We are now entering the big batch of Cassandra’s first run as Batgirl, encompassing 73 solo issues and many, many, many tie-ins and guest appearances. Today: Batgirl Vol. 1 #1!
We start this issue with a flashback of Cass when she was still a little girl, solving a puzzle with a red rose on it while her father sets up a camera. Since the rose motive will be coming back later, I am tagging this for Symbolism! A bunch of tough-looking guys enter and Cain orders them to try and attack Cass with a knife. She promptly proceeds to wipe the floor with them.
Symbolism!: 3
Following the flashback, we arrive in the clock tower, where Barb is training Cass and actually manages to defeat her in a moment of distraction. She then sets up a file on the batcomputer for the new Batgirl and gives everyone who didn’t know her yet the obligatory info dump. The two most interesting things to note about this page are that 1) Cass is said to know ten words at best and one of them is “Me”, and 2) Barb is royally pissed off at Cain for raising her into severe aphasia, because speech impediment aside, Cass is clever as they come. She is also noted to have been “drifting” for nine years since escaping from Cain.
Aphasia: 27
Batmom: 3
We get another rather confusing flashback of some crooks running away from young Cass, before snapping back into the present, where Batgirl and Batman save a young woman from being raped in an alley. After this quick interlude, we find Cass peeling red rose petals while looking over Gotham from her window sill, her expression melancholic and sad, which makes sense, since red roses are symbols of both love and grief, and given Cass’ regrets about how her father raised her, both are equally applicable. Barb takes her to a nearby park and tries to get her to open up about what’s bothering her, but given her aphasia and her screwed up backstory, it doesn’t go very well:
Symbolism!: 4
Aphasia: 28
We then find out that Cass has nightmares pretty much every night. Barb, being the reasonable person that she is, tells Bruce that Cass seems to remind her of him and suggests that maybe Bruce should not take her to patrol every night. Bruce, being the absolute authority on how to healthily handle childhood trauma, shrugs it off and tells her that Cass is “one strong moment away from making sense of it all”. Bruce, I love you, but please let your kids get therapy at least, okay?
Batmom: 4
On the bright side, at least Bruce explains to her how Cass came to be as she is today (Cain raising and training young kids in isolation so that they would learn body language as their only language). He also informs her that Cain did not teach her how to fight with escrima sticks. Bruce did. And it took all of five minutes. Bruce’s “proud dad” smile in this picture is priceless.
Batdad: 4
That night, Batman tells Batgirl that something is off and that she is holding back to much. He asks her to hit him as hard as she can and Cass obliges, striking him so fast that not only do we not get to see it on page, but Bruce doesn’t even realize how hard she hit him until his mouth starts bleeding.
Fast As Lightning: 13
They are interrupted in their sparring by a robbery in progress. It is here, while mopping up the bad guys with little effort, that Cass sees her own shadow on the wall and notices just how intimidating she looks to others in her Batgirl costume. We also learn that “shutup” is in her vocabulary.
Creepy Bat: 6
A little later, Batman tells Batgirl that he is leaving Gotham to her tonight and that it’s all hers, except for “costumed criminals”. His expression here as Cass goes from intimidating statue to caring sidekick to swooping angel of revenge in all of five seconds is absolutely adorable.
Living Emoji: 28
The issue ends with another flashback, this time of Cain watching the video he took of Cass demolishing the guys form the first page, with a bottle of vodka firmly in his hand. I am sensing some remorse here…
At last, we are back with the actual Batgirl comics! Now, I don’t usually comment on covers, but this one needs to be addressed: could we really not even go for a handful of issues without painting Batgirl as a cutesy, innocent damsel in distress? I mean, this is HER comic. If it were Robin, Suberboy, or any other male super teen, you could bet your ass this cover would have them doing something epic (or at least trying to look intimidating), but with Batgirl we have to go straight into “oh, she’s a helpless girl, help her not to die” kind of crap? And it doesn’t even make sense, because at no point in this comic is Cassandra in any serious danger of dying! DC = disappointment and constantly indeed.
The issue starts with a man named John writing a letter to his wife/girlfriend from inside jail. We then find out that John was an innocent bystander, who came across a woman being threatened in an alley (didn’t we just have this a few issues back?) and decided to confront the perps to gain some time until the police arrive. He is saved from getting gunned down right then and there by Batgirl, who swoops in, kicks ass, hands John the bag he dropped to help the woman, and kisses him on the cheeks as her version of thanks.
