Neglected Fandom Recs: Batman gen fics
An article on Batman, as seen from the eyes of some of Gotham’s citizens. I love how this captures exactly why Gotham and Metropolis are so different: the people in the city maintain the mystery around Batman.
“The department doesn't comment on urban myths.”
A Batman Signal paperweight rests next to Sgt. Lombardo’s hand as he shifts through a stack of papers on his desk. The department also doesn’t comment on the policy regarding officers with Batman paraphernalia
Five Ways Gothamites Saved Themselves (and others), by
miarrow
Batman is a man like no other, but he is still a man. Sometimes the people in Gotham have to take matters in their own hands.
I could swear Batman snorts when he finally shows up and I’m beating Ace with a chair (along with six other people, but still)
Able to Succeed, by
brown_betty
This is my single favorite piece of fiction for Batman, because it really does capture why Batman is different from other heroes, why being a Bat means anticipating the unexpected.
Describe how you will achieve the following: a) protect civilians, b) incapacitate, contain, or kill alternate Superman, c) retrieve earth's proper Superman. Prioritize in order given. List materials used, describe deployment, estimate worst and best case scenarios, and develop contingencies. Use essay format.
How to Succeed in Gotham Without Really Trying, by Lacey McBain
You have to wonder how normal people are able to go on with their lives in a city where the supervillain du-jour is likely to use your store as their secret base. It probably makes risk assessment for credit much more complicated
“A butterfly garden, Miss Taylor? An umbrella shop? Really, how could those businesses attract trouble?”
Killer Moth. The Penguin. I could feel a tightness in my chest that wouldn’t go away. I was doing the right thing, trying to protect people, and no one would listen. No one would understand.
Squandered my resistance, by Petra
The second Robin, as seen from Jim Gordon’s eyes. I like this- rather dark- fic because it shows that there’s good reasons why the commissioner shouldn’t trust Batman. And yet, he has to.
"Look," Jim says, frowning right back, "I may not dress up in a fancy costume, but I'm not blind. That kid's eight inches shorter than the last guy you had with you, and about twice as wide in the shoulder. Where's the real one?"
Untitled, by
kerithwyn :
This is a wonderful example on how the supervillains look from a normal man’s POV. It’s also a fantastic creepy read.
There's a guy who looks like an *alligator,* and the creepy little man with the hat fetish, and the one who shouts out questions from his cell every time you come by. You've never been good at riddles, so you don't bother to think about them. Some of the patients don't even look human, and some of them look like you could snap them in half with your pinkie. There's only one woman down here at the moment, the one with red hair, and you try not to think about her when you go home to your wife.
Minute of Angle, by
hradzka
I love stories that deal with choosing to be family and this one fits so perfectly it might as well be canon. Through parallels with the Bat family, James Gordon accepts the fact that he is once again a father.
Would an uncle watch so carefully? He didn't know. He'd never been allowed to be one, before.
Jim opened a side door and stepped into the night air. After a quick glance up and down the street, he turned his gaze to the rooftops. He'd found himself doing so more and more often. He'd even caught a glimpse of Batman once this way. And the boy. Robin seemed to like jumping off the edge of buildings before firing his jumpline. Jim didn't know how Batman didn't have a heart attack.
A Year in the Life, by Alchemine
Other heroes take their alter egos as a welcomed rest. A way to stop being responsible for the fate of the world. For Batman, it’s a bit complicated.
Over breakfast one morning, he flips to the society pages of the newspaper and sees his own face grinning back at him, above a caption that reads Bruce Wayne relaxing on the Mediterranean coast. There's a sun-drenched beach in the background. The graphic artist Alfred hired to do the picture has even Photoshopped a subtle tan onto his exposed face and arms.
Regent of the Sky by
marag
Sometimes playing playboy millionaire *can* be entertaining. I love this story because Batman can be scary in the suit but he is ten times more annoying to the Justice League as Bruce Wayne.
