Letter to the editor in this week’s Batgirl #23
We’ve written about why Stephanie Brown should interact with Jason, as they have not at this point, however, fan Priscilla Hagle makes a good case for them in this letter.
(Note: Her letter is italicized, the editorial response is bolded. We’ve cut down some of her letter for space)
Dear Janelle and Katie,
I absolutely love Stephanie Brown as Batgirl. Her title is the one DCU book I always look forward to because her characterization is spot on every month. I miss her constant contact with Barbara, but Oracle has such a large presence in the DCU that it makes sense she can’t always baby-sit Steph. I would like to see more of Steph’s home life. Her mom has to figure out she’s Batgirl at some point, right?
Well… Stephanie’s mom hasn’t always been the most… adept mother out there. She did have quite the prescription drug problem back in the day, so she might not notice all of Steph’s whereabouts. But, seeing more of her home life could be interesting…
One thing I would LOVE to see in Batgirl is romance. I realize comics are a traditionally male medium, but there are those of us that are female and miss seeing a little bit of romance with our action. Jason Todd is just begging to be a supporting character for Batgirl. He and Steph are both failed Robins who had a rough upbringing. In some ways, they are two sides of the same coin. It would strain her already stressed friendship with Tim and the rest of the Bat Family as well, which is always interesting. She could also be the one to help Jason find his redemption, or he could pull her over the line into his gray world… it could really go either way, which adds more conflict. Jason and Steph have the potential to be an amazing story!
Hmm… while seeing a Batgirl romance would be quite titillating, seeing her and Jason as a couple just seems… improbable. Jason is so mercurial and wrapped up in his own problems, it would mean nothing but heartbreak for our dear Steph. But, then again, that would make for some GREAT tension!
On a side note, it would be cool to see Batgirl cross paths with Batwoman, even if it’s just a brief exchange.
That would be neat… we’ll have to put a call in to J.H Williams III and see what he thinks…
Overall, I am so pleased Steph is Batgirl now. I also love Batgirl’s creative team. Easily the best in the DCU.
On behalf of Bryan, Pere and Guy — thank you! You’ve got some good ideas going on here. Take note, other readers, we love seeing letters like this! Keep ‘em coming!
Also, Priscilla, comics may be a “male medium,” but you’ve represented the female readership with a strong voice and kick-ass ideas! Don’t sell yourself short! Not all chicks want to read comics about unicorns and daisies (no hate to those who do!), and that’s why we keep bringing the awesome to the pages of Batgirl!
Really interesting letter. There’s more if you check out this week’s Batgirl. Absolutely, Steph and Jason need to interact as it would be quite interesting, given their own personal histories.
Personally, I (mod!Liz) am not entirely sold on the idea of a Jason/Steph romance, though it would be complicated, interesting and full of tension, but given Jason’s emotional and mental state, I don’t think it would be the best for both Steph or Jason at this point in time, but much moreso, Steph. As well, I don’t know how healthy it would be for them as it would seem to only be about furthering Jason’s goal to get back at his family (First Talia, then Steph…). Awyeahlongbox raises some good points about this in a Batkid meta essay.
What do you think?
My Letter to DC Editors for Jason Todd’s Red Hood Comic!!!
I put this on the best stationary! I’ll have to scan it later. :)
Dear Editors,
First, let me say how glad I am that Jason Todd is back in comics in such a big way. He has such an exciting story and I think he brings a lot of interest to storytelling in Gotham. I’d love to see him get his own comic. I think that would give him a chance to shine as a character.
In his own serial, I’d like to see Jason’s character get straightened out. His back story and pre-death character don’t seem to shift greatly, but he seems to be going through a huge shift in character lately. He frequently fluctuates in terms of his blend of pre-and post-crisis, pre-death Jason. The various amalgams are interesting, but not endearing. I don’t know who to expect when I pick up a comic with Jason in it. The difference between whatever Jason I’m expecting and who is in the comic can be very disappointing. They’re all interesting in their way, I’m just hoping for some consistency. Jason hasn’t been in comics for long enough for readers to be truly bored of him; he needs development, not RE-development.
I hope to see a Red Hood comic soon. It would be a great read and interesting to see Jason as a protagonist. I’d love to see his interaction with other heroes told from a perspective where he’s doing terrible things but not strictly a villain.
Thanks and Good Luck!
DERPES VECTOR (LOL, no. I put my name.)
P.S. Like my stationary?
WE DID IT
Now, only 1700 more things to send letters in to DC about…. xD
Source: kismeticulous
Letter to the editor in today’s Batman and Robin 23
A letter featured in this issue asks,
Please bring back Scarlet, Professor Pyg, and The Flamingo! The first six issues of the Grant Morrison run on Batman and Robin were unbelievable, and I think that the previously mentioned trio needs to start showing up in Gotham again. (Maybe The Red Hood needs his own ongoing monthly?)