Unusual mannerisms: 9
The next morning, Cass seems to be in a rather oddly happy mood. Barb wants to talk about Cass’ vocabulary lessons, which she seems to be neglecting, but a news report mentions that our good Samaritan, John Robinson, got kidnapped from his apartment. Cass asks “What?” and Barb explains to her that she’s working on finding him, but it is going to take time. Cass wastes no time showing just what she thinks of all this.
Aphasia: 31
Living Emoji: 33
Turns out the guy John stopped was the son of a mob boss and he has now imprisoned John in a former steelworks factory. As soon as Barb has found out where they are, Cass heads out, apparently with her suit right in her backpack, and takes a cab to get there. Here is where things are getting a little confusing for a few pages as to who did what and how people got from A to B, but short story is Cass gets locked in with John, who is in very bad shape, and – since no one has apparently taught her how to pick locks yet – proceeds to solve this dilemma by punching a hole into the wall. Nice.
She then proceeds to carry John outside while taking out every guard in the place like it’s nothing, but she’s too late. With his dying breath, John hands her the letter he wrote for his wife and Cass’ sadness and anger is written all over her body. The goons arrive to gun her down, but Cass kicks ass again and comes out victorious.
Living Emoji: 34
A short while later, Gordon delivers the sad news to John’s wife and Cass delivers the letter, which makes John’s wife break into tears. Our issue ends with Cass having fallen asleep while trying to practice her letters and Barbara wondering what brought that on, before switching off the light to less Cass rest.
Aphasia: 32
Batmom: 5
Last but not least, before we head off into Cass’ first Batgirl run, let’s take a look at Batman: No Man’s Land. This one was fun to read, since I practically missed the first half of the event by reading only Cass’s comics issues. Warning: long post is very long. Lots of quotes instead of pictures, this time. More below the cut.
Our first mention of Cass in the novel comes from Oracle, in one of her apocalyptic journal logs, in which she describes Cass as follows:
Can’t be older than 16, if a day. Pretty young woman, Eurasian, very smart. And functionally mute, in that she seems incapable of using language. […] I don’t know if it’s a psychological or physiological trauma, but I’m beginning to suspect she was never taught how to speak or read or write. […] She’s been unable to give me her name—though whether that’s because she doesn’t have one, doesn’t know it, or doesn’t like it, I’ve no clue.
I’ve taken to calling her Cassandra.
Communications difficulties with her notwithstanding, Cassandra has become, in the last couple months, one of my most reliable people. She’s fast and strong and very sneaky, and to top it all off, she’s fairly imaginative, so that her reports end up being a somewhat entertaining game of charades, aided by scraps of paper and pencils. She’s a horrible artist, but I understand her concepts more often than not, so we’re getting by.
(NML, page 26)
Clearly, Cass is very dear to Oracle. Once again, her aphasia is the main focus of her characterization, which makes sense, since, at this point, Cass, together with a few other kids (Alex, Charlie and Vanessa) is essentially Oracle’s eyes and ears in No Man’s Land.
Aphasia: 20
Cassandra’s first proper appearance occurs between the pages 47 and 52, when she follows a terrified scream on the street, only to realize that she has been lured into a trap by a cannibalistic street gang. Although she manages to hold her own pretty well, Huntress (in Batgirl garb) arrives to help her. Once the fight is over, Cass tries to say “thank you”, but all that comes out is a croak and she explains to Huntress that she is mute, although:
It was more complicated than that, but Cassandra nodded, knowing that it would be nearly impossible to explain the how and the why. And even if she could explain those two things, she would have to explain the rest, the darkness of it all, and the evil, and she didn’t want to tell anyone that. Not ever.
(NML, page 50)
Poor Cassandra is very clearly suffering from major PTSD. We also see her demonstrating another of her quirky gestures, namely how to say “thanks”:
She thought for a moment, then presented both hands, palms up. She looked at Huntress, smiling, then brought her hands together, lacing the fingers.
(NML, page 51)
Huntress others Cass to stay at her place and have some food, but Cass declines, in spite of being hungry and cold, because Oracle warned her that Huntress was a criminal and Cass should stay away from her, and because she wants to finish her job (finding intel on Black Mask) first. By the time Cass manages to at least mutter “Guh byh-eeee”, Huntress is already gone.
Aphasia: 21
Unusual Mannerisms: 6
A short while later, Gordon and his team start a gang war between two rivaling street gangs in order to allow them to reclaim more territory, including Oracle’s clock tower. Cass reports this fact to Oracle, who is deeply disturbed. The mission succeeds, although new complications arise, including Helena Bertinelli showing up as the new Batgirl, Black Mask leading a cult-like gang on a conquering spree, an attempt on Alfred’s life, which is foiled by Batman (Bruce’s first appearance in NML), and Gordon striking a secret deal with Two-Face, while Bruce strikes a deal with Penguin. Neither really gets what they want, as both villains turn on them and Two-Face ends up taking over Batman’s territory, which results in the loss of six innocent lives.
