you know how the argonauts used Orpheus to play music past the sirens so they wouldn’t die?
It would be hilarious if in season two when Percy and Annabeth are on the Queen Anne’s Revenge and Percy just puts in AirPods and you hear nothing but Shake It Off Taylor’s Version for the next four minutes as annabeth is screaming for the sirens and Percy is trying to keep her on the boat.
Not to get emo on main but you ever think about how the troop sang about their dreams of finding “a girl worth fighting for”, and they think their girl worth fighting for is one of romance, but the song abruptly comes to a halt when they find a different girl worth fighting for.
A tiny girl that had been killed at the hands of the Huns. A child too weak, too small to have any chance of withstanding the murderous invaders. That is their girl worth fighting for.
I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing some of my favorite fics that came out in the past year (you can see last year’s list here). This is just a way for me to show my love and appreciation for the many amazing artists/writers who keep the fandom alive. If you read any of these fics, please make sure to leave some kudos and comments! And there are so many amazing fics I wasn’t able to include, so I encourage you to show some appreciation to your own favorites!
Please be sure to read all tags and warnings. I’ve provided warnings for the darkest fics.
All of these fics were completed in 2024. I only do one fic per author, but definitely check out all of these authors’ other works. Also, most of these feature tim, because he is my favorite. Now, without further ado…
Sparkles by @iselsis (2k, jason & bruce, fluff, a/b/o dynamics, batman finds an omega kid covered in cuddle pollen and going into heat)
until the bounds of death have been unwound by @vinelark (2.9k, tim & jason, fantasy and angst with a hopeful ending, tim is a demigod and he goes to save jason from the underworld) (the sequel is also great!)
Sacrificial Lamb by @kgraces (3.3k, tim & bruce, angst with a happy ending, bruce makes a deal with the devil to trade tim’s life for jason’s, his kids later find out) (this fic messed me up, i actually think about it all the time)
wouldn’t wish it by @green-eyedfirework (3.3k, jason & damian & tim, whump/angst with a hopeful ending, talia calls jason to save his brothers from the league of assassins) *READ THE TAGS
Lucky Number Three by @sohotthateveryonedied (3.4k, tim & bruce, angst and hurt/comfort, bruce has to deal with the consequences of his actions while he was under the influence of truth serum) (won’t make much sense unless you read this fic which honestly destroyed me)
Anything by @byrambles (3.5k, dick-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce tells dick he wants to adopt his siblings, dick assumes this does not mean him)
possess by @envysparkler (4.6k, bruce-centric, angst with a happy ending, bruce is possessed by a demon that want, fortunately jason has magic swords)
The Guilt Never Really Left, You Know by @neuro-psyche (4.9k, dick & jason, angst with a happy ending, nightwing saves and then confronts red hood) *READ THE TAGS
Sacrifice by @onemuseleft (5.4k, bruce & his kids, light angst with a happy ending, the justice league is successfully negotiating with alien invaders until they request the sacrifice of one of Batman’s children)
you’ll be alright [or else] by @call-me-quill (5.9k, tim & jason, angst with a happy ending, tim takes a bullet meant for jason and doesn’t understand why jason is so upset)
the bed and breakfast by @adelfie (6.2k, dick-centric, fluff and angst with a happy ending, dick is stranded at a b&b during blizzard, things seem fine until he realizes he’s being held hostage)
with the exception of… by @dss1101 (6.4k, tim-centric, hurt/comfort, everyone realizes tim had a very different experience with his batman than all the other kids)
How to be a Little Brother by @die-erlkonigin6083 (7.4k, damian-centric, fluff and light angst, damian tries to learn how to be a good younger brother)
