Batgirls

[Lal]

To be clear, Becky Cloonan said they were 13 and 14 in the interview, but Michael Conrad said they were older. Also, Jorge Corona said they were around 16 and 17.

Attachment 117491


After that, Michael Conrad also clarified in twitter that Becky Clonan exagerated when she says 14, Stephanie and Cassandra weren't so young.

It's very problematic, to put it mildly, that one of the writers doesn't know how old are the characters they write.

Also, how can they say that Babs is early to mid-20s when she's treated as their mom? She's not written as someone who just finished college.

It seems they still want to keep the ages vague, which is legit, but it's very strange.

[ohfellow]

To be clear, Becky Cloonan said they were 13 and 14 in the interview, but Michael Conrad said they were older. Also, Jorge Corona said they were around 16 and 17.

Attachment 117491


After that, Michael Conrad also clarified in twitter that Becky Clonan exagerated when she says 14, Stephanie and Cassandra weren't so young.

That is a mess. They'd probably like a 100% do-over for that entire interview, so that they could cover this up. How far along were they, with neither of the writers nor the artist knowing what ages their characters were supposed to be?

The Teen Bat-Trio's ages are constantly fluctuating depending on the story/writer.

That's fine, as long as they know what their vision is and what they are doing.

It's very problematic, to put it mildly, that one of the writers doesn't know how old are the characters they write.

Also, how can they say that Babs is early to mid-20s when she's treated as their mom? She's not written as someone who just finished college.

It seems they still want to keep the ages vague, which is legit, but it's very strange.

My cynical thought is this:

WB has an insatiable demand for IP they can put into film and TV and it's a home run for DC when they can provide it. Naomi got a CW TV show. Wonder Girl was rejected. Now they've got Batgirls - and they don't know who might be interested in developing it. Maybe they can sell it to Cartoon Network and come up with the next Teen Titans Go!, for kids. Or maybe they can get it on the CW for younger teens. So - it's vague for now. It's up for grabs.

I think Barbara will survive this, because she's so well established. And I think Cass will survive it, because though her character is pretty one-note here, she isn't being made into a mockery. But I personally see this as character assassination for Steph and worry how many years it will take the character to recover.

She's come off as pretty bad-ass in her various appearances over the last year, and anyone reading "Batman" or "Joker" might have been interested in following her and Cass. But is "Batgirls" written for those Batman/Joker readers? Hard to imagine it's the same audience. (I think it's much closer to the Amethyst audience.)

Steph sounds to me in this book like the Barbara Gordon voice in the current Cartoon Network "DC Super Hero Girls" (the version of it developed by Lauren Faust), where Barbara is voiced as hyperactive and fast-talking (and is very possibly digitally speed-adjusted).

If Batgirls were a cartoon, which is the natural and only live action media where I can imagine this particular property could find a home, they would give that kind of voice to Steph, because some cartoon character has to get it. So you'd have a squeaky squealing and annoying Steph, a serious but occasionally humorously deadpan Cass (the assassin who can get a laugh by wearing a silly bathrobe), and a bossy mommying Barbara making sandwiches and warning them to bundle up so they don't catch colds outside.

(Edited only to split the last big paragraph into 3 short ones.)

[HsssH]

I don't think that it is fair to say that this is character assassination after only two issues.

[9th.]

I'm not in love with this series like I was expecting to but it's not terrible. It spends a lot of time being quiry, I hope all the villains they're setting up pay off. I thought the mask guy at the end of #2 was kinda cool.

[ohfellow]

I'm not in love with this series like I was expecting to but it's not terrible. It spends a lot of time being quiry, I hope all the villains they're setting up pay off. I thought the mask guy at the end of #2 was kinda cool.

Being "quirky"? Yes, that's a good word.

[ohfellow]

I don't think that it is fair to say that this is character assassination after only two issues.

It is me being cynical and disappointed so far, but yeah, it's probably not fair and I've gotten emotional. (Maybe not as bad as people on Twitter losing their minds about Leslie Grace's costume.)

I hope they can adjust course, but worry the tone is totally integral to the very conception of this book, from the characterizations, to an art style that calls strong attention to itself, and all the way to a jocular writerly narration I don't like.

Marvel would change course on a book by cancelling after a single 6-issue arc, waiting a few months, then putting out a new #1.

DC almost never does that. They put out 6 or 12 issue mini-series that are solicited as such in the first place.

They did change up the teams in Teen Titans and the cancelled Titans books a few years ago. Separated them each with a one-shot Special, where Damian put together his new Teen Titans, and Nightwing got a new mission in support of the Justice League and put together a new group. And then - in both cases, DC just continued the numbering. I thought that was a strange choice.

[ohfellow]

I'm not in love with this series like I was expecting to but it's not terrible. It spends a lot of time being quiry, I hope all the villains they're setting up pay off. I thought the mask guy at the end of #2 was kinda cool.

They're juggling a large number of plots, but I also think they are engaging so far. The Seer story wasn't previously resolved and had to continue (though I'm not sure anyone really wanted to see even more extreme Magistrate-like soldiers and more Simon Saint, even as a memoji). And the blame for the Clock Tower destruction has to be resolved, too. The serial killer, the street artist, the neighbor, the street gang, the zombies including the road crew and cops, and the neighborhood bookshop owner - I'm interested in seeing where all of it heads.

[Godlike13]

I actually think this tone fits Steph pretty well, and Cass is making me laugh. Take Babs out of this and I’d probably say I was enjoying it.

[Konja7]

I actually think this tone fits Steph pretty well, and Cass is making me laugh. Take Babs out of this and I’d probably say I was enjoying it.

I agree that the tone fits Stephanie. I really like her personality in this comic, she is pretty charming.

That said, I understand the problems Barbara or Cassandra fans have with the comic.

[Spider-Clone]

I agree that the tone fits Stephanie. I really like her personality in this comic, she is pretty charming.

That said, I understand the problems Barbara or Cassandra fans have with the comic.

Make it a la Powerpuff Girls.
Bubbles - Steph
Blossom- Babs
Buttercup - Cass

[Frontier]

Make it a la Powerpuff Girls.
Bubbles - Steph
Blossom- Babs
Buttercup - Cass

That's hilarious, yet somehow accurate .

[Hypo]

BATGIRLS #5
Written by BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD
Art and cover by JORGE CORONA
Variant cover by MICHAEL CHO
1:25 variant cover by RIAN GONZALES
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 4/12/22

The Batgirls and Tutor face off again, but this time at the creepy, abandoned Arkham Asylum! Can the Batgirls stop Tutor from using his art to put all of Gotham in a mind-controlled trance? Let's hope the Batgirls found a way to avoid being put under his control…again! Meanwhile, Babs's hands are tied—literally—when she comes face to face with Spellbinder.

[Frontier]

Is that Spellbinder on the cover?

[millernumber1]

Very excited for this series's first arc! I especially love the Michael Cho variant for this issue!

[Frontier]

That Michael Cho Cass .