Let this newbie be the first to say welcome aboard and join you on the "this waiting thing sucks" bandwagon. Then again, Chapter 3's bound to
be worth the wait.
Until then, we can talk about Chapter 2. Ditto on the cat/Egyptian history: cool way to start the chapter.
I gotta say, Selina's debate on what to do with all that spare change was great. Some people wonder how to get money. She's wondering how to get rid
of it! 
I guess it's still nice to see that she still marches to her own beat. Even though a lot of what she does counts as crimefighting, it
wouldn't be as much fun if she officially put on the superhero (superheroine?) badge.
So...what the heck's going on with Harvey? Other guys here are wondering if he's reenacting Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or is there some copycat trying to
screw with his head. I think one of the rogues is trying to bring back Two-Face cuz he/she misses them so much. I mean, you remember the "funeral",
right? Can you imagine what the "Welcome back party" would be like?
Cat-Tale 55: I Believe in Harvey Dent
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 Penny for Thoughts |
#21 | |||
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Posts: 40 03/11/08 13:34 |
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ichigenka.gothampm |
#22 | |||
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Posts: 265 03/14/08 12:49 |
Interesting setup, the money is a problem that's been hinted at for a while now. I just can't see Bruce accepting it for the Foundation but at the same
time I could see him using as seed money to give low income area a new start.
As far as "Two-Face" is concerned, my guess is that it's Clayface. He hasn't done much for the last few chap and given his powers and acting skills... Lets just say it's not the first time he's been mistaken for Harv ;) While it would be semi awkward at the moment, I would like to see Cassie come to Selina for some more "mentoring" hinted at in the last storyline. ^_^ |
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Chris Dee |
#23 | |||
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Posts: 796 03/19/08 10:55 |
--Chris Dee
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element |
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BenRG |
Chapter 3 - The Second Chapter 2 | #24 | ||
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Posts: 307 03/19/08 11:48 |
Woah! A thought-provoking chapter. I daren't mention too much of it as it would classify a spoiler and a half. However, I congratulate you for creating a
possible explanation for "Two-Face" that no one here predicted.
Onto the secondary stuff first: Selina and Ivy. I love Selina's mental dissection of Ivy. In some ways, Pammy is as much a victim as she is an aggressor. I genuinely felt sorry for her as I considered pathetic hope in her words when she thought that Harvey was visiting her twice a day and the very obvious criticism of Harley in her story of the Crocus and the Smilax Vine (is that a real legend and plant, BTW? If it is, it is one creepy co-incidence). The way that she went hyper-aggressive after hearing that Harvey hadn't been visiting her was a real treat. Jason Blood is always an interesting wild card in any pack. I suspect that Ertrigan knows what is happening and is enjoying the chaos too much to help. I enjoyed Jason's thoughts on what might have happened to Harvey but I strongly suspect that they are a red herring.
DEFINITE SPOILER! READ AT OWN RISK!
Now, onto the really important stuff.
There is a definatel 'Hmm' factor with the character of Dr. Kevin Yarling. His obsession with the number 2 makes him a real possible Neo Two-Face, especially as all it would take is some decent theatre makeup or a simple hallowe'en mask to make the physical transformation. As has already been pointed out before, Two-Face's behaviour and quirks are in the public domain so it would be possible for a sufficiently focussed obsessive to recreate them. If this is the case, then I strongly suspect that he is the one who ran down Harvey - so Two-Face could be 'free' (cue drooling 'bwahahaha!')
However, I don't think that this is a plain copycat case. Harvey is almost certainly Patient Doe (Fate's bitch to the last it seems, poor Harvey  ). This rules out him as the Two-Face Bruce
encountered at Liberty One. However, it does not mean that it is necessarily a new Two-Face. What if Jason was wrong? What if Two-Face
isn't an aspect of Harvey but was a parasitic personality, perhaps one of Etrigan's old buddies? It is quite possible that it could now be
operating independently of its host. Either that or it jumped ship to Dr. Yarlilng during the operation and is now using him (his #2 obsession
being a vulnerability it needs to exploit to gain control). An exotic theory, I know, but I love her. 