Reply ‘STOP’ to Unsubscribe by @motleyfam & @batmoniker (8.4k, jason & tim, angst with a happy ending, tim imagines his dad when he’s hit with fear gas at school) (this will probably make more sense if you read the rest of the series first, but I don’t think is strictly necessary (but you should read the series anyway bc it’s great))
Of A Genius’ Legacy by @sparkoflena (8.5k, tim-centric, fluff, tim graduates high school, a lot more people than he expected show up)
Flatline by @dragonpyre (8.9k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is injected with a drug that basically shuts down his body, he has to watch his family’s reactions to finding his “dead” body)
Our Dead Drink the Sea by @ghost-bxrd (9.2k, jason-centric, angst with a happy ending, jason is a selkie and bruce kept his pelt when he died, the red hood takes the pelt and the batfam want it back)
In The Back Room by WhumpKing223 (9.9k, dick & jason & tim, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, batman discovers black mask is holding three boys captive, bruce wayne decides to take them in) (the rest of the series is about the boys’ time with bruce and it is great) *READ THE TAGS
Boom, Boom, Pow! by LilaVaporizer9000 (11.1k, tim-centric, absolute hilarity, kid tim steals the batmobile and wreaks havoc/ saves the day)
how to feed your local demon by @inkpotsprite (14.5k, tim & dick & bruce, fluff and humor and light angst, dick is an incubus and isn’t doing well after jason’s death, tim shows up to help)
the fire under your feet by @phneltwrites (17.8k, tim & jason & damian, angst with a happy ending, tim shows up to the league of assassins while jason is still there, they must team up to save damian from ra’s)
Perfect Storm by @banditywrites (25.1k, tim-centric, angst with a happy ending, tim is winning the game of not needing anything from his parents, but it starts getting harder and his neighbors are concerned)
you’re not defenseless, i’ll be your shelter by @fandomtrash-whataboutit (26.3k, tim-centric, angst with a hopeful ending, tim is lex luthor’s captive and is in charge of watching over the new captives- young justice) (the only batfam relationship in this is tim & dick, but the rest of the series has more batfam plus timkon and is so good)
Brother of the Fucking Year by @aceofdivinechlorophyll (26.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack, jason makes plans to chaotically meet and bond with his siblings… as red hood) (will probably make more sense if you read the first part of the series first, which is also funny and great)
Join the Club by @cephalog0d (26.9k, jason & tim & dick, fluff and humor and light angst, where tim and jason meet at school, tim is dick’s biggest fan, and jason thinks it would be funny to make them meet) (this was filled for me for FTH but I would have included this fic regardless, it’s great)
What Christmas Means To Me by @taralaurel (29.9k, tim & dick & jason & bruce, fluff and angst, tim meets bruce when he is dressed as santa and asks for his parents to be home for Christmas, the batfam takes this as a challenge)
Screaming In The Dark (While We All Play Our Part) by @yourwakingnightmares (32.9k, dick & jason & tim & damian, heavy angst with a hopeful ending, the batboys are captives of a very evil batman, they escape and go to the justice league for help) (I also rec the sequel, which is ongoing and great) *READ THE TAGS
The Right Substitution is Key by @addictedapple (34.4k, jason-centric, fluff and crack and light angst, nightwing and batman go missing, robin asks red hood to fill in as batman)
the loneliness in worth by @yeeyee123 (56.1k, tim & damian, angst with a happy ending and humor, tim is supposed to be training in paris, he instead ends up with the league of assassins and decides he’s gonna help damian get to his father)
Northern Attitude (I Was Raised on Little Light) by @theskeptileptic (103.2k, tim-centric, heavy angst with a happy ending, tim is bruce’s biological son, jack drake has been punishing him his whole life for this, the batfam just want tim in their life) (technically not finished, but I didn’t put it in the WIP section as there is only one chapter left and it’s honestly at a satisfying stopping point) *READ THE TAGS, there is graphic child abuse
+5 WIPs I’d love to see more of in 2025!
