Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: none
Length: 2,200 words
Author on LJ: petronelle (no longer in use)
Author Website: Petra on Ao3
Why this must be read: Crossover time!  Let's hear it for due South plus DC's Batman comics.

I love cop stories and I love silliness.  Fraser and Kowalski running amok pursuing criminals in Blüdhaven with the help of the Bat-family's usual vigilante activity certainly fits the bill. Petra writes solid characterization for both 'verses and does a good job contrasting the brands of surreality that each uses.  Fraser and Nightwing discuss cross-dressing for justice, Nightwing and Ray are annoyed at each other's methods, and Robin plays bait.

For reasons that do not need exploring at this juncture, Benton Fraser is on a rooftop in Blüdhaven, New Jersey, a city which Ray describes as having "all the charm of a pig farm in July without the damn bacon."...

Travelled on his looks

Fandom: DC Universe (Justice League)
Pairing: Batman/Flash (Bruce/Wally)
Length: 1,344
Rating: PG
Warnings: general spoilers for the cartoon, brief mention of character death
Author on LJ:
Author's Website: AlphaKantSpell on AO3
Summary: Like everyone, Wally assumed Bruce's daemon was a bat. It fit the whole persona, the costume, and the creature of the night routine. Wally should have known Bruce would never be what people expected he was.

Why this must be read: I've stumbled across a few stories that make Bruce's daemon something dangerous, which I completely understand, but this story gives us Bruce with a daemon that's something unexpected. Bruce's psychology has always fascinated me, and AlphaKantSpell goes into it just enough here to show how much it takes for him to let someone in. I'd never read Bruce/Wally before (I stick to Bruce/Joker usually), but I found this to be a great one-shot about how someone as upbeat as Wally could affect Bruce. The fic is told entirely from Wally's perspective as he tries to figure out what Bruce's daemon is. It's a terrific plot device that gives us insight into both of them.

As with most DC fic, a general idea of the characters is enough to follow along. This is written specifically to follow the Justice League cartoon, but I've never seen an episode and I had no trouble. This was written in a way that really had me understanding Wally--a character I tend to overlook. If you're a fan of the Flash in any form, definitely check this one out.

To Know and Be Known

PSA: The comics fandom Crack Van needs more drivers! PLEASE go sign up here or it might go away as a Monthly Fandom.

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Bruce/Clark
Length: 5,300 words
Author on LJ: jij, mithen
Author Website: on AO3
Why this must be read:
This is an older story in the fandom, but still cute and fun. Superman is turned into a dog until his true love recognizes him. How cute is that?!?! Also, Batman baby-talking a puppy.

All of Mithen's stories are great, by the way, so be sure to go take a look and leave feedback!

Puppy Love, or The Dog Prince by Jen

Fandom: DC Comics/Marvel Comics
Pairing: Nightwing/Deadpool
Length: 1,103 words
Author on LJ: museofspeed
Author Website: on AO3, fic masterlist
Why this must be read:
Two masters of mid-fight banter meet! There's really only one way to shut either of them up, right? Fun little fic involving two of my favorite characters.

Yadda Yadda by museofspeed

Fandom: DC Comics (Teen Titans - comics universe version)
Pairing: Tim Drake/Kon-El (AKA - Red Robin/Superboy)
Length: 4,800 words
Author on LJ: sans_pertinence
Author Website: on Dreamwidth
Why this must be read:
Actually, you really need to just mosey on over to Dreamwidth and read EVERYTHING that irrelevant has written, because it is all fantastic. Now, that said, read this story in particular because Kon being hit over the head by a sudden, lusty clue-by-four because Tim was wearing his boxers is just too perfect. The dialogue and characterization is EXCELLENT. This story had me giggling and d'awwwing and smiling for awhile after the fact.

( Sample of the awesome. )

don't bogart the Bat logo, dude by irrelevant

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Tim Drake/Conner Kent (AKA - Robin/Superboy, Tim/Kon)
Length: 18,667 words
Author on LJ: traincat
Author Website: on AO3, on DreamWidth
Why this must be read:
Tim's father finding out about his secret life as Robin was the start of a whole lot of change in the Batfamily, and no amount of universe retconning can make fans forget about the pathos of those issues. This story posits that Tim and Kon were in a relationship prior to it all and deals with the fallout of Tim dropping off the radar... and Kon not accepting that. And yet, it is surprisingly lacking in the UBER-ANGST and massive melodrama that a lot of stories centering around this idea have. Somehow, the understated nature of this story makes it even better. The characters feel real and no one is vilified, not even Jack Drake. This story is sweet and lovely.