Not too long after, Cass delivers new information to Barbara, this time bringing along a note form Alfred, who has taken up shelter at Dr. Thompkins clinic, helping her treat the wounded. At this point, master assassin David Cain sneaks into No Man’s Land, a minor detail that will become more important soon.
Meanwhile, Dr. Thompkins successfully talks Cassandra into spending a night at the clinic, rather than constantly being on the move, or better yet: Cassandra fails to talk her out of it. It is here that we learn just how deep Cassandra’s appreciation and respect for Leslie Thompkins is, mostly because the doctor looks like she could be blown away by the breeze and would never hurt a fly, yet has incredible strength in her. This leads us to a scene similar to what we saw in Batman Chronicles Vol. 1 #18, with Cassandra performing her warrior bow for Thompkins, which leads to this heartwarming exchange:
Cassandra shook her head, then presented both hands. With her right she made a fist, seating the face of it against the palm of her left hand, extending both in front of her at waist height. Then she bowed, looking the doctor in the eye.
Dr. Thompkins’s wrinkled face wrinkled some more, and then she surprised Cassandra by returning the bow, saying, “You are quite a warrior, aren’t you, dear? Thank you for the compliment.”
Cassandra went to sleep happy.
(NML, page 184)
Aphasia: 22
Unusual Mannerisms: 7
The next morning, Cass meets Huntress gain, who is checking in on the clinic every now and then, and uses a number of gestures to communicate to her that Cass is a courier for Gordon’s daughter. Sadly, Huntress misinterprets this as Cass working for Gordon and starts badmouthing Gordon, which has Cassandra feeling horrible for telling a lie and uncomfortable because she does not like where the conversation as going. She ends the talk by giving Huntress the same warrior bow she gave Leslie. Helena returns the gesture.
Aphasia: 23
Unusual Mannerisms: 8
We have now finally caught up with Cassandra’s first comic book appearance, story-wise, as Cass returns to Oracle for a reading lesson. They start with the letters of the alphabet, for which Barb praises her. Cass tries to thank her and it is here that we see just how hard speaking really is for her:
Cassandra pushed the tip of her tongue against the back of teeth. “T-aaans…”
“Thanks.”
“Ta-ah nks…”
(NML, page 187)
As in the comics, Oracle has just about taught her how to say “Stop”, when Jim arrives and chides her for leaving the door unlocked, before giving her a hug. Cass’s reaction here is the first indicator in the novel of just how screwed up her own family life was:
Cassandra got up, moving out of the way as Gordon passed her to hug his daughter. She could see Oracle’s smile, how they both closed their eyes briefly. Her own father had only offered her a hug once, and that had been so many years ago, just before she had left. She felt both awkward and embarrassed watching them, as if she were intruding on something she had no right to see, and so she left, slipping silently out of the apartment and back into the hallway.
She could hear their voices, the soft tones, and she reached the stairs knowing that jealousy was dogging her steps. She wrestled with it all the way to the lobby, trying to see the emotion for exactly what it was. She didn’t want to feel sorry for herself.
(NML, page 187)
Just as in the comics, Cassandra catches sight of her father as she exits the building and it scares her out of her socks. However, all of that goes straight out of the window as she realizes that Cain is here to kill Gordon and Cass jumps in to rescue him. Not only is she fast as the Flash about it, she also proves that she can be fiercely stubborn when it comes to protecting people:
She scared them with her approach, two of the men stepping back and freeing their weapons from their holsters, and Gordon’s surprise was alight all over his face. She didn’t care, didn’t think about it, just grabbed him around the waist, passing the Blue Boys on either side of the Commissioner, and then driving him back into the lobby, shoving him down and covering him with her body. […] Cassandra pushed herself up, still holding the Commissioner, dragging him forcefully back into the lobby, […] Gordon started to get up and Cassandra caught him by the arms, shoving him back, toward the stairway. […] Cassandra moved directly in front of Gordon, then wrapped her arms around his middle, using her right leg as a brace, trying to keep him from continuing. He tried for a second longer, but Cassandra held her ground, and Gordon finally got the message.
(NML, page 188-189)
Fast As Lighting: 10
Fiercely Assertive Protector: 7
The following interrogation, in which both Jim and Cassandra become increasingly frustrated with the obstacle that is her aphasia and in which Barbara recognizes the mark of Cain that Cassandra draws for them, culminates in this heartbreaking little gem, right after they finally work out that Cain is Cassandra’s father:
Cassandra nodded and couldn’t look at any of them, avoiding their eyes. It didn’t matter; she could feel their stares, the heat and accusation in them. It didn’t matter that she had never wanted to be like her father. It didn’t matter that there had never been any choice. She was a killer, too, and try as she might, she had never been able to escape that.
