#He's even sympathetic and shows kindness to villains like Mr. Freeze

[batfamfixation]

Batman is not "pro-police" and is sure as hell not a Republican

Some people are under the impression that Batman is pro-police, but that is literally so inaccurate. Batman is for police reform and accountability, and he will personally do it himself if he has to. He is anti-gun and believes a police officer should never shoot unless absolutely necessary. He wouldn't have become Batman if he thought the police were competent. He only works with Jim Gordon, because he thinks most of the police are incompetent. He would and has fist fought with dirty cops. He thinks that getting rid of corrupt cops (and politicians) is an important part of making Gotham a better place. He prefers giving petty criminals jobs and social resources rather than having them arrested.

He is not just for police reform but also prison reform, because he believes the point of prisons should be about rehabilitating inmates. He believes that no one is beyond rehabilitation. That is borderline one of his character flaws. He hires former inmates so they can make a living without turning back to crime. He even has a halfway house that former convicts can stay in until they get figuratively back on their feet. He prefers eradicating crime by addressing the root cause, which is often poverty and a lack of social resources.

AND ANOTHER THING- There's this idea that Gotham is a shithole because Bruce isn't doing enough with his wealth, but that doesn't take into account that he is nowhere near the only billionaire in Gotham. He's up against the Court of Owl elites, and a lot of them are board members for Wayne Enterprises and have a say in what the company can and can not do. The Court of Owls plays a heavy roll in politics and most politicians are puppets of the Court and mobs. Politicians that aren't corrupt get killed by the bad guys for refusing to obey. Look at what happened to Harvey Dent. Look at how much money he has funneled into Arkham to no avail. Bruce can not own and control every aspect of every major business in Gotham. No person should have a monopoly on an entire city.

#I saw someone say he was a Reagan Republican because he's pro-police and pro-military #bitch where #He's for police reform and prison reform #He supports giving former convicts another chance #(not a “second chance” because a lot of them have had a lot more chances than that) #This man believes that even his villains can be reformed #He's even friendly with former villains like Harley Quinn #He showed concern for her when she was in an abusive relationship with the Joker #He's even sympathetic and shows kindness to villains like Mr. Freeze #He's anti-guns and pro-gun control #he's a strong proponent of funding social services and rooting out corruption #HE'S DOING HIS BEST #GOTHAM JUST REALLY SUCKS #Batman #Bruce Wayne #Gotham

[chaifootsteps]

Oh boy you're probably tired of the miraculous asks but: I don't think Marinette or Adrien are the 'creators pets', I honestly think that role goes to Gabriel (Adrien's father)

So, for context, Adrien's mom is dead/in a coma, and Gabriel is trying to bring her back using the Ladybug and Cat Noir miraculous (think Mr. Freeze from Batman situation), so, he starts off as a kind of sympathetic villain. However, as the show goes on and you learn more, it just gets worse.

Gabriel has

Constantly kept Adrien locked in the house to the point that he's most likely going to have problems making friends/keeping them/knowing how to interact with people his own age

Refused to let Adrien's friends throw him a birthday party and gets him the same gift every year for three years (a fucking pen)

Has destroyed Paris more than once due to the fact he wants miraculous

Has almost killed his own son due to his own schemes

Upon learning his son is Cat Noir, he doubles down on his plans and turned Adrien evil TWICE (one time actually destroyed the world)

This one just squicks me out but the fact he made these rings programed with an AI of his son and Lila that you can customize to the point of them being in their underwear (And please keep in mind both Adrien and Lila are only fourteen)

When Adrien loses a book (that Gabriel had another copy of) by accident, and despite Adrien’s clear remorse and feeling terrible about it, Gabriel still takes away Adrien’s freedom, confines him to the house, distances him from all of his friends and even distances himself even more from Adrien, acting angry and making Adrien even guiltier all to protect his Hawkmoth identity

And also during this, he destroys any pictures of Adrien plus a drawing Adrien made as a child. In front of Adrien himself.

Adrien is what's referred to as a "sentimonster" which, long story short, is a human (Or anything, really) made by the peacock miraculous and there's a thing that can literally control them, that being Gabriel's wedding ring, which he uses to control Adrien constantly.

And what does Gabriel get after all of this? His wish to be reunited with his wife in Heaven. Yeah his plans changed at some point and now he gets to be dead and happy with his dead wife while Adrien's an orphan now.

I dunno maybe I'm just more willing to give Marinette and Adrien the benefit of the doubt because they're both fourteen and teenagers are stupid, but Gabriel is a full ass adult.

#Anonymous #actual blog post #image reply

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Something I dislike about Miraculous since season 3 is how all kinds of evil are carried by Gabriel which could sound good cool but that ultimately destroys he’s character

He was the basic:I’m your father,I hurt you because i love you and your mother

But then he kinda stopped caring for Adrien safety,then it came the “end the world”, Not even rewriting it but straight up destroying it

And now he has the sicko kind of villain having a obsession for defeating ladybug which doesn’t fit he’s character since unlike other villains like Eggman from sonic, he’s main characteristic isn’t a ego which got destroyed over and over again by a teen. That development from “I’ll conquer the world to make everyone gaze upon my brilliance” to “I’ll drown you,I’ll drown you like a basket of dumb puppy’s” or “that’s stupid,you’re stupid!!! STOP BEING STUPID!!!” or “now that you are this super thingy you think you’re better than me Dr.Ivo Robotnik? WELL YOURE NOT! I own you,I OWN YOUR PLANET, I own this planet! In fact F*CK THIS PLANET”. Since he’s character was about a EgoMegalomaniac which was defeated by a sassy Ego maniac but Gabriel goal was never for he’s Ego or to conquer or for revenge. So he’s later actions are kinda… out of character which is now he’s character which is sad

That’s because they tried to turn Gabriel into every kind of villain since he’s the only Maniac of the series. You know why Spider-Man has many enemies? Because each one does a thing Gabriel does but perfected it

Green goblin-insane megalomaniac with a giant ego trip which killed the man he once was replacing it with a monster which became obsessed with defeating the child who defeated him over and over again for years

Rhino-a maniac who does this for power and money, he nothing more than a criminal which is capable to getting he’s hands dirty

Mr Negative-a victim of someone else with a single yet selfish plan of revenge but he’s ultimately stopped by the third party of Spider-Man

The lizard-a victim of he’s recklessness but is nothing more than a man trapped inside a monster

Venom-someone selfish blaming someone else for he’s misery manipulated by a sinister creature with the same mentality

Carnage-a unstoppable maniac, abomination, MONSTER who lacks any care for human life and the monster covering he’s body is nothing but a fitting look for he’s interior.

Yet all those traits,all those ideas and arcs are molten into a character which ultimately does not work for how contradictory he ultimately is. If they want to do those arcs then fine but they’ll need more than Gabriel since he’s not the right villain for that history

I talked about this briefly in my analysis of him as a character, but the problem with Gabriel is that the writers seem to be divided on whether to make him a more sympathetic villain like Mr. Freeze or an unapologetically evil villain like Lex Luthor.

Both are amazing characters in their own right, but just because you put aspects of both of them in one character, it doesn't make the result a good one. Gabriel clearly has the charisma to be an irredeemable monster, but more often than not, the show goes out of its way to make you feel bad for him, even when he's shown to abuse his son emotionally and physically. You could have easily fixed the issue with Gabriel by revealing that Nathalie is the one who wants to recreate the world in her own image. Either that, or have her be the one who is more willing to hurt people than Gabriel is, while he cares more about the well-being of people like his son.

