Cass and her amazing changing boots!

Over the course of Cass' comic book career artists interpreted her costume differently, including her footwear. Damion Scott favored drawing Cass in sensible flats, for example.  Think about Cass and her hit-first-don't-ask-questions-later-or-ever approach to life and crime fighting.  More than likely she'd choose footwear that gives her a combat edge.  Some sort of specially-designed sole allowing her foot ample support and traction as she runs, jumps and kicks all over Gotham City. 

And still, we find Cass taking on a whole bar-full of muscle goons while wearing the chunky disco heels artists N. Steven Harris and John Nyberg give her in Birds of Prey #27 (March 2001).

Disco, or else she broke into Gene Simmons' dressing room.  Admittedly, chunky disco heels permit sweet post-fight interrogation moves like this:

But since Cass was never really one for interrogation, I can't see chunky disco heels as anything more than a male artist's idea of female fashion affectation or an attempt to introduce an element of BDSM into Cass' look, which, admittedly, tends to skew that way when an art team renders her costume as leather or shiny plastic.  They're more robust than traditional heels, though.  Your more traditional heels can cause embarrassing incidents like this, from Batgirl #45 (December 2003), as visualized by Rick Leonardi and Jesse Delperdang:

I think it's much more likely Cass would have snapped one of those more slender heels with her fighting moves than this "slipping on them" business.  That's just silly.  High heels or not, you have to imagine Cass always aware in some way of her center of gravity and subconsciously making adjustments.  With these comics coming roughly two years apart, we can assume the relatively more stable platform the chunky disco heel provide gave her over-confidence concerning Barbara Gordon's old boots.

But that still doesn't explain why she changes boots partway through that Birds of Prey issue.

Flats!  They're not even the same color!

Marcio Takara draws one fantastic Cass!

I just saw this Cassandra Cain as Black Bat drawing from Marcio Takara, and he knocks it out of the park.  This is one of those drawings that makes me want to draw.  His others are top notch as well, but looking at his Black Bat I can't imagine for the life of me why DC isn't using her in their stories even as Scott Snyder says he wants to but the decision to do so is "above [his] pay grade."  She's so visually striking drawn like this whatever that reason the upper echelon may have for keeping Cass out of the game* just got smacked down as far as I'm concerned.  If I were in charge, I'd be hiring Takara and on the phone to a writer for a Black Bat monthly right this second.

But of course I'd write that on a Cass fan blog.

*I can't imagine anyone in a position to say yea or nay at DC turning down a Cass proposal from Snyder or Gail Simone if either of them actually made one.  Then again, I don't know what the agenda there is.  I'm still only reading Katana and back issues of classic titles.

Albany, Georgia, is a hotbed of Cass Cain availability!

Yesterday I dragged my wife to the local comic book store here in this south Georgia town where we've apparently decided to honeymoon.  I didn't buy any of Cassandra Cain's comic book series, but I did find a huge stash of these four-color treasures there.  The store is called Comics and Cards, Inc., and if you're a Cass fan and find yourself in Albany, Georgia, you have to stop there.

Comics and Cards, Inc., doesn't have a complete run of Batgirl starring Cass, and they lack some key issues.  There's no first issue and no #24.  I think the earliest one they have is #4, then the run becomes spotty.  One reason for this is I bought books to fill gaps in my own print Batgirl collection a long time ago.  Still, if you're looking for Cass in Albany, you're in luck with one of the best selections I've come across in a long time.

Also, Comics and Cards, Inc., carries just about anything newly-printed you're looking for from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image, IDW and Boom!.  Since it was Thursday the shelves were groaning with the strain from supporting new stock and they have the last few months of back issues on display there as well.  After the slim pickings of monthlies in Japan, this was like coming home hungry to a house full of favorite snacks and comfort foods.  And the people working there are super-nice.  I've always enjoyed a pleasant relationship with the management there, and the guy working the register made us feel welcome as well.

And yes-- Cassandra Cain lives there still.

On the other hand, while Books-A-Million at the Albany Mall has deepened their stock of new issues and graphic novels (and manga... tons of that), there is zero Cass to be had.  Sorry.