That aside, I suspect that there is no way the real Two-Face will ever return. I strongly suspect that a combination of Harvey's injuries and Dr. Yarling's sterling neurosurgery (and what an irony it would be if Bruce were so impressed, he ensured that he was retained as a consultant to the Wayne Foundation - #1 at last!) will have removed him forever from Harvey's mind. Well, there isn't much else to be said except that I am waiting with bated breath for the next chapter. BenRG's Rating: 8.5/10 ~*~*~*~
They call me BenRG But... I don't know why... ~*~*~*~ |
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Random Equinox |
#25 | |||
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Posts: 292 03/19/08 22:26 |
Once again, the lines between "doing your own thing" and "crimefighting" gets a little more blurred. Granted, Selina's the obvious
choice to check up on Harvey, both directly and indirectly (via Pammy). She used to live in the area; she has an "in" with former and current rogues
that others would not; there's too much of a risk that someone could connect the dots between Bruce and Batman, in their current state; and, most
importantly, Selina actually cares about Harvey. Still, that overlap is getting wider and wider. Bruce's planning of Selina's next moves, while
reasonable, doesn't help matters. Mind you, she still manages to throw him a curve ball or two, and Bruce/Batman is willing to factor that in and improve
his ability to do his duty, so the drift goes both ways.
Again, Chris gave a perfect portrayal of Pammy. The painfully obvious jumps between her needs to connect with other people and humanity and her overcompensations to avoid, or recover from the slightest bit of, emotional hurt were spot-on, as was Selina's analysis of her. It's hard for me to feel for Pammy, but I did feel for her in this chapter, because I knew where she came from, how far she's travelled, and how she still has a ways to go. In contrast, two characters that I never have trouble feeling for, and always enjoy seeing, are Alfred and Jason. Alfred's appearance, while minimal, was everything you'd expect from the man who's seen and done more than most people, while still maintaining a proper and unflappable poise (though the jury may be up on that smile, there). Jason has always earned my admiration for being so cultured and dignified, despite everything that's happened to him. The fact that he has continued to embrace the Art, when he would be perfectly justified in shunning it, is a testament to his inner strength. I would not be surprised if he continued to play a role in this Cat-Tales, as the man who bears some responsibility for Harvey's "condition" and the repercussions (past, future, and, especially, present). So what's important and what's just the red herring? Or, to put it in other words, what's important and relevant to the case, and what's important in the sense of fleshing out another detail and nuance of Gotham City and her inhabitants? We'll have to wait for Chapter 4 (or 3), and see whether it sheds some light on the situation or just muddies the waters some more. |
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JabberwockyPie |
#26 | |||
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Posts: 53 03/19/08 23:33 |
I didn't get a chance to read Chapter 2, so I read two chapters at once today.
Oh Harvey. Harvey, Harvey, Harvey. I still believe in Harvey Dent. I can't wait for Chapter 4! Er, Chapter2^2, that is. |
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ichigenka.gothampm |
#27 | |||
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Posts: 265 03/20/08 12:56 |
hmmm interesting twist
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Letomo |
#28 | |||
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Posts: 23 03/20/08 21:07 |
Not much to say - just that I liked this chapter. Selina is growing a little, which is good. Bruce is finally realizing he has an experienced rogue available, and using her for advice [and not trying to hide it, either - that would just make her mad]. Alfred was one of my favourites of this chapter, despite his small usage, as he was spot on. The Crocus legend is mythologically correct, though I can't remember the name of the Nymph he pined for.
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Penny for Thoughts |
#29 | |||
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Posts: 40 03/21/08 23:19 |
Ooh! New chapter, and the twists keep on coming!