[Refuge] by @raberbagirl (7.6k, tim & jason & dick, mostly fluff, the boys take refuge from the streets in the abandoned and supposedly haunted Wayne manor, the spirit of the manor is just happy to care for the kids)
a cuckoo in the nest by @antebunny (9.4k, tim-centric, angst and fluff, bruce makes a deal with the fae to get jason back, he has to take tim in in return, tim just wants to be loved)
Mine by @millytsworld (18k, jason & dick, angst with a happy ending, dick is the right hand man to an infamous mob boss (bruce) and decides jason is his new little brother, jason completely misunderstands dick’s intentions) *READ THE TAGS
Losing Time by hatlessmule (40.3k, tim-centric, angst (hopefully with a happy ending), tim finds himself in a universe where he doesn’t exist, the batfam want to know who this flighty kid is)
Care and Keeping and Kryptonite by @mild-and-hammered (96.9k, superbat ft. the bat kids, fluff and light angst, mild-mannered reporter clark is injured and has to stay with playboy bruce wayne and neither know the other’s secret identity, meanwhile bruce’s kids start meddling to bring the two closer together)
STARFIRE ANIMATED SERIES!!??!?!?
WITH THE HEAD WRITER OF MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN!?!?
If I wasn’t a fucking loser with commitment issues like every hobbyist writer ever then I would write the most dramatic fucking no capes TimKon AU fanfic featuring a time loop, murder mystery, conspiracy, complicated family relationships, and the politics of high society. It’d be like 200k and last like half my career and disaster would strike me halfway through which I would cheerfully divulge through a peppy author’s note at the end of chapter 18
I like how all three of them were at one point wielding overpowered ghost abilities. These guys are like in their 20s
I think I drew Danny’s scars on the wrong hand oops
I drew him smiling because he deserved to be happy
poor boy
aka: my vindication for why i genuinely believed danny phantom was part of the dcu
So! Starting off: How many kudos do the top 100 fics have? Altogether, they amount to 1,805,647 kudos.
How many kudos does the #1 fic have and did you notice anything weird about the data? Why yes! So the #1 most kudosed has 73,889 kudos. Which is SIGNIFICANTLY more than the fic in second place with 39,709 kudos. 34,180 more, to be exact. That difference is so insane I gotta admit I am curious if that stat is actually accurate or if perhaps something happened somewhere because the difference is. Astronomical. In comparison, the difference between fic #2 and fic #3 is 6,955 kudos, and the difference between #3 and #4 is 1,490 kudos. So perhaps you can see why I am just a tad suspicious. I'll admit, fic #1 is popular! I've read it before and I really liked it! But statistically- I have a lot of questions. A lot.
How many kudos does fic #100 have and what's the difference between fic #1 and #100? Fic #100 has 12,900, giving us a difference of 60,989 kudos between first and 100th place.
What's the breakdown of ratings in the top 100?
(legend: e=explicit, g=gen audiences, t=teen, nr=not rated, m=mature) To nobody's surprise, only one fic with an E rating makes it into the top 100 (E fics tend to have a narrower audience for various reasons, plus gen fics are BIG in batman fandom rn). To my surprise, T actually made up the majority of fics in the top 100. I'd predicted that it would be G fics on top, I'm guessing this difference between hypothesis and reality is because I did not account for people rating fics with profanity as T. Otherwise, this breakdown wasn't too surprising.
What're the warnings in the top 100 like?
(legend: CNTW=chose not to use archive warnings, GDV=graphic depictions of violence, N/A=no archive warnings apply, MCD=major character death) (could NOT make the graph label the little pink slice between CNTW N/A and GDV, so fyi that one is CNTW, GDV, MCD, and it has 1%.) Unsurprising: N/A makes up the majority. also only one MCD tag is present and Underage Sex and Rape/Non-Con are not present at all. Surprising: CNTW is second most popular! Also it is seen here being used in combination with other tags like MCD and GDV, which. Personally I didn't know you could do that. Makes sense though!
How many are complete fics?
(legend: y=yes, n=no) Most of them!
Hey everyone guess how many F/F fics are in the top 100
(legend= o=other, n/a=uncategorized, m/m=male/male relationship, m=multi, g=no romantic or sexual relationships) Zero!!! No M/F ships either i will say. Unsurprisingly for batman fandom, gen is the CLEAR winner here. Also unofficial survey based on my observations only -> some ships that were present include: Superbat, Timkon, Jaytim (and probably more but i desperately did NOT have to want to officially track this and add more data points to what is already a very crowded spreadsheet.)
How long are these works and how's that relate to kudos/hits?