This is one of my absolute favorite stories centering around these events in the comics and I highly recommend it. :D

Gonna Be A Better One (A Thousand Miles To Your Door) by Traincat

Fandom: COMICS (Iron Man movieverse and DC comicsverse)
Pairing: none
Length: 5,504 words
Author on LJ: galaxysoup
Author Website: galaxysoup on AO3
Why this must be read:
Tony finds out that sidekicks have a slightly lower mortality rate than wise-cracking bestfriends through his "research" into comic books, so he finds someone to train Pepper to be his sidekick (no, she will NOT let him call her Iron Maiden). This story is fantastic because it is so true to every character. The author gently makes fun of the standard comics tropes while at the same time staying within their bounds, making this a lovely story with layers to it. She never actually states WHO Alvin Draper is, but if you have read DC you should know, which gives this story a delicious undercurrent -- so many things left implied, and yet you still come away from the story satisfied. Do give this story a try, it's fantastic!

On the Care and Feeding of Superheroes, by Pepper Potts and Alvin Draper by galaxysoup

Fandom: COMICS (notably DC Universe, DC Animated Universe - Young Justice continuity, and Global Frequency)
Pairing: none
Length: 2,568 words
Author on LJ: amaresu
Author Website: amaresu on AO3, amaresu's fic on LJ
Why this must be read:
Global Frequency is one of those comics that works well with just about ANYTHING. It is also one of the few comics I go back and reread on occasion (and I watch my copy of the unaired pilot episode of the stillborn show based on it, BECAUSE IT IS AWESOME). I love this story because it is about Miranda Zero recruiting... and everyone who has read GF knows how fun THAT always is. In this case, she's recruiting heroes... and it is her reasons for recruiting and the reactions of her recruits that make this a fantastic little story. It had me grinning, anyway.

Recruitment gone viral by amaresu

Fandom: INCEPTION / DC UNIVERSE - BATMAN COMICS
Pairing: Arthur/Eames (pre-slash), Tim Drake/Dick Grayson (past)
Length: ~ 11,600 words
Author on LJ: ethrosdemon
Author Website: Bibliotecque; Dream a Little Dream Inception Tag on LJ
Why this must be read: I could've recommended any one of ethrosdemon's stories and been happy, but this is a story for which I have a particular fondness. I'm a huge fan of stories that present me with a truth and then convince me of it. This is one of those.

If you don't know anything about Batman, the author has some notes and a basic primer. Essentially, you need to know (in the simplest terms) that there were 3 Robins: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake. What you need to know about Tim Drake is that he was one of the most focused of the Robins; smart, lethal, and possibly the most like Batman himself. Secretive, particular, and loyal to a fault not only describes Tim Drake, but the man he grew up to be: Arthur from Inception.

The thing is, I can believe this version. I can totally imagine Tim getting out of the vigilante business and still ending up in a world that's larger than life and just as dangerous. It would be pretty hard to be the sidekick/partner to BATMAN, and go on to have a normal life.

So, even if you don't know anything about Batman, read this with an open mind and imagine. If you don't know anything about Inception, same thing goes although you might have it slightly easier. Still, the story works, and not only does it have Arthur trying to resolve family issues (as only the screwed-up Bat!family can), but Eames happens to be in Gotham City, and not surprisingly, gets entangled in Arthur's secrets. Sometimes even heroes need to trust someone, and no matter who your family is ... at the end of the day, they're still family. Lovely insight into both fandoms. Let ethrosdemon make a believer out of you, too.

( Gotham is Arthur's broken heart )

On LJ: The Inescapable Truth

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)/Supergirl
Length: 273 words
Author on LJ: ladymordecai,
Author Website: AO3, fanfiction tag
Why this must be read:

One of the interesting things about comics is how often things are rebooted, as new writers take old characters and make them their own.  Sometimes the reboots are small, and sometimes they're huge.  As we gear up for the big reboot of the DC universe, let's take a moment to remember the last major universe reboot, the Crisis.

This fic is a lot shorter than I would normally rec (only 273 words!) but every one of those words packs a punch.  It's about Barbara, afterwards, watching the skies for something she doesn't know.

