#top 5s

The Batman: Second Chances arc (aka Batman #408-411). What a good origin story. What a great use of antagonists to enhance Jason's character and his relationship with Bruce. What a great first meeting/Meet Ugly between two people who'll never become untangled from each other, no matter what comes.

Batman: Under the Hood (aka Batman #635-641, #645-650, Annual #25). THEE Batman comic, to me, as well. It changed the game in ways DC itself will never accept. And Jason himself? Superb. The antagonist I've wanted my whole life.

Red Hood: Lost Days #1-6. A great Jason comic all-around, amazing at filling in the blanks, really good at showcasing his character. And look! A female character and a complex dynamic with her right at the center of it!

Batman: The Diplomat's Son (aka Batman #424). Good Jason comic that doesn't quite know it's a good Jason comic because Starlin has a perspective on misogyny and sexual abuse that should be incomprehensible to sensible brains but alas xD. I'd include the following issue, although that's more of a "Bruce you goddamn hypocrite" comic than a Jason comic añsldkfja.

I'm between Green Arrow: Seeing Red (Green Arrow volume 3 #69-72), or Outsiders: Pay As You Go (Outsiders volume 3 #44-46, Annual #1), but although they are 1) good comics that 2) feature a great Jason, I wouldn't call them jason comics... OTOH you have Batman: A Death in the Family (Batman #426-429), which is a bad comic that manages to be a good Jason comic lol (yes, he dies. Yes, it's the true beginning of the victim blaming narrative. But at this point it could still believably be about Bruce's godawful coping methods and my god, I love Jason in it). You know what? I'm going to take a turn and say Superman: For the Man Who Has Everything (Superman Annual #11). Because "Jason saved the fucking Trinity from fucking Mogul" should be brought up as often as possible, if you ask me.

trans women are a blessing on this earth

it has never in human history been normal for people to die of old age in their 30s. thats not what average life expectancy means

being fat is awesome

you can do whatever you want forever in a bodily autonomy and agency over your life way, but not in a disregarding the needs and best interests of your fellow humans way

oh what a phenomenal set of top 5s

top 5 poems that punch me in the gut

"the old catcher considers the failing of his knees" by devin kelly

"journal of an ordinary grief (يـومـيـات الـحـزن الـعـادي)" by mahmoud darwish

"my sister, who died young, takes up the task" by jon pineda

"juxtaposing the black boy & the bullet" by danez smith

"the speed of dark" by jim harrison

top 5 films that inspire me

films don't often make me want to make art, which i think is the typical definition of inspiration, but i will name 5 films that politically inspire me

yintah (2024)

120 bpm (2017)

born in flames (1983)

by hook or by crook (2001)

pride (2014)

top 5 paintings or sculptures that move me to tears (limiting this to stuff i have seen in person!!)

renato guttuso's crocifissione

the work in the joan mitchell display at the tate that went up in 2023

the sarcophagus of the spouses

cy twombly's untitled (bacchus)

this was embarrassingly difficult oml 😭

the secret history. will never ever be beaten

a darker shade of magic (obvs)

vicious

the picture of dorian gray

nevermoor

Thank you for the ask! I will just name the first five that come to mind, if that's okay.

Lawrusso (they still live in my head rent-free and always will. I miss them so much)

Wincest (Sam/Dean)

Chris Sabin/Alex Shelley (professional wrestling rpf ship)

Zacchio

A ship I don't feel comfy mentioning, because it's real people who are related, and I'd rather not be called a freak. It's a bandom ship, though.

Ooohhhh, tough question!

Joint 1st place: Ravens (Common raven) and dogs. I can't choose between them.

Which means in 3rd place: Snakes - especially our own grass snakes and adders. I'm sure smooth snakes are really cool, too, but we don't have them in my neck of the woods.

4th place: Common toad. Just my favourite grumpy lumbering amphibians.

Oh hell yeah I love making my little lists

Technically I did this twice already but I can do another 5 titles no problem

Top 5 Movies I liked way more than I expected to

1. Smile 2 - the first Smile was soooo mid. It had some good scenes and ideas but it was weighed down by clumsy writing and bad characters and it was way too long. I went in to Smile 2 with extremely low expectations and holy shit it blew my ass off. I immediately gave a shit about Skye Riley! The songs were fun! The scary parts were scarier! Literally every single part of Smile 2 was better than the first movie!

2. The Taking of Deborah Logan - for some reason I always assumed this movie kind of sucked? And there are for sure #problematic aspects to it, but overall it was way more solid and interesting and scary than I expected it to be. Cool use of the found footage format too and one scene in particular (iykyk) that had me going "holy shit" out loud at the screen

3. Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth - for the longest time I resisted watching any of the Hellraiser sequels past Hellbound bc I loved the first two movies and heard everything after sucked hard. And that's not untrue - Hellraiser 3 is not a "good" film. But it was absolutely a blast to watch. Some of the cenobites in this one are absolutely insane. And if you believe in the power of lesbians with all your heart you can overlay a tragic love story over the main plot and make it even more fun for yourself

4. Alien: Resurrection - after Alien 3 my spirit was completely broken. Hated it. I'd heard Resurrection was also bad, wasn't feeling very good about the Whedon of it all, but I was committed to my Alien series watch through and I knew I had to do it. And yeah okay Resurrection is NOT a good movie and some of the writing is tonally bizarre and misplaced and the lore it introduces is fucking bonkers and the basketball scene is completely ridiculous AND YET - and yet after the punishing experience of Alien 3, Resurrection was like a soothing, lesbian subtext heavy balm to me. It healed my wounds by having the Ripley hybrid finger Winona Ryderbot's gunshot wound on screen. There is SUCH a height difference between them. Sigourney Weaver just constantly Looms. Call is always staring up at her with big brown eyes. Ask me anything about the plot, I have very little i can tell you but it's legitimately the only Alien film besides the first two that I can say I'm genuinely looking forward to rewatching

I love this, and I'm really certain some folks are going to come for me on them, but see if I care.

Alex (and June) have handmade quilts from their abuela. In her retirement, she is a prolific quilter and getting one is a big deal. Alex asks if she'd make one for him to send to Henry, which she does, and the gesture pushes Henry to tears.

Alex's strengths in the kitchen is built on an adolescence of trial-and-error after school cooking. He's more adventurous with recipes than June, who prefers to stick to simple, tried, and true.

Amy taught him how to knit, but he never finished anything. He does find the casting-on motion very soothing though.

Alex isn't all that oblivious. He's actually very attentive, but his ADHD and perfectionism forces him to make brutal cuts as to what he will sink his focus on. If it isn't blunt or urgent, it'll get set to the side. When it plays into his own anxiety, insecurity, and self-defense, it makes it harder for him to see the forest for the trees.