#traincat talks comics

[traincat]

You know something I just noticed? I don't... actually like Peter Parker.

No, seriously, I like the CONCEPT of Spider-Man and yeah, he's funny at times, but... I can't actually get invested in his canon self. It's ridiculous, it feels less like he's an interesting character and more being a superhero is the ONLY way to make him interesting (I know that's the charm), but...

Like, his phrase, "With great power comes great responsability", it feels... I don't know, childish? I like that nobody's FORCING him to be a hero, but he ALWAYS finds a way to make himself feel guilty over something and his assholeness is funny, but... not necessarily healthy?

The only thing going for him is Spider-Man, which ALSO destroys his life and I know that's somewhat unintentional, but I'm kinda tired of him angsting all the time. For instance: him not killing is Noble, him comiting to his City is admirable. It also makes it so he doesn't really prioritize people unless they had a HUGE impact in him and him not killing, makes the WORST consequences imaginable at times.

Or his "I know better" catastrophic. He's a good character for sure, but... I wouldn't want to be him. Like at all, his powers are cool, yet... that's it. I like his concept more than his canonical self (hell, I prefer his FANON self), the only somewhat exception is his Lego version, but that's cause everyone's sillier.

It's that weird or something? 😶

Anon I sincerely mean no offense but there's two explanations for this ask and one is that you're trolling me and the other is that you haven't really read much Spider-Man. I'm going to assume it's the second to be nice and because you've kind of hit two points that bother me in this fandom and thrown them together in the wash: the first is people forcing themselves to like Spider-Man because they feel like they should and in the process forcing him into this little box of bland and inoffensive likability (fanon Peter) and the second is just. being wrong about basic facts about Spider-Man but assuming they're right because Spider-Man being one of the most popular IPs in the world means everyone thinks they know everything about Spider-Man based on one catchphrase and half a Raimi movie.

And it makes me feel like this.

Like this is not your fault! These assumptions you've brought into my inbox are not your fault. Spider-Man marketing is set up around making people feel like they know Spider-Man and it's a fucking problem because it means people come into a six decade long soap opera with hardline beliefs already stamped on them and it is really hard to get people to change their opinions. I know! I was there! I was one of those people! Every day I'm thankful I didn't post fanfiction when I was in my early Spider-Man days because it would make me look like such a hypocrite but also I didn't know Spider-Man until I committed to reading eight thousand comics.

"Him being a superhero is the only way to make him interesting" potentially yes because one thing about Peter Parker that canon makes abundantly clear is that without Spider-Man he is a miserable fucking bastard. Like he sucks so bad. Spider-Man unleashes a deep well of empathy and kindness in him that might have existed but would not have surfaced without his experiences as Spider-Man because it was locked behind a concrete wall of bitterness twelve feet thick.

(Amazing Fantasy #15/Sensational Spider-Man #41)

"Him not killing is noble but" you're thinking about Batman. You are thinking about Batman. Spider-Man "doesn't kill" the way I'm "not writing this post right now." Peter aims not to kill. Peter talks a whole big game about not killing. His track record on that goal is not great. I have a whole post about that here. (cw for discussions of suicide related to Spider-Man vs Wolverine.)

Like, the thing about Peter and I think this is actually one of the biggest things about Peter is that you can't take what he says about himself 90% of the time too seriously. He is NOT an unbiased narrator of his own life. He will say one thing in his own internal narration and then you will be shown something completely different and you need to trust what you see and not what he tells you.

"Gee whillickers I've never done any crime" says man who literally only does crime. (Web of Spider-Man #43)

Two things can be true simultaneously: Peter can have a no kill rule and Peter can be spectacularly bad at enforcing himself on this rule, because he is a giant hypocrite who believes in double standards for himself first and not for anyone else ever after. This is part of what makes him an interesting character -- it is not hard to push Peter over that no kill line. The character will go there. It's up to the writer, then, to keep Spider-Man's I would say unearned squeaky clean no murder image by throwing a wrench into his plans.

(ASM #595/ASM #637/ASM #542)

This is not the place for my unhinged powerpoint presentation about how Marvel has backed themselves into a corner on reversing One More Day because to do so with the appropriate narrative weight calls for Peter to kill the Kingpin. He SAID he was going to kill him. And he IS. (He just didn't say he would do it right now.)

"I wouldn't want to be like him" neither would I!! But I am going to argue that this is where Spider-Man marketing has failed everybody because, while there are certainly traits about Peter you're supposed to admire (for all I have been and will keep ragging on him he is without a doubt a bottomless well of goodness and he is one of the most deeply kind, if not nice, characters in the American pop culture landscape), whether or not you want to be a character is not a good litmus test for what makes a good character.

"With great power comes great responsibility is corny" is like. Did you know that the phrase doesn't originate with either Peter or Uncle Ben. The origin of the phrase is in the ending narration of Amazing Fantasy #15, after Peter stops himself from killing the burglar who killed Uncle Ben. It is literally Stan Lee and Steve Ditko making a point to the audience, and that point was later put in Uncle Ben's mouth. Is it corny because it's actually corny? Or is it corny because it has been so endlessly parodied by bad faith actors that its meaning has been diminished? Because all the phrase is doing is pointing out that people with more power (be it physical, economic, or societal) have a greater responsibility to those with less power than them. Because Peter has these gifts, he owes it to other people to act responsibility. You can sum up Spider-Man as a story about power and abuse: the villains abuse their power. Spider-Man is different than the villains because, though he has great power, he chooses not to abuse it. Spider-Man as a character is a distillation of Tikkun Olam, a Jewish principle that means "healing the world." "You do not have to finish the work, but you cannot abandon it." This is why Spider-Man is street level. He doesn't have to finish the work. He doesn't have to save the whole world. He just has to do what is in his power to do, every single day, and that's where the conflict comes in, because it would be easier for him to walk away, but because he has the power, and because he is an ethical man, he can't. And this concept was distilled down very, very well in "with great power comes great responsibility" because it's a very simple phrase that takes a complex ethical issue and makes it easy to understand.

