Who's Your Favourite Batgirl?

[Vinsanity]

Babs. Since she was in all the animated shows/movies and also since she was in the '66 show.

[godisawesome]

Class Cain. She was built from the ground up to be a vigilante you could believe would be safe on the streets, had an awesome hook with her skills offset by her handicap, and would still qualify as the most badass Batgirl of all contenders since she had Oracle and Steph in her corner as allies and teachers. She was also written as a Batgirl aiming to succeed Batman and was portrayed as capable of that with time and help. Plus, her costume is the best.

She's also the most non-traditional of the candidates listed; Huntress, as the one who designed her costume and as the violent foil to the rest of the Batfamily, is the closest to her style, but even then Huntress is just a tad more of the familiar feminine action hero stereotype.

By the way, I've kind of got the feeling that Cass seems designed just a bit more to appeal to both sexes right off the bat, kind of like Korra from Legend of Korra. Anybody else feel that way?

[dancj]

Cass Cain - particularly back when she couldn't string more than a couple of words together.

[shgs]

I liked Barbara as Oracle. Cass as Black Bat, and Stephanie as Batgirl

Yeh this.

10char

[The_Greatest_Username]

By the way, I've kind of got the feeling that Cass seems designed just a bit more to appeal to both sexes right off the bat, kind of like Korra from Legend of Korra. Anybody else feel that way?

I'd say all of the Batgirls were designed that way. Remember, Barbara was created and added to the 60s Batman show specifically to appeal to girls.

[MajorHoy]

LOL! First we have "Who is your favorite non-Batman?" which I got the idea for "Who is your favorite Batman replacement?" and now we have this. Who's next, who is your favorite Robin?

Been there. Done that.
Who's your favorite Robin?

(But it doesn't have a poll.)

[LifeIsILL]

Cassandra Cain easily

[SJNeal]

Babs. Even though I still prefer her as Oracle.

[ABH]

Still Cass Cain.

[The Whovian]

So true. Cass was bad ass! I'm going to be reading Batman No Man's Land to see her introduction and all that, is the book good?

Yes, it is most definitely

[The Lucky One]

BQM Stephanie (quite a different character than Chuck Dixon Stephanie) combines the best aspects of pre-Crisis Barbara Gordon, but even more lighthearted and with a more interesting backstory and motivations (and of course, Babs herself as a supporting character). Her costume certainly isn't as iconic as Barbara's, but overall, Stephanie is the best Batgirl.

[Batman Fan]

Cass no question.

Would love to see her in her own series.

[Vworp Vworp]

Steph. With Cass a very close second.

Babs still hasn't had a definitive run as Batgirl yet, although there have been some great one shots and mini-series, Year One being the obvious standout.

[MajorHoy]

. . . Babs still hasn't had a definitive run as Batgirl yet, . . .

I take it you weren't alive during the past century?

[godisawesome]

I'd say all of the Batgirls were designed that way. Remember, Barbara was created and added to the 60s Batman show specifically to appeal to girls.

Let me rephrase this; as a male fan who generally looks at the Batgirls as being more "girl friendly," I think Cass was written to be awesome to male fans as well, perhaps to compensate for the perceived difficulties of selling a female lead comic. I perceive the Batgirls as being written to be an audience surrogate for female fans, in the same way that the Robins are for male fans.

Bette was the first conceptualization of a female counterpart to Robin. Thus the Golden Age Bat-Girl wears a skirt, has her hair unbound, and is defined largely by being "a girl." And I mean that in both the positive and negative manner.

Babs's first appearance showed that she was supposed to be a feminist "girl power" character. And she was a success. She still wore heels and had her hair free, but it was kind of portrayed in a powerful way. She became a Congresswoman, for crying out loud! That's kind of badass. Her new turn in the cowl has similar themes, albeit with a "slice of life for the college student" schtick now, and with a bit of sass to increase her analogous-application to female readers.

Steph basically perfected the "college girl" aspects of the current formula, and got to have fun executing "chick-flick" stereotypical stories, like the slumber party with Supergirl or the "working with the ex" aspects of her Red Robin team-up. She still wears a brighter costume and has her hair unbound, and still looks friendly, for lack of a better term.

Meanwhile, Cass has a very intimidating, very scary outfit seemingly designed towards being more Spartan and utilitarian (Huntress made modifications to the suit to avoid problems she found with it.) Her handicap and unique world perspective are a huge part of her characterizations, much larger than her being female; whenever her gender does come up, it's a break from the usual formula. She's also written with a heavy emphasis on Kung fu and Martial arts style stories.

I aging that Cass is an action hero first, handicapped protagonist second, Kung fu disciple third, then a female crime fighter. And I don't think that's quite true about the other Batgirls.