(NML, page 195)
Aphasia: 24
Cassandra then gets the jump on both Barbara and Jim by jumping out of her seat and locking both of them in before anyone has a chance to react. Cain is waiting for her on the other side, opening fire, but not aiming at her, and Cassandra once again demonstrates that she is the speedster on the team:
It all seemed to slow down for her then as the adrenaline poured in, and she moved forward, slapping the gun from Cain’s grip. She was terrifying in her speed, and she knew that, because this was her strength, this was her language. These were the words her father had taught her, and she spoke fluently, her right leg snapping a kick that caught him in the middle, collapsing him double. Before he could straighten she had finished the sentence, a short burst uppercut that sent a spray of blood from her father’s mouth and one of his front teeth into the air.
(NML, page 196)
Aphasia: 25
Fast As Lightning: 12
Fiercely Assertive Protector: 8
Throughout her fight with Cain, Cassandra keeps flashing back to her first kill (according to the novel at the age of 10, even though according to the comics she was 8), which she describes as her father simply having asked her to “just talk”. This memory upsets her so much, that she finally manages her first full, correct word: stop. For a moment, Cain even seems to be shocked and compassionate, but as soon as he hears Gordon trying to break through the door, he is back in assassin mode. Just as in the comics, Cassandra decides to push him through the nearest window, demonstrating both her protectiveness and a serious lack of regard for her own life:
Then they were in the air, falling with the shards, and Cassandra, for a moment, felt almost happy.
(NML, page 198)
Better Off Dead: 5
Thankfully, Batman arrives in time to rescue both Cain and Cassandra, although Cain manages to get away. Confident that the assassin will need time to recover, Bruce takes Cassandra to a nearby park where he buried the men who had died during Two-Face’s takeover. He tries to talk to her in a number of languages, including sign language, but of course she can’t answer. She makes him mimic punches instead, and as he goes through a number of Tai Chi Quan routines that Cass always seems to be one step ahead in, he finally realizes what’s going on. And Bats is not happy.
Batman stopped and looked at her, again grateful for the lenses in the cowl that shielded his eyes. He didn’t want the girl to see the sudden pity he felt for her. […]
“I knew David Cain once, long ago, […] He used to say that the only way to truly be a warrior was to make your actions as fluid and easy as your speech. He used to say that combat itself was a discourse, the finest form of conversation. At the time I thought it was hyperbole.” Batman reached out, touching the girl’s cheek. “I didn’t realize he was insane enough to actually force that philosophy on another human being.”
(NML, page 204)
The two of them then “talk” about how Two-Face hired Cain and how Batman is planning to deal with him, using drawings in the soil. Despite the conversational difficulties, Bruce manages to make it clear to her that he is not going to kill Cain, nor will he let Gordon die. He then leaves, telling Cass to return to Oracle and stay out of this mess.
Aphasia: 26
Cass, being a good future batkid, of course, promptly does not listen to him and instead goes to Two-Face’s base on her own. Within about five minutes, she proceeds to knock out all his guards (including the ones with guns), threaten Two-Face, grab the money he was going to use to pay her father, and leave again. She soon finds Batman and her father battling on a rooftop, drops the money bag right in between them, and lights it on fire. Rather than be angry at his payment literally going up in smoke right in front of his eyes, Cain once again shows that, even though he trained Cass to be a killer and he did do horrible things to her, he does have some compassion and affection for her:
The battle mask that David Cain had worn crumbled, and Batman saw tears in the man’s eyes. He wasn’t looking at the flames. Cain extended a hand to the girl.
She turned her back on him and walked back to Batman’s side.
Cain stared at her for a moment longer, then seemed to slump, almost shrinking from within.
The girl looked at Batman, then took his hand in hers. She still wouldn’t look at Cain.
Cain nodded, then turned away.
Batman heard him say, “Take good care of her.”
(NML, page 215-216)
From this point onward, Cass practically spends all her nights sleeping on Oracle’s floor (NML, page 223) and later her couch (NML, page 229). Bruce also starts training her, this time with Oracle’s approval. This eventually leads to him and Oracle introducing Cass to Nightwing and Robin. Interestingly, their reactions seem to be inversed, compared to the comics, with Robin instantly getting along with her and Nightwing being more reserved:
Robin arrived first, and I introduced him to Cassandra, gave him the short explanation of who she was and why she was in my inner sanctum. They took to one another pretty well and pretty quickly, and it made me remember how young Cassandra really is.