"Ordinary. Saddest face I ever saw. He tries to smile, but I know it hurts. This is all for my benefit. He wants me to be okay, and he's giving me this." (Spectacular Spider-Man v2 #14)

Spider-Man is not a faceless cardboard cutout you're supposed to endlessly project on and the Disneyified marketing's insistence on that is what ends up with people insisting that a character who has remained popular in the culture for six decades has zero actual personality traits and is instead just some mirror to hold up against the viewer, letting them reflect whatever they want back on him. And it sucks.

And then I, as a person who loves canon 616 Peter and think he's one of the most complex and realistic characters ever written specifically because he is so flawed, end up writing these screeds even though I told myself I wasn't doing Spider-Man discourse any longer.

me @ myself.

But like here's the thing about the second point: you are not obligated to like any character. This has been bothering me about greater Spider-Man fandom (and adaptations) for years because I think there's this incredible push for people to like Peter Parker. There's this feeling like, yeah, you have to like this guy, because he's so popular, and because so much of the marketing is based upon everyone liking him. The truth of the matter is not every character is going to resonate with every fan and that's totally normal. But there's this idea that you have to like Peter Parker especially, because he's the relatable superhero, but no one character is going to be relatable to everyone, and in order to make him more relatable to the widest audience possible (the most desirable to advertisers audience possible) (white cis goyishe straight men ages 8-40) (who might buy a sportscar) his actual personality has to be watered down as much as possible so he can be used, essentially, as a mirror to reflect the audience, instead of as a fully developed character that the audience can empathize with if not relate to. This is why the MCU movies look like that. It's why the last few comic runs have looked like that. You are not obligated to like Peter Parker if he doesn't work for you. There is literally nothing wrong with that. But so much of Spider-Man fandom is built on people who don't like canon Peter and instead erode his personality in various ways to fit him into neat little boxes which is how we end up with fanon Peter, who resembles, in practice, what you're describing a lot more than canon Peter does. And if you like fanon Peter, that's fine. Lots of people like fanon Peter! That's why he's so widespread, because he's much easier for fans to project whatever they want to on him. That's not an insult, but an observation, because I think he serves a purpose. It's not canon Peter's purpose, and it's not a purpose I personally am interested in, which is also fine, because not everything works for every person.

Canon Peter is complicated, and he doesn't always do the most likable thing, and he has a lot of flaws, but that's what makes him interesting and so fully developed. And a fully developed character is one not everyone is going to like. There's literally nothing wrong with that.

(ASM #129)

#peter parker #traincat talks comics #long post/ #*replies #i literally always say i'm not doing this anymore and then i end up screaming into the void anyway #he's a character he's a real character!!!

[splendidnothings]

Hi! I love your blog, especially all the spider-man and comics stuff. Do you mind giving me some other blog recommendations?

No problem! I don't actually interact with a ton of spider-man/comics people, so I only have a few to rec (gone are the days where I went tag diving often enough to stumble upon like-minded people lol so if I didn't mention someone obvious I'm sorry!).

@traincat of course! <3 for spider-man, fantastic four, and general marvel comics, favorite meta and fic writer extraordinaire

@jaigeyes // art: @ecairnsart for good taste and some of the greatest Spider-Man art you'll ever see! also comics and general art blog

@enamilo for Spider-Man and general comics also an amazing fic writer!!

@airworthycomics bestie in making sure we are all up to date with Felicia Hardy comics, news, and art <3

@pariahsdream lots of 616 marvel-centric art emphasis on Kaine and I'm biased but an amazing Felicia, check them out!

@imperiuswrecked for Namor-centric comics stuff, amazing at making edits, gif sets, meta etc!

@wr3h for Spider-Man art, and art in general!

@shokuto for a more Miles-centric look at Spider-Man comics, also actually consistently talks about comics

@kitausuret for Venom-centric meta, fic, comics

@youngaaronface for Spider-Man and general comics posting

And if you haven't already follow @peterfelweek the event page I run for Peterfel Week!

#recs #<3 #marvel comics #Anonymous #*replies

[jaigeyes]

traincat replied to your post “it’s truly bizarre how the MCU literally mentioned Harrison Thompson...”

every day I think about the choice to make Flash's big moments in Homecoming center around affluence (the car), and cowardice (saving the trophy but not Liz)

honestly it was so bad... like instead of going back to the source material and asking “hey why did this kid and peter have a rivalry? what were the forces behind that? perhaps that’s been explored in great detail at some point in this decades-long series. maybe there’s something there we could build on” they just decided to make him some snobby spineless rich kid? it’s terrible 

#replies #traincat #ev talks comics #also this is the case for a lot of homecoming but: talk about wasted talent #there's a lot of excellent actors in the supporting cast who got...such bad writing...

[sineala]

I'm curious as I've just stumbled upon your profile and I've binge read about 3/4 of your stories and I loved them ! You're so talented , it's insane but I know you mostly do Stony content . Would you ever consider writing a Peter Parker/ Tony Stark fic? Especially one with lots of pining etc ? I feel like you'd do it amazingly

Thanks for thinking of me! I'm really glad you like my writing. And, I mean, I do write some 616 pairings that aren't Steve/Tony, so it's not out of the realm of possibility, I suppose, but I don't think this one is especially likely to happen for me, sorry. I get the impression this is mostly a MCU ship and I... don't really write MCU at all, so I'm not the person to ask about anything MCU.

Assuming you're talking about 616, basically the only Spider-Man comics I have ever read have been occasional tie-ins. I don't really know a lot about him. I did write a Steve/Tony fic with background one-sided Spideytorch (Down to Zero) and that was mostly with me leaning very heavily on Traincat who was kind enough to Spideypick my fic.

I have read enough Avengers that I have read, as far as I can remember, two teams that Peter was actually on, and neither of those are times I would want to set a fic that was anything other than one-sided. One is early New Avengers, and Peter is very clearly happily married then (we have not quite reached his infamous, uh, unmarriage), and that's why the Spideytorch I set then was one-sided. So I don't really think I would be able to make a Spider-Man shipper happy because I don't know canon well enough.

(The only other team book I've read with a decent amount of Spider-Man is unfortunately Hickman's Avengers run, and that's, uh... not really Peter. As far as I know. That's actually Doc Ock in Peter's body. And I mean, yes, I have in fact written Tony/Ock -- sort of -- but that's definitely not the pairing you want.)

