Wait, you want a title?

[hospesi]

For the past couple of months, I've read so many Peter Parker in Gotham fics that I can't tell them apart anymore. Whenever I get an update notification, I sit there trying to figure out which one this was. Doesn't help that the subgenre has so many established common beats.

For my own sake and sanity, this is a list of some that do stand out, that either break the mould or use it well enough to be memorable anyway. These are the updates I crave.

And When You Fall by @blackbellabu Peter in Gotham, but arrives together with a strange little girl he's never seen before.

Die a Little Sweeter by @forestofbabel Throws the mould out the window entirely. Peter keeps visiting Gotham at different stages of his life.

Existential Crisis Mode by @luciaintheskyainthi Everyone knows this one, right? No transition via snap, or pit, or universal erasure spell, which stands out right from the start.

Home Sweet Home by @queenisdemilo This one hits a lot of the tropes, but it does it so well, and has me on the edge of my seat.

The Mime of Gotham City by @lemongrovesandcloves Peter lands in the hands of the Joker instead of the bats. Longing for the next chapter to this one!

Phantom Liberty by @kpeccati Skips the orientation, and is set when Batman is just starting his career.

Stuck in a Web by AislinnHeart The bats are hilariously incompetent when it comes to being reassuring and trustworthy.

The Unsteady Retirement of One Mr Peter Benjamin Parker by aestorian Peter has had it with hero work and just wants to be Peter Parker, but keeps being bugged by bats.

[hospesi]

It's nearing a year since I made this list, which means it's been more than a year since I first fell down this rabbit hole. While I'm not looking for new ones quite as often, I'm still down here.

Some of the entries on the list seem to have gone dormant, but I still hold out hope for updates in the future. There's probably a couple of new ones I should add to the list, though I'd need to hunt through the ao3 bookmarks to find them again.

Here's to year two of this!

[stitchthisfiona]

Today in niche genres of joke that I can never get enough of and will probably still be secretly thinking about four years later

[cleolinda]

[cleolinda]

[lotus0kid]

[lotus0kid]

[pomme-poire-peche]

[lotus0kid]

[sashaforthewin]

[thememedaddy]

[forestofbabel]

File under: spam I’m attempted to reply to, just to see

[hospesi]

I once got a spam e-mail with the subject line "Greetings from the great Illuminati" and that one hurt to delete.

[hospesi]

So, I have read very few superhero comics – I just find the convoluted continuities and resets and such to be overwhelming and off-putting. I am one of Those People, who mostly know the characters from movies, and from fanworks.

I did recently read the Isn't it Bromantic collection of Spider-Man/Deadpool. Found it quite fun. Led me to look up a bit more about Deadpool. And …

How are the things he's done not crossing the moral event horizon? The guy who, apparently, tortured an innocent bystander and his dogs to death is now just hanging out with Spider-Man? Was there a retcon or massive turnaround that these articles just skipped? What am I missing here?

[hospesi]

Well, I've gone and read a bunch of Deadpool comics now, and I'm still …

Like, is this retconned at some point? This is a comic with a lot of violence played for laughs, but even for its standards this seems a step beyond.

(From Deadpool #12 and #14)

[awhoreintheory]

This is my reenactment of all the peter parker in gotham stereotypes I've read in first person bc its fucking hilarious

I wake up still an orphan and homeless. This place fucking sucks, I think, as I continue to not take the obvious help of the rich people around me. Rich people eat babies or something, even though my spidey sense says they're ok.

Ugh I like these people, I think, as I continue to actively run away and avoid the people.

They mustn't know im without a guardian. Or food. Or running water. Or a home.

I am at the public library. The red head librarian is the one who sicced her weird rich friends on me. And also the vigilantes that stalk me at night for some reason thst couldn't possibly be because im a unaccompanied, starved, bruised and homeless looking (and smelling) minor wondering around at night

She gives me free food and tells me where homeless shelters are, which, rude

I wiggle my eyebrows convincingly, explaing that my totally alive foster dad is waiting for me

No one believes me

Her rich friends congregate here. That guy looks like my dad. Omg that guy looks like my uncle. This is crazy.

I run away dramatically.

They corner me.

