City of Light: Cass Gets A Boyfriend... Another One

[espanolbot]

Cass is having coffee, when a random diner empolyee decides to hit on her.








Embarassing romantic upset number one: finding that the girl you like is severely dyslexic and unable to read the note you sent her.

Wait, does the fact that she got a cheque mean she can no maths? Hm, I think I read elsewhere Cass just hands over a bunch of tens and twenties at random and they work out the change for her.

Anyway, considering Cass' boyfriends tend to have the lasting power of an unrefridgerated carton of milk, she happens to be single at the time so she takes him up on it.













Mickey Rourke seems to have taken time out of promoting Iron Man 2 to play Cass' dad here. Weird that this fear of intimacy hasn't appeared anywhere other than this mini series, huh?

Anyway, Javier decides to send her some flowers to make up for whatever slightly he assumed Cass felt he'd done.

Yeah, people make a lot of weird noises in this storyline. Batman spends two, three issues going Grrmph for example.

Wait, doesn't this invalidate the part of her origin where seeing someone killed in front of her make her run from her father and become the littlest hobo?

Anyway, Javier vanishes from the story as actual plot occurs, but we're left with these two panels as City of Light concludes.


Wow, look how enthusiastic she is. Why does Bruce hanging out in the background make it look like he made her go out with Javier again?

Anyway, Javier evaporated after this storyline, only to be semi-replaced with Tim. Who Cass was apathetic about unless off her face on Evil Juice. And then there was Sal, from Beechen's mini series, who also vanished after THAT mini was over.

Unless Cass is dossing at his house at the moment or something.

char: batgirl/cassandra cain

Comments

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Gah, and isn't this the only Bat mini series where Cass plays a big role?

Why oh why do/did Bat writers have such a huge stick up their ass about using her?

[espanolbot]

Yeah, it kind of is the only one where she stars. I say stars because Bruces goes batshit for most of the story, and ends up living in a hole in the ground and eating worms, so Cass is left the carry the story until he gets over it.

Cass IS kinda awesome in the story, though she sort of talks too much (this was just after Officer Down, so she wasn't into monologues yet) and the only mention of her dyslexia comes in an off-hand comment when she gets Alfred to read some computer files for her.

[majingojira]

That's a very good question. My guess is that she's: Asian, Female and from a non-standard background.

That last ones especially a kicker, because they feel they can't "Know who she is" when writing her because they feel they cannot relate to her.

At least, that's what I think they think.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

I'm more inclined to think that they cannot get over the fact that she's not Babs.

Cass should be amongst the easiest 'Bat' to get, as her background/origin is just as strong as Batman's.

I say should because of late, I haven't yet seen any indication that the vast majority of writers or editors know what genre is, let alone characterization.

[majingojira]

It hurts their causet that no one has ever created a "Series Bible" for the DCU.

Or, as I understand it, any major comic universe.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

They shouldn't need to. There are enough fan sites around that character research should be easy.

More than that, they should be able to contact past writers for information. This is the information age, yet comics are the only medium not taking advantage of that.

[jaybee3]

She was used well (along with Huntress, Dick, Tim and the late Orpheus) in one of my favorite Bat-minis ever - "Batman Family". It included the only time I've ever seen Cass in civilian gear (i.e. dress and make-up) openly as a member of Bruce's family, standing (and smiling!) with Tim, Dick, Bruce (and Babs) at a Wayne charity function at the end. It's a shame that its not available in TPB as far as I know.

[majingojira]

Wasn't Cass supposed to only communicate with her father through "The Language of Violence"?

Eh, this is actually better than that overall. Prevents developmental brain damage.

Darn you National Geographic and your sciency ways destroying my comic book science!

[espanolbot]

Aw, but Cass is all about the developmental brain damage. :( The brain damage is what makes her cool and not a generic kung fu character.

[majingojira]

Not that kind of developmental brain damage.

Nat. geo had a special on "Wild Children," the kind "Raised by Animals" and stuff.

In actuality, it's humans seeking identifiable contact and following an animal around in liew of human contact that they've lost. It's happened with breeds of Monkeys and Dogs.