I hope you can find someone to write what you want! I don't think I've ever read 616 Peter/Tony!

#princessgotham21 #replies

[imperiuswrecked]

Oooooh I love that you love Kaine Parker😍😍can we/you talk about what you love about him and what you’re introduction to him was? Mine was this one panel - idr what it issue/volume/year🙁😓😞😫 - but he’d saved a woman and told her “no, you don’t want to see my face”, or something along those lines, and she replied with “now known of that” while gently getting him to face her. She made sure to tell him, while he was facing her and she was looking him right in the eye, that she didn’t see anything but a strong and handsome face of the man who saved her life and I ahdhfkeudhbsv ~rolls over🥰😫🥰

Ohhhh what issue is that? 👀 I still haven't read all of Kaine's comics yet bc I've been super busy with RL but I'm on track to try and finish soon. I read his first couple appearances and then skipped ahead to Scarlet Spider 2012 which I'm just finishing. Then I was recommended some of his other comics by the person who got me interested in Kaine @traincat ! I saw them talking about Kaine being a dad to Aracely and I wanted to know more because I love heroes/villains who hate the world/everyone but love 1 person and would murder for them. 😌

Before that I had vaguely known about Kaine as a "edgy clone of peter" and so it didn't sound interesting to me personally because a lot of times Edgy Characters are not well written and honestly most of them are boring because I find characters who are actually in touch with their emotions and have lots of feelings they try to supress or work through in their own (totally not healthy but it feels good to punch a bad guy) way to be more interesting. I love complexity and layers. I've been interested in comic Spider-Man stuff but honestly it always felt very overwhelming to get into his comics because there's just so much of it.

Now I love Kaine and Aracely so much 😭 Spider Family of Two 🥰

I can't say what I love about Kaine yet because I really want to read all his comics before I finalize any thoughts I have about the character. I like to know everything about a character so I have a solid idea of who they are before writing them in fics because I don't like to mischaracterize them.

#kaine parker #aracely penalba #scarlet spider #imp reads kaine #imp answers

[underground-gargoyles]

Welcome to my Blog!

Hey! I’m Lio, and I’ve been getting into comics since somewhere around January 2021. This blog is just so I can post interesting panels, and some of my thoughts! Lots of Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man (I love SpideyTorch <3) and I’m gonna work on expanding my horizons some. I’m always accepting comic recs (and for some recs from me check out my favorites below the cut). I’m always open to talking comics too!  

Currently Reading: Lee & Kirby's Fantastic Four run [The Fantastic Four (1961) #1-125] Lee's The Amazing Spider-Man run [The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #1-110] Lee's Avengers run [The Avengers (1963) #1-34] Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014) The Big SpideyTorch Comic Reclist [by Traincat]

[Comics I’ve Read and My Favorites under the cut!]

My Favorites: New Avengers (2005) [Specifically #1-20 + Annual #1 before Civil War starts] Spider-Man: House of M [Peter having a mental breakdown, shaving his head, and pretending to be the Green Goblin to ruin his own life is definitely something] Spider-Man: The Other [The scene with Cap and Mary Jane playing pool is one of my favorite comic moments] Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War Civil War: The Confession [Painful!!] What If? Civil War [Some of these alternatives are much better than canon, and my fanon view of what happened skdjs] Dark Avengers (2009) [I'm a little bit in love with Victoria Hand; She's proof that behind every great man is a great woman distributing his psych meds] The entirety of Dark Reign [New Avengers & Dark Avengers mainly, but checked out some others too; The Iron Man's leading into Stark Disassembled are really good, and The Spider-Man's (Especially American Son) are so good!] Spider-Man/ Human Torch [My beloved!!] Comics I've Read: The Incredible Hulk (1962) Avengers: Disassembled House of M [+ some tie ins] Spider-Man: The Other Civil War [+ some tie ins, specifically The Amazing Spider-Man ones!] One More Day Secret Invasion [+ some tie ins] Dark Reign [Mainly through Dark Avengers and New Avengers] Siege [+ some tie ins] Falcon & Winter Soldier (2020) Spider-Man/ Human Torch

#Fantastic Four #Spider-Man #SpideyTorch #Marvel 616

[hellyeahheroes]

Did anyone else feel Abrams’ Spider-Man was redundant as hell?

JJ Abrams with Sara Pitchelli on the art has yet another Spider-Man series(if you are keeping count, 4 Peter Parker solos, 2 Miles, 1 Gwen), and it just feels unoriginal. To start off, well it’s an older Peter Parker who has married MJ and has a kid named Ben. And well...

Even on the same goddamn bridge.

So MJ gets killed by some super villain, and Peter’s arm has to be amputated. So we have a disabled Spider-Man who is a single father. Fast forward 12 years later.

This is Ben Parker, MJ’s and Peter’s kid. Everyone say hi to Ben.

Peter is constantly away and working out of town so he lives with Aunt May, who at this point has somehow found the secret to immortality. Male writers will find a litany of reasons to kill off love Interests but Aunt May is off limits. Anyways, nice kid. Cooks Aunt May breakfast and shit. Moving on.

Gets in a fight with a bully straight out of Back to the Future. Even talks shit about his mom and everything and Ben kicks his ass. Ben winds up in the Principal’s office and Peter picks him up.

Yeah, MJ’s death shook Peter. Ben did the right thing and Peter is berating him for helping people.

So Ben is a teenaged boy mourning the loss of his mother. His jaded dad is so broken that he doesn’t even bother to properly parent him and dumps Ben on his surrogate adoptive parent.

Oh yeah, he has Spider powers to the surprise of no one.

Aunt May points him to the direction of Peter’s old stuff and boom,he finds the Spider-Man costume.

Now I’m going to focus on the positive: Ito Faye.

I like her design. Sure, she is being wasted on this book and better suited for other Spider-people supporting cast(take your pick: Anya, Gwen, Miles, Mayday). Honestly Picheli’s Art is always a pro to any book she is on as she always has the best designs for teenaged girls.