Like you said, Spider-Man's rogues gallery works because of how large it is, opening the door for all kinds of stories without needing to worry about ruining any previously established motivations, and instead focusing on how people who fell into similar circumstances as Peter Parker went down a different path than he did. They don't try to cram different character traits into a single villain and have Spider-Man fight them every week. They simply let each villain tell their own story, and that's why it works more.

#immaturity of thomas astruc #iota #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug salt #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #hawk moth #monarch #monarch miraculous #nathalie sancoeur #mayura

[ladyloveandjustice]

I watched the most recent Batman movie, and yeah, I wish I liked it more than I did.Some of the things the movie was trying to do were nice, and it definitely seemed to be pushing back against the edgelord vengeance interp of Batman and get back to the roots a little, but it really didn’t stick the landing. The attempts to be class conscious were like...it’s nice that it tried I guess? But it sure couldn’t follow through! Thoughts below!

I also just. didn’t buy the central romance mostly because of Bruce being such a tool, which was purposeful, but! The entire movie is him violating boundaries, pushing Selina  around and telling her what to do, and then he learns he's wrong, but then he goes back to telling her what to do, but this time it’s because he cares and he’s saving her from herself or whatever so that’s fine. Like honestly, I’ve mentioned I think the “let’s not kill” could be compelling and wonderful to bring back, but it needs to be implemented in a way that isn’t hypocritical and doesn’t suck, and of course they failed to do that. Even a small change like Bruce just saying to “you don’t have to pay” rather than literally ripping the gun out of her hand, him letting her make the choice rather than taking it away from her, would have made it better. It tried to call Bruce out on things, but still presented him being the person who’s Right and gets to make the decisions for you know, the lower income woman of color going after her abusive father.

I think there was supposed to be respect for Selina at the end with her going her own way and him being like “yeah”, but it was just too little too late imo. I like the actress, I liked the character, it’s just that the way she was denied agency at every turn except the end where she at least got to leave sucked, and Bruce being the one who denied it sucked. (also why can’t they just let Selina sometimes be a step ahead of Bruce or be a challenge for him in a fight, like she is in the comics, let her be that).

Plus, the point that this guy was going to walk if nobody killed him was never addressed. Instead they chickened out and had some non-Selina person kill him so Bruce didn’t have to deal with the consequences of convincing her to let him live. Batman not wanting to kill his is most effective when it shows how his decisions not to kill his villains can play out in positive ways. Like Harley getting better, that time the Riddler briefly reformed, or Two Face or Mr. Freeze or any number of villains being sympathetic. Like you can give him effective reasons to have this ethos! But when you don’t show that hope and instead have flat villains he gets spared only for the story to kill them two seconds later anyway, or don’t show Bruce having to actually do something to address the failings of the law, what’s the point? And that’s where the movie just kind of flounders.

(also its so undercut by Bruce clearly indirectly causing SO many casualties in that car chase and not caring at all like what the fuck, how do you have the right to lecture anyone)

It’s also just that Bruce being wildly unpleasant in ways I specifically find super annoying (being controlling and gross toward the woman he interacted with, not having much sympathy for the fact Selina’s friend was missing or for anyone much at all) just made it not something I’d want to rewatch even if the point was for him to get better.

So yeah, I liked what it was trying to go for but it was unable to really commit in ways that would have made it actually incisive or good. It just went with “actually turns out some politicians and cops are good so it will be fine” and didn’t really talk about ways Bruce or Gotham would have to do the hard work to change, nor did it have the courage for Bruce to actually step back and not be ultimately Right about what Selina should do with her life or whatever, which he would have needed to do to redeem how he treated her.

also it was just too long. Too many things going on, too much of a slog in the third act.

Also I liked the idea of going back to detective stuff, but then Bruce actually failed at solving the mystery in time so...I dunno.

And considering my ambivalent feelings toward ALL the live action movies it could be I just don’t care if Robin or Batgirl aren’t there, but no, I think I could. you just need to give me something guys.

#movie thoughts #batman

[diloph]

Feels a little odd to hear talk about Robin and Annie, but I agree with what you said. And in fact, this reminds me of how annoyed I was that they just blew up Hagen(and by extension Annie) in Justice League. Yeah, you can argue how sympathetic he is, but I still think Clayface deserved a better send-off. The DCAU honestly did most of the rogues poorly by the time of New Batman Adventures.

Yeah, I won’t lie, I’m sort of biased towards liking BTAS more than The New Adventures even though I think the designs and animation in the latter (including the widely hated Joker redesign) were much smoother, so I’m definitely more interested in a sympathetic monster version of Matt Hagan than “well, guess I’m just a villain now” one that crops up in the Xmas episode. A glorified shoplifting scheme for petty cash? Yeah, that says “was once a man”. If he’s after money to cure his condition, let him hit up a bank or something. Or a chemical lab. No shortage of them in Gotham.

That’s kind of trait that keeps reoccuring within that part of the series. Batman goes from a man who puts up a stern front with those who deserve it, but will laugh and joke and generally be a human being with his friends to a stick-in-the-mud knowitall killjoy around even Alfred and Tim.

Other characters got it too, such as how Mr Freeze gave up on life or the doomed “romance” between Killer Croc and Baby Doll. It was getting a bit too bleak and things like the Ventriloquist finally freeing himself from Scarface once and for all were a bit less prominent.

It comes to a head with me with Annie and Clayface, where she seemingly got lumped (sorry) with all of his sympathy and was immediately murdered by the new, more villainous take on Hagan that gets away with it scott free. That could have been addressed and explored in greater detail in these new comics and it just... wasn’t. For no readily apparent reason, despite slapping her on the cover. No interesting story, nothing.

Much like a certain OTHER series that has an ongoing comic run, I’d expected the new issues to address the characters and scenarios we feel got short-changed with new and exciting stories, through a slightly more mature lens of the new medium. Whilst The Adventures Continue do handle that a little better, it’s still very shallow to what BTAS/The New Adventures’ contemporary comics put out at the same time as the show.

And, considering what happens to Tim at the end; broken by the Joker and unwittingly reduced to endangering hundreds of thousands of innocents thanks to the Clown Prince of Crime’s brainwashing, completely separate from the rest of the Bat family? Yeah, I’ve got an issue with that. I don’t expect a happy ending for everybody, but some characters are just kicked repeatedly when they’re down. Even that thing I pointed out where Annie’s picture seems to reappear on the Batcomputer in Beyond is an easily exploitable thing they could have used to beef up the lore of a main character, a villain and a side character.

Tim could have had one good thing left from his time as Robin. One thing. One person who he both helped and was helped by, knew as a close friend. Sure, Bruce and Barbara pop by in the hospital at the end of Return of the Joker, but in the end I don’t think that’s enough.

Tim Drake might not have the Flying Graysons to mourn, nor being twisted into the Red Hood to strike out against the man he once considered his ally and mentor, but in the DCAU, he’s got more than enough tragedy to match them both and it is never really addressed.

But at least he got to throw a freezy-Batarang at Clayface in those two panels, right? More than makes up for it, I don’t think.

