Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Detective Comics #1086!One line uttered byBatgirlspeaks to her deeper relationship withBatmanand the core meaning of the Bat-Family. When some readers hear the title of Bat-Family, they think of a super-team of Batman’s closest friends, allies, sidekicks, and partners.However, when discussing the Bat-Family, the emphasis should really be put on the word “family.”
The best way to understand why the family part is so important is by analyzing Batgirl’s heartwarming words to Batman inDetective Comics#1086 by Ram V., Stefano Raffaele, Lee Loughbridge, Ariana Maher, Jessica Berbey, Ben Meares, and Rob Levin. While every one of Batman’s partners has a lot to say to their mentor as they reunite for a team-up,the ever-soft-spoken Cassandra Cain has three simple words to say to Batman:“I missed you.”
In so few words, Cass gets to the heart of her relationship with her family members, her connection with Batman and what that bond could be.
Reunited and It Feels So Good for Batgirl
In the midst of this current run ofDetective Comics, Batman has been at odds with the Orgham Family. The Orgham Family has control over supernatural forces within Gotham City and has been on a quest to take over all of Gotham, at the cost of Batman’s legacy. In many ways, the Orghams have already succeeded in trying to dismantle both Batman and his legacy by making the city forget that Batman ever existed. Now that he’s made his triumphant(and dramatic) return from the dead, he knows nowhe can’t combat the Orghams alone.
As the Orgam Family orchestrates its final takeover of Gotham, Batman calls in his Bat-Family for a favor.The soldiers he sendsin for help areNightwing, Azrael, and Cassandra Cain’s iteration of Batgirl.Nightwing is undoubtedly Batman’s greatest triumph, so it’s a no-brainer for Bruce to want Dick by his side. Azrael, for all his flaws and struggles, has worked hard to commit to a heroic lifestyle and is a testament that redemption is possible for anyone.Batgirl’s place by Batman’s side, meanwhile, is deserving of a deeper breakdown.
Cass and Her Bond with Batman
Cassandra Cain Could Be Bruce Wayne’s Greatest Success
Cassandra Cain’s version of Batgirl debuted in 1999’sBatman#567 by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott as the 17-year-old homeless pupil of Barbara Gordon. After she saves Commissioner Gordon’s life from an assassin, the Gordons soon learn that the mute student’s estranged father is master assassin David Cain. Cass was violently trained by both of her parents - Cain andthe one villain Batman can’t beat, Lady Shiva - and became so repulsed at the thought of killing someone that she ran away. Homeless for nine years, Cass eventually found her way to the Bat-Family and,after five months of training with them, was gifted her Batgirl costume by Batman.
It’s worth noting that when Batman does give Batgirl her suit inLegends of The Dark Knight#120 by Greg Rucka and Mike Deodato Jr., only he and Barbara fully trust Cass to be indoctrinated into the family. Grayson, Azrael, and Tim Drake all have their doubts, but Bruce Wayne believes in her abilities enough to be convinced she is ready. Even before Cass dons the Batgirl costume, Batman recognized thatCassandra Cain represented his mission perfectly, on top of knowingshe’d destroy him in a fight.Bruce and Cass have an understated relationship, with Bruce proving to be more of a father to Cass than David ever was.
When Was the Last Time Batman and Batgirl Saw Each Other?
Family Needs to See Each Other More Often
The fact thatBatgirl is more skilled than Batmanis something that seems to have brought them closer together over the years, in addition to Bruce filling the role of Cass' true parental figure that neither David nor Shiva was for her. Bruce has treated her and viewed her as a daughter just the same. With that said, for as close as the two superheroes are in a familial sense, they are oddly distant in the comics. Prior toDetective Comics#1086,it’s hard to recall the last time Batman and Batgirl shared a panel together.
It’s actually rare to see Cassandra Cain and Bruce Wayne share a comic together nowadays, let alone a single panel. Which is especially concerning when neither character is lacking in appearances on DC’s schedule. Batman, of course, has countless titles active currently at DC Comics, while Cass has been a staple ofDetective Comics,Birds of Prey, anduntil its recent cancelation,Batgirls.There are several opportunities for Batgirl and Batman to reunite on a weekly basis, and yet DC continues to squander its best father-daughter dynamic, as well as waste its potential.
We Need More Batman and Batgirl Together
Argument for a Solo or Duo Series?
DC is dropping the ball by not further exploring these two together, as it’s a dynamic worth tapping into consistently. One has to wonder if DC Comics doesn’t believe any of its current active titles are the best place for Batman and Batgirl to appear more frequently together. If that’s the case, then maybe the duo need a new series to spread their wings together.One idea worth throwing out there is a tag team series for the team. Surprisingly, DC has never given audiences aBatman & Batgirltype of title.
If not a duo book, thenthe Cassandra Cain character is more than overdue for a solo title of her own. This version of Batgirl has not led her own solo series since 2006. A proposed solo series would demand Batman’s presence on at least a semi-regular basis. Beyond that, even, a solo book would be just as important to progress Cass' evolution as it would be to evolve her overlooked bond with Batman.
That aforementioned series that lasted from 2000 to 2006 followed a Cassandra Cain who was not only finding her footing as a superhero, but finding her identity as a person, in general.A series exploring that growth where she finds herself now as someone fully confident in her abilities and who she is would be incredibly rewarding for fans who followed her journey for years. With all that in mind, however DC decides to bring Batman and Batgirl together more frequently, it needs to jump on it fast because DC is wasting the pairing’s potential by doing nothing with them.
Few (if any) Bat-Family members are Batman’s equal like Batgirl is. She is aprime candidate to be Batman’s successorin ways that not even Dick Grayson qualifies for.For years, readers saw Batman look to Cass as his star pupil, but it’s time readers got to see more of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder as equals, much like Bruce does with Dick now. We catch a glimpse of that in theDetective Comicsissue whereBatmanandBatgirlreunite, springing into action against the Orghams, and now it’s time for DC to properly put time in to progress their relationship.
