Is it time for Cass to replace the "Orphan" name yet?

[QUOTE=Lady Nightwing;3289884] Plus, Cass connection to Bruce is very tenuous these days. [/QUOTE]

A temporary problem which will hopefully be fixed soon, and need not be taken into account here.

[QUOTE=Rac7d*;3289878]
Barbra is never retiring and I doubt a war on batgirls is coming,[/QUOTE]

We always talk about how Barbara is going to be Batgirl forever now, but...she was Oracle for 22 years. She's been Batgirl again for less than half that time. The way DC works, it's impossible to predict where ANY character will be in 10 years. You never know what may happen and what smarter heads may arise.

[QUOTE=Lady Nightwing;3289899]I stand by what I said, a girl who is not an orphan, surrounded by [I]actual[/I] orphans, calling herself Orphan is really lame.[/QUOTE]

Why? One, it's her dad's old codename, two, her parents might as well be dead to her now (David [I]is[/I] dead as far as we know). I don't see how "not literally being an orphan" is a compelling reason to change it (plus, most of the people she's closest to now aren't actually orphans, so the premise is flawed from the outset).

[QUOTE=Caivu;3289925]Why? One, it's her dad's old codename, two, her parents might as well be dead to her now (David [I]is[/I] dead as far as we know). I don't see how "not literally being an orphan" is a compelling reason to change it (plus, most of the people she's closest to now aren't actually orphans, so the premise is flawed from the outset).[/QUOTE]

I have no idea why you're arguing in favor of the Orphan name when a change IS seemingly on the horizon. Most fans hate it, her taking it because it was her dad's codename was stupid to begin with, it doesn't fit the character at all (Between LoS and what Tynion told me it seems clear it was always meant to be a transitional name, which I think having as such was a terrible idea) and it has absolutely no marketability. There's a reason why almost all interviews, solicits, headlines and such have referred to her by just Cassandra Cain.

[QUOTE=Caivu;3289925]Why? One, it's her dad's old codename, two, her parents might as well be dead to her now (David [I]is[/I] dead as far as we know). I don't see how "not literally being an orphan" is a compelling reason to change it (plus, most of the people she's closest to now aren't actually orphans, so the premise is flawed from the outset).[/QUOTE]

Personally, I hated the Mother and Orphan story. David Cain was dull and really one dimensional in that arc. Plus, he treated Cass like crap. Why would she take his name? Also, define close? The only people she seems to interact with in any meaningful way are Clayface, Harper and Tim. Tynion has paid lip service to her old friendship to Steph but that's about it.

[QUOTE=Assam;3289936]I have no idea why you're arguing in favor of the Orphan name when a change IS seemingly on the horizon. Most fans hate it, her taking it because it was her dad's codename was stupid to begin with, it doesn't fit the character at all (Between LoS and what Tynion told me it seems clear it was always meant to be a transitional name, which I think having as such was a terrible idea) and it has absolutely no marketability. There's a reason why almost all interviews, solicits, headlines and such have referred to her by just Cassandra Cain.[/QUOTE]

I don't mind the name, but I wasn't really arguing in favor of it there, just saying that changing it because it's not literally accurate is not a good reason to change it. Lots of characters have codenames that aren't literal and no one cares.

[QUOTE=Lady Nightwing;3289943]Personally, I hated the Mother and Orphan story. David Cain was dull and really one dimensional in that arc. Plus, he treated Cass like crap. Why would she take his name?[/QUOTE]

Because he's still her dad.

[QUOTE]Also, define close? The only people she seems to interact with in any meaningful way are Clayface, Harper and Tim. Tynion has paid lip service to her old friendship to Steph but that's about it.[/QUOTE]

I'm meaning the Knights as a whole, and most of them are not orphans. The same is true even if talking only about the four you mention.

[QUOTE=RedQueen;3289864]Maybe something like Sparrow or something. An association with a bird is less "batty" but it still thematically related to the Batfamily.[/QUOTE]The problem with naming her for a small bird makes it sound like you're lumping her in with the Robins and such.
Now, if she had the name of a larger bird of prey, that would be different.

Oh, it's way past time for a new name

I'm still a person who wishes the Blackbat period had run longer - but generally that's because of how much I loved that costume design. Chris Burnham, Marcus To, just awesome designwork and representation, and it fit Cass really well. Moreover, like Spoiler's current costume, it paid homage to the previous (the bodysuit is essentially the classic Cass Batgirl unitard with the yellow bat, it's just the cape and mask that have changed, similar to how Steph's current costume is just the absolutely great Batman Reborn-era black/purple bodysuit with padding, just with the Spoiler hood and cape, and swapping between a Cluemaster style ninja mask and the full face classic Spoiler masks).

But that's costumes. Her name. Well I don't like Orphan at all, even if I can live with a patchwork origin story for her that somehow incorporated "Mother" into her historic Cain and Shiva origins. For starters, it's way on-the-nose, and also kind of dismal and boring and not inspired by the Batman brand. I'd like her to be bat-something, because thematically she's more batty and less birdy, but she could also have a name that's partner-like to Spoiler. Or pulled from classic Bat obscurity. Frankly I wouldn't mind seeing her and Tim shift both their codenames to be Redwing and Blackbird.

If Helena Bertinelli weren't using it, [I]Huntress[/I] would have been a cool name for Cass.

Is there currently a [I]Tigress[/I] in [I]post-[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR="#FF0000"]Flashpoint[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][/I] continuity anywhere?

[QUOTE=MajorHoy;3290338]If Helena Bertinelli weren't using it, [I]Huntress[/I] would have been a cool name for Cass.

Is there currently a [I]Tigress[/I] in [I]post-[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR="#FF0000"]Flashpoint[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][/I] continuity anywhere?[/QUOTE]

The only way Huntress would work for Cass would be if Bertinelli never existed, so it would be the name Bruce's daughters share. As it is though, it wouldn't work.

And Tigress? if she's not gonna be Batgirl or Batman, she needs an identity that's unique to her.

BlackBat (spelled like that)

Black Rogue

Shrike

Big Daddy Cain

Batusi


So......what is Cass’ ethnicity and nation of origin now?

I like Orphan. I like it better than Black Bat.

Being an orphan is part of the Batman and Robin mythos. Orphan is uniquely hers...a name she never shared with anyone.

If anyone needs a new name, it's Tim.

[QUOTE=Caivu;3289873]Rook. A black bird and a powerful chess piece (a play on "Knights").[/QUOTE]

I always thought if Cass' codename was Blackbird that would make for a nice coutner balance of Tim being Redbird.

[QUOTE=phonogram12;3294130]I always thought if Cass' codename was Blackbird that would make for a nice coutner balance of Tim being Redbird.[/QUOTE]

Sounds good to me.

[QUOTE]Batusi[/QUOTE]
I'm down with this one :D