.
• Frankenstein's creature based on the Fallen Angel by @rozenmarchen.

META

• On fandom's misuse of the term "abuse" by @rneliflua.
• In depth thoughts on Louis & Claudia's relationship by @diasdelfuego.
• About the saying "dragons plan no trees" by @branwinged.
• On Éowyn's ending by @lesbiansforboromir.
• How the tweaks in Cassian Andor's backstory affected the character by @chamerionwrites. And some thoughts by her on the eternal "Let people enjoy things!!" phrase.
• On Sam Vimes as a cop by @hussyknee.
• What sets Buffy apart as a protagonist by @comradesummers.

I hope you'll enjoy some of these!

I might appear again on the 31st with a surprise...