Betty Kane / Bette Kane Appreciation 2018

[Katana500]

I too hope they don't recreate Bette's past, not very competent, etc. Quite frankly, this is a tradition and problem in comics; certain characters are built up, then ret-conned into their previous meme. Bette, is a stellar example of that. As the original Bat-girl, she saved Batman, etc. a couple of times in her original early '60s appearances. She was helpful in the final issues of the original Teen Titans comic as well.

Yea your right! 😊
Hopefully she will be built up as a more competent character and not reduced back to rookie. Tynion seems to have a good idea of the bat family characters and if he introduces her I have faith. He had done a good job with the others so far

[Katana500]

Yeah, but eventually - if things work out, I would like to see a reunion for Dick and Bette, of some sort

Hopefully eventually bette could become a supporting character for dick who still needs a greater supporting cast (it has been improving recently though with spyral and raptor etc )

[Oberon]

True confession: I have not read most DC comics after the original crisis - but the new 52 pulled me in - mostly all the bat titles. So I was sad when Batwoman went through all those editorial changes and then was dropped.

I would really like it, if Mr. Tynion can incorporate ALL of her past in some manner. I strongly feel that Bette should be acknowledged as the original Bat-girl and we could see a more definitive story on why she took the name Flamebird. It should of course take into account her feelings for Dick and watching him take the name of Nightwing. Some previous canon (but yet to find the actual source) has said that Dick and Bette were told of the Kandorian legends of NW and FB, by Supes, or possibly Lois Lane (?). I would like to see an updating of that, as I feel it would help acquaint her more with her appearances with Bats' team in Detective as well as the new readers who don't know.

[hotroddii]

I can't wait to see Bette again ... (unless it's death) ... but she needs a consistent role somewhere in comics ... and called Flamebird.

[Oberon]

Not seeing any new information on Bette, per J. Tynion's recent twitter. Has anyone else?

I was looking at the covers and brief plots of the next several issues of Detective and note a story about a Victim's Syndicate . . .

"“The Victim Syndicate” part two! The mysterious First Victim has launched an assault on Batman and his team, forcing them to fight an enemy they know nothing about, who seems to have the support of an entire network of strange new foes!"

This has me wondering if Bette is in this storyline, since she was quite the major victim of the Hook-hand creep in the old Batwoman series. The reference above is gender non-specific, so I maybe?

I would prefer to not see Bette return as an antagonist, but there could be far more to this plot of that is what Tynion meant when he said "Wait till you see what she's been up to".

Other thoughts or ideas?

[lalalei2001]

I always felt Bette was underused as a character, especially once Barbara showed up. I wonder what other Batgirls think of her.

[Oberon]

I always felt Bette was underused as a character, especially once Barbara showed up. I wonder what other Batgirls think of her.

After the original Crisis, she mostly 'lost' her identity, especially the part about being the first 'Bat-girl'.

Then when Morrison wrote / ret-conned Bruce's past, with Batwoman, she reappeared, slightly there and in Batman, INC. But these were just so-so glimpses (some of which I've never seen, but a few panels) and many fans question whether it is/was or should be canon.

Personally, if you can squeeze so much of Batman's continuity as it is, why can't there be room for the brief appearances of Betty/e as "Bat-girl". I have no problem with her becoming the Flamebird and think there is quite a bit of threads to pick up on and use for that.

Especially in the season of "rebirth" with the possible messing with the time-line by the Watchmen, it would present a perfect tangent and mystery that explains "whatever happened to the original Bat-girl?"

[Herowatcher]

It would be cool if Betty/Bette could be acknowledged as the first Bat-Girl again.

[Vinsanity]

I would love for Bette to be a retired hero and she dates Dick Grayson. Someone who knows what the life is like but got away from it, so he can have moments and stuff.

[Oberon]

Any more last guesses on what Tynion plans to do with Bette? I would love Bette's Bat-girl history to be acknowledged and possibly tied into Court of Owls or Spyral, through Kathy Kane.

[Herowatcher]

I definitely would like to see Bette Kane and the Kane Family have some history with the Court of Owls.
It could be interesting if her Bat-Girl career came to an end because of the Court.

[Oberon]

I definitely would like to see Bette Kane and the Kane Family have some history with the Court of Owls.
It could be interesting if her Bat-Girl career came to an end because of the Court.

Yes, that is a good idea.

Rebirth mythos suggests that there are 10 years of continuity that were stolen or whatever. Could this account for why no one hardly remembers Bette as the first "Bat-girl"? For some reason she was wiped out - why?

Other things about Bette. In the "Cutter" storyline in previous Batwoman stories (Detective before her own book?) they mentioned that Bette was a pro tennis player - but this has hardly come up in recent years.

Now if you consider that many of the Bat family have their own special thing - Dick is more of an acrobat, Tim is more of a tactical planner, and so on... what does Bette have?

Very fast reflexes, from years of pro tennis and other sports playing. I know, why is that special? Well because she has more developed reflexes than most other Bat folks, so why not use that 'in-story'?

Back to a possible Court of Owls tie in, it seems the Court targets certain families or individuals so, a Kane athletic type girl would fit the bill. In some ways, Bette's possible history may mirror Dick's; she may have been groomed to be sports material as he was to the circus act.
Is it possible that Bruce or Kathy knew or found clues about this and Bette leaves the storyline (first time, early '60s) because they are trying to protect her? She doesn't show up again until years later and seems to have most of her skills intact...
Maybe sending her away was how she entered the Court. Maybe she is the Court's sleeper agent (or was?)?

I obviously think a lot of the Bette character. My perfect solution would be something that affirms her Bat-Girl identity and explains where and why she was gone for a few years. I want the Robin-crush to be reconsidered (the post-Crisis silly stuff, not the sweet 'crush' she had on Robin in the early '60s). And I want to see something 'more' between her and Dick, even if it is just a cool crime-fighting team of some sort. Nightwing and Flamebird have a lot more to give us!

[Herowatcher]

Now if you consider that many of the Bat family have their own special thing - Dick is more of an acrobat, Tim is more of a tactical planner, and so on... what does Bette have?

Very fast reflexes, from years of pro tennis and other sports playing. I know, why is that special? Well because she has more developed reflexes than most other Bat folks, so why not use that 'in-story'?

I also think Bette has the advantage of fast reflexes and great coordination.
Another skill she should have is the ability to profile a person/criminal. Bette is a "people person" and through her wealthy family and tennis career one
could assume she's interacted with a wide variety of personalities.

[scary harpy]

Wasn't Bette getting a master's degree in sports medicine?

[Oberon]

These last 2 comments are great. With a degree in sports medicine she would be helpful when Bat-folks have some boo-boos.

I think the seeds of Bette being a people person go back to her Silver Age appearances. I've seen panels where she figures out things about people (mostly crooks, but hey, she figured out that Aunt Kathy was Batwoman!), which help save the day or make a difference.

I hope Tymion is listening to some of this - but he may have some other good ideas of his own.