Wasn't there some Cat-Tales story (Identity Element, maybe?) where Jason was invited over to the Manor for dinner. That would be a neat thing to have in this story. Know what would be neater? The next chapter! Can't wait! |
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Fett One.gothampm |
#30 | |||
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Posts: 48 03/23/08 21:16 |
I liked that this chapter showed that no matter how much Ivy says otherwise, she really does want some human companionship. It helps remind people that no
matter how much you may despise her, she's still human like the rest of us.
I can't wait to see what's up with this Dr. Yarling guy. Is he the new Two-Face? If so is the John Doe Harvey? If not then has Harvey become Two-Face again? Or are we going to be thrown for a complete loop? |
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Chris Dee |
#31 | |||
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Posts: 796 03/28/08 14:54 |
Chapter 4: A Second Look is now available, just
in time for the weekend.
Given the increasingly intrusive nature of the ads on FanFiction.net and their ever changing and arbitrary support and non-support of numerous formatting tools and basic punctuation, I recommend reading on the official Cat-Tales website.
--Chris Dee
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element |
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BenRG |
Chapter 4 - A Second Look | #32 | ||
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Posts: 307 03/28/08 15:34 |
Another good chapter. I particularly liked the spoofed Bat-invasion of the Vault. I would like to know Eddie's opinion of Bruce's theatrical protection of his and Selina's respective covers. Of course, I doubt he would care much if a few of the more muscular Rogue-betas got beaten up a little but it strikes me as he would think it was sort of crude. Another nice point was Bruce's consideration for the doormen on Harvey's apartment block. I agree that he has a certain style from which
you want to protect the innocent. The scale of information obtained from Nick was impressive. I wonder if there was a little subconscious fear at
work there. Something I will have to ask Scarecrow...
~*~*~*~
They call me BenRG But... I don't know why... ~*~*~*~ |
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JabberwockyPie |
#33 | |||
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Posts: 53 03/28/08 18:44 |
Oh Harvey! (I seem to be saying that a lot.)
Looking forward to reading Chapter 5 20/4. |
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SteelBlaidd |
#34 | |||
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Posts: 65 03/28/08 22:53 |
I thought our John Doe would be Harvey.
I'm having problems with reply too
"If ever you find yor self looking down the wong end of an arrow. Hope that it's an evil man. a good man will kill you with hardly a word."
- Sam Vimes |
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Jarissa Paxton |
#35 | |||
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Posts: 548 03/29/08 03:48 |
Short note:
1: thanks. I needed that. Running a tabletop superhero adventure at a birthday party tomorrow, and I've had a migraine for a day and a half, and it's too late to postpone. A good giggle and some intrigue helps. 2: How very, very, very nice. Not only do we get a nice foreshadowing at the beginning of the chapter -- that we won't quite be dealing with whatever we started out thinking would happen -- but now it looks like some lovely little dangling threads will be woven together and tied off. (Good God, I should be shot for that latter sentence. Sorry. I dunno how to fix it.)
I'm one of those people who "hear" every letter of each word as I read them, and how they shape one another; so, yes, I'm going to
totally miss a reasonable point if it's discussing makeup instead of knaves. Not that there aren't some hilarious correlations! Anyway, please be patient with me on this.
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Letomo |
#36 | |||
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Posts: 23 03/29/08 12:07 |
Well, he could have been looking for ex-Duo's and Dittos, and tagging them with tracers. He could also have been making sure that the beta-rogues still
carry a good healthey fear of him, as well.
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JabberwockyPie |
#37 | |||
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Posts: 53 03/30/08 09:13 |
Letomo wrote: It also gave Selina a good reason to leave Vault while helping her Queen of the Underworld reputation. |
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Random Equinox |
#38 | |||
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Posts: 292 03/30/08 17:44 |
I agree that the latest assault of unwanted ads has increased my irritation with Fanfiction.net. It must be that much more annoying to those who actually
try to post fanfics there. That's why I go here for the latest in Cat-Tales.