#Batman #Batman the Animated Series #Batman: The Adventures Continue #Clayface #Robin #Tim Drake #Annie #yeah she gets a tag

[jacobtmcelroy-blog]

Batman the Animated Series: ALL Episodes Ranked

Over my lifetime, I have seen many live action and animated television programs. Out of all of those, I have never watched a show I have as much adoration for as Batman: The Animated Series. The series premiered in 1992 and could have been a cheap cash-in on the success of the first two Tim Burton movies. However, thanks to the storytelling skills of Bruce Timm, Kevin Altieri, and many others, Batman TAS was a massive success. The show was dark, mature, but still great for children and adults alike. Two episodes even won Emmy’s. So, I recently re-watched the series and decided I am going to take on the brave task of ranking every episode. Because there are so few purely bad episodes of Batman TAS, choosing the top groups was incredibly difficult. However, I did my best to complete the tall task and my hard work lies below.

The Dreadful, Horrible Tier

As I previously stated, there are very few bad episodes of the BTAS. Very, very few. However, those select few are pretty atrocious. Basically, this is the “what this show could have been with lazier, cheaper writers tier”.

102. Showdown

This episode has absolutely nothing to do with Batman. That is all. Let’s continue.

101. I’ve Got Batman in My Basement

Batman: The Phantom Menace. Seriously, these kids were as bad as Jake Lloyd Anakin. 

100. Tyger, Tyger

Who thought turning Catwoman into an actual cat was a good idea? It definitely was not.

99. Love is a Croc

Odd pairing couple strategy just ended up being... odd.

98. Cat Scratch Fever

Man, Catwoman had some bad episodes. This awkward commentary on animal testing was one of them.

97. The Demon Within

This just feels nothing like a Batman episode. The evil kid is really annoying too.

96. Critters

Joel Schumacher takes over the helm of this hilariously bad episode... at least it seems like.

Of Lower Quality Than Others Tier

While not horrible and a disgrace to existence like the prior episodes listed... these are not too great either. They are at least watchable. Usually these are either uninteresting, laughably entertaining, or just REALLY mediocre. At least there’s no “I’ve Got Batman in My Basement” here.

95. Prophecy of Doom

Batman versus... Miss Cleo, the fraud psychic from the 90′s! It’s about as interesting as it sounds honestly.

94. The Underdwellers

Hey Arnold’s Sewer King episode was much more interesting. Not much else to say honestly.

93. Terrible Trio

Talk about appropriate title names. The plot isn’t terrible, but the villains certainly are. One of the show creators called this the worst episode of the DCAU.

92. Make’em Laugh

See? Even the Joker can have a bad episode.

91. Blind as a Bat

“ALFRED, I CAN’T SEE!!!” Possibly the worst delivery from Kevin Conroy for one of the most melodramatic lines of the series. The Penguin has another flop here.

90. The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

The poor man’s Riddler takes on Batman in this underachieving episode that actually could have been interesting.

89. The Forgotten

Cool Hand Batman! If the villain wasn’t a joke, maybe I would not forget this episode as much.

88. Moon of the Wolf

Entertainingly stupid, but also stupid. Why would “advanced werewolf-ism” cure werewolf-ism?!

87. Sideshow

A bit of a controversial placement on this list, but I just don’t think Killer Croc is a sympathetic villain. He is pretty much a pure evil character. Just my opinion.

 Jason Bourne Amnesia Tier..../Forgettable

We have escaped the very worst of what BTAS had to offer. The problem is there are so many good episodes of the series that some fall through the cracks. Oh, and there are also some mediocre episodes in this tier too. Especially, forgettable sequels to really good first episodes.

86. TIme Out of Joint

Basically, this is one of those. A disappointing sequel to a stellar introductory episode to the Clock King. This one also has too much of the Saturday Morning cartoon feel to it.

85. Animal Act

Mad Hatter definitely had some good episodes in this series.This one was not one of them. The writers tried to institute Dick’s circus past into this episode, but they just don’t do it very well.

84. Cold Comfort

Essentially, this is the Saturday Morning cartoon Mr. Freeze episode. Both of his other episodes were mature, dark, and tautly written. This one is not terrible, but it is just really disappointing based on his prior two.

83. Be a Clown

This episode isn’t near as bad as I remembered it to be and it actually has a nice lesson for kids and parents. However, there are some really stupid parts. Why did Bruce, Mayor Hill, Gordon, or anyone else not recognize the Joker in disguise... AS A CLOWN?! He even puts a bomb with a Joker face on the cake. Oh, and the kid is kind of annoying.

82. Fear of Victory

This is not a terrible episode either, but it feels a lot more juvenile than most episodes in the series. Comparing this to the other Scarecrow episodes makes that more obvious. Pretty forgettable too.

81. Bane

Bane’s sole appearance on his own in this series is fairly mediocre honestly. His fight with Batman is good, but Bane’s representation in this series is sort of laughable. His lines and character are ridiculously over the top and almost cringe-worthy at times. Also, Robin is a joke this episode.

80. Torch Song

I have always thought Firefly was an underrated Batman villain, but his iteration here leaves a lot to be desired. His burning the city plot is kind of cliche and the girl he is stalking is really unlikable. However, the ending has a nice “burning” feeling to it. (*facepalm*) One of the better of the series actually.

79. A Bullet for Bullock

I wish this was a more memorable episode based on the fun but complicated relationship between Batman and Bullock. However, the abrupt and awkward ending drops this episode’s quality significantly.

78. The Lion and the Unicorn

Looking into Alfred’s past and making him more involved was a good idea, but bringing back such a mediocre villain like Red Claw sure was not. Her accent is just as awful as it was the first time.

77. Fire from Olympus

Fire from Olympus is entertaining, but Maxie Zeus and his plot is honestly too cartoony and goofy for a cartoon with the tonality of BTAS.

76. It’s Never Too Late

This is not a bad episode by any means, but I forget it exists most of the time. Enough said.

75. P.O.V.

Remember what I said for the last one? Same case here.

74. Girls’ Night Out

Despite Supergirl’s appearance, Girls’ Night Out is by far the least memorable of the Harley/Ivy team up episodes. The dynamic between Supergirl and Batgirl is fun at times though.

Flawed... But Still Entertaining Tier

This next group of episodes is a decent step up from the last section due to them being a little less forgettable or at least trying a new concept, even if it does not fully work. Still, once again, these are where we are starting to venture into the decent category. (very good for most other shows...)

73. Chemistry

This episode had an interesting and much higher usagee of Bruce Wayne, which helped its cause. However, the plot feels way too similar to the superior “House and Garden” episode from the second season making it a retread.

72. Night of the Ninja

Kyodai Ken brings in elements from Bruce’s past, which I always like when the series does. However, his plot and overall character, in this episode, are just kind of boring and cliched. His fight with Bruce near the end (with a nice touch as Summer is covered by a curtain) was pretty solid.

71. The Worry Men

The Worry Men is fun and is full of fan service at the end, but its twist is just a little too predictable for my liking.

70. What is Reality?

The Riddler’s back... and he either watched Spy Kids 3, Tron, or Sword Art Online while he was gone! The use of virtual reality really has not aged well in this episode... at all. Still, it’s at least fun even if parts only sort of make sense.

69. Mad as a Hatter

Oh ho ho, another controversial placement. While almost all the established origin stories are good in this show, I have always felt this one pales in comparison with the others. Not saying it is bad, but Hatter’s first episode’s plot does not pop out to me as much as others.

68. Sins of the Father

Tim Drake’s origin episode should have been a lot better than this. The death of his father did not leave him with a single tear, which took out all the needed emotion in this episode away. Compare that to the masterful Robin’s Reckoning. Dick’s reaction after leaving the circus for the first time carried more emotion than this entire episode combined. Still, at least it is entertaining. 

