Allow me to fangurl out for a moment...

We interupt your regularly scheduled non-reboot ranting for a little bit of fangurl dorkiness:

So it has long been my dream to have a movie in which Stephanie Gatschet plays Kara and Amy Gumenick plays Steph (I recently made a mock movie poster for my own amusement) as well I'd love Matt Bomer to be Dick...being the Dick/Kara shipper I am you know I had to have a Nightwing for my Supergirl. I digress.

Anyway, I've tweeted said desires recently and to my absolute amazement both Steph and Amy retweeted them...not just retweeted, but retweeted with comments! Amy said that playing Steph sounded like fun and Steph said she LOVED the idea of playing Kara with Matt as Dick. And, who knows, maybe she'll tell Matt about it. She used to be on Guiding Light with him and one of her friends has been on White Collar recently, so maybe they talk still. That would kinda be cool.

Yes yes, I know this really amounts to nothing. At all. It's not like they have power at DC to make this happen, but it's still really awesome to me that they liked the idea enough to retweet and comment. I <3 them so much right now.

So yes, I'm reserving the right to be a total fan gurl geek. Go ahead and laugh. I'm gonna sit her and smile.

That is all...

Open Letter to Dan Didio

Dear Mr. Didio,

I write this as an open letter posted online in hopes that somehow it might actually make it to your eyes. The internet is great that way.

It is clear to me that you strongly dislike heroines. Is it strong women you detest? Women that are realistic yet heroic? Maybe just females in general? I make no assumptions as to why this is, but it clearly is. With the exception of Diana Prince and Barbara Gordon you seem to really hate your own female characters.

In 2007 when asked about why Stephanie Brown did not have a memorial in the Batcave you replied it was because she was never really a Robin. Not only is this contradictory to what Bruce said on panel, but it is extremely disrespectful to Stephanie as a character. Stephanie most certainly was a Robin. She trained with Bruce, she patrolled and fought by his side, and in the end she was fearless enough to risk her life to prove her worth to him. Of course, your comment shouldn’t surprise me considering that she was killed off as a plot device in a very gruesome and sexualized manner.

It was only when Stephanie fans revolted that you were forced to bring back Stephanie. Because, guess what? Stephanie is a great character that is loved by many. She is real, relatable, and fun. Yeah, she’s not a computer genius or an Amazon princess…that’s why we love her!

Most recently you commented about all the past Robins getting their own book, this was referencing Dick, Tim, and Jason. Once again Steph was overlooked as having been a Robin…right, you don’t consider her one.

While I do not know for sure you are the one behind Stephanie losing her Batgirl mantle, it is known the reboot was your brain child and that you’ve wanted Barbara back as Batgirl for quite some time. I think it is a safe conclusion that you’re the reason for Steph being disrespected…again.

Stephanie was becoming a popular Batgirl with a great creative team. They had a consistently solid and successful book. Why break up a winning combo? Oh, right…Barbara.

Barbara fans don’t want her back as Batgirl. She has transcended that role. She was important as Oracle. She was an inspiration to many. Most importantly she grew. Whereas Batgirl was a character growth for Stephanie. It’s the role she deserved to be in and it worked. You’ve managed to upset both Barbara and Steph fans. Great job.

But it’s not just the Batgirls you disrespect. Oh no, it’s Supergirl too. It’s quite clear you only tolerate Kara because of 20 years of fan backlash. It’s also clear that you detest Linda Danvers. Now, I personally am not a fan of Linda. Kara is the true Supergirl as far as I am concerned, however Linda has fans and she is a part of Supergirl history and deserves to be respected as such. You were asked about her status once and not only did you laugh at the person that asked the question, but you glossed over the question. The question was asked as “I’m just going to keep asking until you answer, where is Linda Danvers?” Your reply was “We appreciate your persistence and you just keep asking that question.”

So were you trying to be funny? Because you weren’t. It was a legitimate question and deserved an answer…but of course you can’t be bothered to address the whereabouts of a former heroine…not even one that once held the mantle of SUPERGIRL!