Ben, however, is generic. He is safe. When I was reading this, I kept help but think of any male protoganist from any coming of age story. He doesn’t really stick out as he is just this normal kid. Yes I like that he stands up to bullies but okay compare his design to Faye. Faye’s first panel has her wearing multiple ear piercings, alternative hair color dye, and a shirt that says DamShell. She is trendy, fashionable, artsy, has a cool purse and she has green paint blotches on her. This is before she says anything else but her name.

She stands out. Ben doesn’t.

I remember Ito Faye. The only interesting about Ben is that he is Peter’s kid.

There is also Ben’s personality. He is just angry a lot like Peter. He lives with his Aunt a lot like Peter. His parent is dead a lot like Peter and his is unsure of what is going on a lot like Peter was.

He is Peter with red hair with no brainy attitude and Jewish Guilt.

And the dialogue and pacing is weird after the time skip. Like that panel introducing Ito is not missing panels. She literally goes on this spiel about how sexist the teacher is unprompted. Ben was an annoyance at first and then she gets on her soapbox. Weird.

Even the teacher feels off. Nothing organic is happening in the scene. It’s not just this scene either as you can find weird breaks throughout the comic. Like after the bad guy kills MJ, you are immediately sent to her Funeral. You don’t see what happens to the bad guy or know what he is. That just ended. I guess it’s whatever. The dialogue in that scene was strange as well because for some reason MJ did a taboo thing and went to Peter during a battle and tried helping him. No one knows why or how she got there. It just happens. Peter is uncharacteristicly telling a joke when danger to her is evident and look it’s weird and out of character.

And to top it off, did we really need another Peter Parker Spider-Man book? I know what you are going to say. It’s not Peter’s it’s his off-spring. Okay, but why even bother? I would rather see Peter marry MJ and have a kid and raise said kid than see a remix of the same concept with a character that is almost the same as Peter. We’ve seen Anna May, Mayday, and Ultimate Peter. Ben offers nothing new except a hodge podge of Mayday and Ultimate Peter.

But what did y’all think? I didn’t really care for it but then again, I’m Spider-Man’d out. I’m tagging @mjwatson , @mjwatsonne, and @traincat.

@ubernegro

#ben parker #peter parker #ito faye #spider-man #marvel #jj abrams

[artsybanchou]

i noticed you been saying ur worried abt peters characterization in ur fic a lot, im a fan btw !!! , but tbh... i feel u shldnt worry abt it since peters characterization has so many diff portrayals that r so diff from each other(just look at all the movie versions of him, andrew garfield, tom holland, toby maguire, into the spiderverse that r so different) and in the comics it might b more solid, but i think ur interpretation is good !

Thanks for your reassurance! 

I’m a lot more of a comics and cartoons Spider-man consumer than movie goer (I have beef with the MCU portrayal because I swore allegiance to the lord and savior of all things spider-man, traincat, and also because I kind of have a degree in comics so the MCU is... uh... not my favorite thing all around especially their handling of spider-man), so I get a little more persnickety about his characterization because it’s a liiiiiittle bit pathetic if I give so many others (really just the MCU) shit for bad characterization of good ol’ Peter and then I can’t pull it off either. I feel like the one really annoying dude wearing a Punisher t-shirt in the comic book shop just writing that-- the one who never learned social cues and so he can only talk down to everyone? I hope I’m not giving off that vibe.

Next chapter coming? Uh, soon? I wrote, ~2,000 words before realizing I was writing in the wrong direction (woops) so there was a bit of a setback. 

[proofthatihaveaheart]

Captain Marvel fic recs

i wrote this ages ago, during the summer, and then forgot to post it - but better late than never! it’s got a mix of gen, carol/jess, and carol/maria fics on it, including both comics and mcu fic. enjoy! 

Gen

Galactic Response Time by SassySnowperson (Carol & Fury, 5k): All the OTHER times Nick Fury texted Carol Danvers. // May 4th, 2012    Get your ASS over here there is an INVASION. Aliens are coming out of the SKY HELP US // May 10th, 2012 "Invasion, Fury, the word you used was invasion! I made it across three quarters of the galaxy in six days! Where are the aliens?" [I love this fic and the way it so perfectly captured Carol and Fury’s dynamic. THE DIALOGUE! IT’S JUST SO GOOD! Their banter is fun and there are some genuinely sweet moments.]

whatever it takes (and i couldn’t whisper when you needed it shouted) by pratz (5k):  In which Tony called Carol glowing space Jesus, and Carol did her best to understand the weight of 3.2 million lives lost. [An AU of Endgame focusing on Carol and her journey in processing what happened and what she can do about it. I love the characterization and her interactions with the other characters, particularly Tony.] 

Carol/Maria

All Around [Reminders of You] by sinandmisery (1k):  The first year is the worst. [Maria and Monica’s grief over Carol’s ‘death’, framed around Christmas. Some good and painful angst.] 

another place, another time by sorrybaby (1k):  In every lifetime but this one, Carol gets to love Maria. [Oof, this one hurts and it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s Carol/Maria and endgame Carol/Val and sometimes you can love someone but not be with them. Because sometimes life is like that and you miss one another. Lots of good pining and learning to let go. Bonus Nat + Carol friendship.]

a simpler place in time by Elisattack (3k): It starts like this: Carol blows up. // Actually, it starts like this: Carol falls down, then she gets right back up again. Her dad shakes his head at her bruised knees and cut face, and calls her unladylike. She says fuck him, and fuck any man that tells her what to do. [Tracks through Carol and Maria’s relationship from the early days to getting together to the events of CM + Endgame and afterwards. Lovely writing and character work. One of my favorite works of this kind]

brave face talk so lightly by lesbiyawn (1k): Carol is stubborn. Carol is hot-headed. Carol can’t help it if some people deserve a just beating. Maria knows this. It’s why she loves Carol calls Carol her best friend. [Pre-canon and pre-relationship fluff that is both sweet and very them]

do you have to let it linger by whyyesitscar (2k):  in the wake of carol's crash, maria has to explain everything to a lot of different officials. only one of them seems to get it. (Maria talks to Peggy. Beautiful fic about grief and the people who can understand it.)

jambalaya (please be my baby) by carol_danvers (6k): Loving Maria comes easier than anything else ever did. Carol won't say she wants to be more than friends, not when she has so much to lose, but she'll tell her in everything but name.AKA Carol tests out pet names, Maria gets pregnant, and they fall a bit more in love. [One of my favorite get-together fics, the writing is so good and I love the development of their relationship, the PINING and the obliviousness, it’s gold.]

kisses under my palm by neon_air (1k):  Carol Danvers has been kissed before but never by the one person she wanted it from most. [All the different kisses Carol has had, and love. A lovely one-shot.] 