67. Off Balance

Off Balance is thoroughly entertaining and introduces us to Talia and briefly Ra’as. However, it just does not stand on its own well. It’s well... off balance. (Da dum tis)

66. Eternal Youth

The sight of Poison Ivy’s end plan is pretty horrifying. Alfred and a lady friend are a bigger part in this episode, which is also a nice touch. The part that bothers me is not a single person recognizes Poison Ivy’s Clark Kent disguise. She should have had a lot of media coverage after trying to kill Harvey Dent, right?

65. The Cat and the Claw

Catwoman just could not stop from being paired with either bad villains or bad villain plots, could she? The parts that focus on her and her relationship with Batman in this episode were great as most would expect. However, Red Claw and her atrociously fake accent is such a boring villain that it takes away from the rest of the episode.

64. Avatar

Batman: Raiders of the Lost Egyptian Tomb. This is sort of an out there episode for Batman TAS, but admittedly it is pretty entertaining. Bruce, Talia, and Ra’as have such an interesting relationship that it makes any episode with all three of them in it at least fun. Once again though, this just does not feel much like a Batman episode.

63. Cult of the Cat

I really do not like the re-designed Catwoman suit in the later seasons of the series. I had to say it. Besides that, Cult of the Cat is a fun Catwoman episode that lets her be slightly more evil than normal. The action is high octane and kickass here too. However, the villains are kind of stock and bland making this episode not stick out as much as it should.

62. The Last Laugh

“You Killed Captain Clown!”. What a wonderful line and moment of the series. Besides that, line nothing really stick out from the pack of great Joker episodes in BTAS. The plot is okay, but forgettable. 

61. Lock-Up

This episode never reaches the heights that it should given timing of it to all of those villain reform episodes. It is entertaining, a little silly (Bruce’s smoke suitcase he borrowed from Clark Kent, I guess), but cannot land the Shoryuken it sets up before the time skip. However, the ending is brilliant and one of the best in the series.

Now These Episodes Are Good Tier

Now, this is what I was talking about. From here on out, I can say every episode it at least in the good category and would be really good for most other shows. Are episodes in this tier masterpieces? No, but while they would not be the first I would recommend, watching these will at least entertain and leave most viewers feeling mostly satisfied.

60. Paging the Crime Doctor

The creators of the show dub this episode as “the geezer episode”. Despite this moniker, the storytelling under the hood is both suspenseful and gives a different feel than many other episodes of the series. The only real downside is we never the see “The Crime Doctor” again in the series, which is a shame because he is an interesting character. It makes the episode lose some of its punch because of it.

59. Holiday Knights

While not groundbreaking, Holiday Knights is a really fun episode. In fact, it is the only anthology episode in the series, which gives it a different vibe. Of the three stories, the best one I believe is the Harley/Ivy going with Bruce on a shopping spree story. The following two are not quite as strong, but fun episode all and all.

58. Heart of Steel

Holy invasion of the body snatchers Batman! The fact this is a two part episode feels a bit odd to me, but it is entertaining despite it being way over the top. Building up Barbara’s character and her relationship with Bruce was a nice touch here.

57. Day of the Samurai

Batman meets anime. The Big O? Not quite, but we will get to that later. Day of the Samurai is a much better Kyodai Ken episode than his prior appearance, but still feels a little out of place. However, the setting and classic samurai style to the story makes Day of the Samurai an entertaining watch.

56. Zatanna

Zatanna is one of my favorite DC heroines, and her appearance here came out of nowhere for me. While the plot and Batman/Zatanna team-up is really fun, the villain is kind of average and forgettable. The flashbacks in this episode were particularly strong on another note.

55. Christmas with the Joker

“Jingle Bells! Batman smells! Robin laid an egg!”. Christmas with the Joker sure is not deep, but it is still a fun Christmas episode that I watch every year during the Christmas season. The only aspect of the episode that bothers me is that the ending is incredibly similar to The Last Laugh. Still though, nice Christmas episode.

54. Mean Seasons

When an episode like Mean Seasons only finishes mid-pack, you know you have a good show on your hands. Mean Seasons is a clever narrative on age and beauty standards in modern times in the entertainment industry. It stands up really well. However, for some reason or another I still forget about it when I do my watchthroughs of the show.

53. Appointment in Crime Alley

Roland Daggett appears in episodes all over the board in quality it seems like. While Appointment is not his best episode, it is definitely solid. The ending is another one of the best ones in the series. Once again, not much terribly wrong here, I just tend to forget about it.

52. The Mechanic

The Mechanic is a highly underappreciated episode of the show. I usually find it ranked in the bottom ten to twenty in most lists that I see. Unlike most, I think the Mechanic has great action and a nice, different twist on the origin of the batmobile and its creator, which one never really thinks about. Plus, the duck scene is one of Penguin’s most menacing of the series. Is it deep? No. Is it fun? Yes.

51. Batgirl Returns

Of all the characters who received great iterations in BTAS, one of the more underrated ones was Batgirl/Barbara. Her character is extremely likable. Combine her and Catwoman (plus a disapproving Robin) and you get a fun episode. This episode fades in comparison to her premiere episode, but this one is pretty good too.

50. On Leather Wings

The first produced episode of Batman is definitely a good one. In a rare occasion for this show, I believe the sequel to this episode is superior. However, that does not mean On Leather Wings is a bad episode. The action is great and it is a good early Batman against Bullock episode.

49. Baby Doll

Well, here comes another controversial placement. I do definitely think Baby-Doll is an emotional, zany episode with a solid ending, but it just feels too zany and unbelievable at times. Despite that opinion, Baby Doll is one of the more interesting original villains introduced in this show. She’s certainly a lot better here than in “Love is a Croc”.

48. Second Chance

While The Riddler will always be my favorite Batman villain, I personally believe Two-Face was the best and most consistently written villain in this series. All of the episodes based around him are good, but that also means some fade into the mix. Second Chance is one of those due to Judgment Day using a similar twist in a little better way. That is not to say Second Chance is not good. Because it definitely is. 

47. Beware the Creeper

Woah, what a zany, fun episode. This could also be one of the most risque in the series too, especially due to the very seductive, and hilarious, Harley Quinn inside the pie mix dance for her and the Joker’s anniversary. The Creeper himself is a crazier version of the Joker, created in the same way the Joker was in the 1989 film. I did not think a crazier version of the Joker was possible, but alas here he is. While I do not think this episode reaches quite the heights it could, the Joker screaming in fear to get away from the “crazy guy” is never not funny.

These Are Really Good Tier

Well, you read the tier name. Let’s continue.

46. The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne

Now, this is what I am talking about. An interesting plot, a great early series supervillain team up, and a hilarious twist make Dr. Strange’s lone appearance on BTAS a good one. My only real complaint is Bruce makes some uncharacteristically stupid decisions in this episode that propels the plot into motion.

45. Vendetta

Killer Croc has never been amongst my favorite Batman villains, but this tautly written episode makes the best use of (solo) Croc in the series. Besides Croc’s appearance here, the Batman/Bullock relationship is explored and is made a central focus of this episode. As one may expect, I like that. 

44. You Scratch My Back

As previously stated, Catwoman had some real duds in this series. However, her later appearances tended to be solid. Teaming Catwoman up with a rebellious and somewhat angsty Nightwing was a smart move by the writers here. While I saw the twist of the episode coming, it was still really entertaining and made for one of Selina’s best episodes of the series.

43. The Ultimate Thrill

So... this could be one of the racier episodes of non-adult cartoons I have seen. Roxy Rocket mounts a rocket for a large portion of the episode, gets off due to Batman chasing her, and is half-dressed a large amount of time. I can understand why this episode was skipped when it aired later on. Besides what I mentioned, The Ultimate Thrill is a really solid episode with really nice action setpieces. It all feels a little... strange, but still a good episode.

