Cassandra Cain: Orphan, Black Bat, Batgirl Appreciation 2021

[Aahz]

Also Damian didn't really stared to regularly appear in the Batman books until Battle for the Cowl in 2009.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Didio wanting Cass cancelled and turned evil us usually interpreted as having more to do with DC planning to introduce Kate Kan as Batwoman, or alternatively use the Batwoman design for a relaunch of Babs as Batgirl.

One of the artists who did the final Cass-Batgirl issues posted some of their sketches and specifically said the book had been cancelled to “make way” for Kate’s debut in 52.

It fits perfectly with Didio’s well known irrational fear of “redundant” characters that was always being applied in a clearly biased and arbitrary fashion.

Yeah, this basically.

Dan D et all wanted to return to the DC they remembered and grew up. Hell, they had an Oracle mini called 'The Cure' not long after Cass was thrown under the bus.

Cass' sales at the time were better than Firestorm, Catwoman and Hawkman, all of whom came back

[dietrich]

So I saw Damian has a new solo series starting, and it got me thinking. And I'm presumably not the only person who's considered this or asked the question (likely way back in 2006, when it was all happening), so maybe it's already been addressed/disproved somewhere down the line. And if so, by all means, set me straight. But I've never made the link myself before.

Was Cass's Batgirl run being cancelled and her subsequent ludicrous heel turn in OYL, all about Damian being introduced (or reintroduced, if you count the non-canon stuff)? I only ask, because when I checked the dates, it did seem like all those events happened within a very short space of time;

- February 2006. Cassandra's solo Batgirl comic is cancelled at #73, at time when it was still doing seemingly OK numbers (Would 26k considered ok in 2006?) and was one of their longest running solo female titles

- March 2006. One Year Later attempts to turn Cassandra into a villain "because reasons"

- July 2006. Damian debuts/returns

I mean, outside of Damian's familial connection with Bruce, him and Cass are obviously two quite similar characters. Did(io) the powers that be at the time decide that there was only room for one youth-with-incredible-fighting-skills-who-was-raised-by-assassins-to-be-a-trained-killer in the Batfam? And when faced with choice between Cass's then seven years as a main player in the Batbooks and Damian being an essentially brand new character, but who was related to Bruce, they went exactly the way you knew DC would go.

Or is all just a bit of a coincidence?

You aren't the only one to say this [in fact this same claim has appeared on various cass fan blogs. Curious how so many can recite the same far fetched conspiracy theory word for word.

It's more like salty fans reaching similar to the current discuss happening on the Cass related blogs

-Cass fans raging that they've wanted a Tournament arc for so long and DC is favouring Damian and purposely sticking it to Cass fans by giving Damian a fighting arc [how DC knows what Cass fan's dream about I don't know]

Cass and Damian aren't that similar nor do they serve the same purpose in the Batman mythos as is clearly evidenced by the type of stories they are used in.

Damian's stories usually explore his familial connection to Bruce, His familial struggles with the Al Ghul's, the weight of his destiny, the hardships and temptations as on tries to stay a hero, Coming of age, Finding one's own path in life.

Damian's function in the Bat fam isn't one that Cass can ever fill nor can Damian fill a Cass shaped hole DC hasn't attempted to use Damian in the way they use Cass. He isn't a replacement or an obstacle to Cass. He is a Robin and Batman's Son.

Cass fans need to recognise and place blame where blame belongs with DC.

Stop trying to scape goat other characters especially Characters that were never intended to last longer than one Story.

[Bat-Meal]

Didio wanting Cass cancelled and turned evil us usually interpreted as having more to do with DC planning to introduce Kate Kan as Batwoman, or alternatively use the Batwoman design for a relaunch of Babs as Batgirl.

One of the artists who did the final Cass-Batgirl issues posted some of their sketches and specifically said the book had been cancelled to “make way” for Kate’s debut in 52.

Kate's debut in 52 was not as a major character - she was Renee's damsel. She served as little more than an object of desire, and the pretty girl to be rescued (more than once).

[John Venus]

My recollection of those days:

-Kate's bat suit was originally designed for Barbara Gordon. Alex Ross designed it. Him and Dini had this idea of Babs being able to walk again thanks to the Lazarus Pit. Whether this was for an Elseworld or the main continuity, I don't know. Either way, the idea was nixed.

