"ARE YOU MAN -- OR FIEND FROM HELL?"

GOTHAM-CRUSADER

Indie Bruce Wayne / Batman of Detective Comics
Mixed Canon
Mid-Low Activity
Penned by Max (21+)

"TONIGHT, I AM THE LAW"

Heya, name’s Max. I’m a 21+ non-binary Jew. You may also know me from my main blog, maximummuses. I’ve been writing on tumblr on a semi-consistent basis for about four years, give or take.

Obligatory legal disclaimer first: I do not claim to own Batman or any associated characters. All rights belong to their respective owners and copyright holders nor do I claim to be associated with the aforementioned owners and copyright holders. Furthermore, all art/assets on this blog do not belong to me, they belong to their respective owners, creators, and copyright holders. However, unless stated otherwise, all icons were cropped and edited by me. Do not steal them.

CONTENT

  • Standard etiquette stuff. Don't be an asshole, don't be bigoted, anything like that. Being a dick OOC or being a bigot has no place on this blog. You will be blocked.

  • No godmodding or metagaming. Just be mindful of what your muse or muses reasonably would or wouldn't know about Bruce.

  • I am primarily comics based. While I draw on some elements from animated adaptations of the character, I will largely be eschewing live action influences.

  • Do not treat me as if I am Batman. I’m just writing him. Treating me as if I am my muse and that his actions are mine will result in you being blocked.

  • I am OC and Crossover friendly, as long as there is an about page for me to get a sense of who the muse is and what their deal is.

  • Triggers will be tagged as "tw TRIGGER". I'll do my best to tag anything that might be triggering but please tell me if I missed something.

  • However, do be aware that themes of violence, death, crime, mental illness, and dysfunctional families will be present on this blog. If these themes may be upsetting to you, then please do not follow.

  • Regarding my own triggers, please tag any content relating to Self-Harm, the Holocaust, and Current Events.

  • Unless my name comes up, don't drag me into any RP Drama. I'm tired and it gives me a headache.

TECHNICAL

  • This blog is mutuals only. If you have a side-blog that's an RP blog, shoot me an ask or a message and I'll be sure to check you out there. Do not unfollow/refollow to get my attention, you'll just get blocked.

  • Be eighteen or over. Do not lie about your age.

  • Make sure to cut your posts. Do not reblog an ask to start a thread, just make a new post and link the ask in there.

  • This blog will be running on a semi-consistent queue, but I will be online when time permits.

  • Don't be pushy with either these rules or my replies. These rules exist for a reason and replies will happen when they happen.

SHIPPING & SMUT

  • Shipping is allowed on this blog, though be aware that it is not the main focus of this blog.

  • In addition, be aware that Bruce can be a difficult muse to ship with. He is secretive, emotionally unavailable, and prioritizes his mission as Batman over his love life.

  • I am open to shipping with most of the Rogues, but BatJokes is a hard no.

  • Similarly, I am not shipping Bruce with any of the Robins or Batgirls. They are his children and will be regarded as such.

  • Smut, conversely, will not be on this blog, though I am comfortable with answering questions about Bruce's sex life and fading to black if it ever does happen.

  • Basically just use your best judgement.

This should about cover everything. While not a strict requirement, I do appreciate it if any new followers would go to my inbox and complete the phrase "Gotham is..." in three words or less to indicate that they've read my rules. Not a requirement, but still appreciated.

"DID I FINALLY REACH THE LIMITS OF REASON? AND FIND THE DEVIL WAITING?"

HISTORY

Bruce Wayne was born into wealth, as the single child and sole heir of millionaires Thomas and Martha Wayne. Thomas was a doctor, Martha was an activist. Bruce grew up in Wayne Manor, adored by his parents and the family butler, Alfred Pennyworth.

He was, by all accounts, a happy and lovely child.

But his childhood came to an end on June 26th, at the tender age of eight. After a night at the movies, the Waynes cut through an alley in Park Row, where they were stopped by a man with a gun. Two shots were fired. Thomas and Martha fell dead, the killer ran into the shadows, and Bruce watched it all unfold before his eyes.

