The upcoming Gotham Knights video game is definitely a treat for any Batfamily fan. Finally, a major video game focused on the Batkids! Even if many suspect Bruce Wayne didn’t actually die, the game is allowing for other characters in the Batman universe to take center stage.
“I work alone” is a phrase that may be synonymous with Batman, but that has never really been the case. And really, for a while now, the Batfamily has been a (semi-) functioning entity in DC’s continuity.
While they aren’t as iconic as Bruce Wayne himself, the Batkids are an important part of Batman’s character and have become recognizable in their own right after many solo appearances in comics and other media.
Yet, once again, there are significant members of the Batkids, namely Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who have been thrown by the wayside.
(Sure, Damian Wayne doesn’t seem to be a featured character in Gotham Knights as of yet, but he was featured quite heavily in the Injustice games.)
This trend doesn’t just stop at video games, though.
Most of these characters have their ongoing comics, starring roles in movies, and more. In contrast, after their initial runs as Batgirl, the lack of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown is quite astounding, considering the fact they have sizable fanbases behind them.
If they can make room for Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne as past and present Robins, then slotting in Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown next to Barbara Gordon shouldn’t be much of a problem, right?
Who Are They?
Stephanie and Cassandra both came into the Batman comic’s continuity in the ‘90s, with villainous fathers who basically thrust them into the life of crime-fighting.
Stephanie Brown’s first appearance was in 1992 for Detective Comics #647, where she started out as a supporting character. She took on the moniker Spoiler, as she wanted to “spoil” her father’s, Cluemaster, bad guy plans.
From there, she continued to patrol Gotham with the help of Tim Drake (the third Robin, who is famously her main love interest) and even ended up being mentored by Batman himself. It led to her becoming the first female Robin, though that stint ended as quickly as it started when she was killed off.
Introduced with her father, assassin David Cain, Cassandra debuted in 1999 during Batman #567, in the middle of his No Man’s Land arc. Having saved Commissioner Gordon’s life, she quickly gained the approval of Batman before becoming Batgirl with extra guidance from Oracle Barbara Gordon.
Eventually, from there, both characters had their relatively successful solo comic stints under the Batgirl alias.
In fact, Cassandra’s run was technically the first solo Batgirl series. It started in 2000 and lasted a good few years and over 70 issues before ending in 2006. Stephanie took on the Batgirl cowl after Cassandra and her solo series started in 2009. It ran until DC began its New 52 turnaround in 2011.
What Happened?
Unfortunately, both characters have been embroiled in their fair share of controversies over time.
Stephanie’s torture and death as Robin caused a lot of uproar from fans when it happened. It was especially visceral when it was revealed by writers that killing her was always the plan, and it was just to ‘trick readers’. Prior to that reveal, ex-editor Dan Didio made the claim in 2007 that she was “never really a Robin” despite what was said on the comic panels.
In Cassandra’s case, after the end of her solo comic as Batgirl, she went through what is now known as character assassination in the ‘One Year Later’ event. What had been developed for her over 70 issues was squashed and according to writer Adam Beechan, he was given no rationale as to why she suddenly became a villain.
Where Are They?
Currently, Cassandra and Stephanie have been reintroduced in the new continuity as Orphan and Spoiler respectively, but with no trace of their pasts as Batgirl (this happened a few years after the other Batkids, too). Both were given a nearly complete overhaul in history, allowing for Barbara Gordon to be the only Batgirl in the current 52.
It doesn’t end there however, as noted at the beginning of this article; both characters lack presence in any other property compared to their counterparts.
Stephanie Brown has enjoyed a few appearances in the Young Justice animated series, but that only lasted a few episodes at best. There was a single episode where a character named Orphan appeared in the show as well.
Cassandra Cain, on the other hand, made her on-screen live action “debut” in the 2020 Birds Of Prey movie. However, it’s been widely accepted that this iteration of her is nowhere near the actual character from the comics. Her backstory was axed and she showed no similarities to the actual Cassandra. Ella Jay Basco’s portrayal might as well have been a new character altogether.
Why Aren’t They Around More?
While there aren’t many answers to why Cassandra and Stephanie had been so scornfully left out for a long time, some answers (unfortunately) surfaced when The New 52 came about.
It was revealed that Stephanie Brown was going to make her first appearance in the new continuity as Nightwing alongside Batman for an issue of Smallville Season 11. But then, it was reported that Barbara Gordon would be replacing her due to a step-in from higher-ups in DC.
This upset many fans, of course, but the fires were lit brighter when allegedly, the reason why DC didn’t want to use Stephanie Brown or Cassandra Cain was because executives considered them both “toxic”.
Toxic how, you may ask. No one knows. Because the company neither acknowledged nor refuted these claims.
How Will They Go On?
There’s a lot to consider when thinking about their future. When both characters have been mishandled so much in the past, is there any room for optimism when there is a real possibility readers could be disappointed once again?
Cassandra’s skillset as a martial arts expert and a master at reading body language should make her a very powerful asset in any medium they could introduce her in. Yet, she is continuously downplayed and sometimes misrepresented (looking at you, Harley Quinn’s Birds of Prey).
Stephanie proves to be a great foil to many Bat-characters, but her solo run was extremely interesting and it’s made her a ripe character to be used in other products as well. Her constant mistreatment is disheartening and disgusting at worst and one can only hope it won’t happen again.
There’s a lot DC could gain from utilizing the duo, and no, it’s not just about pleasing female fans. A joint book about these two could prove to be a powerful combination especially if it’s helmed by the right writers - their past partnerships and appearances together have proved that they form an entertaining but powerful duo.
Even using them more in movies and video games would spell positive results because they each bring something different to the table compared to the other Robins and Batgirl.
Thankfully, there is some hope as we approach 2021 in terms of the comics. A recent example is the recent The Joker War Zone issue, where both characters were awarded the Bat symbol on their costumes. Their get-ups seem to echo their old Batgirl costumes from pre-New 52.
This could be an indicator of what is going to happen, especially since Barbara Gordon has quit from being Batgirl for the time being. So, the mantle is up for the taking once again. All in all, hopefully, this is a good omen for these two characters.
