Stephanie Brown: Spoiler, Robin, Batgirl Appreciation 2020

[sunofdarkchild]

I like the idea, and your Steph voice is quite fun, but I'd recommend posting these on FF.N or AO3 and posting the link, rather than posting the fic as text.

When I finally get through the first episode in writing I probably will.

[ohfellow]

I'm only reading about one issue in the future, so I can prep my posts for Tuesday midnights, so I don't remember for sure, but I don't recall Cass coming back or being referenced, sadly.

I flipped through the character listing for each issue at dc.fandom.com and didn't see her. Except in the photograph in #24! Funny thing - I knew so little about Batgirls when I first read it that I couldn't distinguish between the three Batgirls in that photo, but now it couldn't be more obvious.

There's also a character named "Orphan" listed as first appearance of an antagonist in #21, a name which is of course amusing. I haven't looked ahead to see who it is.

The character listings at dc.fandom.com are so superb - very keen eyes and keen knowledge of DC. Those listings are so complete I often wonder if DC itself provides the lists!

Looks like no one wrote any synopses for this run there. How come you never got to the task? Just kidding - I'm not giving you an assignment.

[ohfellow]

Bonus comic: World’s Finest #4 - conclusion - written by Sterling Gates, art and cover by Phil Noto. The Steph content is a bit light, but memorable. Steph’s first brush with Robin, and her friendship with Supergirl warming (literally as Kara unfreezes Steph!) Phil Noto’s collection cover features Steph prominantly!

Great collection cover - I didn't know that existed.

I think the Batman/Superman dialog is kind of stiff, but the highlight of the issue goes to Steph:

Oh, not good. Not good!
AAHH!
This isn't any better you know!
NNNNN

I like Steph standing looking kind of pissed with folded arms and an arched eyebrow (how does that work, arching an eyebrow through a cowl?), with Supergirl scolding Damian for calling Steph fat.

I suppose in the "montage," which it appears Superman narrates, it's Steph who he says is "adjusting to their new lives well." To an extent, it's also a new life for Supergirl (and Superman) due to the relatively recent establishment of New Krypton.

[millernumber1]

I flipped through the character listing for each issue at dc.fandom.com and didn't see her. Except in the photograph in #24! Funny thing - I knew so little about Batgirls when I first read it that I couldn't distinguish between the three Batgirls in that photo, but now it couldn't be more obvious.

There's also a character named "Orphan" listed as first appearance of an antagonist in #21, a name which is of course amusing. I haven't looked ahead to see who it is.

The character listings at dc.fandom.com are so superb - very keen eyes and keen knowledge of DC. Those listings are so complete I often wonder if DC itself provides the lists!

Looks like no one wrote any synopses for this run there. How come you never got to the task? Just kidding - I'm not giving you an assignment.

I think I remember "Orphan" - but we'll have to see if my memory is correct!

I do appreciate the resources of DC Wikia (the original name of the fandom domain, which is the same domain that hosts the Steph wikia). However, the main editors/admins there tend to be fairly cranky about "too much detail," so it's not quite as simple as just copy and pasting the synopses that we have at the Steph wikia. I did just write 5 synopses for some of the old Birds of Prey issues, but it's time consuming, and I prefer not to have to deal with those editors if I don't have to.

Great collection cover - I didn't know that existed.

I think the Batman/Superman dialog is kind of stiff, but the highlight of the issue goes to Steph:

Oh, not good. Not good!
AAHH!
This isn't any better you know!
NNNNN

I like Steph standing looking kind of pissed with folded arms and an arched eyebrow (how does that work, arching an eyebrow through a cowl?), with Supergirl scolding Damian for calling Steph fat.

I suppose in the "montage," which it appears Superman narrates, it's Steph who he says is "adjusting to their new lives well." To an extent, it's also a new life for Supergirl (and Superman) due to the relatively recent establishment of New Krypton.

Like so much surrounding the World's Finest mini here, it's sadly memory holed. I'm glad I was able to track one down on ebay.

The brows of all the Bat-cowls are very mobile.

[ohfellow]

I do appreciate the resources of DC Wikia (the original name of the fandom domain, which is the same domain that hosts the Steph wikia).

I did used to refer to it as the DC Wiki, or Wikia -- but after they changed the domain name, I started to refer to the fandom name (since one presumes that's what they want). But is the old convention still in force by existing users? Is everyone still referring to it as the wikia? I will too if that is the case.