Lightning Crash by Monochrome_girl (2k):  Carol is here to stay. Maria is still getting used to having her back. [Carol stays and they reconnect. It’s a lovely progression of the two relearning each other and building a life together that also involves collecting alien scraps and it’s sweet.] 

Love’s Labors Lost by lesbians_and_puns (3k):  After Carol finds a home planet for the Skrull, she returns to Louisiana to try to get her old life back, but when she finds an old photograph of herself and Maria on Maria's bedside table, they both realize how much they're still missing. [An angsty take on Carol’s return and the things people can say because life is stressful and complicated and sometimes you hurt the people you love without meaning to. It’s really good, it also hurts.] 

we were too close to the stars by inkwelled (1k): "God, what did they do to you," Maria whispers, wrapping another bandage around Carol's bicep. / For all it's worth, Carol doesn't even wince. [This hurts but in a delicious way. There’s a kind of soft aching quality to the angst, it’s premium, good stuff, you can feel the love.] 

Carol/Jessica

Always Falling by sariane (2k): “What do you want?”“I don’t want to be her sloppy seconds. I want all of it, all the corny relationship stuff. I want the dumb date nights, the stupid fights, the awkward breakfast-making elbow bumps. I want to take her up flying – someday. I don’t know,” Carol says suddenly, scuffing her foot on the street, “I want stability.”Carol wants a lot of things. She does not want to be Jessica's rebound girl. [Basically Jess and Clint break up, Carol is a great friend on the comfort front, and then Jess kisses her. And Carol assumes it’s because she’s a rebound. There’s some light angst over that, it’s very well-done. Characterization is very good.]

Fly, Fight, Win by singalellaby (1k):  It's not a sign of superhero lesbian bed death, whatever Peter says, it's just that Jess is an Adult. A Mature Adult. In a Mature Adult Partnership with a woman who happens to wear skin-tight suits as her work uniform and it was either become habituated to her girlfriend being the hottest anything with Kree DNA around or living in a state of permanent arousal in her own pretty damn tight costume. And since S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't spring for laundry expenses, that was so not an option. [Jess POV, admiring her really hot partner.]

He Picked the Wrong One by beckydawolf (Carol/Jess, 34k): When Captain Marvel and Spider-Woman are knocked unconscious on a mission, they wake up in a world a lot like their own. In fact, it’s almost identical. Except that the Civil War never happened, Jess doesn’t seem to exist and their Carol is dead. Oh and then there’s Natasha Stark.Turns out, slipping between universes might not even be the most complicated part of this mess. (Fantastic characterization, really love the perfect Carol and Jess banter, nested in this wonderful comic book-y plot that works as perfect background for the development of the characters and the relationships. Also the plot is entirely driven by characters and their relationships and their love - both unhealthy and healthy. It’s great)

In My Dreams by sariane (3k): Carol may not have her memories, but she has her dreams.(But, of course, she dreams of kissing Jessica. As if her life isn't already complicated enough.) [This fic takes this concept and does a phenomenal job with it. You really get Carol’s growing frustration with the dream as she tries to work out what it means by subtly asking everyone other than the person in her dream.] 

It’s A Slow Slide Into Misandry by bendingwind (800): Carol's all fixed up and Jessica's moved on, and things have... changed. [Short little fic post-Hawkeye break-up, dealing with feelings. It’s cute.]

once you live a good story by pummelwhack (Carol/Jess, 13k):  Carol and Jessica redefine what it means to be happy, in the context of coffee, philosophy, and each other. Or: the one where Carol and Steve own a used bookstore, Sam runs the coffee shop next door, and Jessica searches for more than what life is currently offering her. (Lovely, soft fic about falling in love and finding happiness in each other and your life. Some truly beautiful lines and musings about philosophy.)

Pin the Tail by Alsike (Carol/Jess, 7k):  Carol doesn't know who she is. But she knows Jess. She likes Jess. There's probably a good reason why she's not dating Jess, but, you know, amnesia. [Glorious, this fic has pining and angst and trying to deal with amnesia and it just gets Jess and Carol down. And the emotions, they’re just really good as they navigate their relationship and the baggage they bring]

Red by awesomocity (1k): If Carol had been a more self-conscious person she might have worn stale jeans for another day. But years of dealing with brothers and locker rooms and the general knowledge she was both hot AND powerful made standing in a laundromat in her underwear at three in the morning tolerable, if not comfortable.(or, the one where Carol and Jess get romcommed by laundry.) [Love the characterization in this, just a really good fic for cheering you up.]

Smell Like I Sound by Sineala (6k):  Carol likes Jess a lot. That's not the weird part. The weird part is that Carol likes Jess a lot more when Jess isn't in the room. [A pheromones fic taking place in the Marvel Adventures verse. It’s really cute and I really like the push-pull of Carol figuring out her feelings and wondering why she keeps having these moments of revulsion around Jess.]

Snow Day by Traincat (1k):  Jessica Drew goes missing. Carol and the Hulk team up to get her back (and maybe fight some ice monkeys along the way). [Absolutely delightful fic, I love the dynamic between Carol and the Hulk as well as Jessica and the Hulk, and Carol’s concern for Jess. I could easily see this being a real comic]

Such a Cunning Disguise by WhenasInSilks (2k): Carol is fracturing again.Carol and Jess started dating six months before Stamford. Eight months before Captain America died on the courthouse steps. Ten months before things like the measurement of time ceased to be part of Carol’s personal universe.Now she sits alone in the darkness of her cell and feels herself fall apart.A Secret Invasion AU. [This fic HURTS. It’s beautifully written too which makes the angst all the more delicious. Warning for heartbreak and self-loathing and mental instability]

the small rain down can rain by tigrrmilk (3k): When Jess was jumping between universes, trying not to get killed, she had wondered - was there a version of her and Carol who had... made it work? [Jess dealing with Carol having amnesia and going off to space. Really good character stuff, all the complicated feelings Jess has about what Carol did, and then Carol showing up, you can really see the connection between them, regardless of memory loss or distance.] 

