More good stuff from girl-wonder.org
"A lot like Robin if you close your eyes": Displacement of meaning in the post-modern Age is an essay on girl-wonder.org that says a lot of interesting things about the larger reasons why Stephanie could never have stayed as Robin, and where ideas that would naturally go into the Robin role have gone instead due to the constraints on Robin-the-franchise-property (i.e. dark-haired white teen male). It also expresses the crappiness of Spolier's death (after being fired as Robin) well.
Unusually, the essay also has interesting and intelligent things to say about the nearly forgotten original Bat-Girl, Betty Kane. I'm fascinated by Betty and Kathy (Batwoman) Kane. With the revival of Batwoman Kathy's getting renewed attention, but Betty (or Bette in post-first-Crisis continuity) remains fairly obscure, whether as Bat-Girl or Flamebird. I managed to find two old issues with her in them in a condition bad enough that I don't balk at the price but good enough to read, so when they arrive in the mail I'll write more on her. She made only six appearances in her original run, of which only one has been reprinted (in which the other-dimensional imp Bat-Mite plays matchmaker between her and Robin). Sadly, I've not been able to find a copy of her first appearance. But I did get a picture of her from titanstower.com for a new icon :-)
The new version of Kathy (now Kate) Kane made her first appearance in 52 this past week, so I'll write up a contrast of that and her original appearance in Detective Comics 233 (which has been reprinted) shortly. But until then, this Newsarama article, which was written for the character's 50th anniversary, is a fun read giving an exhaustive tour of the original Batwoman's career.
Unusually, the essay also has interesting and intelligent things to say about the nearly forgotten original Bat-Girl, Betty Kane. I'm fascinated by Betty and Kathy (Batwoman) Kane. With the revival of Batwoman Kathy's getting renewed attention, but Betty (or Bette in post-first-Crisis continuity) remains fairly obscure, whether as Bat-Girl or Flamebird. I managed to find two old issues with her in them in a condition bad enough that I don't balk at the price but good enough to read, so when they arrive in the mail I'll write more on her. She made only six appearances in her original run, of which only one has been reprinted (in which the other-dimensional imp Bat-Mite plays matchmaker between her and Robin). Sadly, I've not been able to find a copy of her first appearance. But I did get a picture of her from titanstower.com for a new icon :-)
The new version of Kathy (now Kate) Kane made her first appearance in 52 this past week, so I'll write up a contrast of that and her original appearance in Detective Comics 233 (which has been reprinted) shortly. But until then, this Newsarama article, which was written for the character's 50th anniversary, is a fun read giving an exhaustive tour of the original Batwoman's career.