42. Legends of the Dark Knight

Episodes like this one with so many in jokes only comic book fans would understand are wonderful. The kids’ throwbacks to the 60′s campy Batman and the gritty Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns Batman are spot on. I also love the jab at Joel Schumacher with the kid named Joel’s ridiculous description of what he thinks Batman is like. It’s hilarious. The only real uninteresting part of this episode is the frame story.

41. Riddler’s Reform

Of all of the season 2 redemption episodes, Riddler’s falls into the upper tier. Yeah, a couple we will talk about soon are definitely better, but Nygma’s reform path is a good one. I like how Ed actually sort of wants to reform in this episode but is just to obsessed with riddling Batman and Robin to actually reform. Oh, and the ending is executed really, really well.

40. Read My Lips

I have always found the Ventriloquist to be an underrated Batman villain despite how silly he is in premise. The writers of the animated series always utilized the character’s multiple personality syndrome really well and in the most realistic way possible. As one may guess, the character’s premiere episode was really good. However, (unpopular opinion) I think some of his later episodes are a nice step up.

39. Joker’s Favor

How does the average Gotham citizen view the Joker? Well, similarly to how most of us would view a homicidal maniac it ends up. Joker’s relentless torture of an average guy is an interesting idea for an episode that is well executed throughout. Another plus is this episode created Harley Quinn. So, there’s that. Oh, by the way, that makeshift bat signal would not have worked if Bruce was 100 feet further ahead. 

38. Nothing to Fear

Besides one misstep of an episode, Scarecrow is another villain with a tremendous track record in BTAS. His premiere episode is a great introduction to the character and slowly introduces who the character actually is and why his motives are what they are. Crane’s later episodes are mostly improvements, so we will talk more about those soon.

37.  Shadow of the Bat

As I said earlier, Batgirl’s representation in this series is well done. The way the writers introduced Barbara first similarly to the way the writers introduced Harvey Dent and Two-Face gave viewers a basis for the character early. As most two part episodes in this series, Shadow is great. The slow burn of Batgirl being looked at as a joke to a somewhat reliable ally for Batman and Robin is written well.

36. Deep Freeze

Backing up Heart of Ice was an almost impossible task. While Deep Freeze is a lesser episode in comparison to the aforementioned masterpiece, Deep Freeze is a terrific Mr. Freeze episode... even though it inspired the plot of Batman and Robin. Despite that, the emotion is still here and Mr. Freeze’s voice is still kick-ass.

35. Mudslide

Similarly to Deep Freeze, Mudslide is a small step down from its predecessor, but Feat of Clay was one of the best of the series. So, take that as it is. Mudslide continues the tragic downfall of the drug addict Matt Hagan and his yearning to become fully human again. This episode does a stellar job at showing showing what desperation can do to those most in need of a cure to their ails.

34. Birds of a Feather

The Penguin had a few major clunkers in this series, but Birds of a Feather is far from that. In fact, it is another one of the best attempts at reform episode in the series. In fact, I was halfway cheering for Penguin during the course of the episode because of his sincere effort. The ending is both tragic and fitting for character like Oswald despite this.

33. Harley’s Holiday

If one would like to watch one of the funniest episodes of Batman, look no further than here. Parts of Harley’s Holiday are hysterical. One scene (at about 1:30 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J064TI8WDKo) where Harley recognizes Bruce’s chin and identifies him as Bruce Wayne rather than Batman is brilliant. In fact, all of Harley’s interactions with Bats in this episode are. A certain other comedic Joker episode beats this one out, but Harley shines here big time.

32. Joker’s Millions

Remember that Joker episode I mentioned one episode ago? Well here it is. Joker’s Millions is probably the funniest episode of the series. The fake Harley Quinn and tryouts to be the new Harley Quinn are possibly one of the funniest scenes of the series. (another certain Joker scene takes the cake though...). I found the twist a little predictable, but this episode is perfect if you want some Batman action and laughs at the same time.

31. House and Garden

Of the reform episodes of the series, this is probably my second favorite overall. Poison Ivy somehow becomes sympathetic and really disturbing in the same episode with a perfect mix. Without revealing spoilers, the twist is revealed in an effective, slow-burning manner.  Just give this one a watch. You will not regret it.

30. See No Evil

If I had to rank the most underrated or overlooked episodes of BTAS, See No Evil would easily make the cut on that list. Why is this exactly? Mainly, this episode is genuinely really, really creepy. A man with an invisible suit could have been a lame and cliched cartoon villain, but like with many other things, Batman did it right. The episode has some stellar dialogue, action, and a surprisingly funny moment in it. Oh, and Batman has one of his coolest lines of the series near the end.

29. Never Fear

Never Fear, one of the Scarecrow’s best episodes, dares to answer the question: what would Batman be like if he killed people? Never Fear uses the opposite formula (literally in a way) than the rest of the Scarecrow episodes as his fear toxin in this episode gives the unlucky victim no fear rather than all the fear in the world. Its effect on Batman alone makes this a fantastic episode. The guy takes out alligators with his bare hands in this episode for God’s sake.

28. Harley and Ivy

A Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy team-up episode did not have to work, but fortunately for everyone, it did. This is one of the first episodes to show what Harley could do without the guidance of her “Puddin’”, and the added new element to her character improved it even more. Poison Ivy is fantastic here as well in the mentor role to criminal noob Harley. Oh, the Joker’s material here is as good always too.

27. Dreams in Darkness

The best Scarecrow episodes are the ones that ask the most questions. Here, what if Batman was insane? Dreams in Darkness is my favorite of the many great Scarecrow episodes due to the challenge of Batman facing off against his sanity, (something he also does in a certain Mad Hatter episode...) which is something we do not see that often. The narrative all the way up to the ending with giant versions of his rogues gallery makes Darkness ultimately satisfying.

26. His Silicon Soul

I love many things about His Silicon Soul. First, the animation was done by Sunrise, the animator for Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Gundam Wing, and The Big O. In fact, this episode was the single biggest influence on Sunrise on The Big O’s creation. That anime was essentially BTAS in look, characters, and tone. Good show. Another discussion for another time though. Back to the episode, this use of HARDAC was much better than the first time. Creating another Batman and sticking him in Gotham was more clever and deeper than the prior two-parter combined. The ending is also a work of art.

The Elite

During the NCAA basketball season, the polls and pundits keep a Top 25 list of the best 25 teams in the sport at the time. These teams are powerhouses, the best of the bunch, and not surpassed by any others. Same can be said here. Out of all the wonderful episodes of BTAS, these are almost the best of the best.

25. Pretty Poison

While I have made many obvious and repetitive statements while making this list, I will say again Batman did a fantastic job of establishing its villains before they became villains. Pretty Poison establishes Harvey Dent as one of Bruce’s best friends before ongoing his transformation, and it pays dividends later on. As for this episode itself, Poison Ivy is established early as one of the most dangerous re-occurring villains of the show. She is seductive, tough, and clever all at the same time. Her plot in this episode is simple yet suspenseful due to tight writing. Make this an essential viewing.

24. Terror in the Sky

On Leather Wings was an entertaining and explosive start to the series that lacked... well... something. However, Terror in the Sky added whatever Man Bat’s first escapade was missing. The action in Terror is some of the best in the entire series from the motorcycle chase to the final showdown on the plane. Also, the twist is a classic in the series. Without spoiling anything, this overlooked episode of Batman is one of the very best action focused episodes of the series.