Very nice. I enjoyed seeing how Batman, when he's not caught up in the fury of PsychoBat, observes the difference between interviewing innocents and interrogating suspects. Trying a one-size-beats-up-all approach isn't conducive to getting information out of civilians, particularly when it frightens them to the point where they're incapable of answering questions. And when he's overly irritable at people who don't deserve it, he acknowledges the overkill and plans to make amends. The other aspects of the investigation were also well covered. The lab investigation of the evidence was thorough and detailed, an excellent reminder that Batman is a scientist as well as a detective--and the "two" reference regarding the false leads was a nice touch. There was a nice parallel in this chapter: both Catwoman and Batman did some work to "maintain their cover". Catwoman's prowling reassures the Rogues that she hasn't lost touch with her past, yet she isn't actually stealing (sorry: permanently borrowing) anything. Batman's dramatic visit to the Vault left enough clues for Catwoman to know where to meet him and why, but was subtle enough that only Riddler may have picked up on it (and even then, much of that recognition would be due to his awareness of Bruce/Batman). Catwoman's response, as others have noted, killed two birds with the same stone. Of course, Batman had to freak Catwoman out with his stalling and beating around the bush, which amped up the anxiety and tension to a dramatic cliffhanger.
One of the things that I'm enjoying about this investigation is the sheer number of characters that could be connected in some direct or indirect way.
We have everyone from civilians like Nick, Dr. Yarling and Vernon to Rogues like Pammy and Eddie. And Harvey is still out there somewhere... either AWOL or
having relapsed into Two-Face (still not enough evidence to go either way). There are a lot of people and leads to follow up on. How does it all fit
together? Which one of these guys are red herrings, and which are relevant once we uncover more information? So far, we're getting more questions than
anything else... which will undoubtedly make the answers much more rewarding.
Speaking of people to follow up on, it looks like Eddie's going to get pulled into "Where's Harvey" whether he wants to or not... possibly as early as the next chapter. I wonder how he'll enjoy being part of Batman's latest investigation? How will he react, given the fact that it's about Harvey? |
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ichigenka.gothampm |
#39 | |||
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Posts: 265 03/31/08 13:04 |
bum bum bum! What a twist! So the question remains... Where is Harvey Dent?!? With the dogs it very much appears that he might have just skipped town or gone
underground. I'm kinda shock that Bats wouldn't have checked out any of Ivy's place for him.
It's obviously she's been by his apartment, hence the greened doorman. With a character study of Pammy's MO we can safely say that mister doorman isn't in her usual list of "men to be green" (ie the multi billionaire industrialist) Additionally, said doorman would not be part of the "casual greening" victim group that consist of henchmen at the berg, sales people, and the occasional reporter. Maybe Bruce is preoccupied but he really needs to follow up on the Ivy angle once he's got the proper anti toxins in his system. |
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Fett One.gothampm |
#40 | |||
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Posts: 48 03/31/08 22:36 |
Things aren't looking good for Harvey, even if the evidence is circumstantial.
I have this crazy theory due to recently reading The Long Halloween. In The Long Halloween, Harvey was the copycat with Gilda being the original Holiday Killer. What if the roles have reversed and Gilda has snapped and is now copying Harvey/Twoface? Here are my reasons: 1) She got away with being the Holiday Killer, which proves she knows how to successfully committ a crime. More importantly, a crime that leaves Batman questioning everything, with no answers in site (he never suspected Gilda). 2) She knows enough about Harvey to know which people to go after and which kinds of crimes he would committ. 3) The fact that she was able to committ murder proves that she isn't quite right in the head. 4) The crime at Liberty One Insurance is the only crime so far where Batman was expected to show up. It stands to reason that she hired an actor to pretend to be Twoface just to throw Batman off the trail. 5) Being the wife of a D.A. means she could have picked up some knowledge on forensic investigation 6) Gilda copying Harvey after having him copy her fits in with all of the talk about their being a copycat I know it's a crazy theory and has a slim to none chance of happening but it's one that I thought was worth sharing. |
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