Turn Around and Look Back by Sineala (Carol/Jess, 6k):  When Carol first lost her memories, to Rogue, Professor Xavier healed her and let Jess experience all of Carol's missing memories. When Carol loses all her memories -- again -- it's up to Jess to give them back to her, in exactly the same way: Jess has to link with Carol telepathically. But Jess' mind contains a lot of feelings about Carol that she doesn't exactly want Carol to know about. [I love this fic, just all the feelings, the pining, the concern, the character voices, it’s all really good.]

Unshackled by beckydawolf (27k): Carol's in space and Jess is alone again. But that's the pattern of her life. The hunt for a missing teenager leads Jess to some new friends, reminds her she still has some old ones and forces her to face a part of her past she'd rather ignore. [A darker take on the pheromones and the trauma + complications of Jessica’s powers. This fic is really good at how it handles it, and I really love how supportive Carol is. Also Anya and Kamala and America and Kate show up and they’re awesome!]

#monthly fic recs #fic recs #captain marvel #carol danvers #this doesn't have any new fics on it because i haven't read any capmarv fics since the summer

[traincat]

What I love about Kaine in his Scarlet Spider run is he's so expensive. He's not in pain and actively falling apart for the first time in his life and he's in possession of duffel bags of cash he stole off someone else and he's like fuck it. Checks into a luxury hotel supposedly for an overnight stay and books a $2000 a night room. Orders everything off room service by bribing the kitchen to stay open. Takes a three hour shower. Continues staying in a $2000 a night hotel suite for the entire time he's in Houston. Gets spa treatments for himself and the teenager he accidentally adopted. Comics are so bad at fashion but you know he was feeling up everything in Bloomingdales finding the softest fabric and not even checking the price tag. He should have to face MJ again so she can demand to know why he's wearing three thousand dollar jeans and then when he says they were five thousand actually she should spray him in the face with a water bottle like he's a terrible cat.

#kaine parker #marvel comics #traincat talks comics #peter in a five dollar t-shirt he bought in college #kaine in gucci sunglasses and a designer leather jacket #ben currently barely even wearing pants so we're not gonna talk about him

[lazywriter7]

Winterhawk rec list

So thanks to Tales of Suspense, more peeps than ever are getting curious about Winterhawk - FINALLY GUYS, GOD HAVE YOU BEEN MISSING OUT. Following are some very obvious recs for the average newbie to this incredible ship.

(Any author who has been mentioned here who may be uncomfortable with it - lemme know and I’ll take your stuff off this list)

leave the gun on the table by Traincat

Bucky Barnes wakes up in the future, joins the Avengers, reunites with Steve, makes some new friends and some old enemies, gets called Robocop and tries to figure out the future, himself, and Clint Barton's middle name -- all while being haunted by his past, the things he can't remember and the creeping suspicion that Black Widow knows something he doesn't.

Clint Barton’s Super Secret Snipers’ Club by sara_holmes

Clint Barton's Super Secret Snipers' Club. (Invitation and pending mental health evaluation required.)

"When Steve brings Bucky back to the tower for the first time, Clint’s first thought is that Tony Stark’s pride and joy is quickly becoming a less of a very tall and expensive ‘fuck you’ in the faces of investors who don’t believe in self-sustaining energy, and more of a superhero rehabilitation center."

Boyfriends, compromises and learning to like oneself.

Silhouette by mariana-oconnor

After a mission in Mexico goes wrong, SHIELD Agents Barnes and Rogers are given the job of hunting down the notorious Hawkeye and the Black Widow, the only problem being: no one even knows what they look like.

On the other side of the law, Clint's enjoying messing with their new SHIELD shadows, especially seeing how close he can get to Agent Barnes without him realising, but he makes the mistake of getting attached, and that makes everything more complicated.

I’ll Keep You Safe Here With Me by sara_holmes

Yes, Clint is avoiding the other Avengers. No, he does not want to go back to New York. But then again, he didn't exactly want to be kidnapped by the Winter Soldier either. Really, he just wants to go back to bed.

Trainwreck Through A Rear Window by flawedamythyst

Through Clint's big main window, you could see straight across the street and into the apartment opposite, where a man was standing, staring at Clint as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. When he caught Clint's eye, he just shook his head slowly.

The guy in the apartment opposite spends way too much time watching Clint make a fool of himself, which wouldn't matter as much if he weren't also smoking hot.

I Don’t Remember How by Ava_Kelly

"How the hell did they wash you," he mutters as he raises from the chair.

"Hosed the blood down," comes from behind as the Soldier follows him toward the bathroom.

Clint almost screams right then and there.

What do you Mean we Left Clint on Mars by sara_holmes

“What do you mean we left Clint on Mars?”

Cap’s incredulous voice cuts through the stunned silence of the cockpit, loud and shocked. He’s standing there with his cowl in hand, gaping at the holo-screen at the front of the jet. Next to him, Tony is standing with his hands on his head, mouth hanging open in a similar fashion. Over on the other side of the cockpit is Jane, who has both palms clapped across her mouth like she’s trying to hold back hysterical giggles.

For his part, Bucky is just staring at the screen like he can’t quite believe what’s going on.

under the mountain by flawedamythyst

Clint let out a long sigh. “So, to recap: we can’t get ourselves out, we can’t talk to the others, we may run out of air, my shoulder is dislocated and Doom is an asshole.”

Clint and Bucky get trapped in a cave.

Sing Me That Old Song Again by mariana_oconnor

After breaking free from Hydra's control, James Barnes is keeping his head down. Captain America and his team are miles away, and he's better off alone. He's not expecting to be found by an Avenger. An Avenger who proves hard to get rid of.

Somehow, in spite of himself, Hawkeye ends up growing on him, and he realises that maybe alone isn't the best way to be.

But as Bucky's working out his own past, Hawkeye's coming face to face with his. They never should have gone to Budapest.

