Warning: Spoilers for Batgirl #1!DC just brought an abandonedBatgirlcodename back in an exciting way, in the debut issue of the character’s new solo series. Cassandra Cain can be viewed as Batman’s greatest success andas Batgirl, Batman’s one true successor. However, fans often forget that she wasn’t always Batgirl. Very briefly, she went under the name Orphan, but because the name never caught on with readers, Cass reverted to Batgirl.
Batgirl#1 – written by Tate Brombal, with art by Takeshi Miyazawa –takes a moment to pay homage to Cass' time as Orphan and what that part of her identity means to her.
Whether readers remember that part of the character’s early history as a DC hero or not, it’s still something that happened and, thus, plays a pivotal part into who Batgirl is today. In other words, if Batgirl can respect her past as Orphan, so should fans.
Cassandra Cain Makes A Crucial Reference To Her Early “Orphan” Codename In Her New Solo Series
Batgirl#1 – Written By Tate Brombal; Art By Takeshi Miyazawa; Color By Mike Spicer; Lettering By Tom Napolitano
Batgirl#1 marks the latest chapter in Cassandra Cain’s evolution by giving Cass herfirst solo series in 18 years. This new chapter presents a new chapter for the third Batgirl after Huntress, as Cass needs to join forces withher assassin mother, Lady Shiva. Mother dearest warns her daughter that they are both under an incoming threat and must work together to protect each other. As Batgirl tries to decipher if her mother can be trusted, the threat storms down to attack in the form of a cult of ninjas called the Unburied.
These are choices that make up Cassandra’s Cain’s identity and, in her mind, cannot ever be taken away from her.
As the Unburied attack, as she’s unsure if she directs her onslaught of strikes against them or Shiva, Batgirl monologues to herself.Most notably, she refers to herself as"an Orphan by choice,“contextualizing the phrase to her identity; she acknowledges she is also Batgirl, and considers herselfBatman’s daughter by choice. These are choices that make up Cassandra’s Cain’s identity and, in her mind, cannot ever be taken away from her. That includes the canonicity of her being Orphan.
A Brief History Of Cassandra Cain’s “Orphan” Codename, Explained
WhyBatgirl#1’s Homage Matters
Cassandra Cain’s time as Orphan came in the wake of theFlashpointevent, which rebooted the DC Universe. Cassie’s origin story after the reboot was similar, including her father training herin understanding body languageand physical combat, except in this continuity, he operated under the codename Orphan. When he later sacrificed himself to same Cass, she adopted the moniker in his honor. However, subsequent reboots have complicated the DC timeline, so it is debatable whether her tenure with the name remains canon.
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More specifically, it depends on how the creative team of a particular Batgirl story decides to acknowledge Cain’s legacy as Orphan. It was such a short stint that it is very easy to dissectCassandra Cain’s biggest moments, origins, and history without ever mentioning her time as Orphan in detail. That’s what makesBatgirl#1 so interesting. It doesn’t outright say that this moment is still canon or happened in DC’s current version of its Universe;insteadit’s more of a wink to the audience familiar with how the name Orphan relates to Cass.
Why Acknowledging Batgirl’s Past As “Orphan” At The Start Of Her New Solo Series Is A Big Deal
Defining The Character’s Identity
All of that is to say, Batgirl’s time as Orphan cannot be easily ignored on the page, and especially not by readers. The briefness of Cassandra Cain being Orphan may suggest that it was a failure, or that it was ill-received, which in some ways isn’t wrong. Surely, those who spent two decades with Cass as Batgirl likely would have preferred to see her under the cowl, but that does not mean that fans of Cass didn’t appreciate how being Orphan contributed to Cass' wider arc and character development.
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This moment inBatgirl#1 pays respect to her time as Orphan and how it helped inform readers of her overall character. At the same time,it contextualizes the codename in a way that works for her identity. She’s one of the few Bat-Family members with parents, yet she willingly orphaned herself by escaping the assassins, replacing them with the Bat-Family. Even if she’s not using the Orphan name, it’s a part of her identity in a way thatBatgirlcan reclaim as someone who left her abusive familyin favor of a found family.