23. Judgment Day

Without spoiling everything here, Judgment Day probably has one of the best twist endings in the entire series. I was genuinely shocked after my first viewing of this episode. I may have been six or so, but still it is really clever. Aside from the ending, Judgment Day features some nice action, a mysterious new vigilante character, and whole lot more. Just watch it.

22. The Clock King

While Mr. Freeze is the most famous example of Batman’s rogues gallery being revitalized, The Clock King is honestly a close second. Clock King really had not been utilized since the 1960′s as a Batman foe, so using a gimmicky, sort of goofy villain here in a 1990′s cartoon was a shock. Luckily for the show, they had world class writers that converted Clock King into a gimmicky, but psychotic, vengeful villain. After being late for once ruined his life, Temple Fugate devoted his life to trying to humiliate and murder Mayor Hill in, of course, a time-themed way. This episode could have been really silly, but Clock King ends up being a fantastic villain in a well-paced, action packed episode of Batman.

21. Joker’s Wild

Of all the wonderful Joker episodes, I find this one to be the most overlooked and underrated. The episode starts off with a fun interaction between Joker and Poison Ivy, kind of like the awkward best friend who hates her friend’s boyfriend type of situation. After setting his sites on destroying a new casino designed after him, the Joker is actually shown escaping Arkham, which is a rare occasion in the series. What follows is a brilliant scene where Bruce Wayne eggs on the real Joker, high octane action, and the expected brand of humor. Simple, but great.

20. Catwalk

Now we are finally talking, Selina Kyle. Catwalk is one of Catwoman’s final episodes of the series, and it ends up being her best by far. After giving up her life up as Catwoman, Selina is trying to blend in with the real world with the aid of Bruce, but it just is not working. Subsequently, Kyle is given an offer by another certain rogue that she cannot turn down. Thus, Catwoman returns. What makes this episode strong is the twist, the dynamics between Batman, the other villain, and of course Catwoman. She gets to be more of a villain this episode, or at least more gray, and that is how it should be. Good job Mr. Altieri.

19. Old Wounds

After the events of Robin’s Reckoning, one could start to tell the relationship between Bruce and Dick was starting to weaken through their differences. A major wrench was thrown into that already strained relationship when Barbara played her hand as Batgirl. Thus, we have Old Wounds, one of the best flashback episodes of the series. Without getting into spoiler territory, a traumatic event on the night of Dick’s graduation from college, when Dick was already fed up at Bruce for pulling him away from, almost completely severed the head off their relationship. While the ultimate reason is a bit of misunderstanding and involved jealousy, it is really sad to watch unwind even if we know what is coming. Nightwing’s mullet suck still though.

18. Over the Edge

Let me get this out of the way. Over the Edge could have easily been a top 5 episode if the ending was not such a cop-out.  *sighs* Oh well I guess. But seriously, other than the asspull of an ending, Over the Edge is the most suspenseful episode of the entire series without a doubt. Without spoiling things again, shit hits the fan about five minutes in here and everything snowballs from there. Watching it is thrilling, unnerving, and feels nothing like most of the other episodes of the series. Seriously. When a certain other baddie comes in at the end (in a much better appearance than his first, mind you...), things get even more intense. Give this one a try even if the ending leaves something to be desired.

17. Perchance to Dream

Once again, I will start on the only tiny negative of this episode. If you know the villains’ theme music like I do, you will know who the villain is in this episode early on. Anyways, dream episodes when they really should dream episodes can be very good. HINT HINT. Perchance to Dream is definitely one of those. After waking up in a world full of his greatest desires, Bruce has to unravel what has happened to him and what actions he should take. That may sound vague, but I am trying super hard to avoid spoilers in these top few episodes. Just watch this one and wait for a wonderful ending and a great dual performance from Kevin Conroy.

16. The Laughing Fish

Who would have thought an episode having to do with copyright law and patents would be the Joker’s best episode? Not me. But, The Laughing Fish is indeed my favorite Joker episode (where the focus is on his plots). After making nets full of fish in Gotham harbor carry his signature smile, the Joker tries to patent the Joker fish. After being denied, old Jack Napier takes revenge on everyone who stopped his original plan in a demented, funny, and tightly written plot. Hell, there is a scene where the Joker dresses up like the Gorton fisherman. This episode is a blast.

15. Growing Pains

Well, I feel depressed after watching this one. Growing Pains is one of the most heart-wrenching episodes of the animated series. Not only is it painful for the viewer, but even moreso for Tim Drake’s Robin. I feel like this is the best utilization of his character. After not listening to Batman’s advice, Robin gets more wrapped into helping a young girl who is seemingly running away from her abusive father. This plot brings back Drake’s relationship with his own father and his empathy for others he sometimes lacks in other episodes. Oh, and the twist is brilliant and connects the later episodes to the original series satisfyingly. 

14. Double Talk

Ah, the best redemption episode of the series. Not only is Double Talk my second favorite episode in the later seasons, but it is one of my favorite dramatic episodes of the entire series. The Ventriloquist could have easily been a joke of a villain, but he has several stellar episodes in this series. Out of all them, Double Talk is definitely the best. The audience is cheering for Wesker to get over his issues, and his battle to overcome them is suspenseful and well written. The ending is poetic as can be, and I love it. Give this overlooked episode a watch and you will not regret it.

13. Feat of Clay

The downfall of Matt Hagan is one of the most depressing storylines of the entire series. The allegory for drug addiction with Matt’s reliance on Renuyu and the awful things he would do for just a little bit of it is a true tragedy. The allegory went over my head in my younger years, but watching now after seeing several people I have known my entire life struggle with addiction, the episode has a heavier hit. The two-parter’s first half ends possibly on the most horrific scene of the series. Anyone who has seen this knows what I am talking about. While the second half is not quite as strong as the first, Feat of Clay is a top flight Batman episode. 

12. Robin’s Reckoning

Speaking of depressing two-parters, Robin’s Reckoning is the closest thing to a tear-jerker in the series. The scene where Dick leaves the circus left the production staff silent for several minutes supposedly because of how emotional it was. While Robin’s Reckoning is one of the many Robin origin stories in existence, it is definitely one of the best ones. The raw emotion makes RR one of the best episodes of the series. Robin’s decision at the end of the second episode is tense. Maybe that is why it won a Daytime Emmy.

11. Harlequinade

Have I stated on this list before that I really like Harley Quinn and her episodes? I guess I have. Out of all of them, this is my... second favorite. Tough decision. It is painful making this one miss the top ten. Especially after Harley’s rendition of Say We’re Sweethearts Again. And Batman facepalming on a table. Literally. The plot revolves around the seemingly serious sounding plot of the Joker stealing an ATOMIC BOMB and threatening Gotham. Batman teams up with Harley Quinn in exchange for her immunity to bring down Mistah J. What results is one of the best and funniest episodes of the series. Just watch Harley’s karaoke moment of the episode if you do not believe me. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp6wLXj4-5A)

The Masterpiece Tier

The title should  say enough for these episodes of BTAS. While Batman of the 90′s has so many stellar episodes, these are the best of the best and incredibly difficult to rank. I tried my best though.

10. Almost Got’im

When this episode ranks as low as ten... woah. AGI is the best episode with mulitple villains collaborating in one episode. While they are not coming up with an evil plot in this episode (well, mostly...), the group discusses the closest each of them got to killing Batman. Each tale is fun and the other villains’ commentary on the other stories is even better. The interaction between Two-Face and Poison Ivy is particularly good. The final line of the episode is also wonderfully poetic. Almost got the that top spot...