(x axis= length, y axis= hits)
(x axis= length, y axis = kudos) So two big outliers here, one the work with 400000+ words, the other the work with all the kudos (and thereby hits) that was discussed earlier. But discarding those I think we can see from this graph that length is fairly irrelevant when it comes to how much interaction a work gets. From observations a lot of popular works fell within 1,200 - 5,000w category, and there was a weird lack of works in the 15,000-20,000w category. As in there was only one. It was a oddly noticeable absence.
Kudos/hit ratios!! I find these really interesting
(y axis = kudos/hit ratio) What is a kudos hit ratio? # of kudos divided by # of hits, equaling the percentage of hits that resulted in a kudos. Commonly lower on multichap fics, as people will click on them multiple times to read new chapters but can only leave kudos once. This is a stat that is probably meaningless and unimportant. But I find it interesting. So you all have to see it now.
When are these fics from ? aka: POSSIBLY THE MOST INTERESTING DATA SET YET!!!
(x axis = date in m/d/y format, y axis = kudos)
(x axis = date in m/d/y format, y axis = kudos) Available in both scatter and bar graphs! So with this I was curious if older fics would have more kudos cause they'd had more time to accuulate them. And I also wanted to know: Why do I (new-ish DCU fan) feel like the Batman fandom is so young considering it's about a media that's been around for 85 years? And here's my answer! Most of the top 100 was posted in the last 4 years! There are only 2 fics that are older than 8 years old!
This is SO INTERESTING to me. Why is this happening? In similar fandoms (Marvel), I regularly find works from 2012, 2014, etc, that are high in kudos. Hell, I just went and checked and 5/10 of the most kudosed fics in the Marvel tag are from pre 2016! What's going on with Batman-AMT? Just from casual engagement in fandom I'd been getting the sense that there was a big boom in the popularity of Batman on AO3 sometime relatively recently and this data really feels like confirmation.
I'll open this up to other fans: have you noticed this phenomenon? And if you were on Batman AO3 4-5 years ago - any insights? From the date alone I'd guess it's somehow pandemic related (sudden majorly stressful event caused mass desire for comfort like the type found in batfam gen fics, thereby launching the genre into previously unseen levels of popularity)? But idk! Tell me your thoughts! I'd love to unravel this!
Who's writing the top 100?
All in all, 68 authors make up the top 100. Shoutout to powerhouse @envysparkler, who makes up 11% of the top 100. Following that are TheResurrectionist and Just_here_for_a_laugh with 5% each, @unpretty and smilebackwards with 3% each, and foldingfacets, helenabertinellis, Ididloveyou_once, adelfie, Vamillepudding, Drag0nst0rm, AutumnHobbit, IzzyMRDB, Blueseabird2, and @motleyfam with 2% each.
AND NOW MY VINDICATION
In my previous stats post, I mis-grouped Danny Phantom as a DCU property because my experience in fandom had brought me to legitimately believe it was part of the DCU, especially as I'd never heard of it before or since. Well, with this graph, perhaps you can see why. Danny Phantom makes up 12% of the top 100. TWELVE. The only other crossover in the top 100, Spider-Man, makes up only 6%. Notable absences were Miraculous Ladybug and White Collar, which, while being very popular crossovers for DC and Batman, apparently didn't grab enough kudos to make the list.
So there you go!! Anyone have insights on anything discussed here? I'd really love to hear about it!
[All data collected from AO3 Nov. 29, 2024.]
reblog to give your headache to elon musk instead
I find it absolutely baffling that people still can’t understand that a refusal to vote for Kamala Harris is essentially a vote for Trump. You can disagree with her stance on Israel all you want when she’s in power. But it’s irrelevant in the context of this election. It doesn’t have a bearing on the lives of millions of Americans. It suck’s what is happening in Palestine, but refusing to vote for Kamala because of it won’t help them, nor will it help Americans who want to live their lives freely.
It’s time for these idiots to stop with the performative activism. Because I know for a fact they’ll be the ones crying the hardest when they lose their rights and freedoms, all because they allowed Trump to get into the White House.