The subdomain dc.wikia.com does redirect to dc.fandom.com.

However, the main editors/admins there tend to be fairly cranky about "too much detail," so it's not quite as simple as just copy and pasting the synopses that we have at the Steph wikia. I did just write 5 synopses for some of the old Birds of Prey issues, but it's time consuming, and I prefer not to have to deal with those editors if I don't have to.

I've seen all levels of quality there. The ones that review every panel are often bogged down with too much detail, down to the level of "Character X says this, and then Character Y says this." But it's hard to know what a given reader actually is looking for. I'd much rather they put the exchanges into their own words, because to do so requires they digest WHAT the characters mean. Which is often what I need a new perspective on.

The best manage to boil down relatively complex or long sequences into just a few well-chosen words.

I don't know what author is responsible, but there is one synposis writer at the wiki who throws italicized words into just about every sentence. For emphasis, I guess, but the problem is the italics never seem to be on the proper word, because of which my brain has never learned to just glide smoothly past those italics. My reading comes to a dead halt on every wrongly italicized word. It's unfortunate, because that author clearly puts a lot of work into their synopses, and it takes even more work to add italics.

Some of the "Summary of Stephness" writeups may actually have too little for a general synopsis - more likely true for minor appearances, or even cameos, in other books. I hope I put the italics in the right place.

[millernumber1]

I did used to refer to it as the DC Wiki, or Wikia -- but after they changed the domain name, I started to refer to the fandom name (since one presumes that's what they want). But is the old convention still in force by existing users? Is everyone still referring to it as the wikia? I will too if that is the case.

The subdomain dc.wikia.com does redirect to dc.fandom.com.

I've seen all levels of quality there. The ones that review every panel are often bogged down with too much detail, down to the level of "Character X says this, and then Character Y says this." But it's hard to know what a given reader actually is looking for. I'd much rather they put the exchanges into their own words, because to do so requires they digest WHAT the characters mean. Which is often what I need a new perspective on.

The best manage to boil down relatively complex or long sequences into just a few well-chosen words.

I don't know what author is responsible, but there is one synposis writer at the wiki who throws italicized words into just about every sentence. For emphasis, I guess, but the problem is the italics never seem to be on the proper word, because of which my brain has never learned to just glide smoothly past those italics. My reading comes to a dead halt on every wrongly italicized word. It's unfortunate, because that author clearly puts a lot of work into their synopses, and it takes even more work to add italics.

Some of the "Summary of Stephness" writeups may actually have too little for a general synopsis - more likely true for minor appearances, or even cameos, in other books. I hope I put the italics in the right place.

I dunno how most people refer to them. I understand that "fandom" is the brand they want to use, but they are still a wiki in functionality. And it seems a bit misleading to say that they are the DC Fandom site (or the Stephanie Brown Fandom site), since that doesn't describe what they do, nor are these sites necessarily the main hubs for those fandoms in total. But I'm just one user.

For most reviews and wikia summaries I write, I strive for a sentence per page. I don't usually use italics - that someone does in a wiki summary does amuse me.

The "Summary of Stephness" sections are just that - trying mostly to summarize what happens to, with, and about Steph primarily, with the rest of the plot only there so far as it is necessary for Steph's part to make sense. I actually have an updated program schedulled for over 40 of the comic pages - I didn't realize that a lot of them are missing some. After that, I might revisit every page and see if they are focused primarily on Steph - it's not a general knowledge wiki, after all, and I don't want to provide redundancy with the DC or Batman wikis.

[millernumber1]

Welcome to the Batgirl: Stephanie Brown reread, Week 7! (Schedule starts here: https://community.cbr.com/showthread...=1#post4916669) Today, we're on Batgirl #7, "Batgirl Rising: Core Requirements part 3 of 3", written by Bryan Q. Miller, pencilled by Lee Garbett, inked by Trevor Scott, colored by Guy Major, cover by Phil Noto.

Notes: The Ricochet - it’s interesting how BQM sets up a lot of ideas, but doesn’t tie Steph to any of them permanently, except for her Batgirl suit. She uses a staff, batarangs, hands, and a variety of improvised weapons. For vehicles, she has this Ricochet (which is kinda ugly, I think, but has cool functions, as we see in the final fight here with Roxy), and later on, at least one other.

The finale fight - a really nicely choreographed bit of action for the bulk of the book - despite the kind of confusing way we got here with Francisco, the fight itself is really fun and smooth, and I think all three strands of it (Batman, Robin, and Batgirl), all intersect at logical and dramatically effective points.

