A bit more Batgirl #1 and DC Nation

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Three interior pages, the DC Nation column, and spoilers under the cut.

Babs! Commish! I guess all that "I love life every day" business from Blackest Night is out the window, huh? She's not happy, she's angry. But hey, at least we got to see her interact with Leslie and her dad, and it shows she and Dick are in touch. (Earlier in the issue we also saw Dick and Damian watching Steph in action as Batgirl, and Dick realizing it wasn't Cass, so I think we can assume that's him calling Babs to tell her.)

Steph had another sort-of misadventure in heroing it up as Batgirl, and she keeps trying to talk herself into quitting. (She also started college, and is lying to her mom about being Batgirl.)





NOT THE MOMMA! I'm very bothered by the way this issue handled Cass and shoved her out the door in such a quick and uncharacteristic manner (uncharacteristic for her, that is: DC on the other hand...), but I have to say I loved this last page with Babs being all spooky and intimidating with waffles.

Another thing to consider is this: Stephanie Brown has her own title.

Think about that for a second. Stephanie Brown was killed off, and a (largely female) fan-base campaigned for her to get some recognition at least on par with Jason Todd. Not only did she get that trophy case, she was also brought back, and now she has her own title.

That is pretty darn cool. However, it's sad and depressing to think that it had to come at the price of losing another amazing female character whom DC has repeatedly disrespected.

Also of interest (to me at least) is this week's DC Nation column:



I'm definitely going to Fan Expo, and was planning on going to the DC panels. So I have three questions:

1) What special chips are they talking about? Is it ketchup-flavoured chips that they don't have in the States?
2) Should I bring chips into order to bribe DC editorial into answering some hard-hitting questions?
3) What "hard-hitting questions" should I ask? Right now all I think I've got is "what are you going to do to Cassandra Cain??"

Comments

[xdoop.insanejournal.com]

It's just a miniseries; it's not like Steph has an ongoing.

And it'd be more meaningful if it was as the Spoiler and not as Batgirl, which most people don't associate with her character.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

This is an ongoing title, though, not a mini-series.

And it'd be more meaningful if it was as the Spoiler and not as Batgirl, which most people don't associate with her character.

I agree with that.

[taggerung301.insanejournal.com]

you banished the red x of death!
good job parsimonia!

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

you banished the red x of death!

Eh?

[jaybee3.insanejournal.com]

What "hard-hitting questions" should I ask? Right now all I think I've got is "what are you going to do to Cassandra Cain??"

I wouldn't bother. Didio and Co. have fobbed off Cass questions for awhile now. He would probably give the same vaguely dismissive answer to your questions than he does to the ones he gets about Linda Danvers or Aquaman. But then I'm just cynical.

[milleniumrex.insanejournal.com]

I was actually kind of amused by Cass going "Fuck this shit, it's not worth it."

After the way the Bat-family treated her, I might take an extended vacation to Bermuda too.

At least it puts her safe and in limbo until someone who knows how to write the character decides to bring her back into the picture. It could have been a lot worse.

Also, Steph! Squee!

[nagaoka.insanejournal.com]

Bring french fries

[long_silence.insanejournal.com]

Actually I think there might be a fries truck or two right outside the North building of the convention center.

[aaron_bourque.insanejournal.com]

Stephanie Brown has her own title.

That's like saying we shouldn't be upset with the lack of a Nightwing title because hey! Dick Grayson still has a bunch of his own titles!

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Except that Dick has had a title of his own for some time now. Steph has always been a supporting character in Robin and a handful of other bat-titles. Considering that this is supposed to be an ongoing title, I'd say it's significantly different.

[lipsofpoison.insanejournal.com]

Big yay on Batgirl Steph. I don't care what anyone else says, this is so IC for her and perfect. Keep writing her like this and I'll be psyched.

And Cass and Tim's running off (well, Cass and Dick never had a good relationship) seem very re: Bruce's death because it was always about him for them when it came to Batman.

I like the idea that Cass may go and become her own person as she's meant to be a major runner in this comic, up there with Steph and Babs. The idea of Babs' Bitches still makes me happy, even if it's not the Batgirl Corps.

[golden_tuna.insanejournal.com]

I agree, I think Steph is really gonna find her niche in being Batgirl

[mullon.insanejournal.com]

Holy crap, Barbara started a riot just so she could talk to Steph alone. That's messed up.

