recs and links

Red Hood reads Batman for filth (while Batman doesn't know who he is) and I enjoyed it a lot.

Dick and Jason finally have the Robin discussion. Oh boys.

Dick and Jason end up undercover as fake boyfriends on a mission and it makes Jason consider things he never thought he'd get to have.

A mass Arkham breakout brings all of Bruce's children home, and with them, all the drama, secrets, and anger they've been keeping for years. Amidst rising tensions and a mysterious new threat in Gotham, the family has to work together to round up the rogues—and confront their feelings about each other. This is really well done, with fantastic characterization, and an examination of the ways Bruce mistreats his kids and how they handle it.

Snapshots of Jason's life with Bruce. Wistful and lovely. *sobs*

When an explosion traps them in the same doomed escape pod, Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Dooku are stranded together on Tatooine. The goal is simple: cooperate long enough to survive, and not a second longer. But a shared past has a way of connecting the people we think we know—and bloodlines run deep. [or: your classic family road trip across a desert planet, except your grandpa is, you know, a Sith Lord. And now he's sort of starting to bond with your Jedi dad. And that might be an issue.] Thoughtful exploration of the ties that bind Dooku, Obi-Wan, and Anakin.

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about Sullust. Well, except for Obi-Wan's time-traveling son. But, you know. Apart from that. This is adorable and I enjoyed every second of it.

Jason starts working his way back into the heart of the family. Oh Jay.

Jason grabs toddler!Damian from the League of Assassins and makes a run for home.

"When did you even get to meet my dad?” Shangqi demands. “You're in supervillain prison, surely they don’t let you guys mingle.” “Mahjong night,” says Erik, deadpan. Other people look for retirement homes for their parents. Shangqi has to check out prisons. While sorting out his father's incarceration in Wakanda, he unexpectedly reconnects with his old college roommate, the villain formerly known as Killmonger." I enjoyed this a lot

Long, compelling story of the Batkids coming together to foil a League of Assassins plot and bring Bruce back from the timestream. (sequel to Redrawing the Lines, previously recced.)

Tim's not ready to forgive Jason for trying to kill him, and that's okay. Oh boys.

text fic but hilarious - last story isn't finished yet.

Bruce shows up at Selina's apartment after being exposed to a toxin and an antidote. He is...not handling either well. Fortunately, Selina is kind of a nice person and won't tease him about it later...too much. this is sweet and hilarious. #silly old bat

Eight times that spells or serums affected Dick's ability to speak and / or their aftermath. Oh Dick.

Six times Steve protected women's right to choose. Oh Steve. *sobs*

A more thorough reconciliation and healing for the whole family upon Bruce's return from the timestream.

so far, the batfam hangout comic of of my DREAMS.

The AU in which Phryne is a secret agent and Jack is her long-suffering handler. This is a really fantastic spy AU. I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading it.

Reverse Robins set while Bruce is lost in the timestream and Damian has taken on the cowl. While destroying the Court of Owls, he finds a child Talon and takes him home.

Princess Shuri wants to see if there are any differences between Wakandan magic and Newtonian. The Folly is happy to oblige her. The crossover I didn't even know I needed! This is wonderful!

It is strange, she thinks, as they return home, relieving the babysitter and ensuring none of the safe boxes have been found or tampered with. All her life, Melina has been taught the essential value of precision. Lack of precision meant misunderstanding; misunderstandings created mistakes; mistakes lead to failure. Yet here they are, a widow and the Red Guardian, capable of laughing at each other, at themselves to an extent, over one such instance; a misunderstanding that has led not to failure, but to clarification. Camaraderie, even. “Good night. Try to resist murdering me in my sleep,” Alexei says to her before turning out the light. A joke, incredibly enough. "I would never." She rolls her eyes, but not before she drops a mocking little kiss on his forehead, smiles sweetly. “Easier to poison your coffee, my darling.” The three years Melina spends with Alexei, Natasha, and Yelena. This is heartbreaking and beautifully done.

SHIELD has fallen and the Winter Soldier is in the wind, and far more formidable than anybody thought. Not only is he staying hidden from all the world’s intelligence agencies (how), but he’s doing so while modeling for fashion magazines (what), posting videos about himself (why), gaining an internet following that absolutely includes Clint (and to his regret, Sam), and punching a whole lot of Nazis (in the face. with bullets). Steve is absolutely supportive, much to everyone else’s concern. HILARIOUS.

Hot on the trail of Deadshot threatening mayhem in Japan, Dick and Damian find themselves going undercover as a father-son duo on House Hunters International. Deadshot won't be the only source of chaos in Tokyo this summer, and Dick's only a little apologetic. This is super adorable.

everyone in the Barrel assumes Kaz is having sex with Inej and he's not sure how exactly he feels about that. This is sweet and hot.

the town of Lij is endlessly fascinated with the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Rietveld each and every time they visit. I really enjoyed this outsider POV on Kaz and Inej's relationship, told from the POVs of the townspeople of Lij, where Kaz was born.

five times someone realizes that Kaz has ever deepening feelings for Inej, and the one time he realizes it for himself. Oh Kaz, you're not as inscrutable as you think.

Generally, thieves of their caliber avoid Gotham. There are always exceptions that prove the rule, however. (Or: five times that a member of Leverage met a member of the Batfamily, and one time that they teamed up.) Ah, the best kind of crossover, where everyone gets to be competent and amazing. I would happily read a million more words of this.

Moments before the monthly family brunch, Bruce Wayne gets taken down and out by some fear toxin baked into bread. Alfred and all four prodigal sons work to pull him out of his hallucination, even as they heavily feature in Bruce's worst nightmare. It comes down to a choice, and the realisation that brunch might actually be cursed. Oh my gosh this is hilarious and also heartfelt.

Remus Lupin's mission with the werewolves goes wrong, but it provides him with an opportunity he would never have otherwise. Remus kills Voldemort. Here's what happens next... Oh Remus.