Your reaction to this question was completely uncalled for disrespectful, not only to Linda Danvers and her fans, but to female heroines and fans in general. This is par for the course for you though.

And it’s not just our heroines. You were also once asked about Lian Harper (Roy Harper’s daughter) and you replied with ‘who?’. You obviously know who Lian is…her death was a major deal in Arsenal’s storyline. There is no way you didn’t know. But again, you brushed off a question about a female character. I’m seeing a pattern here.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on for pages about how you have disrespected female characters. Yes, it is noted by the fans of these characters and specifically the female fans.

I know I speak for the fans of Stephanie Brown when I say we’re sick of it. When Stephanie was made Batgirl we felt she was finally getting the respect she deserved. Unfortunately this was clearly not the case. I’m sure the fans of other female characters (Linda, Lian, Barbara, etc) would agree they are sick of the disrespect.

I don’t expect you to suddenly change your ways, just know we do notice and it does impact DC as a whole. I, for one, will be dropping my subscription of Batgirl once Stephanie is yanked out of the role. I know many others that will be as well. If you continue to alienate the fans of your female characters and females in general DC comics will eventually pay the price. Think about it.

Sincerely,
Priscilla Hagle

Video Blog: What Stephanie Brown Means to me

For days I've been on about the non-reboot of the DCU and my SOS campaign. I've explained my reasons and emotions in details in written word...but I felt the need to compile it all and express myself in a video. This is a very special video blog that I hope explains my views, thoughts, and reasons for the SOS. I also hope this will explain why I am taking this 'reboot' so hard.

Visit: http://www.unchartedwind.com/SOS

Some Things Never Change...Even With a Non-Reboot

Ok, at the moment I'm infuriated and I needed a place to get it out. What better place than the forum in which I met all the wonderful fans of the DC Fandom.

First of all I want to explain that I put up with the constant frustration to canon because I truly love these characters. It's not their fault that Dan Didio (or Dan Dildo as I like to refer to him), Grant Morrison, and all the other pretentious idiots at DC Comics can't be bothered to respect them as they deserve to be. I love the 'next gen' heroes and heroines so much. Dick Grayson and Kara Zor-El will forever and always be my favorite hero and heroine. I have loved both since I was a little girl and I can't imagine not loving them. Perhaps this is why I'm such a Dick/Kara shipper. I digress. Since the return of Kara to the DCU Post-Crisis (which only took 20 years thank you very much) I have become a part of this fandom. I wouldn't touch it as long as there was a Supergirl that wasn't Kara. Once I started to learn about the fandom I fell in love with so many other characters. I came to adore the cool headed logic that Tim provided to his family (although I also say he's one of the most sensitive), I started to love the spunky kick ass bring it on attitude of Mia, I found the complexity of Jason to be other fascinating and endearing, and most of all I came to idolize and admire the plucky, never give up, take me as I am spirit of Stephanie Brown. I have always loved Batgirl in concept, but I never connected with Cass Cain and so the character of Batgirl became and after thought to me. Then Stephanie Brown took on the role and...I'm not ashamed to say I actually wavered on my loyalty to Kara. Truly. There were days I would pick up my books and read Batgirl BEFORE I ever touched Supergirl. I could relate to Steph...I could connect to her...she was who I would be if I had the resources to be a crimefighter. I could live vicariously through Stephanie.

But I digress, the point is that because of my love for these characters I put up with the frustration of Grant Morrison's Jason Todd, the 'death' and subsequent return of Bruce Wayne, the travesty that was New Krypton, and...well you get the idea.

That being said, when I heard about the 'reboot' (which DC is now saying is NOT a reboot) I went into panic mode. Does the DCU need work? Without question. But a 'non-reboot'? Really? I've invested a lot of time, money, frustration, and love into the DCU as is. Why not just, oh, you know, write better stories? Maybe a recon here and there...but a whole non-reboot? Really? It's rather extreme.