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

Where on did you get that?

[sistermagpie.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I am trying to be cautiously optimistic here. I like the ordinary girl in college operating on a lower level with her crime fighting so the conflict is that maybe she should even reconsider doing it. It's a different world than the super-competent Bats. (And she's got a team she doesn't have a big history w/at the moment.)

Why was Babs so angry? I remember her seeming to beat up an entire subway car in anger--did she have a reason to do that? or was she just mad? I didn't even get that she was answering Dick's call. I thought her "figures" was her not being happy at who was calling!

Then there's the strange Cass scene. She just randomly leaves behind her sweaty costume and implies it's Steph's now? Because she did it for "him" and that's no more? Was she saying that without Bruce she wasn't Batgirl, even though her big scene in the past was about the symbol and not the man? Or was she just in general saying she was through with wearing a bat on her chest for some reason? It was quite the Poochie the Dog exit.

And it unfortunately pointed out again how stupid the adoption was, because it only serves to remind us that the writers love the Bats' emotional fraught family (meaning the family-family, not the team), and clearly Cass isn't part of that family.

I'll have to see where this goes, though. I hate that they had Steph do the whole "I promised Tim I wouldn't...well, technically I promised I wouldn't be Spoiler!" Either Tim has authority over her or he doesn't (he doesn't). She doesn't need to be looking at technical outs to get around Tim's wishes. Is Babs taking care of Misfit?

[bluejaybirdie.insanejournal.com]

Is Babs taking care of Misfit?

No, she's not. DC had her casually abandon Misfit via note to Helena's care. It was presented as a completely fine thing to do, with no emotional repercussions. As someone who has been abandoned by her mother, I find that extremely offensive, and it was poorly handled. There's been no follow-up at all.

/rant

[kenn_el.insanejournal.com]

I SO wanted the title of the story to be "Spoiler Alert!"

[ladymirth.insanejournal.com]

Win! XD

[mykie1234.insanejournal.com]

Im still saying (hoping) that it will be a Batgirl Corp. with Barbara in charge and Cassandra as a special ops/trainer.

[jaybee3.insanejournal.com]

That's what I was originally hoping for. Batgirls of Prey, so to speak. With Babs, Steph, Charlie and of course Cass. If it's just Steph, it's just "eh" to me. We should know the tone of the book by the second issue I'm guessing.

[batgirl11.insanejournal.com]

Like I said on the other Batgirl post, I'm really hoping all three Batgirls will somehow be in this series regularly, whether they're in a Batgirl costume or not. I'd be really content with that.

[henker.insanejournal.com]

That's what I'm hoping happens too. I have a bad feeling that Cass is going to get pushed off into limbo for a few years though.

[bluejaybirdie.insanejournal.com]

"Have some waffles." I can just image Babs saying that in the most threatening, scary Bat-voice possible. And that's awesome.

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

That and Miller's Steph-voice are what make me hopeful for the title, but that line ... -shudder-

[jedd_the_jedi.insanejournal.com]

I really like that Steph draws the Bat symbol in the condensation. And yay for censor steam! She becomes Batgirl and the first thing we see is the side of her butt.

[novoadonai.insanejournal.com]

i love seeing Babs around, otherwise... *yawns*

poor Cass is the Scarlet Witch of the DCU, she seems to be cursed to be written more and more terribly by each successive writer until she's become generally disliked by her peers, completely unrecognizable to her fans/audience, and virtually unusable as a character. what's been done to her character is pretty unforgivable, if you ask me. (yeah, i know nobody's asked me *shrugs*)

i have no comment about Steph. she has her audience. i'm not it.

[cowtasticism.insanejournal.com]

Interesting apps she has on her iphone.

[bluefall.insanejournal.com]

Well, she clearly RedSn0w'd the thing the second it was out of the box. No way of knowing what those apps are, between her tendency to write her own programs and variable Winterboard icons for anything built in.

[newnumber6.insanejournal.com]

Because I'm presently hungry, I'm going to completely ignore the comics content of this post, and discuss the 'special chips'.

Primarily I think it's ketchup, yes... that's the one I've heard from people in the states that gets shock and awe. I've also had some people in the states get surprised at the concept of dill pickle chips (but others seem to know it).

