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After a major battle in Batgirls #3, Cassandra Cain did something that points towards the Batgirls being DC’s own friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batgirls #3, on sale now from DC Comics.
In their own ongoing series, the Batgirls have finally had the chance to make their mark on Gotham City, and the DC Universe. Although the return of Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain to the role of Batgirl, alongside the original Barbara Gordon, has delighted fans of the characters, this series has done more than just give them a place to be themselves. It’s allowed them to move out of Batman’s shadow and become their own heroes and, as it happens, that looks a lot like Marvel’s very own Spider-Man.
The reason why becomes clear in the pages of Batgirls #3 (by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern, Ivan Plascencia and Becca Carey). The Batgirls have had a rough time lately. With Oracle’s network compromised and the girls on the run, nobody would blame them if they only focused on their own problems. However, Cass showed what being a Batgirl is really about and it’s a lot more personal than the Dark Knight’s vengeful crusade.
Previously in the series, the Batgirls encountered one of their neighbors just as someone had stolen a precious cooking dish. Although it wasn’t expensive, it was very valuable to him. So when Cass spotted it amongst the rubble of their latest battle in Batgirls #3, she immediately knew what to do. She returned it to its rightful owner and used a Batarang to make sure he knew it was there.
It may not seem like much but it’s exactly the sort of thing a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man would do. Whilst Batman is halfway across the world or fighting with the Justice League, who looks out for the regular citizens of Gotham? That’s exactly what Spider-Man is to the Avengers or the X-Men, or any number of Marvel’s larger-than-life teams. It’s not just that these heroes fight crime in their neighborhood, it’s that they look out for their neighbors too. Like here, Cass is a hero these people can trust, like the famous web-head.
The parallels don’t stop there though. The Batgirls’ current circumstances, as well as the loss of a large amount of Bruce Wayne’s fortune, put them on much the same footing as Spider-Man. Peter Parker is known for being poor. He scrapes by on what little he has, juggling real life problems with superheroics, and is sometimes unable to afford the bare essentials for both roles. Although the Batgirls aren’t doing that badly, they don’t have much either. In regards to vehicles, all they can seem to afford are a couple of comical mopeds. Plus, without Oracle’s network, they’re pretty much on their own.
Most important of all though is the overall tone of this new DC series. It’s a lot more relatable than some of the other titles out there, especially the Bat-Family ones. It sees the Batgirls doing lots of normal mundane things, like Cass getting her ears pierced for the first time or her and Steph collectively hating a bad song. It’s these little interactions that make it all the more grounded, personable and approachable. There’s the sense that these characters aren’t larger than life heroes but regular people like us, something that’s at the core of Spider-Man’s character.
This series has created something that everyone can see themselves in. It goes without saying that it’s great to see these characters with their own lives in their own series but, also, what they’ve done with that feels that little bit more unique, especially for the normally more gritty Gotham. This anticipated series has not only brought back the Batgirls but turned them into friendly neighborhood heroes. It will be interesting to see how their exploits continue to mimic that iconic web-slinger over at Marvel.
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