-Kate Kane being reinvented as a gay woman was concieved by Devin Grayson and Greg Rucka but the latter got to actually implement it in the 52 series. I read that he wanted the introduction to be more casual but then DC decided to leak the news to the media, causing wide spread attention which Rucka didn't want.

-According to Joe Illidge, Denny O'Neil, who was the head Bat-Editor at the time, had to fight to make Cass Cain as Batgirl happen. Unsurprisingly, after he was gone they've systematically disassembled everything him and his team has built.

[Blight]

Didio wanting Cass cancelled and turned evil us usually interpreted as having more to do with DC planning to introduce Kate Kan as Batwoman, or alternatively use the Batwoman design for a relaunch of Babs as Batgirl.

One of the artists who did the final Cass-Batgirl issues posted some of their sketches and specifically said the book had been cancelled to “make way” for Kate’s debut in 52.

It fits perfectly with Didio’s well known irrational fear of “redundant” characters that was always being applied in a clearly biased and arbitrary fashion.

The inker to her final issues came out and said it on the devi with the final page he posted.

The original version of Kate was quite different than what we eventually got. The writer for the ongoing, Devin Grayson has stated that her version of Kate was greatly different than the one we got. I think DC overestimated the reaction and decided to pull it so they could get the character "right". But yes, Cass's ongoing was canceled due to higher-ups. More so the editor at that time in Robin who approved the heel turn views Cass as a character of the time. That she could not last beyond the bubble she was created in (ala Orpheus or the 90s Bloodline characters he also edited). I think that theory of his has been greatly disproved given the character continues to this day.

[godisawesome]

The inker to her final issues came out and said it on the devi with the final page he posted.

The original version of Kate was quite different than what we eventually got. The writer for the ongoing, Devin Grayson has stated that her version of Kate was greatly different than the one we got. I think DC overestimated the reaction and decided to pull it so they could get the character "right". But yes, Cass's ongoing was canceled due to higher-ups. More so the editor at that time in Robin who approved the heel turn views Cass as a character of the time. That she could not last beyond the bubble she was created in (ala Orpheus or the 90s Bloodline characters he also edited). I think that theory of his has been greatly disproved given the character continues to this day.

His theory also seems flabbergastingly stupid given Cass was still going pretty strong at the time... and then his move was to go “she’s now an evil, sexy Dragon Lady trying to seduce Tim to the dark side with her evil hotness!”

I feel like Cass’s fall and exile was clearly attributable to some degree of genuine racist malice and a larger degree of privileged apathy.

[Hypo]

https://twitter.com/JorgeJimenezArt/...18503781371909

[Frontier]

https://twitter.com/JorgeJimenezArt/...18503781371909

Gorgeous Cass .

[Digifiend]

I wouldn't expect Cass in the Arrowverse any time soon - they're already introducing Steph, and with red hair - so I won't be shocked if she's going to become Batgirl and not Spoiler, as she'd look like Babs. Obviously if Steph does become Batgirl that's Cass's main codename taken (though Orphan would still be an option).

[Frontier]

I wouldn't expect Cass in the Arrowverse any time soon - they're already introducing Steph, and with red hair - so I won't be shocked if she's going to become Batgirl and not Spoiler, as she'd look like Babs. Obviously if Steph does become Batgirl that's Cass's main codename taken (though Orphan would still be an option).

I'm not even sure if Steph will become Batgirl, but I thought Cass was always a longshot.

[Hypo]

Preview of Tamaki/To's Cass story in the asian superhero special is up.

[Digifiend]

I assume that's set around the beginning of the original Batgirl comic? spoilers:

Cass is still pretty much mute there, she can talk much better nowadays.

end of spoilers

[Frontier]

I assume that's set around the beginning of the original Batgirl comic? spoilers:

Cass is still pretty much mute there, she can talk much better nowadays.

end of spoilers

Yeah, it seems like it's set early Post-Crisis.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Yeah, it seems like it's set early Post-Crisis.

I'm so old, I reflexively thought of the first Crisis