Gail Simone off Batgirl...

Not Cass Batgirl, obviously.

You know, I haven't read that much of Gail Simone's comic book writing.  A few issues of Birds of Prey and one of the new Batgirl, a smattering of her decent but not world-beating Gen13 relaunch, and that's it.  I hated, hated, hated her "Angel of the Bat" proposal for Cass Cain.  It just seemed forced and wrong.  Sometimes sending a character off on an unexpected tangent works, and that just wasn't going to be it.  It was too much like "Frank Castle, Demon Hunter" or whatever it was Marvel did to the Punisher for a while before they took him back to his roots and made the character relevant again-- with two crappy movies to show for it, two more than Cass will ever have.

But I have read a number of Simone's message board posts where she's engaged with other creators-- sometimes contentiously-- and fans and she's often been my hero of the moment.  Scoring points, fighting the good fight, taking the high road and other such cliches you use when someone impresses you with his or her discourse.  People dig her writing, but professionals and fans also like her as a person and with good reason.

Gail Simone was the one saving grace in all the reboot turmoil, all the clumsy re-configuring of continuity and the whimsical explanations for various inconsistencies and character omissions.  Plus the largely ugly costume updates.  Yikes.  And with her dedicated fan base, she was the one person who could have possibly taken Barbara Gordon from Oracle back to Batgirl with all the problematic changes that involved-- essentially killing off a character/concept with a lot of symbolic importance for a number of readers, pushing aside another fan-fave character-- without a comic fan apocalypse.  Without having hundreds of fans storm the DC offices as if it were the Bastille (the regime in control of which the upper management there is increasingly resembling).  Even with her involvement it was a near thing.  Through it all she displayed nothing less than class.  Just a first rate performance as a creator being scrutinized under the harshest of lights, in a pressure-filled moment.  Grace under pressure.

She's doing it again under much worse circumstances right now, too.

I have no idea what goes on at DC Comics.  I'm not a fan of the New 52 and just about the only current character I like at all is Katana (with the best costume at DC now that Black Bat is defunct).  They don't seem to make many decisions aimed at bringing me back as a reader, unless it's something to do with their back catalog and, frankly, Marvel and Dark Horse both own them there.  The creator turnover lately has been troubling.  There's probably some good reason for dumping a writer from a title that's aces with both the critics and the money-paying fans.  As a non-professional, non-industry, outsider type person I can't imagine what that might be.  But I do think firing someone (especially someone who's had DC's back the way Simone has for the last few years) via e-mail is a tasteless move by someone who knows full well what being fired in a tasteless move feels like.  He's also managed to wreck the next writer and probably scuttle the book entirely.

Anyway, that's my take on this.  The next few days should be quite interesting!

Cass lives in the Previews catalog!

Well, in chess piece form.  Yes, it's the fantastic little Cassandra Cain as Black Bat chess pawn we've talked about before.  You know, in the imaginary conversation between this blog writer and you, the blog reader.  Bleeding Cool adds another voice to the pro-Cass din and clamor that even now grows from... oh... twenty people to almost thirty.  What I like about the Bleeding Cool article is how they point out what a great costume she has as Black Bat.

I'd suggest a couple of changes-- ditch the claw-fingers and pull that hair back into a more practical bun to keep it out of her eyes (she's a fighter, for crying out loud and would be very pragmatic about such things)-- but I have to agree.  Wonderful costume design.  Simple and dramatic.  You can hardly go wrong with basic black and the white hand wraps are a nice contrasting visual element it would be fun to draw as blurs when Cass unloads on some poor thug or villain or super-miscreant.  I like to draw Batgirl Cass mask-less, so a costume with an actual face is a plus as far as I'm concerned.

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!

January 26, 2013-- Another pro-Cassandra Cain campaign!

There are only two places that regularly talk about Cass these days and if you're reading this, then you've found one of them.  The other is The Outhouse, which usually pokes satirical fun at both Cass and Stephanie Brown's fanbase in Sean O'Neal-Onion A/V Club-newsfeed-style posts by someone calling himself Jude Terror.  Terror, as his nom de guerre implies, practices a type of slash-and-burn humor.  Since I sometimes do the same thing and because I try to be laid back about these things and poke fun at myself as well, Terror's posts aren't anything I get upset about.  At least he's writing about Cass.

Zechs, however, seems to be genuine.  Either that, or he is weaving the silken web of deceit into a cloak of devilishly subtle satirical artistry (in which case I must kneel and kiss the ring of a true master).  Here's Zech's new pro-Cass suggestion, which will probably prove about as successful as the Save Cass Campaign from last fall but is worth a shot because at this point anything is better than nothing.

