They carried the mantle in their own rights so I feel like they do hold some degree of ownership over it even if Babs was the original and set the standard.
And I don't think there would have been as much effort to bring them back otherwise if people didn't feel they were important in their own right.
Well so did Babs, but that hasn’t stopped -anyone- from constantly pissing on her efforts. Babs set the standard, Babs did the work to define it: Cass and Steph can do what they do under ANY name.
So why is it so imperative for them to be Batgirl? Why can’t they hold their own solos with their own unique identities? If Batgirl isn’t so special, why should my they strike out to evolve on their own?
People always complaint their favorite loss an popular brand identity. So, I don't know why you are surprised than fans of Cassandra or Stephanie complaint.
Batgirl is a strong brand identity. That's why many fans want their favorite to use that identity. Honestly, Barbara likely need the Batgirl brand less than Cassandra, since she is more popular.
In my case, I don't like Barbara as Batgirl, because DC usually wants her to be younger and inexperienced in that identity.
However, I've never wanted Barbara to be Oracle again (I wanted her as Batwoman), because the character could be relegated to a supporting character.
Being Batgirl was an important part of their characters and Batgirl became a major identifier for all three of them. Why not use it as a way of banding all three characters together to spotlight them and what they bring to the table?
Plus, Orphan is terrible.
I don't think something good for Cass and Steph should necessarily devalue Babs' accomplishment or importance just as it didn't when they were originally Batgirls.
Because it -isn’t- being used to elevate all three characters: it’s devaluing Barbara’s time while making out like Cass and Steph are disposable. No-one’s showing any special skills, if anything, Tynion’s putting them down by referring to them as a singular group!
It isn’t about Cass and Steph not deserving something good, they do: but it shouldn’t come at any of their expense! Hell, I argue Cass has turned out worse for this. She’s more faceless and non-verbal than ever next to Steph, serving as her stoic-comic foil. She has no agency of her own behind all this.
Getting the Batgirl title back was the worst thing that ever happened to Babs.
I am not seeing anyone viewing them as disposable. A team does not make them disposable in my opinion.
Cass is finally looking like herself again and will probably get character focus in a Batgirls book.
I think that had more to do with how she was being depicted as Batgirl at the time and it coming at the expense of erasing the other Batgirls.
It does if Babs isn’t given the exact same chance to operate as Batgirl as the other two. It does if you’ve only got two being pushed with the third and founder hardly (if ever) giving them a chance to show what makes her different and why Batgirl exists in the first place. It does if they’re being referred to as one entity who do the exact same thing, which isn’t true. Devalued.
Well now Babs is being erased as Batgirl, isn’t she? So expect one hell of a push back.
Cass and Steph aren't in Nightwing, for one, so that's potentially two books Babs will be appearing in as Batgirl.
We have no indication Batgirls will just be Cass and Steph (and it isn't the only books Babs will be in anyways) and that Babs will have no role in the book. I would be very surprised if that is the case and that it won't show off their uniqueness as individuals and what they all bring to the mantle.
They're a team on a mission. Not a single entity. No devaluing going on.
Babs as Batgirl is not being erased.Well now Babs is being erased as Batgirl, isn’t she? So expect one hell of a push back.
I didn’t say she’d have no role -in- Batgirls, I said she’s going to have no role -as- Batgirl. She’ll be there, because of course it’s Oracle’s -duty- to support the two ‘batgirls’ but god forbid she ever get to show off what we loved about her as Batgirl in the first place. God forbid she get a chance to do what the other two do, because they’re all doing the same thing at the end of the day so what’s the big deal.
Babs as Batgirl -is- being erased and devalued through Tynion’s approach: he wants a streamlined Bat title. He wants Oracle. He’s going to go out of his way to reverse things to the 2000’s era by systematically having Babs compared and put down to Steph and Cass, even though she brings just as much to the table (if not more) than them.
This wouldn’t be an issue if they all definitely got to be Batgirl at the same time, but they won’t and Tynion’s interviews and dialogue make that abundantly clear.
The indications we have:
“I’ll be more judicious about when I use it” —as in, never
“Am I more use as Batgirl or Oracle?” —Tynion basically not seeing the value in Batgirl
“It’s not like this city will go wanting for a Batgirl” —As in, Steph and Cass are there so Tynion has no incentive for fans to want Babs’ Batgirl. More devaluation by treating them as non-unique personas.
Last edited by Domino_Dare-Doll; 03-04-2021 at 05:35 PM.
By the way, with Cassandra's appearance in Infinite Frontier wearing her old Batgirl outfit,
any idea of what name they're referring to her as?
Stephanie is wearing her Spoiler outfit, so even if she's in a group referred to as "Batgirls", they can still easily jut refer to Steph herself as "Spoiler".