9. Mad Love

Of all the top notch Harley Quinn/Joker episodes in this series, Mad Love takes the cake as the best one. Based off the graphic novel of the same name, Mad Love possesses all of the extreme emotions and dark realism as its source material... besides some of the racier stuff. Still though, Mad Love does not hold back. The relationship between our two leads is completely one-sided and abusive making this episode work as the perfect allegory for all too common abusive relationships in the real world. Just because the main focus is on the clowns this episode, does not mean Batman is not excellent this episode. Because he is. Also, the Joker says, “May the floss be with you” at one point...

8. I Am the Night

Possibly the most emotional episode in the series, I Am the Night takes the animated series to its darkest depths. While laying flowers on the site of his parents death site, Batman misses a police sting where Commissioner Gordon ends up shot and critically injured in the hospital. Batman, feeling useless and underappreciated, vows to stop being Batman because of his failure. Every supporting character is utilized perfectly in this episode to stretch Bruce’s mental health in very different directions. Bullock and Robin represent the most extreme opposites. The ending is super satisfying and can teach everyone a lesson if they are feeling underappreciated.

7. Heart of Ice

Before Joel Schumacher and the Governator took a steaming pile of crap on Mr. Freeze’s new origin, Batman the Animated Series revamped the character with this well-known masterpiece. Seriously, this one won an Emmy too. Before the 1990′s, Mr. Freeze was a lame, generic ice villain, kind of like how Firefly is a lameass fire villain in this show. Heart of Ice is shockingly dark, soaked with emotion, and cold-hearted to the core. Mr. Freeze’s voice is soooooo perfect in this series too. Not much else to say that has not been said.

6. The Man Who Killed Batman

The premise to this episode is so simple that it is unbelievable that it is so good. A small time crook nicknamed Sid the Squid, while awkwardly stumbling on a rooftop, appears to kill Batman. After this moment, Sid becomes an idol to all the criminals in the city. Unfortunately, this is not all good news for the squid. What follows is some top notch comedy when everyone in the city might want to fight him now. Even the Joker makes an appearance. That appearance I personally believe is the best for the Joker in the entire series. Don’t believe me? Watch this scene. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld0uIhst3TA) It is possibly my favorite of the entire show. All in all, watch this episode for something great from beginning to the end.

5. Beware the Gray Ghost

Alternating from the top comedy of the prior episode, The Gray Ghost is one of the more depressing episodes of the series. Without spoiling as much as I can, it is also one of the more uplifting that gives me chills almost every time I view it. A type-cast actor who used to play a superhero on a tv show is struggling financially, with his career, and overall emotionally. His state gets involved with Batman when the episode’s villain’s plot collides with a plot from an old episode of the Gray Ghost. At first bitter and not wanting to help, Batman soons teams up with his hero to take down the villain and it is almost perfect. Who plays the Gray Ghost by the way? Adam West. Whoever came up with that idea deserves a medal. Also, Bruce Timm plays the villain in this masterpiece, which is pretty badass.

4.  The Demon’s Quest

The second best two-parter of the series, The Demon’s Quest combines the best of Batman with arguably the best iteration of Ra’as Al Ghul as well. The whole episode feels like an Indiana Jones film, which is not a bad fit honestly. The first part does a nice job establishing Ra’as and Batman’s relationship, and the second half does a stellar job of completing the plot with major style. Talia and Robin also make major appearances in this episode and both really work. Once again, watch this rare world domination episode of Batman for something very different, but very good.

3. If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich?

Now, here is my sleeper episode in the top five. I see this episode on people’s list every once and a while but rarely this high. Is this a Riddler (my favorite villain) bias? Maybe a little bit, but I personally think this is one of the strongest episodes due to several factors. One, this iteration of the Riddler is terrific. John Glover is perfectly cast as the genius and knocks it out of the park. His plan involving revenge, video games, supposed mental superiority, and of course riddles is well written. Robin makes one of his best appearances in this episode as a good foil to Batman’s riddle solving methods, and having superior video game skills predictably. However, the most stalwart aspect of this episode is the ending. It’s chilling and perfectly poetic at the same time. Way to go, Nygma.

2. Trial

Remember when I mentioned Almost Got’im as the best villain teamup episode? I lied. Flat out. Trial combines all of the best aspects of almost all of Batman’s reoccurring rogues gallery and all of them are at the top of their game here. Batman is captured and put on trial in Arkham, and the new DA, who hates Batman and thinks he belongs there as well, has to defend the Dark Knight. Joker plays the judge, Two-Face the prosecutor, and several other villains take the stand as witnesses. Guess what? It’s an absolute blast to watch. The episode has good comedy, top notch dialogue, and a terrific ending note. Trial is guilty of nothing but being one of the best episodes in the series.

1. Two-Face

Not the most original choice, but Two-Face was my clear cut favorite episode of Batman the Animated Series from the moment I considered composing a list. As I stated before, Two-Face is the best villain in the animated series overall. This episode really aided in making that true. So did Pretty Poison’s establishment of Harvey Dent. Seeing Harvey’s downfall from beloved District Attorney, fiance, and best friend to Bruce is painful, tragic, and as well written as humanly possibly. I feel like the first half is slightly better than the second, but both are masterpieces and work perfectly together despite a time gap which all other two part episodes lack. So, all in all, Two-Face is what I believe to be the most masterful episode in a series full of masterpieces.

Thanks for checking out my list. I had a fun, but strenuous time making it and hope you check out my future lists too!

#batman #batman the animated series #dcau

[enchantedxrose]

Beauty and the Beast Fic Recs

In honor of Fandom Fic Rec Days (today through the twelfth), I wanted to give a more in-depth assessment of some of my favorite fics and why you should read them, too. So many words that I put it under the cut.

Multi-chapter:

A Prince in Molyneaux by So-crates Johnson The premise of this one is simple: it removes the magic element. Everything about this story is amazing, okay. The humor, the dialogue, the pacing, the characterization, everything just works so well together. Adam’s grumpy inner monologue throughout gives me so much life??? It’s just so delightful?? 

And despite being a very flawed character (snobby, selfish, irresponsible), he’s also sympathetic from the start, and clearly capable of growing into a better person. He runs away from his life at the castle to escape an unwanted arranged marriage, but after he gets robbed and owns literally nothing but the clothes on his back, he finds himself in debt to Gaston--a situation just brimming with comedic possibilities, and the story definitely delivers. 

Adam and Belle get off on the wrong foot (surprise, surprise, for two such equally stubborn people) but eventually begin to realize they have a lot in common. I feel so gleeful and so smug watching these two nerds fall in love. But how will she react when she finds out he’s actually the prince in disguise? I’m dying to see how it all ends. 

A Rose’s Thorn by @theteaisaddictive There’s so much to love about this story. It’s very atmospheric, almost otherworldly, and feels very much like a fairy tale (if fairy tales had well developed characters, that is). 

The main twist in this AU is that the Beast temporarily loses much of his humanity while he’s under the curse--but a chance encounter with Belle sort of wakes him up again. The cursed servants are also frozen and lifeless (for five years! and still conscious the whole time, but unable to move or speak! which is horrifying!!) until Belle’s humanizing influence starts to slowly thaw the curse on the castle. The scene where they’re all being transformed by the enchantress is really eerie. And yet all the haunting imagery is balanced out by the genuine sweetness of the scenes between Belle and the Beast. 

Also notable about this story is that we get interesting backstory for Gaston (who is a little less villainous in this universe) and actually some insight into the Enchantress’s motivations as well.