[…] Nightwing was suspicious of her, and even a little bit hostile at first, but it was clear that his real anger was for his mentor.
(NML, page 249-250)
Batmom: 2
Bruce eventually explains to them why he wants Cassandra to be the next Batgirl (would never take a life, surrender, or let an innocent be hurt), but it takes Barbara’s blessing for Dick and Tim to fully accept it. Barb hands her the costume. When she comes back into the control room, dressed in her Batgirl finest, we get a rare glimmer of Bruce being a Good Batdad™:
“Ready?” Batman asked her.
Our new Batgirl nodded.
It was hard to catch, and I think the others missed it. I didn’t.
Batman, for a second, smiled.
(NML, page 252)
Batdad: 3
After this point, things start progressing rather quickly. Bruce tears Helena a new one, then proceeds to take back his territory, piece by piece. One of the GCPD SWAT officers breaks off and founds his own violently protective gang, one of the loyal officers has a baby, Bane eradicates all city records in a bid by Lex Luthor to gain the rights to rebuild Gotham and make it his own (a plan which Bruce foils by having Barb and Tim produce perfectly forged certified copies of every record they can find before Bane destroys them) and Joker finally joins the madness, which brings us to Cassandra’s next appearance.
Cass has taken up the habit of including Leslie’s makeshift clinic in her rounds and checking up on her from the shadows whenever she can. She gets a quick hug from Leslie and an offer of tea from Alfred before leaving the camp and promptly walks into Joker and Harley. She takes the fact that he’s walking into the MASH sector with an ax in his hand pretty well and swoops in just in time to exchange a few blows with Harley and keep the situation from escalating, but to her surprise, Joker does not attack her, because he was looking for Batman, not Batgirl. For the first time since watching Barbara and her dad, Cass is truly confused:
Dumbfounded, Cassandra watched as Joker and the others calmly walked away. She didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense. She didn’t know what to do.
(NML, page 300)
We fast-forward again once more, and this time there is actually good news: in Washington D.C., Lucius and his campaign to get Gotham’s No Man’s Land status revoked have finally born fruits and the city is scheduled to have basic infrastructure and services again by New Year’s. This announcement has everyone hugging each other and cheering:
[...] even Cassandra was managing to make a little noise, squeaks and rasps.
(NML, page 368)
However, Cass’ cuteness does not stop there! As the medical aid starts pouring into Gotham, Cass visits Leslie’s clinic in civilian clothes to say goodbye to her and Alfred. She hugs Alfred “quickly, the way she did every movement once she had decided upon it” (NML, page 374), and answers his question of whether she wants anything in particular by making what is possibly the cutest Joker impression ever:
Cassandra shook her head, then put the index finger from each hand at the corners of her mouth, pulling down on one end and pushing up on the other, making a crazy face.
(NML, page 374)
Thankfully, Alfred understands her much more easily than everyone else seems to, although that’s not necessarily a good thing. He tries to shoo her away, but Cass indicates that she’d be happy to hear the rest. It’s not good:
“Joker, my dear. You don’t know him very well. He’s the worst of them. When he’s quiet, like he is now, it’s normally for a very wicked reason.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “You be careful.
She nodded.
Alfred forced a smile back into place. “Very well, then. Off with you. I have much work to attend.”
Cassandra departed, wondering what, exactly, was so dangerous about Joker.
(NML, page 375)
The answer, of course, is that Joker then goes on to successfully abduct every new-born baby in No Man’s Land, kills every one of the rogue police officers, nearly kills Huntress, and sets in motion a plot that ultimately leads to Joker shooting Jim Gordon’s new wife, Sarah Essen.
Cassandra, however, is not around for any of that (at least not in the novel). Instead, her last appearance here comes during Christmas dinner, as Dick and Alfred are fighting over who gets to carve up the bird. Everything in this scene is adorable, from Alfred’s dignified threat that there will be no dinner if Dick doesn’t sit down, to Dick’s reply that he won’t eat if he can’t carve, to Bruce’s assurance to Leslie that they do this every meal, and, finally, to Cass’ epic reaction to the madness:
She nodded, then said, “Stop.”
Alfred and Dick froze. Leslie covered her mouth in surprise.
Cassandra grinned, reached across the table, and took the carving knife. Then she set about cutting the bird.
(NML, page395)
Man, today is just a day where I feel like, I don't know, exploiting my emotions? It's not like anyone will notice. I'm basically just screaming into the void six feet under.
ok so its 21st century. you dont need to say "awk" and "legit". you can say the full words. the days of telegrams are over! you no longer have to pay per letter or word!