My first fear was "OMG STEPH!" and so far DC has done NOTHING to calm that fear. Today brought the announcement of a lot of Bat Family titles. Bruce is staying Batman and taking on Damian as his Robin. I like this. Assuming I don't boycott DC (more on that in a minute) I will actually pick up 'Batman and Robin'. Dick is reclaiming Nightwing. Love this because I love Dick best as Nightwing...although the red costume is very un-Dick IMO. Jason is FINALLY getting his own book. It's about time. They fixed his Red Hood costume so it's not the retarded looking Grant Morrison one and he's leading a team that has Roy as Arsenal. Long way from the Robin that died in a rigged phone poll. This book holds cautious promise. Then there are the others.

Batgirl will no longer be my dear Stephanie. It will be Barbara. Now, I know the men at DC have hard-ons for Babs in Kevlar, but Babs should never be Batgirl again. She is Oracle to this generation...she serves a greater purpose as Oracle....she is more inspirational as Oracle. Batgirl is honestly a backwards move for her at this point. It would be like getting a job promotion, doing that job well for years, and suddenly you're demoted to a previous position and you have to prove yourself all over. I know several hardcore Babs fans that are insulted and I don't blame them. I know of one that was saying that this is disrespectful to the character and they are mistreating her. Welcome to the club. Steph Brown fans know this feeling well.

As of the writing of this we have yet to hear about anything regarding the futures of Stephanie or Tim. Today was seemingly 'Bat Day' and two of the most important members of the Bat Family have yet to be mentioned. Business hours are drawing to a close and it seems Steph and Tim have been all but forgotten. And yes, I realize Cass hasn't been mentioned either but in all honesty I suspect she'll remain as Black Bat and she really hasn't been involved in anything except Batman Inc as of late. Steph and Tim have their own titles and nothing. Now, as far as Tim goes I could be swayed to believe that he is staying Red Robin so this isn't news as DC is focusing on announcing changes. But Steph? We know she isn't still going to be Batgirl. I'd say this is a pretty major change in the character! Will she be Spoiler again? Will she be part of Jason's outlaws? Will she become a supporting character in one of Bruce's books or maybe Dick's or Tim's (if he has one)? I wish I could tell you. (Update 6/8/11: Tim will continue to be Red Robin and lead the Teen Titans. This is confirmed.)

What I can tell you is that Batwing is getting his own book.

Who?

EXACTLY!

In Batman Inc we met 'Africa's Batman' that goes by Batwing. He's black. I don't say this to be racist, at all. I say this to make a point. That is the only reason Batwing is getting a book. DC wants to diversify comics. I'm ok with this. I get it. I relate to Steph because she's a white chick with blonde hair and blue eyes and has a sarcastic sense of humor....she's me. I totally get everyone wants a hero they see themselves in. I don't like diversification for diversification sake. That is what I feel is happening here. But even putting my feelings on that particular issue aside, because it's really not the point anyway, the fact remains that they announced that frickin Batwing is getting his own book...and Steph and Tim? Status unknown.

As I write this I keep refreshing Google news, hoping for a late announcement to void out my rant. So far nothing.

COME ON DC!!! Steph losing the Batgirl mantle is pretty fucking big news! How about you tell us what is happening to her? OHHHHH RIGHT....I forgot, Steph losing the mantle isn't the news. Babs getting the mantle back is.

There are admittedly some things in the DCU I'm potentially excited about...intrigued if nothing else. Namely Bruce and Damian working together, Dick as Nightwing, and Jason having a book. These are three books (along with the previously mentioned Batwoman, which is on track as always planned, so four books) that I would love to have on my pull list. I also found out there is going to be a Batarang controller available when Arkham City comes out and I'd love to have that. HOWEVER I WILL boycott all things DC if Steph isn't confirmed in some sort of role in the Bat Family soon. I'll stop all my current books except the remainder of Steph's Batgirl and Supergirl. And I spend a lot of money every month with DC. My monthly comic bill is anywhere from $40-80 if not more. I'm not going to spend that kind of money to see one of my favorite heroines mistreated AGAIN.

I could write a whole article on the ways DC has mistreated Stephanie and why that pisses me off. A month ago I didn't think that mattered anymore because Steph was FINALLY getting the respect she deserved. She was in the role she always should have had. She was Batgirl. Now? Well maybe DC hasn't learned anything at all.

