More on Batgirl #1: Futures End: The New (52) Save Cass/Bring Back Cass Campaign...

Oh, and allow me to point out if Batgirl #1: Futures End sells well and there's a link between that and the appearance of this New 52 Cass, that would be a pretty nice incentive for DC to find a way to insert this character into the regular New 52 continuity.  Not "five years" from now, but in the now as you, the reader, know it.  To set up a possible future of this particular Cassandra Batgirl or something or someone similar the differences hardly matter running around and doing so well all those cool things we enjoyed Cass doing so much.

Buying the back issues of Cass' regular series on Comixology is a positive way to send a message to the powers-that-be (and to ensure DC keeps that version available to us for the foreseeable future), but getting onboard now is another way, one that will more than likely pay off in the form of new Cass adventures.

I don't think you should go nuts and snap up every New 52 book out there.  And by all means, do not buy this comic if you're legitimately not interested in it.  It is $2.99, after all, and you can always buy an issue of the original Cass Cain Batgirl series and have a dollar left over to contribute to some other purchase.  I bought it out of curiosity, and Gail Simone convinced me what she'd done with this Cass was right, or as right as possible at the moment.  Which means the time to make some noise is now.

So if you agree, and you want Cass back in action on a more permanent basis, then buying this comic and telling DC how much Cass' appearance lead to that purchase is the best way to tell those people who can make that happen for us.  Buy it, shoot DC a nice, friendly email or message, talk about it all over the Internet, be positive about how much Cass they were able to salvage (from what I read Simone gives some hints this New 52 Cass contains enough "classic" Cass for other writers to pick up on and give us that Cass-loving feeling all over again) and keep fighting the good fight.

You know, Cass never gave up (unless poorly written to do so).  Neither should we.  How about it, gang?  "GO CASS" on three...

ONE...

TWO...

The Essentials of Cass Cain...

Ok, let me offer some helpful advice to DC for bringing Cassandra Cain back into the New 52 fold.  I've boiled the character down to 10 simple points, the bare bones elements for a recognizable Cass Cain re-boot.

1)  Of multiracial heritage, born and bred to be the perfect assassin.
2) Raised with movement as her native language.  As a result, she has a limited vocabulary of words in any spoken language (to be precise, she knows a handful of English words), but can communicate through gestures and posture.
3) This training gifted her with the ability to read her opponents' intentions before even they're fully aware of them.  It has also made her perfectly empathetic in that she can read emotional states and even micro-expressions with an incredible degree of accuracy and understanding.
4) One of the finest (and deadliest) martial artists on the planet.  Top five ranking, maybe as high as number two depending on who's "on" that day.
5) David Cain, her biological father, abused her horribly during her initial training.  It could be said the training itself was abuse.  Cass has a love-hate relationship with him.
6) Killed a man at Cain's behest as a child, the event left her guilt-ridden and even suicidal as she experienced the man's terror personally because of her intense empathetic state.
7) Wandered the earth while she attempted to deal with the emotional fall-out of having murdered.
8) Death wish.
9)  Fearless.
10)  Endlessly tenacious.

See how easy that is, DC people?  And it would make so many people happy.

At the risk of complicating matters-- we could argue whether or not having Lady Shiva as her mother is essential as well.  I lean towards pro-Shiva maternity.  For one thing, change a parent, get a different person.  Plus, if we accept one of the character themes here is "nature versus nurture," having a killer like Shiva provides even more of an obstacle for Cass to overcome and establish herself as one of the "good guys."  Shiva's lineage might also supply some of the base talents on which Cain built his unstoppable engine of destruction.  Having issues with both parents adds some thematic bookending as well, plus generational conflict-- A Jack Kirby-esque element which provides a call-back to one of DC's most storied eras and something that could be played up for dramatic effect.

But since we can also argue that no one in the New 52 is exactly the same person as in the previous DC universe, this aspect could be negotiable.  Especially if changing it results in a stronger character (somehow) or a classic story.  I'm willing to trade almost any aspect of continuity if in return I get a superlative reading experience.

Will it be a Cass Christmas?

I'm off for Tokyo today.  You know, Tokyo would be a fantastic setting for a story where Cass takes on the yakuza.  I just typed that sentence and I'm already envisioning several set-pieces-- an all-out fight in a pachinko parlor in Kabuki-cho, a night time roof-top battle above some other part of Shinjuku, an outing with Steph to Roppongi where they meet some sleazy American dudes at a dance club and deal with them in a humorous way, more comedic relief in Harajuku where Cass experiences rori culture then things take a turn for the violent and weird when she fights a pair of amarori assassins, concluding with a thrilling climax atop the Tokyo Sky Tree.  We need a cohesive plot to tie all of that together, right?

It would beat the pants off that Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Wolverine mini-series.

I doubt there's a single Cass-related item for sale in Tokyo these days.  You know why?  Because I BOUGHT THEM ALL!  But I'll take a look and buy whatever I see, then tell you about it here.

Happy Holidays to all you Cass fans out there!  And good will to the Steph supporters!  And a Happy New Year to DC!  Bring both of those characters back and make the season bright!

One of the nicest things ever written about Cassandra Cain

I love this!  I do a Cass Google search every single day in hopes of finding exactly these kinds of things.  In this case, it's a short, friendly-voiced essay that explains exactly why DC needs Cass now more than ever.

You know, it's kind of a downer to be practically the only pro-Cass voice still out here, trying to keep the character alive in fandom.  Every so often I see a little light in the darkness, like "Fight On, Cass" the other day and now this.  Just a random comic opened, out tumbles Cass, new fan.  It's similar to how I became a Cass fan.  I impulse bought an issue of Batgirl at a supermarket and found myself instantly hooked.

And I have to echo Ms. Chan's final sentiment-- please bring back Cassandra Cain, DC!