She can still be illiterate, but a silent/worldess upbrining would rob her of speach completely. She'd react to command words from authority figures, but that's it. Other examples boil down to "17 year old in Kindergarten" sort of developmental problems.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

To be fair, Cass didn't have much of a vocab before a telepath reorganized her brain. Off the top of my head, the only words she knew were yes, no and stop, and stop only came after a certain amount of stress.

She did understand complex situations though and how to convey them. She explained how Cain was her father without words.

[mad]

Yes, this. Cass is in not equivalent to children raised by animals, as she had human contact and would have learned and understood lots of complex and abstract things, she just didn't have the verbal speech for it. It wasn't just the lack of speech that made her great at reading body language, it was also the way Cain raised her and the things he taught her.

[majingojira]

Actually, Speach is directly related to those other things.

Brain all inter-connected 'n stuff.

Like I said: DAMN YOU, SCIENCE!

[mad]

Which things?

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

When science and awesome meet, science always sucks dirt. Always!

It's proven science!

[bluefall]

She wasn't raised without language, though, is the thing. She's not actually a wild child. The closest comparison would be to a person born completely deaf, trying to adapt to verbal communication after eighteen years of sign language.

Yes, this is total nonsense, there is no "language of violence," it's not possible to duplicate the sophistication of verbal communication solely with body language. Nevertheless, that is Cass' premise: that body language is an actual language for her, sophisticated enough to convey ideas like love, parenthood, the identity of a former master, a reluctance to interact with an absent third party, whatever. Hence, her language centers are perfectly functional, hence, she can process abstract and complex concepts.

Math would still be a hell of an uphill battle, though.

[mad]

What was this mini-series?

And yeah, those flashbacks make absolutely no sense. Not only does it contradict her running away from her father once she made (and saw) her first kill, he's also talking to her, which he never did until they were reunited in NML.

I'm thinking that what we're seeing there is actually the movie, but Cass is imagining herself in place of one of the characters. Maybe? It's not very clear. (Maybe they're watching The Professional?)

[espanolbot]

The miniseries was Batman: City of Light. :)

And no, those aren't panels from the movie, they're watching Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, as is shown from the black and white guy making Cass jump and the title's on the outside of the cinema.

[mad]

Thanks!

And...huh. Okay, that is pretty weird then.

[espanolbot]

It seems kind of standard that people unfamiliar with Cass are only given a paragraph description of her before going off to write her appearences.

Beechen didn't for example, only skimmed the last storyline.

[mad]

Was this the last storyline he skimmed, I wonder? Or do you mean the last arc in Batgirl?

[espanolbot]

I kinda mean Destruction's Daughter, the last Batgirl arc. And even with that he missed the point of the end of the series.

[mad]

Ah, I see.

I was just thinking that if this mini-series was what Beechen had read prior to writing last year's Batgirl mini-series, it might explain it a little.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

If Beechen did that, I'd be surprised. The sheer number of facts that he got wrong is mind boggling, especially given the age of the internet.

What's even worse is how his destruction of Cass' character actually saved him. I mean the plot holes...

"So Robin spends eight hours figuring out how to break into Blackgate, but can get back out lugging a full grown man?"

"Robin can convincingly impersonate a cop, but infiltrates the station in full costume?"

"So Robin's plan to clear himself of murder charges is to bust out a mass murderer and allow him to escape?"

[espanolbot]

"Where did Cass get a magical flintlock that can fire more than once without being reloaded?"

"What with Cass' sudden need to hump Tim when she's shown no interest in him before that point? I mean, Tim thinks that she's hot, but also that she's too much like Bruce at the same time, which weirds him out. Maybe it's just a side effect of the Slade juice, as Rose tried to get Tim as well."

"Who stapled Lynx's head back on and resurrected her?"

"What was up with Cass' huge thighs when she appeared in Dragon Lady mode?"

"Why!? WHY!?!"