I have never wanted to be wrong so badly. I want desperately to hear from DC that I'm wrong, that Steph is going to be Spoiler and have huge role in one of the Bat Family books. PROVE ME WRONG DC, PLEASE! Until then, the fact we know Batwing has a book and know nothing about Stephanie is enough to make me scream...and scream I did.

What it comes down to is this, the idiots at DC, especially Dan Dildo, seem to hate any heroine that isn't Babs or Diana. They put up with Kara because the backlash of her wipe was 20 years long and so they really don't have a choice. Stephanie has always been an after thought to them and this is proving to be the case again and I'm sick of it. I love this fandom, I love these characters, but I have never been more infuriated with DC than I am right now.

Save Stephanie Brown!

Sign the petition to let DC know how much you love Stephanie Brown!



Visit the SOS homepage

Crisis On New Earth????

I’m still trying to process the news of the reboot. We don’t know much at this point, but it is looking like perhaps the reboot really is of the whole DCU. I’ve heard some theories that this will just be a new Earth-1, similar to pre-crisis comics where you had different versions of the same heroes every month or the Marvel “Ultimate” line. It appears though that that is not the case and we are actually losing the current ‘New Earth’.

I’m trying to figure out what this all means. Are we losing Stephanie? Tim? Jason? Cassie? Will Dick be Robin again? Barbara as Batgirl? Donna as Wonder Girl? So many questions and fears. I doubt we’ll lose Kara again because I just don’t think DC would be stupid enough to erase Kara from the DCU twice. Then again this is DC we’re talking about.

The current ‘teen’ line up (Steph, Cassie, Tim, etc) are all among my favorite heroes. I never thought I could love a Batgirl more than Babs…but Steph did it. Stephanie is *my* Batgirl. As much as the old school fans will never see anyone else as Batgirl but Babs, that’s how I feel about Steph now. Stephanie IS Batgirl in my mind. As for Jason? He’s Jason…he’s awesome. The idea of Steph and Jason no longer existing or ever having new canon makes me wanna cry.

A good friend of mine reminded me we can keep these heroes alive through the fandom. DC can change canon but they have no control over fanfiction and RPs. I have met so many wonderful people that share a love of my favorite heroes and that can’t and won’t change.

I wanna go on record to everyone from my RP that is reading this and say, this reboot WILL NOT in any way affect the RP. We have our own canon now that we will continue with in our own way for as long as everyone is willing.

In a similar note to those who read my fanfics, I will still write fanfics with Steph, Jason, etc. regardless of what happens. I hope everyone else will do the same.

The most annoying and painful part of this for me is that Steph gets screwed over again. She got screwed as Robin, she got screwed when they killed her, she finally fought her way back to earn the mantle of Batgirl and the respect that goes with it and now this shit. It’s crap and I hope DC knows what crap it is. Stephanie Brown is the best heroine ever, aside from Kara, and to constantly screw her like this is ridiculous. Just because someone at DC has this idea of Babs as Batgirl they won’t let go of doesn’t mean Steph should get screwed over. It pisses me off beyond belief.

As for Kara, I can’t help but remember the pre-crisis Kara and that it took 15 years to get Kara back. I do not want to lose her again. I hope DC has learned from Matrix and Linda Danvers that Kara is as much Supergirl and Clark is Superman.

What is comes down to is this, I love the characters of DC…namely Steph, Jay, Kara, and Dick. Now we all know Dick isn’t getting rebooted out. It just won’t happen. Steph probably will. Jay is up in the air. The only way I will continue to read ANY DC title is if they keep Kara. If I lose Kara AND Steph then you can be damn sure I will never purchase another comic book again.

This reboot has me nervous, but I think if we keep the fandom alive then I’ll be ok. So to all my friends: Amber, KingNorth, Gloria, Nat, Bek…and every other amazing person I’ve met through this fandom that I didn’t name, thanks for being my friend and here’s to keeping OUR fandom alive.

~ Cilla
6/1/11