recs and links

A study of why Bruce couldn’t kill the Joker, what would happen if someone else could – and how you move on from the aftermath. Really compelling read.

Gotham loses its Robin and Bruce Wayne loses a son. Tim finds one of these too tragic to bear. In his quest to make sure Bruce Wayne lives to see the next year, he strikes upon the perfect solution: another son. Oh Tim.

When a mysterious villain targets the Robins, forcing them together, Dick is bound and determined to keep his brothers safe no matter the cost. Unfortunately for him, so are they. Really good casefile + family feelings story.

The first winter after Dick leaves Batman and Gotham behind, the heat breaks in his apartment. Oh heart.

Red Hood's been running Robin's Nest, a secret youth shelter in Gotham, since he came out of his murdery craze. He wants it to be a place to stay, no questions asked, with a hot meal provided if you stick around for breakfast. The kids of Gotham deserve that much. Enter Stephanie, whose new name isn't the only secret she's keeping. I enjoyed this! ♥Steph♥

Sixteen years after the world didn't end for the last time, Max Mayfield showed up on Steve’s doorstep and said, “You gonna walk me down the aisle in May or what?” Or, it’s 2002 and Steve Harrington attends a wedding, a funeral, and a birth. This is a really lovely, melancholy yet hopeful AU in which the Party gathers to celebrate and grieve together over the years.

For this gala, however, he almost hopes they forget him again, because tonight Tim has a plan. They're at Wayne Manor, and Tim is going to find the Batcave. Tiny Tim finds the Batcave.

Jason and Damian have a conversation about the meaning of family. Oh my heart.

An utterly hilarious and entertaining outsider POV on the Waynes, the Batfamily and Gotham, from a CPS case worker who gets called in to help Tim, who is apparently living with the Red Hood.

A magician removes all traces of the Lazarus Pit from Jason's blood, making Jason worry that its effects will all come undone. Oh Jason.

Five times Jack Drake didn't answer his phone. And one time he did, but it was already too late. Exactly what it says on the tin. Oh Tim.

On the anniversary of his death, Jason gets de-aged to 15. Bruce handles it much better than expected. Oh my heart.

On his way back to his own dimension, Peter B Parker gets pulled into the MCU. Hijinks ensue.

One Widow got away. Other Widows are still trapped. This requires... Leverage. I enjoyed this a lot.

Well-behaved boy (10) is looking for big brother (11-15). Must meet up with me three times a week, for at least two hours each. Overall duties include helping me with homework, playing videogames with me, and showing me how to play catch. 10$ per hour. Tim, lonely and in desperate need of company, decides that if his parents are not going to give him a sibling, he's going to hire one instead. Luckily, Jason Todd-Wayne shows up in the nick of time. This is adorable and also hilarious. Oh Tim.

Instead of threatening her infant son with the boogeyman, Janet Drake tells Tim that Batman is going to come for him if he doesn't behave. Years later, Tim realises that if he wants a fast way to get adopted, all he has to do is commit a crime so that Batman will take him away. Years later still, Tim knows that no one is coming for him, but that doesn't make him any less scared. It also doesn't make him any less interested in Batman and his Robins. Oh Tim.

Officer Grayson gets cursed to kill Nightwing. This is a rough read, even if Dick isn't actually suicidal (he's cursed), but a good one.

Jason picks up a little bit more from Bruce than he means to as Robin. It doesn’t go away, not even when he’s Hood. Jason and Bruce and identity.

Parker, Hardison and Eliot steal the Winter Soldier. Oh heart.

The Bats find out that Jason Todd is alive and apparently has questionable taste in friends, if the Red Hood is any indication. Instead of leaving clues as to his identity when he comes back, Jason just pretends he's someone else to troll the Bats. hilarious.

“I remember a great many things. But I have forgotten things too, and I expect as time goes on, more of them will slip away from me, and it’s entirely possible that I won’t even notice they’re gone. My memories of them will simply be… less.” Dick looks at him, studying the lines of his weathered face. “Does that ever make you feel like... like if you loved them more, you’d remember them?” *gross sobbing*

Whatever this is, real, unreal … Jason doesn’t know how much longer he can last before he breaks. Jason runs way from the teacher Talia sent him to in order to figure out what is really going on. Oh Jason.

Even from this distance, Jason can see the tears in Dick’s eyes. Dick stares at the back of Bruce’s head with such raw, aching betrayal that Jason’s chest burns. “You can’t give away someone’s name!” Jason yells. Jason's tenure as Robin begins on a fraught yet better note. Oh heart.

Yelena's bored and she's got three options: (1) Start a fire. (2) Start a brawl. (3) Talk to Peter Parker. This is ADORABLE.

Months after Dick's return from Spyral, Tim has revelations that were a long time coming. Tim gets second chances with Dick and Damian and finally realizes he doesn't want to waste them. Oh Tim.

Obi-Wan spent ten years in lonely contemplation of the unresolved past. Now he is in exile once again - but this time Qui-Gon is there to help him see the past, and himself, more clearly. Coda to the series. Lovely and melancholy.

AU where in a world where he was never sent to live with his father, Damian al Ghul is contracted to assassinate one Dick Grayson. It does not go anything like he expected. Oh my heart.

Some Bats go back in time. It's mostly a good thing. Interesting look at how Bruce tries to fix things and messes some other things up when he and Dick are inadvertently sent back in time.

Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy. I enjoyed this a lot, though there are a lot of punctuation and tense issues.

Jason Todd was loved best dead. Dead he was a saint. A martyr. Nothing was more sacred in the Church of Batman than martyrdom. interesting, lyrical look at Jason through the lens of religion.