The editorial reply was,
We’re betting Professor Pyg and Flamingo pop back into the Bat-verse sooner than later. After all, Flamingo may have met his demise at the end of Batman and Robin #6, but he shows up in Batman #666, an issue set far in the future. That’s gotta mean something, right?
As for Scarlet, the Red Hood’s former sidekick, when we last saw her she was literally on the road to physical and mental recovery. That doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of her, but it’s probably a safe bet that she’ll be lying low for awhile.
We’re glad you brought up Red Hood! Obviously, he’s returned for the current storyline, and his recent miniseries, Red Hood: Lost Days, has garnered a lot of fan letters since it ended. What do you guys think — would you want to see more Red Hood in the DC Universe? Possibly in his own ongoing series? Write in and let us know what you think about him and any other characters you crave!
Sounds promising!
You can either e-mail a letter in or send one in to
Letters to the Editor
DC Comics
1700 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
“Even though I feel sorry for Robin and the pain he has gone through, I feel I must dial the KILL number many times, exhausting my resources, until Robin is dead. I’m not satanic (it’s funny that the last three digits of the KILL number were 666) but in spite of DC, I want to see if you’ll really do it. Without bringing another Robin into the comic. Without a dream sequence, even though I don’t think you guys are that cheesy.”
It’s interesting to see that someone actually wanted to dial the number multiple times just to see if they would kill Robin and it was not so much mired in hatred or dislike of the character.
Source: romanadvoratrelundar
I can’t tell how this person actually voted. They seem very conflicted.
printed in Batman 429
Another interesting letter: the person likes the character, but seems to want to see how a death story would play out.
Source: romanadvoratrelundar
Letter printed in Batman 429
“I’m voting to have Robin survive.” yay!
“I am not a huge Robin fan, and I’m really curious how you would handle his death. But I’d rather have that later, not now, for various reasons.” oh :(
“And I have to admit, deep down, that I like the rug-rat.” aw :)
romanadvoratrelundar posted a few letters to the editor about Jason, his death and the phone-in poll that we’ll be reblogging throughout the day. Some, like this one, are positive, others are negative.
Source: romanadvoratrelundar
letter printed in Batman 428, the issue Jason Todd died
Source: romanadvoratrelundar
More letters from Batman 428
Some negative letters about Jason in Batman 428. As I’ve been searching for negative letters about him throughout Batman and Detective, I’ve been surprised that I’ve found far fewer than I expected.
(The first letter is a little confusing — is zie advocating for or against death or both?)
Source: romanadvoratrelundar
A letter in Batman 436, which is the first part of Batman Year Three.
Letter writer Eric Martinson says:
Dear Denny,
I love Batman comics, but why did you kill Robin? I liked Jason a lot. I got all his comics. I found out in a magazine that Robin was going to die. I miss him. But why did you kill him?
“Robin won’t die, will he?”
Three letter writers featured in the letters page of Detective Comics 577 implore editors to not kill Jason, as suggested in the grim, futuristic tale The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller. (Published Aug. 1987) ***FYI: Jason was injured in a storyline in Detective Comics 574-575. Detective Comics 574 was the beginning of his post-Crisis origin in Detective***
- “Time was, I’d have no doubts as to a Bat-tale’s outcome. Now I’m never sure. I mean, Robin won’t die, will he? Those tragic future shadows in Miller’s DARK KNIGHT saga won’t really happen after all… will they? God Forbid! I’ll keep my fingers tightly crossed and hope the junior half of this act can somehow pull through.” — Dana Fine
- Editorial’s reply to Dana: “By now you know Jason is his chipper l’il self again. The wee bairn’s got a few more years left in him yet… heh, heh, heh.”
- “And now Robin is hurt. Press releases say he is hurt bad. Batman may be at fault. What does this say about the comics professional’s attitude toward us letterhacks, figuratively speaking. Where do we stand? Eventually, will the game hurt us? I hope Robin lives. I hope the letterhack lives. May Detective Comics live. May the whole industry live. If only because for some, it isn’t a game.” — “The Little White Boy”
- “One hears that without Robin, though, he would become much more enmeshed in the darker side of his personality — he even cracks a joke this issue (#573). Batman needs Robin as much as the other way around, if for different reasons. … Ah yes, poor Robin, who between LEGENDS and now this book is very much in the wars. It’s implied in DARK KNIGHT that at some point he took one risk too many. He’s been portrayed as somewhat naive in recent issues of DETECTIVE COMICS, and needs to learn fast. It seems that next issue’s new origin will involve Robin as much as the Batman. I certainly welcome what I read is to be the upcoming exploration of their relationship and the redoing of Jason’s origin coming up in BATMAN.” — Malcolm Bourne