"Peter!" They cry, all 10 of them in unison. My dad-not-dad sobs into a photoshopped picture of me as a baby tim made. Except he just put my portait picture over a baby's body.

"No! You dont understand! Im— im unlovable and have severe trust issues because everyone i love literally dies. Like, we're going four for four (or five for five depending on if im MCU) dude."

"Its ok everyone has already died and come back to life before"

"Fire."

"So we can adopt you now?"

I point behind him. "No there's a fire, its a mandatory Halloween chapter and firefly just broke out. Also, im totally gonna go taunt the joker and give you guys a heart attack"

The look at me heartbroken, knowing of my flighty nature. I expertly evade these highly trained and much more experience vigilantes in my pursuit of justice.

"JUSTICE" I yell. "JUSTICE FOR GATHAM" a building falls on me, heroically.

"JUSTICEEEEEE"

I am also beat by the joker with a crowbar for no particular reason

no justice.

My dad-not-dad swoops in the nick of time with the rest of my could-be family. I am saved but also my legs are like. Sangwoo'ed so now I cant run away

They nurse me back to health (because I cant run away) I begrudgingly begin to get attached but also im still a flight risk lowkey. They put trackers in my shoes or some shit

My metabolism also fucks me over on wet concrete and they all sadly awww at my ribs jutting out and also im either de aged or really really small for my age

My OP as fuck spidey sense tells me where the trackers are so I can eat them and run away again

Either through magic, the speed force, or science they find out im from another dimension

"Omg hes not a clone!"

Or he is. Who knows

"Omg hes from another universe!"

Or hes not. Who knows

"Omg he IS your son dick you slut"

Yeah

I also avoid my dad-not-dad like the plague and now have had very little interaction with him so its awkward lowkey

But I also have deadass amazing chemistry with my not-uncle-ben jason (bc we're part of the dead kid club)

I live happily ever after (or I dont)

Thank you for reading my condensed stereotypes of peter parker in gotham + dick is Richard Parker tag

[hospesi]

Well, there go my plans for the evening.

[hospesi]

It's fun when you can tell a fic was written by someone raised on Chromebooks. Sure, the vigilantes who are super defensive of their secret identities definitely keep their case notes in a Google doc! What else is there?

[hospesi]

I love it when Tumblr decides that there are only seven or so posts on the entire website worth reading, and shows me those seven over and over again every time I load my feed.

[hospesi]

So, I have read very few superhero comics – I just find the convoluted continuities and resets and such to be overwhelming and off-putting. I am one of Those People, who mostly know the characters from movies, and from fanworks.

I did recently read the Isn't it Bromantic collection of Spider-Man/Deadpool. Found it quite fun. Led me to look up a bit more about Deadpool. And …

How are the things he's done not crossing the moral event horizon? The guy who, apparently, tortured an innocent bystander and his dogs to death is now just hanging out with Spider-Man? Was there a retcon or massive turnaround that these articles just skipped? What am I missing here?

[hospesi]

not exactly peter in gotham/dcu but i really like Walk A Mile by JeanjacketCarf (https://archiveofourown.org/works/70901481/chapters/184356551) for a fresh take on the spider-man/batman crossover fics. It's only two chapters thus far but they're both, like, really well written despite only being set-up for what i assume will be the larger plot.

Thanks for the recommendation; I really liked this. It's nice that there are some that go off the beaten path.

Fingers crossed it'll keep going!

[lurafita]

I love ur Peter in Gotham stuff!! Do u have any good fic recommendations? :D

Yes, quite a few. But many are WIPs, so be warned.

I think my favorite is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56190433 (The Ghosts of Gotham Opera, by Unctrlablyalt (tay_tay19) It's finished, and has a sequel

I love the little details that are thrown in, and especially that there isn't too much drama and angst about the secret identities and how Peter joins the Batfam. The platonic relationships are very nicely written and wholesome. It is a fic I come back to read again when I need a pick me up. ;-)

Next is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72953426 (I'm Here, I'm Alive, by leiah1) WIP, but what is there already is absolutely worth it, and it seems very likely to me that this fic will be finished by the author. Peter/Spidey gets to be the actual bamf that he is. I feel like a lot of crossover fics noob Peter down a lot and don't really take his various enhancements into account. Enhanced strength, speed, senses, flexibility, durability, healing, and an extra sense that warns him of danger. Spidey can dodge freaking mashine gun fire at bullet point, and some people have him get beat up by normal street thugs?? I'm not trying to hate on these fics or the people that enjoy them, to each their own. But I was so, so absolutely over the moon happy when I started reading this gem of a fic. Where the author appreciates what an absolute badass Spidey is.

