Am i the only one who really dislikes the talon grayson shit? I genuinely don’t think the court of owls is very interesting in general, but their relationship to dick and hally circus specifically really rubs me the wrong way. It’s like writers took a story about normal, well intentioned people (that in some versions have mary and john being poc, which only furthers the racist stereotype that romani folks are “sketchy”) who were struck by tragedy, and made it into a whole ass conspiracy theory that ruins the point of multiple minor characters who already didn’t get much attention from the comics, but especially, it ruins the point of nightwing and his origin.

Do we really need another character who was raised to be a super secret and important weapon that is tied to random stuff across the whole universe? Don’t we already have two of those? Don’t you think it’s better when batman characters are just normal people??

Just. what was even the point of that??

I'm not enthusiastic about it either ✋ I liked that Dick had a happy and pretty uncomplicated childhood. Now one has to wonder, could his parents (and John was third generation in that circus) really miss the signs that something was wrong?

B t w, I think the story was originally planned for Dick as Batman, which made more sense because he was an outsider and had a good reason for not knowing about this secret powerful society in the middle of the city. Bruce has to have grown up with lots of friends in the court, how could he miss that for decades?

I also don't like the Court of Owls being connected to Dick or Haly's Circus. Dick had a very simple, easy to understand origin that successive writers have muddled with.

Making Haly's, a travelling circus that represents a purely happy time in Dick's life, connected to an evil secret society that happens to be based in Gotham, and oh yeah Dick is their chosen one, has always felt contrived and rubbed me the wrong way.

For what it's worth, Kyle Higgins has told me to my face that Mary and John didn't know about the Court or it's connections to the circus. But Pop Haly certainly did, and that isn't really better.

I'm still angry about "Dick is a cop". Thing going on.

Dick hasn't been a cop in 21 years (he stopped in 2003) He had numerous jobs since and before that and he was doing it at the time to try to fight the corruption from inside (whether that was a good idea is up to debate it wasn't in my opinion) and he was written as cop by Dixon (deregatory).

Devin Grayson continued and stopped that.

His most common job is being a barista followed up by a gym teacher.

Besides, what horrible thing did Dick do as a cop? When did the concept of making changes from within or exposing corruption from within become so unfashionable? That is often the FIRST step in many revolutionary changes. At this point, this is just another manufactured outrage used to whip Dick similar to the "Dick was bad brother to Jason, he didn't save him" or "Dick was bad brother to Tim, he sent him to Arkham" nonsense.

Personally I liked that he tried to fight the corruption from inside 🤷🏼‍♀️ Bruce was pissed, what's not to like… And I loved Amy, for every new writer I hope they will bring her back as a supporting character.

My personal feelings on cops aside, the thought process behind becoming a cop to root out corruption from the inside makes a lot of sense for a guy who grew up working with and looking up to Jim Gordon.

I'm glad the job didn't stick around long though. Dick would be better as a reporter.

finally completed my dnd quiz! featuring a mix and match of 30 races and 14 classes, discover who you would be in the forgotten realms! i'd be a satyr artificer :)

Robin, Vol. 2, #86, March 2001

Nightwing, Vol. 2, #54, April 2001

Every time I get a notification on this post I think about it and hurt all over again.

im being so serious when i ask this, but, how has dick's characterization become so opposing to his actual character? like how in the world did this pervasive and frankly invasive depiction of him become so popular? where in the world did people get these scraps of personality that they've frankensteined together to create this fucking weirdo that shakes his ass for criminals and is the biggest attention seeker? for decades we have had pretty consistent source material that continually establishes that dick is quite serious and a leader, and also someone that cares deeply for people and has the skill set and willpower to do literally anything for them. how has this fanon characterization that's quickly becoming canon happen to him?

I wonder if Dick's favorite nostalgia meal is just carnival food. Hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, pretzels, nachos, etc.

Nightwing (Vol. 2) #103

Dick is allowed to eat junk food if it's carnival food. As a treat.

Dick Grayson costume evolution

I asked Kyle Higgins this at a con a couple years back and he said John and Mary definitely didn't know, for what it's worth.

Zatanna’s Age

One of the more frustrating things about YJ (at least for me) was deaging Zatanna and making her a contemporary of Dick Grayson. This has lead to some confusion about her actual age since in the comics she is older and is friends with Bruce Wayne and the two were almost lovers at one point.   

I have also seen some YJ Chalant fans claiming that Zatanna was always younger in the comics and it was Paul Dini who aged her up to be in Bruce’s generation. While there is some truth to the notion that she was younger initially, it doesn’t tell the whole story.  

