Batgirl: An open letter to Paul Levitz

Since this is my first blog entry, I'll begin with the topic that made me start posting on the web.
I'm a Batgirl fan. Need I say more?
This open letter to the head of DC comics sums up my feelings...


Dear Mr. Levitz,

I am a big fan of the current Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and hope that DC will use that character in a prominent role again.

Cassandra was one of the main reasons why I started to read superhero comics. The german translation of animated series by Dini and Timm turned me into a Batman fan. But even there I didn't like the Barbara Gordon Batgirl very much. Mainly because her costume seemed so silly to me, more belonging to the campy world of Adam West.
But when I noticed a new Batgirl in the german edition of the No Man's Land storyline, I was instantly fascinated. This character looked serious and mysterious, and when I learned about her tragic backstory as the mute daughter of an assassin I couldn't wait to read more about her.
I even began to buy the original American issues, which is not only much more expensive but requires a two-hour travel by train to reach the nearest comic store that sells those.
But it was worth it.
I discovered many great superhero comics by DC (and also Marvel, if I'm allowed to say that), but the Batgirl series remained my favorite.

What makes Cassandra's story so fascinating and unique?
She is a girl that was raised in total isolation to become the perfect fighter, so she knows very little about our (or any) society. Her father intended her to become a killer. But he outsmarted himself because her acquired ability to understand body language made her realize what dying meant for her first (and only) murder victim. That unique sense of what's right and wrong, together with her incredible fighting skills, made Batman select her as the new Batgirl when she encountered him, years after she had run away from her father and started to live on the streets.
Cassandra's ambitiously written adventures focussed more on psychological and ethical problems than on beating up villains. The reader witnessed how Cassandra's intense feeling of guilt for having killed that man as a child caused a neurotic lack of self esteem and a death wish. Nevertheless it was a very positive and uplifting experience to see how she battled her inner demons and finally found the courage to face life.
Cassandra's stories provided a unique, almost poetical way to look at the world because she lived as some sort of stranger in a strange land. Things we take for granted in everyday life were new and exciting for her, and she developed unusual but highly inspiring ways of learning what happiness means.

And Cassandra's story is far from over. She has grown more mature and competent, but there are still lots of story possibilities for her.

Sadly, the editors didn't seem to realize that when the Batgirl series was canceled last year, although it had a very well-received writer (Andersen Gabrych), sold better than other series like Catwoman that are still around, and would have without doubt had a substantial sales rise in the One Year Later event.

I don't want to dwell too much on what was done to Cassandra in her appearance in the Robin series after that. Only that her characterization was transformed almost into the total opposite with some strange explanation that ignored continuity, story logic and character development so blatantly that it's hard to interpret it as anything else than a calculated provocation.
That might have been even acceptable if we had known that this was part of a developing story by competent writers who respect previous character development. But instead Batgirl fans were left hanging without explanation or announcement when or if Cassandra's story (if that retconned character could be called by the same name) would continue.
Cassandra's next appearances in Supergirl and Teen Titans sent mixed and contradictory signals. As a Batgirl fan I am thankful that it seems possible now she might become a heroic character again instead of a silly villain.
However, I am very frustrated that DC hasn't bothered to send any message to Batgirl fans what Cassandra's new status quo will be, or even when we might learn that. It isn't some obscure character we are talking about here, but the title heroine of a successful series that lasted for more than 60 issues and ended only last year.
The fans that bought and supported that series are still hoping and waiting for new comics starring Cassandra. Or at least for guest-appearances that allow us to continue our emotional attachment - for the record, that means respecting past continuity and characterization.

Now I won't deny that Cassandra might seem a character with limited possibilities. And in the popular perception the name "Batgirl" is still associated with Barbara Gordon. So I wouldn't blame DC comics for wishing to create a new Batgirl that is closer to that iconic image.
Actually there would have been a perfect opportunity for that in the comics. But it was wasted:
Stephanie Brown, the teenage heroine that used the costumed identity of "The Spoiler" and was (for a short time) the fourth, female Robin, was tortured and killed in a generally ill-received storyline (Batman: War Games).
I liked her enthusiastic and funny character very much and was very sad to see her highly promising story end like that. I'm sure many readers feel the same and would like to see her return.

However, if that happens or not, at least I hope that DC has better plans for Cassandra Cain than to kill her off or turn her into a villain.
Even if a new Batgirl would be introduced Cassandra could become a supporting character in some sort of mentor role. But much more I would like to see Cassandra return as the title character of a new Batgirl ongoing, or at least mini series. I am sure I am far from the only one.