458: Hidden Gems [Last Year's 2010 Big Bang]
title. The Secrets of Copper Country
author. on_verra
characters. Sam/Dean, Tamara, Bobby
rating. NC17
words. 23,000
summary. On a tip from an old friend, Sam and Dean take on a case in Copper Country, a remote part of northern Michigan. Stuck for the winter in a grand old estate, isolated from the rest of the world until spring comes, they find themselves taken over by a mysterious force that seems to come from a locked garden on the estate grounds, perpetually in bloom - making them confront harsh truths about themselves, and do things they might not otherwise do.
read this. The mystery here is fabulous and will keep you guessing, which I think everyone loves in a casefic. The idea of stripping away the "civilized" parts of the boys' personalities allows the exploration of the base characters of Sam and Dean. I found that these worked extremely well for me.
title. Any Little Song That You Know
artist. tripoli8
characters. Mary, John, Sam, Dean
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. Digital manips
summary. Cover art and other accompanying art.
see this. The use of space here is really well done. With clean, simple lines and muted, washed out colors that really brings all the art together into a set with a lot of atmosphere.
title. We All Have Our Time Machines
author. wandersfound
characters. Dean/Castiel
rating. NC17
words. 26,000
summary. Castiel wakes up in the snow with no memory of how he got there. He can't go home because he doesn't remember where home is. Dean, a professor at a local college, finds the man and offers him a ride. Despite a bad experience in the past, Dean agrees to let Castiel stay with him until he regains his memory. Castiel-- or Jimmy, as Dean calls him-- has one clue to his identity: a ring that might be an engagement ring. He figures there must be someone out there looking for him and, although Dean finds his feelings for Castiel growing, he agrees to help Castiel look for her. What they find isn’t something either could have expected.
read this. While not actually a casefic, this has the mysterious background and enigmatic actions you would commonly see in one. The domesticity and growing feelings blend well into the general mystery. I also liked seeing Dean as the relatively normal guy. Once in awhile it's a nice break!
title. Play It All Night Long
artist. _izu_
characters. Dean, Castiel
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. pen, markers, photoshop
summary. Cover art
see this. All the elements of this piece really work together to give a great sense of the fic. The expressions, particularly Cas' are wonderful and the details are exquisite.
title. I Know What A Prince and Lover Ought to Be
author. anamuan
characters. Jared/Jensen, the rest of the CW RPF gang
rating. NC17
words. 33,360
summary. There are two things that young Prince Jensen knows: a) the Padaleckis are liars and traitors, and b) Jay is his best friend. Unfortunately, while it is quite easy to avoid Padaleckis, it's rather difficult to sneak out into the woods to play with Jay, so it takes a long time for them to collect the magic pebbles Jay needs so he can wish for a puppy.
read this. I have to admit, when I first read that summary, I laughed. But I love fairy tales and this has the characteristic adventures and extravagance that goes hand in hand with the genre making thia a fun read.
title. The Minor Fall and the Major Lift
artist. feyuca
characters. Sam, Dean, OFCs
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. Digital drawing
summary. Cover art plus four scenes
see this. I really like this artist's bold, graphic style which almost reminded me of old school linocuts. Furthermore, the color choices are well chosen for maximum impact.
title. Permanent State
author. shannon_doll
characters. Sam/Dean, John
rating. R
words. 21,300
summary. For eight months, one week, and three days Dean has been trapped in supernatural limbo, living out alternate realities of his own life. He can’t control when the world decides to lurch, has no power over what version of himself comes next and why. Dean’s only concern is to get back to Sam, but time, he realizes, is running out.
read this. With powerful prose and an intriguing premise, this story really grabbed me. It's not straightforward, but remains coherent and true to the ultimate message. I really liked the alternate realities Dean ended up in, especially after you get a hint where they come from.
title. Reanimated
artist. bittersweet_art
characters. Jensen, Jared + the CW RPF gang
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. digital manips and drawings
summary. Cover and other accompanying graphics
see this. While I think the cover is visually stunning and unique in it's own right, the reason this really stood out to me was the subway map for Hell! The little additional pieces are so creative and fun!
title. Where the World Begins
author. the_ninth_bow
characters. Dean/Castiel
rating. NC17
words. 49,300
summary. In the aftermath of a battle against demons, Castiel rescues an orphan girl, who then forms an attachment to the fallen angel. Dean and Castiel take her into their care, traveling highways and back roads, killing as many demons as they can, while Sam searches for an alternate way to defeat Lucifer. Amidst trying to end the Apocalypse, Dean finds his life a strange combination of broken, crumbling cities and a half-domestic life on the road. In the quiet moments they make for themselves among the chaos, Dean and Castiel become closer not only to each other but to their ward, and Dean finds his life taking a turn in a direction he never thought it’d have a chance to take.
read this. This is probably the only domestic apocafic you will ever read (unless you find more, in which case, send it over!), probably because those two concepts don't mesh well. The beauty in this comes from the hope and love amongst the bleak apocalyptic setting, which the author writes to perfection.
title. Unmaking
artist. wataru_kisugi
characters. Dean, Castiel, Bobby, Missouri, others
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. Pen drawing, manga style
summary. Cover and supporting art
see this. I've never really read manga, but I think these are definitely up to par with the professional kind you can get at the bookstore. The detail necessary for these types of drawings is so extensive that I'm infinitely impressed by the number and size of the pieces presented here.
title. Write Your Name All Over My Paper Heart
author. toxica939
characters. Jared/Jensen, Danneel/Brock, Chad/Sophia/Milo
rating. NC17
words. 24,500
summary. Jensen's approaching this thing with Jared the same way he's handling senior year: with a healthy dose of cynicism and a razor sharp tongue. A few fumbled kisses don't make Jared his boyfriend, the same way acing bio doesn't make him a doctor. Except Jared doesn't seem to be pretending it never happened quite the way Jensen expected him to and his mom's got college brochures all over the house. Jensen's carefully constructed island life is tilting faster than he's prepared for. Into something new, something better. Man up Jack, we're just getting started.
read this. To start with, my favorite part of this is the relationship between Jensen and his mother, which is quirky and fabulous. Additionally, this explores Jensen's negative feelings towards a couple significant life changes with a very realistic, albeit immature, teenager's reaction.
title. Screw You, We're From Texas
artist. saturday_v
characters. Jared, Jensen, OCs
rating. PG [reccer's rating]
type. Digital drawing
summary. Cover, cast, and soundtrack art
see this. Despite being simple black and white line art, these drawings are exceptionally bold. Also considering this story has a huge cast of OCs, coming up with pictures of the cast (each with unique facial expression) is an accomplishment that deserves recognition.
reccer's note. Last year's 2010 Big Bang featured almost 300 stories and even more art. Here at sawedoff_recs they were working hard and brought you a bunch of great recs, which can be found under the tag for the 2010 Big Bang.
Thus ends the retrospective, but posting for the 2011 spn_j2_bigbang begins next Monday, June 6th. Enjoy all the great fic and art coming your way, but in the meantime, check out these awesome oldies (but goodies)!