Stephanie Brown-Spoiler/Robin/Batgirl Appreciation 2024

[Aahz]

Like, was this slipped under DC's radar, for some reason?

That's not unlikely, I doubt that any higher ups at DC were really paying attention to what writers are doing in backup stories for a filler event set in an alternate future.

[WebLurker]

I think the fact that these "tweaks" weren't dropped was part of why I never read it romantically.

I think most people who were shipping them and pointing out stuff that could be read romantically were doing it knowing that it was a fan re-read of stuff, esp. if one already liked the idea of the two of them being a couple and was ready to filter things through that lens. I suppose one could read it as a the start of a slow burn if they came in blind without any context or behind-the-scenes info, but, IMHO, if DC ever decided to put Steph and Cass together in a same sex relationship, there would be PR announcements and comments on that creative decision.

That said, I did see a lot of "are they in love?" think pieces and some outside of fan forums, I suppose a case could be made that the writers may have accidentally played into it or something.

(Also, what you describe is exactly how they wrote Steph and Harper in Gotham Knights, and I could see that coming several episodes in advance, so I think my reading senses are still reasonably sharp.)

Those are pretty common tropes, so I wouldn't be surprised that they did. (If I recall correctly, Harper was originally created as a stand-in for Cass, so that's kinda funny, considering the subject at hand.)

Well, I did try to ask about the whole process of getting Batgirls off the ground, but Chen kind of side stepped it and just talked about the Cloonan/Conrad/Corona team, which is probably best. Letting people know "what might have beens" always creates a lot of sadness.

Maybe, although I do find behind-the-scenes stuff interesting. IMHO, I do like the idea of there at least being one reality out there in the DC multiverse where Steph and Cass did get together, so I can follow that it would be disappointing to be told that no, they're just good friends and that's all it ever was. All the same, I'm really curious what exactly the intent was.

That's not unlikely, I doubt that any higher ups at DC were really paying attention to what writers are doing in backup stories for a filler event set in an alternate future.

That could be it. Course, it could've just as easily been subtext for the part of the fanbase that shipped them, or something like that. Do kinda find it funny, for how much the fanbase latched onto it and ran with it, there's not a lot of info about the comic.

[millernumber1]

That's not unlikely, I doubt that any higher ups at DC were really paying attention to what writers are doing in backup stories for a filler event set in an alternate future.

I think Future State was a weird blend of upcoming writers (Jeremy Adams) and 5G discarded plotlines, so it's hard to tell what they were thinking for that event.

I think most people who were shipping them and pointing out stuff that could be read romantically were doing it knowing that it was a fan re-read of stuff, esp. if one already liked the idea of the two of them being a couple and was ready to filter things through that lens. I suppose one could read it as a the start of a slow burn if they came in blind without any context or behind-the-scenes info, but, IMHO, if DC ever decided to put Steph and Cass together in a same sex relationship, there would be PR announcements and comments on that creative decision.

Those are pretty common tropes, so I wouldn't be surprised that they did. (If I recall correctly, Harper was originally created as a stand-in for Cass, so that's kinda funny, considering the subject at hand.)

I just wish shippers could tell me how you can write a close friendship without intending it to be shipping. As I said, I think people should be able to ship who they want, but I think demanding that everyone read everything in a shippy way is going too far.

I also think that while Chen may not have been intending a romance, there are some fan reports that Cloonan may have had some romantic thoughts while writing the series. Dunno. But until everyone's on record, all we have are Chen on the record and fan reports.

When I asked Tynion about Harper's creation in 2018, he said she wasn't supposed to be a direct replacement, but have some of the same energy as both Steph and Cass.

[WebLurker]

I just wish shippers could tell me how you can write a close friendship without intending it to be shipping. As I said, I think people should be able to ship who they want, but I think demanding that everyone read everything in a shippy way is going too far.

Agreed. I think how one reads it can be very subjective, hence why some people read into it more. Confirmation bias is a certainly a thing; if you approached the series with imagined headcanon that Steph and Cass get married when they grow up or something (or just think that they would be a great pairing if DC pulled the trigger), you're probably going to be looking for "evidence" or re-reading elements to fit that idea, whether or not they objectively apply.

I also think that while Chen may not have been intending a romance, there are some fan reports that Cloonan may have had some romantic thoughts while writing the series. Dunno. But until everyone's on record, all we have are Chen on the record and fan reports.

Would be interesting if the fan theory had been starting to affect people involved in some capacity, in terms of how sometimes fan ideas bleed back into the franchise proper and why the ones that do happen, but makes sense that it probably wasn't planned.

When I asked Tynion about Harper's creation in 2018, he said she wasn't supposed to be a direct replacement, but have some of the same energy as both Steph and Cass.

I stand corrected.

[Aahz]

I just wish shippers could tell me how you can write a close friendship without intending it to be shipping.

When you put the characters in the same book you have probably already gone to far

[Konja7]

When I asked Tynion about Harper's creation in 2018, he said she wasn't supposed to be a direct replacement, but have some of the same energy as both Steph and Cass.

I think people were mixing information to reach the conclusion that "Harper was a stan-in for Cassandra".

Harper makes a cameo in New52 Batman #1. It was originally planned Cassandra will be the cameo in that image but DC wouldn't allow this, so Snyder put Harper (we don't know how much about the character was planned at that time).

Obviously, this doesn't mean Harper exists as replacement for Cassandra (or Steph), but this information has been distorted.

[marhawkman]

Twitters mad you say lol.

Must be a day ending in -y.

[millernumber1]

When you put the characters in the same book you have probably already gone to far

That's way too far.

Must be a day ending in -y.

Has there been a truer statement? (Other than "Steph is awesome"?)

[Konja7]

Unfortunately, the idea of Stephanie babysitting superhero kids was never greenlighted. The artists wanted to generate interest on the concept, but it didn't work.

https://x.com/spacekicker/status/1796020834668257574

[millernumber1]

Unfortunately, the idea of Stephanie babysitting superhero kids was never greenlighted. The artists wanted to generate interest on the concept, but it didn't work.

https://x.com/spacekicker/status/1796020834668257574

well, I did my part and retweeted and liked and shared as much as I could