Films, Food, and Fandom
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“I think when Stephanie Brown comes back, I have 100% faith in her returning, die hard fans will complain how she’s not the same or not done right. When she comes back, I think we should all just be happy she’s actually in the new DC Universe”
Most DC fans have forgotten how NOT to be angry at DC.
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Other than 19, what have you thought about Simone’s run?
Ignoring 19 for the moment…
There were a number of points I really liked. Issue 6 was beautiful, Night of the Owls was great, I loved the Annual. But as we turned into the Joker story, the tone became overwhelmingly dark.
From the beginning, I had hoped to see the return of Babs as Batgirl as a triumph for the character. I didn’t initially see de-aging the character as a problem (I loved her first from BTAS after all). But because her first time as Batgirl was now so brief and at age seventeen, none of the stories of a confident, independent, adult hero apply to this characterization. And that’s the Batgirl I think most fans wanted to see.
When I read her Bronze age stories, I look beyond the sometimes silly plots and see an amazing hero. A hero who- importantly, in contrast to her two partners- was motivated to fight crime because she’s a deeply good person and she enjoyed doing it. Not because of inner demons, vengeance, or a villain in her family. That’s classic Batgirl in the comics, in BTAS, frankly in any context other than the New 52.
Many people loved her as Oracle, and I understand why. But the reason Barbara as Oracle didn’t appeal to me in the same way is that Barbara as Batgirl was the happy warrior. The New 52 stories don’t have that at all. And one of the strangest things with Gail Simone having written her as Oracle is that Barbara did move forward. She enjoyed her work and found purpose in mentoring the younger girls and leading the Birds of Prey. I don’t understand how making her Batgirl again has resulted in a darker version of the character.
But for a post issue 19 view…
In the end, I’m sad that this wasn’t a modern version of the Batgirl I love, while the Oracle character many others loved is also gone. It feels like the New 52 has lost Barbara Gordon completely.
Interesting. I grew up on Babs as Oracle, so my experience with the character was when she was older, more direct, and occasionally abrasive/cynical. The love and passion was still there when she was Oracle, but it manifested differently.
But I definitely understand the appeal of “happy warriors.” (I love that term, by the way.) It’s why I love Stephanie Brown so much.
It seems like Gail is trying her hardest to out-do herself in the horror/grim/disturbing department with every issue.
I just want to see my caped heroes smile more, y’know?
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Steph And Cass Meta Adventures in Casting
The Continuing Adventures of DC’s Favorite Punching Bag, Stephanie Brown!!
(via gabzilla-z)
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Look! I found another! This is from Stephanie Brown’s wikipedia page.
I’m almost tempted to go snooping around and see if anyone else has been dropping wikipedia bombs because of the DCnU.
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I promise that I didn’t do this.
I was merely doing research on the history of DC editorial when I came across this.
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-Batgirl #20
“Cassandra, this looks like the start of a beautiful friendship.”
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-Robin #65
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Will Rosado
One of the finest scenes that Dixon ever wrote.
This is one of the many reasons why I find Steph the most inspirational character written in the DCU. Some people tend to class her as an exemplary model of teen pregnancy and the struggles that come with it but it’s how those struggles affect her personally that’s rarely touched upon in the comics (apart from here). She had the chance to keep the one thing that would love her despite everything she berates herself for. Almost everyone who’s played a significant part in her life has made her feel unworthy of acceptance; she wasn’t taken seriously by Bruce and Tim in her fight for Gotham, she was denied a role in the Batfamily (only taken on by Bruce when he needed to find Tim) then fired from being Robin because she was ‘too impulsive’ and ‘didn’t follow orders’. Having a baby would’ve been the perfect chance to have someone in her life that wholly believed in her but she gave it away in an act of complete selflessness - she knew that, at the time, she wouldn’t be able to raise a baby and support it herself. But she didn’t let the loss change her for the worse, she went through an incredibly difficult experience but didn’t yield to the hurt and ruin the hope she had for someone loving and supporting her.
I think it’s so sad that DC refuses to see the strength and influential affect of her character; her death was dealt with horrifically and the way DC just rid of her completely in the reboot, despite a whole campaign being set up to bring her back, is a mockery of her fans and the people that loved her. We got a beautifully written glimpse of her as Batgirl; she made a name for herself as a herald of hope, was finally recognized for her determination and found strength in others supporting her. There was so much potential for her to still grow and endeavor but suddenly that chance was taken away.
I had never thought of that particular angle. I guess it’s because I’m a guy and I’ll never have a baby…But it’s a valid point. She gave her baby up because she knew that it would have a better life that way. That takes real courage. Wow.
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-Robin #65
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Will Rosado
One of the finest scenes that Dixon ever wrote.
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Did you guys know that somebody animated Stephanie Brown’s “History of the Bat-family?”
