Batgirl Cassandra

[GLfan]

I just got done with the current Birds Of Prey comic and I was wondering what happened to Batgirl? I take it she quit? I guess we'll have a new Batgirl title down the line.

 

[SpideyInATree]

There is a new BATWOMAN out there, and she recently appeared in the maxi-series, 52.

But if you want to know what happened to Batgirl, Cassandra Cain, well...basically she's a bad guy now and it happened in the pages of Robin in the One Year Later story arc. Many, many, many Batgirl fans were POed about it. Thankfully, I'm not a Batgirl fan and gave two craps about it.

 

[Fledermaus]

Check out the upcoming "Titans East" arc in Teen Titans. Cassandra is a member.

 

[GLfan]

Thanks I'll definately read up on it, it doesn't sound that bad.

 

[CConn]

And I'm not saying that as a pissed off Batgirl fan (although, I am), and if anybody keeps track of my opinions, I'm generally pretty positive about things...but that whole change for the character was both bad in concept, and maybe even worse in its realization. They changed her personality and moral beliefs in 360 I really haven't seen since they made Leslie Thompkins a murderer. Or Gwen Stacy a tawdry adulteress.

Y'know, it's one thing to change a character. To turn them into a villian or whatnot. But it can, and should, at least be plausable, and done effectively - personally, I think it was done well with someone like Jason Todd, or Bucky in Captain America's title - but what they did to Batgirl was really neither. That was really disappointing to see. From both the prespective of just wanting to see good writing/editing, to actually being a fan of the character.

 

[Hedsizzers]

Don't get me started on this. Too late.

I followed Cassandra's story from her debut in NML through to the last issue of her own title. I considered her one of the best characters DC had created for the Bat-Universe for years, given she was that much more layered than the usual apple-pie eating, cardboard cut-out, one-dimensionalism of guys like Dick and Tim.

When her title was cancelled I was understandably disappointed, particularly with her story 'ending' on the same vaguely giving up, not wanting to be seen again, kind of sad ending that I'd already gone through with PD's Supergirl. Fact is, I shoulda realised when I was well off.

Rumours and solicits began to suggest Cassandra would be seen again in the pages of Robin so I started checking out the title on the shelves of Forbidden Planet (I didn't buy it obviously, I'd already ditched the core batbooks, Nightwing and Robin after Stephanie's demise in War Games). And then came Robin#150. I've been disappointed with comics before. I've been annoyed with comics. On occasion I've been angry with comics (The aforementioned death of Stephanie and Ben Reilly's death, to name but two). But I'd never been teeth-grindingly furious with a comic book title until I read Robin#150. Killing a character off is one thing. Turning her against everything she believed in and basically completely undermining the events of every issue of her title that I had read every month for six years. That feels like being stabbed in the back. It feels like being shrugged off by a company that wondered if their ridiculous decision would upset people and just went "Whatever" and did it anyway.

So now I've ditched all me DC titles, except Catwoman, Wonder-Woman, BoP and Y-The Last Man (which, in terms of my DC list, he now actually is). Is my boycott gonna effect DC? Sadly, nope. Does it mean I'm spending a lot less money on comics now? Yep. It ain't much of a silver lining, but it'll do for now.

 

[GLfan]

Maybe you should write DC and express your outrage, and tell them that many are dropping their titles because of their foolishness. If enough people wrote in their complaints, they might change their minds.

 

[CConn]

Well, that's certainly a better idea than just going around *****ing about it. Although, I will say, in comics, this kinda thing happens all the time. Whether it be DC or Marvel, characters are changed, "abused" all the time. To me, it's almost like it comes with being a comic book fan or somthing.

 

[The Leaguer]

I punched a puppy when I read what they did to Batgirl. I punched it right in its puppy nose.