[jaybee3]

I know that's what everyone assumed when the whole Evil Cass characterization (complete with writing in fluent Navajo) came out but has Beechan openly admitted to just writing like 4-5 issues of Batgirl (Gabrych's final arc) before writing her as Robin's arch-enemy and a super villain. Because that? Is made of super fail.

And then they gave him a Cass mini series to correct his own mistakes (which he didn't do) even after he admitted to not doing the homework on the character? Is that possible?

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Actually, read the captions. Cass didn't snipe the guy, Cain did. I can see how it wouldn't have the same power/impact as Cass' first crime, though it is a needless addition all things considered.

[mad]

No, I realize she didn't kill him in these panels, but her very first kill, she had no idea what was going to happen. That was the very first time she'd seen someone killed, which is part of why she was so shocked and traumatized and chose to ran away. She'd had no idea of the pain that actually going through with those moves would cause.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, but what made her first kill so traumatizing was that she ripped the guy's throat out, and she watched as he slowly bled out. She saw the fear, terror etc. as the guy realized his ticket was punched by the eight year old girl standing on his desk.

With the sniper bullet and a headshot, it's like flipping a switch. Nothing traumatizing about it because by the time the person realizes that they've been shot, they're dead.

[bluefall]

She seems pretty traumatized here.

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

Yeah, years later when she fully realizes the implications of what she and her father did that night.

[bluefall]

And in the flashbacks, where she's wide-eyed and freaked out over holding the gun.

Cass had no idea what her training was about until she killed that dude. It was the first time she'd ever seen death. Up close, far away, by her own hand or anyone else's, ever. It was a major plot point. And yet here we have her shooting somebody and Cain talking up a storm in her ear. Inaccurate retconny crap, that simple.

Umm, what?

[daningram.insanejournal.com]

She doesn't seem too freaked out in the flash backs. Sure, cut to the present it's disturbing, but in the flashbacks above there's no indication Cass is the least bit concerned about having been a part of a murder.

I don't recall them stating that her first murder was Cass' first encounter with death, but really, it wouldn't matter. What made her first killing so traumatic was what she 'read' as the person died.

Here, it's a quick shot and done. No reading possible

It's a lousy scene sure, but doesn't go against Cass' origin in any way that can't be handwaved away.

Beechen, however...

Re: Umm, what?

[404glitch]

She doesn't have to be freaked out in the flashbacks though, because at that point, she didn't know what was really going on. Looking back on it is what makes her realize what her father was really doing.

Though you'd think she'd pick up on the dude's body language too.

[bluefall]

*party to shooting a guy. Dammit, I can type, really.

[deepspaceartist]

IIRC, Cass ran away from of her first kill because after she killed him by ripping out his throat or something like that, she watched him die. I imaging the body language for 'oh god that little girl ripped out my throat I am dying in great pain' would be different from a sniper bullet to the head. To use the metaphor of body language of actual language, this kill is someone ceasing to talk, while her first kill is a long, drawn out scream.

[majingojira]

And then scientist found a genetic/evolutionary link regarding Morality/Ethics/Empathy.

Aw yeah, Sciecne!

Edit: Wrong source.

[tanetris]

he's also talking to her, which he never did until they were reunited in NML.

Clearly the brain-whammy that gave her speech made her "translate" her memories from body language to spoken words.

Or, put another way, the writer had no idea how to communicate what was happening in the scene without speech bubbles.

[jeyl]

Well, at least Mickey Rourke is wearing a shirt.

And Cass with a boyfriend? BOO!

[bluejaybirdie]

Don't forget Zero! Oh, and Cass is looking particularily Shiva-ish here. Which wasn't inteneded then since she hadn't been revealed as Cass's mother yet, but it's cool it retrospect.

(I'm not going to touch the flashback failures here)

[anewchallenger]

I wish we could all forget Zero. Emocore fops like him suck hard in real life, and he had no business dating a superheroine.

[scottyquick]

I liked Zero! Not so much because he was a great character, but because it was the only story where Cass was allowed to be attracted without it being both horribly wrong and the main focus of the arc.