When Zatanna debuted in 1964, her age wasn’t specified. She claims that she has been searching for her father in years: 

The same year the Teen Titans debuted and you can see, this is how teenagers were commonly drawn and written back then:  

Not just the outdated-even-for-that-era slang but even the art style makes it obvious if a character was prepubescent. Some of this does depend on the writer/artist but given the era I think they would have made it obvious if she was a teenager and I doubt they would have put her in her classic stage outfit costume if she was.     

Keep reading

Iron Fist Reading Guide

    So you want to start reading Iron Fist comics? Here is a brief guide to this wild, wonderful corner of the Marvel universe.      

Where to Start:

    There are a number of good places to jump into Iron Fist, but I recommend starting with Immortal Iron Fist (not to be confused with Immortal Iron FistS, which is a fun comic but not a great entry point). It’s a fantastic series that expands upon and re-introduces many key elements of the Iron Fist mythos, making it a perfect introduction to the characters and the world. It’s also a relatively recent series, and thus perfect for newer readers who may feel intimidated by older comics. 

    From there, you can jump backward– all the way to Danny’s introductory stories in Marvel Premiere, and then to Iron Fist volume 1. That leads into Power Man #48-49, which in turn kicks off Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1, which is an absolute must-read. From there, you should have enough of a grounding in the character to read whatever else you want, in whatever order suits you. 

Here are my main recommended Iron Fist series, in (mostly) chronological order:

Marvel Premiere #15-25: Danny, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight’s introductory series! Nineteen-year-old Danny Rand becomes the Iron Fist and returns to New York to avenge his parents’ deaths. 

Iron Fist vol. 1 #1-15: In his first official solo series, Danny teams up with Misty to rescue Colleen, inherits his parents’ fortune, accidentally battles Captain America, accidentally battles the X-Men, gets framed for murder (again), and attempts– with varying degrees of success– to adapt to his new life on Earth.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #63-64: A tale of power, vengeance, and extreme hugging. Steel Serpent makes his first real attempt to steal the chi of Shou-Lao from Danny. Guest-starring Spider-Man and the Daughters of the Dragon. 

Power Man #48-49 and Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 #50-125: One fateful day, Marvel’s editorial team decided to take two struggling comics and squish them together. The result was the wacky powerhouse buddy book, Power Man and Iron Fist. The merger begins in Power Man #48-49 and continues right into the main series (which starts at #50). The best approach for this wild ride of a comic is just to hop on and take it as far as you want to go, which is why I’m recommending the whole thing. Danny joins Luke’s Heroes for Hire business, and the two friends face down every kind of threat imaginable (for a fee, of course).  

Namor the Sub-Mariner #16-18, 20-25: A follow-up to the events of the final Power Man and Iron Fist arc. Misty, Colleen, and Namor hunt for Danny, who isn’t as dead as he’d seemed. 

Heroes for Hire vol. 1 #1-19: Danny re-starts Heroes for Hire with Luke’s blessing and an expanded line-up. Shenanigans ensue. This series is irreverent, over-the-top, and a whole lot of fun– everything a Heroes for Hire comic should be. 

Iron Fist vol. 3 #1-3: Danny discovers that his half-sister Miranda might not be as dead as he’d once believed. Miranda is a criminally underused character, and I cherish every moment she appears, so I really enjoy this run. Also featuring: awkward Danny/Joy Meachum team-ups.

Iron Fist/Wolverine #1-4: Danny decides to pull K’un-Lun onto the earthly plane permanently, then immediately regrets it when the Hand steal the chi of Shou-Lao and attempt to use the city for their own purposes.

Immortal Iron Fist #1-27: As mentioned above, this series is essential modern Iron Fist reading. Danny fights for K’un-Lun’s honor in a tournament against the super-powered champions of the other Capital Cities of Heaven. This sends him on a journey through which he gains a new understanding of the Iron Fist legacy and his place within it. 

Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death: A series of vignettes outlining the adventures of the Confederates of the Curious as Orson Randall (Danny’s immediate Iron Fist predecessor) flees the Prince of Orphans. This is directly connected to the first story arc of Immortal Iron Fist, so read that first.  

Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Death Queen of California: A delightfully moody kung-fu noir story set in 1920s Hollywood. Orson answers a call for help from an old WWI buddy, and ends up embroiled in a mystical mystery at the heart of the budding film industry. 

Immortal Weapons #1-5: A mini-series focusing on the backstories of the other Immortal Weapons. It also includes a great secondary story about one of Danny’s students from the Thunder Dojo.

