Me Trying To Write My Newest Batfamily Fanfic, And Having To Get The Character Dynamics Just Right Or

Me trying to write my newest Batfamily fanfic, and having to get the character dynamics just right or else I'll have an aneurysm, but also trying to have the story have character growth, and proper acknowledgment and handling of sensitive topics and issues while trying to keep them all mostly in character is a herculean effort.

It will be worth it, but it's a lot of research, building majestic castles from the ruins of different Canon, but trying to add some fanon but not too much fanon.

I have a notebook that is just a webmaster of who is on good terms, bad terms, and who doesn't know the other enough to be on any terms, while also noting which dynamics get worse or better throughout the story.

And the fact that there is a main plot and multiple subplots.

It's going to be amazing when I get it done, but right now it is just a mess.

[Ignoring my 3 other WIPs while doing this.]

I need to grace all of you with this post.

So Tim Drake Twitter got some news today djdhxjxj

It had been hours of searching. Hours of using what he knew and even trying some tactics that he has only heard of before. Still he only came out of the search with a decent picture of Thomas, and Grayson.

Both of which made sense when going over the known facts about the two. Thomas was a daylight hero, where photographs would have a better chance of being taken, especially considering how new to the scene Signal was. Not to mention that photographic technology had made an advancement a couple years ago. A picture of Grayson as Nightwing wasn't surprising either. Grayson was better at connecting with the masses, and using his tricks to leave them in states of shock.

However to know that the project he was working on wouldn't be completed because no one had the skill to take a decent photograph of any other vigilante within Gotham was disappointing. He would have to deal with that later.

Damian had taken a break to make sure all of his animals had been fed, and given the proper treatment they deserved. A task that he trusted only himself to do on a long term basis. When he walked back into his room again there was a huge unassuming box.

It wasn't the shipping material type box, but a long term storage meant to keep whatever was inside it safe. The sides were worn down, and there were indents at multiple spots. It has been used for a decent amount of time, but the lack of dust showed that it was in continous usage.

Doing the usual checks on whether the box was safe, Damian concluded minutes later that the box was most likely safe. Lifting the lid up he saw smaller containers, and after lifting those out, albums of sorts.

Deciding to start from the first box, he opened that up to sew a neat row of photographs. Lifting the first one out he saw a picture of Brown and Cain taking down the rising gang leader from three weeks prior. The shot was clear and I was clear to see that the photographer hadn't been staged there. The lines and movement wasn't stressed.

Moving onto other photographs, Damian saw Grayson with Cain, Father with Grayson, Father with Thomas, and even an interesting picture of Father and Todd that would definitely have been impossible to forge.

As he opened up more of the containers he saw that the photos went back in time. The slight costume upgrades were no longer there, the haircut Brown got was undone, and Todd showed up less.

There were jumps in time where months seemed to be unaccounted for. He reached the time where he had yet to arrive. He passed where Brown was Robin, and he arrived at what might have been photos not meant to have been seen by anyone.

They were of Father. Father who had just lost Todd. There was no metaphysical or poetic light about them. They were harsh and disorienting. Something that made Damian physically real, so he skipped backwards more.

Todd was Robin, Todd and Father getting some fast food from a store that must have closed down years ago. Father and Todd in what must have been the begining.

The last photo was of Grayson. It was when he was Robin. It was old, the sides of the photo was worn down, and a yellow tint was starting to show. It was dated what must have been the last year Grayson was Robin.

Having to take a moment to take it all in he did. There were photos of everyone in the family. He would be able to put together multiple photos and create well beyond what he had initially thought for this project. The only problem was that there was no photos of Drake.

A small part of him still wrapped in the ideals and trauma of his early days at the manor wanted to laugh out and proclaim that Drake didn't deserve to have any pictures, and this would give him the excuse to excluded him.

The more mature part of himself, the version of him that had been undoing and getting help for his trauma and issues recognized that Drake wasn't in the photographs because he was the one that had taken them. He wasn't unintelligent. It was east to see that Drake was behind the photos. The timeline fit.

He would have to find a way to repay the gesture.

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Damian wanted to paint some of the Gotham heroes but all the online references are blurry. He's found maybe two ok photos but not enough. until a box is left on his desk FILLED with hundreds of clear candid photos of the family. There are ones with Red Hood and Batman, Nightwing and Robin, Black Bat and Spoiler, every combination of the heroes but oddly enough none of the photos have Drake in them.

Lots of Comics! I'm lucky that I have people who collected them in my life and encouraged me to collect myself. I've been collected for about half my life at this point [close to ten years], and for about half of that [five years] I have spent my own money.

I recently went through my collection and made a spreadsheet sheet so I could know what I own.

DC fandom, I have a question...

No judgment no matter what your answer is, I'm just curious! Reblog, sample size, etc.

You know this brought back the Azreal question for me as well. I know there was some hard-core Azreal fans, I've met some, but 100 issues is a lot.

[Do I wish other characters got a solo yes, but I'm not going to be mad about that] I'm more mad that everytime I have tried to read Azreal I just get kind of bored. (A me problem)

So I hard agree that seeing him on a team or something would have have been really interesting. I like the idea of some sort of knock off Justice League that works in the background.

It could be one route where it's a story tone so out of what Azreal is normally placed in, or it could double down on the tone.

For a team though. It would be interesting to play off the dynamic of a bunch of 'knockoff' Justice League people having to deal with only being acknowledged as the knockoffs and not the real deal.

Azreal and four other main cast members. Start off with them being given missions by an ensemble of Justice League characters. Have them be the ones who get tasked with things the Justive League is too busy to do. Slowley over the comic run have them become separated from the main Justice League into something that is equal to the League, but just deals with different tasks. Ocassionally the comics would have a crossover with various other teams or heroes. Have a couple team ups, a couple of short term members, and add in each character getting progress in their own story.

Azreal learning over the course of the comic run that he doesn't want to be part of this life forever and have him start to settle down and leave towards the end off the comic run.

Have a character start off the story with being there because they are trying to get to the real League and have them finish with being offered a spot, but staying because this is their team now.

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I would want to do so much more research into various characters that could be part of this team.

The thing about Azrael, is that while I have reluctantly become the sort of person who rotates Jean-Paul Valley around in my mind in my free time, I still don't get why he's the guy who got a 100 issue solo run. Like is he coasting off of being Batman during Knightfall fame? Was there some deep contingent of Azrael comics fans in the 90s that I just don't know about? I feel like there's just way cooler characters who could've gotten a 100 issue solo run.

Anyway, this is just a preface to my real point which is that I think that Azrael should've been a team comics character. I just think he would be more interesting to read about if there were about six other poor saps who had to deal with the fact that he would occasionally go all avenging angel mode and randomly get caught of up in weird Cult of St Dumas-y shit.

What team should he be on? This is when I reveal that I'm not super familiar with the landscape of dc's team comics (that aren't focused on teen's/young adults). I'm not sure what team comics were even running around that time. Hmmm. Options…

Batman calls up the Justice Leage like 'I have more important things to spending my time on than hanging out with you so you can have this random knock-off Batman instead.'

I read some Justice League International comics when I was tracking down Huntress' appearence, and it might be fun to stick him in the goofier atmosphere of them, but also, I don't think the comics was running anymore by the end of knightfall

Maybe Batman just puts him in charge of the secret Bat strike force, like, idk Outsiders redux? Weren't there a bunch of replacement supermen left over from the Death of Superman event? (Which I haven't read, but eh~). Maybe one of them can join him and we get knockoff Justice League or something.

Anyway, I am accepting suggestions.

I really like that the homage covers