Persistence of Memory

Fandom: HIGHLANDER/Batman (comics)
Pairing: none on-screen
Length: 3,625 words
Author on LJ: melannen, but this author is inactive on LJ and can instead be found on DreamWidth
Author Website: on Ao3
Why this must be read:

This little gem of a story is, quite simply, delightful. I had a grin on my face through reading it. OF COURSE a Timothy Drake in the world of Highlander would end up as a Watcher! How could our creepy little obsessive stalker-boy NOT!? Also, Richard Gracen, RICHARD GRACEN! Fusion between Richie Ryan and Dick Grayson, of course, but using the name Gracen (Elizabeth Gracen was the actor who played Amanda in Highlander). That is excellent, right there. This story is fun, witty, and the undercurrents are simply delicious. In a battle of wills between Methos and Batman, who would YOU bet on?

Observe and Record by melannen

Hello! My name is cloudtrader and it is my honor to drive the Highlander van this month. I've gotten permission from the mods to do a little something different for my turn at the wheel, too. Highlander is the little black dress of fanfic... you can basically fit it into just about ANY fandom there is. In fact, I kinda don't consider a fandom to be mature until people have written a crossover with Highlander for it. So this month I'm going to feature exclusively Highlander crossovers!



Fandom: HIGHLANDER/Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman/Batman (comics)
Pairing: Clark Kent/Lois Lane
Length: 22,153 words
Author on LJ: ffutures
Author Website: Marcus Rowland's work archived on AO3
Why this must be read:

Nine Lives was written awhile back, but that's okay, all of the fandoms involved are pretty old, too. Lois & Clark was a delightful and still beloved version of the DCU for me and in this story we get to look back at the 1990's from a future perspective (I love the line about Lois wondering what eBay is). This gives the story a nostalgic feeling, but don't worry, the pacing and action of the story put you right into it. This is a very plot-driven story where you as the reader take a ride with the characters to try and solve the mystery centered around headless bodies, a Toledo Salamanca sword up for auction being bid on by powerful elites like Bruce Wayne, and a conspiracy between a newspaper social reporter and those same powerful elites. You know more than Lois and Clark do, but you still have to work out the intricacies of what is happening with them. I found the characterizations and motivations of the entire cast of this story, original characters included, very compelling. The resolution of the story fits well with all the universes involved, too. This is a fun romp and an excellent read.


Nine Lives by Marcus L. Rowland

Fandom: DC Universe (subcategory: animated)
Pairing: Bruce "The Batman" Wayne/Clark "Superman" Kent
Length: just over 7,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown (please let me know if you know!)
Author Website: irrelevant's journal tags
Why this must be read:
Bruce Wayne isn't the most emotionally intelligent person in the world. And yes, yes I DO have a talent for understatement, thanks. This is more of a character study, but don't let that put you off, there is plot in there, too! The author has a crisp, clear style of prose and a very nicely nuanced way of expressing emotion. Very good stuff. (I really must figure out how DW works so I can leave authors feedback there...)

Five Times Batman Got It Wrong (and one time Brucie didn't)

Hiya, I'm cloudtrader and I'll be driving the van for DC this month. I'm much more nervous driving for this fandom than I was driving for Sherlock two months ago because it is so huge and has so much history behind it. Forgive me if I mess up and re-rec something that has already been recced, but I shall try my best not to. This is one of my oldest fandoms and one of the very few that I've actually written in myself, but I still feel I don't know it as well as I should, so please feel free to recommend to me stories you think I should recommend to this community. All that said, yay superheroes!

Fandom: DC Multiverse (subcategories: Teen Titans, Gotham)
Pairing: none (maybe a little Cassie/Kon if you squint)
Length: just under 5k words
Author on LJ: marag
Author Website: More of this authors work can be found on her website, Diversions & Digressions.
Why this must be read:
I love me my comics angst, but I also adore the zany side of modern comics. This story is a Teen Titans-era fic that has the flavor and feel of Young Justice. This author has a clever and witty style of writing that made me literally giggle out loud in several spots.

This is Cassie, Bart, Kon, and Tim going on a night on the town as regular teenagers. Said town being Gotham, it doesn't cooperate.

A Night on the Town

So, yeah. I'm back! Computer issues, you know? I'll do better from now on.