Daredevil vol. 2 #112-115: Danny, Matt Murdock, and Master Izo (Matt’s alcohol-loving, pun-tastic grandpa sensei) battle the Hand.

Thunderbolts (2006) #137: Danny gets kidnapped, tortured, and brainwashed by Norman Osborn, and then is sent to kill Luke. Read! This! Issue!

I Am an Avenger #1, “The Books of the Iron Fist”: Misty and Danny reflect on their relationship in the aftermath of Misty’s false pregnancy.

Secret Wars: Secret Love, “Misty and Danny Forever”: The perfect antidote to “The Books of the Iron Fist” (above). In an alternate universe in which Misty and Danny are married and have a child, they must face the most frightening challenge of all: going on an actual date. Guest-starring Colleen Wing, the Jones-Cage family, and a punchable T-rex.

Iron Man 2.0 #5-7: The Immortal Weapons are one of my favorite Marvel superhero teams, and so I cherish their infrequent appearances. This is a fun little “Fear Itself” tie-in, in which the Weapons assemble to shut down a security breach in the Eighth City. (The Eighth City is introduced in Immortal Iron Fist, so again– read that first.)

Spider-Island: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1-3: A self-contained spin-off from the “Spider-Island” event (in which random people acquire spider powers). Shang-Chi (Master of Kung Fu) teams up with Danny and the other Immortal Weapons to battle an ancient creature attempting to manifest in New York City.

Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1-12: K’un-Lun is in ruins, and Danny must face down the ghosts of his violent origin story or risk losing everything. A massive sucker-punch of a series.

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 3 #1-15: Danny and Luke try to recreate their Heroes for Hire glory days in a world in which everything has changed. Equal parts humor, introspection, and butt-kicking.

Immortal Iron Fists #1-6: Danny is tasked with training Pei, a teenager from K’un-Lun who was imbued with the chi of Shou-Lao in a freak accident. Pei must survive high school. Danny must survive parenting. They both must survive the demons suddenly popping up all over New York. Shenanigans ensue!    

Iron Fist vol. 5: In the wake of the recent sacking of K’un-Lun, Danny finds his connection to the chi of Shou-Lao fading. He embarks on a quest to restore his power, rediscover his purpose, and save his home.

Iron Fist: Phantom Limb: An Iron Fist horror comic. ‘Nuff said. While grappling with the guilt of failing to save a child’s life, Danny is attacked by a demon that literally turns his body against him. Maybe don’t read this if you’re freaked out by hands…

Pei: Wayward Warrior: (Also known as Marvel’s Voices #51-56.) So far, this story lives exclusively on the Marvel Unlimited app as part of their digital Infinity Comic series, though I’m keeping all of my fingers and toes crossed for a physical release. This solo adventure (with cameos by the Jones-Cage family) follows Pei’s psychological journey as she struggles to adjust to life in New York now that she no longer has the chi of Shou-Lao.   

This is far from all of the Iron Fist-relevant comics, but they should provide a nice, rounded look at the character and the mythos. Enjoy!

There’s that post that’s like ‘everyone should get into a tiny niche fandom at least once’ fully agree, that was really fun -- but I would like to add that everyone should get into a fandom where their opinions run counter to major fanon because it really teaches you about sticking to your guns and trusting your interpretation of the text without having to rely on peer validation

because WHAT are people talking about sometimes

Pixel Art by SUN PIXELS

actually you know what. flash poll

Controversial opinion, but I don't think I like good dad Bruce Wayne.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't like Bruce being a good dad, but it is hard for me to enjoy it when he's like that all the time. When he suddenly knows how to communicate, or what to do when there's an emotional issue, or that he's now smiling and reassuring his children so easily.

Is just too abrupt after what we've seen so far of him as a parent.

I can't buy this new version of Bruce without any deserved development or previous arc that triggered this drastic change in the way he acts, specially towards his kids. And I get it's usually like an alternative self, and he's always been like that in that kind of universes, but it just feels too easy.

Is like working so hard for something only to be given it without a chance of showing off all the work you've done to get there. Is not fulfilling or satisfying (to me).

And I get the hype, I do, but there's also so much history of the characters that wouldn't have happened had Bruce been truly that great and supportive dad that some portray. It erases too much for me to fully like it.

So, yeah, good dad Bruce I can only enjoy when he's had the proper growth as a character that doesn't erase everything he's done before and instead shows the long journey he had to go through as a person to get to that point.

honestly, what happened to this? when did we lose this?