Some great lines, as always - Damian’s “boring conversation anyway.” The repeated beats of Steph and Damian watching Dick and Babs - there’s a rhythm to each of these three issues of “Core Requirements” - and distinct differences to each beat that is repeated.

Cover - More dynamic than #6, but still not as memorable as #1-5. There seems to be a mirroring of covers - possibly unintentional, possibly not - the final image of #3 is very similar to #4, Steph and Roxy fighting on the rocket on the cover and in the issue, The Ricochet coming at the reader, later in the Batgirl: Murderer cover. An interesting reversal of “the cover never reflects the inside) pattern.

Discussion Questions: How do you think “Core Requirements” turned out? Are you ready for the crossover next week?

Bonus comic: Red Robin #9, which has almost nothing to do with Steph, except for the last two pages, which feature one of the prettiest full page spreads of Steph as Batgirl in the Batcave by Marcus To. This, of course, is the lead-in to the Collision crossover between the two titles!

[sunofdarkchild]

Third issue of this arc is very action heavy and therefore less of those great character interactions from the previous issue. Kind of what you expect from the final act of the story. Also might be the most competent Steph of the series to date. Hard to find a single mistake she commits for the entire issue.

[millernumber1]

Third issue of this arc is very action heavy and therefore less of those great character interactions from the previous issue. Kind of what you expect from the final act of the story. Also might be the most competent Steph of the series to date. Hard to find a single mistake she commits for the entire issue.

That's a very good point. Steph really deserves to impress Batman and Robin here, so it's nice to see her at the top of her game!

[ohfellow]

#7 re-read:

Much to like in this story. Steph saves the day - BIG TIME! - and earns respect. And continues to have a well-written, funny, squabbling sibling-type relationship with Damian. Dick and Barbara make truce with each other.

I don't love the Ricochet. Shooting Steph out like a cannon - well, ok I guess? It's so cramped it looks like the only way to use it is on one's stomach? Strange gadget. But Barbara designed it for herself, so it must meet her needs somehow.

Did we see how Oracle HQ came to be back in the Batcave? I think last we heard, Dick kicked them out. I guess he relented at some point.

What is Robin referring to when he mentions, more than once, his "bunker?" First time he mentions it, could be a joke. When Steph mentions it to Barbara, it REALLY sounds like a joke. But when Damian says it again, who or what is he talking to?

The cover: nice, and while I guess it's dusk or even night, and smoky, I would have liked a brighter utility belt.

"Roulette sicked" - The word is sicced. Now I'm really nitpicking!

[millernumber1]

#7 re-read:

Much to like in this story. Steph saves the day - BIG TIME! - and earns respect. And continues to have a well-written, funny, squabbling sibling-type relationship with Damian. Dick and Barbara make truce with each other.

I don't love the Ricochet. Shooting Steph out like a cannon - well, ok I guess? It's so cramped it looks like the only way to use it is on one's stomach? Strange gadget. But Barbara designed it for herself, so it must meet her needs somehow.

Did we see how Oracle HQ came to be back in the Batcave? I think last we heard, Dick kicked them out. I guess he relented at some point.

What is Robin referring to when he mentions, more than once, his "bunker?" First time he mentions it, could be a joke. When Steph mentions it to Barbara, it REALLY sounds like a joke. But when Damian says it again, who or what is he talking to?

The cover: nice, and while I guess it's dusk or even night, and smoky, I would have liked a brighter utility belt.

"Roulette sicked" - The word is sicced. Now I'm really nitpicking!

And I think that the way Steph saves the day doesn't feel like she's suddenly hypercompetent - it feels in character and earned.

The Ricochet just makes my neck hurt looking at it. Steph has to look really far up to drive it.

My guess is that Babs just refused to move, because Dick was being unreasonable.

I think Robins generally set up at least some space of their own. Damian clearly has multiple bunkers, Tim has his "Robin's Nests", etc. Batman himself has a lot of extra caves.

Yeah - there's just a sense that the colors on this cover and the last issue don't quite pop as well as they could. But I'm not enough of an artist to say too much more knowledgeably.

[sunofdarkchild]

Here's an idea. You're a writer on Batman or Robin in 2004. You're given the editorial mandate that there has to be a big event with a gangwar where Spoiler is to be killed off. Those two things are absolute, but you are given the chance to decide how these things occur. How do you 'fix it' so that it turns out better than the real War Games and is actually respectful towards the characters?