The Ghost of Micro-Managing Christmas by CaroINJoy Obviously this one’s holiday-themed, but I enjoy it whatever time of  year. How often do you come across Cogsworth-centric fic that’s witty and well-developed and tons of fun? Well I don’t know how much is out there, but I do know that this story makes me giggle out loud every time, and also melts my heart. 

The premise is, on the eve of an important Christmas Eve ball at the castle, Cogsworth awakens to find that no one else can see him or hear him, and he has no idea what kind of magic is going on or how to fix it. Basically, it’s about him feeling unappreciated and invisible, but the ending is very sweet. 

One-shots:

Human Again by So-crates Johnson This is a collection of one-shots with the basic unifying premise of “the prince doing things he couldn’t do as a beast.” Of course, that covers a lot of things--Belle trying to get used to his new voice, for example, or him feeling cold for the first time in years now that he’s not covered in fur--which means there’s a variety of romance, humor, and wonderfully tooth-rotting fluff. Basically, if you’re looking for sweet post-canon domestic scenes, this is going to suit your needs exactly.

Verum Corpus by The Green Archer This is a more serious take on the idea of Adam getting used to his human form. Certain simple things, like holding a spoon, were harder when he was Beast simply because of anatomy, but he learned to adapt, and now he feels like he has to re-learn everything all over again. Belle helps him cope with his frustration (and helpfully points out that they can kiss now, which is a nice plus). It’s a concise piece, gives us the feeling of a complete story in a few words by picking just the right concrete details to put us in the scene.

The Last Dance by The Green Archer I don’t often see stories, or even headcanons, about Belle and Adam’s life together once they have children or grow old, so it’s nice to find a fic that fills in all those details. But make sure you read with a box of tissues, because this is about the elderly prince grieving for his wife after Belle passes away in her sleep. I love that we get a real sense of the kind of emotional intimacy that only long-married people can have, that he knows exactly what she would be saying or thinking if she were here with him now. And Belle leaves a message behind for him...

A Mirror’s Shards by CarolNJoy This one’s angsty, just to warn you. Another collection of one-shots, delving into each character’s reaction when the Beast lets Belle go, and everyone under the curse is trying to resign themselves to their fate. In this universe, the enchanted servants will freeze to lifeless objects and the Beast will lose all of his humanity if the spell doesn’t break, so there’s a real sense of impending doom as they’re all waiting for that last petal to fall. There’s a lot of things that break my heart: Cogsworth trying to put on a show of calmness and professionalism to the very end, he and Lumiere putting aside their differences for a moment to acknowledge how much they mean to each other, Mrs. Potts deciding not to tell Chip that the spell is never going to break because she can’t bear to destroy his hope. (I’m not crying, you’re crying.)

#ficrecdays #beauty and the beast #i'm probably forgetting some good ones #but these are my all time faves

[tigerlover16-uk]

What are your favourite kinds of characters?

Hmm. Hard to say, I like a lot of different kinds of characters. Depends on how they’re written really.

In general, I think I find myself leaning towards heroes that are just good for the sake of being good. Guys like Superman and Captain America, people who just genuinely want to help out and make the world a better place because they’re good people and that’s what we should all try to do. I know a lot of people find that boring apparently, or unrealistic, but screw that cynicism. I believe in doing good and that standing up for what’s right is the most important thing in the world, so these characters resonate with me.

Probably also has to do with Izuku Midoriya being my favourite anime hero now after Goku, among a number of other things. There’s a lot more to him, but he really is just trying to help out and be a hero because he cares about doing the right thing.

I really like stories exploring what it means to be a hero and people just fighting with all their heart and soul to do what’s right and make the world a better place.

As far as villains go, I have two preferences. Tragic or otherwise sympathetic villains… and complete scumbags that just totally love being evil and have fun with it.

For example, I love Mr Freeze. He’s my favourite DC villain and probably the first villain I ever REALLY found fascinating as a character, much more so than Batman, and wanted to see everything work out for him. 

My favourite villain in general though is Frieza. The guy looks cool, and he’s just plain vicious and clearly loves being the most evil person in the universe, and it really works to make him both terrifying yet also really fun and engaging.

I think people really undersell how fun and interesting “Evil for the sake of evil” villains can be. Sure, they can be boring and standard if written poorly, and they’re so common that a lot of them can blend in together, but when you do it right you get some of the most iconic, entertaining and just really cool villains in fiction.

Another character type I’m also finding myself really loving more and more as I get older? Adorable little girl characters. Especially ones with superpowers.

I adore cuteness in general, and I find it laughable when other men go around acting like cute and cheerful stuff is cringy or disgusting. Puppies, babies, lovey dovey couples who just totally adore each other. I love all that stuff, especially in the cases of stuff I can see myself cuddling like baby animals.

And young girls often just have a certain inherent cuteness to them that’s just really charming and wholesome to watch. I mean: How can your heart NOT melt at the sight of this little angel:

(it’s a video of Pan from DBZ with Goku, since I know the thumbnail isn’t exactly fitting for what I’m talking about)

I just find myself drawn to them, especially characters like Pan and Flurry Heart who also have these amazing super powers to them. Seriously, what is NOT amazing and perfect about a baby winged unicorn with magic powers? I just want to give her a big hug, and I don’t even care if she teleports me into an active volcano in the process, it would be SO worth it! (Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a tiny bit).

Edit: In case the video isn’t showing because tumblr’s being a bit weird, here’s a link to it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIJ4a3OE3c

Don’t know why this post isn’t cooperating with the video

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

As a follow up to the Gabriel vs. Andrias ask, I think another reason Andrias worked better as a tragic villain is because the series showed us that he had no choice. He genuinely felt like what he was doing was for the best, and even then he tried to fight his father’s instructions. And he knew he was too far gone to be saved, so that’s why he surrendered.

Gabriel? If anything the show has made him completely unsympathetic. He has no remorse over trying to kill everyone, including his SON, and the show justifies this with “ohh he’s just sad his wife’s dead he’s such a sad and sympathetic character 🥺”. Uh. No. He definitely isn’t. I don’t see a tragic villain pushed to his limit, like Andrias or Mr. Freeze. I see a madman who’s obsessed with a corpse.

(The post this user is referring to)

It’s kind of sad that the borderline genocidal tyrant ended up being the more sympathetic villain compared to Gabriel.

Another thing that made Andrias’ breakdown after hearing Sprig read Leif’s letter more powerful than Gabriel deciding to quit being Hawkmoth in “Queen Wasp” was that you could understand the pain he’s going through in that moment. Andrias just learned that his friend who supposedly betrayed him never forgot about him, and realized that all the time he’s spent trying to conquer worlds was all for nothing. There was really nothing else he could do but break down in tears at the realization that the past thousand years were nothing more than the result of a misunderstanding that could have easily been resolved.

With Gabriel, there’s nowhere near the level of emotion coming from him, because the realization of his goal seemingly being pointless never really comes to his mind. He just thinks that because his “magnum opus” that just happened to endanger Adrien like several other Akumas (Pixelator, Riposte, Gorizilla) failed, he can’t risk endangering Adrien anymore. I don’t see Gabriel realizing he doesn’t have a chance to bring Emilie back. I just see a man deciding to call it quits for a very petty reason before becoming Hawkmoth again after five minutes.

#immaturity of thomas astruc #iota #miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug salt #ml salt #gabriel agreste #hawkmoth #hawk moth #shadowmoth #shadow moth #amphibia #king andrias #leif amphibia