Better New Letter
I edited my letter to be better! That rhymes. I'm pasting it here, so I can retrieve it at home. (I am at school. Digital Media so I can get to my LJ...bad me, not doing work. Never mind there's nothing to do.) Decided to put the Jann Jones bit in a separate letter.
Huh, no Rich Text on this computer. Weird.
Dear Dan Didio/Jann Jones,
Hi! It's me, Caitlin Donovan from the Heroes Convention.
I'm very sorry to bother you, but I have been really distressed concerning DC comics and considering dropping them, and I thought I should tell you why, because perhaps you'd like to know, and at least I'll have a sense that my voice has been heard.
A few weeks ago, I was very happy with my comics. I had my problems of course, especially since a lot of the titles I bought had been canceled, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm and I was excited for the new direction.
Then, I became aware of the mounting pile of evidence that Barbara Gordon would regress to Batgirl. I want you to understand I have no problem with Babs changing, and developing. It's regression I have a problem with. Babs underwent incredible character development in the past twenty years, and it's been an amazing story of her overcoming great hardship and becoming independent. Ignoring all that and sticking her in the Batgirl suit again would be as disrespectful to the character as Dick Grayson becoming Robin again would be to his, and just plain demeaning. She's also in her late twenties/early thirties, so she wouldn't be calling herself “Girl”, especially since there's a Batwoman running around that has less experience than her. Deaging her would also me really degrading to the character in my opinion. Not to mention, you'd be magically "fixing" one of your only disabled superheroes, which sends a bad message. And does Oracle really need to abandon her unique role to become another street fighter?
Of course, another big concern is what happens to Cassandra Cain. I really love the character, and in my previous letter to Jann, I predicted her series wouldn't sell well because it was entrusted to Adam Beechen, who is reviled by Batgirl fans. It didn't sell well, and I still believe that was the reason. If Cassandra is killed in order for Babs to regress, well, I think I would have to stop reading DC.
This is not a revenge thing. It's not a fit because I didn't get my way. It's just I know I can't invest money in comics that destroy the characters I love to return to the Silver Age. I like to see characters move forward,tell new stories, and putting Babs back into the Batgirl costume would be moving backward, retreading old stories, and disrespecting the character. And it would seem to reflect a larger trend in the DCU, one I am unwilling to buy into, because it isn't a comic aimed for me, a fan today. It's aimed for those who grew up in the sixties and seventies.
This, along with several comments at convention panels that made me uncomfortable (as a female fan), really saddened me, because I love your comics. I don't want to give them up. But I don't want to buy something that doesn't respect me as a customer. So, I am just writing you to say, if my worst fears happen, (Cassandra dies, Babs regresses) I will be giving up DC. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. I hope it doesn't come to that. But thank you for listening to me.
Yours sincerely,
Caitlin Donovan
Annnnd Jann's:
Dear Jann,
Hello, Caitlin Donovan here, the girl you kindly remembered from the Heroes Convention.
You didn't respond to my thank you letter, and though I would consider this normal for any busy executive, you always responded to my letters in the past quite courteously. So I suspect the letter either got lost in the mail, or you decided to stop answering letters due to being busy or I offended you by including my doubts about the Batgirl miniseries in the note (though my predictions were true). If the latter is the case, I'm very sorry, but I hope you know I respect you and am grateful for the kindness you have shown me in the past. I just wanted my voice to be heard by someone.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Donovan
Huh, no Rich Text on this computer. Weird.
Dear Dan Didio/Jann Jones,
Hi! It's me, Caitlin Donovan from the Heroes Convention.
I'm very sorry to bother you, but I have been really distressed concerning DC comics and considering dropping them, and I thought I should tell you why, because perhaps you'd like to know, and at least I'll have a sense that my voice has been heard.
A few weeks ago, I was very happy with my comics. I had my problems of course, especially since a lot of the titles I bought had been canceled, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm and I was excited for the new direction.
Then, I became aware of the mounting pile of evidence that Barbara Gordon would regress to Batgirl. I want you to understand I have no problem with Babs changing, and developing. It's regression I have a problem with. Babs underwent incredible character development in the past twenty years, and it's been an amazing story of her overcoming great hardship and becoming independent. Ignoring all that and sticking her in the Batgirl suit again would be as disrespectful to the character as Dick Grayson becoming Robin again would be to his, and just plain demeaning. She's also in her late twenties/early thirties, so she wouldn't be calling herself “Girl”, especially since there's a Batwoman running around that has less experience than her. Deaging her would also me really degrading to the character in my opinion. Not to mention, you'd be magically "fixing" one of your only disabled superheroes, which sends a bad message. And does Oracle really need to abandon her unique role to become another street fighter?
Of course, another big concern is what happens to Cassandra Cain. I really love the character, and in my previous letter to Jann, I predicted her series wouldn't sell well because it was entrusted to Adam Beechen, who is reviled by Batgirl fans. It didn't sell well, and I still believe that was the reason. If Cassandra is killed in order for Babs to regress, well, I think I would have to stop reading DC.
This is not a revenge thing. It's not a fit because I didn't get my way. It's just I know I can't invest money in comics that destroy the characters I love to return to the Silver Age. I like to see characters move forward,tell new stories, and putting Babs back into the Batgirl costume would be moving backward, retreading old stories, and disrespecting the character. And it would seem to reflect a larger trend in the DCU, one I am unwilling to buy into, because it isn't a comic aimed for me, a fan today. It's aimed for those who grew up in the sixties and seventies.
This, along with several comments at convention panels that made me uncomfortable (as a female fan), really saddened me, because I love your comics. I don't want to give them up. But I don't want to buy something that doesn't respect me as a customer. So, I am just writing you to say, if my worst fears happen, (Cassandra dies, Babs regresses) I will be giving up DC. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. I hope it doesn't come to that. But thank you for listening to me.
Yours sincerely,
Caitlin Donovan
Annnnd Jann's:
Dear Jann,
Hello, Caitlin Donovan here, the girl you kindly remembered from the Heroes Convention.
You didn't respond to my thank you letter, and though I would consider this normal for any busy executive, you always responded to my letters in the past quite courteously. So I suspect the letter either got lost in the mail, or you decided to stop answering letters due to being busy or I offended you by including my doubts about the Batgirl miniseries in the note (though my predictions were true). If the latter is the case, I'm very sorry, but I hope you know I respect you and am grateful for the kindness you have shown me in the past. I just wanted my voice to be heard by someone.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Donovan