Fandom: Batman Comicverse/Batman Movieverse
Pairing: Tim Drake/Jason
Length: 5512 words
Author on LJ: alexiel_neesan 
Author Website: Here
Why this must be read: Essentially, Tim and Jason get dropped into the movieverse, directly after the events of The Dark Knight. It's a fantastic and angsty study of the characters and the differences between the comics and the movies. The author has written more in this universe, which you can find through the links on her master list.

We Will Never Save the World: The Dark Knight

Fandom: BATMAN/POPSLASH
Pairing: Bruce Wayne/Justin
Length: ~3,850
Author on LJ: bossymarmalade
Author Website: Unaware
Why this must be read: Oops! I posted this to the wrong journal. ANYWHO!
It's crossover day and I have AWESOMENESS to offer: it's BATMAN and POPSLASH all in one place!

What I love about this fic is that Maggie throws a superhero into the mix and it doesn't even feel weird. It's possible that this is the case because popslash has a tendency to embrace the weird but I think Maggie's done a great job of merging the two worlds together (of course, the Batman mythology is very helpful in this regard too). But anyway, she's taken these characters and given us a sexy little snippet of life on the brink of infatuation. It's a very interesting place to be.

Of course, there's also the wonderful bit of powerplay going on in this fic that just fills me with joy. There's something completely appealing about Justin not getting everything he wants. It's part of the fandom's Justin issues (or possibly just part of my personal Justin issues but whatevs), we've all got 'em and I don't feel bad embracing them when I read this story because no one tells Bruce Wayne what to do. Right?


( Have an excerpt )

It Was All Very Tidy

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: no pairing, Babs Gordon, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake
Length: medium
Author on LJ: basingstoke
Author Website: For anything prior to 09/07/05, there's her website; for anything more recent, check her fanfic tag.
Why this must be read:
Because it's a beautifully crafted AU that makes you wonder just how important is Bruce Wayne, really? In canon, Babs Gordon became Batgirl before she'd met him, making her own costume and starting out on her own as a hero before making contact with Batman. In this story, Batman disappears before the two meet. Batman's dead, but the Bat still flies. Dick Grayson still becomes Robin, and Tim Drake still figures out who the Bat is by connecting Dick with Robin and working back. This story starts after he's found the Bat, and wonders: what happened to Batman?

The Mystery of the Bat

Fandom: DC COMICS/SMALLVILLE
Pairing: Chloe Sullivan/Clark Kent, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne
Length: medium-long
Author on LJ: fryadvocate
Author Website: http://fryadvocate.livejournal.com/tag/fanfic
Why this must be read:

Yes, Smallville is big enough that it gets a rec category of its own. And yes, Smallville has reimagined the DC universe in highly distinctive ways (but when has any adaptation not?). When you get right down to it, Smallville is still a DC world. fryadvocate proves she knows this by seamlessly inserting Chloe Sullivan into the regular DC world as a writer at the Daily Planet, less flashy than her cousin Lois but no less competent and no less strong. Having broken a story sure to piss off powerful people, she gets sent to Gotham to do a puff piece on Bruce Wayne--but her reporter's instincts tell her more's going on with the billionaire playboy than meets the eye. In the process of her investigation she learns more about Gotham--and its heroes--than she anticipates.

This story is a wonderful look at Gotham's underside from a different point of view than we're used to, an outsider's point of view, and it is beautifully done. It is also an excellent example of how to marry Smallville and comics canon.

Could End Up a Story.

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Babs Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle)
Length: short character piece
Author on LJ: dragonbat2006
Author Website: http://dragonbat2006.livejournal.com/tag/fanfiction
Why this must be read:

Because this fic is a well-written character study that shows us what was going on in Barbara Gordon's head at one of the most critical moments of her life. Babs Gordon was the first Batgirl; she eventually quit on her own without being forced out. Not long after, Joker decided to go after her father Jim Gordon the police commissioner; Babs opened the door to the Joker unsuspectingly, got shot (she lived, but was paralyzed from the waist down), and decided to turn herself into cyber-guru Oracle, tech and computer go-to girl for the whole bat-family. But she'd decided to leave the heroing business, and certainly she'd gotten a hard lesson in just what the collateral damage for standing up to Gotham's crazies could be. What made her go back, then of all times? Esther-Channah shows us, in the process giving us a look at a strong woman who makes her own choices and is not going to let any tragedy, even her own, destroy her.

On the Cusp