But my present favorite kind of strange chips is President's Choice 'Greek' chips - feta, oregano, and olive. OMG. I say again, OMG. I'd say I practically cleaned out my whole local store of them single-handedly when they first came out, but probably not. They're always out now, though, and last time I saw them, they went from a full shelf of them to an empty shelf over the course of a weekend... and none of the other chip flavours they make were touched.

OMG I want some so much right now. :(

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Oh, President's Choice.

[pyrotwilight.insanejournal.com]

3) What "hard-hitting questions" should I ask? Right now all I think I've got is "what are you going to do to Cassandra Cain??"

Where will Tomorrow Woman or Clara Kendall show up next!?!


And so Batgirl is now in the open. Not sure how to feel. Guess I'll wait until I get my issue on Friday.

[oath5.insanejournal.com]

Cassandra WAYNE. That other Cassandra doesn't exist anymore.

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

2) Should I bring chips into order to bribe DC editorial into answering some hard-hitting questions?

Waffles with the good stuff.

If you don't know what that is, you have no right to call yourself Canadian. No. Right.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Maple syrup?

[jarodrussell.insanejournal.com]

I was going to check out the Batgirl title, because I thought Steph as Batgirl would be cool, but that was before three months of "Who is Batgirl?" pissed me the fuck off, so, yeah, have fun without me.

(Yes, I am both being petty not buying the title and being double petty for posting that I'm not buying the title, but dammit, I'm so over being teased like that, so I'm voting against pointless teasing with my dollars.)

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, I can sympathize with that.

[hearthemvoices.insanejournal.com]

I'm trying to be optimistic here... and maybe a little lacking in the logic department.

I'm hoping for Cass!Nightwing. Drawing comparison between Cassandra now and Dick when he outgrew the Robin mantle, I pray this will lead to character development for Cass.

The Batgirl title will, like what a few of us have said umpteen times, be 'Batgirls'. With Cass!Nightwing, Steph!Batgirl and Babs.

[jaybee3.insanejournal.com]

Too bad DC already has a Nightwing in Chris Kent (I don't expect that'll last though). Is there any other legacy title Cass can use?

[bariman1987.insanejournal.com]

Steph is in the shower with the Batgirl costume on the floor. "Everything I did last night was wrong. Everything. I'm so tired and sore I can barely stand."

...I'm sorry, was I not supposed to read this in the most femslashy way possible? I mean, after Steph and Cass being awesome back-to-back badasses and Cass taking off her costume, what was I supposed to think?

[kingrockwell]

"Rage squee rage squee" pretty much sums up my feelings on this issue. It is so hard to resolve my mixed feelings about it one way or another, because some parts felt so wrong, while others felt so right. I'm still wary of the title, but interested enough that I'll continue following it for now.

It would be so much easier if Cass' retirement weren't so abrupt and out-of-nowhere. Though I guess it isn't quite out of left field, when the announcement came down during NYCC I decided then that, with all they've done to her, the best thing for Cass would be to say "fuck you guys i'm doing my own thing!" Kind of like how Ms. Marvel was in Avengers Annual 10, it hurts because it acknowledges a painful storyline, but it's the best possible resolution for the character given what's been done. If it'd come off more that way on page than just in my interpretation instead of invoking the symbol only to say she'd been fighting for Bruce, it would have been a lot more generous to Cass.

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

If it'd come off more that way on page than just in my interpretation instead of invoking the symbol only to say she'd been fighting for Bruce, it would have been a lot more generous to Cass.

Agreed.

[psychop_rex.insanejournal.com]

*Sigh* Wonderful. Now Steph is going to get ANOTHER lecture about how she can't be a superhero because she just ain't right for the part, donchaknow, and don't you DARE go crimefighting again, young lady, or next time we get out the ruler. For cryin' out loud, she's been doing this for years now! The fact that she's still alive is proof that she's FINE as a superhero. Give it a rest!

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

She's been doing it for years...and still botched the opening action scene. She's still got a ways to go.

[skitster.insanejournal.com]

I hate what they've done to Cass, I love Cass dearly, but I like the idea that one member of the extended Batfamily has a chance at some sort of redemption.

I hope she isn't killed horribly.

[lipsofpoison.insanejournal.com]

I very much doubt this is the end with Cass. Hopefully, it'll be better next time.