The Chains that You Refuse by OddityBoddity

That time Bucky and Clint broke into Asgard.

Aaaand to round things up, visit the awesome blog of @winterhawkkisses​ if you’re ever in the mood of beautifully written drabble-y winterhawk goodness. I could really go on and on with recs, but I’ll stop myself for now (until further demand? ;) )  I realise now we have a sore deficiency of comics Winterhawk, but hopefully that’ll change soon with how the winds are currently blowing <3

#rec list #winterhawk #clint barton #bucky barnes #marvel #come one come all admire this wonderful ship

[jaigeyes]

traincat replied to your post “...I don’t know how to feel about the new Zdarsky Spider-Man series,...”

me sliding jms and alex ross a crisp twenty each to take over instead

oh my god DREAM TEAM... I’m gonna be fantasizing about that nonexistent comic forever now

honestly having Alex Ross on it would have been really cool considering that the descriptions I’ve seen make it sound kind of like the inverse of what Marvels was; the events of the later part of the 20th century through the eyes of a Marvel character as opposed to the events of the Marvel universe through the eyes of a regular civilian

I’m actually really interested to see if/how they’re planning on writing Flash as a drafted soldier in Vietnam from a 21st century perspective; it’s a part of his history that the sliding timescale stops modern comics from touching on, but I would actually be really interested to see that era revisited and explored in more detail with him. I’m also curious about how they’ll explore the anti-communist/Red Scare rhetoric of the time from a modern perspective considering that 1. the Parkers have been written as being distinctly left-wing for a very long time (god I LOVE that they’re socialist activists in Noir) and 2. they were publishing this kind of stuff in 1970:

“there’s too much politics in modern comics!” lmao

anyways! it’s interesting and the premise has a lot of potential, but I also don’t want to get my hopes up too much when it’s not a creative team I 100% trust

#traincat #replies #ev talks comics

[dailyfantastic]

Fantastic 4 at NYCC?

Hey all! So on Saturday, I went to NYCC, and I had a terrific time. (Thanks again to @traincat, who humored my aimless wandering and incessant yelling about Quentin Quire aka my favorite two activities). Of course, me being me, I had my eye to the ground for FF stuff (although I refused to attend Marvel’s live stage show announcement fest because I do not like standing around in crowds).

Here is a full list of things I found:

This Lockjaw plush. He is a very cute dog, folks, but he was out of my price range.

A lot of old Johnny Storm action figures from the 90s TV show. Also a Namor and a Medusa with a “hair platform.” Eesh. A Black Bolt flatbrim hat that I am sure no one bought.

A Doom cosplayer! He snuck by me before I could say hello.

A Klaw cosplayer! He seemed really chill, which is...unusual for a guy who decided to dress as America’s least favorite sound-based racist. Hey, if you’re not dressing as Klaw as a racist statement, send me a message and I’d love costume pics on this blog.

A salesman who performed some kind of bit involving an aggressive sales pitch of a $1 copy of Fantastic Four #500.

Chip Zdarsky, author of Two-in-One! We wanted to talk to him (I wanted to tell him that I really want to see a return to that one time in Two-in-One where Ghost Rider and Ben met Jesus) but the line was very, very long...

Gerry Conway, this blog’s favorite non-Stan/Jack FF writer! He was very surprised that someone cared about that run of his.

My pal Ryan, who was wearing a shirt with the Muppets dressed as the Fantastic 4, a shirt that probably mostly appeals to an audience of....him and me.

So yeah! Folks, that was the FF presence on the Comic-Con show floor and Artists’ Alley! In other words, if you wanted to come to Comic-Con for FF stuff, I hope you also are into another series. Sailor Moon is big this year, folks, and I guess it also has planets in it?

#misc #nycc #The Fantastic Four #marvel #comics

[ritafarr]

here we go, masterlist of blogs i follow that have shown to really know what they are talking about and are very well versed in comics. both dc and marvel people here. not a list of all the cool comic blogs i follow because that would be a much longer list. here it is: 

Batman stuff:

@ohmotherofdarkness : great batfam, lot’s of damian, good if you want cute batfam headcanons. No ships!

@justiceleaque : pretty up to date on dceu if you like that. Has talked a lot about jason todd

@redrobin-detective : you want tim drake? Go here!

@batmanrogues : you like the batman villains, go here!

other:

@miadearden : talk to them about arrowfam, super cool in general!

@bannedbookreader : go here for arrowfam and aquafam! Also lots of good young justice animated info!   

@bloostle : go here for green lantern, the flash, blue beetle, and booster gold!

@traincat: a go-to for fantastic four (especially johnny storm), incredibly well versed in spider-man lore as well! Also a must follow if you ship spideytorch!

@hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger : knows just about all there is to know about peter parker and mary jane!

@hartleyrathaway : flashfam! Lots of wally west!

@gorogues : flash villains!

@supergirltastic: you like the legion of super heroes? Supergirl? Go here!

@justakansasboy​: a rp blog, but talks a lot about superman and his family!

@fastestboyalive​ : also a rp blog but they talk a lot about wally! Lots of good meta to read!

#talk tag #blogs #dc #marvel #masterlist #i might update this at some point

[johnnystormcast]

Episode 5 of Stormcast, a podcast about Marvel's Johnny Storm A.K.A. The Human Torch!! Yuuhy and Traincat somehow talk for over an hour, despite Johnny not having any lines in comics released in May 2017, about Johnny's bright future, his questionable fashion choices, and which historical figures YOU, the listener, think Johnny Storm has slept with.

Issues covered in this episode's Stormwatch: 
- Jessica Jones 8 - Uncanny Avengers 23 - Infamous Iron Man 8

We mention this interview with incoming writer Jim Zub about Uncanny Avengers, as well as his tweet about sleepwear.

Look forward to Johnny’s appearances in Peter Parker Spectacular Spider-Man 2 and 3.

Check out this interview with Brian Michael Bendis about Infamous Iron Man for a preview of issue 9.

Enjoy gleesquid's fic, “sweet like honey, don’t need money (all i need is you)”, for Spideytorch being gross exhibitionists.

And imagine Johnny in Harry Styles' many outfits as seen on Carpool Karaoke.