Come January 26, 2013, Zechs asks all Cass fans everywhere to go to Comixology and buy Batgirl #37.  Why that issue and not #1 again?  Because it's Cass's birthday (I need to go back and read this again because I'm not sure if that's her biological birthday; I'm pretty sure in #36 she and Batman arbitrarily chose another day as a kiss off to bio-dad David Cain).  It's also the final issue by Kelley Puckett and Damian Scott.  Zechs also has a few other smart reasons contrasted with last August's Support Cass Day.  If you're in, you should try to publicize this far and wide, on your blogs, your Tumblrs, various message boards.  Reach out to other Cass fans and stir things up.

So, are we up for this?  All twenty of us?

The Brave and the Bold: "Imasucker Proxy" edition

That's right.  Comic book fandom.  It's May 2006.  Anyway, for a few more minutes it is.  Come midnight it's gonna be June.  A whole 'nother feeling.  A new issue of Robin.  The future.  Yeah, ol' DC Comics fixin' to put out one more comic and everybody hopin' this one be a little more giddy, a little more gay because Cassandra Cain gonna make her post-"One Year Later" debut.  Yep, all over town champagne corks is a-poppin'.  Over at DC's offices the big shots is dancin' to the strains of Gwen Stefani and Pussycat Dolls.  Down at the comic shops, the little folks is a-watchin' and waitin' for that new comic magazine to drop.  They all tryin' to catch hold of one superhero story.  To be able to say, "Right now!  This is it!  I got it!  Cass is back!"  'Course, by then it'll be past.  But they all happy, everybody havin' a good time.  Well, almost everybody.

They's a few lost souls floatin' around out there.  Now, if ya'll ain't from comics fandom, we have something here called "the Cass fan."  Got a way of bein' chewed up by editorial and creative decisions so that they don't want no celebrating, they don't want no cheerin' up, and they don't care nothing 'bout no Tim Drake.  Out of hope, out of rope.  Out of time.

This here is Joel Bryan from Cass-O-Rama.  That comic book he's steppin' out of is the home of one of those Cass stories.  It's Robin's home.  How'd he get so high?  And why is he feelin' so low?  Is he really gonna do it?  Is this Cass fan really gonna jelly up the sidewalk?  Well, the future, that's something you can't never tell about. But the past, that's another story...

One thing I did after I graduated from Muncie College of Business Administration was come up with an out-of-continuity version of the Teen Titans.  You know, for kids.  I loosely on the old school 1960s version of the team, but updated with 2000s style concerns and a warm and optimistic vibe rather than dark and cold.  I drew a lot of character design sketches and even plotted the first six or so issues.  Lots of goofy hijinks but plenty serious elements, too.  Life isn't all fun and games, and I didn't want to deny that.  Bullying, sexism, racism, drug abuse, homophobia, the search for identity and loneliness are all very real.  I wanted to address these social issues, but show some smart, can-do, community-involved teens handling them as best they could.  Not that tired cliche of "trying to find [their] place in this world," (generally used as an excuse for a lot of would-be tragic self-destructive behavior and acting out) but the other one about "trying to make this world a better place."  And we put a little sand inside to make the experience more pleasant.

I guess my dream Teen Titans are kids who act as a super-powered Volunteer Committee, one committed to improving their world rather than the stereotypical sullen, confused, angry, selfish, rebellious type teens who end up fighting their adult mentors and all that.  Kind of an antidote to the confused, angsty Supergirl and villainous Cass then current in DC continuity.

But it needed a set-up.  My idea was having ultra-smart, ultra-capable but sometimes in-over-her-head Supergirl learning about the silent Batgirl of Gotham City and trying to befriend her, despite being warned off by Batman and even Superman.  For her part, Batgirl is just confused about the whole concept of friendship.  You can't beat anyone with it, so what good is it?  She's also not sure she deserves friends-- this Cass is still wracked with guilt at having murdered, afraid Batman will find out about it and fighting that infamous death wish.  All of this just makes Supergirl that much more determined to become her friend.  She can't leave well enough alone.

This part of the story is probably derivative, but I wanted to plunge both characters into an almost impossible situation.  Darkseid, sick of Superman and wanting to crush the Man of Steel's spirit by hitting him where he's most vulnerable (his human, caring heart) and expand his own power base, sends some of his soldiers to kidnap Supergirl.  They find her during one of her attempts to communicate with Batgirl.  A fight, and Supergirl is overcome via some sort of device that saps her of her self-confidence and self-worth, leaving her somewhat de-powered.  They overmatch Batgirl and toss her aside but fail to reckon with her unstoppable will to fight on no matter what.  Just as the minions of Apokolips leave in a Boom Tube, Batgirl leaps in.

Once in Darkseid's presence, Batgirl confounds the tyrant but can't elude his soldiers.  She's tossed to the Female Furies for whatever use they see fit-- a training dummy or pet.  Meanwhile, Darkseid and Desaad place the weakened Supergirl in a machine meant to bombard her with despair long enough to break her will.  Then they plan to rebuild her psyche in the corrupt image of an Apokolipsian warrior and use her against Superman.

