DC Universe Batch 1: Spelunking in Smallville
A while back, a certain Bigger Than Cheese comic entitled I wish I could bat-quit you showed up on my friendspage. First, I threw my head back and laughed and laughed. Then I thought, I'm sure I've read some good Clark/Bruce... And started planning this rec list.
The fact is, I've only read a little -- I really like many of the DCU fics I've read, but I am not and have never been immersed in the fandom. I mean, I basically fell for the Clark/Lex Smallville pairing before ever watching an episode of Smallville, and eventually discovered DCU through those. Nevertheless, I've read some excellent stuff, and some of it sprung particularly to mind when I saw that comic.
So here: 2 Clark/Bruce fics (both pure DCU, I think, one brooding and one more light-hearted), 2 Lex/Bruce fics, and 1 Lex/Clark fic that also features Tim, Kon, and Bruce.
Out of the Rain by Zee. Bruce/Clark, NC-17. This has the dark gritty angst that goes so well with Batman and just a touch of the sweet that Clark can't help but evoke, all wrapped into terse, hidden-layered dialogue and urgent, hot action. Brief, but excellent.
The Penthouse by Jintian. Bruce/Clark, NC-17. Clark and Lois attend one of Bruce Wayne's parties, as told from Clark's perspective. Shameless PWP, deliciously hot and relatively angst-free.
Serious Earth by Jane St Clair. Bruce finds comfort in Lex after the brutal events of the Arkham Asylum graphic novel. Jane has a way with poetic darkness and the deep brokenness of characters. A short, shadowed, and atmospheric coda -- a little confusing without having read the graphic novel, but not impossibly so. Much more Batverse than Smallville in tone and focus.
Kitsunegari by Basingstroke. Lex/Bruce, maybe PG-13ish for violence, swearing, and kissing? I'm not very good at assigning ratings. Clark is missing, and Lex brings in Bruce to help find him. Smallville-centered. Long, plotty, and full of history, with fascinating character interactions.
Reconcilable Differences by astolat/Shalott. Clark/Lex, Kon (some Tim and Bruce and the other Teen Titans), probably NC-17. I sort of suspect that this fic has everything I might ever want in a Smallville/DCU fic. Seriously. Kon trying to fix his parents' relationship, Tim reluctantly and snarkily helping, ridiculous amounts of sexual tension, interesting plot setup, fantastic dialogue, Lex Luthor and Batman playing World of Warcraft. It is blissfully long and oh so very worth it. I love this fic with a giddy, deep abandon. The sequel, Vacation, is also marvelous, featuring the totally adorable beginnings of Tim/Kon, a pairing dear to my heart, and which will probably get its own rec list eventually.
I've been sort of MIA for the past week, and even for the couple of weeks before that I hadn't been around as much as I had been. This will probably continue until the end of the quarter in mid-June. Hopefully I'll still manage to put together the occasional list, but I won't be reading and commenting nearly as much as I had been there for awhile. This summer I really need to work on finding a nice balance of moderation, instead of this all-or-nothing alternating thing I've got going on.
The fact is, I've only read a little -- I really like many of the DCU fics I've read, but I am not and have never been immersed in the fandom. I mean, I basically fell for the Clark/Lex Smallville pairing before ever watching an episode of Smallville, and eventually discovered DCU through those. Nevertheless, I've read some excellent stuff, and some of it sprung particularly to mind when I saw that comic.
So here: 2 Clark/Bruce fics (both pure DCU, I think, one brooding and one more light-hearted), 2 Lex/Bruce fics, and 1 Lex/Clark fic that also features Tim, Kon, and Bruce.
Out of the Rain by Zee. Bruce/Clark, NC-17. This has the dark gritty angst that goes so well with Batman and just a touch of the sweet that Clark can't help but evoke, all wrapped into terse, hidden-layered dialogue and urgent, hot action. Brief, but excellent.
The Penthouse by Jintian. Bruce/Clark, NC-17. Clark and Lois attend one of Bruce Wayne's parties, as told from Clark's perspective. Shameless PWP, deliciously hot and relatively angst-free.
Serious Earth by Jane St Clair. Bruce finds comfort in Lex after the brutal events of the Arkham Asylum graphic novel. Jane has a way with poetic darkness and the deep brokenness of characters. A short, shadowed, and atmospheric coda -- a little confusing without having read the graphic novel, but not impossibly so. Much more Batverse than Smallville in tone and focus.
Kitsunegari by Basingstroke. Lex/Bruce, maybe PG-13ish for violence, swearing, and kissing? I'm not very good at assigning ratings. Clark is missing, and Lex brings in Bruce to help find him. Smallville-centered. Long, plotty, and full of history, with fascinating character interactions.
Reconcilable Differences by astolat/Shalott. Clark/Lex, Kon (some Tim and Bruce and the other Teen Titans), probably NC-17. I sort of suspect that this fic has everything I might ever want in a Smallville/DCU fic. Seriously. Kon trying to fix his parents' relationship, Tim reluctantly and snarkily helping, ridiculous amounts of sexual tension, interesting plot setup, fantastic dialogue, Lex Luthor and Batman playing World of Warcraft. It is blissfully long and oh so very worth it. I love this fic with a giddy, deep abandon. The sequel, Vacation, is also marvelous, featuring the totally adorable beginnings of Tim/Kon, a pairing dear to my heart, and which will probably get its own rec list eventually.
I've been sort of MIA for the past week, and even for the couple of weeks before that I hadn't been around as much as I had been. This will probably continue until the end of the quarter in mid-June. Hopefully I'll still manage to put together the occasional list, but I won't be reading and commenting nearly as much as I had been there for awhile. This summer I really need to work on finding a nice balance of moderation, instead of this all-or-nothing alternating thing I've got going on.