[Chickfighter]

Here's an idea. You're a writer on Batman or Robin in 2004. You're given the editorial mandate that there has to be a big event with a gangwar where Spoiler is to be killed off. Those two things are absolute, but you are given the chance to decide how these things occur. How do you 'fix it' so that it turns out better than the real War Games and is actually respectful towards the characters?

Firstly Steph doesn't initiate the gangwar, but does discover that it is about to happen. Steph manages to kill Black Mask before she dies and prevents further calamity. Batman shows up. He watches surveillance footage of Steph's struggle with Black Mask. Batman realizes there may be times when his "do not kill" theory is unworkable and that Steph realized the same just before she died, doing what Batman would never do, kill. Batman laments that his the edict and Steph's attempt to follow it led to her death. Batman questions himself, finds a Lazarus Pit to bring Steph back as Robin so that he can learn more about being a fallible human being and dealing with unwinnable situations from her.

[sunofdarkchild]

My idea is: Tim's father has moved him out of Gotham to get him as far away from Bruce, Batman, and Robin as possible. He still calls Steph from time to time, but since Batman cut her off she's completely alone in the field. The entire scenario is instigated by Balck Mask, with Steph playing no active part in starting the war. Black Mask is looking for a way to both take over the Gotham Underworld and to defeat Batman at the same time. He thinks Spoiler might be the weak link of the Batfamily, so he hires Scarab to tail her. Scarab sees Batman approach Spoiler. Bruce is only there to ask about how Tim is doing since he does care and is cut off now that Tim is out of Gotham, but Scarab and Black Mask take it as confirmation that Spoiler is working with Batman, and after following Steph home Scarab hacks her computer for Black Mask and finds fles from the brief period she was allowed to be in the batfamily. Steph was supposed to delete the files after she was cut off by Batman, but she couldn't do it.

After decrypting the files, Blaxk Mask realizes that while Batman has a contingency for many scenarios, he does not have a plan to deal with a sudden influx of super-weapons into Gotham, namely the 'tiastmakers' which were created by John Henry Irons before he became Steel. Batman had determined that the introduction of such a weapon into Gotham would cause an arms race among the gangs which would lead to an all-out war. Between the toastmakers being too expensive, too difficult to maintain and repair, and most gang-leaders in Gootham being more old-fashioned this has not been a problem before, but now that Black Mask knows what Batman knows he begins poring money into flooding Gotham with toastmakers, selling them to everyone at a huge loss. This is my explanation for how the gangwar got so bad - it was because all the gangs acquired a huge amount of these super-guns.

When the gangwar starts, Batman and the other vigilantes struggle to determine the source of the influx of toastmakers so they can end the war, but with the files he got from Steph's computer Black Mask knows how to keep his operations hidden. Spoiler tries to keep the peace in her neck of the woods, but during a fight with Scarab she learns how her computer was used to cause the war, and feeling responsible she goes after Black Mask. Because Batman had cut her off, she is unable to share with any of the bat-family what she knows and is forced to go herself to the facility where the toastmakers are being imported/produced. She causes enough chaos there to attract Batman and the others to the facility, but is fatally wounded just before they arrive. They are able to stop the influx of toastmakers, effectively bringing an end to the war since the weapons are so high maintenance and difficult to replace.

As she's dying, Steph apologizes for her carelessness causing the war, but Batman tells her that she did good and the last thing he says to her before she dies is that she saved the city. Batman realizes that he is more to blame than Steph, and that if he had treated her with more respect they could have have realized what was happening far sooner, prevented the war from getting so out of hand in the first place, and most of all she would not have had to die to stop it.

[Chickfighter]

My idea is: Tim's father has moved him out of Gotham to get him as far away from Bruce, Batman, and Robin as possible. He still calls Steph from time to time, but since Batman cut her off she's completely alone in the field. The entire scenario is instigated by Balck Mask, with Steph playing no active part in starting the war.

As she's dying, Steph apologizes for her carelessness causing the war, but Batman tells her that she did good and the last thing he says to her before she dies is that she saved the city. Batman realizes that he is more to blame than Steph, and that if he had treated her with more respect they could have have realized what was happening far sooner, prevented the war from getting so out of hand in the first place, and most of all she would not have had to die to stop it.

Yep. I like that approach just fine. Same basic points I wanted. Steph doesn't start the conflict and plays an important role in mitigating the damage.