Batgirl spars with the Female Furies and comes off worst, but finds herself fascinated by their warrior ethos.  She comes to admire them and desperately wants to join their ranks.  She won't take no for an answer even if it means death.

Supergirl, suffering inside the machine where she's experiencing the death of Argo City over and over-- Darkseid wants to teach her the meaninglessness of hope-- suddenly comes to a calm place where she meets none other than Christopher Columbus, who claims he's there as a hero guide.  Supergirl is aghast.  Why couldn't it be Superman, Wonder Woman, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Indira Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Patti Smith or anyone but Christopher Columbus.  She calls him out for being the bringer of disease and misery for so many Native Americans.  This Columbus protests he's not the Columbus of history but rather the idealized one from out-dated school books and outdated history lessons.  The heroic one divorced from reality that millions of American schookids used to look up to.  He's not even speaking Italian, for corn's sake.

Supergirl is less than convinced and still none too happy to have even the Platonic ideal of Columbus as her spirit guide, but it can't be helped.  Their confrontation rekindles hope inside her and she realizes as long as she has even one little spark, one little ember of positive thinking left, she can stoke up the fire in her heart.  Regaining her strength and mustering an amazing amount of willpower and innate self-confidence-- anything is possible-- she bursts from the machine and destroys it in the process.

Darkseid knows he's failed and his only recourse is the kill Supergirl.  Pursued by his armies, Supergirl takes flight.  She fully believes she has no chance of survival, but she's going to give it all she's got and create a legend among the battered spirits of Apokolips in hopes of inspiring them one day to revolt against Darkseid and throw off his chains of oppression.

Superman, having discussed with Batman the situation between the two girls, has gone looking for Supergirl and traced the Boom Tube particles back to Apokolips.  He shows up in time to find a Batgirl joyfully waging her own futile combat against the Female Furies.  Batgirl has found her own place of hope, which, ironically, is one of strife and warfare she is bound to lose in the end.  Superman helps her rout the Furies, who grudgingly give ground and declare their respect for Batgirl as a having "potential" for greatness.  With Batgirl safe, Superman is able to quiz her-- after a fashion-- about what's happened.  He leaves her in the care of the Furies while he flies off to rescue Supergirl.

Supergirl is fighting her last stand.  She's defeated dozens of Darkseid's best and now Darkseid himself is about to unleash a final, annihilating force against her when Superman appears.  Together, the heroes defeat Darkseid, with Superman telling his young cousin how proud he is of her.  Darkseid leaves to plot again.  A quick rendezvous with Batgirl and the three head back to earth.

Batgirl and Supergirl forge their friendship, which will lead to the formation of a new Teen Titans team.  Then they go their separate ways.  For now.

And that's the story of how Joel Bryan climbed waaay up to the one hundred and forty-ninth issue of the Robin comic, and then fell all the way down but didn't quite squish hisself. You know, they say there was a man who jumped from the one hundred FIFTIETH issue? But that's another story.

Cassandra Cain makes the Comicbook.com list of "DC Comics's Most Divisive Characters"

Sort of.  She gets a passing mention as one of the "Forgotten Characters," along with Donna Troy and Wally West.

Now, you may be too young to remember, but there was a time when she was an active character and dividing fans.  It was around the time of "One Year Later," when I was blogging about her and a few others here and there were also adding their pro and con views on Cass.  I remember one particularly trenchant and well-written anti-Cass piece entitled "Of Course She Is" or something along those lines.  It was one I obviously disagreed with-- and I've forgotten the specifics now but you can probably Google it and bring them to my attention for what it's worth so many years later-- but those were days when mighty voices made thunderous noise from their blog mountaintops and even those of us in opposition did listen to the din and tremble before launching our own lightning bolts.

Comicbook.com gives good ol' Stephanie Brown her own entry but you know what?  I don't see her so much as divisive as uniting.  I made a little joke about her a while back, a Steph fan took it to her own blog and she and her friends decapitated it and kicked the head around like a soccer ball.  Roasted the body and displayed the charcoaled bones on their sacred purple bat-shaped altar.  That's how I learned that my, my, you do not want to mess with Steph fans.  The Comicbook.com list even talks about Steph as being symbolic for those not too pleased with the whole of DC's New 52.  Rally 'round the Steph, people!

Cassandra Cain versus a marker drawing!

This is a marker sketch from my own little sketchbook. I did this many years ago, back when DC decided Cass was an evil Dragon Lady with an eye for Robin. To wash away the stink of that ill-chosen storyline, I designed my own Cass, one who wore a version of the original Barbara Gordon Batgirl costume with a short cape as merely an accent piece and no mask whatsoever because she just did not give a damn about hiding her face.  I can't remember the model I chose for this drawing.  The post just felt appropriate.