recs and links

The one where Dick and Jason (and Steph!) are undercover in prison in Bludhaven where there have been too many prisoner deaths that have gone unreported/uninvestigated.

After Steph's father dies, she has a heart to heart with Batman. Or, you know, what passes for one with Bruce.

Bruce lets his secret nerd flag fly when the 1000th issue of Gray Ghost is released. Oh heart.

the one where bruce has an alcohol problem and that makes things hard for jason and dick

Selina Kyle has a habit of creeping into Bruce's house through a window, and in her defense, it's never really been a problem before. But tonight, just about everything goes wrong. this is hilarious.

Damian gets sent back in time to when Bruce is just starting out as Batman. They both have some adjusting to do. I enjoyed this a lot.

how Jason realizes his family wants him to live, and how he realizes he does, too. Oh heart.

Peter and Nightingale are called to the Epping Forest to investigate a potential werewolf and discover a missing woman, a family shattered by grief, and a case that hits far too close to home. Melacholy case-fic. Nicely done.

Damian finds the hall where all the pictures of Bruce with his adopted kids live, and feels bad that there isn't one with him, until there is. Oh heart.

Damian and Jason spend some time together. Lovely.

Despite the title, this is not a light fun story. Bruce finds three clones of Damian while searching for information on the Lazarus pit and he handles it in his usual emotionally constipated way.

Quiet, melancholy look at Damian as he tries to be a good son and a good Robin.

Where Nebula and Tony build a ship to get to Earth and awkwardly talk about their issues when neither of them are particularly good at that. Tony and Nebula and the long, slow trip back to earth. Lovely and melancholy.

The one where Bruce has amnesia and is a much better dad because he doesn't remember Jason's death, but Damian is freaked out by the difference. And then Bruce finds out. I reread this story a lot (A LOT) because it is SO GOOD at showing the difference in Bruce before and after Jason's death, and giving the younger kids a glimpse of his less grim self, and also opening a way to a more thorough reconciliation with Jason in the bargain.

oh my heart. #i'm not crying you're crying

Dick Grayson was kidnapped by the Court of Owls. Talon escaped. With no known way to undo what has been done, and the Court trying to reclaim their assassin, is there still a place for Nightwing in Gotham? Is there still a place for Dick in the family? Long, compelling read in which Dick has to fight back against the brainwashing and the Batfam has to learn to accept who he is now. (I feel like I needed a little more Dick and Jason interaction here, given the givens, but I always feel that)

The one where Jason runs from from the League and doesn't become the Red Hood but ends up building a life for himself in France instead.

Robins! And terrible puns! Hilarity!

batfamily photos

20K of various Batboys giving each other hugs. Oh heart.

Cass and Damian adopt a grown undead Talon!Dick before Bruce can change his mind and adopt him first. AU where the Court of Owls got to Dick before Bruce did, but when he defects rather than kill Damian, the Bats are there to help him out.

Clark convinces Diana to come to the farm for Thanksgiving, and Diana finally gets the chance to meet Bruce's kids. There are far more of them than she had expected. This is a really lovely JLUish look at Diana meeting the Batkids.

Jason digs himself out of his grave and rebuilds his life in Gotham, becoming a nurse and wondering if he'll ever get his memories back, and then one day, he runs into Batman.

On his first visit to Gotham, Damian discovers Dick in the Court of Owls, and resolves to help him escape when asked. Oh heart.

Dick explains to Jason just where Robin came from. Oh heart. The show really missed the opportunity to do this, and this story fills the gap. (Titans)

Jason wakes up from a time-travel mishap to find Thomas and Martha Wayne hovering over him. Wonderful. *sobs*

Gwen jumps, and when she turns around, Peter B. Parker is standing awkwardly in the bedroom doorway. It’s been a long time since anyone managed to sneak up on Gwen, but all she feels is that she’s surrounded by Peter—no wonder her spider-senses didn’t warn her. “Hey. Um. Sorry, I’m—totally snooping.” “It’s okay,” Peter shrugs, slouching against the door frame. “It’s not my stuff.” He’s got a point. This is so good, like being punch repeatedly in all my Spidey-feels.I sobbed my face off. #i'm not crying you're crying

Being transported to the past is not the sort of thing one normally expects. But this having happened, and with no easy way back, Jason's determined to make the most of it. Though the Bat still stalks Gotham's streets, the city's crime is run by the mobs instead of the rogues. There's no Joker yet. There's no Robin. When Jason lands in the past, he ends up tangled in tiny, newly-orphaned Dick Grayson's (and Bruce Wayne's) existence.

updated 4/18 - needs a new plugin?

Damian has a deep, dark secret he needs kept from Grayson, his father, and most of all Drake, at all costs: he has, quite unwillingly, been volunteered for a part in his school's annual musical. As a grouchy dinosaur. This is now Jason's problem. Or his blackmail opportunity. Whichever. This is ADORABLE.