Music in this episode by Rockit Maxx: - "Drive Til Dawn" - "L.A. Montage"

Follow us on iTunes

#johnny storm #human torch #fantastic four #marvel #stormcast #episode 5 #WE'RE GOING TO PRETEND THIS ISN'T SEVERAL WEEKS LATE OK #we're going to pretend nine billion things haven't happened since we recorded

[redrobin-detective]

do you have any good fic recs?

On Fanfiction.net

My personal favorite author is paganpunk2. They write the most adorable batfam (though mostly Bruce and younger Dick). I would start with Firework which is a retelling of Dick’s first year at Wayne Manor and the rest are listed on her blog.

Where’s Robin and Without Me (one story told from two different perspectives, would start with WM) is also super cute. It’s by Glimare who also has written a ton of excellent one-shots. Robin is sent to an AU where there never were sidekicks. Also Hostages, Hero’s Debt and Necessary Lies are very enjoyable. Daddy, not Bats is interesting. It’s if Bruce adopted all his kids when they were younger and, to care for them, gave up being Batman.

Roots is the start of a series by TV Maniac 2. It’s how YJ Robin ended up with Batman. Yes, this story is 1st person from Dick’s POV but just stick with it, it’s worth it.  First story in a while I stayed up late into the night to finish. Subsequent stories in the series are Hooked, Identity, Fragility and Loyalty is still ongoing.

Father by Lawless67 is really great showing each time the kids call Bruce dad for the first time

Also No Good Deed and Charades by Black Friar are particularly heart-wrenching. In NGD, Dick is taken from Bruce due to abuse accusations and the other Dick is kidnapped (again), really good dad bruce

Linchpin by Tiger Lily Roar is honestly amazing and read it and it’s short sequel Family Matters- A linchpin interlude. Like wow. I can’t even describe (Buried by her is also another intense Dick kidnapped story)

Pressing Matters, (More) Pressing matters by Sly are really cute just adopted Dick stories with a loving daddybats. I also like (Un)fortunate Son where Dick takes Dami and runs to safety before BI #8 instead of letting Bruce hand over Damian to Talia (sadly it’s unlikely to be finished)

WorldsGreatestDefective (Totally read I’ll Follow You Anywhere, The More Things Change and Dodge of my fav FF interpretation of tiny Jason)

Young Justice: Darkness Falls and Young Justice: Titans by Angelus-v1 is SUPER good. It’s a proposed season 3 and 4 of YJ and it’s very detailed plots involving so much from actual comics plus adding it’s own little fun things in. YJ:T is just finishing up and damn is it great.

Trepidation and Worth by sidekick heroisms are both very short, nice stories

 FinalArc writes some really good interesting batfam with a really realistic, complex Bruce who tries and fails, a lot. Totally read Instinct, Citation, Bumper Stickers, Paved with Good Intentions, It’s the Thought That Counts is really super cute

How We Fall by Skylark Evanson is a LONG story of Robin coping if Bruce died sometime during YJ.

Officer Calling 1080 by A Tragic Galaxy is very fun where Robin gets pulled over for speeding by a naïve cop, Bruce is very protective.

Weezila does great stuff with Brothers, Show-off, Twenty Bucks, Flying Lessons also Three Little Birds is a great AU

midnightluck  is the master of simply spoken but impactful one-shots. A Good Plan, A halo for your finger, Cause Walking Gets too Boring, dare not meet in dreams, just like bad wallpaper, The Circus Crime Protection Squad

aradian nights The Bond of Street Urchins, Where are all the goddamn knives, Fall and Fail, Stages of Deterioration is particularly devastating in which YJ-verse the Bats find Jason after he crawled out his grave and him trying to reintegrate into the family.

On AO3

- ANYTHING BY HEARTSLOGOS. I swear to Ford her stuff is just the absolute best and I’ve read everything so many times. SO mANy. Her Tim… is my Tim. favs: Clockwork, Executive Assistant to the Batman (READ THIS AU! HILARIOUS AND TOUCHING), Nanny, Awful Child, Drabble, Drabble, Things Left Unsaid, Think of the Cold, Our Silences are so Weighted, Quartet, Shutterbug and like… everything she has ever written, ever

- Really been enjoying Fracture by wintersnight which updated the other day I was soooo excited! (tw for light Jaydick and implied Jaydicktim) for Tim leaving and reintegrating into the Batfam post RR. Also in the Distractions collection she has a sad racture AU “No Home for Dead Birds” which is terrible in the best way.

- Bird by Bird, [Incident, Coincidence, Pattern], Five Times Jason Todd Saved His Brothers, and One Time They Saved Him by laceymcbain

- Slipcast by wisia is sad Tim :( and Class Differences for timkon

- Classics: One and Two by Protagonistically (The_Protagonist) is very good early Tim and Dick bonding and awkward Bruce trying to understand

- Support Systems, Make Believe Everything’s Alright, To be a Good Child, A Reason to Celebrate by keeptogethernow does very very good stuff

- Heart, Humble by Betty is GREAT Tim/Jack Drake bonding, it humanizes Jack Drake and makes me like him a bit more

- Life Lessons by Fire Dancer is watching child Tim develop his skillz

- Forgotten by Souliebird is bb Tim at Wayne Manor

- Try to Talk by drakesounds is Tim leaning on Bart and Kon for help

- Of Milkshakes and Marathons, Weighing Ones Worth by Rascal Joy (Dark Quill) for depressed Tim and Jay/Dami being good brothers (tw for suicide attempt in the second)

- Replace the Need with Love by Aviatricks (Also for Timkon, The Mystery of the Superboy Shirts which !!! was a birthday present from me and I remember this and I cry because I LOVE this story)

- For Timkon which is mostly focused on the realtionship not the smut- Trade in these wings for some wheels and your heartbeat in a thousand miles and Ink for Youself by victoria_p (musefool), Matters of the Heart and Reveries by DM (dragonmist30), TK! by Loud Lucy, Through Another Lens by animegoil (tw for slight unintended abuse that’s immeaditely shut down) and Gonna be a better one (A thousand miles to your door) by Traincat.

#batman asks #fic reccs