Alfred took custody of the boy, but he was forever changed. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of justice, vengeance, and fear. He vowed to wage war on all crime, and promised on the spirits of his mother and father that he would rid Gotham City of the evil that took their lives.

At sixteen years of age, Bruce Wayne vanished from the Earth, letting those closest to him think he was reunited with his parents. In truth, he was traveling the globe, honing his body and mind into keen weapons with which to fight the criminal scourge. It would be during these travels that Bruce would come to understand that he cannot wage war on crime without first becoming criminal himself.

At twenty-seven, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City, finding that it has become worse now than when he was a boy. He fought crime as an anonymous masked man, but these early days proved ineffective. He had to make himself into something larger than life. Criminals were a superstitious, cowardly lot. His disguise must strike terror into their hearts.

A bat crashed through the window of his father's study, and Bruce knew what he had to become.

Creating a new costume for himself, and donning a black cowl, he became THE BATMAN.

Through his years, he has risen and fallen; made allies and enemies; found triumph and victory. But what has never been lost is his drive to create a world where no one will ever lose his parents the same way he has.

INSPIRATIONS & CANON

[My depiction of Batman is heavily mixed canon, drawing from elements of both New Earth canon and Prime Earth canon, along with minor elements from various Black Label Batman comics, the animated film Batman: Gotham Knight, and the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood. In addition to the above, I also take a lot of influence from the Film Noir/Neo Noir genre and the Horror genre.]

[With regards to characterization, I primarily base my depiction of Batman on the writings of Dennis O'Neil, Paul Dini, Scott Snyder, Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Peter J. Tomasi.]

[Since I strongly dislike how Batman's main canon has been written in recent years, the majority of storylines from Rebirth and onwards will be ignored. Any references made to those events will be written off as a rumor. Characters introduced from Rebirth onwards are exempt from this rule.]

"AND WAS THAT FEAR IN HIS EYES?"

ERAS & VERSES

ERA - DARK KNIGHT

[My default for writing. Modern day Bruce in his late 40s, struggling with his mortality while still carrying on as Batman.]
[This era also covers everything from taking on Dick as Robin onwards, so it can be flexible, but unless stated otherwise I default to Bruce in his late 40s.]

ERA - ALL ALONE

Bruce Wayne is ten years old. Two years ago, his mother and father were murdered in front of him. Two years, and it feels like everyone has given up on finding their killer. But not him. He can't.

ERA - BLACK DAWN

Bruce Wayne is twenty-seven years old. After eleven years of training, he has returned to Gotham. His mission has just begun, and by night, Gotham's criminals find themselves plagued by the Batman.

ERA - LAST DAYS

Bruce Wayne is in his sixties. Alfred has died of old age, as has Jim. His family has moved on. But not him. Not while his body still has some fight left in it.

ERA - BEYOND

Bruce Wayne is in his late seventies. Some ten-odd years ago, a heart attack forced him into retirement. He wasted away in his manor, a recluse, until a seventeen year old punk named Terry McGinnis found him. Said his father was murdered. Now, Terry acts as Batman, while Bruce aids from the cave as a retired warrior. It's a good life.

VERSE - NIGHT CITY KNIGHT

When Thomas and Martha Wayne were killed by a gang, Bruce Wayne lost his family's fortune. He grew up on the streets of Night City, hunting for his parents' killer. In his teenage years, he learned that the Arasaka Corporation put the hit out on the Waynes. Training with Solos of fortune, Bruce Wayne sets out as the Batman, aiming to take vengeance on Arasaka for the murder of his parents.

VERSE - WASTELAND BAT

No one knows where the Batman came from, really. Some say his family was butchered by the Fiends. Some say he's a Ghoul. A rare few believe him to be some kind of pre-war Mutant. No matter his origin, what is universally recognized as truth is that the Batman emerges in the dead of night, picking off raider groups and leaving only one survivor to spread his tale across the Wasteland.