Next, we have: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62740825 (Home Sweet Home, by Queenisdemilo) WIP, but over 300k so far and updates are fairly regular. I love the familial relationships here, especially between Dick and Peter. Now, I need to warn you, this fic gets angsty. There are some heavy themes later on. But in my opinion, the author handles those fantastically, and it makes you all the more invested in reading the story and vibrating out of your chair in anticipation for the next update.

Now on to a newer one: https://archiveofourown.org/works/74536201 (The Comprehensive Guide to caring for your newly acquired spider-child, by GardenofPastels) WIP, so far only 3 chapters in, BUT!!!!

It's a very innovative concept that I hadn't seen before. I don't want to say too much here, and encourage you to just roll the dice and find out. I think it's save to say you haven't seen this kind of story in the "Peter Parker in Gotham" trope before. :-)

Another favorite is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59530195 (Dream a little dream of me, by GreenDragonsinger, Queeniegold) WIP, and seeing as the last update has been a bit ago, I'm a little worried about whether or not this fic will be finished

BUT, I think it is worth reading what is there already, even if the fic should not reach completion. It is one of the rare fics where Peter enters the DC universe as an adult. A familial connection with Dick is still established (though it sadly hasn't really been explored as of yet, but I will not give up hope that a new chapter will come one day) Peter is snarky, bamfy, and very invested in caring for the Wayne children. Also, Spideypool!

One fic that is dear to my heart is: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55345306 (Existential Crisis Mode, by LuciaInTheSky) WIP, but so far pretty steady updates and a devout following. We trust that the author will not leave us hanging. It's a Jason/Peter ship fic. And the growing relationship between those two is so masterfully written, so incredibly beautifully detailed, that I have no words that could do it justice. Peter's powers and the effects of his dimension hopping are also a very important and super interesting and unique plot point, and I'm just loving every minute of this fic.

One last one before I have to call it a night: https://archiveofourown.org/works/69380121 (Turn back time; while moving forward, by Bluehairdye) WIP, but I'm very positive towards the fic's future updates so far.

It's another rare plot, where Peter isn't just thrown into gotham, but actually reincarnated into it. (while having his memories from his previous life) He is Dick's son, and we get to see him as a baby. And see Dick panic when his baby starts climbing the walls and ceiling. 🤣 Very heartwarming fic, with little funny bits (and some angsty ones as well)

I do have a few more recs, I think, but some of them might not get updated and I don't know how you feel about this. But do let me know if any of these are new for you, or if you have read them already. If you have, please tell me your thoughts about them. I love talking fic with other fans. :-)

Thank you very much for your question and I hope you have a wonderful day!

[forestofbabel]

It’s rude how difficult it is sometimes to find fics where Peter Parker is an adult. Especially when you’re looking for a specific trope that is over populated with NWH versions of the character. And then sometimes I find a fic and the premise is good and they’re like “Peter is 22!” And I cheer! And then Peter gets de-aged to 15 or younger and I’m like… this is the exact opposite of what I want actually.

[hospesi]

Hard agree. At this point, it feels like many fics do the de-aging just because that's the established trope rather than for any real purpose. Die a Little Sweeter and Existential Crisis Mode are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head that don't have a de-aged Peter.

[hospesi]

I've not seen any of the new Stranger Things season. I lost a lot of interest after season 4 flipped the antagonist from "alien cosmic malevolence" to "guy with daddy issues". Judging by the discourse™, I've not made a bad choice.

[hospesi]

Ever read a fic tagged "X is a good friend" and come away from it sort of ... worried about the health of the author's social circle?

[hospesi]

You laugh at one funny video of a spider spinning around in its web, and suddenly your For You page is nothing but horrifying close-ups of insects and arachnids. I swear, Tumblr's algorithm must be the worst in the business. The only way to survive that page is to aggressively, and I mean aggressively, mute tags. The "not interested" button does nothing.

[theotherendcomics]