Male moms are like drugs to me

I actually think that out of the three of them (Alicia, Bakar, and Rizwan), Rizwan had the best approach when it comes to a mentally broken Ali.

(Some warning: this ain’t an analysis post, it’s a vent post)

Oh yes, I have seen many people criticise this scene multiple times. They either blame Ali fully or Alicia fully, but I totally agree with you there. I understand both sides but ultimately i think Alicia shouldn't have dealt with this the way she did. Like I get it, she's a kid too, plus worried about her family and locked up but still, she could have said the same thing but worded it in a much different, gentler way, focused on him and not make it about herself. But yeah, interesting that this was her reaction like, i mean sure Alicia, you don't have parents either but Ali literally just discovered his mom was practically killed 😭 You could have approached this more delicately to remind him they still have people to save. Bakar was definitely better about his approach even though he was slow about it.

(r)egret

get it? as in egret? heron? the bird?

close-ups

very loosely based on the book descriptions lol

nasa employee: this guy hasn't interacted with humans in like 20/60 years should he really be giving interviews?

nasa employee 2: ehh just give him some media training and it should be fine

this is more of a silly one bc i just wanted to draw grace in a suit ^^

Clark’s not bad at it or anything but he’s a little awkward and flustered in a way kids pick up on. At least happy kids are okay and he handles the ones who love Superman well but when they’re upset he panics a little and it turns stilted quickly.

The League thinks it’s hilarious.

Then Clark starts passing kids over to Bruce and he’s holding them and bouncing them and cooing at them and everyone is shocked. It’s like the bat does have a superpower, hand him a crying baby and two minutes later it’ll be sleeping on his chest, full armour and all.

Noticed how Ali is walking down the same path as Rizwan in S2 but he has Alicia, Zain, and Bakar guiding him away, while Rizwan, who is now an adult, is walking down that path and we gets to see how thorny and painful it is 😭 how lonely he is and how he was constantly misunderstood by people around him (except for Dos, who sees thru him).

We've already been shown that Ali has subtle similarities with Rizwan - they're both really independent and do not hesitate to go off on their own if it suits their personal agenda. Rizwan did this to be a "fake traitor" and go talk with Uno. Ali thought Niki had the best interests even though it went against MATA, and cuz she was connected to his mom, Aliyah. So, Ali went on a personal mission even if it meant betraying MATA to help his mom's friend.

And this is just my theory, but if Rizwan potentially didn't experience Djin's death and pushed everyone away, he probably could have been more expressive and warm like Ali. I mean, he and Djin already seemed pretty playful in the flashback.

.

It started with Dick pondering about the whole "secret identity" thing as a young Robin. The news are partially about Brucie Wayne, young dad extraordinaire setting an example for all reformed rakes turned fathers.

Then half of it is about speculations on Batman's true form — because while they all could've sworn that Batman was, well, a man... most investigators are hesitant to consider him human now because suddenly there's a toddling colorful child creature bobbing along after the living legend, with the same moves and capabilities as the Bat

Dick gets the brilliant idea to make Bruce into it

"Think about it!" Dick said on that first patrol, "People won't think too harsh on Batman if they figured that I'm just your little cub who is also made to fight crime, instead of a human kid out on the streets at night."

Bruce narrowed his eyes, but there's no harshness in his gaze. He's looking at this little boy, with messy curls of black and the sweetest shade of blue in his eyes. A reflection of him. How cruel it is of this boy to play with his feelings.

"You want people to think that the Batman is a creature that can give birth?" Bruce repeated carefully.

"More than that! I want them to think you're my mother!"

"...same thing."

"Bleh!"

.

It works as Dick proposed. Lesser ties made to Bruce Wayne, a cisgender man who can definitely not give birth, to Batman, a creature that allegedly birthed Robin. Bruce thinks it's the stupidest solution to a common problem, and he made Brucie.

But it works so they let the story run wild. Bruce doesn't mind so much as the weird, hungry, curious gazes that some villains and thugs give him.

Dick seemed to find it hilarious when ladies stopped Batman in the streets to tell him to rest because "you just gave birth!!"... only until said people also tell him to "respect your mother!"

Overall, it was just another one of those weird things a vigilante resorts to for the sake of operational efficiency...

...

Until one time, Robin had gotten captured in a ship rigged to blow, and villains left and right were hitting him everywhere.

Batman had priorities on the other side of the docks. Robin just had to distract everyone else, and this was a distraction technically. But everything hurt and some of the older men were looking at him funny and he can't move and he wants to go home.

"MAMA!" Robin shrieked into the night.

And descended from the shadows was the Batman, in all his apparently motherly glory — towering above 6 feet, maybe more, because animals grow their appearance when preparing to pounce. A culmination of darkness and rage. Armed to the teeth with weapons and artful precision.

His white eyes turn to a bloodied, shaking young Robin, then to the rest of the fools who dared breathe his boy's air. The sound of rage he made was not human.

Every move is calculated and efficient; not with the aim to kill, but to make an example of the bastards who dared hurt his little bird.

.

This story will be passed along the underworld of Gotham for years to come as more and more of the Bat's brood grew

And this secret will be inherited from Robin to Robin, Batgirl to Batgirl

Bruce is a father — providing, stern, careful

But Batman? They each came from his symbol, his cloth, his rearing. And Batman is a much more violent creature when it comes to protecting those who have his mark.