Bruce paused for effect, allowing several other people to hear him. "Who designs your uniforms? Because really," he said over muffled laughter, "I've got this tailor who can do wonders with anything and--"
“The department doesn't comment on urban myths.”
A Batman Signal paperweight rests next to Sgt. Lombardo’s hand as he shifts through a stack of papers on his desk. The department also doesn’t comment on the policy regarding officers with Batman paraphernalia
Five Ways Gothamites Saved Themselves (and others), by
miarrow
Batman is a man like no other, but he is still a man. Sometimes the people in Gotham have to take matters in their own hands.
I could swear Batman snorts when he finally shows up and I’m beating Ace with a chair (along with six other people, but still)
Able to Succeed, by
brown_betty
This is my single favorite piece of fiction for Batman, because it really does capture why Batman is different from other heroes, why being a Bat means anticipating the unexpected.
Describe how you will achieve the following: a) protect civilians, b) incapacitate, contain, or kill alternate Superman, c) retrieve earth's proper Superman. Prioritize in order given. List materials used, describe deployment, estimate worst and best case scenarios, and develop contingencies. Use essay format.
How to Succeed in Gotham Without Really Trying, by Lacey McBain
You have to wonder how normal people are able to go on with their lives in a city where the supervillain du-jour is likely to use your store as their secret base. It probably makes risk assessment for credit much more complicated
“A butterfly garden, Miss Taylor? An umbrella shop? Really, how could those businesses attract trouble?”
Killer Moth. The Penguin. I could feel a tightness in my chest that wouldn’t go away. I was doing the right thing, trying to protect people, and no one would listen. No one would understand.
Squandered my resistance, by Petra
The second Robin, as seen from Jim Gordon’s eyes. I like this- rather dark- fic because it shows that there’s good reasons why the commissioner shouldn’t trust Batman. And yet, he has to.
"Look," Jim says, frowning right back, "I may not dress up in a fancy costume, but I'm not blind. That kid's eight inches shorter than the last guy you had with you, and about twice as wide in the shoulder. Where's the real one?"
Untitled, by
kerithwyn :
This is a wonderful example on how the supervillains look from a normal man’s POV. It’s also a fantastic creepy read.
There's a guy who looks like an *alligator,* and the creepy little man with the hat fetish, and the one who shouts out questions from his cell every time you come by. You've never been good at riddles, so you don't bother to think about them. Some of the patients don't even look human, and some of them look like you could snap them in half with your pinkie. There's only one woman down here at the moment, the one with red hair, and you try not to think about her when you go home to your wife.
Minute of Angle, by
hradzka
I love stories that deal with choosing to be family and this one fits so perfectly it might as well be canon. Through parallels with the Bat family, James Gordon accepts the fact that he is once again a father.
Would an uncle watch so carefully? He didn't know. He'd never been allowed to be one, before.
Jim opened a side door and stepped into the night air. After a quick glance up and down the street, he turned his gaze to the rooftops. He'd found himself doing so more and more often. He'd even caught a glimpse of Batman once this way. And the boy. Robin seemed to like jumping off the edge of buildings before firing his jumpline. Jim didn't know how Batman didn't have a heart attack.
A Year in the Life, by Alchemine
Other heroes take their alter egos as a welcomed rest. A way to stop being responsible for the fate of the world. For Batman, it’s a bit complicated.
Over breakfast one morning, he flips to the society pages of the newspaper and sees his own face grinning back at him, above a caption that reads Bruce Wayne relaxing on the Mediterranean coast. There's a sun-drenched beach in the background. The graphic artist Alfred hired to do the picture has even Photoshopped a subtle tan onto his exposed face and arms.
Regent of the Sky by
marag
Sometimes playing playboy millionaire *can* be entertaining. I love this story because Batman can be scary in the suit but he is ten times more annoying to the Justice League as Bruce Wayne.
Bruce paused for effect, allowing several other people to hear him. "Who designs your uniforms? Because really," he said over muffled laughter, "I've got this tailor who can do wonders with anything and--"