[anewchallenger]

Don't get me wrong - I liked the story. The idea of Cass meeting a guy who she could relate to on the vibes of the music alone was a cute one.

Just his design was so "white suburban angst" that it made me wince.

Like knowing that eventually he'd try to drown his sorrows to her on a date?

"Yeah, my life was pretty rough. I used to roll hadcore, got kicked out of highschool for doing E... fuck the establishment, right? My stepdad is always trying to rule me and shit, so I'm like "eff you, man!" and I got these tats. Also, I totally put miles on his prius last weekend to go to Curiosa. I'm a rebel that way, babe."

"My... He... gunshots. Alot."

[scottyquick]

I always thought of him as kind of different - just a normal kid who loved to dance and loved Cass.

Although now I kind of wish I'd interpreted him to be more like your version.

[anewchallenger]

No idea if I should read your reply as sarcastic, but I guess maybe I'm being a little too cynical in my reading?

All the same, I'd be all for Cass meeting a nice, normal guy - or even a relatively sane meta.

Maybe I read too much into the kid? I had thought that they implied he was a tagger somewhere? Maybe not.

[scottyquick]

No sarcasm!

[tanetris]

Teehee, it's funny because Cass's severe childhood trauma makes her give the guy mixed signals.

[star_of_airdrie]

why is that funny? Or do you mean unexpected, cause I wouldn't be.

Or am I getting too clinical again. Damn PTSD

[tanetris]

It's not funny. I was being facetious.

I was attempting to use sarcasm to express my distate for (what comes off to me as) using Cass's traumatic past as a "punchline" in a "He likes her, she likes him, they don't quite get each other, hijinks ensue" sort of routine.

Conceptually, I don't have a problem with flashbacks of her childhood interfering with getting close to someone, if it's treated respectfully, but going by the pages presented here (note: I have not read the full mini), I see it being treated more as a gag.

[star_of_airdrie]

So, wasn't sure if you were being sarcastic. I agree with the almost gag approach.

I am off to lighten up now.

[theanswer]

Boohoo, my superheroing means I don't have time for a boring romantic story.

[goggle_kid]

The sad thing is this was really the most interesting thing about Batman: City of Light and it ended up taking a backseat to a ridiculous story about Batman acting like Frankenstein and fighting The Luminous Glow in the Dark Pajamas Man who Hates Gloomy Architecture.

[ravenous_raven]

hard to believe Cass would be afraid of a movie, especially since I'm sure there's a little bit in the actor's body language that says, "Pose for the camera! Pose for the camera!" It wouldn't feel natural to her, even for the best actors, and judging by that one bit we see, this isn't exactly Oscar level.

and don't get me started on how Cass was drawn there. At first I was thinking, "Green eyes? Sure, I guess we could go with that instead of the expected brown" but then the coloring in the movie theater scene made me realize just how off the art was...I don't know if it was anything in particular, but she seems both overly Asian and then not enough...but I guess I'm not making sense, aren't I?

[jaybee3]

I actually liked the Zero guy she hung with before Bludhaven went kablooey. If you think about Dick is the only one of Bruce's Bat-kids who only ever see any action - as far as we know Jason, Tim and Cass are virgins who haven't even got to second base yet with any SOs.

I don't want to say City of Light was bad, it had an interesting idea but it couldn't pull it off. Bruce went around (drawn badly) feeling sorry for himself and all dark and gloomy (natch) and Cass who had has much time in the mini-series was portrayed all wrong. Someone correct me but she never talked to her father because he never spoke to her, thats part of the reason why the speech of her brain was wired wrong. And this is the only time I've ever seen him drawn this way (yet know I can't get the image of Mickey Rourke as David Cain out of my head).

And yeah, I remember scenes of Cass where she had no idea about money, previous to hooking up with Babs she lived on the streets, after that Alfred did her shopping and after Bruce gave her her own place she an unlimited credit account and always carried around large bills (50s, 100s) in case she needed to buy something (though Alfred continued to buy her clothes and stock her fridge). This was all B.B. (Before Beechan) of course when Cass was written as a consistent character.